Our eyes widened at the result Rain timidly showed us.

The airy A-line dress had been perfectly transformed into a mermaid style.

“Wow, you really fixed it well?”

“It’s like this was the original dress, Rain!”

“Ahem……”

Rain cleared her throat shyly and twitched the corners of her mouth.

And Mandy, who couldn’t take her eyes off the quite impressive hemline, asked hesitantly.

“B-but Miss, can you really wear this kind of dress……?”

“Of course. It’s the design I requested in the first place.”

I nonchalantly put on the dress with Rain’s help.

The neckline that was originally a décolletage transformed into a tube top, and the white fabric layered inside the mercilessly torn upper part seemed to depict foam bubbles.

Mandy, who had been watching my change of clothes with an anxious face, said in bewilderment when she saw the finished look.

“It suits you better than I thought…… But the bottom is still a bit……”

“If you think it won’t work, don’t push yourself. This is my best, not your best, Miss.”

Rain said worriedly while arranging the back part of the dress. I checked my appearance in the full-length mirror and shook my head.

“This is my best too. You worked hard fixing the dress. Thank you both.”

Then, the bell announcing exactly 12 o’clock rang through the corridor.

At the same time, someone knocked on the waiting room door.

“It’s me, Miss Sharofe.”

“Oh, just a moment! I’m coming out now!”

I hurriedly opened the door and saw the tower master who had come to escort me.

Today he had taken off his magic tower uniform and was wearing an elaborately crafted formal dress uniform.

The navy blue clothes that matched my color scheme harmonized exquisitely with his neatly combed ash blond hair and mysterious-colored blue-green eyes.

“Thank you for coming.”

“Not at all.”

The tower master, who had been calmly extending his arm, glanced down and paused for a moment.

“My dress is quite unique, isn’t it?”

“……”

“Are you embarrassed to be with me?”

“That’s not it.”

The tower master immediately denied it. I, who had been secretly worried, felt relieved.

I thought my partner would ditch me on the day of the event.

“I was just surprised because it’s a design I’ve never seen before. If you’re satisfied with it yourself, there’s no problem at all.”

“I like it. Does it look okay to you too, Tower Master.?”

When he glanced at me and our eyes met, he flinched and then nodded slightly.

Seeing his pale cheeks turn slightly red, it didn’t seem like he was forcing a positive response.

‘He really has cat-like features.’

I looked at his gently upturned eye corners and then turned my head forward.

The hall of the separate palace where the selection was being held was getting closer.

With the subtle rising tension, I put a little more strength into the hand resting on the tower master’s arm.

‘I’m going to take over the social world today.’

With bold aspirations in my heart, I stepped forward confidently.

After all, momentum is important in competitions.

***

As they moved away from the imperial palace, Carl removed the stuffy mask that had been covering his face.

His jet-black hair fluttered in the wind like a lion’s mane.

Originally, he truly had no intention of following Shailyn. It would cause a big trouble if he went to the imperial palace and met someone who recognized him.

But…… strangely, he couldn’t leave the window.

Like an abandoned dog that only stares endlessly at the place where its owner left, he kept looking outside.

Meanwhile, his mind kept imagining scenes of Shailyn and Chester dancing in beautiful clothes in front of everyone.

People sending applause and cheers as if congratulating them, and the two of them smiling happily like lovers about to marry.

Paul, who couldn’t bear to watch him standing like a statue in front of the window, gave him advice.

‘If you’re that concerned about Miss, hurry up and chase after her on horseback even now. You’re Miss’s knight, so you’re fully qualified.’

‘……If the butler says that much, I have no choice.’

‘……?’

Leaving behind Paul, who was making an incredulous expression, he grabbed his mask and left the duke’s residence.

In the end, it was an excellent choice.

Thanks to that, he was able to safely escort Shailyn to the imperial palace.

‘No wait, in the end I sent her to dance with that tower master bastard with my own hands.’

Carl, who returned to the square where the fire accident had occurred with a troubled heart, immediately found the Diart carriage.

It was easily visible from afar because it had a white wolf flag.

Fortunately, they had bought and installed a new carriage wheel. Since they only needed a horse to depart, Carl readily dismounted from his horse.

