Episode 25

The Duke Adler and I strolled along the lake near the imperial palace annex.

Usually, when we met under the guise of a ‘date’, I was the one who chattered incessantly.

And Duke Adler would only reluctantly answer my questions.

But today was a bit different.

After learning new information about the cause of death of the fifth victim and the main suspect, I began to doubt the current direction of the investigation.

I couldn’t even figure out what to ask him anymore.

Because of this, I just silently walked, blankly staring at the lake glittering like a glass bead in the sunlight.

Maybe that’s why it was the Duke who spoke to me.

“Hmm, I noticed earlier that the Princess seems to have a deep understanding of imperial law.”

“Yes….”

“Did you study it separately?”

“Yes…. Well, it was my major….”

“Your major?”

“Oh, I mean I studied it as part of my training….”

I just gave soulless answers to his questions.

He walked a step away from me, glancing at me occasionally, as if he was following me around.

Just as I was blankly staring at the blue lake, thinking it resembled the color of Duke Adler’s eyes, he cleared his throat.

“Hmm, would you accompany me as my partner to the ‘Empire Union’ banquet?”

“What?”

Startled by the sudden proposal, I looked at the Duke in surprise.

Of course, it was natural for me, his fiancée, to accompany him if a partner was needed at the banquet.

But I didn’t expect Duke Adler to be the one to make such a proposal.

I glanced at the sky, wondering if the sun had risen from the west today.

“For your information, I ‘really’ enjoy attending the Empire Union banquets.”

“What? Oh, yes….”

Had the Emperor’s instructions to prepare this Empire event more grandly than ever piqued his interest?

Anyway, it was surprising to hear Duke Adler say he ‘likes’ such events.

“Hmm, so you don’t have to worry that I would dislike attending the banquet.”

He added, somewhat awkwardly.

Could it be… he remembered my words from the last debutante ball, that he didn’t have to be my partner if he didn’t want to?

“Ah… Yes, then I’ll be counting on you this time as well.”

I nodded, feeling somewhat dazed.

Perhaps it was just my imagination that the Duke’s expression brightened a bit at my response.

“So… do you have anything else to say to me today?”

The Duke looked at me with eyes full of expectation. I awkwardly observed his strange behavior today.

“Uh… no, nothing.”

Then, the Duke’s face visibly fell. I looked at him, bewildered.

Surely he wasn’t feeling slighted because I didn’t cheer him up with a compliment today?

Thinking it wasn’t the case, yet with a just-in-case feeling, I threw out a bait.

“Duke, you have something on your cheek.”

“What, what is it?”

The Duke, looking greatly flustered, hurriedly took out a handkerchief from his pocket.

“It’s handsomeness.”

I smiled mischievously, tossing out a classic line.

Then, the Duke’s lips twitched instantly. His face lit up as if he had been electrified.

I was taken aback by his reaction.

This guy, he really wanted a compliment.

All this time, he thought of me as a compliment shuttle! Could such a screw-loose man really be a serial killer?

Of course, my suspicions weren’t just because of his behavior. Weren’t there some unconvincing aspects about labeling the Duke as the real mastermind?

And perhaps, since I started thinking that the Duke might not be the villain, there’s been a subtle change in my feelings towards him.

Perhaps a crack had formed in my feelings that had only regarded him as a perpetrator.

It seemed like something suspicious was slowly growing in that gap, so I tensed up.

The Duke, having composed his expression, spoke to me in his usual cool tone.

“I understand that the Princess’s dress was ruined while helping Blair on the day of Lady Mosston’s debutante ball.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. It was my fault. That dress was originally sent by you, the Duke….”

He was referring to the silk dress he had bought, which became unusable due to wine.

“It was my sister’s fault, so I will compensate you with a dress for the upcoming Empire Union banquet.”

“It’s okay. The budget for the Princess’s palace has increased, and I have a dress that I had tailored before but never wore.”

I flatly refused his kindness.

I loathed the idea of accepting a dress as a gift and having to flatter him for it. Just thinking about the excessive compliments I had to make about his evening wear to appease him that day already gave me a headache.

At my refusal, the Duke’s brows furrowed for a moment before returning to normal.

“The Empire Union is a major event with delegations from other countries attending. And as my partner, you should wear the finest dress.”

“Are you implying that my dress won’t be the best?”

I glared at him, and the Duke flinched at my gaze, then cleared his throat.

“No, that’s not what I mean. How about purchasing a dress from Emerse, the empire’s finest boutique… I made a mistake at the debutante ball and… I can’t live with owing you….”

He rambled on.

