21

Elena glared fiercely.

"You'll keep the line, right? There's a limit to what I can put up with."

"Oh, how scary."

Ren shrugged and swept his hair, and suddenly pushed his face close enough to reach the tip of her nose. Elena, who didn't know it would come like this for a moment, swallowed her breath in surprise.

"Don't provoke me too much. Before I go overboard."

"What can you do?"

Elena didn't lose and glared. There was no reason to be pushed unless she was caught as a substitute. Ren pulled out first in a staring contest that seemed unlikely to end.

"You're right, what can I? I've never thought about it. I should think about it from now on."

"If you're going to think of it, would you go outside?"

When Elena pointed at the door with her slender index finger, Ren laughed as if it was absurd.

"Fine, I'm going to go where you want me to, lady."

Ren said goodbye exaggeratedly and then turned around. The footsteps moved away, and soon the door opened and closed with a thud. Elena could relax only after turning her head to confirm that Ren had left.

"Oh…"

A groan broke out between Elena's small lips. She was so nervous that her whole body was completely drained and her body was sore.

"You son of a bitch."

Elena spat out what she wanted to say a hundred more times. Although she couldn't do it in front of his face, she felt relieved after shouting like this. It felt like she was clearing a big rock that was blocking her way.

"I'm over the hump. Let's just think about the future."

At that time, Ren was walking down the stairs to the annex where the banquet hall was located.

"It's weird. The more I think about it, the stranger it is."

Ren's footsteps did not stop even in the midst of an accident, as if he knew the internal structure of the main building.

"You were obviously poisoned…"

Ren's eyes, muttering to himself, were deeper than ever.

"How the hell did she wake up?"

The poison was known to be indecipherable once poisoned. It was possible to prevent the toxicity from spreading, but that was the limit. In order to stop the toxicity, you had to sleep all day. You would become a living, but not quite living, entity.

"Did they find the antidote?"

He had no choice but to come to such a conclusion. Veronica's alive and well. Ren looked into his swollen hand and repeatedly clenched his fist.

"You're not just handsome, are you?"

Despite the blow that Ren sent unexpectedly, Hurelbard caught it. He even showed his strength to hold Ren's fist. This was not the ability of a simple knight. The exact strength of the knight would not be known until they came face to face, but he must be a strong man.

"This is going to be fun."

Ren grinned. Like he was enjoying the current situation.

***

The Grand Dukes' annex should not be treated as a mere annex. It was larger and more majestic than the Salvia Annex, where the Imperial Household held its official events. Such an annex was packed with nobles who had no place to step.

This was the extent of it and there was the fact that the interior hall alone was too short of space, so the glass walls were removed and the exterior fountain platform was utilized as a banquet hall. Once again, it realized that the term "the Grand Duke is above the imperial family" was not a falsehood.

Elena looked down from the window of the second floor waiting room at the nobles who had come to celebrate. Although she was the Crown Princess and had stayed at the Imperial Palace and had attended a number of state events, there were no grand and glamorous banquets like this held by the Grand Duke today, indicating that the dignity of the Grand Duke was higher than that of the Imperial Family.

"Grand Duke Friedrich."

Elena, to the master of the hall and master of this feast, looked down at indifferently. Countless nobles had gathered around him, struggling to make a connection as they continued to flatter and cajole him.

"Wait for me. I'll pull you down one day."

Kiiik.

The waiting room door opened and Leabrick came in.

"It's time. You need to go down to the celebration."

"Liv, I'm nervous."

Elena shrank and shivered.

"I'll be standing in the back. I'll come out in case of trouble, so relax."

"Yes, I'll just trust Liv."

"Let's go down now."

Elena rose from her chair and Leabrick signaled out of the room. Anne and Lunarin came in quickly and smoothed out her dress.

Elena, who finished her final preparation in the mirror, came out of the waiting room and stood in front of the stairs going down alone. As it was a blind spot in the corner, Elena on the upstairs was not seen in the hall.

When the maid approached the conductor who was playing a symphony in the hall and said something, he nodded and stopped conducting. Then he quickly changed the music and swung the conductor's rod again powerfully. The song was <Glittering Night>. It was a song celebrating the beauty and piety of a Queen, and the melody of the violin and cello stood out.

"Princess Veronica is entering."

The people of the banquet hall turned to the stairs leading to this floor, holding their breath at the powerful cry of the butler who was in charge of hosting the hall.

Tak, tak, tak.

Elena, who had been waiting, turned the corner and stepped out onto the stairs. Her haughty chin, her peculiar authoritative look and her blonde hair, the symbol of the Grand Duke. Her graceful walk, which enhanced even her seemingly monotonous dress, drew the attention of the aristocrats at first glance.

