46. Is it because I’ve never been loved so passionately?

Just past noon, maids from the Duke of Sevaron’s household arrived with attire for the evening. Hailey, who had thought she’d have to dress Adelaida alone, finally breathed relief.

“We’ve brought the white silk dress you requested.”

One of the duke’s maids carefully removed the dress from a bag and hung it on a rack.

‘The dress is simpler than I expected.’

Despite being the centerpiece of tonight’s ball, the gown chosen for Adelaida Sevaron was unexpectedly modest—simple white silk adorned only with fresh flowers. But it suited Adelaida’s radiant blonde hair beautifully, even giving her an air of elegance.

‘It almost looks like a wedding gown.’

At this rate, they could skip the ball and head straight to the engagement ceremony.

‘There’s only one option left now.’

Resolute, Hailey turned to Adelaida, who was standing in front of the mirror brushing her hair, and asked cautiously:

“Lady Adelaida, are you truly going to become engaged to His Highness the Crown Prince?”

The moment she asked, a glint of amusement flashed in Adelaida’s eyes.

“Why? Is there some reason I shouldn’t?”

“Well… His Highness does tend to be a little… impulsive.”

“You can just say he’s difficult. There’s probably no one in the entire palace with a worse personality than him.”

Hailey flinched.

‘Whoa, she’s bolder than I am.’

“His face may be handsome, but with that personality, it just doesn’t match. It’s not like he’s a beautiful … rotten apricot.”

“Exactly!”

Hailey eagerly agreed with Adelaida’s blunt remark.

“And it’s not just his personality—what about his situation? The Empress Dowager, Princess Catherine, and all those other concubines. If I were to marry him, there would be meddlesome people coming from all directions.”

“Right. The ultimate mother-in-law squad!”

“Oh, that’s the perfect way to put it.”

“Furthermore, the position of Crown Princess is a heavy and difficult burden. You’re not someone who clings to power or status, so it would be even harder for you to endure.”

Hailey couldn’t imagine that a duke’s daughter as virtuous as Adelaida—who even returned the gifts sent by concubines trying to curry favor—would want to marry for power.

“Even so… are you really going to marry the Crown Prince?”

Please don’t walk straight into a tragic ending.

Swallowing the words she didn’t dare say aloud, Hailey looked anxiously at Adelaida—but…

“I just want Kincaid to be happy.”

Adelaida deliberately gave a vague answer, but Hailey didn’t catch on.

So she’s really going through with the marriage, Hailey sighed deeply to herself.

“If I may be so bold… is this a political decision?”

“Perhaps it is.”

“To be honest, I wondered if your relationship with the Crown Prince was more of a partnership.”

Specifically, Hailey had suspected that Adelaida, like herself, might be acting as one of the Crown Prince’s informants.

“Why did you think that?”

“Yesterday, I happened to see Lord Burnett, His Highness’s aide, leaving the drawing room. Didn’t the three of you meet from the afternoon until late at night to discuss the situation in the Dittmus region?”

“…What makes you think that?”

“There was a brown ink stain on the sleeve of the dress you wore yesterday.”

“Ah…”

“And from what I know, brown ink isn’t typically used for documents—it’s used for drawing maps. Plus, I’ve heard that Lord Burnett is particularly skilled at cartography.”

“You’re incredibly clever, aren’t you?”

Adelaida couldn’t help but be genuinely impressed.

“As a lord’s daughter, I often get access to unofficial information that doesn’t travel through normal channels.”

“Is that why you returned to your territory?”

“Adelaida, I need more detailed information on the Duchy of Valora. Can you stay in your territory for a while and gather what you can?”

Recalling Kincaid’s past request, Adelaida nodded.

“I swore when I was young that I would do anything for him.”

Then, with a gentle smile, she added,

“So something like this is nothing to me.”

‘I’m sorry, Hailey… I still can’t tell you the truth.’

Recalling the Crown Prince’s plea to keep everything a secret, Adelaida apologized inwardly.

‘What even is love, really…’

Though Hailey prided herself on having lived two lifetimes and experienced both the bitter and the sweet sides of life, human emotions were still something she struggled to grasp.

‘Maybe it’s because I’ve never been loved so deeply before?’

The only love Hailey had ever known was the unconditional care from the grandmother who raised her. Romantic love between a man and a woman was completely foreign to her.

