‘Well, that will end soon.’

For now, the ignorant nobility might place Adelia and the Count’s family on the same level, but as time goes by, the truth will be revealed.

Adelia planned to completely ignore the Count’s family from now on.

Who would stick with them once they realize there’s nothing to gain from being attached to the Count?

If the greedy Count ends up bribed and shuts his mouth, the nobles won’t stay quiet either.

‘It hurts more to fall from a high place than from a low one.’

Adelia’s lips curled up coldly as she thought about their downfall. The anticipation always made her heart flutter.

Today, perhaps because she had taken a step closer to revenge, her heart fluttered more than usual, and her face turned red.

Then, a large shadow loomed over Adelia, who was sitting comfortably.

“Your face looks red.”

His low voice was heard right in front of her.

When she looked up, Lucian’s face filled her vision.

Adelia blinked her round eyes in surprise.

“Why is that?”

While Adelia was deep in thought, Lucian quietly observed her. He frowned as he saw her face getting redder.

Worried there might be something wrong with Adelia’s body, he leaned towards her.

While blocking the light that had been shining on Adelia with his large body, he held onto the back of the sofa and leaned down to look at her.

Adelia blinked her round eyes, and his eyebrows twitched.

“Excuse me.”

Lucian raised his hand and leaned down.

He seemed to be checking her temperature as he placed his large hand on Adelia’s forehead.

When his hand touched her forehead, her head lightly pushed back.

It was a gentle touch, but Adelia’s tired body was very weak and sensitive.

‘Ah, that feels cool…’

Without realizing it, Adelia lazily opened her eyes and tilted her head into his hand.

The cool sensation spreading from her forehead calmed her floating mood.

Her physical condition was slightly bad due to the accumulated fatigue. She had moved more than usual, met more people, and been on alert all day.

The amount of white magic she usually used for recovery had been exceeded.

The condition wasn’t serious, so the symptoms were minor, and Adelia, feeling good, hadn’t noticed her body’s state.

“You’re warm.”

Lucian said with a scrunched face.

Although Adelia’s body temperature was usually high, it now felt warmer than usual.

When Lucian’s expression turned serious, Adelia finally checked her own body condition.

When she wrapped her hands around her cheeks, the warm temperature seeped into her palms.

“Ah… You’re right.”

Somehow, she felt heavily fatigued.

It seems like she overdid it for the first time in a while, causing an overload of white magic power.

Adelia pushed away his hand on her forehead as if it was no big deal.

“I didn’t realize. I’ll be fine soon.”

“I can’t trust your words. You always say everything is fine.”

Since the last time she was seriously injured, his overprotectiveness continued.

Because Adelia habitually repeated that she was fine, Lucian had long lost trust in those words.

Adelia pushed his shoulder as if asking him to move aside. Naturally, he had no intention of stepping back easily.

He withdrew his hand at her light gesture because she disliked it. However, he couldn’t simply back off, seeing her condition looking so poor and only repeating that she was fine.

If it was the Adelia that Lucian had seen, she would definitely finish the banquet in this condition.

He didn’t know what reason or plan she had for not getting treated, but Lucian had no intention of just watching Adelia like this.

“If you don’t intend to treat it with white magic, I’ll call the physician.”

“I’m not so weak as to be sick over something like this.”

Adelia sighed shortly and insisted on her healthiness, to no avail.

Lucian did not budge until he saw her condition improve, determined to follow persistently.

Although she knew why he was being so stubborn, Adelia’s pride was stirred by his insistence.

‘I might have many restrictions and be considered weaker than previous white mages, but I’m not so weak as to need this much overprotection!’

Emotions welled up in her throat as if they would burst out any moment, but she firmly shut her mouth.

She knew all too well that words wouldn’t work in this situation.

There was only one way to end this situation.

‘I guess I won’t be able to make an advanced white magic stone today.’

Adelia closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she released white magic power.

As the bright energy wrapped around her whole body, the heat sensation on her skin gradually returned to its original temperature.

While white magic couldn’t relieve fatigue, it was sufficient for lowering fever.

