“Ugh, that was a bit cheesy.”

“I was just trying to give you a compliment.”

“I think I’ve caught a strange disease where I can’t accept compliments from my older brothers.”

Kias chuckled. He was genuinely happy to see his younger sister grow up so healthily and beautifully.

“Come to think of it, your birthday isn’t too far off. In just two months, you’ll be an adult, right?”

“I thought you’d completely forget about it.”

“How could I forget your birthday? Do I look like such a heartless older brother to you?”

“No, I mean, the fact that I’ll be an adult soon.”

At those words, Kias couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Are you expecting me to treat you like an adult, Yedi? I’m still your older brother.”

“I just want to point out that in two months, I’ll officially be an adult.”

Kias smiled again at her words.

She was insisting she had grown up, but to Kias, Yelodia still seemed like a naive little child.

Perhaps, he thought, she would always be a child in his eyes.

‘This isn’t the time to be laughing.’

Yelodia couldn’t laugh as carefreely as Kias.

Edward didn’t seem to know that his fiancée was soon to be an adult.

She let out a gloomy sigh as she wondered how to make Edward nervous, how to melt his heart.

‘I think I’m acting too weird.’

She recognized that she was overly emotional, much more than usual.

What was truly bothering Yelodia was the Edward from before—when he didn’t know her.

Edward had already gone through his coming-of-age ceremony seven years ago, and so much time had passed since then.

There must have been a first love, perhaps even a second love.

To those women, Edward had surely been kind, but he must have shown his sharpness too, revealing his tenderness and longing.

He might have become overly obsessed with trivial matters, just like Yelodia was now.

‘Why am I worrying about these things? It’s so foolish.’

Yelodia sighed deeply.

She really felt like a fool.

At that moment, the garden became a bit lively, and a carriage carrying Edward and Selina arrived at the front entrance.

Soon after, Edward stepped down from the carriage, with Selina also getting out with his assistance.

Edward, dressed in a dazzlingly beautiful morning coat, bowed his head toward Kias.

“Did you wait long?”

“No, we just got down too. Good to see you again, Viscountess Hyperion.”

“It’s an honor to see you again, Lord Kias.”

Selina bowed her knee as she greeted Kias, and Kias responded with a polite gesture. This time, Yelodia greeted Selina.

“Lady Selina, I hope your journey here wasn’t too tiring.”

“The fatigue was on the servants and the coachman, not mine. I’m glad to see you again, Yelodia.”

“I’m happy to see you again too.”

“We shouldn’t stand around here. Let’s get into the carriage.”

At Kias’s suggestion, the servants quickly prepared the carriage. It was a massive four-wheeled Duke’s carriage drawn by three horses.

The four of them climbed into the carriage with the help of the servants. During this, Yelodia made eye contact with Edward but, without realizing it, quickly looked away.

Edward, looking at Yelodia with concern, asked,

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“It’s not that, I think I’m just a little nervous.”

“I completely understand. I couldn’t sleep all night and kept tossing and turning myself.”

With Selina’s words, the mood quickly softened.

Selina’s dark blue dress suited her perfectly, and Yelodia generously complimented it.

Soon after, the carriage started moving.

Their destination was the Imperial Palace.

＊ ＊ ＊

The imperial banquet was the largest and most luxurious among all the events held in Freia.

The grand banquet hall in the main palace was truly magnificent.

The ceiling and walls, adorned with gold, were covered with paintings by the genius master, Hyansen. The murals depicted the founding myths of the Empire.

The marble floor was so polished it reflected their faces, and chandeliers carved from diamonds and crystal illuminated the hall, almost as though they were about to fall.

Even in the midst of the extravagant grand banquet hall, there were those who did not forget their true roles.

They were the nobles.

Dressed in beautiful attire and adorned with various jewels, they examined each other with coquettish gestures and expressions.

For the nobles, the banquet hall was no different from another battlefield.

“Lord Kias Xavier, Viscountess Hyperion, Baron Adrian, and Lady Xavier, please!”

At the servant’s cry, the doors of the grand banquet hall swung open.

As the four entered, the gaze of the nobles immediately turned in their direction.

Selina’s expression stiffened.

It was the first time she had ever received such overt stares from so many people.

Normally, Yelodia would have chatted away next to Kias, but today, she entered the hall with a visibly nervous look on her face.

With a light sigh, Kias gently tapped the back of Yelodia’s hand.

“Relax, Yedi. This banquet was organized by His Majesty the Emperor to celebrate your engagement. They won’t eat you alive.”

Despite his reassurance, Yelodia’s tense posture remained unchanged. She hadn’t felt this much pressure even during the engagement ceremony. The weight of people’s gazes was overwhelming.

‘If I had known, I should have at least worn a lace veil to cover my face.’

She found herself caught up in needless regret.

As they reached one side of the hall, the piercing gazes began to fade.

“The Emperor and Empress, please!”

At the servant’s cry, the grand banquet hall fell into an eerie silence.

The nobles all performed their bows of respect, and Yelodia too knelt.

The Emperor and Empress, both adorned in golden and silver garb, appeared from a door behind the podium. They were the two pillars of imperial power.

“It fills me with immense joy to see so many gathered here to celebrate the engagement of my niece.”

The Emperor smiled with genuine pleasure, while the Empress wore a soft, serene smile by his side. On the surface, they appeared to be the affectionate couple they were meant to be, regardless of what was going on inside.

“Additionally, I would like to introduce someone to you today. Viscountess Hyperion, please come forward.”

At the Emperor’s gesture, Selina’s face turned pale. Moments later, the nobles began to murmur amongst themselves.

That woman…

As Selina slowly walked toward the podium, the nobles parted to make way and cast sidelong glances at her.

Finally, reaching the podium, Selina knelt and bowed to the Emperor.

“I, Selina Hyperion, greet His Imperial Majesty.”

“Well done. As you all know, this Viscountess Hyperion saved my life. Had it not been for her, I would not have made it out of the Nafram Forest alive that day.”

Strictly speaking, it was not Viscountess Hyperion but her nephew, Baron Adrian, who had saved the Emperor’s life.

However, no one dared to openly express dissatisfaction about that. Debating the right or wrong of saving the Emperor’s life was a futile exercise.

‘But to bestow a title upon a peasant like that…’

The Emperor’s rivals could not shake the feeling that they had been outwitted before they even had the chance to intervene.

Some nobles, including Count Havel, had tried to raise an issue over the matter, but even the most conservative elders didn’t challenge the Emperor’s decision.

For the elders, preserving the Emperor’s life was no different from preserving the Empire itself. Compared to that, granting a noble title to Baron Adrian’s aunt seemed like a trivial matter.

As various glances, filled with hidden intentions, exchanged quickly among the nobles, the Emperor continued to smile graciously, pretending to be unaware.

“It brings me great joy to have the jewels of the Empire grace our banquet hall. Now, I hope all of you will enjoy tonight’s celebration to the fullest.”

As the Emperor raised his hand, the sound of music filled the air once more.

Yelodia let out a heavy sigh at last.

“Are you all right? Would you like a drink?”

“Maybe in a bit. I think I was just caught off guard; this is my first time attending an official Imperial Palace banquet.”

“Me too.”

At Edward’s words, Yelodia looked up at him, only to narrow her eyes in confusion. He showed no sign of tension, nor was he even surprised.

It was then that she heard it.

“Is that not Baron Adrian?”

Turning his head at Edward’s words, there stood an unfamiliar young nobleman.