The mother and son who looked exactly alike crossed the hall, captivating everyone’s attention.

“I’m grateful and pleased to be together like this today. I hope this occasion becomes a pleasant memory for all of you.”

After the empress’s brief greeting ended, the court orchestra prepared to perform.

Linus, who had neatly swept back his reddish-gold hair, looked around the hall once and approached Shailyn without hesitation.

“Miss Sharofe, today’s dress suits you quite well.”

Shailyn’s sullen face brightened clearly as soon as she saw him.

“Can I understand that to mean I look quite pretty right now?”

“……Well, as you wish. I just meant you wore the dress well.”

Linus shrugged lightly, trying not to show his embarrassment.

Even though it was practically an excuse, Shailyn smiled brightly.

Glancing at her sideways, Linus soon raised one corner of his mouth in a nervous smile and extended his hand.

“Will you dance one song with me?”

It was her first dance request.

“I’d be happy to. My dancing skills have improved a lot during this time. I might even lead the dance from my side now.”

“Dream big.”

He chuckled and took Shailyn’s hand, heading to the center of the hall.

Carl felt his insides flip when he saw his hand wrap around Shailyn’s waist.

The sight of them whispering and laughing throughout the dance, looking so happy, seemed to add fuel to his already twisted insides.

‘If I hadn’t been betrayed…… would that place have been mine.’

Carl covered his mouth and let out a hollow laugh, having made such assumptions.

It wasn’t some grand cause, but he felt so unfamiliar and foolish for acting this way because of Shailyn dancing.

‘This is…… anyone can see it’s jealousy.’

Sighing softly, Carl silently turned and took a step.

He was trying to leave before it became even more undeniable.

Meanwhile, completely unaware of this fact, Shailyn was busy throwing flirtations at Linus, currently the only publicly declared male lead.

“Looking this close, Your Highness’s eyes look exactly like they contain stars.”

“That sounds like a rather cliché line.”

“But I’m sincere. Your eyes are truly beautiful.”

Shailyn stood on her tiptoes and tilted her head slightly up, staring intently at his eyes and smiling bashfully.

Indeed, his pupils, clean as pure gold, were in some ways clearer than stars.

When Shailyn smiled brightly while facing him closely due to dancing, Linus, who became embarrassed for no reason, let out a hollow laugh.

“Good grief……”

Who was the one talking. He muttered in a very small voice.

Shailyn’s blue eyes looking up at him were sparkling like stars.

‘Pretty eyes.’

He thought so without realizing it, then blushed alone.

“What’s wrong, Your Highness? Did I perhaps act too burdensome?”

Noticing Linus’s subtly stiffened expression, Shailyn asked with some worry.

She couldn’t let herself only diminish favorability after stepping forward to raise it.

Linus chuckled and replied.

“You’ve been like that since I first saw you, so there’s nothing new about it, so don’t worry unnecessarily.”

“……I’ll take that as a compliment for now.”

Shailyn held Linus’s hand and spun around once, then leaned slightly against him.

The subtle flower fragrance, her slender body that seemed less than half his size, and eyes that held starlight.

Watching all of that being in his arms and then leaving, Linus felt a strange regret.

Then their dance ended, and a system window suddenly appeared before Shailyn’s eyes.

—Ding!

【Special Bonus! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝

We inform you that Crown Prince Linus’s favorability has increased by 10 points.

(※Current favorability 68)】

“……!”

Great!

Shailyn smiled while holding back the scream of joy that was about to come out.

Although she couldn’t find a male lead who hated grape juice that day, she was able to achieve the result of raising Linus’s favorability.

Moreover, she had made another impression on the empress.

It was not a bad result.

The Novice Butler is Too Much

For a while, I diligently showed my face in social circles, collecting blond handsome men who hated grape juice.

Fortunately or unfortunately, that number wasn’t very large.

It was when I was sending a bunch of flirtatious letters disguised as greetings to the roughly selected new male lead candidates.

“Miss, Lord Bartholomew is calling for you.”

At Paul’s words, I put down my pen and immediately went to Duke Diart’s office.

