“Really?”
“Yes. But… it’s not exactly that simple. Can I also attend the banquet?”
As Demielan spoke, Erin seemed to have a certain intuition. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she had a feeling she knew something.
“Okay. That’s not too hard to arrange,” Erin responded readily, without delving further.
“Thank you.” Demielan’s face brightened for a moment.
“But Demielan.”
“Yes?”
“What status do you want to attend with?”
“What?” He asked, taken aback.
Erin’s eyes sharpened.
“As the sculptor Demielan? Or as an official guest with an invitation?”
“If I want to attend as an official guest, can I?”
In response to his question, Erin’s lips curled into a sly smile.
“Of course. And I can provide you with a splendid formal attire as well.”
“Then, please do.”
“Great,” Erin replied sharply.
As the most renowned sculptor in the Empire, he received numerous invitations to various banquets.
However, he was disgusted with pandering to the nobility, so he had never attended a single banquet. Yet now, he expressed his desire to attend one.
Erin wasn’t exactly sure what he was up to, but she was curious.
***
Today was the day of Princess Angelina’s reception.
Since her return to the Empire, Angelina had rarely engaged in external activities.
This marked her first public appearance after her divorce, and Erin had a feeling she knew why Angelina had decided to host this event.
With a lot of attention surrounding the divorced princess’s return, the various conversations Erin had with different individuals often yielded conflicting information.
Therefore, she might be using the reception as an opportunity to present herself in the way she desired.
“Finally meeting her today, huh,” murmured Erin as she prepared for the reception, looking at her reflection in the mirror.
“Why do you look so beautiful today?” Aiden, who was silently watching her from the side, spoke softly.
“I made an effort. I want to impress Her Highness the Princess,” Erin replied.
From her dress to her hairstyle, Erin carefully considered how she should present herself at their first meeting.
“You don’t look bad when you make an effort,” Erin chuckled, linking her arm with Aiden’s.
***
As we got off the carriage, we saw the mansion where Princess Angelina was living upon her return to the Empire.
There was nothing particularly remarkable about it at first glance.
“Aiden, do you remember the last time you met Her Highness the Princess?”
“Vaguely,” he replied.
“I’m excited. I wonder what she will be like.”
Erin smiled and entered the reception hall with Aiden. Her grand reception was bright, splendid, and magnificent, with dazzling lights and lively music.
It felt like a festival. It seemed as though no one dared to offer a word of comfort to her about her divorce, creating a somber atmosphere.
In the center of the hall, there was a statue sculpted by Demielan.
“So, this is what Demielan insisted on being an accurate representation,” Erin thought.
The statue had a neutral face, making it unclear whether it was a woman or a man.
It had a fin from the left ear to the cheek, and a small horn on the forehead.
The imagined being created a mysterious atmosphere and certainly played a focal point role at the reception. Erin glanced away from the statue and turned her head.
Angelina Arinasta was recognizable at a glance. Despite standing still, she exuded a confident air. Her elegant and striking features made her more admirable than beautiful.
“Duke Lienster, Duchess. It’s finally good to meet you. Welcome back.”
Angelina was the first to spot the two and approached them.
“Congratulations on your return,” Aiden greeted her briefly.
Erin also brightened towards her.
“Hello. I’m Erin Lienster. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. It’s so nice to hear congratulations these days,” Angelina said with a cheerful smile.
Everyone extended their congratulations and welcomed her. It was inevitable.
Not only was the atmosphere fitting, but her face was too lovely to offer any comfort. Her skin glowed, and her smile never seemed to leave her face.
Looking at her, there was no one else who could speak anything other than congratulations.
“I appreciate your help this time. Thanks to you, I was able to divorce smoothly. Let’s have a meal together sometime.”
Even though Angelina just lightly smiled, it gave off a refreshing feeling.
“I’m always up for it.”
Erin also responded with a bright smile. Erin felt good. The Angelina she saw in person was even better than she had expected.
“And this is a gift I personally prepared.”
Erin presented a small box she had brought herself.
“It’s a dessert specially ordered from my favorite cafe. There’s nothing more enjoyable than tasting something delicious.”
