Now quite familiar, I got out of the carriage with Cardien’s escort.

Unlike the bustling streets, the area in front of the temple was quiet.

There were only busy-looking priests and two holy knights guarding the door.

Probably because everyone had already entered.

Bright light seeped through the cracks of the closed white doors.

The light seemed even more striking due to the cloudy weather.

I took a deep breath and tried to let go of Cardien’s hand, which I had been holding tightly for the escort.

However, Cardien seemed to release my hand but then tucked it into his side.

When I looked up at him with surprised eyes, he replied nonchalantly while looking straight ahead.

“Isn’t this how partners usually enter?”

He was right.

This is indeed how partners usually enter, but…

‘It feels a bit awkward.’

How should I put it?

It felt strange, like a new kind of contact different from before.

Probably because I have almost no experience entering with a partner.

I unnecessarily took a deep breath and moved my feet.

As we climbed the stairs and stood in front of the doorkeeper, he said.

“I’ll check your invitations.”

At his words, Cardien took out two invitations from his chest.

One was Cardien’s, and one was mine.

“Duke Mercedes, Your Grace, and your partner confirmed.”

He bowed his head as he returned the invitations.

Then, a priest who had been waiting nearby hurriedly opened the door.

Judging by his young appearance, he seemed to be an apprentice priest.

“May Thelia’s glory be with you both.”

Usually at parties, the names of entering guests are announced loudly, but there was no such procedure at the baptism ceremony.

It’s to draw a line that this is not a party, but a baptism ceremony.

‘How is this not a party?’

I looked around.

The baptism hall, converted from the central hall of the temple, was white and beautiful.

Statues of past holy women were erected here and there, and delicate engravings adorned pillars entwined with vine plants.

Round tables covered with white tablecloths were set up at wide intervals, and people in beautiful attire were gathered around these tables.

A chandelier half the size of the hall hung from the ceiling, and on either side were stained glass windows, creating a harmony of chandelier light and colorful light that adorned the white floor.

It was a scene as splendid as a party, but also coexisted with the mysteriousness unique to temples.

Finally, at the end of the hall was a high platform, above which stood a statue of the goddess Thelia.

The statue of Thelia, with her hands spread downwards, looked as if she was blessing the people gathered here.

That was the highlight of today’s baptism ceremony.

As I was looking around the interior described in the original work with curiosity, I suddenly noticed that the surroundings had become quiet.

Puzzled…

‘There’s nothing much to do anyway.’

I could be certain of the reason without even checking.

‘It must be because of this man beside me.’

I glanced sideways at Cardien, who was looking around with indifferent eyes while standing next to me.

Amidst the quiet stillness, exclamations of admiration flowed in from around us.

“Who is that person?”

“To think such a beautiful gentleman existed in Lagranacia…?”

“If he’s attending here, he must be a high-ranking noble, but I don’t think I’ve seen him before.”

“Right? If I had seen that face somewhere, I wouldn’t have forgotten it.”

Cardien rarely appears in public, and with his mesmerizingly beautiful appearance, he must seem even more mysterious.

‘Hmm…’

I think I was mistaken.

I thought I would stand out more by being next to Cardien.

‘They say the shadow is darkest under the light.’

All attention was focused on Cardien, and no one showed interest in me.

But that was only for a moment.

Gradually, gazes started to turn towards me as well.

Mostly like this.

“Who is that lady? I’ve never seen her before.”

“I’ve never seen a dress like that before, whose work is it? It’s really beautiful…”

“If we knew who she is, we might be able to figure out who the gentleman next to her is…”

“Someone should go and talk to her.”

They were divided between ‘figuring out who I am to identify Cardien’ and ‘finding out where I bought this dress’.

Very few were interested in me for myself.

What is this feeling, both fortunate and bitter?

For now…

“Shall we move further inside?”

The entrance area was inevitably a place where we would continue to receive attention.

Cardien nodded at my words and moved his feet.

