According to the law, the duke, who had been sitting away during the trial, came right up and said:

“Good job. Let’s go home now.”

Contrary to his strong presence, his gaze was restless and watchful.

“Now, let’s go home”, this one word from the duke brought a peace of mind that had never existed before. I also didn’t know when I naturally came to regard the duke’s house as my home.

***

Royal palace.

“Is the Crown Prince inside?”

The attendant’s complexion turned pale at the empress’s question.

After returning to the room after the trial, the sound of something breaking and smashing was heard in the Crown Prince’s room for a long time.

This wasn’t the first time it happened so the servants were used to it.

However, when the Crown Prince was very angry, they must not even make eye contact with him.

It was like a kind of unwritten rule that had arisen among the courtiers in the Crown Prince’s palace after a maid’s head was injured by an object thrown by the Crown Prince last time.

“Can’t you hear me?”

The empress asked in a sharp voice.

The attendant was sweating profusely.

The one standing in front of him now was the empress of the country.

She was not a very gentle person either.

She also seemed to have something going on, seeing the anger on her face.

Unable to handle the empress’s anger, the attendant eventually reluctantly replied.

“Yes. His Highness is inside.”

As soon as the attendant had finished speaking, the empress opened the door without hesitation.

“What is this?”

The empress’ eyes went wide.

She frowned as she looked around the messy room.

The topiary was overturned and the mirror was broken.

Shards of broken glass were scattered on the floor.

And the Crown Prince was asleep on the sofa.

His arm was hanging limp on the floor, and the liquor from the overturned bottle was staining the carpet purple.

At first, she was puzzled, but the moment she found the prince lying on the sofa, the empress’s face darkened.

She commanded the attendant with a face in disbelief.

“Wake him up right now.”

Upon hearing the empress’s order, the attendant drew in a breath.

He approached slowly with a nervous face and called out to the Crown Prince in a small voice.

“Your Highness, wake up. Her Majesty the Empress has arrived.”

There was no reaction from the Crown Prince.

The empress’s brow narrowed.

The attendant turned on the light in the dark room and called out to him once more.

“Your Highness, please wake up now. Her Majesty the Empress is here.”

Fortunately, the Crown prince’s eyes fluttered open.

Just woken up and feeling woozy, he was in a bad mood.

He couldn’t adjust to the sudden pouring light, and he frowned.

“What is all this? It’s terrifying to think what other people will think when they see it!”

The empress yelled in a lamentable voice.

The Crown prince belatedly found the empress in front of him, hurriedly stood up with surprise.

“What are you doing here?”

He had just woken up and his hair was a mess and his face looked as if he hadn’t slept in days.

In addition, his clothes were disheveled, and his usual well-groomed appearance was no where to

be found.

It was as if she was seeing someone else, so different from the proud son she remembered.

The empress felt pain to see more of her son’s pathetic figure.

She closed her eyes and turned her body toward the door.

“I have something to discuss with you. It seems impossible to have a proper conversation here, so follow me.”

***

The Crown prince sat down on the sofa and lowered his gaze.

He had a well-groomed appearance as usual, but his complexion was very dark. It was the first time in his life that his pride had been so crumpled.

Recalling the day’s events, he bit the tender flesh in his mouth. The taste of blood filled his tongue.

“Princess Lillian is gone now so you have to find a new wife.”

The empress said in a calm voice.

“From my point of view, the Marquis Flynn’s daughter would be suitable.”

“What do you mean?”

The Crown prince raised his head with a surprised face, and asked with a hard expression.

The empress said in a calm voice as if her son’s expression was insignificant.

“Since you are an adult now, it’s naturally to marry. You had been waiting for Princess Lillian to reach adulthood all this time, but now it’s all useless.”

Less than a day had passed since the annulment, and hearing these words before the wounds had healed made the Crown prince feel as if his heart was burning.

The empress’ words were like pouring salt on his wounds.

But she continued with a calm face.

“Since you have lost Princess Lillian, you need to find another family that will solidify your position as soon as possible. It may not be as good as the Duke of Lillian, but for now, among families with daughters of marriageable age, Lady Flynn is the best.”

“This is unacceptable.”

“What did you just say?”

The empress raised her eyebrows.

“I said I won’t do it.”

“Why? Because of the princess?”

The Crown Prince didn’t answer anything.

But sometimes silence was a more certain answer.

“You foolish thing. Give up now. You can’t afford to sulk. After talking with the Duke, he will not change his decision.”

“It is not like that.”

The Crown prince denied in a low voice.

Contrary to hisanswer, however, his face looked confused.

“Well, it’s not something that can be decided all of a sudden in one day. Since you don’t seem to like Lady Flynn, let’s find out if anyone has better terms and then we’ll talk again. Leave.”

