This banquet wasn’t to announce the trade with the Holy Kingdom but to celebrate it. Since it was a celebration where people would drink until late, the first dance was naturally delayed too.

When Adelia stood up, both men also rose.

“Your Highness, please do as I told you.”

“How many times must I say it? Don’t worry. How could I ruin what you asked of me?”

Lucian answered lightly while creating a gap between his arms. Adelia slipped her arm into that gap and pressed close to him.

While Adelia looked down to fix her clothes and appearance, a faint smile lingered on Lucian’s face, which was well above her head.

“Shall we go out now?”

“Let’s go.”

When Adelia raised her head, the smile vanished without a trace. Lucian left the lounge with Adelia, wearing his usual expressionless face.

As the uncomfortable stares fell upon them once more, Adelia turned to Lucian. She grasped his strong, muscular arm, holding onto it as if for support, before stepping forward.

Conrad, who was practically the host of this banquet, separated from them and climbed onto the banquet hall’s platform.

Gone was his appearance of smiling slyly while attending to Adelia, replaced by the neat and serious Deputy Guild Master.

Conrad was as serious as anyone when it came to work.

“I thank everyone who has attended today’s celebration of our trade with the Holy Kingdom. Especially for those who have graced us with their presence, we will exclusively preview the stained glass that will be sent to the Holy Kingdom and the decorative items made with it. Please enjoy viewing them. And when you leave, you may receive small gifts prepared by the guild. Along with modest gifts, there are certificates guaranteeing priority purchase rights when the stained glass decorations are released.”

Though Conrad spoke in an extremely polite tone, the content was arrogant. Instead of giving the decorations as gifts, he was giving the right to purchase them first.

However, not a single noble took issue with this. The decorations adorning the banquet hall were beautiful enough to captivate attention, and since they would bear the Eileen Merchant Guild’s name, it was clear that trying to purchase them later would require paying a premium and waiting a long time.

“I wonder who raised him, but he speaks well.”

Adelia muttered in a very small voice. Though others couldn’t hear, it was clear to Lucian who was right beside her.

Lucian lowered his head to match Adelia’s with an incredulous expression.

“…… You speak as if you’re his parent.”

“He was already a talented raw gem, but I did the cutting.”

Adelia shrugged her shoulders.

In the original story, Conrad who became Guild Master on his own was a shining gem from the start. But it was Adelia who added nobility to his appearance, removed his casual way of speaking, and strictly controlled him to never touch illegal matters.

She had polished and cut the raw gem into a perfect ring. Though they always bickered, Conrad was one of Adelia’s precious people.

“…… It’s gotten quite late. A banquet cannot be without dancing. Though everyone here today is noble and brilliant, I would like to request two people as the protagonists of the first dance. As they are the ones who contributed most to making this occasion possible. Your Highness the Crown Princess, Your Highness the Crown Prince. If you two would be the protagonists of the first dance, I believe today’s banquet would shine even brighter.”

Conrad said while extending his hand toward them.

People shifted their gazes following Conrad’s hand. At the end of those gazes stood Adelia, feeling their attention while wearing a noble smile.

Lucian bent down to match Adelia’s height.

“What do you think? If you don’t want to, I’ll decline.”

“We can’t ruin a good banquet. Besides, how could I refuse a chance to dance with you?”

Though they had arranged this beforehand, Lucian asked as if only Adelia’s opinion mattered. Somewhere, a scream mixed with shock was heard at the Crown Prince’s gentle behavior. With Lucian, who had been perfect in everything except personality, now showing a gentle side too, there was no one who wouldn’t fall for him.

Of course, this gentle behavior was only shown to Adelia.

Instead of words, Adelia accepted Conrad’s proposal with a smile and a nod.

“Thank you. Then everyone, please enjoy.”

Conrad extended one foot forward and turned his right hand toward his abdomen while politely bowing at the waist. His bow served as a signal for the banquet hall’s lighting to change, and the band began playing an exciting piece. A bright light turned on in the center of the banquet hall. Lucian stood with Adelia under the light.

Adelia slowly released her arm holding Lucian and stepped in front of him. It was a preparatory move for dancing.

At that moment, Lucian bent his knee and lowered his head. Lowering his body below Adelia’s line of sight, he extended his hand toward her.

“Would you dance one song with me?”

“Of course.”

Adelia placed her hand on his while smiling happily.

Though she knew he was doing this because of her request, no one in the world would dislike being treated gently by a handsome person.

Moreover, it was refreshingly nice to see the face she usually had to look up at now modestly below her.

They moved their bodies to the music. Since it was a fast-paced song, they moved their bodies without rest. They repeated a pattern of coming together, separating, spinning alone, then coming together again.

‘This reminds me of the day we first met.’

The first day when the bold Adelia approached him and they danced. He never thought he would develop thse feelings.

If he could go back to that time, he would have whispered that he wanted to be her real husband, not just a contract spouse.

Despite Lucian’s wish for this time to never end, the dance piece soon came to an end. After the exciting fast piece was played, there followed a time for brief conversation and rest.

“Dancing after so long is tiring.”

“If you’re tired, you can lean on me. I’d gladly lend you my shoulder.”

They exchanged gentle conversation. Lucian focused all his attention solely on Adelia as if nothing else existed around them. Meanwhile, Adelia secretly rolled her eyes around searching for someone.

Finding that person wasn’t difficult. He was where the people’s murmuring was particularly loud, and very stupidly and kindly, he was approaching them.

“Adelia!”

“Ah…… Count Vita”

Adelia shrunk back and lowered her head.

A faint sneer rose on her face as she looked at the floor.

Count Vita’s appearance was so disheveled that it’s hard to believe he had come to a banquet. His attire was as if someone had grabbed and torn at it.

The blue cravat around his neck was loosely undone, and his shirt was haphazardly tucked into his pants with parts sticking out. Decisively, his hair scattered in all directions was clearly far from neat.

He approached with heavy steps while calling out Adelia’s name loudly.

Though speaking without permission could be overlooked in the name of family, casually calling the Crown Princess’s name was a huge insult.

People around wrinkled their faces at this sight. Some covered their mouths with fans while spreading disparaging words about him.

Count Vita stood before Adelia, completely unconcerned.

“Adelia! You… no, when you come to a banquet, you should meet your father first. I’ve been waiting.”

“C-Count……”

Adelia’s voice trembled as her words trailed off. She tightly gripped Lucian’s hand that she was holding and stepped backward.

Lucian, who stood behind her, protectively wrapped both hands around her shoulders. After lowering his head to check Adelia’s condition, he shot a sharp gaze at the Count.

“Do you have business with my wife?”

“Your Highness the Crown Prince…… I have something to discuss with my daughter……”

The Count’s momentum, which had approached like an enraged bull upon discovering Adelia, subsided.

Lucian’s red eyes glowed menacingly like a predator whose prey had been stolen. The killing intent was chilling, suggesting that one wrong move would result in being torn to shreds.

Lucian was very displeased. He was irritated that the sub-human Count had called out Adelia’s precious name, which even he used sparingly because of how precious it was.

Count Vita trembled at the killing intent directed at him.

‘How did she bewitch the Crown Prince to make him act like this!’

Though fear made his legs shake and his instincts screamed to run away, he had nowhere left to retreat.

His fraudulent activities had been exposed when the previously quiet Eileen Merchant Guild officially drew a line stating they had no connection with the Count. Creditors were in an uproar demanding their money back, and nobles who had previously acted friendly wrinkled their faces and rejected his requests.

To repay his borrowed money, he would need to sell his county and even his noble title.