Lucian sat at the tea table in the middle of the room, watching the scene unfold.

‘She’s fun to tease.’

Lucian, sitting cross-legged and slightly askew, wore a faint smile.

The only ones who entertained Lucian’s jests were his adorable younger siblings.

To others, it wasn’t worth it, and they often took his jokes seriously, trembling in fear.

Maybe it was her exaggerated reaction that made him want to tease her even more.

“Have you calmed down?”

“Ha ha… Thanks to you.”

I was almost completely enchanted.

She swallowed the words she couldn’t bring herself to say, smiling inwardly.

Only after the heat in her face subsided did she turn to look at Lucian.

Seeing his still-relaxed face, she realized she was being thoroughly teased.

‘It’s unfair…’

Adelia’s high aesthetic sense was her pride.

Thanks to her exceptional taste, she matched the sophisticated preferences of the nobility perfectly and picked out popular new fabrics and accessories with ease.

But for the first time today, she resented her own aesthetic sense.

‘This damn face… Does my mind go half absent at the sight of a handsome face?’

Sigh. Adelia sighed and washed her face with dry hands.

Having regained her composure, she walked over to him and plopped down in the empty seat in front of him.

She fetched a teacup and a water bottle from a distance and poured herself some cold water.

Only after gulping down the water did she speak up.

“Why are you here?”

“Where have you been?”

“I asked first!”

“It seems I was the first to have questions.”

Lucian was unyielding.

Adelia, whose face had reddened earlier, now looked at him with her mouth agape, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

‘Why would such a noble face say such ridiculous things…’

Adelia slammed the teacup she was holding onto the desk.

There was much to say, but she didn’t want to drag on this pointless conversation.

Rubbing her throbbing temples, Adelia spoke up.

“My belongings disappeared, so I went to look for them.”

“Who’d dare steal them?”

“Yes, but I found them again.”

Adelia said as she took out a communication stone from her pocket.

It still shimmered with a mysterious purple hue.

“It’s a communication stone.”

“It’s a non-commercial item belonging to the guild. I use it for work.”

“I will punish the thief immediately if you tell me their name.”

“The punishment is done. I’ll have them leave the palace at dawn and give them some menial tasks; let’s end it with that.”

“That’s too lenient. It might be good to take a stronger stance to maintain discipline.”

Ha ha. Adelia laughed awkwardly at his words.

I had dealt with it beforehand, knowing this would come up.

“There’s no need for severe punishment; the imperial family’s dignity is already high. Sometimes, it’s good to show mercy. Actually, it was partly my fault too.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like I said earlier. This is a non-commercial item with a slight defect. Sometimes, people get enchanted by magical tools made with white magic. If it were an ordinary communication stone, it probably wouldn’t have been stolen.”

The communication stone Adelia used was essentially defective, though she had nicely packaged it as a non-commercial item.

Communication stones made with white magic contained a unique aura.

A strange energy that amplified human desires. Invisible but undeniably special.

Lily stealing the communication stone was an incident fueled by her desire to undermine Adelia, triggered by this energy.

Lucian looked at the communication stone curiously at her words.

“I’ve never heard such a thing before.”

“Right. There’s hardly anything known about white magic in the first place.”

“May I see it?”

“Of course.”

Adelia readily handed over the communication stone.

Lucian took it and examined the communication stone closely.

‘From what I see, I don’t feel anything.’

As she said, there was little known about white magic.

Since it’s such a mysterious ability, even Lucian, who had no connection to magic, found it interesting.

Suddenly, a golden light flickered within the purple-hued communication stone.

A crackling sound was heard then.

“Oh? It finally connected….”

Swoosh—

Adelia snatched the communication stone from Lucian’s hand and immediately threw it away.

The communication stone hit the corner of a desk far away with a loud noise.

It shattered into pieces, scattering debris across the floor.

‘Ah, that guy’s timing!’

Adelia gritted her teeth.

That playful voice was definitely Conrad’s. Although there was only one connection in the first place.

Not knowing what he would say next, she threw it anyway.

She hadn’t intended to break it, but it coincidentally hit the corner, which caused it to shatter into pieces.

Looking at the scattered pieces of the communication stone, she sighed briefly.

Lucian looked at her with a bitter face.

“Are you already seeing someone?”

“No!”

Adelia yelled out loud.

That Conrad guy being her lover? She would rather be single.

Groaning, she pressed her forehead and added,

“It’s Conrad, my partner in the merchant group. He told me to contact him at night because of a contract… It was just bad timing.”

There was a sense of resentment in Adelia’s voice as she had to give an explanation that was not quite an explanation.

Lucian chuckled and replied,

“Yes, well. I’ll believe you.”

At his mocking words, Adelia let out a small sigh and turned her gaze away.

