On the day of the festival, there was a buzz of energy across the capital from early morning, as people prepared for the event. Even in the hotel near the bustling district, the excitement was impossible to ignore.

Bella sat before the vanity mirror, quietly studying her reflection.

The hairdresser she had invited to her room had styled her hair with great care, leaving it smooth and shiny. Her makeup was applied in soft pink shades, giving her face a gentle, natural flush.

She slowly lowered her gaze, tracing the strands of hair that cascaded over her shoulders and down onto the figure-hugging dress she was wearing.

It was a deep red velvet gown that seemed to have been tailored to her measurements. The rich, dark shade — reminiscent of the Empire’s symbolic red — caught the light with a subdued yet dignified sheen. Although she wasn’t wearing any jewelry, the delicate gold embroidery accentuating her waist and neckline more than made up for this, lending her an understated elegance.

“Is it really all right for me to wear something so precious…?”

Bella murmured as she ran her fingers over the fabric. It felt completely different to the dress she had worn to the masquerade ball. Even if she saved all her wages for a year, she could never afford the gown that the duke had casually claimed was ‘lying around the estate’.

‘How wealthy must he be to have a brand-new dress simply sitting at home?’

Recalling that it had been unopened when she first received it, she could not suppress her astonishment.

Was it really appropriate for her to wear something so expensive?

Lost in thought, she absentmindedly stroked the soft velvet. She was uncertain how to accept the duke’s continued kindness.

“Are you ready?”

At the voice behind her, Bella turned her upper body.

The duke stood at the doorway, holding a paper box in one hand.

“It suits you.”

Logan said this after seeing Bella in the dress he had sent her.

When he complimented her on it, she lowered her head shyly and her cheeks flushed. Even such a simple compliment made her heart pound.

“Unfortunately, all the shoes available at the hotel in your size were high-heeled.”

When Logan opened the box, a pair of low-heeled loafers rested inside.

He took them out and placed them on the floor before her, then knelt on one knee.

“Give me your foot.”

He held out his hand towards her.

Hearing his words, Bella instinctively tucked her foot further under the hem of her dress.

How could she possibly expose her bare feet to the duke, even on his orders? It felt unbearably improper.

“Y-Your Grace…”

“Your foot.”

She called his name again, seemingly asking him to stop. However, Logan quietly repeated his instruction.

The steady firmness of his voice made it clear that he would not relent until she obeyed him.

After a brief hesitation, Bella carefully extended her right foot.

Without pausing, Logan took her foot, which was peeking out from beneath the hem of her dress, and placed it on his knee. He lifted one of the shoes from the box and gently slipped it onto her foot.

Each time his fingers brushed softly against the top of her foot, Bella swallowed. Fearing that her uncontrollable tremor might give her away, she kept her legs rigid, unable to relax.

“There.”

Only after he had calmly put on the other shoe did Logan release her foot.

Before he had finished speaking, Bella quickly pulled her feet back under her dress. She lowered her head in greeting and fidgeted awkwardly.

“Thank you…”

She could not bring herself to look at him directly. Instead, her gaze kept falling towards her toes. Seeing the shoes he had put on her himself made her heart race uncontrollably.

Did this mean nothing to him either? Was she the only one reading too much into it?

Her thoughts became muddled.

“Enjoy yourself.”

Yet the duke spoke in an indifferent yet gentle tone, as though it meant nothing at all.

Hearing these words, Bella realized that she was already under his spell.

***

“Joshua?”

The reporters who had once crowded outside the hotel had left, and Joshua was waiting for her in the now quiet lobby.

Dressed in a black tailcoat with a red tie and pocket square, he froze the moment he saw her.

“…You’re beautiful. The dress suits you perfectly.”

“Thank you. How did you get here?”

“Duke Fraser contacted me first. He said you wanted to see the festival.”

“I see…”

Bella recalled the Duke saying that he would probably be unable to accompany her due to prior engagements. He told her to go on her own. She had not imagined that he would contact Joshua himself.

Now she understood why he had insisted that she dress appropriately for the outing, even though she had only planned to visit briefly.

“Have you been well? You weren’t hurt anywhere, were you?”

“I’ve been well. His Grace has taken great care of me. Everyone has been very kind.”

Upon hearing Bella’s words, Joshua glanced at the guards assigned to her by the duke. He could not help being aware of them. They were ostensibly there to protect her, but it was clear that they were also keeping an eye on her.

Nevertheless, he was simply relieved to see Bella again.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone that night.”

“I’m fine. And what happened then wasn’t your fault.”

Bella spoke gently. What had occurred at the masquerade ball was Jack Hunter’s wrongdoing, not Joshua’s.

“…Thank you for saying that. Let’s enjoy today.”

Ultimately, it was Joshua who seemed to find comfort. With renewed energy, he led Bella out of the hotel.

The moment they stepped outside, the noise of the bustling city hit them like a breaking wave. The festival celebrating the founding of the Empire had turned the whole capital into one big stage.

Buildings were painted in vivid colors. Garlands of paper and fabric stretched between rooftops. Most shimmered in the Empire’s symbolic red, but threads of gold and white were woven throughout, creating a dazzling spectacle.

Joshua and Bella made their way towards the main street, where the parade was due to start. The road was already packed with people dressed head to toe in red, dancing to the lively rhythm of the marching band.

“Wow…”

As Bella crossed a street adorned with imperial flags and lined with portraits of the emperor who had triumphed in the Continental War, towering statues on either side of her, she couldn’t help but utter a soft exclamation. The spectacle seemed to stretch on without end.

They moved slowly with the flow of the crowd.

Deep drumbeats rolled through the air from somewhere in the distance. Children’s laughter erupted as clowns performed lively tricks at the roadside. Temporary stalls lined one side of the street, each offering something different: skewers rich with the scent of spices, sweets dripping with honey and candied fruit, and regional delicacies brought by merchants from every corner of the empire.

“What’s this? I’ve never seen it before.”

“It’s an incense burner. A specialty from the south. You lift the lid, place incense inside, and the smoke comes out through these openings.”

Joshua explained patiently as Bella stopped at stall after stall, her eyes shining with curiosity.

“Joshua! Look at this. The sweets are shaped like flowers. They’re almost too pretty to eat.”

“They’re wagashi. A traditional sweet from the eastern continent. The dough is filled with red bean paste and pressed into molds shaped like flowers.”

Joshua handed one to her.

When Bella took a bite, the soft dough gave way to the sweet paste inside, spreading across her tongue.

“Oh— it’s sweet.”

She frowned slightly at the intense sweetness that tingled against her palate.

“That’s why it’s usually eaten with tea. In the eastern continent, they drink green tea instead of the tea we have here.”

Joshua smiled faintly, as if he had expected her reaction.

“Then I’ll have the rest with tea when I get back to the hotel.”

Bella put the sweet, which was now marked with a bite, back into its paper wrapper. She had already handed the bag to Joshua without noticing and was now making her way through the crowd, her hands full of festival food.

Gradually, she became part of the lively celebration.