‘No, that can’t be. It absolutely must not be.’
Brittany held her breath, staring at Iovet’s back.
‘He must just be going over to speak to Count Green.’
Iovet stopped in front of the Count and Countess Green.
‘Don’t you dare ask Iris for a dance!’
Brittany screamed internally. Several of the young ladies present were thinking exactly the same thing.
However, their thoughts could not halt Iovet’s actions.
“Countess Iris Green.”
Iovet called out her full name as he extended his hand.
The fact that he had used her full name, rather than “Countess Green,” implied a great deal. It was a clear signal that he intended to extend the Crown Prince’s favor to ‘Iris’ personally, not merely to the Green family.
“Would you do me the honor of the first dance?”
Once again, gasps and sharp intakes of breath rippled through the room.
Iovet paid no mind, his gaze fixed solely on Rishi. He was struck by her demeanor.
The honor of being the Crown Prince’s first partner was enough to make any lady swoon, yet there was no flicker of agitation in Rishi’s eyes. As if this were the most natural occurrence in the world, a faint, elegant smile touched her lips.
Rishi’s gaze was both respectful and strangely arrogant. For a fleeting second, Iovet felt as though he were the one of lower status.
A small, warm hand rested atop Iovet’s palm.
The situation should have been an honor for Rishi, but instead, Iovet felt as if *he* were the honored one.
“I look forward to it, Your Highness.”
Rishi’s voice was soft but firm—and undeniably pleasant to the ear.
That Brittany had left the party with tear-filled eyes, or that the nobles were whispering amongst themselves, meant nothing to Iovet. In this moment, the ballroom seemed to dissolve until only he and Rishi remained.
‘Ha!’
A hollow laugh escaped him.
‘The flower of the Wittlow Duchy, they say?’
What a ridiculous nickname.
‘This woman is no flower.’
He had only exchanged a brief look with her, yet he knew.
‘She is a beast that could devour everything.’
He understood now why Kay was so utterly captivated by her. Beyond her looks—which made even Princess Mary’s beauty seem unworthy of mention—Rishi’s aura, her gaze, and her poise were all exceptional.
‘She’s no ordinary woman. How on earth could she have possessed such a gaze while locked away in the Wittlow mansion?’
It was the gaze of a warrior who had emerged from countless battles and deaths.
‘Whatever the case, she is a woman worth coveting. It’s a shame Kay discovered her first.’
He should have declared that he would take Iris, not Brittany, back when the Wittlow family was first mentioned as a potential relative by marriage. If he had, he could have seated this woman with the mysterious gaze on the throne as the Crown Princess.
‘Kay, that bastard. Afraid that everyone else might want her, he even filed the marriage registration before the wedding ceremony.’
Now, not even an Imperial decree could take Iris away. Even with the power of the Imperial family, one could not steal another man’s wife.
Of course, even if he could, Iovet would not have taken a woman whom Kay had already claimed. Kay was his only friend.
‘It’s not just her gaze. Her dancing is excellent, too. She is leading me.’
Rishi danced with such fluidity that Iovet even forgot he was the one who was supposed to be in command. With a skill that was both soft and firm, she guided the dance as if she were a flowing stream.
“Your Highness.”
Suddenly, Rishi spoke. Even though the pace of the dance was quite fast, she showed no signs of breathlessness.
“Woburn is not good.”
Because such an unexpected name surfaced, Iovet halted in his tracks.
Rishi whispered with a gentle smile.
“You must keep dancing, Your Highness.”
“Ah, my apologies.”
Iovet collected his thoughts and moved his legs again, following Rishi’s lead. But his mind was in a complete jumble.
The Woburn trading company.
It was the firm Iovet had recently been planning to invest in. They dealt primarily in Mertium, and gaining control of it would have been a significant help in solidifying his position as the Crown Prince. The problem was that the Second Prince also had his eyes on it, and Iovet had been searching for ways to secure the company before his brother could intervene.
‘How does this woman know that name? Did I mishear?’
Rishi focused on the dance with an expression that suggested nothing of consequence had been said.
When the song ended, the protocol was to release her hand and invite another lady for the next dance. But the Crown Prince could not bring himself to do it.
“One more dance, please, Countess Green.”
It was unprecedented for a Crown Prince to ask for consecutive dances.
Brittany, who had been composing herself to return and prepare for a dance request, and the other young ladies who had been waiting in the wings, were left with their mouths agape.
“You should grant the other ladies a chance, Your Highness.”
Everyone was shocked to hear Rishi speak as if she were coaxing a child.
“I must dance one more song with the Countess. Please, I ask for one more.”
Because the Crown Prince was practically begging rather than chiding Rishi for her refusal, not only were the nobles stunned, but even his aide, Setni, looked as if he were on the verge of fainting.
Rishi placed her hand on the Crown Prince’s shoulder as if she had no other choice.
“Your Highness, it is difficult if you ask for two songs. Other ladies are waiting for the honor of dancing with you.”
“How do you know about Woburn?”
“I have a good informant. Oh, it would be difficult if you asked me to reveal who that informant is.”
Rishi said playfully.
Iovet knew that asking for the source of her information would be a breach of etiquette. Even though he had requested two songs in a row, he had no intention of committing the further rudeness of pressing her on the matter.
“The source of the information does not matter. But do you know what it means to dig into the Crown Prince’s affairs?”
“I did not dig into your affairs, Your Highness. I was looking into Woburn, and your name happened to appear.”
“And the reason why Woburn is not good?”
“We cannot spend three songs together, Your Highness.”
It was a clear signal that this was not the place for such a discussion.
