The dinner party at the Mieschko Duke’s residence resumed faster than expected.

Moreover, due to Crown Prince Josefs suggestion to make it extravagantly lavish, it turned out to be much grander than anticipated. The fact that the emperor’s mistress had died was quickly forgotten among the nobles, as if the party had been held for that very purpose.

Amelia arrived by carriage with Philip. Though her ankle had healed enough for her to walk on her own, Betty, who had been dressing her and had cried repeatedly, blaming herself, worried that Amelia might fall, so she reluctantly brought crutches along.

“Would it be alright if I sit at the end of the table?”

When Amelia raised her crutches and said it would be easier to move that way, Philip nodded. A servant who overheard them quickly led them to their seats.

A long, rectangular table stretched from one end of the room to the other, large enough to comfortably seat around a hundred people. Scarlet candles atop silver candelabras reflected majestically off a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

“Is your ankle really okay?”

Philip wore a worried expression. Even though Amelia smiled brightly and said she was fine, his expression remained the same.

“I’ll be fine sitting down. And with the crutches, I doubt anyone will ask me to dance.”

“That’s a shame.”

A man approached and sat across from them, joining the conversation. Both Amelia and Philip turned their curious gazes toward him.

“Oh, my apologies. Lady Amelia Przhemysl of Brienne.”

With a smile, he introduced himself as from a viscount family in Olstein. The woman seated beside him, he said, was his sister.

“Lady Amelia, you don’t know how famous you’ve become since the sled race, do you?”

The woman, wearing an adorable lace-trimmed dress, asked with sparkling eyes. She excitedly recounted how she and her brother had attended the recent dog sled race, where the sight of Crown Prince Josef rescuing Amelia had become a hot topic in high society.

“Is that so…”

Amelia responded in a complicated tone. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory for her. It was just bad luck that the servant assigned to her had picked an especially sensitive horse, and that the dogs had barked so loudly.

And, of course, it was bad luck that Josef had shown up…

“I hope you recover soon, Lady Amelia.”

When Marika saw Amelia with crutches as they greeted each other inside the mansion, she even held her hand in concern. On the other hand, Josef, standing beside her, said nothing and simply stared at Amelia in silence.

“And I wish the same for Lord Philip Clavier.”

The man from the Viscount Olstein family chimed in cheerfully. Amelia’s thoughts dispersed, as if awakening from a dream.

“I’ve heard you’re looking for a bride recently, is that true?”

“What? Ah, no, it’s not that…”

Philip visibly panicked.

“Philip, is that true?”

Amelia perked up, hearing this for the first time.

“Well, it’s just… my mother…”

As Philip looked embarrassed, the man nodded understandingly.

“Well, I’ve heard that it’s rare for people from Sarnica to marry outsiders.”

“Well, it’s not necessarily like that.”

“Oh, that’s good then. There are quite a few ladies in Olstein who would love to marry you, Lord Clavier.”

The sociable siblings pointed to different parts of the table, naming dukes and counts, saying that many were interested in Philip. They even complimented him on his good looks, which made him quite popular in society.

But the more they talked, the more Philip’s expression hardened. It wasn’t like him not to flash his usual kind smile.

“Philip, what’s wrong?”

Amelia whispered quietly, and Philip turned his head as if to speak.

“Amelia…”

“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.”

But the servant standing by the door loudly announced, prompting all the guests who had been seated and waiting for dinner to stand up, interrupting Philip’s words.

“…Never mind. Here, let me help you.”

Philip relaxed his stiff expression and smiled as usual, offering his arm for Amelia to stand up.

“Thanks. But… is something going on?”

“…”

Despite Amelia’s whispered question, Philip remained silent. His face, now devoid of its earlier smile, looked strange. He seemed unaware of Marika and Josef entering together in their elegant attire and taking their seats.

“Thank you all for coming today…”

As Marika’s welcoming speech drifted past Amelia’s ears, she leaned on Philip’s arm to sit back down. But just as Philip began to withdraw his hand, he grasped Amelia’s hand again.

“Philip…”

Philip gripped her hand tightly. Under the table, their fingers intertwined. The warmth of Philip’s hand felt comforting and reassuring.