The Crown prince rose from his seat with a complicated expression.

After he left, the empress held the teacup to her lips as she gazed at the Prince’s empty seat.

Her maid, Mrs. Elliott, came to her side.

“Your Majesty, don’t worry too much. His Highness will come around. Right now, he’s in shock at the loss of his fiancée, but sooner or later, he will understand and follow Your Majesty’s deep intentions.”

A long-time aide, her thoughts were the same as the Empress’s.

The empress sighed through her dark face.

“The Duke of Lillian is a duck that lays golden eggs, but depending on how you use it, it can be poisonous to us. Why should you pretend to like the Duke at a time like this…”

“It wouldn’t be a big deal if the princess harbored a grudge and liked the 2nd prince. Wouldn’t it be better to use your hand before that happens?”

“It’s not like I didn’t think of that. But right now, the power of the Duke of Lillian is skyrocketing, so how can I do it? If I touch it wrong, it’ll be big trouble.”

The empress put down the teacup she was holding in her hand.

Her gaze shone darkly.

“For now, let’s watch a little longer.”

***

The morning was bright.

After lightly filling my stomach with simple food, I soaked in a warm bathtub.

I woke up early in the morning to attend Payne’s birthday party, and after being decorated for several hours, I came to my senses and it was around noon.

“My lady, try on this dress here.”

Annie brought a red dress from somewhere.

It was a dress with a rich skirt and revealing the shoulders and neckline.

After changing, I sat back down at the dressing table and Joan took out a jewelry box and put it on the table.

“Wouldn’t it be better to wear these earrings with this dress? Come to think of it, I remember seeing prettier accessories in the jewelry box of the late madam. I’ll go and get it right away.”

The ladies-in-waiting were usually loud, but today it seemed to be particularly severe.

“I’m not a main character of today’s banquet, isn’t it too much?”

“Nonsense. Everyone is sure to come dressed up fancy, but this should be enough. You’re attending the second prince’s birthday party today, right? Maybe he’ll marry…”

“Annie, just go there.”

Annie glanced at me and smiled again and said with an excited face.

“I’m sorry. But even if that’s not the case, it’s the first banquet the lady attends after breaking off her engagement with the Crown Prince. Everyone must be paying attention to the young lady, and I don’t want anyone to look down on her.”

“Annie is right. No matter what happens, it is important to control the initiative. At times like this, you have to decorate it even prettier.”

Today, Tien’s face looked particularly solemn and serious.

It was understandable.

The duke was very busy for a while, as if trying to finish everything before leaving the capital.

Thanks to his own initiative, the annulment proceeded swiftly.

He demanded it strongly, so neither the empress nor the Crown prince could help.

Now the Crown prince and I had become complete strangers.

The bad relationship with him had come to an end.

Of course, I would continue to run into him as long as he stayed in the capital.

“Lady, how about wearing the necklace sent by His Highness the 2nd Prince?”

Tien asked cautiously.

“…”

A few days ago, an invitation to the second prince’s birthday party arrived from the imperial palace.

The attendant also brought me a nice topaz-encrusted necklace and earrings, saying they were sent by Payne.

I tried to reject it and send it back immediately after receiving it, but I couldn’t because the stubborn attendant left the place as if he were running away.

“My lady, that would be nice. I’m sure everyone will envy you. If the young lady shows up wearing the jewelry gifted by the 2nd Prince, the Crown Prince will surely feel sick to his stomach.”

“How can people find out if it’s a gift from the 2nd Prince, when it’s not even written on the jewel? Lady, it would be appropriate to put this pin on that dress.”

The pin Joan took out of the jewelry box, like the necklace and bracelet I was wearing now, was given to me last time by Elvin.

“My lady, what would you like to do?”

Tien asked me.

“Return the present sent by the 2nd Prince.”

“Yes? But……”

Tien made a visibly surprised face.

I said once more firmly.

“Send it back.”

***

When I went down to the first floor, the duke was waiting for me, already prepared.

We drove in the same carriage.

Upon arriving at the imperial palace, many people had already gathered.

As soon as I got off, I felt the attention of the people around me to the point where it was burdensome.

“The Crown Prince won’t come.”

“Come to think of it, at the banquet last time, it felt like the duke was strangely drawing a line with the Crown Prince. At the time, I thought it was simply because he was displeased, but now I understood the situation.”

“So it’s true that the two broke up?”

Now, without any secrets, people talked freely.

Ignoring the gossiping, I entered the banquet hall, but the members of the royal family were still nowhere to be seen, and Claire wasn’t here either.

‘She hasn’t arrived or couldn’t come?’