‘So mischievous, really.’

* * *

Rumors about Adelia spread throughout the capital.

The woman chosen by the crown prince. The woman who was selected over numerous noble ladies.

People were curious about her.

The count’s family was tight-lipped, and Adelia did not interact with anyone, so little was known about her.

Then Lily, a maid from the crown prince’s palace, appeared.

Although she had left her position as a maid for personal reasons, she had served Adelia before and became the center of the rumors.

“Miss Adelia is really kind and compassionate.”

“Oh, really? I heard rumors that she was so temperamental that she often beat the maids in the count’s household….”

“Who spread such strange rumors? She’s like an angel who forgives the servants’ mistakes and bestows mercy.”

Lily clasped her hands in front of her chest with a blissful expression.

From the moment she left the palace, she attended every social party, praising Adelia’s gentle nature and spreading rumors.

Today, she was at a tea party spreading similar rumors.

It was a tea party attended by countesses and ladies of similar noble houses.

Since there were no particularly outstanding families, the leadership of the conversation naturally went to Lily.

Sitting near the top seat, Lily excitedly began her story.

“She was also invited to dinner on the first day. She stayed for a long time. That night, His Highness the Crown Prince went to her room….”

“Oh my!”

Many young ladies gasped and covered their mouths.

Lately, white magic has been the hot topic, but for young ladies and noblewomen, love stories are more interesting.

Especially when the protagonists were a veiled, beautiful woman and the crown prince, whom everyone had fancied at least once.

A beautiful fairy tale was spreading quietly.

“She attends dinner every day, and it seems that His Highness the Prince and His Highness the Princess also like her.”

“I tremble just looking at the imperial family….”

A young lady said, wrapping her arms around herself.

Everyone around nodded in agreement, saying they felt the same.

No noble had not experienced the ferocity and murderous intent of the imperial family.

Then Lily crossed her arms and snorted triumphantly.

“She’s not scared at all. She’s already receiving treatment akin to that of a crown princess within the palace. I know that there are talks of marriage. She will definitely become the crown princess soon!”

“Oh my! How did the two of them decide to get engaged?”

Lily took a sip of her tea at this slightly awkward question.

She didn’t know that part exactly.

But she could guess.

“I haven’t heard… but surely it must be because their hearts connected? They must have fallen in love at first sight at their first meeting. They’re preparing for the wedding without even having an engagement ceremony…. They must be in love.”

“Oh, it’s as sweet as the love story of His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress.”

The young ladies blushed, and the noblewomen discreetly coughed and slowly fanned themselves.

Romantic narratives unfolded in their minds.

Most showed positive reactions. Their fear of the imperials outweighed opportunities for social climbing, so many nobles did not covet the position of crown princess.

Only two people among them were quietly trembling with their hands.

‘How could she!’

Robelia and Countess Vita.

Adelia, who had turned the mansion upside down before leaving, had not contacted the count’s family at all.

They thought that since they were family, they would be invited to the palace.

But they received neither an invitation nor letters inquiring about their well-being, money, or gifts.

[Receiving favor from the imperial family and being treated as a crown princess.]

The day they heard that rumor, screams never ceased in the count’s household.

Of course, there were screams from maids who had been abused by them.

“She should be crawling beneath me. She should be lesser than me. I should have been his woman.”

Robelia muttered as she bit her nails.

The bright smile she always maintained was gone, only a faint hatred shone through.

That’s when it happened.

“By the way. Miss Robelia, aren’t you her family?”

“Oh yes, you’re family. You must know more about it?”

People’s gazes turned to Robelia.

She quickly smiled brightly and laughed ho-ho.

“Unfortunately. My sister doesn’t like me much. She always avoids me, so I never had a chance to talk to her.”

“But you’re still family?”

“My sister… left for the palace without explaining anything, so I haven’t heard anything. I’m anxiously waiting for a letter, but there’s no reply. Maybe she likes the palace so much that she’s forgotten about her family.”

Robelia said with drooping eyes.

People let out sympathetic sighs after hearing her voice moist with tears.

“Oh, Miss Robelia. That can’t be true. Maybe she’s just busy.”

“Yes?”

“She must be preparing for the upcoming banquet, receiving education to become a crown princess, and taking over the inner palace duties. She wouldn’t have had time to write letters.”

“Ho-ho…. It can’t be that she doesn’t have time. But I’m glad I’ll meet my sister at the banquet.”

Robelia awkwardly smiled behind her fan.

Her eyes were sharply arched, unlike her lips, which were straight.

‘I must make her realize her place at the banquet. I should also tell my brother. To properly step on her. How dare someone born after killing their mother look down on others!’

Robelia’s eyes gleamed viciously.