As a young lady attending her first royal ball, it was only natural for Estella to be filled with excitement. Especially since she had obtained the opportunity through the kindness of her master. Estella, who had been pondering deeply, spoke as if she had just remembered something

“Little Duke, you look very handsome today.”

“You have a way of saying things you don’t mean, Teacher.”

“It wasn’t an empty compliment, though.”

Diego, like Estella, also exuded radiance. While he was naturally a handsome man, the effort he put into his appearance seemed to enhance his aura even more. Under the staircase, many people were subtly vying for Diego’s attention, casting curious glances in his direction. Seeing them scrutinize her with curious eyes, Estella asked with a concerned tone.

“What time are we leaving today?”

“I don’t know exactly, but probably pretty late.”

“I hope Cedric doesn’t pry into my whereabouts while I’m gone…….”

She was forced to skip class today to attend the ball. She’d made an excuse about being sick, but she didn’t know if Cedric would believe her. Estella hoped Cedric wouldn’t find out about her plans. If he found out she was attending the royal ball with Diego, he would have a fit.

“Don’t worry about Cedric, we have other things to worry about right now.”

As soon as Diego finished speaking, he wrapped his hand around Estella’s waist. Experience had taught her not to panic too much, to the point where she wondered if he’d asked her to teach him to dance with this intention.

Estella smiled naturally, and at the same time, the waiting crowd gathered. A middle-aged couple and a pair of relatively young men and women. They greeted Diego as if they had known him before.

“How have you been, little Duke. It is an honor to meet you, Miss Montiel.”

They were curious about the identity of the woman who stood beside Diego, but they had news to share first. The middle-aged man who had spoken as the head of the group looked concerned.

“You don’t show your face until late at night, so I was sure you wouldn’t be able to make it today.”

The reason for the assumption was obvious. Estella felt like she knew why Diego hadn’t wanted to attend. The environment seemed to be one where the topic of Duke Berta couldn’t be avoided. Diego responded with even more natural ease than expected.

“I was very tempted to, but when my father is gone, I have to try to fill the void.”

After the funeral of Duke Berta, Diego refrained from socializing in high society. It was not just because he was busy handling family matters, but also because he believed that outsiders were quite shocked by the death of Duke Berta. After all, it was not a death due to illness or natural causes, but a murder committed by someone else. It was only natural for the family to be weighed down by heavy hearts. Diego was delaying the appropriate response that the mourning family should present to the public.

Diego spoke in a determined tone.

“My father was blunt and stern, but that was his responsibility as head of the family. I think he would have wanted me to be here.”

Estella tried to imagine what his feelings were about honoring the Duke of Berta. Not surprisingly, it was not a positive one.

“His Majesty should approve the succession as soon as possible, so that the Duchy of Berta can get back on track.”

Estella’s conviction deepened as the other person uttered the word succession. Diego’s eyebrows lifted slightly. Of course, Diego didn’t show his displeasure outwardly.

“His Majesty is not without cause for alarm. I have not fully come to terms with my father’s death, and I suspect he feels the same way, having known him for so long.”

Diego, so eloquent, gave an easy smile.

“I’m afraid I don’t wish to hasten what will eventually come to pass.”

Those words cemented the fact that it was he who would inherit the title. With the assurance that Diego was alive and well, his attention shifted to the next excitement. It was Estella.

Everyone was intrigued by this beautiful woman who had arrived with Diego. It wasn’t that Diego hadn’t been around women before, but he’d never brought anyone in particular as a partner, which meant she was special to him. To win Estella over, they started with a compliment.

“By the way, Miss Montiel, you are absolutely beautiful.”

“When you first appeared, I thought a fairy had walked in.”

“In fact, I was on the verge of asking you which shop you got your dress from.”

This gave Estella an indirect taste of power. If Diego hadn’t been there, she might not have been as beautiful as she was now, and they wouldn’t have praised her so much to the point of envy.

It was at this point that Estella was at a loss for words. Diego pulled her closer and said.

“We picked out the dress together. I bothered Madame Laura quite a bit to find the right fabric.”

The curiosity intensified at the mention that Diego himself paid attention to the outfits. Unable to contain his curiosity, the man eventually requested an introduction directly.

“If you don’t mind, may I ask to be introduced to this lady?”

All four pairs of eyes turned to Estella. If she so much as glanced away, she would be chewed to the bone. Unable to look away, Estella stepped forward to explain.