“Kay—Count Green—told me you were no ordinary woman.”
“There is nothing special about me. He just thinks too highly of me.”
“I thought so too, Countess. But it seems I was wrong. Please host me for a cup of tea after the party ends.”
“By all means.”
Rishi smiled faintly. It was as if her smile carried a scent.
Iovet did not dance anymore after the second song ended. He simply stood in the corner, deep in thought. The nobles present did not miss the fact that his gaze occasionally drifted toward Rishi. They wondered, ‘Surely the Crown Prince hasn’t been bewitched by Countess Green?’, but no one had the guts to voice such a thought.
And then there was Brittany.
‘What on earth is happening? Why is he only dancing with Iris and not with me?’
Unable to bear the burning jealousy, she finally snapped.
“Crown Prince. Would you dance one song with me?”
She committed an act that would be whispered about for a long time to come. If a lady asks for a dance first, it is standard etiquette to accept, no matter how much one might dislike it.
But Iovet, his mind occupied by more pressing matters, did not even offer that courtesy.
“I am tired, so I shall take my leave first.”
Iovet said this while looking past her, as if Brittany were not even standing in front of him, and walked out of the ballroom.
Brittany, her face flushed a bright, humiliated red, had no choice but to stand there blankly.
+++
“It was quite a sight. Her face looked like a burning sweet potato. I wonder if that wench… no, I wonder if Brittany knows how much the young ladies were whispering behind her back.”
Erwel, who had changed into her dress and attended the party after Rishi had left, chattered excitedly.
Krisina said as she helped undress Rishi.
“They say she once asked Count Green for a dance, too. It seems the Count accepted back then, but this time she was refused and became a laughingstock. I imagine whenever they gather, they’ll be talking about Miss Brittany.”
They hadn’t intended to humiliate her at this party, but Brittany had tripped over her own feet. If she had stayed still, she would have at least been considered average. As Krisina had said, this affair would be a staple of high-society gossip for a long time to come.
I didn’t feel sorry for her. Brittany had done far worse things than this.
“No, not that dress. I’ll wear that one instead.”
“Are you not planning to retire for the night?”
“I have somewhere to go.”
Though Krisina looked puzzled, she helped Rishi change into the dress she had chosen.
“You’ve worked hard today. Get some rest now.”
After sending the maids away, I gathered what I needed and headed toward Kay’s room. Even if it were a request from the Crown Prince, I thought it best to avoid meeting him alone. I didn’t want to be the subject of unnecessary gossip.
Iovet was waiting for Rishi in the room alone. His expression suggested he had expected Kay to come along as well.
“Countess Green.”
“Please, call me Iris.”
“Very well, Iris. Let me ask you straight. Why is Woburn not a good investment?”
“They are swindlers.”
“Swindlers, you say?”
“What they are dealing in is not Mertium. It is ordinary ore disguised as Mertium.”
“That cannot be. I verified it with my own eyes. I was able to use magic with it.”
“With this, too.”
Rishi took out an ore she had prepared for this day and placed it on the table.
“You can use magic with it.”
As Rishi tapped the ore, a faint light emanated from it.
“This is also Mertium, isn’t it?”
“No. This is a common black stone with a small piece of Mertium embedded in it. After a short while passes…”
The stone lost its glow.
“The magic ends.”
“Ha!”
Iovet let out a hollow laugh.
“Are you saying those bastards scammed me?”
“Yes.”
“How dare they?”
“The Second Prince was behind it. He must have told them he would back them up.”
“My word. I had thought that Lapord was also planning to invest in Woburn.”
Lapord was the name of the Second Prince.
“That is also true.”
At Rishi’s firm words, Iovet furrowed his brow.
“It’s true that Lapord intends to invest in Woburn?”
“Yes. The Woburn merchant guild operates with a first and second guild, divided into ore and silk. Since the first guild is doing well, everyone wants to invest there. You intended to do so as well, Your Highness.”
“I did.”
“The Second Prince is going to invest in the second guild.”
“Even if the silk side is doing well, it has its limits.”
“Woburn told the Second Prince that they would trade real Mertium in the second guild. They showed him real Mertium. They told him the first guild would be a discarded card, and that they would only cultivate the second. It is standard for a merchant guild to discard one of many branches they operate.”
“And you are saying that is a lie?”
“It is a lie. Even though the Mertium they showed the Second Prince was real.”
Iovet found it hard to believe her words. Rishi spoke as if she had been standing right there, watching the scene unfold.
“Iris. What could Woburn possibly gain by scamming the Imperial family? From where I stand, it sounds more like you are the one telling me a lie.”
“What Woburn gains from this scam is, of course, money. A massive amount of investment capital.”
“Even if they gain money, it is of no use if they lose their lives.”
Rishi unfolded the map she had brought along. She pointed to an island somewhere out in the sea, beyond the continent.
“Woburn has already applied for asylum. Once they receive the investment money, they plan to leave for this island nation, the Kingdom of Kaboras. In return, they are offering half of the investment funds. As you know, Kaboras is constantly eyeing an entry into the continent, and the massive amount of money invested by the Imperial family will be a great help to them.”
Iovet was left speechless. Not many people knew the fact that the island nation of Kaboras was building up its navy to advance onto the continent.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince, can choose one of two paths. Either pull yourself out alone, or give the Second Prince a hint so you can both pull out together.”
“I suppose there is no option where I don’t believe your words.”
A confident smile appeared on Rishi’s lips.
“You already believe me.”
I was stunned, yet impressed by her bold attitude. When I looked back at Kay, he had an expression that said, *‘See? I told you she was an amazing woman.’*