•?••? ? ?••?•

There was a young girl running towards them, carrying papers in both hands. She had soft brown hair tied in two braids and was wearing round glasses that were as big as her face.

“Fel! Over here.”

When Chase called her, her sunny smile was adorable.

“Greetings, Lord Chase.”

“Fel, say hello. This is the young lady who will be in charge of the party, Iva Blanche.”

“Uh, it’s nice to meet you. I am Fel Inette.”

Fel Inette was from a household that had been working at the palace for generations, and Iva was aware of that.

“Nice to meet you. Let’s work well together.”

“Yes! I was quite nervous alone, so I’m really glad to have you with me.”

“Can you show me the plans you have so far?”

“Sure, I have already decided on the garden landscaping and the colors inside the hall.”

Fel handed over the papers she had brought in her arms.

Iva quickly skimmed through the papers and asked Chase, “How many members are in the diplomatic delegation?”

“There are seven members, but the most important person is someone named Bridget Taylor. He is the head of the delegation, so he has the most decision-making power.”

The name Bridget Taylor was emphasized in the documents.

“Does Fenet only have winter weather?”

“Yes. It’s a country filled with snow all year round.”

“Then I should show them our summer, which they can’t see there.”

Fel, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, hurriedly took out a paper and started jotting down notes.

“I think it would be nice to have a fountain in the center of the garden. Flowing water gives a cool and refreshing feel.”

“I’ll discuss that.”

“Also, for the food, we should include cold dishes to give an overall refreshing vibe.”

“I’ll let the chef know.”

Chase left the hall immediately to relay the information.

With Iva and Fel remaining, they checked the condition of the hall’s interior.

It had been cleaned but the plain-colored wallpaper wasn’t suitable for a party.

“We should add new wallpaper inside the hall.”

“Should we go for bright colors for the wallpaper?”

“No, if we make the lighting bright and the wallpaper color is also bright, it might hurt the eyes.”

“Ah, I see!”

“It’s better to have a subtle shimmer in the wallpaper to make it less straining on the eyes.”

“You’re amazing! How do you know all of this?”

“Haha, I guess it comes from experience.”

Party interiors, buffets, wedding venues, recreational work, and more.

I had done so many jobs to earn money!

That’s why she was quite confident in party preparations.

“How many staff members do we have for the preparations?”

“We have about fifteen people. If we need more, the knights said they would help as well.”

“The knights? Does that mean Duke, the Duke, will also come?”

“Duke…? Ah! Duke Castello will probably only come on the day of the party. He hasn’t visited before.”

“Then, do the other staff members know that I’m joining as new staff?”

“No, I just found out too.”

Fortunately, the other people still don’t know that I’m in charge of the party.

“Please don’t tell the preparation members that I’m the one in charge until I tell them myself.”

“Oh, should I not say anything? They would probably be happy to know.”

“I want to meet them in person and tell them myself.”

“I see! Sure, I’ll keep quiet!”

Avoiding any encounter with Ray and Claude at the palace and successfully finishing the party was the top priority. I would never let myself be swept into a fate of death.

* * *

“Fel, you did a great job today. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow!”

In a short time, the two of them quickly became friends.

Fel reminded her of a cute little sister, and Iva felt happy to have her around.

“Oh my, how can there be someone so lovely?”

On her way home, she hurried towards the west gate of the palace.

“Huh? Was it this far?”

However, no matter how far she walked, the west gate was nowhere in sight.

When Chase guided her, it wasn’t this far. If there were passersby, she could have asked for directions, but there was not a single person in sight.

As the sun began to set, Iva had a sinking feeling, “I’m in trouble. I’m lost.”

The vast palace had many similar-looking paths, and she had completely lost her way inside.

“If I knew this would happen, I should have asked Fel to escort me.”

She was wearing heels, and her calves were getting sore, and the soles of her feet were getting numb. As she felt lost, she faintly heard people’s voices in the distance.

“There are people! I can definitely hear people’s voices!”

She struggled to move her heavy legs toward the direction of the voices.

“One, two!”

“One, two!”

“Three, four!”

The owners of the voices were knights practicing swordsmanship at an outdoor training ground.

As soon as she saw them, the idea of asking for directions vanished in an instant.

“Oh my, this is something.”

The rugged men were all practicing with their shirts off, and not just one or two, but dozens of them.

What is this? Have I walked into heaven? If this is paradise, I want to live here forever!

Even amidst the chaos, her eyes were quickly scanning the surroundings.

“Lady Iva?”

A low voice came from behind.

Startled, she jumped and turned around, only to bump her nose against something.

Mother, father! I must have been punished for peeking!

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