45. Why Is My Heart Beating So Fast?

Faced with a completely baffling situation, Hailey wore a grave expression.

“At this rate, the engagement with Lady Adelaida might actually happen.”

Was it really okay for the original heroine to have such an insignificant presence?

Though Hailey was nearly in tears at the unpredictable twists in the story, she didn’t have the luxury of lamenting right now.

“First, I need to deal with the problem right in front of me.”

Hailey closed the guest list she had been looking at. She had slipped out for a moment, but now she had to go back. The ball to select the Crown Princess candidates was about to begin.

***

“The Duke of Bortea and his daughter are now entering.”

“The Marchioness of Barton and her daughter have arrived.”

“Baron Erdan’s two daughters are entering with their guardian, Madam Bartos.”

One by one, noble ladies listed on the registry entered the hall, each dressed splendidly, walking down a red-carpeted path.

“Oh my… look at the daughter of the Duke of Bortea. She was so plump at the last party; how did she lose so much weight?”

“I heard she’s been eating like a bird for almost a month to lose weight.”

“That necklace around the Marchioness of Barton’s daughter’s neck is indeed that ruby necklace, the family heirloom, right?”

“Indeed. It’s a precious jewel that she rarely takes out of the safe, but she wore it today.”

Gossip-loving aristocrats murmured among themselves as chatter echoed through the grand ballroom.

The young ladies basked in the attention, crossing the hall under admiring and envious gazes.

“No matter what, I must win the Crown Prince’s heart and become the Crown Princess.”

Their exquisitely adorned faces couldn’t hide the ambition shining in their eyes.

And it wasn’t just the ladies themselves—their accompanying parents or guardians shared the same hope.

“How wonderful it would be if our family produced the future Crown Princess!”

Dreaming of a rosy future, these families spared no expense in investing in the daughters who carried their hopes.

“We greet His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

At the end of the carpet stood Emperor Bronteum II and Empress Dowager Margarita, seated on ornate, gold-embellished thrones.

“Welcome, Duke of Bortea.”

“Oh, is this the young lady from the famous and talented Barton family?”

“I hope the young ladies of Baron Erdan’s family enjoy themselves tonight.”

The Empress spoke warmly to each of the noble ladies, bowing before the throne. In contrast, the Emperor, sitting beside her, merely nodded in a dazed manner at the greetings, as usual.

‘How can he be so indifferent about his own son’s marriage?’

The Empress Dowager frowned at her son’s lethargy, even during such an important occasion—but then her expression shifted.

‘No, this situation might actually work in my favor.’

If the Emperor remained uninterested in the Crown Prince’s marriage, then the Empress Dowager, as the highest-ranking elder in the palace, would gain greater influence over the decision.

‘The problem is whether that boy will obediently listen to me…’

Her gaze shifted to Crown Prince Kincaid, who stood apart from the throne, near the far wall.

“Clothes really do make the man… You look wonderful tonight, Kincaid.”

Burnett, who attended the ball under the pretense of accompanying the Crown Prince, gazed at his lord with admiration. Kincaid wore a newly tailored banquet outfit for the event. The pristine white silk adorned with golden embroidery beautifully accentuated his muscular physique. Furthermore, his hair, usually just brushed aside, was neatly styled back, highlighting his handsome forehead and delicate features below.

“Who said clothes make the man?”

As Kincaid raised an eyebrow skeptically, Burnett responded with his usual cheeky grin.

“I’m just saying you’re the most handsome man here, as always.”

“That’s a given.”

At his brazen response, Burnett couldn’t help but chuckle. Under the light of the chandelier hanging from the hall’s ceiling, Kincaid’s dark hair gleamed smoothly. The Crown Prince’s sculpted beauty captivated the gazes of the surrounding noble ladies.

‘Crown Prince…’

The young ladies tried desperately to catch his eye, but Kincaid’s cool and aloof aura made him nearly unapproachable.

“We have doubled the personnel to strengthen the palace’s security,” said Ash, his knight, approaching with a stoic expression.

“I’ve instructed them to arrest anyone displaying suspicious behavior, regardless of who they are. If necessary, I will take action myself, so you need not worry.”

