Having thought of an excuse to deceive the old fox, Max was about to open his mouth. However, Beatrice spoke first. "Dear Max told me he would be at my room with my present, Father. I couldn't hold back due to the excitement… I'm sorry for leaving the banquet hall."

Her performance was immaculate. 'As expected, she's excellent at putting on an act,' Max admired.

"Your Majesty, it is true Beatrice came of age today. Still, she is a young girl. Please forgive her with your generous heart," an annoying voice butted in. He normally thought of her as an enemy but didn't mind her meddling at this moment.

Realizing the attention he was receiving from the people, the emperor simply gave a death stare to the empress. He then said, "Beatrice, you are the royal princess. You should set an example for others. Please don't make the same mistake again."

"I will bear that in mind, Your Majesty." The emperor smiled, seeming satisfied with the obedient reply. "As far as I know, you haven't danced with anyone yet…"

From the hesitant comment, Max deduced what the emperor would say next.

'He must have found a replacement for Avalta.'

Swiftly grabbing his sister's hand, Max dragged Beatrice toward the center of the hall. "It's your banquet. You should dance with someone at least once. His Majesty has forgiven you with a generous heart, so let's go and dance."

Beatrice widened her eyes slightly but soon nodded. "Of course."

* * *

I could see the people paying attention to the royal siblings' dance.

"Oh my, Her Highness is dancing for the first time today!"

"Yes, I was just about to say that. To have her first partner be His Highness… It seems they are close."

I stood in the crowd as I watched the two dance. They suited each other well. To say they were enemies of fate didn't make sense as the two of them were in perfect harmony. Only then did I realize that they were similar in personality and appearance.

"Lady Floyen, you've returned," someone called. I turned around to realize that it was Lord Elios. He was a charming gentleman, and as a result, he had been receiving a lot of attention from the ladies.

"Hello," I bowed.

Letting out a sigh, he told me his concerns. "I was worried about what had happened. The noble lady had called you in a very urgent manner."

'The noble lady…' I admired his cunning way of addressing Beatrice. Perhaps his quick-witted nature was what made him a well-liked person as well. Shaking my head, I replied, "Ah, she asked me where I bought my accessories. It seems she liked them. She didn't want to ask in front of everyone, so she had called me to a private place."

A smile brightened his pale face. "I see. That's a relief."

I was thinking that he was a very caring person when he reached his hand out to me.

"Will you grant me the honor to dance, Lady Floyen?"

* * *

He was always on the battlefield, and so no one believed he would be able to dance in a banquet hall. Nevertheless, the people were in awe of the crown prince's graceful movements. Beatrice was astonished as well. She thought he was merely a barbarian, but it didn't seem to be the case.

Dancing in the banquet hall was completely different from practicing in a confined space. The once antiquated banquet hall was now reflecting its opalescent colors, resembling a luxurious oil painting. Beatrice enjoyed the scenery of the nobles before her as if appreciating a work of art. However, she flinched when she realized something.

'How troublesome.'

The problem was Frederich Lionel Elios. Although he was rumored to be the best man to marry among the young noblewomen, there was a reason why the empress had excluded him from the list of suitable bridegrooms for Beatrice.

"We are excluding the eldest son of Duke Elios. If we choose that family, they might try to usurp the throne."

From her mother, Beatrice knew that the duke was a sly and meticulous politician. It was obvious that the same would be true of his son—after all, the duke had said himself he did not need to teach his son "any more things."

'If Jubelian gets involved with a man like that, she might suffer. I would even say Maximillian would be better for her.'

Beatrice glared at the nobleman with hostile eyes. Just then, she staggered from Maximillian taking an out-of-sync step.

'What the hell? Has he gone crazy?'

Beatrice looked up at her brother to insult him. However, she couldn't. Even though his face was covered by a mask, she could tell that he was giving a death stare to Elios.

'Why is he staying here then? He should go if he wants to.' She then realized something and frowned. 'Is it because Jubelian asked him to take care of me?'

With trembling eyes, she looked up at her brother and sighed. Releasing his hand, she said, "Go on before it's too late." Tutting, Beatrice watched as Maximillian left her right away. A thought then came to mind. 'Now that I think about it… If he and Jubelian get married, does that mean she will become my family?'

Beatrice smiled without realizing it.

'That's not too bad, actually.'