“Amelia.”

“Yes?”

“It’s nothing.”

Philip whispered softly. A wheeled tray was brought into the room. Servants carrying silver trays began serving from the table where the Crown Prince was seated.

“…What is?”

Amelia tried to pull her hand away before the servants got closer, but Philip still didn’t let go.

“…The marriage, it’s not true.”

“….”

“It’s just my mother pushing for it. It has nothing to do with me.”

New dishes, ones Amelia had never seen before, were elegantly placed between empty plates and flowers. The servants were getting closer.

“Philip, your hand…”

“Trust me. It’s really not true.”

Philip looked directly into Amelia’s eyes. With an unusually serious expression, Amelia simply nodded.

“Okay. I trust you.”

Only then did Philip release Amelia’s hand. A large plate with a round cover was just about to be placed on the table where they sat.

‘Why is he so desperately trying to explain?’

Philip silently brought the pewter cup to his lips and drank it in one gulp. Amelia, about to take a sip herself, was startled.

‘What is this?’

It was so clear and transparent that she thought it was water, but as she brought it closer to her nose, she caught a whiff of alcohol. Moreover, it was warm. Amelia, accustomed to cold wine, found the heated distilled liquor from Olstein unfamiliar.

Summoning her courage, she took a sip, barely swallowing it down without spitting it out due to its strength. While the warmth spreading in her stomach felt pleasant, she was momentarily dizzy from the sudden rush of intoxication. Trying to hide the heat in her face, Amelia reached for the fork to pick at the food on her plate but hesitated again.

“…….”

The unfamiliar meat dish had an unfamiliar color, smell, sauce, and garnished decorations. She cut a small piece and put it in her mouth, but the flavor was too strong, and the texture was tough.

Unlike Amelia, the nobles surrounding the table were casually enjoying their meals. They downed the strong liquor with ease, swiftly cutting the meat and praising the dish. Even Philip, though hard to approach due to his demeanor, didn’t seem to be forcing himself to eat.

Amelia alone was thinking of the fragrant steamed dishes of Brienne, the well-ripened fruits, and the sweet puddings.

‘An ignorant foreigner.’

Amelia labeled herself as such and filled her stomach with just the heated liquor and soup.

* * *

“A play?”

“To promote the crown prince’s achievements, it’s a necessary task, Your Highness.”

Marika, who had approached Josef as he leaned against the ballroom wall, urged him.

A famous theater troupe had shown them a script and asked for patronage, claiming it told the story of a hero who founded a new nation during troubled times. They convinced him that showing it to the nobles would enhance the prestige of the royal family.

“Very well. We can stage it at the opera hall.”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

Marika, overjoyed, took Josef’s arm and gently leaned her chest against him. As Josef placed his hand on her shoulder, the men who had been dancing in pairs quietly cast jealous glances their way.

Josef intentionally kept his hand on Marika’s shoulder a little longer. Without showing any signs of discomfort, Marika quietly stayed in his embrace before naturally pulling away.

“Then, I’ll talk to the director.”

“Do so.”

Marika lightly touched Josef’s face as if admiring something lovely before turning and heading to the opposite side of the ballroom. A middle-aged man, who had been waiting for her, bowed deeply.

‘What a splendid crown princess she’ll make.’

Marika’s behavior toward Josef was entirely theatrical, as befitting a noble. She was performing the role Josef wanted from her to perfection, and the more public the setting, the better she played her part.

Josef looked around the hall as a new piece of music began playing and quietly slipped out.

Not a single person was unaware of the crown prince’s departure, but no one stopped him either. After a baron had his tongue cut for speaking too long about the difficulties of managing his estate in Josef’s presence, everyone preferred submitting detailed written reports backed by concrete data.

The central staircase and front entrance connecting the first and second floors were crowded with people as the party was in full swing. From the landing, Josef noticed Philip looking uncomfortable, surrounded by women in extravagant dresses.

Josef turned down a corridor next to the dining room. The only people visible were servants carrying empty dishes as the evening meal had concluded. From an open door, Amelia emerged, fanning herself and walking listlessly.