No one noticed that she was a substitute. The resemblance was striking from head to toe. The atmosphere from Elena, who had even risen to the rank of queen, was incomparably more dignified than Veronica herself.

Clap, clap, clap.

In the hall filled with silence except for the performance, the applause of the aristocrats continued. Most of them were aristocrats who had made connections with the Grand Duke, so they welcomed the return of Princess Veronica.

Until now, there had been a lot of rumors surrounding Princess Veronica's absence from the gates. The Grand Duke was not one to be swayed by a single rumor, but Veronica's prolonged absence left no choice but for many rumors to fly about the successor to Grand Duke Friedrich. In particular, the Bastache family, which was independent from Grand Duke Friedrich's side, had a high possibility of bringing about a change in the power structure since the title could be passed down from generation to generation. The fact that Elena was still alive and well today should dispel all such concerns.

"Have you come?"

Grand Duke Friedrich came to the front of the last step and escorted her.

"Yes, father."

Elena took his hand and smiled broadly. The Grand Duke was pleased with Elena's performance. The father and daughter lined up on the stage, looking at the nobles in the banquet hall. In the Grand Duke's hand was a cocktail glass that had been handed to him by his maid.

Grand Duke Friedrich said to the crowd, looking at Elena with a warm gaze.

"Today is a very happy day. Not only me but also my precious daughter could express her gratitude on the anniversary of the present Friedrich family."

The nobles applauded. Grand Duke Friedrich lifted a glass of cocktail.

"It is also thanks to the noblemen gathered here that we have been able to further flourish the current Friedrich family, built by our ancestor, Duke Rosette. Let's raise our glasses together and pay tribute. To the Duke of Rosette!"

"For!"

The nobles all lifted their cocktail glasses high in the air and slurped them down. The celebration ended with the emptying of the glasses. It was also the beginning of the real banquet.

"You're not in good shape yet, so go in moderation."

Grand Duke Friedrich showed the nobles that he was a father who cared for his daughter, and at the same time, he left an excuse so that Elena, who was not good at behaving like Veronica on the pretext of her health, could get out of the banquet hall early.

"Yes, father."

Elena lifted the hem of her skirt and played a submissive daughter. So far, there was nothing special because it was already talked about in advance.

'It's my time now.'

Elena had never wasted a minute of her time before she left the duchy. Especially right after she came to the Grand Duchy, she had a thorough plan. Today was no different. Elena would not let this opportunity pass her by. It was indeed a Grand Duke-led banquet. The birth anniversary banquet was a day when every outstanding noble in the empire would gather. It was a great opportunity for nobles who were not free from political relationships to deepen their friendship and find a marriage partner for their children. Elena intended to take full advantage of this.

'There's something I have to do before that.'

Elena glanced back. Sure enough, Leabrick was stuck behind her back like a leech. She'd come forward and try to control her.

'It'll be easier if I take Leabrick off first.'

Elena was not impatient. It was because she could make a mistake if she were hasty.

"Greetings to Your Highness the Princess. My name is Serena Williams."

"I'm Daisy. Does your Highness remember me?"

"How can you be so beautiful, even after such a long time?"

In a blink of an eye, aristocrats surrounded Elena. They were all eager to talk to Elena and build a favorable impression. Elena responded with a smile.

"I've heard of the beautiful young lady under Count Williams. You're even more beautiful in person."

"Oh, you know me."

Elena's head turned.

"How can I forget Daisy?"

"Do you remember me?"

"Of course."

Elena, who once had a reputation as the queen of society, faced the majority with equanimity.

'To the point that Leabrick doesn't doubt me.'

At the same time, Elena didn't forget to make her appearance often awkward so that she didn't look too experienced.

"Did I do that?"

"Huh? Can't you remember what you said?"

"Th… That…"

When Elena showed her embarrassment, Leabrick, who had been silently behind her, stepped out.

"Her Highness seems to have forgotten that. It's rude to keep talking about the same thing."

"I-I'm sorry. I just…"

The lady who was trying to talk about the past, stepped down without a word under the influence of Leabrick.

In the middle of this, the crowd surrounding Elena split as if the sea had opened. From the other side, a group of people led by a woman with bobbed hair approached Elena.

'Avella.'

She was the eldest daughter of the Reinhardt family, which, like the Grand Duke, is one of the four great families of the Empire. Her political sense and insight are similar to that of the Duke Chrom, her unrivaled father, and despite her young age, she wielded enormous influence in social circles.

Throughout Veronica's absence for the past two years, all the ladies who followed her were under her influence. In the future, she and Elena fought for control of the social scene, and even competed in the final trial for the appointment of the Crown Princess in many ways. She smiled bitterly.