The lord, who was sitting on the sofa drinking tea, welcomed me.

“You’re here, Shailyn. I called you because I finished reviewing the contract you gave me last time.”

“Ah, yes.”

I quickly sat in the diagonal seat from him with proper posture and sparkled my eyes.

A few days ago, I had entrusted the duke with a contract regarding magic stone trading with the magic tower and asked him to look it over.

It was something I had diligently written alone to keep the promise I made with the tower master as a condition for him becoming my dance partner.

“You set the conditions quite well. With this much, it’s a structure where both you and the magic tower bear half the profit and loss.”

“Is that so? Phew……”

“But even though the magic tower is a good place to do business with magic stones, wouldn’t it be disappointing not to be able to sell to other places if you do exclusive trading?”

“Anyway, when a new magic mine appears, I’ll be pushed back a notch too. It’s better to contract with the best partner under the best conditions now.”

The duke nodded, saying that was also right, and returned the document envelope containing the contract.

I gave my thanks and came outside, thinking.

‘Now that the contract is ready, shall I go meet the tower master?’

When I contacted the magic tower in advance, I got a reply saying tomorrow would be fine.

So the next afternoon, I took the contract and headed to the magic tower with Carl.

“What brings you here?”

“I came to see the tower master. I made an appointment yesterday.”

“Ah…… I’m sorry. The tower master went out in the morning and hasn’t returned yet.”

The low-ranking mage guarding the lobby said with a troubled face.

“Is that so? Then it can’t be helped. I’ll have to wait until he comes.”

Swallowing my disappointment inside, I settled on the lobby sofa like when I first came to the magic tower.

But no matter how long I waited, the tower master didn’t come. We were left indefinitely in the lobby just like that time.

“Ah, what. When exactly is he coming.”

When I grumbled quietly, Carl whispered at a volume only I could hear.

“Going outside again?”

“Hmm…… This time writing with tree branches is a bit much. Let’s take a walk and come back.”

I was annoyed that the timing didn’t match even though I came with an appointment.

Everyone was busily moving around, but it was frustrating to just sit still and wait.

“Ah, the air here is nice.”

Coming outside seemed to relieve it a bit. The magic tower, located on the outskirts even within the capital, had lots of grass and trees around.

Nature in the city center, you could say.

I leisurely strolled around the tower and enjoyed the sunlight. Perhaps because autumn was approaching, the wind blew pleasantly.

“Don’t walk with your eyes closed. You’ll fall.”

“You can catch me before that happens.”

“What if I accidentally let go.”

“You somehow don’t seem like you would.”

It was when I was walking behind the tower, exchanging meaningless conversation with Carl.

Rustle.

I heard something moving in a small bush.

“Huh? What’s that?”

“Wait.”

Carl, who stopped me from approaching out of curiosity, checked the bush first.

Seeing his expression become subtle, I peeked my head out from behind.

In the bush lay a weak, small cat.

Grayish yellow fur and faintly open jade-colored eyes.

“……Huh?!”

That cat was the cheese kitty I had met before in the alley and at the magic tower.

“Baby!”

Shocked, I quickly pushed through the bush and picked up the kitten.

I felt an excessively hot body temperature and the texture of soft fur in my palm.

“What’s wrong with you, are you hurt somewhere?”

“……Meow.”

The cat cried softly and twitched its tail. I stroked its back and patted it.

Then the cat curled up in my arms and soon closed its eyes as if feeling comfortable.

Its small body drooped anxiously.

“What should I do, it seems to be in a lot of pain. Carl, can you take it back to the ducal residence first?”

“……Me? Then what about you, Master.”

“I have to meet the tower master before I go. I need to make the contract. You go and treat it. If you can’t, ask Mandy.”

Carl reluctantly took the cat with a face that showed he wasn’t very willing.

After sending him off in the carriage, I returned to the lobby and paced anxiously.

D*mn, when is he really coming! I need to make the contract quickly and go see the kitty!

Just when I was wondering if I should call Deborah to contact the tower master.