Detrian moved toward me, slowly aligning his gaze with mine.

Just as his large hand was about to cup my cheek again, I lightly pushed his shoulder to push him away.

However, the rebound from his solid body caused me to stagger, and having misplaced my foot, I fell straight down from the tree.

Detrian quickly caught me as I fell, barely avoiding a kiss between my head and the ground.

Only then did I break free from Detrian’s arms and stand facing him.

Uncharacteristically, Detrian was looking at me with a tense expression.

To think I could make the crown prince of this country nervous.

I had to suppress a laugh that threatened to escape at how both fortunate and absurd my situation was.

“I can’t be certain… but I think… I like you too.”

Hearing my words, Detrian’s face lit up, and he exhaled a ragged breath before approaching me.

But I stopped his advance.

“But not now.”

His face darkened terribly at my words.

“Why? Has the Marquis arbitrarily decided on a match for you?”

I shook my head at his words.

“That’s impossible. Father doesn’t care about me these days. What I mean is that I don’t have the luxury to engage in love right now.”

I explained my situation to Detrian.

After hearing that I didn’t have the emotional capacity for love in this situation—not knowing what Leila and Veltune were plotting, and with the empress possibly being involved—he sighed deeply for a long time.

“But… we’ve finally confirmed our feelings for each other, and now……”

Since I understood how Detrian felt, I couldn’t say anything to him as he sat there looking dejected.

But my decision remained unchanged.

Detrian seemed to think for a long time before looking at me and nodding.

It meant he understood my situation.

“So, after everything is over. Let’s do this after everything is over.”

No sooner had I finished speaking than Detrian approached me.

Then he bent down and placed a small kiss on my forehead.

I couldn’t help but smile at his gesture.

“You know you can’t change your mind in the meantime, right?”

“Of course. And you, Rowenloa, you can’t look at anyone else either, okay?”

As we looked at each other and smiled, we kissed deeply once more.

That kiss was a token of our love and a promise not to let each other go.

* * *

After the kiss, we returned to our usual routine.

Detrian taught me techniques, and we shared information we each knew.

There were occasional affectionate gestures when we were alone, but that wasn’t a big issue.

By the time I had become fairly adept at climbing walls and trees—though not as skilled as Detrian—the banquet hosted by the empress was just a day away.

“Oh, you’re handling your body quite impressively now!”

Detrian applauded me as I climbed to the top of the tree, panting.

Unlike my breathless state, he had climbed the tree effortlessly, which annoyed me enough to glare at him.

“Let’s stop here for today. You need to attend the banquet tomorrow.”

I nodded at his words.

I returned to my room in his arms.

By now, I could certainly return to my room without his help, but he always insisted on carrying me back.

It was apparently the only skinship he could engage in without feeling self-conscious.

After setting me down on the terrace, Detrian kissed my forehead.

“I’ll come pick you up by carriage tomorrow.”

I nodded at his words, and he gave me a bright smile before disappearing below the terrace.

The next day dawned, and I woke up to Mylene urgently shaking me awake.

“Miss! Something strange is happening!”

Rubbing my eyes as I got up, Mylene carefully took my hand and led me to the lobby.

There stood the people of Masipacius, all dressed up to attend the empress’s banquet.

Leila, seeing me standing on the second floor in my pajamas, raised the corner of her mouth in a smirk.

“Rowenloa, what kind of appearance is that?”

My father frowned when he saw me.

To create a dramatic surprise for the crown prince’s visit, I hadn’t mentioned anything about the empress’s banquet, not even to Mylene.

Only my brother Rubert knew the entire situation and had stepped back to observe.

“I should be asking you. Why are you all dressed up so early in the morning?”

Hearing that, Leila carefully opened her mouth.

“Sister, didn’t you receive an invitation to the Empress’s banquet?”

I let out a hollow laugh at her words.

At that, their expressions, except for my brother Rubert, hardened.

“I wonder. Whether I didn’t receive it… or whether someone deliberately prevented it from being delivered to me.”

Leila flinched as if struck by my words, but then raised her head proudly again and looked at me.

