“Which one suits me better? This dress, or this one?”
Selena held up various dresses in front of the mirror, her face full of excitement.
These were specially tailored by a popular boutique for her upcoming birthday banquet.
All of this was for one person—Chase Halos.
To captivate him. To make him her man.
In just a few days, her birthday banquet would take place.
With her father’s help, Chase agreed to attend, and Selena could not let this opportunity slip away.
“My lady, your complexion is so fair and flawless that any color suits you perfectly,”
Said the maid beside her, showering her with flattery.
Selena’s nose went high with pride at the constant compliments.
“Of course, that’s obvious.”
She scoffed, sitting down in front of the vanity.
She thought there was no woman in the world more beautiful than herself.
Selena was confident. Confident she could seduce Chase with her beauty.
As a fully grown woman, she was like a flower in full bloom. Fragrant and stunning.
Beautiful flowers always attract bees.
But not just any bee would do. She didn’t need countless worker bees buzzing around her.
She needed the strongest, most powerful bee. Someone who would make her shine brighter than anyone else.
She needed the queen bee.
To her, that bee was none other than Chase Halos.
Selena had no doubt that Chase would make everyone look up to her.
She wasn’t going to settle for being just the daughter of a mere count. She would become the duchess whom everyone in the empire respected and envied.
As Selena indulged in her grand plans, her sharp gaze suddenly turned to the maids standing nearby.
“What are you doing? Hang them back up properly so they don’t wrinkle.”
“Y-yes, my lady!”
One of the maids hurriedly began tidying up the pile of dresses on the bed after Selena’s stern order.
Selena watched with her legs crossed, deciding that blue would go best with her golden hair.
“My lady! My lady! Something terrible has happened!”
A loud voice echoed through the corridor, growing closer.
The voice belonged to Bess, the maid who had gone downstairs to receive a pair of shoes delivered from the boutique.
“Are you crazy? Why are you making such a fuss?”
Selena snapped the moment Bess barged in.
“I’m sorry! But this is really important!”
“What is it?”
Used to Bess’s tendency to overreact, Selena absentmindedly twirled a strand of her hair.
“The Duke of Halos is getting married! And they’re using the Temple as the venue!”
Bess rushed to Selena, clutching the shoebox.
“What?”
Selena jumped up from her seat in surprise. The chair she was sitting on fell backwards with a loud crash.
“What the hell is this!”
Her shrill voice rose sharply.
“I heard it from a friend who works at the duke’s estate! It’s true!”
“…Who’s he marrying?”
“I don’t think the bride has been announced yet.”
Selena’s face flushed with rage as she clenched her fists.
Marriage? Suddenly, he was getting married?
There had been no rumors of him dating, not even whispers of a woman in his life.
It felt like her grand plans were crumbling to pieces like a sandcastle.
Biting her lip, she couldn’t hold back her fury and swept everything off the vanity with one hand.
Bottles of perfume and makeup crashed to the floor, shattering.
“Ahh!”
The maids in the room recoiled, retreating out of fear. They knew better than to cross Selena in this state.
“Argh! How infuriating!”
Selena screamed, tugging at her hair in frustration.
How dare a woman other than herself become the Duchess? It was ridiculous.
No one was more suited to the position than herself. The position of the only duchess of the Empire was meant to be hers.
“My lady… should we abandon the plan?”
Bess hesitantly whispered, glancing at Selena.
“Shut up! Get out! All of you, get out!”
Selena’s voice cracked with anger as she glared at them like a wildcat.
She wanted to wring Bess’s scrawny neck for being so tactless.
Wait.
“Everyone but Bess, leave.”
Changing her mind, Selena dismissed the other maids.
Bess, who had been edging toward the door, had no choice but to stay.
“When’s the wedding?”
“I’m not sure… but I think it’ll be after your birthday banquet.”
“After my birthday, huh?”
So, Chase would attend her banquet before his wedding.
If he was already engaged, there was a chance he’d bring his fiancée along.
“Proceed with the plan.”
“What? But…”
Bess hesitated, unsure.
“You fool. This is an opportunity.”
Selena flicked Bess’s forehead in annoyance.
“An opportunity?”
Bess rubbed her sore forehead, trying to hide her irritation.
“Imagine if a man about to be married got caught in a scandal.”
Selena pushed Bess aside and opened a drawer near the bed, pulling out a small glass vial filled with pink liquid.
It was a rare love potion she had gone to great lengths to acquire.
She planned to slip it into Chase’s drink at the banquet.
Afterword, she would find a way to get him alone, he would undoubtedly be drawn to her under the potion’s effects.
Selena intended for someone to witness the scene on purpose.
If the witness happened to be the woman Chase brought as his fiancée, even better.
“A man who is about to get married cheating with another woman? That’s the perfect reason for a broken engagement.”
Once the scandal broke, Chase wouldn’t be able to ignore her any longer.
Moreover, a scandal involving a man on the verge of marriage would become the talk of social circles.
And as one of the main figures in the scandal, her father would not let him go.
Because her family has a long history of business ties with the Halos family.
No matter how famous Halo was, it was clear that he could not ignore a business relationship that had been built on years of trust and partnership.
“I won’t let anyone take him from me.”
Even if there was already another woman in the picture, it didn’t matter.
Chase would inevitably fall into her grasp.
No matter what happened, in the end, she would become a duchess.
Consumed by her desires, Selena tightened her grip on the vial in her hand.
* * *
“Belly’s full!”
After finishing their meal, Raphel patted his rounded stomach with both hands as they left the restaurant.
Lizelle, too, was satisfied with the delicious food.
They skipped dessert, unable to eat another bite.
Contrary to her initial expectations, the food was incredibly delicious.
To the point where she couldn’t understand why there were no other guests.
Lizelle was in a great mood after the long-overdue outing.
“Was everything to your liking?”
Chase asked, gauging Lizelle’s mood.
The playroom he arranged turned out to be unnecessary.
Raphel clung to Lizelle throughout the meal, not even glancing at the playroom.
Chase tried to engage Lizelle in conversation, but Raphel persistently interrupted, leaving them little room to talk.
Still, it didn’t bother him.
Her smile was enough.
As long as she was content, so was he.
“Very much so. I’m thinking of bringing my parents’ here next time.”
Lizelle gave him a thumbs-up, full of praise.
“I’ll make reservations.”
Chase said without hesitation, heading toward the manager before Lizelle could protest.
“That wasn’t necessary… but thank you.”
Lizelle said awkwardly when he returned.
“You can come any time. I’ve informed them to keep a table available.”
In other words, the restaurant would always have a spot reserved for her parents.
Chase noticed she was about to protest so he grabbed Raphel’s hand and strode ahead.
“Honestly…”
Lizelle watched him walk away, shaking her head with a laugh.
He had grown so cheeky.
He changed so much that she couldn’t believe he was the same man from before.
The more she got to know him, the more she realized how much there was to learn about him.
“Lizelle! Hurry!”
Raphel waved his free hand, urging her to catch up.
Chase had stopped walking and turned to look at Lizelle.
His eyes telling her to come quickly, they were waiting.
“Let’s go.”
Smiling naturally, Lizelle took Raphel’s other hand and joined them.