“Please attach this horse to the carriage.”

“Oh, you came? Haha, thank you.”

Dain, who happened to be outside, smiled happily and patted Carl’s shoulder.

After handing the horse to the coachman, he returned and spoke with a serious face.

“Someone deliberately damaged our carriage wheel. When everything was chaotic due to the fire, I saw a man wearing a brown vest with his face covered by black cloth approaching the wheel area.”

Dain, who had been sitting by the window, had keenly noticed this even when his vision was obscured by thick smoke.

That’s why he had quickly gotten out of the carriage. Unfortunately, he couldn’t catch that man.

“I’ll look into it.”

“Could I ask you to? I’d like to do it myself under normal circumstances, but my desire to go cheer for my sister is greater.”

Looking at Dain smiling with a good-natured face, Carl recalled Shailyn’s lonely expression from a few days ago when she said she could never become real family with the Duke of Diart.

So he silently nodded and sent Dain off. So that Shailyn would feel a little less lonely.

The Diart carriage departed toward the imperial palace, and Carl began searching for the man based on the description Dain had given him.

“Ah, I’m lucky today.”

A man entered a dark alley while giggling.

Wearing a brown vest, he hummed a pleasant tune thinking about the money that would come in soon.

Then, suddenly, a strong hand reached out and grabbed the man’s nape.

“Gak—!”

The man, whose breath was momentarily cut off, grimaced.

“Which bastard dares……!”

The man who whipped his head around froze solid after confirming the owner of the hand.

Black eyes brimming with murderous intent looked down at him coldly.

“Is it you?”

“W-what?”

“The one who broke the carriage wheel.”

The man’s facial muscles stiffened and then forced a smile.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Well then, I’m busy so……”

“You really don’t know?”

Carl drew the sword at his waist and slashed a pile of garbage nearby.

Then he threateningly pointed the sword tip at the man.

“Hiiek!”

“That brown vest and the black cloth tucked in your pocket. Someone saw you break the carriage wheel.”

“……!”

Dismay appeared in the man’s eyes. It was a mistake to judge that no one would see him because of the smoke.

“Confess truthfully. Before you see blood.”

The dry voice contained sincerity. That he would immediately swing his sword if he spouted lies.

The man who had been reading the situation suddenly fell to his knees on the ground and begged for his life.

“P-please spare me! I just did as I was told! They said when a fire breaks out in the square, break the wheel of the carriage with the white wolf flag!”

“Who said that?”

“Well, I don’t know the exact identity either……”

When Carl frowned at those words, the frightened man hurriedly searched his memory and brought up what came to mind.

“Ah, ah! The person who gave me the job was wearing clothes with a red bird drawn on them!”

“Ha……”

Carl, who immediately figured out the identity upon hearing the man’s words, let out a hollow laugh.

Among the empire’s nobles, there was only one family that used the combination of red and bird as their crest.

“Celsior again.”

He clenched his fist tightly while muttering meaningfully.

Various emotions were swirling in his deeply sunken black eyes.

***

The central hall of the separate palace.

This place where this year’s social queen selection was being held was currently packed with numerous spectators.

It was a sea of people, recording the highest number of spectators in history.

Even though it was an annual selection, the reason people were particularly interested was because of the person sitting in the seat of honor on the platform.

“How many years has it been since Her Majesty the empress appeared at an official event?”

“It seems it’s true that her condition has recently improved.”

“Then is she going to resume external activities now? The 1st imperial consort’s faction will be in an awkward position.”

Thanks to Linus’s medicine, the empress who had somewhat overcome her skin disease was showing her face after a long time.

Of course, it wasn’t a complete cure, so she was still dressed in a long-sleeved high-neck dress, but the important thing was that she had shown herself like this.

Because of that, the 1st imperial consort who had actually led the selection ended up sitting below the seat of honor.

For the empress, she had reclaimed her rightful place, but for the imperial consort, it was like being given something and then having it taken away.

Perhaps because of that, the expression of the imperial consort sitting with her legs crossed was not very good.

“We will now begin this year’s queen selection.”

The head maid, who received a signal from the empress, stepped forward and solemnly declared.