Dian bowed his head and remained silent as his master’s displeasure became increasingly evident. Cedric, ever quick to read the thoughts behind his aide’s silence, spoke before Dian could reply.

“I know what you’re worried about, Dian.”

“……”

“But this is what I want. I have no intention of letting that woman live comfortably in my palace.”

Let her experience what it’s like to be surrounded by enemies, living each day under the weight of quiet hostility. Given her gentle nature, how long would she be able to endure it?

Cedric’s lips curled into a smile at the thought.

“But, Your Highness, His Majesty will surely disapprove.”

“So?”

“……”

“To His Majesty, I’ve never been the proper son anyway.”

Cedric gave a sharp, humorless laugh and gestured vaguely at himself.

“You only have to look at me to see that, don’t you?”

Cedric lightly brushed his fingers over the cheek that his father had struck. Thanks to the quick treatment of the Imperial Physician, the swelling had mostly faded. From a distance, the mark was barely noticeable, but close up, a faint bluish hue betrayed its presence.

“To think His Majesty insists I attend the luncheon looking like this. Truly remarkable.”

“……The second prince may not notice, but the empress might seize the opportunity.”

After a brief pause, Dian spoke in a cautious tone.

Seemingly unbothered, Cedric gave a low, humorless chuckle.

“Ah, of course. Her Majesty has always been gifted at such things.”

The Empress, who had once wanted the Princess of Callithea to be her son’s bride, would undoubtedly delight in any hint of discord between the newlyweds. She would instantly seize upon it and twist it to her advantage.

“If I can’t teach the empress a lesson, then I’ll teach the uninvited guest who came into my palace instead.”

After all, they were all obstacles that would need to be overcome eventually. For now, however, it would be inconvenient if any of them started plotting together.

His gaze drifted towards the ceiling, his eyes glinting with a cold, almost feral light.

“She’ll learn soon enough how to survive in my palace.”

Maybe she wouldn’t find it too hard if she could just keep her mouth shut after last night. The memory of those tear-filled blue eyes looking up at him twisted the corners of his lips.

The memory sent a pulse of exhilaration through him, an almost electric thrill that tingled in his fingertips. It was the anticipation of a cruel hunt. She was filth, but he took perverse satisfaction in knowing that he could crush and discard her at will.

“We’ll move up the plan. Release the cuckoo tonight.”

“Your Highness.”

Dian said quickly, alarm flashing across his face. The sudden change of plans clearly unsettled him, but Cedric was firm in his decision.

“There’s no real difference between three days and tonight. The sooner it happens, the better. Maybe it’ll get rid of some of that stench.”

How could one reason with a master who wore such an expression? There was no other option.

Dian knelt and bowed his head in quiet resignation, silently obeying the command he dared not question.

··· ✦ ···

The luncheon began later than scheduled, with the hall almost entirely filled with guests from Callithea.

Although such a meal was usually reserved for close relatives of the newlyweds, the Emperor and Empress had made a special exception in this case, inviting those who had accompanied the new bride from her homeland to join them — perhaps as a gesture of courtesy or pity.

With so many familiar faces present, Anita found herself feeling a little more at ease during the luncheon. Yet, from time to time, she could sense her countrymen’s pitying glances, confirming that they had also heard the rumor that the groom had abandoned his bride on their wedding night after getting drunk.

And the groom himself? He never appeared.

Had the emperor not joked about his son’s inability to hold his liquor until dawn, the mood would surely have turned sombre. Anita forced herself to respond to each look of sympathy with a gentle smile, pretending not to notice. Even the array of carefully prepared Callithean dishes cooked for her failed to stimulate her appetite.

The luncheon dragged on until only two hours remained before the main evening banquet was due to begin. With no time to rest, she was immediately surrounded by her attendants and ushered away to prepare for the event.

“Laxion’s style suits you perfectly, Your Highness. Though truly, even in simple cloth, you’d still be radiant,” one maid said admiringly.

Anita’s personal attendants were still mostly those who had come with her from Callithea, Renee among them. Yet since the wedding, several new attendants from Laxion had begun joining these preparations.

‘Soon, it will be their faces that surround me.’

Of the twelve maids who travelled from Callithea, only six, including Renee, were to stay with her in Laxion permanently. The others were to return home within five years at most.

Gazing at her reflection, with her hair, gown and jewels arranged in the Laxion style, Anita found a faint, wistful smile rising to her lips.

‘Count Yuz will be leaving in two weeks as well… There really isn’t much time left, is there? Soon I won’t see Callitheans around me at all.’

It was a fate she had chosen, and she had prepared herself for the inevitable farewells that lay ahead. However, this knowledge did little to dull the pain as the time of separation drew nearer.

‘Cedric…’

Would it have been easier to bear if he had shown her any warmth at all?

Despite what he did on their wedding night, she felt relieved and even comforted when he failed to appear at the luncheon. However, the longer he was away, the heavier her heart became.

‘I’m afraid… of the banquet tonight.’

