It took about half a day for the teleport to move. The movement itself was instantaneous, but the preparation process was complicated.
From the moment Ilwooz breathed divine power into the teleporter in the palace basement, a sacred white light began to surround it. After the light came in, in about half a day, the Baluar Imperial Family was fully prepared to welcome their queen.
The Crown Prince and his wife, along with Cecilia of House Epernon, Count Epernon, Erzenes of House Targayel, and Shan Cirxus, who were in charge of protocol, welcomed the Queen through the teleporter in the basement of the palace.
Except for Crown Prince Raymond, this was their first time in the basement of the palace.
In the underground space, which was spacious enough to accommodate at least a hundred people, a large circle was drawn. The inside of the circle was filled with complex patterns of geometric shapes and unintelligible letters. And above it, a soft white light slowly swirled like a whirlwind. It was a mysterious sight that was almost awe-inspiring.
Elze, who remembers her past life in Korea, was so amazed by supernatural phenomena such as divine powers. When she saw these things, she really felt like God was with her.
Elze watched with her eyes wide open so as not to miss the moment when the teleportation worked. The softly swirling light suddenly began to flicker and grow stronger.
“!!”
The light became so strong that she couldn't see anything. Elze finally had no choice but to close her eyes. Even through her tightly closed eyelids, a bright light shone through, then slowly faded away. Elze quickly opened her eyes. And she was startled.
Dozens of people were standing in the circle where there had been nothing until just a moment ago. Elze could see that most of them were women. The few men were all sitting at the very end of the line.
Elze, who had been secretly observing without being noticed, realized that the people of the Kingdom of Ryeo looked similar to Koreans. They had black hair and black eyes and were all dressed in oriental clothing, which looked similar to the clothing of the Silla Dynasty.
“Your Majesty, welcome to the Baluar Empire.”
Crown Prince Raymond bowed slightly to the woman in front. The Queen responded in a short Continental dialect.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness.”
That person is the Queen.
Elze exclaimed inwardly. She was truly a dignified and beautiful woman. Her face, with her long, silky black hair, looked like a round full moon in the night sky.
The aura felt refined and the elegance emanating from it was extraordinary even at first glance. If it had been a knight, it would have been an aura of such greatness that even Elze would have been nervous.
Elze, who had been admiring the Queen for a long time, looked around curiously to see what other people thought. And the first thing she saw was Cecilia. She was looking at the Queen with an expression that bordered on disgust.
Cecilia opened her mouth silently. It was just a small murmur, but it wasn't hard for Elze to guess the word.
Pig...
Cecilia quickly calmed her face and pretended that nothing had happened. Elze frowned.
The ladies of high society prized a slender waist, fragile wrists, and slender calves. By society's standards, the Queen was far from beautiful.
Of course, Cecilia was free to think whatever she wanted when she saw the voluptuous Queen. But thinking about something and expressing it were two different things.
When the honored guests who came from a long way see her, they wonder why she would do such a foolish thing...
What shocked everyone was the sight of Shan Cirxus sticking close to Erzenes and taking such good care of her.
Shan Cirxus was famous for not stopping women who came to him or holding back women who left. He cut off all relationships with women after marriage.
The many women who had been in love with Shan Cirxus resented Erzenes. They forgot all the ugly things they had done to win Shan's heart, and they only wished for the Count and his wife's unhappy married life.
But such an affectionate appearance? The woman who tried to shake Shan Cirxus once knew very well what kind of person he was. He was a man who gave his body but never his heart. He never wanted more than a physical relationship with any woman, and he never treated them affectionately.
One of the young women who was blankly watching the scene muttered in despair.
“I knew that guy could make a face like that...?”
The reputation of being a cold-blooded man without any blood or tears was nowhere to be found. Shan was looking at Erzenes with the most affectionate eyes. Anyone who saw it could tell that it was a face that had fallen in love.
Originally, in the Baluar Empire, it was considered detrimental to one's prestige to be too affectionate toward one's wife. It was customary for married men to be shy toward their wives in public.
But now Shan had his hand on Erzenes's waist and was quickly turning around whenever she blinked. He was clearly showing that he was so in love with his wife that he didn't know what to do.
While Count Targayel and his wife were causing a lot of shock in the banquet hall, Elze, who had been staying next to Shan, was slowly preparing to leave.
In the banquet hall, men and women had separate conversations. There was no case of a couple being so close together. Elze naturally tried to step back while Shan was talking to others. However, even though Elze showed signs of taking a step back, the hand that was firmly holding her waist showed no sign of letting go.
“Shan...!”
Elze whispered his name softly. When Shan turned his head to look at her, Elze spoke earnestly to him with her eyes. Perhaps her earnest whispers had gotten through, but Shan made a very unpleasant expression and eventually let Elze go.
But Shan didn't take his eyes off Elze after that. He kept an eye on what Elze was doing in between conversations with other nobles.
And finally, Elze, free from Shan, was swept up amid the ladies.
“Countess Targayel!”
“Oh my, it’s beautiful. Isn’t that a dress from Sophiana’s wardrobe? It really suits you.”
“I’m thinking of having a small tea party at my mansion at the end of this month. I wonder if you’d be willing to attend...”
With so many people talking to her at the same time, she was completely out of her mind. However, Elze quickly learned the trick and defeated the incoming enemy forces one by one. The ones who seemed like a million-strong were nothing when they dispersed.
Elze continued her friendly conversation with the ladies. It was a pretty reasonable response for her first time attending a banquet.
Among the young ladies, some avoided Elze and kept a close eye on her. They were the women who had attended the tea party hosted by Cecilia a while ago. They had been scolded by Elze and Cecilia, and they were clearly afraid of Elze.
But only a very small number of them, most of whom did not know the fear of Elze. And some of them wanted to test Erzenes Targayel to see if she was someone they could easily deal with, or if she was someone they had to bow down to.
The young ladies who had been gathered in a group on one side of the banquet hall whispered among themselves and burst into laughter. They waved their fans gently and sent one of the young ladies, who was the lowest in status among their group, to Elze.
Young Lady, who looked timid at first glance, was holding a glass of dark beverage in her hand. She approached Elze while trembling.
“...?”
No, what kind of classic technique is this...? Elze, who had already been keeping an eye on her, clicked her tongue inwardly.
"For a moment..."
And Elze took a few steps towards the side where there were no people, so as not to cause any harm to others.
A young Lady, holding a glass of beverage, followed Elze. It was cute to see her like that. Finally, when the Young lady was right next to Elze, she leaned toward Elze with an awkward sound.
“Ahh!”
However, Elze, who had already prepared thoroughly, simply stepped aside. A young lady, who was about to pour her drink on Elze, was greatly embarrassed when her target disappeared.
