And on the day of the party, she dressed in the light pink chiffon dress Rain had made and visited the marquis’s residence.

“Welcome, Miss Sharofe! I’m Glen Perry. Nice to meet you.”

As soon as she entered the party hall, the marchioness who recognized her greeted her warmly.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Madam. I’m Shailyn Sharofe.”

“How polite you are! No wonder you became the social queen. Actually, I voted for you back then too.”

The madam winked and showed infinite fondness for her.

Considering her reputation for being famous for matchmaking, she probably wanted to attract a major client like her.

Sure enough, after they had exchanged some small talk, the madam asked in a subtle voice.

“I heard that you’re still unmarried and have no fiancé…… Do you have someone in mind?”

But I was waiting for that question too.

She deliberately put on an innocent expression and trailed off as if troubled.

“Well, I’m still looking for that person……”

“Oh my! How perfect! There happen to be so many decent young lords here.”

The madam grabbed her arm and pulled her along. She pretended to be helplessly dragged.

“Do you have any preferred conditions?”

“I absolutely want a handsome blond.”

“Ah…… What about things like family background or wealth?”

“My family isn’t that great either, and I have wealth so that’s fine.”

What she looked at was only two things. A man’s face and hair color.

“I, I see. Hmm, let me see. A young lord who might appeal to our Miss Sharofe…… I think there’s one over there?”

Where the marchioness pointed stood a fairly handsome blond man.

Dark skin and dirty blond harmoniously blended together.

“He’s the second son of the Linden family, and he’s a promising knight who entered the Imperial Knight Order.”

Oh, a knight. Well now, that’s a good profession for a male lead to have.

When she made a satisfied expression, the marchioness quickly introduced them to each other.

“Young Lord Linden, how about joining our conversation? This is Miss Shailyn Sharofe.”

“Ah, hello. I’m Joe Linden.”

“Nice to meet you, Young Lord Linden. Do you like grape juice by any chance?”

“No, I don’t particularly like it.”

What? He doesn’t like grape juice?

She lit up her eyes combatively and lowered her voice seductively.

“Are you perhaps a mage instead of a knight? You seem to have enchanted my heart.”

“……Pardon?”

Young Lord Linden’s face went blank, and the marchioness looked at her in bewilderment.

“Haha, hahaha…… As rumored, Miss Sharofe has a quirky charm.”

“Young lord, you’re like a waste. The champagne I’ll get drunk on today.”

She received a champagne glass from a passing maid, raised it, and winked.

“Cheers to your eyes.”

“Mi, Miss……?”

The marchioness smiled awkwardly and gripped her arm tightly.

She paid no attention and threw flirtation at Young Lord Linden.

“I like men who hate grape juice. Men who won’t drink even a single sip even if it’s right in front of them. Isn’t it really like fate?”

“Ah, but I’m not to that extent. If there was only grape juice in front of me, I’d drink it.”

“……Is that so?”

Then he’s eliminated as a male lead. They said it’s someone who absolutely won’t even put it to their lips.

She withdrew the smile she had been directing at Young Lord Linden and whispered to the marchioness.

“Please introduce me to someone else. Someone equally blond and handsome.”

“But…… didn’t you like Young Lord Linden?”

“I did, but I just cooled off. Isn’t there someone else? Definitely someone blond.”

“……”

Unlike before, the marchioness looked at her with somewhat strange eyes.

But like a proper matchmaker, she showed her a string of young lords with the conditions she wanted.

The problem was that none of them hated grape juice to death.

In the end, she couldn’t find a male lead at Marchioness Perry’s party.

So next, she attended Count McCall’s wife’s party, famous for having wide connections.

Indeed, there were quite a few blond handsome men there too, but again there was no one who matched the hint.

Other parties were all similar.

Why does everyone like grape juice?! Hate it, hate it!

Not knowing that this behavior was making her notorious as someone crazy about blonds, she trudged back to the ducal residence.

An unexpected person welcomed her, disappointed after gaining no harvest for several days.

“Finally here.”

“……Your Highness the Crown Prince?”

The crown prince, who had now completely removed his bandages, stood in the central lobby with his hands in his pockets.

“When did you arrive? If you were coming today, you should have told me in advance.”

“Then what would happen.”

“I would have waited to see Your Highness instead of going out anywhere!”

When she appealed with sparkling eyes, the crown prince laughed as if dumbfounded.

But his face didn’t look displeased. His lips were raised too high for that.

“Take it.”

He took out an envelope from inside his jacket and held it out to her.

It was an invitation to an imperial ball.

“I gave one to Dain too, but mother specifically asked me to deliver yours.”

“Her Majesty the Empress did?”

“Yeah, it’s the first official ball mother is hosting since her return. She said she’d like you, who’s also this year’s queen, to come and brighten the occasion.”

“Of course I should!”

The crown prince, who chuckled, moved his lips with a slightly hesitant air.

“Do you happen to have a partner this time too…… No, never mind. I’ll just see you then.”

He who stopped mid-sentence unilaterally gave his farewell and left.

What, he really knows how to make people angry.

She carefully tucked away the invitation and climbed the stairs.

When she just reached the second floor, a long and huge form blocked her way.

“Carl? What are you doing here?”

He, who was leaning against the railing with crossed arms, looked down at her.

His face looked very displeased for some reason.

“I was waiting for you, Master. But an uninvited guest took my place.”

“Uninvited guest……? Ah, you mean His Highness the Crown Prince?”

It seemed he had been pushed aside by the crown prince and came upstairs since he couldn’t wait on the first floor.

Carl, who stared at her intently, spoke in a blunt voice.

“I suppose Master prefers being welcomed by the blond Crown Prince.”

“Hey, why are you saying such things. It would be nice if you came out too. But today I was happy to see His Highness.”

She grinned while showing Carl the imperial ball invitation.

“Ta-da! I received this.”

“A ball invitation…… Don’t tell me, you decided to go as the crown prince’s partner?”

Carl, who had reacted indifferently to the invitation itself, suddenly flashed his eyes.

“No, that’s not it… but that wouldn’t be bad either.”

Why didn’t I think of that.

The moment she tried to pat Carl’s shoulder, saying he gave her a good idea—

“No.”

He firmly said while grabbing her wrist with his large hand.

“Why not? I need someone to escort me too.”

“……There’s the young master of this house.”

“Dain? How old am I to always get escorted only by my cousin.”

At her words, Carl couldn’t refute and only frowned deeply.

He made a troubled expression for a while, then eventually declared resolutely.

“I’ll do it.”

“What……? Escort? Really? It’s to the imperial ball though?”

Wasn’t he the one who hated going to the imperial palace to death? Whenever there was occasion to go, he’d make excuses and absolutely refuse to accompany her.

When she widened her eyes wondering why he was readily stepping forward, Carl touched her forehead and said.

“If you’re embarrassed to take a bondservant, never mind.”

“Look at your face. Where would I be embarrassed to take you?”

Rather, I’d be proud.

Carl, whose lips had loosened, coughed and replied.

“I’ll wear a mask anyway.”

“Why?”

“It’s my choice. Just know that I’ll escort you like that.”

He who concluded without even asking for her opinion walked away with heavy steps.

One guy stops talking mid-sentence, and the other just says his piece and leaves.

How can they be so different like their hair colors? she thought it was fascinating and just shrugged her shoulders.

Well, whatever. If my bondservant wants it that much, I should step back.

Actually, if I go as the crown prince’s partner, it might be hard to look for other male leads.

Time passed like that and the day of the imperial ball arrived.