As we were moving to a corner like that, suddenly the surroundings became noisy.

When I turned my head towards it, the gathered people suddenly parted into two sides, and someone approached through the middle.

When I saw him, my eyes widened.

‘That man…’

Blonde hair and green eyes. A handsome man with refreshing features.

‘It’s the male lead.’

It was Crown Prince Hysterion.

With his golden hair, Hysterion commanded an overwhelming presence among the crowd, as if he absorbed all the light around him.

As one would expect of a crown prince.

Though this was only my second time seeing him, I found myself unable to look away, still captivated.

Suddenly feeling an intense stare from above, I looked up to find Cardien looking down at me with ice in his eyes.

What’s wrong? Why is he looking at me like that?

As I internally panicked under his unusually cold stare, Hysterion approached us.

He opened his lips cheerfully.

“Merce…”

However, when he had spoken that far, my body was suddenly pulled towards Cardien.

“Ugh?”

Startled, I looked up to see Cardien linking arms with me and forcibly moving his feet.

“W-wait, Your Grace. Over there, the Crown Prince…”

I tried to speak in confusion, but Cardien showed no sign of listening.

‘Fine, do as you please.’

Just then, as I was being helplessly pulled along, my body was suddenly yanked in the opposite direction from Cardien.

The abrupt tug brought Cardien’s seemingly unstoppable stride to a halt.

I spun around in surprise.

Hysterion, wearing a slight smile, released my wrist and stepped between us.

With that gentle expression still in place, he addressed me.

“My apologies if I frightened you, my lady. I had to act quickly when it seemed my voice hadn’t reached you.”

…No, I had definitely heard your voice.

I had even seen your face.

Feeling suddenly complicit in Cardien’s apparent attempt to ignore and escape from him, I bowed my head in apology.

“Not at all, Your Highness. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Ah, yes. Your name is…?”

“Livia Pellington.”

“Ah, that’s right!”

He nodded cheerfully.

“I thought that name sounded familiar.”

“Pardon?”

“Lady Livia Pellington.”

He suddenly brought his face close to mine.

Just as I widened my eyes at his sudden action, a large back came between Hysterion and me.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

At Cardien’s words, Hysterion slowly pulled back his face that had been brought close and smiled broadly.

“Ah, yes. Duke Mercedes. I never expected to see you in a place like this.”

Beyond his green eyes saying this, a mischievous look could be glimpsed.

“I heard you wouldn’t attend a baptism ceremony even if you died, so is this your ghost standing before me?”

“….”

A moment of silence passed.

‘Wow…’

Hidden behind Cardien’s back and eavesdropping on the conversation, I inwardly exclaimed.

‘He’s incredibly annoying.’

Was the Hysterion in the original work like this too?

‘I don’t think he was.’

Well, Hysterion usually appeared when Celestina was around or when there were political issues.

There were hardly any situations where he could show this kind of personality.

Even so…

“Hm? Why are you looking at me like that? Ah, you’re not planning to kill me with your gaze and turn me into a ghost too, are you? Ghost of Duke Mercedes?”

‘This is too annoying!’

Wow, if the other party wasn’t the Crown Prince and this wasn’t a baptism ceremony, Cardien would have drawn his sword long ago.

‘No, Cardien might actually do it.’

Thinking that Cardien might draw his sword regardless of whether it’s the Crown Prince or a baptism ceremony, I gently patted his back as if to calm him down.

Cardien flinched and looked down at me.

‘Calm down, Your Grace.’

If you point your sword at the Crown Prince here, it would be at least a charge of insulting the royal family, or at worst, attempted regicide or attempted rebellion.

I’ve been working hard to prevent the downfall of Mercedes, we can’t end it so pointlessly like this.

Fortunately, it seemed my feelings were well conveyed as he let out a low sigh.

Good, well done. That’s right, calm down…

“Could you… please shut that damned mouth. Your Highness.”

Waaah!