“Of course not. I’m planning to decline all invitations except for those I absolutely must attend.”
“That’s a relief. But which parties are the ones you must attend?”
“As you already know, His Majesty is hosting the Harvest Festival and the Hunting Festival at the beginning of next month. Then there’s the debutante ball at the end of the season for noble ladies who have just come of age. …But before all that, there’s another party I have to attend first.”
“And what would that be?”
When she tilted her head in curiosity and asked, Ashid replied with a hardened expression.
“My aunt has invited both you and me to a party at her palace next weekend.”
“…Pardon? Wait a moment. By ‘aunt,’ do you mean Her Highness, Princess Elizabeta Marianne Castria?”
“Who else could it be?”
“…Oh, dear.”
At his response, Daniela let out a deep sigh.
‘Princess Elizabeta… She’s the one who constantly clashed with Ashid in the original novel, always throwing sharp words at him!’
According to the novel’s description, Princess Elizabeta was the Emperor’s only sister and the sole princess of the empire. She had first married a prince of the Kellad Empire and later wed the king of the Philips Duchy, but both marriages ended in widowhood.
Upon returning to the empire, she used her authority as a senior member of the royal family and her natural political acumen to steer high society’s opinions in whatever direction she desired. Her influence ultimately played a key role in uniting the imperial family and the nobility in support of Adrian, effectively pushing Ashid out.
Of course, that hadn’t been her intention from the start. Initially, she had kept a somewhat distant relationship with both of her nephews. Ashid, too, had shown her the respect due to an aunt, though there was no deep familial affection.
But as Ashid grew more ruthless and eventually carried out the Lesinia Massacre, everything changed.
The princess had summoned Ashid immediately to reprimand him harshly, but blinded by revenge, he ignored her words. No—he became even more ruthless.
His blade, driven by rage, eventually turned toward Adrian, the one he held responsible for everything. From then on, Ashid devoted himself to eliminating his half-brother. Princess Elizabeta repeatedly sent him letters filled with reprimands, but with each one, the rift between them only grew deeper.
The final breaking point came two years after the Lesinia Massacre. At a social gathering hosted at the princess’s mansion, the two had a fierce argument.
Enraged by Ashid’s insolent attitude, the princess mentioned Empress Yulia—his most sensitive sore spot. Furious beyond reason, Ashid lashed out with words so cruel that they could never be forgiven.
In the chaos that followed, he dueled with the princess’s knight and killed him before storming out of the mansion.
It was then that Princess Elizabeta, gripped by immense fear, became convinced—if left unchecked, Ashid might bring about the empire’s destruction.
From that moment, she fully sided with Adrian and dedicated herself to Ashid’s downfall.
‘I remember reading that scene and thinking, “Wow, what a proper villain. This guy is beyond saving!”’
Back then, she never imagined she would end up in this novel herself—or that this “beyond saving” man would become her husband.
Daniela’s expression turned serious.
‘Thankfully, I was able to prevent the Lesinia Massacre. But that doesn’t mean I can let my guard down.’
Ashid was still the ruthless ruler of the North, and his revenge against those who caused his mother’s death was far from over.
Princess Elizabeta would undoubtedly still disapprove of him. If they weren’t careful, things could unfold just as they did in the original novel—with an argument at the party spiraling into disaster.
‘That can’t happen. At least not until this contract is over.’
For his sake, she had to do something.
Daniela’s mind started racing. Meanwhile, Ashid subtly observed her pale complexion and spoke in a blunt tone.
“If it’s too uncomfortable, you can just greet the princess briefly and then leave with some excuse. I’ll take care of the rest—”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll stay until the end. No matter what.”
Daniela quickly cut him off, speaking firmly.
There was no way she would leave his side, not knowing what might happen in her absence. She would stay with him until that party was safely over. She vowed it to herself.
“Hah.”
Ashid let out a cold laugh as he watched her.
Judging by her reaction, she had already heard about the party. Specifically, that Adrian was on the guest list.
‘She must be thrilled at the thought of seeing Adrian again. Saying she’ll stay until the end…’
But she didn’t seem to know the full story yet.
A smirk played on Ashid’s lips as he cut into the meat on his plate with unnecessary force. He glanced at Daniela and said mockingly,
“You seem quite happy about it. But what will you do? No matter how much you cling to the past, it’s about to become meaningless.”
“What do you mean?”
“Haven’t you heard the rumors?”
“What rumors?”
Daniela asked, feeling uneasy. She feared he was about to mention an event or setting she wasn’t aware of.
Still smirking, Ashid replied,
“All of the crown princess candidates chosen by His Majesty and my aunt will be attending that party. It’s essentially a matchmaking event for Adrian to select his future bride.”
‘Oh, is that all?’
That didn’t concern her. Those women were merely side characters. There was no need to worry.
In fact, it might even be a good thing. If Adrian officially got engaged, she would never be involved in any troublesome rumors with him again.
Relieved, Daniela responded lightly,
“Oh, really? That’s great.”
“…Great?”
Ashid looked at her in disbelief.
How could she, still harboring feelings for Adrian, say “great” so casually upon hearing about his engagement? Did she have some hidden agenda he wasn’t aware of?
Even as he harbored doubts, he felt his previously simmering anger subside, just a little.
“Yes. It’s a wonderful—”
Daniela had been about to answer smoothly when a sudden thought struck her, and she quickly shut her mouth.
‘Wait. Could it be? Is Camellia going to appear earlier than I expected?’
What if she was making an early debutante appearance with some distant relatives?
No, that couldn’t be. It must not be.
She shook her head, pushing aside her worries about her unfinished business and unstable position. Meanwhile, her face grew visibly pale.
‘As expected.’
Ashid scoffed at the sight of her paling complexion.
He had known it. There was no way she could so easily let go of her feelings for Adrian after all these years.
‘That expression is really irritating.’
Ashid cursed inwardly.
The fleeting relief he had felt moments ago vanished, replaced by a fresh wave of bitterness. The old resentment and inferiority he felt toward Adrian clawed their way back to the surface.
With a sharp clatter, he put down his utensils and rose from his seat. Looking at Daniela, he spoke in a warning tone.
“If you’re planning to pull any tricks behind my back, you’d better give up now. I won’t leave your side for even a moment during that party.”
With those parting words, he stormed out.
Still holding her utensils awkwardly, Daniela muttered at his retreating figure,
“…That’s what I was going to say.”
What was he so angry about now? She had no idea.
Shaking her head in exasperation, she set down her utensils.
The next morning.
As Gray entered the office, Daniela spoke up.
“I need a favor, Gray.”
“Is this about the upcoming social season?”
Gray smiled enigmatically, and Daniela returned the smile before continuing.
“That’s part of it. But I have another matter as well. Will you help me?”
“As long as it’s not an unreasonable request, I’ll do anything.”
“Good. First, I’m planning to fire the butler and all the servants working for the Enchanto Duchy. I need you to draft termination letters for them.”
“That’s not difficult. But do you think they will step down so easily after serving the duchy for so long?”
At Gray’s question, a peculiar glint flashed in Daniela’s eyes.