It was the moment when she was about to fall flat on her face in the empty air. A long, slender arm supported the Young lady’s lower abdomen. Then, with the other hand, she caught the glass of drink that was about to spill.
The young lady looked at the person who had caught her. Then, when her eyes met with Elze's, she screamed in surprise.
“Whoa!”
Elze smiled and said, pretending not to know even though she knew everything.
“That was dangerous. Are you hurt?”
The blue eyes that contained her pupils were cool and curved. At that refreshing sight, the Young lady's face, who had been about to pour her drink on Elze, became dazed.
"Ah..."
Her cheeks blushed shyly.
Fiora was the daughter of a small baronial family. Her father, a knight, lived off the salary he received as a vassal of another noble family.
And Fiora had to live as a servant to the youngest daughter of the family whose father worked as a vassal.
Fiora couldn't refuse what she was told. She didn't know what harm her father would do if she got offended. Holding the glass in her tense, twitching hand, Fiora looked at her target.
Erzenes Targayel... The mistress of the Targayel Counts, the woman who married Shan Cirxus, a woman that all the young ladies of high society desired.
To Fiora, she was like a star in the distant night sky. To think that she had to pour a drink on someone like her. Fiora's hands were trembling with nervousness.
If I spill a hot drink, the dress will be ruined. What if I have to pay for that expensive-looking dress, or if I get slapped... All kinds of worries ran through Fiora’s head.
But there was a group of young ladies watching from behind with a cold gaze. Fiora, who forced herself to move her feet that wouldn't fall and headed towards Erzenes, fell down after aiming straight at her.
“...?”
But what happened? Erzenes moved her body slightly and easily avoided Fiora. Fiora, who had lost her balance, fell headfirst toward the ground. Fiora shut her eyes tightly. The image of herself making a complete fool of herself in a banquet hall with numerous nobles gathered quickly appeared before her eyes and disappeared.
But Fiora didn't fall to the floor. She felt a firm arm supporting her lower abdomen, and someone caught the glass of drink that was about to fall.
A sense of relief followed the dizziness and swept over her entire body. Fiora turned around to thank the person who had caught me. But there was Erzenes.
“Whoa!”
Unlike Fiora, who was so surprised that she screamed, Erzenes was calm. She even smiled and asked if she was okay.
“That was dangerous. Are you hurt?”
"Ah..."
Fiora's heart pounded. She looked at Erzenes as if in a trance, not even realizing that her face was blushing.
To Fiora, this moment felt like a scene from a novel. Erzenes was like a Prince on a white horse, holding her up so well and covering up her flaws.
“Excuse me... Um, thank you... I am Fiora from Sencia...”
“It’s okay. It’s just that the floor is slippery.”
Erzenes probably knew what she was trying to do, but she pretended not to know and covered it up.
I can't believe I was about to spill my drink on this person. Fiora felt so ashamed of herself.
Fortunately, the girl who came to pour her drink didn't seem to have any malicious intent.
Elze smiled at Fiora's rambling and tried to comfort her instead. She knew that Fiora didn't hold a grudge against Elze.
Sbe watched her tremble as she approached. Fiora, who was so frightened that she could hardly stand to look behind her, kept glancing around, where the young ladies were gathered. Perhaps Fiora had been ordered to move under semi-force.
Elze glanced over to see what was going on, and the young ladies were getting on their nerves, their fans flapping like they were going to burst. Things didn't go as planned, and instead, the cheerful atmosphere between Elze and Fiora made it clear that they were getting irritated.
While she was wondering what to do with those girls, Shan, who had been watching Elze from afar, saw the beverage situation and quickly ran over to her.
“Erzenes.”
After checking that Elze was okay, he carefully checked her dress to see if she had gotten anything on it.
Fiora, frightened by Shan's appearance, gave a small greeting and stepped back hesitantly. Shan glared at her once and then asked Elze.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
"It's okay."
“..”
Unlike Elze, who answered nonchalantly, Shan had a very serious expression on his face. Seeing that, Elze smiled slightly and joked.
“You act like I was stabbed by a knife.”
“It’s not that, but it’s something similar.”
Since Elze didn't often go out in public, Shan had expected that there would be some fighting at the banquet today.
But he didn't know they would rush in so openly. Shan had no choice but to take it seriously. Elze raised her eyebrows slightly and whispered to him.
“Who would spill a drink on me? I can even dodge being slashed with a sword.”
That was a fact beyond doubt. It would probably take at least one skilled assassin to attempt to pour a drink on Elze.
But even so, he couldn't help but feel worried. Just as Shan was about to say something more to Elze, a long trumpet sound was heard. It was the trumpet announcing the entrance of Crown Prince Raymond into the hall.
The old Emperor, who was bedridden, could not attend the banquet today, and the Crown Prince came to the banquet hall in the Emperor's stead. Normally, he would have come to escort Crown Princess Iarin, but today, she was in charge of the Queen's protocol, so he entered alone.
Duke Enoch Seraph entered following the Crown Prince, as all the nobles bowed to Raymond.
Dressed in a dark blue robe with sapphire buttons and neatly combed platinum hair, the Duke of Seraph was a stunning beauty.
But Elze knew what was inside that gorgeous shell. As she grumbled inwardly, calling him a pervert, Enoch's eyes scanned the room. Elze's eyes met his immediately.
“...”
Enoch smiled. The gaze that came with the subtle smile was cold and creepy like ice sliding down the skin. Elze somehow felt as if she was being stripped naked in his mind.
Elze glared at him with her eyes wide open. It was a threatening look telling him not to think of useless things, but for some reason, Enochs smiled even more happily.
While Elze and Enoch engaged in a silent battle of wits, Raymond went to find Shan first after receiving a general greeting from the nobles. Of course, Enoch was with Raymond behind him.
Shan's brow furrowed as he saw Enoch. And instead of looking at Shan, Enoch looked at Elze. It was an action that he knew very well how to make Shan angry.
Shan, who was momentarily enraged, seemed to be getting angry, but soon became aware of Raymond and calmed down his expression. Instead, he held Elze's hand tightly.
“Count Targayel!”
Shan greeted Raymond with a bright smile and a slight nod.
"Your Highness."
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you in banquet attire, Count. Was it the last time I saw you in the banquet at the victory celebration?”
“Was it that long ago? Time really flies.”
“That’s right. The Queen is planning to enter with Iarin shortly. Since she’s the main character, wouldn’t it be better for her to arrive last?”
Raymond's lips never stopped smiling as he talked to Shan. He smiled faintly and then turned to look at Elze. Elze quietly lowered her gaze.
“Ah, is this Countess Targayel?”
“...This is Erzenes of Targayel, Your Highness.”
It was her first time meeting Crown Prince Raymond. Elze had no good feelings toward him. In fact, she couldn't have any feelings for him. Starting with Targayel and continuing with Elijah... It was a relationship that was closer to bad blood. She endured it because he was the Crown Prince, otherwise she would have punched him the moment she saw his face.
