“My goodness…”

“What did I just see?”

Aria, who had just witnessed an unbelievable scene, gaped in shock. Emma, overcome with surprise, collapsed to the ground as her legs gave out beneath her.

“…The Raven.”

Aria murmured absentmindedly as she watched Lila’s retreating figure in the distance. In that moment, a spark of inspiration lit up in her mind.

“Lou! Paper!”

At Aria’s urgent cry, Lou, who was standing pale and trembling, hurriedly handed her a sheet of paper. Grasping a pen, Aria’s hand began to move furiously across the page. Perhaps this would become a design for a stunning outfit that people would talk about for years to come.

***

Grand Duke Eustace was in a foul mood the entire journey home. Opposite him sat Elvin, quiet and cautious, as he carefully observed the Grand Duke’s demeanor. Though it was customary for the Grand Duke to return in a poor mood after an audience with the Emperor and Crown Prince, today he seemed particularly irritable.

“They say a puppy doesn’t know to fear a tiger.”

Grand Duke Eustace sneered as he recalled the Crown Prince, who had spent the entirety of the state council meeting provoking him.

“What exactly makes him so cocky?”

The Grand Duke clicked his tongue softly as he loosened his cravat. At least the Emperor had enough sense to maintain some dignity, but the Crown Prince was no better than a wild, unrestrained colt.

“Still, he is the next ruler of the Empire.”

“Next ruler? Over my dead body.”

The Grand Duke’s lips twisted into a smirk. He was rather impressed with his own patience. Unlike Lila, who had endured hardship, the Emperor and Crown Prince clearly reeked of privilege and excess.

Even though he already knew this, seeing their oily smugness up close had reignited his anger. He had to suppress his nausea throughout the entire meeting.

“I need to remove the Emperor and the Crown Prince as soon as possible.”

“Aren’t you being a bit hasty?”

Elvin remained unruffled, even as the Grand Duke made remarks bordering on treason. Spending years by the Grand Duke’s side had made Elvin, much like a trained pet, naturally resentful of the Emperor and Crown Prince.

It wasn’t just Elvin; there wasn’t a single retainer in the Eustace household who held the imperial family in high regard.

“I’m at the end of my rope. At this rate, I might just start hurling fireballs at the Imperial Palace.”

The Grand Duke’s voice was chilling, and he wore a sinister smile as he spoke.

“That was villainous, Your Grace.”

“Villainous? Of course, I’m a villain. To the Emperor, I must be the most wicked man alive.”

The Grand Duke responded playfully to Elvin’s observation, but as he touched his lips, his expression turned serious.

“Regardless, I think we’ll need to accelerate our plans.”

“Is there something troubling you?”

“It seems like the Emperor is up to something… strange.”

“Strange? In what way?”

“I can’t pinpoint it exactly, but earlier…”

Grand Duke Eustace clenched and unclenched his right hand as he thought back to what had happened at the palace. After the council meeting, he had felt something unusual when shaking hands with the Emperor.

“He’s definitely hiding something.”

A chilling, sticky sensation, as if his hand had been tainted by mud. The memory of the odd feeling made the Grand Duke mutter uneasily.

For some time now, he had experienced an inexplicable sense of dissonance every time he met the Emperor. Today confirmed his suspicion that the Emperor’s aura was different from before.

“The spies we’ve planted in the palace haven’t reported anything unusual, but… should I investigate further?”

“Do it. What about news on the Emperor’s research?”

“Apologies, we haven’t uncovered anything yet.”

“I have a feeling it’s related to this…”

The Grand Duke spoke with a tone of near certainty. The changes in the Emperor’s aura seemed to coincide with the timing of his new research.

“What could it be?”

Tap, tap. The Grand Duke lightly drummed his fingers on the window frame of the carriage as his eyes narrowed. Just then, the coachman let out a startled cry and brought the carriage to a halt.

“What’s going on?”

Elvin opened the small window connecting the cabin to the coachman’s seat to investigate. Since they had already entered the manor grounds, it couldn’t be anything serious. But if there was an issue, he needed to assess it.

“Well…”

Before the coachman could answer, the carriage door burst open. Grand Duke Eustace’s eyes widened as he saw who had opened it.

“Lady Lila?”

“Hello.”

Lila greeted the startled Duke Eustace and Elvin with her usual indifferent tone. Then, recalling the manners Huon had taught her, she offered a more formal greeting.

“Welcome back.”

The unexpected words made Grand Duke Eustace’s blue eyes widen in surprise before they softened into a crescent-shaped smile.

“I’m back.”

“Mm.”

Seeing how delighted he was by her clumsy greeting, Lila scrunched her nose slightly without realizing it.

“I’ll walk with Lady Lila as a stroll. You may go ahead.”

After stepping out of the carriage, Grand Duke Eustace dismissed Elvin and the coachman.

“Did you come to meet me?”

The Duke, now smiling brightly, asked Lila. The foul mood he had been in earlier had entirely dissipated.

“Sort of.”

“Hmm?”

