“Duke Clayton seems quite smitten. I didn’t expect him to court her publicly. What do you think, Count Vern?”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

Startled by the sudden call, Vern stammered.

“Didn’t you just hear? Duke Clayton wants to stay at your estate. Will you allow it, I’m asking.”

The King urged Vern, unable to hide his laughter.

“Th-that’s…”

Vern chewed his lips and fiddled with his mustache. It was obvious he was calculating the pros and cons, unable to decide easily.

Please say no. I never expected you to support him.

However, judging by Vern’s expression, that was a foolish hope.

“To host Duke Clayton in my humble home…”

“Your Majesty the King.”

I cut off Vern’s words and stepped forward. Everyone’s eyes turned to me at once, including the King’s. Clayton’s gaze in particular felt scorching.

“Do you have something to say, Lady Charlotte?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I bent my knees slightly then straightened, lifting my chin. However, I maintained an elegant appearance that was never arrogant.

“I believe the opinion of the person involved—myself—is most important in this matter.”

“Oho.”

The King’s eyes gleamed with interest, seemingly eager to hear more.

“Living under one roof when we haven’t even promised marriage goes against propriety.”

“Isn’t that why Duke Clayton is asking permission?”

“Propriety exists to be upheld. If we violate propriety to fulfill someone’s trivial wish, no one will try to uphold it in the future. What would happen then? And…”

“There’s merit to that. What do you think, Duke Clayton? Does this indeed violate propriety?”

The King turned to Clayton. He clearly interrupted me on purpose. He intends to push forward with Clayton’s request. And this means the King and Clayton have already coordinated on this matter.

But I’m not one to just stand by.

I stepped forward resolutely before Clayton could answer.

“Let me speak first. That’s alright, isn’t it, Duke?”

I looked straight at him. His coldly sunken silver-gray eyes merely shone quietly. However, I saw him nod faintly.

King Bastian watched us exchange glances and made a strange expression. I pretended not to notice and opened my mouth.

“Living together with the Duke when we have no promises would be very disadvantageous for me.”

“Why is that?”

“Think about it, Your Majesty. If things go well, then yes, the Duke and I could develop into a relationship that makes a certain… eternal promise.”

“You express marriage quite elegantly. You have a splendid daughter indeed, Count Vern.”

Bastian winked at Vern.

“But what happens to me if we don’t reach that stage?”

It was obvious that if word got out that a noble lady lived with a man before marriage, her reputation would suffer. I intend to find my own happiness as much as possible in this life, so it would be troublesome if my reputation plummeted.

“Hmm.”

Only then did the King stroke his chin with a troubled expression. At that moment, Clayton, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, spoke.

“The same applies to me.”

“Pardon?”

“My reputation would also suffer if it became known that I lived with a woman before marriage.”

“Thank you for agreeing.”

I was relieved that Clayton seemed to be backing down. However, at his next words, the smile on my face froze.

“So I intend to approach this prepared for marriage.”

“Whaat?”

My voice rose like a scream.

The banquet hall of Herva Palace fell silent like cold water had been poured over it. Everyone without exception was shocked, their eyes wide. Soon murmuring swept through the vast banquet hall like a swarm of locusts.

“My goodness, he’s prepared for marriage!”

“Does the Duke really like Lady Charlotte?”

“Since when exactly?”

The statement Clayton just dropped caused tremendous ripples.

“My, my, I didn’t know Duke Clayton had such a romantic side.”

The King burst into laughter. However, it was laughter that somehow grated on the nerves.

“What do you say, Count Vern? With this much, shouldn’t you invite Duke Clayton to your estate?”

“Of course!”

Vern agreed with an excited face. He had wanted to form a connection with Clayton from the start, so he would unconditionally agree.

While the surroundings buzzed madly, I stared at Clayton intently.

As expected.

That man’s type was the innocent and delicate Charlotte Fraxon.

“Haa.”

My chest felt stuffy. It felt like rushing toward a predictable ending.

“Lady Charlotte, it seems you should put your worries to rest with this much. Or should I guarantee it? That things will turn out as Duke Clayton said.”

The King turned to me. He seemed to be kindly asking for my opinion, but his eyes showed a faint trace of irritation.

If it were someone else, they wouldn’t object to the King’s words at this point. He had already lost interest in the conversation and was annoyed, unlike before. However, if I back down now, my life is over.

“I appreciate your words, but I cannot accept this decision…”

I was about to say I opposed it when the murmuring that had been going on grew even louder. It was quite different from the commotion over Clayton’s marriage statement. Screams of horror and shouts mixed with fear were intermingled.

“What’s going on?”

People also looked around, searching for the source of the strange sounds. I looked around as well. The source of the sounds was quickly revealed.

The area around Queen Christine and Crown Prince Leon was in disarray. Just moments ago, the two had been dancing affectionately, but now they were watching somewhere with confused expressions.