‘How much must she love him to willingly walk into such a life full of hardship?’

At this point, there was no stopping her. That clichéd line, “What is love, anyway…” lingered in Hailey’s mind and wouldn’t let go.

‘Still…’

Hailey looked up and gazed toward the center of the hall, where Kincaid and Adelaida were dancing. Crown Prince Kincaid had turned away countless offers and chosen Lady Adelaida Sevaron as his first dance partner.

‘It’s only natural, but they really do look good together.’

The dazzling light pouring from the grand chandelier illuminated the two stars of the evening, making them glow beautifully. Kincaid, with his strong and solid build, led Adelaida with grace, and Adelaida followed his lead, her slender frame moving delicately. Their elegant yet composed movements captivated every guest in the ballroom.

“Oh my, they truly make a perfect pair.”

“Now this is what people mean by ‘a match made in heaven.’”

Admiring voices flowed from the crowd. As the seemingly endless music came to an end and everyone was immersed in the lingering atmosphere, Kincaid took Adelaida’s hand and approached the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager had been frowning at the two throughout the dance.

‘What is that sly snake planning now?’

“So, Your Highness chose Lady Adelaida Sevaron as your first dance partner tonight,” she said, masking her displeasure.

“I made a promise when we were children—that until she found someone special, I would always be her first dance partner at every ball.”

Adelaida quickly cut in.

“His Highness is such a kind and thoughtful person.”

The Empress Dowager scoffed as she watched the pair move in perfect sync, as if they had rehearsed it in advance.

“Surely, Your Highness is aware of the palace rule that the first dance partner chosen at the ball is to be engaged in the future, yes?”

“Of course.”

‘Well, well… for him to answer so easily like that.’

The Empress Dowager felt a pang of suspicion.

‘If this were just an act… the Duke of Sevaron’s daughter has nothing to gain by playing along with this boy’s charade.’

As she mulled over these thoughts…

“So then, when will the two of you hold your engagement ceremony?”

Princess Catherine, who had lost the promised reward from the Bortea Duke’s family, asked irritably.

‘I may not have gotten anything out of the Bortea family, but I’ll get compensation out of the Sevarons at least.’

But…

“We will not be holding an engagement ceremony just yet.”

“What?!”

“I don’t wish to cause any unnecessary disturbance while His Majesty the Emperor is in poor health. We’ll consider an engagement once His Majesty has recovered.”

The Crown Prince’s words stirred murmurs among the guests in the ballroom.

It was a highly political statement.

He had declared that the engagement would be postponed for now, citing the Emperor’s health, but had also refrained from fully committing to the engagement either. Yet the message behind his words was clear.

‘Do not try to push any more brides onto me.’

With that, Crown Prince Kincaid had made a bold declaration to the assembled nobles.

“Fortunately, Lady Adelaida has agreed to this.”

“I will follow His Highness’s wishes.”

The two exchanged warm smiles as they looked at each other.

‘So… are they getting engaged or not?’

The Empress Dowager Margarita frowned in displeasure.

‘In any case, there’s still a chance to push Irene forward, so this isn’t necessarily a loss.’

That was the conclusion she came to.

However…

In that moment, the Empress Dowager had forgotten one critical thing — her grandson, Crown Prince Kincaid, was someone who would readily ignore the outdated customs of the imperial palace if it served his purpose.

“Do as the Crown Prince wishes.”

The Emperor, who had been silently observing the situation all along, finally spoke in his usual weary and indifferent tone. With his approval, a heavy silence fell across the ballroom.

***

‘Something is suspicious. Everything seems to be unfolding in a way that benefits that tyrant.’

Kincaid had used tonight’s ball to put an end to the cutthroat competition over selecting a future Crown Princess. He had also effectively excluded anyone who might have hoped to benefit from the situation. He also created the existence of a prospective fiancée to escape the pressure of marriage being placed on him.

‘Come to think of it, he did say not long ago that he had no intention of getting engaged or married.’

There was no reason for the Crown Prince of the Empire to reveal his true intentions to an apprentice like her, but Kincaid’s expression was serious at the time.

‘Did I miss something?’

Now that the situation had temporarily settled, the tangled truths began to come into view one by one.

“Now that I think about it, you really don’t seem too pleased about my engagement to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Adelaida, who had stepped into the waiting room to rest for a moment, turned to Hailey and spoke.