As I waited at the entrance, the front door opened. The butler, who had gone to greet the guests, entered with them.
“Please, come in.”
The butler politely gestured toward the interior of the mansion.
“How many guests are we expecting again?” I asked.
“Four,” Milan replied.
I turned toward the guests, a soft smile on my face. This was the first step in greeting them properly.
But the moment I saw who had just entered, my smile froze. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
No way…
I stared at him, eyes wide. When our eyes met, he grinned, clearly recognizing me.
“We meet again, Lady Burkell.”
I couldn’t respond.
Th-the First Prince?! No one said he was coming!
I was stunned. Since when did the First Prince have any connection with our family?
“We greet His Highness, the First Prince.”
Still frozen in shock, I bowed along with the rest of my family.
Wasn’t this supposed to be a gathering for friendly nobles?
“Seems Lady Burkell didn’t know I’d be attending,” the First Prince said, quickly picking up on my confusion. I forced a smile.
“My father didn’t mention your visit, Your Highness.”
Naturally, I made sure to lower my voice into a calm and composed tone. Milan immediately shot me another sharp look.
It’s not like I wanted to be caught off guard like this…
While I was quietly panicking, the First Prince offered an explanation.
“I was speaking with Duke Farrell when he mentioned that a group of high-ranking nobles would be gathering at Duke Burkell’s estate. It piqued my interest, so I reached out.”
“So when you said there would be a dinner party two days ago…?” I asked, turning to Milan.
“That was before His Highness confirmed his visit,” he replied.
It was clear now that Milan had known about the First Prince coming.
Why didn’t he tell me? If I’d known in advance, I wouldn’t have been so shocked.
“Dinner is ready. Please, let’s move to the dining room,” Father said smoothly, leading the guests away while I remained in a daze.
It wasn’t until the meal began that I started to understand why Father hadn’t told me in advance.
Clatter.
I dropped my fork without realizing it. Milan immediately sent me another sharp glance.
If I had known the First Prince was coming, I would’ve been anxious for days.
“I apologize,” I murmured.
Duke Farrell chuckled warmly. “No need to worry. It’s only natural in a room full of elders.”
Why would the First Prince invite himself to an event he wasn’t even invited to?
He was not someone you could ever let your guard down around. I couldn’t help but be suspicious.
The closer I am to him, the more likely I am to slip up.
“I’ve been to the duke’s estate a few times, but this is the first time I’ve seen you here, Vanessa,” Duke Farrell said.
I offered him a polite smile. “Ah, yes…”
I thought being at home would be safer.
“I didn’t have any other appointments today, so I thought I’d join since we had guests.”
“Only today?” The question came from the First Prince.
“I heard you haven’t been seen in society for quite some time. This doesn’t seem like a one-time retreat.”
He’s been keeping tabs on me?
I barely held back a startled expression.
“I just wanted to rest a bit. And I’ve had some things to take care of.”
“Then the last time I saw you at the palace must have been one of your rare outings?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Why was he asking me this? Even this short exchange made me wary of his intentions.
It doesn’t feel like an interrogation like with Lady Bankey, but still…
Fortunately, the First Prince didn’t question me further. That was a relief.
Once the meal ended and small plates began arriving at the table, I quietly slipped out of the dining room.
I thought I was going to suffocate in there.
The entire time I’d been on edge.
Did he really come just out of genuine interest in the gathering?
He had seemed attentive to the dinner conversation.
“When will this dinner be over?”
It was proper etiquette to stay until the end since we were hosting. I had only stepped out to the garden for a moment—I’d have to return soon.
I hope it ends quickly.
The sooner it ends, the sooner he leaves.
Just as I turned to go back, I came face to face with a tall man standing right in front of me.
“…!”
I gasped in surprise.
“Y-Your Highness?!”
He approached with no sound at all—how does he do that?
I placed a hand over my chest to calm my racing heart.
“I didn’t realize you were here.”
“I must’ve approached too quietly. I just stepped out for some fresh air.”
I’d come to the garden to escape, but now I’d run right into him.
I didn’t want to be alone with him in an empty garden. Instinctively, I took a step back.