Amelia’s profile was slightly flushed from drinking throughout the meal. She lowered her head slightly and walked slowly, almost colliding with a trolley pushed by a maid.

Josef approached Amelia, who was stumbling and leaning weakly against the wall, and took her by the arm.

“…Philip?”

Amelia, with her head drooping and her voice faint, received no response from Josef. Mistaking him for Philip, Amelia rubbed her forehead and murmured.

“I’m dizzy… I should go.”

Then she reached out and lightly grabbed Josef’s arm. Her soft fingers brushed the fabric of his clothes and then hesitated as if puzzled.

“…….”

Her calm, dazed eyes, as if she had just woken from a nap, looked up at Josef.

“Are you drunk?”

At Josef’s question, Amelia tilted her head slightly.

“…Why are you here, Your Highness?”

Her tone was much more relaxed than it had been a few days earlier. With no trace of suspicion, Josef smiled unconsciously.

“Why are you here?”

“…Where’s Philip?”

“I don’t know.”

Amelia quietly ran her hand through her hair and sighed softly. Her breath brushed against Josef’s wrist. He swallowed dryly.

“…My apologies.”

As Amelia turned to walk in the opposite direction, Josef walked alongside her.

“Where are you going?”

“…I’m going to call for the carriage.”

Amelia leaned against the wall, limping slowly. It seemed her ankle hadn’t fully healed, as she occasionally furrowed her brows in pain. Josef grabbed her arm, stopping her.

“Why don’t you rest a bit first?”

Amelia slowly turned to look at Josef. Though her eyes appeared weak, it was clear she wasn’t pleased to see him.

“If you dislike me that much, I’ll have a maid assist you.”

Without waiting for her reply, Josef motioned to a maid who was passing by the dining room.

When he instructed the maid to take Amelia to the nearest room, she supported Amelia and led her to a small parlor, lighting the fireplace. The maid, familiar with serving foreign guests who had gotten drunk quickly on Olstein’s strong liquor, seemed unfazed.

When Josef handed her a gold coin, the maid accepted it with a shocked expression and bowed so low her nose nearly touched the ground before hurriedly leaving the room.

Amelia had already fallen asleep on the sofa.

Josef took off his jacket and gently draped it over her. He pulled up a chair and sat in front of the sofa. Amelia, lying on her side with her back curled like a shrimp, nestled into his jacket, breathing softly in her sleep.

Her face, now deep in slumber, looked completely peaceful, without a trace of fear or anxiety.

“Amelia,” Josef softly called her name. Nothing in the room responded to him. Only the occasional crackle of the burning logs in the fireplace filled the silence. The quiet that followed after calling her name stirred something unfamiliar within him.

“……”

Amelia’s deeply sleeping face seemed unafraid of anything, simply resting peacefully against his jacket. As Josef gazed at this gentle and innocent figure, he felt an indescribable emotion welling up inside him.

Right now, she belonged only to him. The high walls of her defenses had crumbled in the face of unconsciousness, leaving only their two beings in this space. It was what he had always longed for. But at this moment, Josef wasn’t sure how to preserve the present and carry it forward.

There was nothing left to do but wait—wait for the prey who had lowered her guard to walk into the trap on her own.

Josef stood up slowly from the chair and quietly left the room.

Just as he closed the door, he spotted Philip hurriedly walking down the hallway.

“…Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

Philip, encountering Josef in the cold hallway, had a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.

Josef, still holding the doorknob, looked down at Philip.

“Your Highness, I deeply apologize, but I must ask you something urgently.”

“…”

“Have you by any chance seen Amelia of Brienne, Lady Przhemysl?”

Beneath his disheveled blonde hair, Philip’s desperate eyes were visible.

“She’s gone back,” Josef replied.

“…What?”

Philip’s eyes widened in disbelief. Josef stood silently, gazing at him as if to confirm that what he had said was true.

“…Thank you. I apologize for troubling you, Your Highness.”

Unable to endure the silence, Philip bowed his head first. Though his expression showed he had more questions, he turned away and walked off quickly, almost running. He didn’t even glance at the doorknob Josef had been holding.

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