<CHAPTER 09>

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“More importantly, could you reply to the royal invitation? Say that we will attend.”

“Yes, of course.”

After sending Phoebe away, I lay down on the bed alone and thought.

‘It’s going according to plan. Just the way I wanted.’

‘Now Isabella will distance herself from me, and I only need to help her from afar so she can live well.’

‘So… I did the right thing.’

Closing my eyes tightly, I repeated it like a spell as I tried to fall asleep.

I would probably sleep well tonight with a relieved heart.

—

The next day, Joshua came to see me and spoke cautiously while watching my expression.

“Leila, did you not sleep?”

“No? I slept well.”

In truth, I didn’t.

It felt like something was sitting on my chest, making me uncomfortable, so I had tossed and turned for a long time.

“You seem… scared again.”

“So, why did you come?”

I asked as I shut the book that had been open on my lap.

Joshua, who had hesitated for a moment, gathered his courage and spoke.

“I heard you’re attending the royal birthday banquet?”

“How did you know?”

“I heard it from my father.”

I don’t think I mentioned that to Mr. Albert.

‘Did Father tell him?’

It wasn’t something worth pressing, so I quietly nodded.

Then, an unexpected statement followed.

“If you haven’t found a partner yet… would you give me the honor of escorting you?”

Joshua looked at me with slightly trembling eyes, as if nervous.

Partner?

I tilted my head.

More precisely, it meant, ‘Why you?’

“We’re not even adults, do we really need a partner? I’m going with my father.”

I knew that partners were needed at banquets.

And that young ladies usually had a brother or close relative act as one.

But that was just for appearances, and no one would think it strange for me, a child, to go with my father alone.

However, Joshua stubbornly insisted.

“But I’m your friend, and more than anything, I promised to protect you.”

“…Joshua.”

Beyond his stubborn gaze, the future I had seen in my dream overlapped.

Even in the dream, I had heard similar words from Joshua.

He had been older then, an adult.

“No matter what happens, I’ll protect you. Now we are…”

…because we became husband and wife.

‘He definitely said that.’

But our ending had been a tragedy.

A tragedy I raised with my own hands, and one he ended.

‘This Joshua isn’t saying it with the same feelings as back then…’

‘Still, it’s better to cut it off early.’

I spoke with a serious face.

“I’m telling you in advance, but marriage is absolutely not happening. I have no intention of accepting your proposal.”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

Seeing Joshua unusually serious, I felt relieved.

“As long as it’s not that, it’s fine. Let’s go together.”

Having a partner was better than not having one.

“You’re really strange today…”

‘There’s something you don’t know!’

I answered inwardly and casually opened my book again.

“Then it’s decided you’ll go with me?”

Joshua leaned into my view and asked again.

“Yes. That’s what I said.”

For some reason, my indifferent answer delighted him, and he smiled brightly.

“It’s definitely going to be fun!”

Watching him, I eventually let out a small laugh.

‘He seems more excited than I am!’

Still, I was secretly looking forward to the banquet too.

I had only ever seen it in dreams—this would be my first time attending in person.

‘It’ll probably be far more dazzling than fireworks.’

That day, Joshua and I spent our time chatting about the royal banquet.

Unaware of what would happen at the late autumn banquet…

The day of the royal birthday banquet arrived.

My father, while worried about me appearing at a banquet for the first time, still said proudly,

“Albert, do you see this? My daughter is this lovely.”

“Ah, y-yes… she is truly beautiful.”

He couldn’t stop boasting.

I swallowed a sigh as I watched Mr. Albert repeatedly wipe his face with a handkerchief in embarrassment.

‘You must be having a hard time…’

Those words didn’t suit someone as small and plain as me.

With my black hair and pale face, I was more likely to be called a ghost.

‘Of course, if someone says that to my face, I’ll secretly step on their foot!’

Holding up my unusually heavy dress, I moved toward the carriage, where Joshua was waiting.

“You’re here? You look really pretty today.”

“Thank you.”

I smiled gently at Joshua, who was being proper as my partner.

Dressed in formal attire, Joshua looked impeccably neat.

Who would ever imagine that such an intelligent and cold-looking boy was actually a crybaby?

‘What a tragic fact!’

Shaking my head, I accepted Joshua’s escort and got into the carriage.

While exchanging trivial jokes, we arrived at the royal banquet hall.

The royal palace was the very pinnacle of splendor.

Among it, the banquet hall was a feast of gold wherever the eye could see.

Feeling slightly dizzy from the towering ceiling and the crowd, I entered.

As soon as it was announced that the Duke Mayfield had arrived, people quickly gathered around us.

“Duke Mayfield, and the young lady as well.”

“Oh my, how adorable!”

“Your Grace, regarding the mining rights we discussed…”

Surrounded by people holding glasses, I looked up at unfamiliar adults.

My father handled them skillfully, but I could not.

At that moment, Joshua took my hand and gently moved us away.

“The Duke will be busy for a while. Let’s look around the banquet hall in the meantime.”

Smiling brightly, he led me out from between the adults and guided me around.

Perhaps because he was the eldest son of the Benson viscount family, Joshua seemed at ease even here.

‘It was a good idea to come with Joshua as my partner!’

To think I would rely on crybaby Joshua one day.

Life really is unpredictable.

After filling ourselves with food, the star of the banquet appeared.

“His Highness Prince Herace Miles Osborne arrives!”

‘I finally get to see his face!’

Brushing cookie crumbs from my lips, I looked toward the stairs.

‘What kind of person is he?’

Isabella’s future fiancé, and the prince born with the kingdom’s greatest magical talent.

A prince famed for his beauty.

At the end of the echoing footsteps—

“Thank you all for coming to celebrate my birthday.”

The prince in white formal wear finally appeared.

But…

‘What is this?’

I blinked several times, unable to believe what I was seeing.

The chandelier’s light illuminated his soft pink hair.

His jewel-like golden eyes swept across the hall—then stopped on me.

It wasn’t a mistake.

Our gazes had clearly met.

He was looking at me.

The very person who had saved me that day at the festival.

The corners of his lips curled up as he smiled elegantly.

“May everyone here have a wonderful time.”

On the wrist holding his glass was a familiar ribbon.

The purple ribbon I had given him that day.