Before long, the day of the New Year’s banquet arrived.

Rizel completed her preparations with the help of her personal maids, Eina and Moka, who had come with her to the town house. Since it was a large-scale banquet attended by the imperial family, it seemed to require more effort than usual.

However, she was paying more attention to Harzen’s energy state than to her appearance.

‘Hmm, my employer’s energy feels calm through spirit communication. Does that mean Parsene won’t appear today, or…’

She couldn’t help but worry because of the original work’s mention that Harzen had nearly caused a spirit rampage incident at the New Year’s banquet. If his energy was truly unstable, there should be precursor symptoms.

Lost in thought, she stepped outside and saw her employer dressed impeccably. Rizel approached him quickly and silently stared at him intently.

Meanwhile, Harzen, who was about to offer a natural compliment, hesitated at her unusual demeanor. For some reason, his contract wife now seemed extremely tense and focused.

Her reddish lips, which usually curved into a relaxed smile, were pressed into a straight line, and her blue eyes were as cold and opaque as a frozen winter lake.

He had learned by chance while spending time with her that Rizel’s face became expressionless when she was extremely focused. Harzen took her hand and asked casually:

“Are you nervous about the New Year’s banquet?”

“Rather than that… well, it’s difficult to explain.”

Rizel evaded the question, feeling awkward. It wasn’t the banquet itself but the potential incident that might occur then that worried her.

Of course, Harzen had no way of knowing this. He tilted his head, still puzzled.

“Then is there some other problem?”

“No. I’m sorry for making you worry on such a busy day.”

She calmed herself and managed her expression. Concern showed in Harzen’s eyes.

“…Are you really alright?”

“Of course. As you can see, I’m always fine. How is your energy?”

“As you’ve already felt through spirit communication, it’s calm.”

“Yes.”

She would just have to keep a close watch, and if the situation turned strange, she could intervene then. Rizel nodded while touching her wedding ring where the darkness spirit resided.

* * *

She went to the imperial palace with Harzen by carriage. Entering the massive banquet hall with his courteous escort, the first things that caught her eye were the dazzlingly sparkling chandeliers and the lavishly decorated interior.

‘I never thought I’d have occasion to visit the imperial palace in my lifetime.’

If not for the contract marriage, she probably wouldn’t have. Rizel, arm in arm with her employer, quickly scanned the nobles gathered around, rolling her eyes.

Her purpose was to identify familiar faces or check for Parsene’s presence, but unfortunately, she only succeeded in the former.

She exchanged greetings with southern nobles she recognized, then spotted Romari standing awkwardly in a corner alongside an unfamiliar nobleman.

‘Is that Romari’s half-brother?’

He was a handsome young man with dark reddish-brown hair and golden eyes, and standing next to Romari, they looked quite similar.

Suddenly, Romari, who had been fidgeting with her folded fan and pretending to be distracted, caught sight of Rizel. As their eyes met, Romari beamed and waved her hand.

Just as Rizel smiled back and was about to greet her friend, a male noble strode over from a distance and blocked her view. Rizel looked at the intruder with indifferent eyes.

Under his neat brown hair, gray-blue eyes shone innocently. His distinct features, which once had a boyish charm, had become more defined but remained handsome. His body was solid, befitting a knight who wielded a sword.

‘Is that Marquis Edwin Bellard? Just as Romari said, we’ve run into him here.’

She couldn’t fail to recognize the man who had employed her during the western territorial war. Since it was already in the past and they had only been temporarily connected, she didn’t feel much about it.

As Rizel opened her fan to cover her mouth, Harzen calmly broke the silence:

“Marquis Bellard, what brings you here?”

“Ah, Marquis Darkus. I just saw a familiar face and came to say hello.”

“I see. I didn’t think we were that close.”

“Well, aren’t we neighbors with adjoining territories?”

Despite his playful tone, Edwin’s gaze was quite sharp. The west and the south—quite distant for neighbors, but not entirely incorrect.

An inexplicable tension hung in the air between the two men, both smiling brightly. Edwin’s gaze shifted to the woman at the Marquis of Darkus’s side.

“It’s been a while, Rizel.”

“Indeed it has. Marquis Bellard, you’re still as gallant as ever.”