Thankfully, the luncheon was full of people from Callithea who had been invited by the Emperor himself to make her feel welcome. But the evening banquet would be different. The hall would be filled with Laxion nobles — strangers whose eyes would pierce her more deeply and whose whispers would chill her more intensely.

If her own countrymen had looked upon her with sorrow, what kind of gaze would these strangers direct at her? What if she stood alone at the grand banquet, without her husband at her side?

Anita pressed her hand to her chest, momentarily forgetting the maid who was fastening her bracelet. The unease coiled tightly within her and she struggled to calm its tremor.

Sensing their mistress’s distress, the Callithean maids exchanged subtle glances. One of them spoke carefully, trying to distract her.

“Perhaps we should start with the necklace, Your Highness. Among these pieces, this one seems most fitting…”

The maid who had been fastening the bracelet put it down and turned her attention to the array of open velvet boxes spread out before her. Each box was adorned with jewels so bright that they fractured even the faintest light into dazzling colors.

Renee examined them carefully, lifting an exquisitely crafted necklace from its case. Clusters of blue diamonds formed delicate blossoms, their petals outlined with tiny clear stones that sparkled like morning dew.

“What do you think of this one, Your Highness? It matches your gown perfectly and the earrings that go with it will complement your hairstyle beautifully.”

The sound of Renee’s voice drew Anita out of her thoughts. She looked at the necklace and nodded softly. Its design reminded her of Melissa’s Vine and Bloom, an ancient symbol of the moon goddess. Since the theme of tonight’s banquet was the moon, the piece seemed fitting.

As the maid clasped the cool necklace around her bare neck, the metal brushed against her skin. Laxion’s fashion was far bolder than Callithea’s. The cold touch made her flinch inwardly, but she kept her expression still, as she had been taught.

‘I must adapt quickly.’

The winters in Laxion were shorter and the climate warmer than in her homeland. Its customs were also far more open. Here, women were freer in both their dress and their behavior, and showing a bit of skin was not considered improper.

In Callithea, however, exposing one’s neck could result in a sharp reprimand. In Laxion, however, covering too much was considered old-fashioned.

‘Even if Cedric doesn’t attend the banquet, I must present myself as both the Crown Princess of Laxion and the Princess of Callithea with absolute composure and grace.

The reminder of her duty steadied her heart. She straightened her posture and looked down at her left ring finger, where her large, ornate wedding ring gleamed as a symbol of her sacred union. Then her gaze shifted to the slim band on her right little finger, which was almost invisible.

Unlike her lavish wedding ring, this one was simple and unadorned. Yet it was far more meaningful: it had been crafted from a fragment of gold taken from the throne upon which Callithea’s first emperor had sat. She had received it the year she came of age, a symbol of her lineage as a daughter of the House of Hardyde.

‘O Goddess Asteria, grant me courage.’

She closed her eyes and prayed silently for a moment before opening them again.

While her maids fastened the final pieces, the earrings and bracelets and smoothed the folds of her gown, they stepped back to admire their handiwork.

When everything was in place, the room filled with a chorus of delighted exclamations. Renee clapped her hands, her eyes shining.

Anita smiled faintly at her reflection in the mirror poised and radiant, she was every inch a princess. She turned her head slightly, about to ask Renee to check the time.

But before she could speak, hurried footsteps sounded outside. A maid rushed in, slightly breathless, and bowed deeply.

As soon as Anita gestured for her to stand up, the girl raised her head, her face flushed with excitement.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince has arrived.”

··· ✦ ···

The second dressing of the Crown Princess began in haste. At someone’s instruction, the maids moved swiftly to remove each piece of jewelry and layer of clothing in reverse order.

The gentle, serene aura that had surrounded Anita, glowing softly like her blue eyes, disappeared entirely.

In its place came a new splendor: a deep crimson gown overlaid with sheer black lace that caught the light in delicate ripples. The neckline plunged lower than before, baring her shoulders and the upper curve of her chest. The tightly drawn waist was cut in the latest Laxion style, sculpting her figure to resemble that of a mythical siren: pure yet dangerously alluring, a spirit risen from a moonlit lake.

The accessories she wore this time were equally lavish, each one a radiant masterpiece of beauty and value. Together, they gave her an almost otherworldly glow.

Yet beneath that brilliance, Anita felt a quiet unease stirring. The gown clung too tightly and the jewels pressed heavily against her skin. The weight of it all — the fabric, the glittering stones and the inevitable attention — threatened to overwhelm her poised composure.

“Now you’re finally worth looking at.”

The words slipped from Cedric’s lips, cold and indifferent, meant to wound. With a mere flick of his hand, the maids attending to him withdrew at once, leaving the vast chamber silent, except for the faint rustle of Anita’s gown.

He lounged carelessly against the chair, his relaxed posture deceptive. For a moment, he simply regarded her, saying nothing. Then, with slow, deliberate intent, his gaze traced her from head to toe, assessing and weighing her up as though she were nothing more than an ornament set out for inspection.