•?••? ? ?••?•

Ray bowed slightly and strode out of the office. He didn’t stop there and filled with simmering anger, quickly left the western palace.

Walking nonstop, with his gaze fixed ahead, it was only when the palace was out of sight that he let out a deep sigh, brushing back his hair vigorously.

“haa…”

Even taking deep breaths, the anger that filled him wouldn’t easily dissipate. The term “Princess Consort” continued to echo in his ears, making his insides burn even hotter.

The only way to calm his mind was to recall Iva’s words.

Leaning slightly against a large tree, Ray reminisced about their last conversation.

‘Ah, this is driving me crazy. I really have no plans of marrying the prince.’

“I must trust Lady Iva. There’s no other way.”

Remembering Iva’s strongly denying face and voice, his anger softened. Just thinking of Iva brought him peace.

“This is serious. I can’t seem to live without thinking about Young Lady Iva now.”

A light chuckle escaped his lips. He wondered how deeply he could fall for her.

And then, he felt determined.

Claude had blatantly revealed his feelings for Iva.

If Claude, who always got what he wanted, intended to use his power to force Iva into the role of the Princess Consort, Ray now felt the courage to stand up to him without backing down.

For a long time, Ray placed his hand near his heart and thought of Iva.

* * *

“Miss Iva, thank you so much for attending the tea party today.”

Rosie expressed her sincerity as she delicately took Iva’s fingers. The gesture was so adorable that Iva playfully wiggled her fingertips.

“I enjoyed it a lot too. I’ll invite you to our mansion next time.”

“Really? I’m already so excited!”

“But before that, we need to make Chase recognize Miss Rosie’s name. You haven’t forgotten the sequence I told you about, have you?”

Rosie nodded vigorously.

“Yes! First, on the day of presenting desserts to the palace, I need to go with my parents.”

Sainy and Yuzure, who were next to her, clenched their fists, hanging on to every word Rosie said.

“Then, I’ll pretend to get lost in the palace again and meet Lord Chase to ask for help. Afterward, I’ll mention how he helped me before and express my desire to repay him.”

“That’s right! You remember it very well.”

“But what if I can’t meet him when I go this time?”

“You keep trying until you run into him!”

“What if he realizes that I keep getting lost on purpose…?”

“It’s okay. As long as you don’t lose the path to Chase’s heart.”

The girls looked at Iva with impressed eyes.

“When is the next dessert offering date?”

“It’s next week!”

“Then, especially roam around Prince Claude’s palace in the west. You’ll surely run into Chase.”

Just the thought made Rosie’s face flush. 

“My heart feels like it’ll burst just from meeting him. Will I be able to speak?”

“There’s no need to rush. Firstly, letting him know your name is most important! The brave win love!”

“That’s right, Rosie. Cheer up! You mentioned before that you’d regret just settling for an engagement.”

With their encouragement, Rosie clenched her teeth and pumped herself up.

“I’m so happy everyone’s supporting me! I’ll really muster the courage to approach Lord Chase.”

—

Chase was unaware that the ‘Operation Free Chase from Solo Life!’ plan had begun.

When it was time to leave regretfully, Iva took out a gift she had brought.

“This is a small token of appreciation for the tea party invitation.”

“Oh my, are these the tea leaves exclusively from Hilton? Thank you so much.”

“I like those tea leaves too. I went to buy them yesterday, but they were sold out. I was disappointed.”

Seeing Rosie receive the gift, Sainy and Yuzure looked a tad envious.

“Sold out? I went there two days ago and there were plenty.”

“I went yesterday. They said Princess Julian bought them all.”

Iva’s eyes sharpened at the mention of Julian.

“The Princess?”

“Yes. I’ve heard that many items have been selling out on Hilton Street recently because the Princess has been buying them.”

“Do you remember which other items?”

Sainy tried to recall, “I went just recently as well. I remember a boutique and a jewelry store.”

“Was it Opel Boutique and Reijus Jewelers?”

“Oh! That’s right. Miss Iva, you know them well?”

Of course. Those were the places Iva had visited just a few days ago.

She had gone to prepare for the tea party, buying a pale yellow dress and a bracelet. She never imagined Julian would follow after her. 

That persistent look she gave her, sizing her up as if she was a mere maid, was she trying to emulate her style? Iva felt uneasy recalling Julian’s gaze.

Wait, how did she know I visited those places?

Did she have someone tailing me? Or has she planted someone in the Blanche mansion?

She went from feeling uneasy to outright displeased, but she still didn’t know Julian’s intentions. If so, she needed to find out.

Iva contemplated a way to spy on Julian, who seemed to be prying into her affairs.

•?••? ? ?••?•