Adelia extended her hand towards Lucian after confirming that her body temperature had dropped by placing her hands on both cheeks.

“Hand.”

“Don’t treat me like you do Lawrence.”

He grumbled but obediently extended his hand.

Adelia grabbed his wrist and placed it on her forehead.

Unlike before, she didn’t sway but stood straight and faced forward.

“See?”

Adelia boldly lifted her head and looked straight into Lucian’s eyes.

Feeling the normal body temperature unlike before softened Lucian’s expression.

As she let go of his hand, it smoothly slid down.

“I see. It’s good that you’re feeling better.”

Having confirmed this, Lucian returned to his seat.

The obstinate demeanor was nowhere to be found.

It felt strangely familiar to see how easily it changed, like flipping a palm.

“That’s overprotection. Do that overprotection to Her Highness, not me. She’s young and precious.”

“In my point of view, you look weaker than Ariana. Take care of yourself.”

“What a terrible overprotection.”

Adelia leaned back with her hand on her forehead, as though she had a headache.

His concern was excessive. Annoying and troublesome, but she had no intention of rejecting the hand he offered.

It was only after she had climbed to a high position that she received the concern no one had shown her when she lived most miserably.

And.

‘I try to get angry because it’s too much, but when I see that face, the anger just melts away.’

Adelia sighed softly as she glanced at Lucian.

His face was too handsome to get angry at.

* * *

The banquet was in full swing. People were finding partners to dance with, sharing conversations, and fostering camaraderie.

In the high floors of the corridor outside the glamorous banquet hall, where people’s footsteps rarely reached, not even a light was on.

The dark corridor, where it seemed no one would go, was filled with the sound of footsteps and grumbling mixed with irritation.

“It’s annoying. That’s my place! That thing shouldn’t be sitting there!”

Lady Odor gnawed at her nails and stepped forward irritably.

From the very moment she first met the crown prince when she was very young, the place by his side was hers.

She had never thought that someone other than herself could take that place.

When she saw Adelia boldly taking the crown prince’s side at the banquet hall, she felt so disgusted, as if bugs were crawling all over her body, and she wanted to ruin that place right away.

“I wish Father had been part of the nobility faction. He should have opposed the marriage!”

The lady clenched her fists and trembled.

The duke, the leader of the emperor’s faction, had no reason or grounds to oppose their marriage.

Her father, Duke Odor, was one of the emperor’s closest confidants and was among the first nobles to know of Adelia’s existence and the date of the national marriage.

He didn’t know about the contract, but he knew everything else.

Yet, he kept his mouth shut by the emperor’s command not to reveal it, not even to his family.

“How could you not say a word to me when you knew all along! Knowing how much I coveted that position. How could you do this to me!”

The duke was a loyal man. Despite holding power, he was incorruptible and humble, despite his high position.

He remained one of the emperor’s closest confidants for a long time without succumbing to numerous temptations.

He was one of the few people recognized by the emperor.

The leader of the emperor’s faction. The emperor’s closest confidant. His only child was Lady Odor.

— Father! I want to become the crown princess and later the empress. You’ll grant me that, right?
— That’s not something I can do. My daughter, if there’s anything else you need, just say it. Your dad will do everything for you.

The duke cherished his daughter with love. He gave her whatever she wanted and always provided her with precious and expensive things.

However, he was firm about matters related to the imperial family. No matter how much she begged or threw tantrums, he never allowed it.

By the time the lady learned about the imperial family and nobility, she no longer threw tantrums.

She realized that even without doing anything, she could get what she wanted and could be closer to the crown prince than others within appropriate manners due to her father’s influence.

Because of her father’s influence, she appeared to be one of the crown prince’s closest companions and was known as a childhood friend who spent their childhood together.

Of course, the reality was different. The crown prince had not a shred of interest in her, and she did not exist in his childhood memories.

“I’m the only one suitable to be the crown princess… Not that thing!”

At home, a lovely lady. In society, a precious lady.

If she wanted something, she had to get it quickly; if she wanted to do something, she could do anything.