I sighed briefly.

As the Minister of State Affairs, Duke Adler must meet many people, and for the sake of appearances, he probably wouldn’t like his partner to look shabby.

Thinking about it, the dress I had tailored for the last event seemed a bit modest for a grand event like the Empire Union. It was the last one left after all the good designs were taken.

Moreover, according to Martha, even for royalty, it’s hard to make a reservation at Emerse without a history of consistent purchases or a flashy network.

And with the Princess’s palace budget so far, there was no way to become a VIP at Emerse, which deals only in expensive dresses.

Of course, the lack of connections was due to a terrible reputation.

I found a suitable compromise.

“If the Duke makes a reservation at the boutique, I’ll go. But I will pay for it myself.”

The strategy was to use his connections to reserve the dress shop, but to pay for it myself.

Indeed, there’s nothing better than ‘buying it with my own money’.

“If you wish to do so, very well.”

The Duke, who had been stretching his eyes at my response, readily nodded.

A chuckle escaped through my teeth at his immediate answer.

It was clear that he didn’t want to give me a gift, but rather hoped the dress I, as his partner, would wear would match his status.

*

Martha burst into the reception room of the Princess’s palace with an excited face.

“Your Highness, did you reserve Emerse? They only take reservations for VIPs, and others have to line up from dawn to barely get a reservation!”

“Is that so?”

I replied nonchalantly.

How much could it possibly cost for a high-end boutique? Huh. I sighed lightly and shook my head.

“If you make your position clear at the Empire Union and hold your birthday banquet at the Imperial Palace! Your standing in the royal palace will change!”

Martha jumped around excitedly.

As there were many palaces within the royal palace, there was rivalry among them.

Excluding the Emperor’s and the Empress’s palaces, the most prestigious palace within the royal palace was undoubtedly Princess Camilla’s.

Just as Camilla ignored Charlotte, the servants of Princess Camilla’s palace openly disregarded those of Princess Charlotte’s palace.

Martha seemed always displeased with this fact.

Thus, upon hearing this news, she had almost screamed in excitement, about the Emperor deciding to host my birthday banquet at the Imperial Palace instead of Camilla’s.

“Finally, we can put those haughty maids of Princess Camilla’s palace in their place. I heard that for some reason, Camilla’s palace failed to get a reservation at Emerse. Princess Camilla is a VIP at Emerse, so she must be quite irritable by now, right?”

Martha spent a long time explaining how important dresses are in high society.

How difficult and expensive a dress is to obtain reflects a person’s connections, wealth, and power, she said.

“Do nobles buy new dresses for every event?”

John, leaning against the desk in the Princess’s palace reception room, looked somewhat grumpy. He had stayed in the room after finishing his report to me about the serial murder case.

“Sir Watson, it would be better to refrain from making such impolite remarks in front of the Princess.”

Martha, who had been excitedly chattering, responded sulkily.

I, lounging leisurely on the backrest sofa with my chin propped up, agreed with John’s opinion.

“Honestly, it is a bit wasteful. I haven’t even worn the dress I bought before.”

Though I may be reincarnated as a golden-spoon princess, my soul still seems to bear the mark of a commoner.

Martha’s mouth fell open in response.

“Goodness. The Princess who never wears the same dress twice…! Long live amnesia.”

Martha clasped her hands and looked at me with an emotional gaze.

Yes, my soul still remembers poverty…

“Moreover, there’s so much to read in preparation for the Empire Union event, and just selecting a new dress takes half a day!”

To avoid embarrassment at the Empire Union, attended by delegations from various countries, I had to study the basics about each country, and it was no small amount.

I sprawled out on the plush sofa as if it was all too bothersome.

“Your Highness! You must maintain your dignity!”

Martha chided me with a whine, as I lay sprawled on the sofa.

“So what? It’s just us here.”

I replied in a languid voice.

Somehow, with John and Martha, I feel like we’re ‘one team’, more at ease than when with others.

As I stretched and tilted my head back, my upside-down vision locked eyes with John.

His green eyes twitched and quickly avoided my gaze.

“Ahem. Well, I have tasks you assigned for today, so I’ll take my leave. I will return tomorrow at the scheduled time.”

Lying there, I only lifted my hand slightly to bid John farewell.

Then, I quietly pondered over what John had reported about Viscount Breguet.

Remembering John’s words, my mood sank as if doused with cold water.

“At the debutante ball, where the Viscount was last seen before his death, there was a hostile atmosphere between him and Duke Adler. Were you not aware?”

The records about the victims of the serial murders once again pointed to Duke Adler as a suspect.