The tea party held at the annex of Duke Mieschko’s estate was winding down.

Marika sat in front of the mirror in her bedroom.

“This looks perfect on you, my lady.”

“Let me fix your hair again.”

Several maids showered her with compliments as they attended to her appearance, but Marika received them with a disinterested expression.

The foreign nobles had one by one called for their carriages and left. Only a few of Marika’s childhood friends remained.

While the servants cleaned the party hall, Marika returned to her bedroom to change clothes and greet the friends gathered in the drawing room.

Wearing the same dress all day was unthinkable.

“How was the party?” asked one of the maids, carefully removing the pins from her hair and combing it gently.

Her golden blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, and even Marika couldn’t help but admire its beauty.

“It was alright.”

With her impending status as the crown princess in mind, she had made extra efforts to make this party more formal than usual.

It had been a bit dull, but the sight of noble children from various countries lining up to greet her was amusing.

Being surrounded by people who constantly praised her throughout the party wasn’t so bad either.

“There were so many people from other countries today, but our lady stood out the most,” one maid said.

“That’s right,” another chimed in. “After all, you’ll soon be the crown princess.”

*Crown Princess.* The title filled her with pride every time she heard it.

The Emperor of the Empire had no empress. Josef’s mother, the former empress, had passed away long ago, and after several political conflicts, most of the emperor’s concubines were either dead or exiled, leaving only one remaining.

Once Marika became the crown princess, she would be the only mistress of the imperial household.

Though Josef was polite, he had shown little interest in her. Marika, who was accustomed to the affection of society’s nobles, could sense that his treatment of her was purely formal.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

In noble marriages, love was an unnecessary guest.

Her father had also married her mother, the duchess, in order to maintain the Mieschko family’s standing.

Most of the men who hovered around her were either seeking to rise in status or looking for personal gain. Even a few of her closest friends were no different.

In this environment, accepting the proposal of the crown prince—the highest-ranking noble in the empire—was the most logical decision.

‘In fact, it might even be to my advantage.’

The crown prince was a man who moved strictly according to calculation. He was exceptionally handsome, enough to stand out anywhere, but having grown up witnessing the constant problems caused by the emperor’s mistresses, Josef was unlikely to create any troublesome situations over women.

Even if such issues arose, Marika was confident she could maintain her position as crown princess. There was no noble family within the empire that could rival the wealth of the Mieschko family.

Get engaged, have the wedding, become the crown princess, and at Josef’s coronation, place the empress’s crown on her head.

It was a perfect picture, as clear as a completed puzzle.

“My lady, would you like to wear the pearl necklace?” a maid asked, holding up the jewelry.

Next to the necklace on the vanity was a sealed letter with a wax stamp.

“Oh, right,” Marika said, remembering. It was a letter Lady Amelia from Brienne had asked her to deliver. The poor girl had smiled bitterly, mentioning how her duchy had been reduced to a governorate of the empire.

“Could someone take this letter to my father?” Marika asked, gesturing toward the vanity. One of the maids, the nearest to her, picked it up.

“Shall I take it now?”

“Yes, go quickly. She said it was important.”

After receiving confirmation from Marika, the maid nodded and left, while Marika turned her attention back to the mirror.

Watching as another maid held the pearl necklace up to her neck, Marika thought about Amelia.

‘When I become crown princess, should I take Lady Amelia as my lady-in-waiting?’

Although her clothes were plain, Amelia had an air of refinement in her speech and mannerisms. She was also quite beautiful. She seemed like the perfect person to keep by her side as a backdrop.

The benevolent crown princess, kind enough to take a fallen lady from a ruined country as her companion.

The thought of being admired for such generosity pleased Marika. She smiled faintly as she spritzed on her favorite perfume.

* * *

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Philip asked as he draped a cape over Amelia’s shoulders.

“Yes,” Amelia nodded.

It had been nice to have a long, meaningless chat with Philip, something she hadn’t done in a while.

Afterward, Philip had introduced her to a few nobles, but the conversations had mostly been formal greetings followed by equally formal exchanges.

Especially those who knew that Brienne had surrendered to the empire and become a governorate—they looked at her with silent pity.

It wasn’t that they condemned or disdained her for the decision to surrender. Everyone knew the power of the empire.

Still, the sympathy in their gazes was enough to wound her.

“Talking with you was the most fun,” Amelia said.

Philip, walking beside her, didn’t respond.

“Philip, why are you so quiet?” Amelia asked, nudging his arm. He jumped, startled as if lost in thought.

“Did you have something to say?”

She thought so because, even though they could have called for a carriage in front of the annex, Philip had suggested taking a walk through the garden.

“…Yes,” he said, but then fell silent for a long while. The garden they walked through was quiet.

The snow-covered path bore the disordered tracks of passing carriages.

When something passes through the snow, it ends up looking so messy. It’s amazing how pure white it is when it falls… Amelia thought to herself as she walked.

“Amelia, what are you going to do from now on?”

Philip, who had been quiet, finally spoke up.

“What do you mean?” she asked, surprised. Philip was the one who had told her there was still time before the crown prince’s wedding, and that she would surely be able to return to Brienne by then.

“Do you really have to go back to Brienne?”

It was unexpected for Philip to bring this up.

“What do you mean by that?” Amelia stopped walking, and Philip stopped alongside her. His face, which had been lively when they were chatting at the party, now looked slightly gloomy.

“…”

“Philip, are you saying I shouldn’t go back to Brienne?” she asked.

