As I tidied up the cluttered desk strewn with ink and pens, someone knocked on the bedroom door.

 “Miss, it’s me.”

As soon as I heard Martha’s voice, Greed, who was lying on the bed, looked up.

 [Snacks!]

It was a great reflex. Apparently, Martha had been branded as a treat giver by Greed. Just as Greed had hoped, Martha came to my side with a treat.

 “Miss. Are you done with the invitations?”

“I’ve sent out invitations to the essential guests for now. I’ll organize the second batch and send them out again.”

I don’t need that many people to fulfill my plan, but I’d better take the duchess’s advice and have at least a modest number of guests to preserve Perdia’s prestige. Martha scanned the invitations with a careful eye, as it was her job to collect them and ensure they were sent out safely.

Amidst this, Martha exclaimed, “Oh!”

 “Miss, were you acquainted with that Lady of the House?”

The invitation Martha was referring to was addressed to  Euter, that is, to Hyacinth Euter.

 “No, I don’t.”

 “Then you’re inviting her because of Master Jansi?”

I smiled dubiously, remembering Jansi’s somewhat pretentious attitude towards Hyacinth, even the maid Martha knew that she was aiming to become Jansi’s fiancée.

 “He won’t even know I’m inviting her, will he?”

“Then why are you inviting her?”

Martha asked, genuinely curious.

The fact that someone with whom I had no interaction was included in the first round of invitations seemed to pique her curiosity greatly.

I summed up my reason for inviting Hyacinth in just one sentence.

“I need Lady Hyacinth.”

“What? You need her?”

I smiled with a hint of irony at Marthaa’s puzzled expression.

Hyacinth Euter was an indispensable guest at this event.

After all, she was going to be the leading actress in the play I had planned.

***

The news of Elodie Perdia’s banquet had now spread so far and wide that every nobleman in society knew of it.

But there was one person who remained unaware.

 His name was Adenmir Presil Wallent, the First Prince.

He had just finished another exhausting meeting with the nobles of the Crown Faction today.

The behavior of the Crown Faction nobles, claiming to act on behalf of the emperor, was outrageous.

The meeting had been so tense that even after it ended, Ademir remained seated in the meeting room.

“Their audacity seems to be increasing.”

“At times like this, Your Highness should take a firmer stance.”

The nobles who shared Ademir’s intentions stayed by his side until the end, urging him on.

‘Tiring.’

He chuckled softly and rubbed his weary eyes.

Thanks to the late-night visitor to his bedroom yesterday, he had trouble sleeping, and his fatigue hadn’t subsided.

It was undoubtedly Salvatrice, the Empress. She wanted only him out of the way so that her son could ascend to the throne safely. But Ademir had no intention of giving in so easily. He was always on the lookout for an opportunity to outmaneuver the Empress.

As the atmosphere calmed down, one of Ademir’s aides chuckled nervously and changed the subject.

“By the way, everyone’s in a frenzy over the banquet being held in Perdia.”

“Oh, did you receive an invitation?”

“Yes. Lady Perdia personally wrote and sent it.”

“Anyway, Your Highness has frequented the Perdia mansion during the time of your engagement with Lady Perdia, so there won’t be much excitement for you.”

‘Banquet?’

Hearing about a banquet being held in Perdia was a first for Ademir. As the Crown Prince, he had no one around him to relay such trivial gossip from the social circles.

“These days, when rumors of receiving invitations spread, everyone is eager to attend with their partners.”

“Since Your Highness will attend alone, it’s a shame to let the partner’s seat go to waste.”

They conversed assuming that Ademir had received an invitation.

Of course.

He was the Crown Prince, and until recently, he had been engaged to Elodie. Moreover, he still maintained a close relationship with the Duke of Perdia.

‘Invitation? What’s that?’

He didn’t even know about the banquet, let alone receiving an invitation.

Moreover, Elodie hosting it.

Ademir narrowed his eyes.

An indescribable emotion surged within him. He couldn’t quite articulate what it was. Although he didn’t explicitly mention not receiving an invitation, he didn’t want to continue listening to their conversation.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

With a brief farewell, Ademir left the meeting room. His somewhat cold reaction prompted his remaining aides to exchange glances with each other.

“Could it be… he didn’t receive an invitation?”

“Surely not.”

“It might not be the case, but…”

Unaware of the speculation behind him, Adenmir left the building. He was planning to stop by the training grounds after his return to the palace to swing his sword when he bumped into Duke Leon Kreundel, who happened to be in the castle.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

Ademir looked at Leon, who always maintained a neat appearance, carefully.

Among the heads of the Four Great Houses, Leon was considered the most popular due to his youth and unmarried status. Thoughts of the rumors circulating about his engagement with Elodie, under the permission of Duke Perdia, crossed Ademir’s mind.

“Duke Kreundel.”

Instead of acknowledging Leon’s greeting, Ademir addressed him with a reserved tone. Leon responded calmly, hiding his confusion.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Did you receive an invitation to Lady Perdia’s banquet?”

“Yes, I did receive it a week ago, but I’m not sure if I’ll attend yet. I happened to have something scheduled for that day.”