“I used you as an excuse to run away.”

“Run away? Ah.”

He tilted his head at her reply but quickly realized what she meant after glancing at her outfit.

“You must have been getting fitted.”

“It’s fine. It’s for the investiture ceremony.”

Lila gave a small twirl and looked up at the Grand Duke with an expression that seemed to ask for his opinion.

“It looks magnificent.”

“That’s a relief.”

Hearing his compliment, Lila let out a sigh of relief. Though Aria and Emma had praised the outfit endlessly, hearing his approval gave her an extra sense of assurance.

“How is the tailor? They’re not treating you rudely, are they?”

“Aria? She’s kind. And her stamina is impressive.”

“Stamina?”

“Yes, I didn’t realize changing clothes and getting styled could be so exhausting.”

“Haha, it can be tiring, indeed.”

Grand Duke Eustace chuckled as if he fully understood her sentiment.

“Do you like the outfit?”

“It’s not bad. It’s comfortable to move in. But I’m not sure if I like it.”

Lila answered honestly. She found it easier to share such thoughts with the Grand Duke than with Aria.

“I haven’t worn clothes like this since I was a child, so when Aria asks what I prefer or what colors I like, they all just seem fine to me…”

As she continued speaking, her voice grew softer. Grand Duke Eustace listened quietly and then raised his hand to gently pat her hair.

“Once you get more used to it, you’ll discover the colors and styles you like.”

“Do you think so?”

“Of course. When I was young, I didn’t have any particular preferences either. I always wore whatever Emma or my mother picked for me.”

The Grand Duke smiled even more brightly, though beneath his cheerful exterior, anger simmered. The reason Lila had no preferences was entirely the Emperor’s fault. Having lived as a shadow instead of a princess, she’d never had the opportunity to wear proper clothes, let alone develop a sense of style.

“What do you like, then?”

“I like black the most.”

“Black? That’s so dark. I think brighter colors would suit you. You looked great in that light beige cardigan you wore recently.”

Lila referred to her favorite outfit of his that she had seen in recent days. Aria had once remarked that Grand Duke Eustace looked good in anything, and it was true. Bright or dark, he wore it all well. Personally, though, Lila preferred when he wore lighter colors.

“Thank you. But regardless of what suits me, I still prefer black.”

“Ah, well, I like what you’re wearing now too.”

Lila quickly added as she looked at his current outfit. Having just returned from a state council meeting, he was dressed more formally than usual.

With a navy shirt under a black jacket and his long hair neatly combed and tied back, Duke Eustace exuded a refined elegance.

“You look beautiful no matter what you wear too.”

Lila instinctively began to respond with a casual denial, but when her eyes met his twinkling blue gaze, she hesitated. His sparkling eyes were sincere—he truly thought she was beautiful.

“Oh, um… thank you.”

Avoiding his gaze, Lila lowered her eyes, an inexplicable sense of embarrassment washing over her. Unable to look at him, she cleared her throat softly before asking a question that had been on her mind.

“Was everything alright at the Imperial Palace?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, with the Emperor and all…”

Although Grand Duke Eustace had assured her that nothing would happen, Lila couldn’t shake her concern. To her, the Emperor was an insurmountable, towering presence. From the moment the Grand Duke left for the palace that morning to attend the state council meeting, her thoughts had been consumed by worry.

“There was nothing of note. Although he did try to challenge me when I mentioned I was granting you the title of Baroness.”

“Challenge you? Did he… figure it out?”

“No, not at all. If he had, we wouldn’t be enjoying this peaceful moment.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

Lila nodded, feeling a bit relieved, and resumed walking toward the estate. Matching her pace, Grand Duke Eustace suddenly spoke up as if remembering something.

“Ah, that reminds me. It seems the Crown Prince will attend the investiture ceremony.”

“What?”

The unexpected news made Lila stop in her tracks. Her golden, magically altered eyes flickered with unease.

“It just turned out that way during the discussion.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Not at all.”

Duke Eustace replied with an air of nonchalance, appearing entirely unbothered.

“I anticipated the Emperor might make a move. Don’t worry. Nothing will happen.”

“But… won’t they figure it out?”

“Who knows? Information might leak before the ceremony, but even if he does recognize you, it wouldn’t be an issue. As I’ve said before, without evidence, they can’t act recklessly.”

“Hmm.”

“There’s no need to be frightened or worried prematurely. If any trouble arises that day, we’ll respond based on how the Crown Prince reacts.”

“…Alright.”

After quietly listening, Lila nodded. As Duke Eustace had pointed out, she couldn’t hide her identity forever. The Emperor and Crown Prince were already her enemies in all but name. A confrontation with the Imperial family was inevitable, sooner or later.

“I won’t worry about it.”

“That’s a good approach.”

Grand Duke Eustace smiled with satisfaction, seeing the doubt vanish from Lila’s eyes. Like praising a well-behaved child, he reached out to pat her head. Her softened black hair, which felt silky as it slipped between his fingers, was an unexpected delight.