“Oh, the necklace really suits you, Ma’am.”
“You are too kind, Your Highness.”
Elze's neck was dangling the diamond necklace that Raymond had sent her as a wedding present. Although it was the first time she had worn it since receiving it as a gift, Elze pretended to enjoy wearing it.
Even if he was an annoying opponent, he was still the Crown Prince of the empire. There was nothing good about being seen as a bad person. After Elze exchanged a few more words with Raymond, and it became quiet for a moment, a soft voice came from behind.
“You look beautiful today, Ma’am.”
It was Enoch who spoke up while standing behind Raymond. Raymond looked slightly puzzled. This was because there was no contact between Duke Seraph and Countess Targayel.
“How does Seraph know the Countess?”
Enochs answered Raymond's question smoothly.
“We ran into each other by chance at the palace a while ago and exchanged greetings.”
“Ah... Is that so?”
“Even back then, I thought she was a beautiful person.”
“...?”
Raymond's expression became strange. Enoch's remarks were thrilling to anyone who heard them. Shan, who had been quiet until now, blurted out.
“Thank you for the compliment, Your Excellency.”
Shan's eyes glared at Enoch coldly. Shan did not hide his jealousy and hostility. A provocation with only the bare minimum of courtesy flowed from his twisted lips.
“You seem to be very interested in my wife.”
Enoch smiled gracefully, turning Shan's stomach inside out.
“Oh, is it really that obvious?”
Shan and Enoch's gazes met. An invisible spark seemed to flash between the two fierce beings.
And Raymond, who was watching the two, opened his mouth in amazement at the unbelievable sight.
Raymond couldn't believe he was seeing things right now. From what Raymond had seen, if the women harassed Shan, they did it, but he never made the first move.
Shan was cold to women. To be exact, he was close to being contemptuous. He was not a talkative person, so he didn't go into detail, but he had a rough idea that he had been hurt by women in the past.
But now, Shan was not the Shan that Raymond had known until then. Shan was not only approaching Erzenes, but was also baring his teeth so that no one else could touch her.
Shan, who had always been indifferent and cynical about everything, was the first to see him like that to someone, especially a woman.
Raymond began to doubt whether the person standing before him was really Shan Cirxus. It was as if he was looking at someone else.
It wasn't just Shan, Enoch was like that too.
Raymond was well aware of Enoch's obsessive-compulsive disorder. His obsession did not discriminate between objects or people. It was a common occurrence in high society for women to approach Enoch, lured by his splendid beauty, only to be treated like dirty filth and end up crying.
The rumors about his obsessive-compulsive disorder were so widespread that it was an unwritten rule among the nobles not to shake hands with him when they met him.
It was as impossible for such an Enoch to show interest in another noblewoman as it was for Shan Cirxus to show pure love to one woman.
And yet, these impossible things are happening right now, right before their eyes.
As expected, the world was something that could be seen only after living long enough. Raymond glanced at Erzenes with a breathless smile. She looked back and forth between Shan and Enoch with puzzled eyes.
Erzenes Targayel was certainly a beautiful and elegant woman. However, her beauty alone was not enough to captivate those two men. There must have been women who had approached Shan and Enoch so far who were as beautiful, or even more beautiful, than her.
He still vividly remembers the scene where the courtesan, who was famous for her beauty and was the muse of many artists, confidently ran towards Shan and then ran away crying. In terms of beauty alone, the courtesan at that time was far superior to the Countess.
If not beauty, then what great charm is there...? Raymond observed Erzenes with eyes filled with curiosity.
There seemed to be something about her that he was drawn to. When he looked at her, he felt a strange feeling that was different from other noblewomen. It was a strange feeling that he couldn't explain in words, and it made him look back twice instead of just once.
Come to think of it, there was a slight difference in their posture and gait. Often, noble ladies focused on a slow, elegant, and dignified demeanor.
But Erzenes, though elegant, was a little different. Her upright posture, her straight gait, and her movements, both nimble and silent, were light. She resembled the knights of the palace rather than the ladies of the nobility.
The mature gaze was the same. It was similar to the experienced gaze of noblewomen who had endured years in the social world, but it seemed different somehow. It was not because of the peddling.
Raymond's head was spinning because of the inexplicable sense of disconnect. He wished someone would give him the answer.
Things started to get more interesting. Enoch provoked Shan. He spoke to Erzenes instead of Shan and extended his hand.
“I hope everything has been fine, Ma’am.”
It was a hand gesture asking for a kiss on the back of the hand. Shan's eyebrows furrowed.
Raymond was already out of the question for the two of them. It was impolite to hit and stab in front of the Crown Prince, but Raymond had absolutely no intention of stopping them.
Why stop it when it's such an interesting spectacle that you wouldn't pay to see?
From the moment Ilwooz breathed divine power into the teleporter in the palace basement, a sacred white light began to surround it. After the light came in, in about half a day, the Baluar Imperial Family was fully prepared to welcome their queen.
The Crown Prince and his wife, along with Cecilia of House Epernon, Count Epernon, Erzenes of House Targayel, and Shan Cirxus, who were in charge of protocol, welcomed the Queen through the teleporter in the basement of the palace.
Except for Crown Prince Raymond, this was their first time in the basement of the palace.
In the underground space, which was spacious enough to accommodate at least a hundred people, a large circle was drawn. The inside of the circle was filled with complex patterns of geometric shapes and unintelligible letters. And above it, a soft white light slowly swirled like a whirlwind. It was a mysterious sight that was almost awe-inspiring.
Elze, who remembers her past life in Korea, was so amazed by supernatural phenomena such as divine powers. When she saw these things, she really felt like God was with her.
Elze watched with her eyes wide open so as not to miss the moment when the teleportation worked. The softly swirling light suddenly began to flicker and grow stronger.
“!!”
The light became so strong that she couldn't see anything. Elze finally had no choice but to close her eyes. Even through her tightly closed eyelids, a bright light shone through, then slowly faded away. Elze quickly opened her eyes. And she was startled.
Dozens of people were standing in the circle where there had been nothing until just a moment ago. Elze could see that most of them were women. The few men were all sitting at the very end of the line.
Elze, who had been secretly observing without being noticed, realized that the people of the Kingdom of Ryeo looked similar to Koreans. They had black hair and black eyes and were all dressed in oriental clothing, which looked similar to the clothing of the Silla Dynasty.
“Your Majesty, welcome to the Baluar Empire.”
Crown Prince Raymond bowed slightly to the woman in front. The Queen responded in a short Continental dialect.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness.”
That person is the Queen.
Elze exclaimed inwardly. She was truly a dignified and beautiful woman. Her face, with her long, silky black hair, looked like a round full moon in the night sky.