That’s when it happened.

I need your power.

I heard a voice in my ear. A chilling voice like touching thin ice. I instantly looked at Clayton. Because it resembled his voice.

At my gaze, he tilted his head with an ambiguous expression. Then, sensing something was wrong, he left the King and approached me.

I need your power.

The voice came again. I stared at his lips. His lips were firmly closed. They never opened when the voice sounded.

Come to think of it, this voice. I’d heard it somewhere else before. It was similar to the voice that called me from outside the door on the day he came to the Count’s estate.

At that time, I was shocked, thinking he had come straight up to my room as soon as he arrived at the Count’s estate.

I need your power!

The voice became urgent.

“Can you hear it too?”

He only narrowed his brow and said nothing either way.

“Who on earth is making that sound?”

I looked around searching for the voice. If it wasn’t Clayton, someone else must be here.

“What sound do you hear?”

“That they need power.”

“I don’t hear anything.”

His earnest gaze didn’t seem to be lying.

At that moment.

“Kyaa!”

“Your Majesty the Queen, step back!”

A bigger commotion erupted where Queen Christine was standing. Several noblewomen could be seen flustered, moving and bumping into each other.

Right now!

At that voice, I unconsciously headed toward where the commotion was rising.

“Lady Charlotte?”

Clayton called from behind, but I ignored him and walked on. Then my steps gradually quickened. Something inside me was urging me forward.

Thump thump.

“Lady Charlotte!”

Just then, Dylan came running toward me. He seemed to have rushed over from waiting in a corner of the banquet hall, sensing the unusual atmosphere.

“A lady entered the ballroom, and her behavior looks rather strange.”

“Strange?”

“Yes.”

Dylan gestured somewhere. Indeed, as he said, a young woman was staggering toward Queen Christine.

“That person is… Isn’t that Viscountess Skinner?”

She was Queen Christine’s lady-in-waiting. An intelligent and cheerful beauty who was the Queen’s most trusted lady. But now her black hair was disheveled, her face had no makeup, and she was staring vacantly at something.

The clothes she wore didn’t suit a ball, and the hem dragging carelessly on the ground was filthy with black grime. And the stench. A terrible stench came from her.

Several ladies clutched their noses in horror at the stench. Some turned their heads and dry heaved. They hurriedly backed away when Viscountess Skinner came close.

“So noisy… I can’t stand it, I feel like dying… Please someone…”

She rambled incoherently and staggered.

“Why is Viscountess Skinner acting like that?”

“She looks drugged.”

“Goodness, what kind of drug did she take to end up like that?”

“I’ve heard stories like this.”

“What story? Tell us quickly.”

“Some priest in Riseth performs mysterious prayer rituals.”

“Prayer rituals?”

“In other words, rituals that grant wishes. They say if you undergo that ritual, you lose your mind, like being drugged, just like that.”

“Goodness, that’s terrible then!”

“Shh, but some people say it worked for them.”

The noblewomen whispered with fans covering their mouths.

“No, nooo! …Was it you? You did it, didn’t you? …I’ll kill you. I’ll definitely kill you…”

She bumped into people here and there, muttering to herself. She really seemed insane. She was gradually closing the distance with Queen Christine.

“Why did she come here?”

Queen Christine muttered with a puzzled expression.

“Mother, you should move away first. I’ll have the attendants take Viscountess Skinner elsewhere.”

Crown Prince Leon wrapped his arm around the Queen’s shoulders. However, the Queen brushed off Leon’s concern and stepped forward.

“Michelle, you said you couldn’t attend the ball because you were sick. Are you feeling better?”

She asked affectionately. She didn’t mind the terrible stench the Viscountess gave off.

“If I’d known you were coming, I would have given you a pretty dress as a gift. You should have told me in advance.”

Then, responding to the Queen’s voice, Viscountess Skinner’s head whipped around. Her shoulders heaved with extreme agitation, and her eyes were bloodshot red.

“Save me, save me… It’s so noisy I’m dying… Please…”

The Viscountess reached out her hands like a demon and grabbed the Queen’s arm.

“Mother!”

Leon was startled and tried to stop the Viscountess. However, Queen Christine signaled Leon not to interfere, then spoke soothingly to the Viscountess.

“Michelle, you seem unwell somewhere. Tell me about it.”

“Someone is talking! My ears… my ears feel like they’ll burst!”

The Viscountess roughly yanked the Queen’s arm. The Queen staggered and screams erupted from the surroundings.

“What are you doing, Viscountess!”

“It’s alright. …Michelle, your ears hurt. Should I have a physician brought?”

“Chr…istine?”

Fortunately, at the soothing voice, Viscountess Skinner seemed to come to her senses. However, it was a misjudgment. The next moment, the Viscountess let out a piercing scream.

“Kyaaaa!”

“Mother, get back!”

Leon was trying to pull Queen Christine back when—