Philip shook his head. “If you want to go, then you should.”

“Then what did you mean?”

At her pressing, Philip hesitated before answering.

“It’s just… if you go back to Brienne, I won’t be able to see you as often.”

“Why? You used to visit often,” she said, resuming her walk, noticing now how cold the wind was.

“I have to stay in Sarnica to study for a while.”

“Study?”

Philip nodded. “After my father finishes teaching me the necessary training to become a diplomat, the king will assign me an official position.”

“That’s great,” Amelia said with a smile, but Philip didn’t seem to share her enthusiasm.

“It means I won’t be able to visit Brienne as often, or come to the empire like I used to.”

“…”

“Once I’m officially a diplomat, I’ll need royal permission to travel abroad. I can’t just follow my father wherever he goes anymore.”

It was clear that being a diplomat would come with much more responsibility. Considering that Philip’s family had served as diplomats for generations, this was a natural progression.

Both Philip and Amelia were no longer children. They were adults who could introduce themselves by their own names, rather than just by their family lineage.

Even though she understood, it still stung a little to think that they were leaving behind their childhood selves.

“That’s a shame,” she murmured, watching her footsteps crush the snow beneath her. She looked up toward the sky, now bathed in the hues of sunset. The view opened up as they walked beyond the garden, revealing the path stretching toward the front gate.

“…Amelia.”

When she looked at Philip, his face had turned serious.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“About what?”

“Becoming a diplomat has been my goal since I was young, but now… I can’t bear the thought of leaving for Sarnica without you.”

Amelia tilted her head with a playful smile.

“Are you that worried about me?”

“No, it’s not you… it’s me.”

“…”

“While you might just feel a little sad, the thought of being without you makes me so anxious that I can’t stand it.”

As Philip spoke, Amelia’s gaze wandered over his shoulder. She suddenly froze.

What she saw first was a section of Duke Mieschko’s vast estate. Through a large window on the second floor, she could see Josef, standing there, speaking with someone.

‘Josef…’

Was that the duke’s office? Was Josef talking with the duke? Did the duke mention the letter she delivered? Could it be that Josef was once again doubting her father…?

‘I can’t let him notice me. I should just walk past.’

Though her mind was telling her this, her body refused to move. She couldn’t take her eyes off Josef.

“Amelia, I—” Philip began to speak, but at that moment, Josef turned and looked in her direction. Their eyes met.

Suddenly, Amelia felt dizzy, and her legs gave way beneath her.

“Amelia!”

Philip caught her just as she collapsed, placing his hand on her forehead.

“Amelia, are you alright?” he asked, concern filling his voice.

“Philip…” she murmured.

“Are you feeling dizzy?”

Leaning her head against Philip’s shoulder, her vision darkened. She weakly nodded.

“It’s my fault. I should have called for a carriage… We’ve been outside too long in the cold,” Philip said, sounding guilty.

“No, that’s not it…” Amelia muttered faintly, trying to shake her head. She wanted to explain, but her mind wasn’t working properly. Her face was pale, her eyes closed.

“Let’s go inside. Lean on me,” Philip said as he slowly helped her to her feet. Hearing the mention of going back to the estate, Amelia barely opened her eyes and whispered.

“I’m fine… Let’s just go.”

“No. You can’t even stand properly.”

Despite Philip’s insistence, Amelia stubbornly shook her head. If they went back inside, she would surely run into Josef.

“No… I don’t want to…”

“Amelia.”

“I’m fine now… I’ll feel better in a little while.”

Amelia, who had been holding onto Philip’s arm, struggled to stand on her own, forcing her trembling legs to hold her weight.

“Well, if it isn’t Lord Clavier.”

A voice came from behind Philip.

“Duke Mieschko?”

“Remarkable. Just as His Highness the Crown Prince said.”

A strange voice delivered an ominous message. Amelia, with blurry vision, finally managed to focus.

The first thing she saw was Josef, standing just as he had been moments earlier.

He must have come over after spotting her, yet he showed no expression. Seeing his face, Amelia tried to compose herself, straightening up as much as she could.

‘Your Highness, I greet you.’

Amelia stepped forward, intending to say this, but as she bowed her head, her body wavered once again, unable to maintain balance.

“Amelia!” Philip shouted in alarm, but Josef was closer.

“What’s wrong?”

Josef asked as he grabbed her arm and helped her up. ‘What’s wrong?’ Amelia thought bitterly. ‘It’s because of you.’ Though she couldn’t say it aloud, she tried to convey her feelings through her gaze, but it didn’t seem to work.

“Are you Lady Amelia?”

Amelia weakly turned her head toward the direction of the voice.

“I received your father’s letter congratulating me on my engagement. Please give him my thanks.”

Duke Mieschko spoke with a smile on his face.

“I was just speaking with His Highness the Crown Prince. He said that if it weren’t for the letter, he wouldn’t have known you were here.”

Amelia felt a heavy weight in her chest, unable to respond. She had quietly delivered the letter to avoid causing any trouble, fearing Josef might take issue with it.

But now it looked as if she had deliberately handed it over in secret.

Nearly fainting upon seeing Josef earlier was because of this very fear.

Amelia was deeply unsettled by the idea of facing Josef in this situation.

“You don’t look well.”

A large hand touched her forehead briefly, then withdrew.

“You don’t have a fever.”

“…”

“Is something wrong?” Josef asked with a smile, though to Amelia, it looked as though he was suppressing quiet anger.

TL NOTE: Visit and bookmark the story at dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and updates of its latest release.