I raised the corner of my mouth at her.

My father, seemingly displeased with my triumphant expression, stepped forward slightly and continued,

“How unfortunate. Only those with invitations can attend the Empress’s banquet.”

I shrugged my shoulders at his words.

“Yes, then enjoy yourselves.”

So I waved at them unusually docilely.

They looked at me strangely before turning away one by one and heading toward their carriage.

That’s when it happened.

I saw a knight guarding the main gate running breathlessly toward my father.

“Mar… Marquis! Carriages from the imperial palace……”

They were startled by his words and turned their heads toward the main gate.

Four carriages from the imperial palace were lined up at the main gate, waiting for it to open.

Then Detrian appeared, and the knights had no choice but to comply.

The imperial carriages stopped beside the Masipacius carriage.

The Masipacius carriage, which had looked splendid before, suddenly appeared shabby.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, what brings you to our residence without prior notice……”

Hearing my father’s words, Detrian looked at me as if it were obvious.

“Please continue on your way. I only need to take Lady Rowenloa.”

Leila frowned at his words.

Just as Detrian took a step toward me, Leila opened her mouth.

“Ro… Sister Rowenloa can’t attend the banquet because she doesn’t have an invitation! And anyway, with her current appearance……”

Before Leila could finish speaking, Detrian gave a signal to Erian, his personal guard who was standing beside him, and Erian ordered the coachmen to open the carriage doors.

Then, the doors of the carriages that came with Detrian opened, and people dressed as high-ranking maids wearing clothes embroidered with the imperial palace’s emblem began to disembark, carrying dresses and accessories in their hands.

“I’ll take care of that, young lady. And……”

Detrian scanned Leila from head to toe with an unpleasant gaze.

“The protagonist usually makes a late entrance, so it won’t be a problem if we’re a bit late. What would be a problem is for you and your family, Lady Leila.”

After finishing his words, Detrian gave Leila an unpleasant smile and then approached me.

“Let’s quickly change your clothes and head to the banquet hall.”

Mylene guided the maids from the imperial palace to my room with trembling hands, and I was able to dress up with the dresses, tiara, and accessories they had brought.

My reflection in the mirror was, honestly… beautiful.

When I finished preparing and went down to the lobby, Mylene and Detrian were staring at me with dazed expressions.

“Wow… Miss… you look so beautiful today.”

I smiled brightly at Mylene and walked toward Detrian.

“Hmm, but even if it’s small, doesn’t a tiara seem out of place for this banquet? Usually, the protagonist of the banquet wears a tiara……”

Hearing those words, the crown prince made a somewhat bitter expression and brushed the tiara placed on my head with his hand.

“It’s my mother’s.”

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but freeze.

His mother’s tiara.

“Why would you give that to me… What if I damage it?”

“It’s okay. This is not only a gift for you… but also a show for me.”

I tilted my head at his words.

“I want to remind her that the master of the imperial palace is not yet the empress. Recently, as more of the empress’s closest associates have been entering the imperial palace, the empress has been becoming increasingly arrogant.”

Detrian’s words were somewhat logical.

However, there was one contradiction in his words.

I am not yet the crown prince’s fiancée or spouse.

Even if I wore a tiara to keep the empress in check, it would not pose any threat to her.

Because I am a person unrelated to the imperial palace.

Just as I was about to open my mouth to explain this fact to him, Detrian seized the opportunity and pressed his lips against mine.

“Gasp.”

The servants who were watching us seemed startled and hurriedly turned away from us.

I quickly pushed him away.

“What are you doing! Until Leila’s matter is resolved……”

At that moment, the crown prince pulled out a ring box from his pocket.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise. But I don’t want to delay any longer.”

I tilted my head at his words.

“I don’t want you to stay in this house while being disrespected like this. If you date me, the imperial palace can properly support you.”

He bent one knee and opened the ring box, holding it out to me.

“Lady Rowenloa, would you attend this banquet with me as my lover?”

Unlike his calm tone, his hand offering me the ring was trembling.

And my hand, calmly looking at him, was also trembling.

It was an unromantic, very plain confession.