By early afternoon, carriages carrying guests began to arrive one by one at the Grand Duke’s residence.
As the main host, I was completely preoccupied, shuttling back and forth between the perfectly arranged banquet hall and the outdoor garden to greet the guests. Ian, who had been holding my hand firmly and escorting me diligently, had to step away briefly due to the calls of his subordinates wishing to greet him.
‘It’s even more overwhelming to greet this many people alone.’
I was starting to think it was better when Ian and I had been moving around as a pair. Just as that thought crossed my mind, another wave of carriages began arriving, dozens of them.
Standing alone in the garden, watching the scene in astonishment, I began to worry about the scale of this banquet.
‘Just how many people are coming…?’
I had sent invitations to some of the lords from distant territories only as a formality, expecting many of them to decline. However, contrary to my expectations, a surprising number of them had chosen to attend the Grand Duke’s residence.
It seemed that word had spread, likely through the Aria Gazette, that the princess herself had a hand in organizing the banquet. For provincial lords, there couldn’t be a better opportunity to establish ties with the imperial family.
“Sigh, Kyle…”
I heaved a deep sigh, briefly resenting poor Kyle, who was likely running around frantically at that moment, and straightened my posture.
Since many of the faces were unfamiliar to me, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down for even a moment.
While I was busy greeting guests, a familiar face suddenly appeared.
“It is an honor to greet Your Grace, the Grand Duchess. I trust you have been well?”
“Lady Mary of the Marquessate, you’ve arrived.”
It was Maria Mary, who had neatly pinned up her creamy platinum blonde hair and adorned it with lily-of-the-valley flowers to complement her dress.
The last time she visited the Grand Duke’s residence, she had sat timidly in the drawing room, rolling her wide eyes like a frightened rabbit. Today, however, she was beaming with genuine delight, unable to hide her excitement.
“I’ve been wanting to express my gratitude. Thank you so much for inviting me.”
“Gratitude? For what, exactly?”
Feigning ignorance, I replied playfully. Lady Mary hesitated briefly, glancing around as if to ensure no one was eavesdropping, and then lowered her voice to a whisper.
“I received word from my brother. He said Biblos Academy has sent him an acceptance letter. My parents don’t know yet… but this is all thanks to Your Grace.”
After finishing her words, she immediately stepped back, adopting a playful tone as if trying to lighten the mood.
It seemed the dean of Biblos Academy had kept his promise faster than expected.
I nodded casually.
“In that case, I can look forward to thirty years of strong relations with the Marquessate of Mary, can’t I?”
“Of course, Your Grace. I will ensure I meet your expectations.”
Maria Mary gracefully curtsied as if my comment was a matter of course. However, as she straightened up, she suddenly froze.
Her eyes narrowed as she looked over my shoulder, her expression quickly shifting to one of unease.
‘Huh?’
Curious, I followed her gaze.
Within seconds, I understood the reason for her reaction.
“Oh dear.”
Just then, from one of the newly arrived carriages, Countess Olson stepped out, dressed neatly in an elegant gown.
Since that incident, Countess Olson had kept her distance from social gatherings. I had sent her an invitation merely as a courtesy, not expecting her to actually attend. Yet here she was.
Glancing between the Countess and Lady Mary, I raised an eyebrow.
‘The youngest daughter of the Marquess wasn’t directly involved in the mining dispute, but the Mary and Olson families are still on awkward terms.’
Quickly assessing the situation, I gave Lady Mary a subtle signal that she could excuse herself.
“You’ve greeted me enough, so please enjoy the banquet. As you can see, Her Highness the Princess has put special effort into preparing it. We can finish our conversation another time.”
“Yes, Your Grace. Thank you once again.”
Lady Mary took my cue and quickly curtsied before disappearing in short order.
Barely a minute had passed since her departure when Countess Olson approached me at the perfect moment.
Fortunately, it seemed she hadn’t seen Lady Mary.
“Congratulations on your birthday, Your Grace, the Grand Duchess.”
“…Indeed. Thank you for attending, Countess. It has been a while since your last social engagement.”
“It was only proper for me to attend.”
However, as I stood before Countess Olson, I couldn’t fully acknowledge her polite greeting.
