“……what?”

They stopped dead in their tracks, scanning the room in surprise. The hall was far more crowded than when they had left it, thick with a restless, exuberant energy. While the atmosphere of an evening party is always lively, the frantic whispering of the guests felt more like the electrified buzz of a festival crowd.

“What could it be…….”
“Oh, Lord Clavis, where have you been?”
“We Went to the terrace to cool off. Do you know what is happening?”

Felix’s eyes suddenly took on a sharp look of caution befitting a knight, causing the man who had called out to him to shake his head in a panic.

“No, no, it’s not anything bad like an intruder or a brawl.”
“Is that so?”
“Apparently, a person of very high status had come incognito.”

The gentleman’s eyes sparkled with joy, but Felix’s eyes returned to a blank expression for a moment before shining menacingly again.
–The people of the highest rank were, in short, royalty. Apart from dukes, who were treated as a branch of the royal family, the appearance of a member of the royal family at an evening party for nobles who were merely vassals was a special honour for the host, an event that would be passed down for generations.
From the perspective of the Loomis House, which supported the new royal family, the three royals who were likely to visit were the King, the First Queen, and the First Princess. However, if the King and the First Queen were to show up, even if it was incognito, careful planning and preparation were required beforehand. There was no way that information would not reach Felix, who is a member of the Imperial Knights.

Incidentally, the person who comes closest to the word ‘sneaking’ is the Crown Prince. He uses magic to disguise the colour of his hair and eyes, and the ‘street talk’ he developed as a student allows him to blend in with the commoners in the castle. He is an excellent magician and can even use short-distance teleportation techniques. Whenever the Crown Prince disappears on what he calls a secret visit, his guards, including the vice-captain of the Imperial Knights, who is his baby brother and personal bodyguard, are in a state of panic.
However, he is the son of the second queen and a member of the old royal family. It is hard to imagine him revealing his royal status and showing up at a party hosted by the Loomis House, who are said to be the leaders of the new royal family. He would likely be disguised as a viscount or baron somewhere and blend in without making a fuss.

“…..First Princess, perhaps?”
“As expected of a member of the Imperial Knights. We haven’t heard the full details yet, but it seems that is the case. It is rare for Her Highness the Princess to attend the evening parties of her subjects; since her injury, she has avoided all but the gatherings at the royal palace. I am truly grateful for such a wonderful opportunity.”

The man laughed heartily, raised his glass, and took his leave. He didn’t seem to notice that we were from different factions—perhaps because he was drunk, perhaps because he felt Felix alone was no great threat, or perhaps he was just a nice person.

Felix’s brow furrowed deeply as anxiety welled up within him. Instinctively, Aurora reached out to give his sleeve a gentle tug.

“Her Highness the First Princess….., she is the previous heir to the crown, right? The leader of the new royal faction.”
“Yes”
“What kind of person is she?”
“Have you met her?”
“A few times during Her Highness’ social debut ceremony and on the castle evening parties.”

The Queen and the King host evening parties at the Royal Castle at the beginning and end of the social season, respectively. It is attended by the entire royal family and all the dukes, so one can see the faces of all the heirs to the throne. However, young debutants like Aurora can only catch a glimpse of their faces when they greet the guests.
In Aurora’s memory, the first princess had deep brunette hair and beautiful purple eyes, and looked very much like an imperial princess she was.
She was a woman of dignified presence. Her white dress, the formal attire of royalty, and her platinum tiara were all very beautiful, but only her young lioness-like atmosphere remains in her memory. (Tl: – Mereoleona Vermillion?)

“She is a truly dignified woman; indeed, according to the Crown Prince himself, she is far better suited for his position than he is.”

It seemed she was the exact same person from her memories. Then, Aurora tilted her head in confusion.

“Is it a problem if Her Highness the First Princess comes to visit?”
“No, not that it would”
“Then why do you look like that?”
“As the unusual guests at this evening’s party, we cannot leave without greeting Her Highness.”

Felix muttered to himself, looking as if he had just chewed a bitter herb. Aurora, too, pressed a hand to her forehead and looked toward the heavens.
It was time for all the guests to greet this mysterious guest, beginning with the organizers and followed by the prominent members of the New Royalist faction. These formalities would not be over quickly; it would be a long while before Aurora and Felix could finally offer their own greetings.