The aura felt refined and the elegance emanating from it was extraordinary even at first glance. If it had been a knight, it would have been an aura of such greatness that even Elze would have been nervous.
Elze, who had been admiring the Queen for a long time, looked around curiously to see what other people thought. And the first thing she saw was Cecilia. She was looking at the Queen with an expression that bordered on disgust.
Cecilia opened her mouth silently. It was just a small murmur, but it wasn't hard for Elze to guess the word.
Pig...
Cecilia quickly calmed her face and pretended that nothing had happened. Elze frowned.
The ladies of high society prized a slender waist, fragile wrists, and slender calves. By society's standards, the Queen was far from beautiful.
Of course, Cecilia was free to think whatever she wanted when she saw the voluptuous Queen. But thinking about something and expressing it were two different things.
When the honored guests who came from a long way see her, they wonder why she would do such a foolish thing...
Elze sighed softly and looked at the Queen again.
“...!”
And then her eyes met with those of the pitch-black eyes looking at me. It was the Queen looking at Elze.
The black eyes she met after a long time felt awkward. After seeing only colorful eyes in Baluar, seeing black eyes for the first time made her think of Korea and gave her a strange feeling. She smiled slightly at Elze, who was confused. And she moved her lips and whispered silently.
"What did you see?"
Elze blinked. But the Queen soon naturally turned her gaze elsewhere. Elze, who had been staring blankly at her, realized it belatedly.
What the Queen just said was Korean, not the continental language.
To welcome the visit of the Baluar Empire to the Kingdom of Ryeo, the imperial family announced that they would hold a week-long festival in the capital. A banquet was to be held in the imperial castle along with the festival.
Elze heard that, as a member of the Queen's protocol, she would be accompanying the Kingdom of Ryeo's delegation to the banquet.
Cecilia tried everything to avoid meeting Elze, including doing all the ceremonial work herself, but she couldn't stop the banquet.
This banquet was significant to Elze in another sense. Since becoming Countess Targayel, Elze's social life had consisted entirely of attending a tea party.
Shan was also not very social, but he was well known because he often visited the palace to attend to business. However, in Elze's case, there were virtually no people who knew her.
That is why many people were looking forward to the banquet of the Count and Countess of Targayel. In particular, people of all ages and genders were curious to know who the woman who married Shan Cirxus was.
The eldest daughter of a ruined family, her past as a merchant, and her political marriage through the imperial family were enough to pique people's curiosity. They were eagerly waiting to see Erzenes Targayel at this banquet.
“So you have to dress up as pretty as possible and go! Make sure to keep your nose flat!”
Elze awkwardly smiled at Ivanna's burning enthusiasm. Ahead of the banquet, Ivanna was leading the maids and deciding on the dress and accessories that Elze would wear during the three-day banquet.
Thanks to Shan's full support, there were enough materials to prepare for the banquet. Shan ordered several dresses from Sophiana's costume shop for the banquet. If Elze had known, she would have urged him to buy them in moderation, but there was nothing she could do about the dresses that were already finished.
The Sophiana Costume Shop is one of several shops owned by the Machans Merchant Group and is considered the best of the best in the Baluar Empire.
As soon as the Sophiana clothing store was first opened, the top of Machans used its enormous financial resources to sweep up all the designers who showed signs of potential. With the best treatment in the industry, no designer would not go there. In addition, the expensive materials overflowing in the clothing store were enough to stimulate the designers' creative desire. Thanks to this, the Sophiana clothing store became the undisputed leader in Baluar.
The dress Elze was to wear at the banquet was a masterpiece created after several days of meetings and all-nighters by all the designers at Sophiana's costume shop, and it was a design that had never been shown anywhere else.
Of course, Elze didn't know that Shan had Marle harassed the designers in the costume shop like roasting beans. She just thought the dresses were really pretty and tried on various ones as Ivanna told her.
“Hmm... I guess I’ll have to go out a bit strong on the first day and take the initiative... I guess I’ll have to show some skin during the masquerade ball on the second night...”
Ivanna even dragged the maids into a heated discussion while choosing a dress. Elze was ignorant of this, so she left it entirely to Ivanna. While being attended to by the maids, she tried on a light pink dress and looked at herself in the mirror here and there, when there was a knock on the door.
“Your Excellency.”
And the one who came in was Shan. When Elze, dressed in a dress, turned to look at him, the maids all bowed and stepped back.
“Go out for a moment.”
At Shan's words, the maids all bowed briefly and retreated. Ivanna also quietly disappeared into the crowd of maids.
Shan, who approached Elze, tied the string on her back that she had not yet finished tying. His fingers, crisscrossing the thin ribbon, pressed down on Elze. Elze asked as she felt his touch.
“What's going on?”
Shan spoke softly to Elze, who was looking at him with a puzzled look.
“It’s a matter of protocol.”
"Ah..."
“If it’s burdensome, tell me now. I’ll take care of it.”
Shan had been against Elze since she first took charge of the protocol. He was worried that Elze knew nothing about the Kingdom of Ryeo. However, he had not said anything since Cecilia took over all the work.
However, at this banquet, she really had to be at the Queen's side to observe the ceremony. It was essential to be able to use the language of the Kingdom of Ryeo fluently for the Queen who was not fluent in the official language. From Shan's perspective, Elze couldn't help but be worried.
“No, don’t worry about it.”
“You don’t have to push yourself too hard.”
However, Elze shook her head at Shan, who was worried. Shan tried to persuade her anxiously, but Elze smiled at him instead.
“Do you know?”
Elze said with a bright smile.
“If you think about it, I might be an expert on the Kingdom of Ryeo.”
On the first day of the banquet, Elze and Shan prepared to enter the palace.
Since it was her first time attending a banquet, even the world-famous Elze couldn't help but feel nervous.
Countess Targayel's social life consisted entirely of attending a tea party. However, while a tea party was simply a drinking session with a few ladies and young ladies, a banquet was different, starting with the number of attendees.
This banquet was specially prepared on such a grand scale that it was considered to be the largest ever. There was no way to predict what would happen in the midst of so many people rushing in like a whirlwind.
To put it metaphorically, the Tea Party was a small-scale skirmish, while the banquet was a grand battle.
However, she was not in a position where she could afford a chaperone (a person who follows and looks after a young woman when she goes out to social gatherings. Usually an older woman.) as a support group. Elze, who was preparing to go to war, could not help but be very tense about the ominous atmosphere of the battlefield.
“Erzenes.”
Was it because she was nervous? Shan escorted Elze and took care of every little thing. Starting with getting off the carriage first and holding Elze's hand so she could get down comfortably, he checked everything, including whether there was any tangle in the hem of her dress or if her necklace was crooked.
Elze was able to calm down a bit because Shan was there to take care of her and help her relax.