“……..”

“Why do you ask, Your Highness?”

“It’s nothing.”

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Adenmir replied bluntly, then shook his head and walked past Leon.

 He swiped a hand across his face to clear his emotions.

 “…..You called me a friend.”

Even though they weren’t engaged, she had still called him a friend.

Not receiving an invitation was quite shocking.

***

The agreement with the Duke of Perdia to meet for tea after lunch on weekends was being honored, and today was the weekend.

Sitting across from each other at the balcony table where the sun gently bathed us, we sipped our respective teas, passing the time.

I was still working on finishing up the invitations, while the duke was reading the newspaper.

Having teatime together every weekend had made us quite accustomed to this silent time, so it didn’t feel as awkward anymore.

Putting down his cup, Duke Perdia folded the newspaper and looked at me.

“Elodie, is the preparation for the banquet going well?”

 “Yes. Madame has taken care of everything, so I don’t have much to do.”

 “I see.”

I was slightly surprised that Duke Perdia asked about the banquet. I didn’t expect him to be concerned. Allowing it in the first place was already generous of him.

“Thank you for allowing the banquet.”

“Don’t thank me for such a trivial matter.”

His response seemed indifferent, but I could sense the kindness behind it. The duke’s words of willingness to help didn’t sound like empty promises.

The conversation naturally came to a pause.

As I was about to resume writing the invitations, the duke interrupted.

“…….Have you decided on a partner?”

“Do I really need a partner as the host?”

Was it necessary to have a partner? I was contemplating whether I should send the invitations now, but Duke Perdia abruptly set the newspaper down on the table.

“I think so too.”

“Excuse me?”

“The host doesn’t need a partner.”

“I-I see…”

“Yes.”

Was it just my imagination, or did he seem pleased? But it didn’t seem like a misunderstanding.

“Elodie, if you wish, you can open the north wing as well.”

He granted permission to open even the north wing.

“But Father, that area is restricted to outsiders.”

Indeed, the north wing was a restricted area where the Perdia family’s heirlooms were displayed through generations, strictly off-limits to outsiders.

Opening it would elevate the status of the banquet even more, and the attendees would surely be amazed.

“It won’t hurt to let them see it once.”

  “I’ll talk to the duchess about this.”

As things seemed to escalate… Suddenly, I had a question.

“But Father, are you planning to attend the banquet too?”

Silently, the Duke of Perdia’s expression hardened as if to ask when he had ever been in a good mood.

In that moment, I realized I had made a mistake.

“You were planning to come? I thought you wouldn’t…”

“Well, if I do come, you might be uncomfortable.”

“W-what are you saying? You must come, right?”

“….Mmh.”

“You really have to come. Please!”

After pleading several times, the duke’s expression softened.

“If you insist that much, I guess I have no choice but to go.”

***

On the day of the banquet, the firmly closed gates of the Perdia mansion were opened.

 One by one, carriages filled with people who had been waiting for this day passed through the gates of Perdia.

To finally see the  Perdia mansion in real life, which had only been spoken of in rumors.

 As guests disembarked from the carriages, they were led into the main hall of the mansion.

As the servants escorted the guests to their destination, they cautioned them about the rules and regulations.

“Please refrain from going to the garden over there.”

“Why is that?”

“There are carnivorous plants cultivated by the duchess that could potentially devour you.”

 “…….”

That wasn’t the end of the warnings.

 “You’re also advised to avoid the west wing.”

 “……Why?”

 “Because that’s where the beasts are kept, and occasionally, escaped beasts may attack. It’s not very common, but wouldn’t it be best if the esteemed guests avoided getting hurt?”

 “…….”

“Also, please refrain from putting your hands in the fountain in front of the mansion.”

“Why?”

“The water flowing in the fountain is toxic.”

 “…….”

As the guests continued to listen to the continuous warnings, their expressions gradually turned pale.

Indeed, the Perdia Mansion was filled with various dangers that couldn’t be taken lightly.

“Let’s just stay in the banquet hall.”

There was hardly anyone considering wandering around after hearing the servants’ warnings. By the time they had heard all the terrifying cautions, the guests finally arrived at the main hall, where the vibrant melodies of the orchestra were flowing.

There, the guests once again were left in awe. The banquet hall was grand and extravagantly decorated, incomparable to any other banquet held in the palace.

It was truly magnificent, to the point where it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that even if one had spent a fortune, it wouldn’t be enough.

“As expected of Perdia.”

With admiration in their hearts, the guests lifted their heads and encountered members of the Perdia family waiting for them.

The Duchess sighed with half of her face covered by a fan.

“We rushed too much, and now the flaws are quite noticeable, Lili.”

“Hahaha… I don’t think anyone will notice.”

Among them was Elodie Perdia, the host of this event.

 After greeting each of the invitees, she turned to the waiting guests.

 “Welcome, everyone.”

The group of Hyacinth Euter and her friends, and finally Gretel Sangpan.

 ’Let’s see what we can do about this.’

Elodie smiled warmly as she looked at them. The curtain had risen.