~Chapter 8~
“Today’s banquet is for the two of you, so enjoy yourselves as much as you like.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Alright, I’ll head in now. You two should spend some time with the Crown Prince couple and enjoy yourselves before returning.”
After slowly scanning the banquet hall, the Emperor glanced at Edward and Leah, then left. The Empress followed behind him.
“Harry Hertzes.”
Harry, who was about to leave with the Empress, stopped when Edward called his name. The Empress turned around, frowned, and looked at Harry.
“What do you think you’re doing, following me? At times like this, you should be socializing with the young nobles!”
She scolded him quietly. Harry glanced at his mother, then lowered his eyes.
“Hurry and go. If you can’t mingle, at least stay near the Crown Prince. Listen to what kind of conversations he’s having.”
With a short sigh, the Empress turned away and left the hall.
Edward waited, watching Harry patiently.
Harry turned his slumped shoulders and walked over to Edward.
“Harry, greet the Crown Princess. Crown Princess, this is my younger brother, Prince Harry Hertzes.”
“Nice to meet you, Prince Harry.”
Leah greeted him with a warm smile.
Wow… he’s really handsome. Such a young, pretty boy, and he’s going to get dragged into power struggles?
“I—I’m honored to meet you, Your Highness.”
Overwhelmed by her confident presence, Harry replied stiffly.
He glanced at Edward, checking his reaction.
“Prince Harry, let’s have tea together sometime and talk.”
“I’m not that free.”
The blunt reply slipped out before he realized it. Seeing Edward nearby, Harry lowered his gaze slightly.
Hmm… is this puberty?
Leah gave an awkward smile at his clear rejection.
“No matter how busy you are, I doubt you’re busier than me, Harry.”
At Edward’s words, Harry flinched.
Huh? Is he scared of Edward?
“…I will… make time to visit you soon, Your Highness.”
“I’ll be happily waiting, Prince Harry.”
Feeling like she’d unintentionally intimidated him, Leah smiled even brighter.
“Congratulations on your marriage, Your Highness.”
At the sound of a middle-aged man’s voice, Edward turned around with a smile.
“Duke Francis! It’s been a long time.”
“Yes, it has.”
“When did you return?”
“A few days ago. You seemed busy preparing for the wedding, so I didn’t visit.”
“I see. Crown Princess, this is Duke Francis, someone I deeply respect. I’ve learned a great deal from him in both knowledge and perspective.”
Seeing how Edward treated him almost like Father Thomas, Leah realized how important the duke was to him.
“Haha, you flatter me. You know very well that I have nothing left to teach you.”
Duke Francis laughed warmly, then looked at Leah. His expression briefly turned strange before he quickly composed himself.
“Pleased to meet you, Your Highness. I am Duke Francis.”
“Nice to meet you, Your Grace.”
Leah replied with a bright smile.
“If I get the chance, I’d love to learn from you as well. Seeing His Highness, you must be a wonderful teacher.”
“Haha, oh my. It seems Your Highness has quite a passion for learning.”
“But I’m not confident I’d be as good a student as His Highness, so please forgive me in advance.”
“Hahaha. You’re quite amusing, Your Highness.”
Reading the playful glint in her eyes, Duke Francis laughed happily.
“It seems you’ve found a wonderful partner, Crown Prince.”
“I only hope I can be a good person to her.”
At Edward’s perfect answer, Duke Francis finally let go of his lingering doubts and nodded.
“Congratulations on your marriage, Crown Princess.”
He spoke with the warm eyes of a kind father.
“Thank you. I hope we can form a good relationship as well, Your Grace.”
Leah smiled sincerely.
“Father.”
A gentle voice brushed past Leah’s ear.
“Ah, Elise.”
Seeing his daughter, Duke Francis looked flustered as he glanced between her and the Crown Prince couple.
Elise, wearing a frilly pink dress, with softly waving blonde hair and a small flower hair accessory, looked both glamorous and lovely.
“Congratulations on your marriage, Crown Prince.”
As Elise approached Edward first, everyone’s attention focused on them.
Before Leah was suddenly chosen as Crown Princess, Elise had been considered the strongest candidate for the position. Because Edward treated Duke Francis like a mentor, rumors had even spread that Edward and Elise were lovers.
But the discovery of mines in the Kingdom of Trans changed everything.
“Thank you, Lady Elise.”
Edward’s expression didn’t change at all. Seeing that, Elise gave a small, bitter smile, then turned to Leah.
“Nice to meet you, Your Highness. I am Elise Francis.”
She greeted her with elegant movements.
“Nice to meet you, Lady Elise. Your dress and hairstyle are absolutely lovely.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. You are beautiful as well.”
“Thank you.”
Leah replied warmly.
“Your Highness, if it’s not too much to ask, may I visit the palace sometime?”
“Elise, that’s rude!”
Duke Francis scolded her, clearly surprised.
“I only wished to be a companion to Your Highness, who came alone from another country.”
She spoke with an innocent expression, as if she had no ulterior motives. Duke Francis frowned.
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Lady Elise. I’ll contact you in the near future.”
Sensing the mood turning strange, Leah wrapped things up politely.
“Thank you, Your Highness. I’ll be waiting.”
Elise smiled beautifully, like a flower.
Then—
“Grand Duke Cedric Frederick has arrived.”
A voice announced the late arrival.
The crowd buzzed, all eyes turning toward the entrance as the doors opened.
Leah looked that way as well.
Finally… the main character appears?
A platinum-blond man in a navy blue single-breasted suit walked in, heading straight toward the Crown Prince couple with an easy stride, ignoring everyone else.
His gaze was fixed firmly on Crown Prince Edward.
Leah found herself captivated by Cedric Frederick, the platinum-blond grand duke.
The only person in the empire with platinum hair.
The woman the current Emperor had loved before becoming Crown Prince also had platinum-blond hair.
As expected of a main character, his presence isn’t ordinary. But…
“Congratulations on your marriage, Crown Prince.”
“Thank you, Grand Duke Cedric.”
The two men stared at each other in silence, as if measuring one another.
Everyone in the banquet hall watched the three of them without breathing.
“Is it true that before the mines were discovered in the Kingdom of Trans, His Majesty planned to marry the Crown Princess to Grand Duke Cedric?”
One noblewoman whispered behind her fan.
“Oh my, really?”
“Now that you mention it, the Crown Princess’s silver hair actually matches the Grand Duke’s platinum hair better than the Crown Prince’s black hair.”
“If those two had married instead… there would still be no one by the Crown Prince’s side.”
“But even then, our daughters wouldn’t have had a chance.”
“That’s true. Lady Elise Francis exists, after all.”
The noblewomen looked regretful.
“Your Highness, may I be introduced to the Crown Princess?”
Cedric broke the tense standoff first.
Edward turned toward Leah to introduce her—then froze.
Leah was staring straight at Cedric.
It was a look she had never shown to anyone else.
Suddenly, Edward remembered Leah asking about Cedric back at the temple.
“…Crown Princess Leah.”
Hearing her name called for the first time since entering the hall, she finally tore her gaze away from Cedric and looked at Edward.