However, the moment they faced the banquet hall of the palace, the tension that had been released with difficulty began to tighten around their entire bodies again. Shan deliberately joked to ease Elze's tension.
“I’ve never seen you this nervous before. Do you think you’d rather fight Heglatan?”
And Elze responded to Shan's joke with a bashful face.
“How did you know? I really think it would be better...”
Shan's eyes widened at the answer dripping with sincerity. He looked like he wanted to laugh. Shan hid his smile in his eyes as he spoke because he was being watched.
“Don’t worry too much. You’re just nervous because it’s something you’ve never done before.”
“Ugh...”
Elze didn't trust him at all, so Shan tried to comfort her again.
“Once you actually get inside the building, it’s nothing special.”
He held Elze tightly as he spoke. Hearing those comforting words, she felt a little better. Elze regained her composure and crossed her arms combatively against Shan. Shan finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and let out a low laugh, but she didn’t have the presence of mind to care about that right now.
Shan and Elze walked into the banquet hall, arm in arm. Everyone's attention was focused on the position of Count and Countess Targayel, which could be said to be one of the biggest issues at this banquet. The eyes that watched every move as if they were targeting prey were like a fine sieve. They tried not to miss even the slightest movement to catch even the smallest of things.
However, everyone hid their sinister intentions to criticize and find fault with each other, and outwardly they smiled brightly and welcomed the Count and his wife.
“Count Targayel!”
“Your Excellency, it’s been a while.”
“Your Excellency! This is my first time seeing you at a banquet.”
People began to gather around Shan and Elze like ants attracted to honey. Elze had a moment to prepare herself, as greeting Shan was the priority.
As Shan said, when they actually met, it was nothing special. In the turbulent mixture of hostility and goodwill, Elze quickly adapted to the atmosphere and soon began to act leisurely.
In fact, Elze didn't notice because she was out of her mind, but from the moment she entered the banquet hall, it was Elze, not Shan, who received the most attention.
In the many rumors that have been circulating so far, Erzenes Targayel's image has been portrayed as somewhat tough and uncultured. The story of her past, in which she set out on a journey as a peddler to save her ruined family, was enough to make one imagine that she would be tough.
But today, those who saw the Countess Targayel in person, about whom all sorts of rumors had been circulating, were astonished. Her beautiful and elegant image was the complete opposite of what they had imagined.
She had ivory hair tied up, sparkling blue eyes, and was wearing a dress that fit her body perfectly.
The young ladies and ladies who were interested in dresses recognized that the dress worn by Erzenes was one of the haute couture designs that Sophiana's dress shop had displayed as a non-sale item. The diamond necklace on her neck was so dazzling that it would have been overwhelming to most people just to look at it, but she carried it off as if it were her own body.
But that wasn't the part that surprised people the most.
“Oh my God, Shan Cirxus...”
“Oh my God...”
“...!”
And then her eyes met with those of the pitch-black eyes looking at me. It was the Queen looking at Elze.
The black eyes she met after a long time felt awkward. After seeing only colorful eyes in Baluar, seeing black eyes for the first time made her think of Korea and gave her a strange feeling. She smiled slightly at Elze, who was confused. And she moved her lips and whispered silently.
"What did you see?"
Elze blinked. But the Queen soon naturally turned her gaze elsewhere. Elze, who had been staring blankly at her, realized it belatedly.
What the Queen just said was Korean, not the continental language.
***
To welcome the visit of the Baluar Empire to the Kingdom of Ryeo, the imperial family announced that they would hold a week-long festival in the capital. A banquet was to be held in the imperial castle along with the festival.
Elze heard that, as a member of the Queen's protocol, she would be accompanying the Kingdom of Ryeo's delegation to the banquet.
Cecilia tried everything to avoid meeting Elze, including doing all the ceremonial work herself, but she couldn't stop the banquet.
This banquet was significant to Elze in another sense. Since becoming Countess Targayel, Elze's social life had consisted entirely of attending a tea party.
Shan was also not very social, but he was well known because he often visited the palace to attend to business. However, in Elze's case, there were virtually no people who knew her.
That is why many people were looking forward to the banquet of the Count and Countess of Targayel. In particular, people of all ages and genders were curious to know who the woman who married Shan Cirxus was.
The eldest daughter of a ruined family, her past as a merchant, and her political marriage through the imperial family were enough to pique people's curiosity. They were eagerly waiting to see Erzenes Targayel at this banquet.
“So you have to dress up as pretty as possible and go! Make sure to keep your nose flat!”
Elze awkwardly smiled at Ivanna's burning enthusiasm. Ahead of the banquet, Ivanna was leading the maids and deciding on the dress and accessories that Elze would wear during the three-day banquet.
Thanks to Shan's full support, there were enough materials to prepare for the banquet. Shan ordered several dresses from Sophiana's costume shop for the banquet. If Elze had known, she would have urged him to buy them in moderation, but there was nothing she could do about the dresses that were already finished.
The Sophiana Costume Shop is one of several shops owned by the Machans Merchant Group and is considered the best of the best in the Baluar Empire.
As soon as the Sophiana clothing store was first opened, the top of Machans used its enormous financial resources to sweep up all the designers who showed signs of potential. With the best treatment in the industry, no designer would not go there. In addition, the expensive materials overflowing in the clothing store were enough to stimulate the designers' creative desire. Thanks to this, the Sophiana clothing store became the undisputed leader in Baluar.
The dress Elze was to wear at the banquet was a masterpiece created after several days of meetings and all-nighters by all the designers at Sophiana's costume shop, and it was a design that had never been shown anywhere else.
Of course, Elze didn't know that Shan had Marle harassed the designers in the costume shop like roasting beans. She just thought the dresses were really pretty and tried on various ones as Ivanna told her.
“Hmm... I guess I’ll have to go out a bit strong on the first day and take the initiative... I guess I’ll have to show some skin during the masquerade ball on the second night...”
Ivanna even dragged the maids into a heated discussion while choosing a dress. Elze was ignorant of this, so she left it entirely to Ivanna. While being attended to by the maids, she tried on a light pink dress and looked at herself in the mirror here and there, when there was a knock on the door.
“Your Excellency.”
And the one who came in was Shan. When Elze, dressed in a dress, turned to look at him, the maids all bowed and stepped back.
“Go out for a moment.”
At Shan's words, the maids all bowed briefly and retreated. Ivanna also quietly disappeared into the crowd of maids.
Shan, who approached Elze, tied the string on her back that she had not yet finished tying. His fingers, crisscrossing the thin ribbon, pressed down on Elze. Elze asked as she felt his touch.
“What's going on?”
Shan spoke softly to Elze, who was looking at him with a puzzled look.
“It’s a matter of protocol.”
"Ah..."