“…… In the meantime, let’s borrow the resting room and re-fit our outfits before we meet the royalty!”
“…That’s right.”

They looked at each other with eyes like dried fish and nodded drearily.

＊

(…..That’s strange.)

Aurora muttered to herself as she walked down the softly carpeted corridor. She had left the evening party for the time being, saying “I need to get my dress fixed”, and after parting ways with Felix, she had asked one of Loomis’ maids to guide her to the ladies’ waiting room—yet something about the path they were taking felt suspicious.
There are several restrooms prepared at a soiree. These included resting rooms for the weary, a medical room for those feeling ill, and separate dressing rooms for men and women. There was also a private waiting room for the host and a small hall for the accompanying maids and chamberlains. For a large-scale soiree, a host would prepare at least ten such rooms.
However, A resting room should not have been far away from the soiree; yet, the maid continued to lead me deeper into the mansion. Before I knew it, the clamor of the party had vanished entirely, leaving only the faint, pale moonlight filtering through the windows.

Aurora wondered if this was like one of those common court tales where a jealous woman summons to harass.
Since she focuses on embroidery at home, she doesn’t read novels that much. But in her grandmother’s room at the estate mansion, there were some romance and epic novels for women that her grandmother, who was a resident of the capital when she was younger, probably brought with her when she married. Although the contents were a little old, most of the few novels that Aurora read were from her grandmother’s collection, as her mother, who was a female knight, did not show much interest in such books.
The stories, with their gorgeous covers that smelled of old ink, generally had plots like a noble’s daughter getting married after a great love affair, or finding happiness after a long separation. However, there were also some stories where romance was hardly the main focus, like “a princess from a small kingdom marries into an empire and struggles to unite the royal family” or “the daughter of a fallen noble family struggles as a lady-in-waiting in the royal castle.” Most of these stories of “reaching the top after suffering hardships” have scenes of harassment or bullying to spice up the hardships of life.
However, the protagonists of these stories are either beautiful women who are good at their jobs or delicate princesses who are cute and make you want to protect them. Their beauty, pure hearts, and talents are envied, and they are bullied. In the dark world of the glamorous court, those who stick out get hammered down.

(Ah, but maybe there was a story about a girl who wasn’t beautiful in face but had a kind heart, who was chosen by aristocrats, and then bullied by the women who didn’t like her……)

Walking gracefully behind her maid, Aurora was lost in deep thought. Who on earth was the one who had called her? She had let her guard down completely since Marquise Kirsten had come at her head-on. However, after being approached by one of the faction’s most attractive men and then refusing his invitation to dance, it was only natural that she was now perceived as an eyesore.
Aurora, alone and convinced, called out to the maid walking ahead of her.

“Um, are we really heading to the resting room?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t answer that.”
“My partner is waiting for me, so I’d like to go back if I can’t fix my dress.”
“My lord would like to invite you to a separate room. Please bear with me for a little while longer.”

Maybe it would be better to return to the hall. Just as Aurora turned to do so, she realized that two more maids had fallen in behind her. They were now flanking her from both the front and the rear, as if to make it clear they would not let her escape.

(Their uniforms belong to the Loomis household. The embroidery at the hem is so intricate—vines stitched in matching thread with a distinct oriental flair… No, focus! If this person can command three Loomis servants, does that mean they are a member of the family? A fiancée, perhaps? I’m fairly certain he doesn’t have a sister.)

It couldn’t be helped. She would simply have to endure a barb or two. Just as Aurora reached this conclusion, the maid stopped and bowed respectfully before a door at the very end of the corridor.

“My master is waiting for you. Please come this way. –Excuse me, young master. I have a guest for you.”
(Young master–!?)

There is only one person who can be called the Young Master of the Loomis house.

The maid silently pushed open the double doors to reveal a man rising from a single-seater sofa. On the side table sat a glass of amber liquid, its sweet, heady aroma clinging to the air of the small room.

His golden hair shimmered in the lamp’s dim glow. His cheeks were slightly flushed—whether from excitement or the drink, she couldn’t tell. With his sweet, boyish features and predatory eyes, it was unmistakably Yule el le Loomis.

Author’s Note:-

“It’s you,” she must have thought.
You can best imagine her grandmother’s book’s collection as old dramas or girls’ manga…….