“Well done.”

Kincaid gave a short word of praise to his subordinate.

“No, are you really going to wear your knight’s uniform on a day like today? It makes me sad since I went through the trouble of preparing an outfit and even spent my emergency funds.”

Burnett playfully remarked, looking at Ash’s blue knight uniform.

“My duty is not to dance but to guard the palace. I’ll return to my patrol now.”

Before Burnett could stop him, Ash vanished from his spot.

“Sigh, such a boring friend. And here I’ve let a handsome guy just walk away—people are going to blame me for it,” Burnett grumbled playfully.

Kincaid smirked slightly at Burnett’s dramatics, but—

“There you are, Your Highness.”

At the sound of the Empress Dowager’s voice behind him, Kincaid’s brows tightened again.

“The guest of honor should not be standing alone like this,” she chided warmly.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. I stepped away briefly to give instructions to my subordinates.”

“Oh dear… All the noble ladies here are eagerly waiting for just one glance from you; how could you do this?”

‘Hmph. You think you can run away from this?’

‘So she really does plan to throw me into the middle of the piranha tank.’

The two, who were usually rivals, exchanged glances, engaging in a silent battle of wills.

‘Oh no, this is going to get messy…’

Only Burnett stood between them, anxiously glancing back and forth.

“So, have you chosen your partner for the first dance yet?” 

The Empress asked with a meaningful expression. The partner chosen by the Crown Prince for the first dance at the ball was implicitly considered a prospective fiancée of the Crown Prince at the palace’s traditional balls. In other words, the Empress was asking if Kincaid had already decided on a candidate for the Crown Princess. 

Fully aware of her intentions, Kincaid responded coldly.

“I haven’t had the chance to decide yet.”

“Tsk tsk, I knew you would say that.”

Clicking her tongue in feigned disapproval, the Empress Dowager gestured toward one of the young ladies standing beside a table.

“Irene, come greet the Crown Prince.”

At her beckoning, a girl with soft features and long, flowing chestnut hair stepped forward, her voice trembling as she curtsied.

“Irene, eldest daughter of the Count of Pabellos, greets Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

As soon as Irene finished her greeting, the Empress Dowager stepped in.

“Irene is my niece from my maternal family. She’s truly humble and talented. Wouldn’t she be a fine choice for Your Highness’s first dance?”

After weighing her options, the Empress Dowager had finally decided to push a relative from her own side of the family as the candidate for Crown Princess.

‘No matter how grand the black pearls someone might offer, it can’t compare to having someone from my own bloodline become Crown Princess.’

The problem, however, was that the Empress Dowager wasn’t the only one with such thoughts.

“There you all are.”

Princess Catherine approached, bringing with her a young lady covered in jewels from head to toe.

“I’ve come to introduce you to the daughter of Duke Bortea. She’s a lovely young lady who just debuted this social season.”

The card Princess Catherine had chosen to play was the only daughter of Duke Bortea. In exchange for this introduction, the duke had promised Catherine a massive reward.

‘What a reckless move this is.’

‘And what are you scheming, Mother?’

With their intentions clearly visible, the Empress and her daughter exchanged glares in a silent battle. But that wasn’t all.

“Your Highness, may I have a word?”

“My daughter wishes to greet you, Your Highness…”

High-ranking nobles with connections to the imperial palace began to approach one by one, seizing this golden opportunity.

‘This is pure chaos—unbearable to watch.’

Burnett, already weary, discreetly observed his lord’s expression. He thought that if Kincaid lost his temper, it would spell disaster for the Empire, but that concern turned out to be unfounded.

“Lady Adelaida of the House of Duke Sevaron has arrived.”

At the attendant’s announcement, everyone’s gaze shifted to the entrance. There stood Adelaide, wearing an elegant white dress. As Adelaide made her long-awaited entrance, Kincaid broke into an unusually bright smile and reached out his hand.

“Did you dare to keep me waiting, Adelaida?”

His face and voice were tender, as if directed toward a lover. A few steps behind, Hailey—who was attending Adelaida—felt her heart start to race.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

That’s strange…

Did I drink too much coffee? Why is my heart beating so fast?