Despite it being a bit early to announce the start of the eve party, many gentlemen and ladies were filling the ballroom. Although Leopold was participating in the festival as the Crown Prince, he had no role to play. If there was a duty assigned to him, it was to maintain dignity befitting the heir to the throne until the end of the festival.

“Father is being too harsh.”

He spoke lightly as if complaining to his brother standing beside him.

“What disgrace? Now he’s treating me like some kind of ruffian.”

“Well, you should have listened to Father more carefully. It’s true that you’ve been wandering around and haven’t been coming to the palace much.”

“It seems unfair to be treated this way for just that much. It’s not like I’m going around creating illegitimate children.”

“Leo, stop saying things that shorten Father’s lifespan. If you had been doing that, Father would have been bedridden long ago.”

“In other words, I’m helping Father maintain his health.”

“Hmm. Really?”

“This much should qualify me as an exemplary Crown Prince, don’t you think?”

While twirling his champagne glass next to Albert who was at a loss for words, Leopold’s gaze turned toward the ballroom entrance.

“Are you waiting for someone?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Because you keep glancing toward the entrance. It’s impossible that you would have a serious lover……”

“I’d like you to explain what you meant by that.”

“If there were such a person, it would have been exposed by now, and Father would have been furious, but it’s still quiet.”

“There is someone I’m waiting for. But it’s not a woman.”

Albert, who had been carefully observing Leopold’s expression, murmured,

“I think I’m starting to guess who it is……”

Leopold had mentioned Duke Klaus before. Albert, suddenly remembering that incident, warned in a hushed voice,

“Don’t do anything strange, okay?”

“What do you take me for?”

“I hope your desire to get along with Duke Klaus was sincere.”

To this, Leopold smiled brightly and replied,

“Of course, more sincere than anyone.”

Although the eve party hadn’t officially begun, a chamber orchestra was playing sweet music for the gathered guests. The sound of numerous conversations that harmonized with the music seemed to pause for a moment, and then the atmosphere permeating the hall changed noticeably.

“What’s going on?”

While Albert was shifting his gaze around to examine the subtle change, Leopold’s eyes remained fixed on the same spot.

The cause of the change was Jürgen Klaus. His appearance always attracted the attention of nobles, but the issue was the special partner beside him.

Arm in arm with Jürgen was a small blonde woman. A woman who had been the dead Duke’s mistress for five years, yet was shining brilliantly again under the lights.

A faded lady who had been entangled with the son of the man who had made her his mistress, showing her face without shame.

Leopold, who was staring at Jürgen who appeared with Diez Schleicher by his side, suddenly burst into cheerful laughter.

“Leo, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m just pleased that my prediction was correct.”

“What prediction?”

“The prediction that Duke Klaus would tell me an obvious lie.”

Of course, Albert didn’t understand his words. Leopold grinned at his brother who appeared puzzled.

“It’s nothing serious, so don’t worry too much.”

“Leo, where are you going?”

Leopold merely waved his hand casually at his brother who called out behind him as he walked away. Albert was obviously worried that he might secretly leave the ballroom and slip away elsewhere.

But Leopold had no such intention. At least not here.

Because something far more interesting awaited him.

Leopold discreetly crossed between people whose attention was focused on Duke Klaus. Soon his view captured the Schleicher couple, who, contrary to what some believed, were still alive and well.

Wilhelm Schleicher and his wife were also looking toward Jürgen, who had suddenly become the talk of the hall. Their expressions were noticeably bright. As if they were proud of their daughter who had secured a place beside the Duke.

Poor Diez Schleicher who knew nothing.

Now, where should he start?

Lost in pleasant contemplation, Leopold soon moved into the shadows of a secluded corner.

He didn’t want to reveal himself to Jürgen just yet. While exchanging greetings with him would be nice, something else was drawing his interest more strongly.

The King might not know, but Leopold had his own concerns to deal with. That emotion was like a tumor that had been growing since childhood. If he must eventually inherit the crown from his father, he was determined to cut out this tumor before wearing it.

He had been waiting for the right moment for a long time, but the problem was that it never seemed to arrive.

However, it now seemed he no longer needed to worry about that.

The small miss with golden hair flowing down would be the perfect tool for his finishing work.

* * *

Everyone was looking at her. Even without looking around, Diez could sense that the gazes of all the nobles gathered in the ballroom were directed at her.

Her gaze, which had been deliberately fixed straight ahead, unconsciously dropped downward. She knew she should act confidently, but she couldn’t manage it.

Was it because being withdrawn had become ingrained in her throughout her stay at the Klaus mansion? Or was it because she had long ago internalized that she had fallen to a dishonorable existence? The persistent attention she felt on her skin made her fingertips feel cold.

“Stop acting like a criminal and raise your head.”

Jürgen instructed. His voice was small and cold, just enough for only her to hear. Diez barely raised her head again and tried to maintain her composure.

Even in this situation, anxious thoughts wouldn’t stop. She felt as if her legs were already giving out after just walking a few steps. If she finally couldn’t bear it and collapsed on the floor, would everything end at that moment?

Perhaps Jürgen, having lost his patience, might decide to revoke the promise he had made to her. If that happened, the fate that awaited Diez was all too obvious.

Calm down, Diez.

You expected this much attention, didn’t you?

She tried to reassure herself as she advanced with Jürgen toward the center of the hall. She could see a long table covered with white silk cloth lined with exquisite finger foods, around which many nobles were gathered talking to each other.

As Jürgen approached with her, those who had clearly been giving surprised looks pretended not to notice and turned their gazes away. They acted as if they had been engrossed in conversation with feigned nonchalant smiles, then turned to Jürgen at an appropriate moment.

“Duke Klaus.”

“You’ve arrived early. We just arrived ourselves and were asking after each other’s well-being.”

Jürgen exchanged brief greetings with the nobles surrounding him. Those who had been staring intently from a distance, enough to make one’s skin prickle, were now treating Diez like an invisible person while standing next to Jürgen.

They neither looked at Diez nor greeted her first. None of the nobles knew what significance this woman held for Jürgen, who had newly ascended to the title of Duke. Not only had her reputation fallen as far as it could go, but Diez was also a figure they had to be careful about approaching.

Especially now, with Jürgen right in front of them.

Their best strategy was to remain silent until Jürgen introduced Diez first. Jürgen certainly knew this fact.

“I thought I arrived early, but many of you were already here. Everyone is quite diligent.”

“When given the opportunity to eat and drink for ten days, who wouldn’t hurry?”

“Especially for gentlemen, this is a rare chance to relax comfortably. How much you must have been looking forward to this festival. I heard that you’ve been very busy lately, Duke……”

“I’m curious how long everyone plans to pretend not to notice.”

The moment Jürgen cut off a lady’s words, they noticeably tensed.

“This is the first time I’ve brought a lady to such an occasion, and is this how everyone will act? I don’t want to upset the lady from the first day.”

Though he was smiling politely, his words had an edge to them. They were fully aware that they had been deliberately ignoring the miss he had brought.

It seemed that Diez Schleicher was not simply a pretty flower meant to decorate Jürgen’s side. Rather, the Duke had brought Diez as an equal partner.

Quickly noticing this fact, the most sociable lady among the nobles folded her fan and said playfully,

“Duke, you hadn’t introduced the miss at your side first, so how could we have taken the initiative? As you said, this is the first time you’ve brought a lady, so we thought you were waiting for the perfect moment to introduce her to all of us.”

“We thought the Duke had a plan in mind, but it seems we were mistaken. My, we’ve committed a great discourtesy.”