“If it’s burdensome, tell me now. I’ll take care of it.”
Shan had been against Elze since she first took charge of the protocol. He was worried that Elze knew nothing about the Kingdom of Ryeo. However, he had not said anything since Cecilia took over all the work.
However, at this banquet, she really had to be at the Queen's side to observe the ceremony. It was essential to be able to use the language of the Kingdom of Ryeo fluently for the Queen who was not fluent in the official language. From Shan's perspective, Elze couldn't help but be worried.
“No, don’t worry about it.”
“You don’t have to push yourself too hard.”
However, Elze shook her head at Shan, who was worried. Shan tried to persuade her anxiously, but Elze smiled at him instead.
“Do you know?”
Elze said with a bright smile.
“If you think about it, I might be an expert on the Kingdom of Ryeo.”
***
On the first day of the banquet, Elze and Shan prepared to enter the palace.
Since it was her first time attending a banquet, even the world-famous Elze couldn't help but feel nervous.
Countess Targayel's social life consisted entirely of attending a tea party. However, while a tea party was simply a drinking session with a few ladies and young ladies, a banquet was different, starting with the number of attendees.
This banquet was specially prepared on such a grand scale that it was considered to be the largest ever. There was no way to predict what would happen in the midst of so many people rushing in like a whirlwind.
To put it metaphorically, the Tea Party was a small-scale skirmish, while the banquet was a grand battle.
However, she was not in a position where she could afford a chaperone (a person who follows and looks after a young woman when she goes out to social gatherings. Usually an older woman.) as a support group. Elze, who was preparing to go to war, could not help but be very tense about the ominous atmosphere of the battlefield.
“Erzenes.”
Was it because she was nervous? Shan escorted Elze and took care of every little thing. Starting with getting off the carriage first and holding Elze's hand so she could get down comfortably, he checked everything, including whether there was any tangle in the hem of her dress or if her necklace was crooked.
Elze was able to calm down a bit because Shan was there to take care of her and help her relax.
However, the moment they faced the banquet hall of the palace, the tension that had been released with difficulty began to tighten around their entire bodies again. Shan deliberately joked to ease Elze's tension.
“I’ve never seen you this nervous before. Do you think you’d rather fight Heglatan?”
And Elze responded to Shan's joke with a bashful face.
“How did you know? I really think it would be better...”
Shan's eyes widened at the answer dripping with sincerity. He looked like he wanted to laugh. Shan hid his smile in his eyes as he spoke because he was being watched.
“Don’t worry too much. You’re just nervous because it’s something you’ve never done before.”
“Ugh...”
Elze didn't trust him at all, so Shan tried to comfort her again.
“Once you actually get inside the building, it’s nothing special.”
He held Elze tightly as he spoke. Hearing those comforting words, she felt a little better. Elze regained her composure and crossed her arms combatively against Shan. Shan finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and let out a low laugh, but she didn’t have the presence of mind to care about that right now.
Shan and Elze walked into the banquet hall, arm in arm. Everyone's attention was focused on the position of Count and Countess Targayel, which could be said to be one of the biggest issues at this banquet. The eyes that watched every move as if they were targeting prey were like a fine sieve. They tried not to miss even the slightest movement to catch even the smallest of things.
However, everyone hid their sinister intentions to criticize and find fault with each other, and outwardly they smiled brightly and welcomed the Count and his wife.
“Count Targayel!”
“Your Excellency, it’s been a while.”
“Your Excellency! This is my first time seeing you at a banquet.”
People began to gather around Shan and Elze like ants attracted to honey. Elze had a moment to prepare herself, as greeting Shan was the priority.
As Shan said, when they actually met, it was nothing special. In the turbulent mixture of hostility and goodwill, Elze quickly adapted to the atmosphere and soon began to act leisurely.
In fact, Elze didn't notice because she was out of her mind, but from the moment she entered the banquet hall, it was Elze, not Shan, who received the most attention.
In the many rumors that have been circulating so far, Erzenes Targayel's image has been portrayed as somewhat tough and uncultured. The story of her past, in which she set out on a journey as a peddler to save her ruined family, was enough to make one imagine that she would be tough.
But today, those who saw the Countess Targayel in person, about whom all sorts of rumors had been circulating, were astonished. Her beautiful and elegant image was the complete opposite of what they had imagined.
She had ivory hair tied up, sparkling blue eyes, and was wearing a dress that fit her body perfectly.
The young ladies and ladies who were interested in dresses recognized that the dress worn by Erzenes was one of the haute couture designs that Sophiana's dress shop had displayed as a non-sale item. The diamond necklace on her neck was so dazzling that it would have been overwhelming to most people just to look at it, but she carried it off as if it were her own body.
But that wasn't the part that surprised people the most.
“Oh my God, Shan Cirxus...”
“Oh my God...”
What shocked everyone was the sight of Shan Cirxus sticking close to Erzenes and taking such good care of her.
Shan Cirxus was famous for not stopping women who came to him or holding back women who left. He cut off all relationships with women after marriage.
The many women who had been in love with Shan Cirxus resented Erzenes. They forgot all the ugly things they had done to win Shan's heart, and they only wished for the Count and his wife's unhappy married life.
But such an affectionate appearance? The woman who tried to shake Shan Cirxus once knew very well what kind of person he was. He was a man who gave his body but never his heart. He never wanted more than a physical relationship with any woman, and he never treated them affectionately.
One of the young women who was blankly watching the scene muttered in despair.
“I knew that guy could make a face like that...?”
The reputation of being a cold-blooded man without any blood or tears was nowhere to be found. Shan was looking at Erzenes with the most affectionate eyes. Anyone who saw it could tell that it was a face that had fallen in love.
Originally, in the Baluar Empire, it was considered detrimental to one's prestige to be too affectionate toward one's wife. It was customary for married men to be shy toward their wives in public.
But now Shan had his hand on Erzenes's waist and was quickly turning around whenever she blinked. He was clearly showing that he was so in love with his wife that he didn't know what to do.
While Count Targayel and his wife were causing a lot of shock in the banquet hall, Elze, who had been staying next to Shan, was slowly preparing to leave.
In the banquet hall, men and women had separate conversations. There was no case of a couple being so close together. Elze naturally tried to step back while Shan was talking to others. However, even though Elze showed signs of taking a step back, the hand that was firmly holding her waist showed no sign of letting go.
“Shan...!”
Elze whispered his name softly. When Shan turned his head to look at her, Elze spoke earnestly to him with her eyes. Perhaps her earnest whispers had gotten through, but Shan made a very unpleasant expression and eventually let Elze go.
But Shan didn't take his eyes off Elze after that. He kept an eye on what Elze was doing in between conversations with other nobles.
And finally, Elze, free from Shan, was swept up amid the ladies.
“Countess Targayel!”
