Karia knew perfectly well why he was so riled up and picking a fight the moment they met. Recently, she had been spending time with Servis, cutting off his meetings with her, and even taken the title of Marquess of Valta for herself.
And Karia had no reason to feel sorry to Robert for that. So she simply smiled and responded as if oblivious.
“Since I recently received a title, I thought I should dress properly to uphold my dignity as a noble. I’m relieved you said it suits me.”
“-I see… so you took the title of Marquess of Valta?”
“Yes. I declined a few times, but ‘Sery’ was so insistent that I ultimately accepted it.”
When Karia casually called Servis “Sery,” the calm mask on Robert’s face cracked.
Though he had heard rumors that the two of them were often seen together, he assumed they weren’t genuinely close—that there must have been some kind of transaction between them. After all, he and Servis had considered Karia a mutual rival and had shared many experiences. He believed those memories wouldn’t be denied.
But now, seeing Karia pretend to be close with Servis right before his eyes… it was infuriating.
He alone had the right to call Servis “Sery.” And recently, he hadn’t even been able to see Servis’s face.
“I heard you’ve been meeting the princess often lately. I don’t recall you two being particularly close before—was there some reason for it?”
“A reason…? If there was one, it’s that she approached me first to apologize. She said she regretted the small pranks she played in childhood that unintentionally caused me trouble. She cried, saying that though I had many older brothers, I only had one sister, and she had been too careless with me all this time.”
“-The princess cried?”
“Sery suggested that we cherish and take care of each other from now on, so I agreed.”
Karia flaunted her closeness with Servis as if it were trivial. Honestly, even if Servis were run over by a carriage right then, she wouldn’t shed a single tear—but she knew this was the best way to get under the crown prince’s skin.
As proof, the crown prince was smiling, yet his displeasure was impossible to hide.
“Did she say anything that upset her about me? Lately, you’ve been spending time with her doing things we usually did together… I feel a bit lonely, as if I’ve lost a close friend.”
“Well… Sery has matured, so she must have realized that she shouldn’t trouble Your Highness. After all, you are about to be married, and you can’t always be at your sister’s side to accommodate her.”
It was absurd for a grown sister to have her brother constantly following her. At Karia’s words, Robert could no longer maintain his composure. If Alcard hadn’t interrupted, asking if this was about him, one could have seen the crown prince’s crumpled expression.
“Let’s put the princess aside for now. How have you been lately?”
Robert quickly regained his composure and shifted the topic. Karia slightly furrowed her brows. If he had been satisfied with stirring trouble, he would have left—but now he was adding words.
Why bring this up now, when the time for polite greetings had passed? Robert had no genuine interest in her daily life.
“They say you haven’t been seeing anyone since the divorce. But now that you have a title, aren’t others being bothersome?”
“-People do come by occasionally.”
“Do you live in a townhouse now? It must be inconvenient if you have too many visitors.”
He circled his words as if concerned for her, but it was a ridiculous pretense.
When Karia, tired of wasting time, silently urged him to get to the point, Robert suddenly clapped his hands with an air of realization.
“How about hosting a party at the palace this time? That way, you can deal with all the curious people in one night. You’ve received a title, so it’s time to show the nobles exactly where you stand.”
Karia chuckled quietly to herself. So his intention was simply to make her the host of the first official palace party of the social season.
Normally, such parties were hosted by the empress or the dowager empress, but since the empress’s passing, Robert had been managing them in Servis’s name. In other words, as a direct royal and of the same rank as the princess, Karia was fully qualified to host the party.
Being the host of a palace party was a prestigious role, at least in name. But what Robert wanted to give her wasn’t honor.
“To ‘show your position clearly’ really meant hosting a lavish party so no one could say you weren’t fit for royal status—and on your own dime.”
A party spanning all the nobles of the capital could easily cost over a hundred thousand gold. Was this Robert’s petty way of exacting revenge for her taking the Marquessate of Valta? Karia found his provocative attempt amusing.
“Still, it’s not a total loss. Hosting a palace party will cement my presence as a royal, and the pesky little nobles will finally leave me alone. Once the name of Marquess of Valta spreads, no one will dare call me just a duchess.”
Money was no problem for Karia. She nodded at the crown prince, giving him a deep smile as if she were grateful.
“I didn’t expect Your Highness to be so concerned. If you entrust me with it, I’ll do my best.”
“-Good. I’m glad you accepted willingly.”
Robert looked puzzled that she agreed without hesitation. He had expected her to be flustered. She hadn’t collected taxes yet, nor received alimony after the divorce—how could she act so calmly about such a costly event?
But he quickly dismissed his doubts. Surely, she had no idea of the budget since she had never organized a large event. Seeing her flustered later might even ease his irritation.
“I’ve kept a busy person for too long. You may continue your business. Alcard, accompany Karia and see her off.”
“Your Highness? But—”
“Do you think a mercenary pretending to be a knight is equal to a real knight? She is now the noble Marquess of Valta. She could be in danger, so watch over her properly.”
Robert delivered his usual irksome remark, mounted his horse, and left without looking back. He was never truly worried—he had simply offloaded a troublesome task.
Alcard scratched his head but joined Karia’s party, realizing the crown prince wasn’t wrong. What danger could there be in a quiet capital where one could see the guards within ten steps?
“So, what brings you here?”
Without answering, Karia opened the door to a workshop ahead. The shopkeeper, who had overheard the conversation outside, quickly bowed upon seeing the two blond visitors.
“Has the item you requested been completed?”
“Yes, yes! Here it is!”
The shopkeeper hurried inside and returned with a polished wooden box. He placed it on a reception table in the corner. Karia reached out and opened it. Inside lay a neatly folded green flag with an embroidered golden hawk.
The hawk symbolized Valta, the green represented the marquessate, and the gold thread signified royalty. Karia silently lifted the flag, and the shopkeeper rubbed his palms together nervously.
“The gold thread wasn’t painted over the fabric—it was gilded onto the thread itself, stitched with care. And the base fabric, though smooth, is incredibly durable, so it won’t fray or wear in wind or rain.”
“-I see.”
“Ah… so the flag for your estate is ready. Planning a raising ceremony at the townhouse?”
Alcard had a countship, but being unmarried, he lived in the duke’s palace. He had never made or displayed a flag representing his rank.
Seeing him so intrigued, Karia answered curtly.
“No ceremony—it’s the head of the household’s duty to bring in the new flag.”
“‘Head of the household’… Who would have thought you’d be the first among us to become one?”
“Well… who would have thought I’d become head of the household?”
Neither the duke nor the emperor had ever considered granting her a title. If she hadn’t stepped forward herself, after divorcing Duke Pandeon, she would have been remarried to some suitable match. No one would have ever asked for her opinion.
Alcard watched Karia stare down the hawk on the flag for a long time, then looked elsewhere. He noticed something else remaining in the wooden box.
“-You already made something like this?”
Inside was another flag, similar to the one she held, but with a black background. Black flags were used in the family when mourning, such as when a member passed away.