The reason was none other than the person standing beside her, escorting her with impeccable poise.
My pupils, which had been tightly constricted with tension moments before, darkened deeply.
“…Duke Hayden Roger. You’ve gone through the trouble of making your way here.”
Feigning nonchalance, I addressed him with an even tone. The Duke, standing elegantly next to the Countess, gave me a warm smile, his gentle eyes curving at the corners.
“Having been invited, I naturally had to attend. Besides, the Countess needed an escort.”
He cast a brief, affectionate glance at the Countess as he spoke, his demeanor effortlessly composed.
Watching his easy confidence, the unease I had been trying to suppress began to resurface.
‘I knew I shouldn’t have invited him.’
For a brief moment, I regretted it, but I quickly brushed the thought away.
Even if I hadn’t sent him an invitation, knowing Hayden Roger as I did, he would have found a way to attend under the pretext of escorting Countess Olson.
“Not too long ago, there were troubling rumors circulating about you and me. I thought we had agreed to be cautious for the sake of each other’s reputation.”
“Oh dear, are you still dwelling on that? I’m fine with it now.”
He smiled amicably.
“I had assumed you would avoid drawing attention to yourself by coming to such an event.”
“How could I? As I mentioned before…”
He took a short breath and smiled gently.
“My wish to become good friends with Your Grace has not changed.”
‘…Again.’
Perhaps it was just my imagination, or perhaps my instincts were sharp, but it felt as though he was once again putting an emphasis on the word “friend.”
“How… extraordinary,” I muttered in slight discomfort.
Meanwhile, Countess Olson, sensing the subtle tension between the two of us, quietly shifted her deep green eyes back and forth between me and Duke Hayden Roger.
Soon, as if realizing something was amiss, she cleared her throat and cautiously stepped back.
“Oh, I just remembered—I left my shawl in the carriage. I apologize for interrupting, Your Grace, but may I excuse myself for a moment?”
Her polite request drew my gaze away from Hayden Roger.
“…As you wish.”
“Thank you. Hayden, I’ll be back shortly, so wait here.”
With a soft murmur to Hayden, Countess Olson tactfully left.
As soon as she disappeared, the tension between Hayden and me snapped taut once more.
To be precise, it was only on my end. Hayden Roger, as always, remained calm, wearing that unflappable smile of his.
For reasons I could not fathom, Hayden, who had been grinning serenely, shrugged lightly, as if he found the situation amusing.
“My cousin is unusually considerate today.”
“Considerate, indeed. The way you speak makes it seem as though you were hoping to be left alone with me.”
“Well, that’s not entirely inaccurate. I have something to ask Your Grace.”
My eyes narrowed.
“…Something to ask me?”
“Yes.”
Tilting his head slightly, he drew his lips into a smooth line.
“When you left alone that day in the Imperial City, I was quite disappointed. Have you given it any more thought?”
“Thought about what?”
“Whether you still find no use for me.”
Those were the very words he had said to me that day in the third garden of the Imperial Palace: that he would wait, and that I could come to him whenever I needed him.
This time, I failed to keep my expression in check, my face twisting into a visible frown.
“I fail to see why you’re so certain I would need you. I don’t recall there being anything significant between us to warrant such confidence.”
My sharp and guarded response made him widen his eyes momentarily. But it didn’t last long.
With a soft chuckle, he took a step closer to me, his body leaning forward just enough to keep from touching me.
He lowered his voice and whispered.
“Feigning ignorance to this extent… it’s rather hurtful, Your Grace.”
“……”
“You should believe me. I have always been on your side.”
‘Trust me—that’s all I need. Remember, I’m the one person who’s always been on your side. Yours, with all affection.’
A familiar phrase suddenly flashed through my mind, making my body stiffen.
But I quickly regained my composure and met his gaze steadily.
I heard a familiar set of footsteps approaching from behind.
“You should back off,” I said firmly, and as my voice rang out, another voice, calm and measured, overlaid it.
“Don’t you think it’s inappropriate to stand so close to another man’s wife, Duke Hayden Roger?”
At the same time, a hand wrapped around my waist, making me let out a small, composed shrug.
“I appreciate your words of support. However…”
“……”
“The person who is truly on my side has just arrived.”
• • •
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