“Oh my, it’s beautiful. Isn’t that a dress from Sophiana’s wardrobe? It really suits you.”
“I’m thinking of having a small tea party at my mansion at the end of this month. I wonder if you’d be willing to attend...”
With so many people talking to her at the same time, she was completely out of her mind. However, Elze quickly learned the trick and defeated the incoming enemy forces one by one. The ones who seemed like a million-strong were nothing when they dispersed.
Elze continued her friendly conversation with the ladies. It was a pretty reasonable response for her first time attending a banquet.
Among the young ladies, some avoided Elze and kept a close eye on her. They were the women who had attended the tea party hosted by Cecilia a while ago. They had been scolded by Elze and Cecilia, and they were clearly afraid of Elze.
But only a very small number of them, most of whom did not know the fear of Elze. And some of them wanted to test Erzenes Targayel to see if she was someone they could easily deal with, or if she was someone they had to bow down to.
The young ladies who had been gathered in a group on one side of the banquet hall whispered among themselves and burst into laughter. They waved their fans gently and sent one of the young ladies, who was the lowest in status among their group, to Elze.
Young Lady, who looked timid at first glance, was holding a glass of dark beverage in her hand. She approached Elze while trembling.
“...?”
No, what kind of classic technique is this...? Elze, who had already been keeping an eye on her, clicked her tongue inwardly.
"For a moment..."
And Elze took a few steps towards the side where there were no people, so as not to cause any harm to others.
A young Lady, holding a glass of beverage, followed Elze. It was cute to see her like that. Finally, when the Young lady was right next to Elze, she leaned toward Elze with an awkward sound.
“Ahh!”
However, Elze, who had already prepared thoroughly, simply stepped aside. A young lady, who was about to pour her drink on Elze, was greatly embarrassed when her target disappeared.
It was the moment when she was about to fall flat on her face in the empty air. A long, slender arm supported the Young lady’s lower abdomen. Then, with the other hand, she caught the glass of drink that was about to spill.
The young lady looked at the person who had caught her. Then, when her eyes met with Elze's, she screamed in surprise.
“Whoa!”
Elze smiled and said, pretending not to know even though she knew everything.
“That was dangerous. Are you hurt?”
The blue eyes that contained her pupils were cool and curved. At that refreshing sight, the Young lady's face, who had been about to pour her drink on Elze, became dazed.
"Ah..."
Her cheeks blushed shyly.
***
Fiora was the daughter of a small baronial family. Her father, a knight, lived off the salary he received as a vassal of another noble family.
And Fiora had to live as a servant to the youngest daughter of the family whose father worked as a vassal.
Fiora couldn't refuse what she was told. She didn't know what harm her father would do if she got offended. Holding the glass in her tense, twitching hand, Fiora looked at her target.
Erzenes Targayel... The mistress of the Targayel Counts, the woman who married Shan Cirxus, a woman that all the young ladies of high society desired.
To Fiora, she was like a star in the distant night sky. To think that she had to pour a drink on someone like her. Fiora's hands were trembling with nervousness.
If I spill a hot drink, the dress will be ruined. What if I have to pay for that expensive-looking dress, or if I get slapped... All kinds of worries ran through Fiora’s head.
But there was a group of young ladies watching from behind with a cold gaze. Fiora, who forced herself to move her feet that wouldn't fall and headed towards Erzenes, fell down after aiming straight at her.
“...?”
But what happened? Erzenes moved her body slightly and easily avoided Fiora. Fiora, who had lost her balance, fell headfirst toward the ground. Fiora shut her eyes tightly. The image of herself making a complete fool of herself in a banquet hall with numerous nobles gathered quickly appeared before her eyes and disappeared.
But Fiora didn't fall to the floor. She felt a firm arm supporting her lower abdomen, and someone caught the glass of drink that was about to fall.
A sense of relief followed the dizziness and swept over her entire body. Fiora turned around to thank the person who had caught me. But there was Erzenes.
“Whoa!”
Unlike Fiora, who was so surprised that she screamed, Erzenes was calm. She even smiled and asked if she was okay.
“That was dangerous. Are you hurt?”
"Ah..."
Fiora's heart pounded. She looked at Erzenes as if in a trance, not even realizing that her face was blushing.
To Fiora, this moment felt like a scene from a novel. Erzenes was like a Prince on a white horse, holding her up so well and covering up her flaws.
“Excuse me... Um, thank you... I am Fiora from Sencia...”
“It’s okay. It’s just that the floor is slippery.”
Erzenes probably knew what she was trying to do, but she pretended not to know and covered it up.
I can't believe I was about to spill my drink on this person. Fiora felt so ashamed of herself.
***
Fortunately, the girl who came to pour her drink didn't seem to have any malicious intent.
Elze smiled at Fiora's rambling and tried to comfort her instead. She knew that Fiora didn't hold a grudge against Elze.
Sbe watched her tremble as she approached. Fiora, who was so frightened that she could hardly stand to look behind her, kept glancing around, where the young ladies were gathered. Perhaps Fiora had been ordered to move under semi-force.
Elze glanced over to see what was going on, and the young ladies were getting on their nerves, their fans flapping like they were going to burst. Things didn't go as planned, and instead, the cheerful atmosphere between Elze and Fiora made it clear that they were getting irritated.
While she was wondering what to do with those girls, Shan, who had been watching Elze from afar, saw the beverage situation and quickly ran over to her.
“Erzenes.”
After checking that Elze was okay, he carefully checked her dress to see if she had gotten anything on it.
Fiora, frightened by Shan's appearance, gave a small greeting and stepped back hesitantly. Shan glared at her once and then asked Elze.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
"It's okay."
“..”
Unlike Elze, who answered nonchalantly, Shan had a very serious expression on his face. Seeing that, Elze smiled slightly and joked.
“You act like I was stabbed by a knife.”
“It’s not that, but it’s something similar.”
Since Elze didn't often go out in public, Shan had expected that there would be some fighting at the banquet today.
But he didn't know they would rush in so openly. Shan had no choice but to take it seriously. Elze raised her eyebrows slightly and whispered to him.
“Who would spill a drink on me? I can even dodge being slashed with a sword.”
That was a fact beyond doubt. It would probably take at least one skilled assassin to attempt to pour a drink on Elze.
But even so, he couldn't help but feel worried. Just as Shan was about to say something more to Elze, a long trumpet sound was heard. It was the trumpet announcing the entrance of Crown Prince Raymond into the hall.
The old Emperor, who was bedridden, could not attend the banquet today, and the Crown Prince came to the banquet hall in the Emperor's stead. Normally, he would have come to escort Crown Princess Iarin, but today, she was in charge of the Queen's protocol, so he entered alone.
Duke Enoch Seraph entered following the Crown Prince, as all the nobles bowed to Raymond.