“Oh, let me tell you, I’m the Duke of Berta’s…….”

“Miss Montiel?”

Diego interrupted, calling Estella affectionately. The fact that he addressed her as ‘Miss Montiel’ instead of ‘Miss Margaret’ as he usually did made her feel a little awkward. This drew a stuttering response from her.

“What?”

“By the way, didn’t you mention that there was someone you wanted to greet when entering? You should go now.”

Estella blinked at the incomprehensible words. Diego leaned over and whispered in her ear.

“You haven’t eaten in a while. I’ll take care of this. You can go get something to eat.”

The magnitude of their conversation was such that no one else could hear. The individuals standing in front of Estella were curious about what Diego had said. Although she heard him, but she didn’t really understand what he was saying.

But instead of denying it, she nodded in agreement. If she couldn’t understand him, it was better to do what he said. There was no reason for her to stay and defy him. Estella bowed politely to those gathered.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment to attend to, so please enjoy yourselves.”

With that, Estella walked away from the group. She didn’t consciously look back, but she could feel their eyes on the back of her head. The only good thing was that Diego was still there, so they wouldn’t follow her away.

‘Why did you send me away, anyway?’

Estella asked, realizing that he’d said he didn’t like dealing with people, but he’d done all the talking. He’d skipped the ball because he was tired of these interactions.

‘I’ll just have to ask him later.’

She couldn’t quite put her finger on his intentions when she thought about it, and she realized that she needed to do as he said and get her fill. After all, she had skipped lunch to put on her dress. She grabbed a few pieces of fruit for breakfast to fill her stomach. Little did she know that she was about to embark on the pre-party routine of a noblewoman.

As Estella sped toward the finger foods, someone grabbed her from behind. With a title no one who hadn’t seen her here before would recognize.

“Miss Margaret.”

Turns out, she did have someone to say hello to in a hurry. Though it was a conversation Diego would not have found pleasant had he known.

“Lady Adriana.”

Estella replied in a pleased voice. She should have met her, but she hadn’t bothered to look for her. Adriana leaned closer to Estella and said.

“You look so beautiful today. I could see you from a mile away.”

Certainly, Estella was dressed to impress today. Adriana, on the other hand, was dressed very modestly for a marquis’s daughter. Formal enough, but without a hint of luxury. This would normally be interpreted as the Marquis of Astez’s frugality, but to Estella, who knew the situation, it meant something else. Estella said without hesitation.

“So is Lady Adriana. I don’t think there is anyone else in this ballroom who shines as brightly as you do.”

It wasn’t an empty statement. Adriana was the heroine of the novel, and she has the complexion to match. Adriana smiled at Estella’s compliment.

“Thank you for the compliment. If you don’t mind, could I speak with you for a moment?”

The only thing Adriana wanted to talk about was Diego. Given the subject matter, it would be wise to choose your words carefully. Estella nodded her head in agreement.

“Very well, shall we go out on the terrace?”

* * *

The party was still early, so the terrace was deserted. Estella placed her hand on the railing and peered out. Sure enough, there was a view worthy of a royal court. The majesty of the palace had been felt in the halls, but the real splendor was in the open air. The grounds, which can be seen directly from the terrace, were a picture in themselves. If she hadn’t been working for a place of such magnitude as Duchy of Berta, she might have been more reserved. Estella said admiringly.

“It’s a rather unassuming place to kill time.”

Unlike Estella, Adriana’s nervousness was palpable. Instead of watching the patronage like Estella, Adriana leaned her back against the railing. Adriana nervously clasped her hands together. It’s no wonder she’s stiffening up, as she’s about to make a fateful decision.

Glancing over at Adriana, Estella tried to gauge when Diego would be here. She couldn’t get him right away, as he seemed to be busy catching up on some overdue exchanges. If Adriana hadn’t caught her just in time, Estella would have been surrounded by the same group of nameless strangers–not an enviable position to be in, considering the nonstop questions and answers.

Diego seemed too busy, so Estella stopped a passing servant and asked him to give him a message. I’ll be out on the terrace, she told him, and he can come find me when he’s settled. He was not a great man to leave his partner unattended, so he would find her here, even if it was late.

“I’ve told him, he’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“Yeah, that’s what makes me nervous, actually, because the last time I saw him, he looked pretty scary.”

Adriana flashed a pale smile. She’d asked Estella to meet with her as a last-ditch effort, but the truth was, things weren’t looking too promising.