Corelia had delicate, refined hands that couldn’t possibly belong to a trained knight. It was hard to believe someone like her could be a knight sent by the Emperor.

Erin held up the letter in her hand.

“That’s…”

“From Prince Ferdin.”

[Lady Erin, if you don’t have a partner yet, may I escort you to this party?]

Erin fell into thought while holding the letter.

Ferdin was the guest of honor at this party. Despite that, he had chosen to accompany Erin. And such an honored guest deserved a fitting partner. Corelia probably still thought of her as the same pathetic, helpless Erin Liserth.

Her pretense of trembling in fear when facing Corelia had been entirely to lower the woman’s guard.

Erin planned to prepare a small gift for Corelia, who had sent her that dress.

“I need your help with something, Karon.”

Erin stared at Ferdin’s letter in her hand.

She could almost hear Corelia’s voice.

“Erin, no one will ever love you.”

Erin intended to prove her wrong at this party.

* * *

“Charlotte, how do I look?”

Corelia hummed a tune as she asked Charlotte.

“Beautiful, my lady.”

Her words weren’t a lie—Corelia was stunningly beautiful.

She was currently attending the party celebrating Ferdin’s achievements. In the past few days, numerous nobles had flocked to the academy. Several high-ranking nobles were mingled among the party guests.

There was no reason for them to attend what was merely a small banquet at the academy. The high nobles had come solely to express their support for Ferdin.

Corelia narrowed her eyes as she surveyed the nobles attending the banquet.

‘Duke Asili, Count Ferdit, even Viscount Liam.’

Duke Asili. How did that man manage to come here? Wasn’t he supposed to be busy fighting monsters on the front lines?

Corelia glared at him as he conversed with the Princess. No matter how well she concealed her abilities with black magic, being in the same room as Duke Asili was dangerous.

After briefly frowning, Corelia glanced to her side. Ditrion was sitting next to her.

He muttered, sounding bored, “This is dull.”

At that moment, Ditrion’s eyes moved quickly, searching for someone.

‘Where is Erin Liserth?’

He was dying of curiosity about Erin’s reaction to meeting Corelia. But Erin had still not arrived at the banquet.

Ditrion’s face twisted in annoyance. Reading his irritation, Corelia soothed him with a gentle smile, “Something entertaining will happen soon.”

“Something entertaining?”

“Yes, I sent Erin a truly ridiculous dress.”

Ditrion looked at her with interest at her words. Corelia was confident. It had never occurred to her that Erin might not wear the dress she had sent.

She recalled her recent meeting with Erin. Unlike Karon, Erin hadn’t seemed to change at all.

Especially that terrified expression!

She would surely obey her command today too and arrive wearing that hideously tacky dress. Ditrion was one of the few people who knew that Corelia was behind Erin’s tasteless dresses.

But would Erin really follow Corelia’s orders as she expected? Corelia seemed completely unaware of any change in Erin.

Ditrion gripped the armrest of his chair tightly, “I’m looking forward to it.”

Noticing his somewhat tense demeanor, Corelia whispered softly into Ditrion’s ear.

“Don’t worry about anything, Your Highness. Ferdin Lexia will never defeat you. Not in any way.”

Her words were filled with certainty, without a trace of doubt.

While Corelia was whispering to Ditrion, Ferdin met Erin outside the banquet hall.

“Lady Erin…”

Ferdin lost his words after that initial greeting.

Erin was dazzling in a crimson dress that perfectly hugged her well-toned body.

He wasn’t the only one who thought so—all the nobles heading toward the banquet hall had their eyes fixed on them.

“Erin Liserth is…”

“My goodness… has she always looked like that?”

“How extravagant. Just the fabric of that dress must have cost…”

What Erin had asked Karon to do was bring Sarah from the Liserth estate. Then she had ordered the finest dress from a dressmaker under Sarah’s name rather than her own.

She had made these complicated arrangements to ensure Corelia wouldn’t discover what was happening today. Thanks to this, Erin looked extraordinarily elegant and splendid rather than tacky.

‘Erin Liserth, who indulges in luxury.’

Perhaps that description was accurate, just for today. Erin smiled at Ferdin with this thought. His cheeks flushed red in response. Though Ferdin knew her smile held no special meaning, he couldn’t stop his heart from racing.

No one else existed in his eyes. It felt like only he and Erin were present. Concerned about Ferdin’s dazed expression, Erin approached him.

After examining his face closely, she carefully placed her hand on his arm.

“Prince Ferdin?”

The spot where Erin touched felt burning hot to Ferdin. He found himself speaking honestly without thinking.

“I apologize, Lady Erin. You’re just… so beautiful…”

Only after speaking did he realize what he had said. In that moment, the Princess’s words flashed through Ferdin’s mind.

“Lady Erin finds it burdensome!”

At his words, Erin’s face turned as red as Ferdin’s. Her face, like a ripe persimmon, looked ready to burst.

An awkward atmosphere surrounded them. But the awkwardness wasn’t unpleasant.

Ferdin carefully took her hand. Erin closed her eyes, feeling the warm sensation from their joined hands.

‘I wish… time would stop right now.’

But that wouldn’t happen. She was walking into hell of her own volition.

When she opened her eyes again, the youthful shyness had vanished from her gaze. Erin surveyed the hall where the party was being held with the eyes of a seasoned warrior.

For his sake… and for her own… she needed to face the demons inside.

A faint killing intent flickered in her eyes.

* * *

Ditrion raised his wine glass with a bored expression.

Ferdin was taking longer than expected. In the Lexia Empire, it was tradition for the guest of honor to arrive last at a party.

So his lateness was expected. But despite knowing this, Ditrion felt irritated.

Just as his patience was wearing thin, a knight approached and delivered a message.

“Your Highness Ditrion, Prince Ferdin appears to have arrived.”

At the knight’s words, Ditrion turned his gaze toward the door of the banquet hall.

Corelia too smiled faintly, apparently having heard the knight’s message. Her face showed anticipation for what was about to unfold.

‘Tacky Erin Liserth.’

‘The inadequate daughter, so different from the Marchioness with her excellent taste.’

‘My, the Marchioness must be upset. With such poor aesthetic sense… can she ever find a proper marriage partner?’

As always, people would compare her and Erin. Then they would offer her words of consolation.

‘Stupid humans.’

She was sick of these ignorant people. But knowing how this childish farce would corner Erin, she willingly participated…

Corelia was beginning to tire of continuing this boring game.

She questioned why she still had to keep the foolish Marquis and his children, Karon and Erin Liserth, alive.

Looking around to avoid catching Duke Asili’s eye, Corelia doubted her vision when she saw the couple entering the party.

‘Who is that?’

For a moment, time seemed to slow down.

The first person she saw was Ferdin. As always, he displayed remarkably stunning looks. He was a handsome prince who took after his mother’s beauty.

But… his partner, Erin, wouldn’t be the same. She would appear wearing the ridiculous dress Corelia had sent.

That had been her thought just moments ago.

However, just like how events had begun to deviate from Corelia’s expectations recently, this too was different.