“The breeze is pleasant this evening. A good time to rest,” I offered.
“Indeed.”
He took a step closer.
…Huh?
“Please enjoy the evening, Your Highness,” I said, trying to cover my unease with a smile and subtly stepping back again.
But again, he closed the distance.
What is he doing…?
Coming to the garden might’ve been a mistake.
I should’ve just run to my room. He wouldn’t have barged in there… right?
“Do you not want to be around me?” he asked, smiling faintly.
Did he read it from my face? Or from the way I kept backing away?
Probably both.
“N-no… Of course not.”
“You must be wondering why I came here today.”
His tone was casual, but his words were deliberate.
“You mean, why you came to the estate?”
“Exactly.”
I had wondered. Why he insisted on coming here, of all places.
“I was having lunch with Duke Farrell when he mentioned he’d been invited to the duke’s estate. Once I heard the names of the other guests, I was intrigued.”
So it was political.
Father had invited only close acquaintances, but the guest list was anything but ordinary.
All of them were influential figures in politics, diplomacy, or other key areas of the Empire.
“There’s no harm in getting closer to such people,” the First Prince continued.
“I need allies who will stand by my side. You understand why, don’t you?”
I did.
His mother, the first Empress, had passed away when he was young. The Emperor had soon remarried, and the second Empress bore the Second Prince and the Princess.
The Empire did not follow a strict law of primogeniture. Unless one of the princes made a catastrophic error, both retained a claim to the throne. And so, the two had no choice but to compete.
So he’s seriously starting to build his faction now.
But would Father support him? Though officially neutral, he was generally seen as leaning toward the Second Prince.
Maybe because I was in a relationship with Andreas?
Regardless, it didn’t seem like Father and the First Prince were a natural match—personality-wise or politically.
“I didn’t think you’d attend something like this,” I admitted.
The First Prince did have powerful maternal relatives. His maternal family, after all, was a prestigious marquisate.
“You already have supporters. Did you really need to go this far?”
“Even with support, that doesn’t sway His Majesty’s heart.”
“…Pardon?”
“His Majesty favors Andreas more.”
I was momentarily speechless.
“I’m sure His Majesty treasures both princes equally,” I said at last.
Andreas himself had told me that before. But the First Prince disagreed.
“No. There’s clearly a favored one. Even if His Majesty tries not to show it, the less favored son can always tell. It’s subtle, but it’s there.”
He said it casually, but the meaning was heavy. If what he said was true, Andreas might never have noticed—precisely because he was the favored one.
“So the more allies I have, the better. Maybe it seemed tactless to join this dinner, but I wanted to start repairing relationships with nobles I’ve neglected. I’d appreciate your understanding.”
So that’s why he came.
I’d been on edge, wondering what his real motive was—but it turned out to be something like this.
Now I felt almost guilty for being suspicious.
He spoke of serious matters with such calm that I didn’t know how to respond.
“You don’t need to push yourself so hard, Your Highness. You’re already recognized.”
I hesitated, but spoke.
“If you haven’t been keeping up with noble circles, it’s only because you’ve been busy. You went to war, and you’re still handling missions from His Majesty.”
“That’s true. As you said, I’ve been working for the stability of the Empire.”
“Exactly.”
“Hunting down threats to the Empire was part of that work.”
“Yes…”
That topic was unavoidable. It had been his recent mission.
Then, suddenly, he asked:
“We’ve run into each other twice so far, haven’t we?”
“Pardon? Oh… yes.”
The princess’s tea party, and the alley near the clock tower. That made two.
“Are you sure it’s only twice?”
“…?”
What’s he getting at?
“I didn’t realize it myself, but we’ve met more often than that.”
His tone was strange. I stayed quiet, and he looked at me with an unreadable smile.
“Just now, I mentioned that I’ve been working to eliminate threats to the Empire.”
“Yes…”
“So then… why do you think I came here today?”
There was a trace of amusement in his voice, but I only grew more confused.
Didn’t you say it was to build connections?
Still dazed, I heard his next question.
“That yellow mask at the auction… That was you, wasn’t it, Lady Burkell?”