Dressed in a dark blue robe with sapphire buttons and neatly combed platinum hair, the Duke of Seraph was a stunning beauty.
But Elze knew what was inside that gorgeous shell. As she grumbled inwardly, calling him a pervert, Enoch's eyes scanned the room. Elze's eyes met his immediately.
“...”
Enoch smiled. The gaze that came with the subtle smile was cold and creepy like ice sliding down the skin. Elze somehow felt as if she was being stripped naked in his mind.
Elze glared at him with her eyes wide open. It was a threatening look telling him not to think of useless things, but for some reason, Enochs smiled even more happily.
While Elze and Enoch engaged in a silent battle of wits, Raymond went to find Shan first after receiving a general greeting from the nobles. Of course, Enoch was with Raymond behind him.
Shan's brow furrowed as he saw Enoch. And instead of looking at Shan, Enoch looked at Elze. It was an action that he knew very well how to make Shan angry.
Shan, who was momentarily enraged, seemed to be getting angry, but soon became aware of Raymond and calmed down his expression. Instead, he held Elze's hand tightly.
“Count Targayel!”
Shan greeted Raymond with a bright smile and a slight nod.
"Your Highness."
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you in banquet attire, Count. Was it the last time I saw you in the banquet at the victory celebration?”
“Was it that long ago? Time really flies.”
“That’s right. The Queen is planning to enter with Iarin shortly. Since she’s the main character, wouldn’t it be better for her to arrive last?”
Raymond's lips never stopped smiling as he talked to Shan. He smiled faintly and then turned to look at Elze. Elze quietly lowered her gaze.
“Ah, is this Countess Targayel?”
“...This is Erzenes of Targayel, Your Highness.”
It was her first time meeting Crown Prince Raymond. Elze had no good feelings toward him. In fact, she couldn't have any feelings for him. Starting with Targayel and continuing with Elijah... It was a relationship that was closer to bad blood. She endured it because he was the Crown Prince, otherwise she would have punched him the moment she saw his face.
“Oh, the necklace really suits you, Ma’am.”
“You are too kind, Your Highness.”
Elze's neck was dangling the diamond necklace that Raymond had sent her as a wedding present. Although it was the first time she had worn it since receiving it as a gift, Elze pretended to enjoy wearing it.
Even if he was an annoying opponent, he was still the Crown Prince of the empire. There was nothing good about being seen as a bad person. After Elze exchanged a few more words with Raymond, and it became quiet for a moment, a soft voice came from behind.
“You look beautiful today, Ma’am.”
It was Enoch who spoke up while standing behind Raymond. Raymond looked slightly puzzled. This was because there was no contact between Duke Seraph and Countess Targayel.
“How does Seraph know the Countess?”
Enochs answered Raymond's question smoothly.
“We ran into each other by chance at the palace a while ago and exchanged greetings.”
“Ah... Is that so?”
“Even back then, I thought she was a beautiful person.”
“...?”
Raymond's expression became strange. Enoch's remarks were thrilling to anyone who heard them. Shan, who had been quiet until now, blurted out.
“Thank you for the compliment, Your Excellency.”
Shan's eyes glared at Enoch coldly. Shan did not hide his jealousy and hostility. A provocation with only the bare minimum of courtesy flowed from his twisted lips.
“You seem to be very interested in my wife.”
Enoch smiled gracefully, turning Shan's stomach inside out.
“Oh, is it really that obvious?”
Shan and Enoch's gazes met. An invisible spark seemed to flash between the two fierce beings.
And Raymond, who was watching the two, opened his mouth in amazement at the unbelievable sight.
Raymond couldn't believe he was seeing things right now. From what Raymond had seen, if the women harassed Shan, they did it, but he never made the first move.
Shan was cold to women. To be exact, he was close to being contemptuous. He was not a talkative person, so he didn't go into detail, but he had a rough idea that he had been hurt by women in the past.
But now, Shan was not the Shan that Raymond had known until then. Shan was not only approaching Erzenes, but was also baring his teeth so that no one else could touch her.
Shan, who had always been indifferent and cynical about everything, was the first to see him like that to someone, especially a woman.
Raymond began to doubt whether the person standing before him was really Shan Cirxus. It was as if he was looking at someone else.
It wasn't just Shan, Enoch was like that too.
Raymond was well aware of Enoch's obsessive-compulsive disorder. His obsession did not discriminate between objects or people. It was a common occurrence in high society for women to approach Enoch, lured by his splendid beauty, only to be treated like dirty filth and end up crying.
The rumors about his obsessive-compulsive disorder were so widespread that it was an unwritten rule among the nobles not to shake hands with him when they met him.
It was as impossible for such an Enoch to show interest in another noblewoman as it was for Shan Cirxus to show pure love to one woman.
And yet, these impossible things are happening right now, right before their eyes.
As expected, the world was something that could be seen only after living long enough. Raymond glanced at Erzenes with a breathless smile. She looked back and forth between Shan and Enoch with puzzled eyes.
Erzenes Targayel was certainly a beautiful and elegant woman. However, her beauty alone was not enough to captivate those two men. There must have been women who had approached Shan and Enoch so far who were as beautiful, or even more beautiful, than her.
He still vividly remembers the scene where the courtesan, who was famous for her beauty and was the muse of many artists, confidently ran towards Shan and then ran away crying. In terms of beauty alone, the courtesan at that time was far superior to the Countess.
If not beauty, then what great charm is there...? Raymond observed Erzenes with eyes filled with curiosity.
There seemed to be something about her that he was drawn to. When he looked at her, he felt a strange feeling that was different from other noblewomen. It was a strange feeling that he couldn't explain in words, and it made him look back twice instead of just once.
Come to think of it, there was a slight difference in their posture and gait. Often, noble ladies focused on a slow, elegant, and dignified demeanor.
But Erzenes, though elegant, was a little different. Her upright posture, her straight gait, and her movements, both nimble and silent, were light. She resembled the knights of the palace rather than the ladies of the nobility.
The mature gaze was the same. It was similar to the experienced gaze of noblewomen who had endured years in the social world, but it seemed different somehow. It was not because of the peddling.
Raymond's head was spinning because of the inexplicable sense of disconnect. He wished someone would give him the answer.
Things started to get more interesting. Enoch provoked Shan. He spoke to Erzenes instead of Shan and extended his hand.
“I hope everything has been fine, Ma’am.”
It was a hand gesture asking for a kiss on the back of the hand. Shan's eyebrows furrowed.
Raymond was already out of the question for the two of them. It was impolite to hit and stab in front of the Crown Prince, but Raymond had absolutely no intention of stopping them.
Why stop it when it's such an interesting spectacle that you wouldn't pay to see?
Rather, he was busy watching it with excitement. Raymond was looking forward to seeing how Erzenes would react.
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