The largest hall in the Imperial Palace was used for the evening party tonight.

Rishe entered the venue with Arnold as escort on this day as well.

The hall was a spectacular sight with the lights of the chandeliers twinkling and packed with people dressed in gorgeous attires.

However, Arnold, who apparently abhorred such evening parties, already looked disgusted.

“… Your highness, I can see your thoughts on your face.”

“I’m snuffing it out. There’s no problem.”

I wonder if there really isn’t a problem…

Kyle, the guest of honor, approached us.

“Your Highness Arnold, thank you for setting up this event for me.”

Kyle bowed to him, and then turned his attention to Rishe.

“Lady Rishe, you’re beautiful in daylight, but even more so on this occasion. You’re evocative of a mysterious flower that blooms in a moonlit night.”

“Thank you, Your Highness Kyle. May this evening be an enjoyable one for Your Highness.”

She let the social flattery pass and smiled.

I’m done greeting Prince Kyle. I’ve done my duty, at the very least.

Next, Rishe looked up at Arnold.

“Your Highness, I’ll go and speak with the ladies.”

“…”

Arnold would now have to introduce Kyle to the noble lords.

This was the place where the royal family would introduce high ranking nobilities to the prince of another country. Rishe, a mere fiancée, wouldn’t be present at such a scene.

It was indeed fortunate that this party wasn’t after the marriage. This way, she wouldn’t have to be present at the meeting between Rovine and Kyle.

The question was whether or not she could avoid Rovine in the hall.

“Well then, Your Highness Arnold, I’ll see you later.”

“… Yeah.”

“Enjoy yourself, Your Highness Kyle.”

She gave an extraordinarily polite bow and casually left the place.

She really wanted to take “countermeasures” right away, but if she were to do anything unusual beside Arnold, she was sure to get caught right away.

Is it alright for me to stay away from him like this? … Now, concentrate …

Rishe escaped to the wall and took a deep breath on the spot.

While taking gentle deep breaths, she carefully observed the area and listened carefully.

The buzz of the hall and the sound of people’s shoes blended together.

After forming a single mass, they were broken down again into distinctive sounds.

It wasn’t just the noise that was perceptible.

In her field of vision, she could see brightly colored dresses and cloaks, and the figures of various people of mixed genders.

As she focused intently, the scope of her vision gradually expanded and the number of things she could perceive increased.

… Found him.

In the midst of her sharpened senses, Rishe locked on a certain spot.

At such a distance where his face was almost unrecognizable was a trace of Rovine.

There was no room for mistakes. After all, he was the person who has been instructing her on the training ground for the past few days. Especially this morning, she had familiarized herself with Rovine’s aura for tonight.

Rishe took another deep breath and shut her eyes.

Even with her eyes closed, she could sense Rovine’s aura that she found earlier moving around. After opening her eyes and making sure she was right, Rishe moved on to her next plan.

“How do you do, Rishe-sama?”

“How do you do, Mrs. Barthel? Thank you for sharing your lovely brand of tea with us at the recent evening party.”

“Rishe-sama, your dress is magnificent. Which merchant is it from…”

“I’m honored. This dress is from the Aria Trading Company…”

She moved leisurely around the venue, exchanging greetings with various women.

She didn’t want to disrupt the social scene. As the Crown Prince’s fiancée, she mustn’t be rude to the guests.

And never let anyone realize that she was evading Rovine.

Count Rovine seems to be heading straight towards the center of the venue. — And His Highness Arnold and Prince Kyle are to the west of it. Considering Count Rovine’s character, if he spots His Highness, he should change direction immediately.

While tracking the signs and estimating the patterns of his movements, Rishe walked around the evening party venue with a natural gait.

He stopped… He should have started a conversation with someone. Then it’s fine for me to stop and have a chat, too.

With that decision, she chatted with a person she had met at the recent evening party. As soon as Rovine’s presence began to move, Rishe similarly cut it short.

It took an enormous amount of concentration, but she had to work hard for at least the duration of the soiree.

For the fifth time in my life, I’m fine detecting a presence for half a day. Come to think of it, concentration is linked to physical fitness…

Of course, she’d like to be more physically fit than she currently was.

In the midst of that thought, she spotted Arnold and Kyle a short distance away. She could clearly see them, but they were too far for her to hear a word of what they were talking about.

While introducing the nobles to Kyle, Arnold looked languid and a bit grumpy.

Kyle, on the other hand, was terribly serious and seemed to be exchanging words and opinions with the Garkhain nobles.

Nevertheless.

Seeing them both, Rishe thought.

They’re utterly picturesque…

Arnold with dark hair and Kyle with silver hair. Both of them were different in lineage, but they were both dazzling in appearance. The women around them were riveted to them.

I’m sure they would fetch a hell of a price for a pair of portraits of them. I know someone who might be willing to pay for it…

Rishe thought as she gently drifted away from them.