Rizel gave him a businesslike smile while offering appropriate pleasantries. Since they hadn’t ended on bad terms, and considering what would happen after this assignment was completed, there was no reason to be hostile toward him.

Edwin’s eyes crinkled pleasantly.

“Is that so? You’ve become even more beautiful and stronger than before. I never expected to meet again in a place like this.”

“Well, as you probably already know from the news that’s spread, I’ve married Harzen.”

Rizel pressed herself closer to her employer as if to show off. Harzen wrapped his arm around her waist while watching Marquis Bellard, who was exuding a strange atmosphere. Edwin answered with a bitter smile:

“Yes, I know that too. But I was very surprised, as it was quite unexpected.”

“Why?”

“After the western territorial war ended, when I offered you the position of knight commander, you refused, saying you disliked being bound to positions with low freedom and requiring formality. I never thought you would become a noblewoman, which might be even more restrictive.”

His response was gentle and polite, just like before, but it had an edge to it.

The nobles who had been glancing around or exchanging greetings with acquaintances—as the imperial family had not yet arrived—gradually turned their attention to the three people.

Indeed, it was an intriguing situation for anyone watching: two young male nobles known for their unconventional actions, and a woman standing between them.

Rizel felt the hot gazes pouring over her body but deliberately maintained a bright smile and recycled the same excuse:

“Well, this is the power of love, I suppose.”

“If I had known, I would have been more assertive back then.”

Regret and longing emotions swirled in Edwin’s gray-blue eyes. Taken out of context, it was the kind of phrasing that could easily be misunderstood. Rizel calmly drew a line without batting an eye:

“Well, the situation and my feelings then are different from now.”

“Rizel, do you truly love the Marquis of Darkus?”

“Of course.”

How many times had she heard that question? Already tired of it, Rizel affirmed with a smile, gathering emotions she didn’t even have.

Cracks appeared in Edwin’s solid smile. Just as he was about to say more, Harzen, who had been silently watching, intervened by pulling her closer with his arm:

“Marquis Bellard, that’s enough interrogating my wife. I understand she’s an exceptionally capable person who inspires desire, but this is excessive.”

“Marquis Darkus.”

Edwin’s eyebrows twitched as he became uncomfortable, but Harzen paid no mind. He had been quietly observing because he knew about Rizel’s connection with Edwin, but now an inexplicable displeasure arose.

“Don’t you think you’re showing excessive interest in another man’s wife?”

“I was merely happy to see someone again with whom I overcame difficult situations.”

“Still, boundaries must be maintained. Surely a marquis like yourself has the ability to discern appropriate situations.”

Harzen mocked Edwin’s behavior with a noticeably lowered voice.

The two men shared similarities—both had benefited from the large-scale western territorial war and risen to high nobility at a relatively young age—but in terms of personal capability, Harzen had the upper hand.

Edwin was well aware of this fact. In fact, he was even more conscious of it. It was especially uncomfortable that even the person he had subtly developed feelings for was now by Harzen’s side. He impulsively responded with a crooked retort:

“Yes. But I’m concerned. When someone I regard highly falls into a situation that anyone would see as dangerous or makes a regrettable choice, words inevitably become lengthier, don’t they?”

“Imagination is free, but that’s going too far. Your concern is unnecessary.”

Harzen waved his hand with a relaxed expression. Edwin narrowed his eyes and openly sneered:

“Is that really so? For Rizel, wouldn’t it be a better choice to be with someone who poses no problems at all in that regard, rather than with someone—be it a spouse or a retainer—who is unstable and a potential danger?”

“Well, I admit my spirit could be a source of anxiety. But it won’t be a major problem for my wife. She would prefer someone with whom she shares common ground.”

Harzen maintained his firm demeanor while readily acknowledging the point. If Edwin attacked him based on perceptions of spirits and spirit contractors, Harzen countered by emphasizing that Rizel was like him, creating a sense of shared identity.

Rizel suddenly found herself watching a battle of wills between her current employer and her former employer. It might have been interesting if she were an outsider, but as the person involved, it was maddening.

‘What kind of atmosphere is this…’

What saved her from this awkward situation was Romari’s clear voice:

“Gentlemen over there, that’s enough of the psychological warfare. You’re making my friend uncomfortable.”