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
“You can look forward to it. It’s made by the owner of Cafe Angela.”
“Angela?” Her eyes flickered slightly at the mention of the name.
“Yes, it’s the most famous place in the Empire.” Erin said with a grin and a twinkle in her eye.
Her gaze lingered on the dessert before settling on Erin.”…I’m really looking forward to it,” Angelina said, composing her expression.
After exchanging a few more words with her, Erin turned and walked away.
Today, this was enough. Moreover, there were quite a few people to pay attention to at today’s reception, including Princess Angelina. Erin turned her head and saw Lord and Lady Karson Jay at the event as expected.
In particular, Lord Karson’s nonchalant face was as if nothing had happened at the last reception. However, aside from his shameless expression, he seemed to be limping with every step.
It was when Erin’s brow involuntarily furrowed as she looked at him.
When she turned her gaze to the side, she met Lady Karson’s eyes. She gave a slight, playful greeting with her eyes.
However, for some reason, her complexion seemed darker and more gloomy compared to the last time.
Erin wanted to approach and ask if everything was okay, but she held back because of Lord Karson, who was right next to her.
Instead, she smiled and greeted her by making eye contact with her.
Then, Demielan appeared in a splendid ceremonial robe after a while.
Seeing him dressed up like that, he had a striking appearance that drew attention.
“Oh, isn’t this Demielan?”
“I thought I saw a sculpture over there. What brings you here to an event like this, when you never come to these kinds of gatherings?”
Curious glances turned towards him, a well-known figure.
“It suits you well.”
“Thanks to you, I dressed well.”
“Then, enjoy yourself to your heart’s content.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Erin briefly conversed with Demielan as well. But surprisingly, he didn’t do anything throughout the reception.
Even when approached by others, he only gave brief responses.
In a way, he seemed to regret coming here today. Erin glanced at him a few times before turning her head.
“Even if someone’s emotions don’t show on their face, they cannot hide their gaze.”
Erin knew what caught Demielan’s eye. Just like last time, he was conscious of Lady Karson.
The moment she saw him acting flustered and agitated unexpectedly, Erin had a certain intuition. She thought that Lady Karson held some significance to Demielan.
Then it happened. The Emperor attended this reception. The Emperor formally greeted Angelina, expressing his delight in her return.
Afterward, he seemed to show no further interest in the event.
“The mountain behind the estate belongs to Angelina. How about trying some hunting or other simple activities there?” No one would refuse the Emperor’s suggestion.
“Staying only at the reception would be boring anyway.”
Eventually, led by the Emperor, Aiden, Frederick, and the heads of each family headed to the back mountain.
“I’ll be back in a while.”
Aiden made a reluctant face but inevitably followed the Emperor out of the reception.
As a result, inside the reception hall, only a few noblewomen, young ladies, and some men who didn’t go hunting remained.
Naturally, the reception hall felt somewhat empty. “This kind of reception isn’t so bad. Until those who went hunting return, shall we enjoy ourselves together?” Angelina smoothly redirected the flow of the reception with her words.
And her words resonated well. Centered around Angelina, the noblewomen and young ladies engaged in conversations within a warm and affectionate atmosphere.
The reception was in full swing when unexpected events unfolded. What could happen at today’s reception, Erin wondered.
Just as she thought that nothing out of the ordinary would happen, a faint sound, almost like a hallucination at first, cut through the air.
“Ah…!”
“…?” At first, it was a vague sound, almost like a hallucination.
But soon after, a scream loud enough to echo through the interior mixed with other inappropriate noises could be heard.
“What’s that sound?” Everyone’s gaze turned toward the direction of the noise.
Erin’s eyes narrowed as she tried to determine the source of the sound.
“That’s where Julia was just now… ” However, the scream didn’t sound like Julia’s voice.
Erin headed toward the direction where the scream had come from.
Other people also seemed to be disturbed by the scream, hesitating and then gradually moving in the direction of the sound.
As the atmosphere became more chaotic, Angelina stepped forward to comfort them and led the way toward the source of the sound.
When they arrived at the scene, everyone’s faces were filled with horror.
