Chapter 33

“So that’s how it is.”

The crown prince raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

“Even less remarkable than I expected.”

With that, he turned away from her without hesitation.

“….”

Anais finally let out a thin, relieved breath. On the other hand, Peder quickly lost interest in the conversation. She was just a little irritating, but, as expected, nothing special.

Watching all this, Diego arched an eyebrow sharply.

“There are quite a few eyes on us, Your Highness.”

Diego’s gaze shifted in the direction of the empress. Peder, following his line of sight, stiffened slightly.

“Ahem.”

Full of bluster just moments ago, Peder fell silent, now watching the empress for her reaction. As Diego had predicted, a faint, smooth smile appeared at the corner of his lips. All the while, Anais’s hand remained on his arm, her calm composure making sure her efforts weren’t in vain.

Respecting her silent wish, he bowed his head willingly.

“Shall we move somewhere quieter to continue our conversation?”

His manner was perfectly compliant. Seeing this, a satisfied smirk twisted Peder’s lips. He made a show of hesitating, but then, as if tossing a treat to a well-trained hound, he gave a light reply.

“Hmph. Very well.”

The permission was barely worth the word. Diego let out a silent, cold laugh, one corner of his mouth curving as he stepped forward at once.

“I’ll be back shortly.”

With those words, he hurried away, leading Peder off in the opposite direction, putting as much distance as possible between them and Anais. A little while later, he chose a spot along the edge of the ballroom where the outside view could be seen.

“This way, Your Highness.”

Even in that moment, his red eyes swept over Peder with sharp precision. Crown Prince Peder, who wouldn’t be satisfied until he had taken everything from Diego and ruined him. In Peder’s hands, Diego had lost his beloved mother and the nanny who was like family.

His lips set in a cold, hard line.

‘He’s a nuisance,’ or ‘I like it, so I’ll take it.’

Those petty whims, once spoken by Peder, were always followed by the empress taking action. And so, anything that had been close to him vanished in death.

“….”

There was now a murderous glint in Diego’s gaze as he looked at Peder, something that hadn’t been there before. Concealing it skillfully, he began to speak.

“About the business venture that so many have invested in recently, the one Your Highness is promoting…”

With that, he smoothly shifted the topic to the crown prince’s latest obsession. Diego steered the conversation so that Anais’s name would never cross Peder’s lips again.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

While the grand duke led the discourteous crown prince away, Anais made her way to the table marked ‘Grand Duke’s Party,’ the seat Diego had told her about before leaving.

It was the reception for Anais and the Grand Duke’s wedding, yet nowhere was there any sign of celebration for their union.

Even the carpet that once stretched across the hall where the two had walked was long gone. All that remained were the white flowers. The blooms that had once lined the carpet’s path were now scattered haphazardly about.

One such cluster sat near her table. She gazed at it in silence. The round blossoms looked for all the world like a flock of tiny sparrows huddled together. The sight brought a faint smile to her lips. Their sweet fragrance drifted across the table, tickling her nose.

‘What kind of flower is that?’

She had quickly mastered all the advantageous knowledge for high society and the marriage market, but even Anais had never seen this flower before.

She tilted her head.

It wasn’t among the flowers favored by the empire’s noblewomen for their gardens or floral arrangements. That could only mean it was a rare variety brought in from abroad. Still, it seemed unlikely anyone would use something so precious for the grand duke and his bride’s wedding.

Her curiosity piqued, she glanced around. Unfortunately, there was no one nearby.

‘How disappointing. I wanted to ask someone the name of the flower.’

Anais looked about again, and suddenly noticed something unexpected: countless eyes, pretending not to, were stealing glances at her.

‘Hmm. They’re all just watching as if it’s a spectacle.’

She let a gentle smile touch her lips and, one by one, met the curious gazes of the nobles. She matched the eyes of everyone who showed the slightest interest.

“….?”

Taken aback by their unexpected reactions, she tilted her head slightly.

Ordinarily, she would have tried to strike up a conversation with anyone who met her gaze. But for some reason, everyone seemed startled and quickly turned away. Each time their eyes met, the nobles flinched. The situation unfolding contrary to her intentions was almost amusing.