Everyone in the hall turned toward the voice in shock.
His tone was neither raised nor low, yet so clear that every person heard it.
‘What did he just say? With me?’
Selina stared at Xenos in sheer disbelief. Though every eye in the room had turned to him, his gaze never wavered from hers.
“You could have simply said you were with me. It was not a difficult matter, yet you suffered needlessly.”
The nobles erupted into furious whispers.
“R—Really?”
“She was with the Duke?!”
“That's impossible!”
“Yet His Grace is hardly the sort to fabricate lies…”
Morgan seethed with anger, demanding sharply,
“Is what he said true? And if it is, why didn't you state it before everyone?”
“Indeed, why didn't you say so from the beginning?”
Selina herself was bewildered by the turn of events.
‘Why would the Duke tell such a lie?’
This was the first time she had stood face-to-face with Duke Eustia since she was five years old.
Ever since he inherited the mysterious power granted to the imperial house of Savaya by the Dragon's Covenant, he had spent his life on ceaseless battlefields.
‘I heard he cared for nothing besides war…’
The Savaya Empire and the Autum Empire had waged an endless war for centuries, yet the tide had begun to turn in Savaya's favor thanks to the dragon's blessing flowing through the imperial bloodline.
The one who contributed most to that turning tide was Princess Krista, Xenos's late mother and the Emperor's elder sister.
Having inherited her power, Xenos became the empire's living symbol of victory, loved, feared, and revered by all.
As for the secret of that power, and how its manifestations differed from one heir to another, it remained a sacred mystery guarded within imperial walls, lest it leak to the empire's enemies.
The people knew only two truths: that the bearer gained martial prowess transcending human limits, and that unless he married his destined partner, his life would be cut short.
Romance tales had blossomed around these heirs and their destined spouses, growing into a legend passed eagerly from tongue to tongue.
For that reason, hearing that Selina had been alone with such a man stirred blatant jealousy among many noblewomen, while some noblemen could not fathom how this girl had ended up in the company of their legendary hero.
‘I don't know why he did it, but this is my chance… I can't let it slip away!’
Selina resolved to play along.
“Y… Yes…”
Though she felt mortified lying before everyone, she gathered herself and continued in a steady voice,
“Fearing my words might tarnish Your Grace's reputation, I chose to remain silent.”
She glanced at Morgan's infuriated face, then pressed on with confidence,
“It is true that we agreed to dissolve our engagement, but we have yet to exchange the tokens of dissolution. Had word spread that I was alone with the Duke, would that not have been an affront to his standing?”
Her logic was so sound that several nobles began nodding.
“Her reasoning is sound. Had it become known, it would have reflected poorly on the Duke.”
“Indeed, she seems to have acted wisely.”
“Miss Arsene.”
Xenos's voice came from right beside her this time. Startled, she lifted her head to find him standing near, speaking calmly,
“In the future, do not allow yourself to be wronged. If you are innocent, speak the truth at once.”
“Thank you… Your Grace.”
Just then, Ingrid, standing beside Erik, asked in a dubious tone,
“Frankly, I find this hard to believe. Were you truly with His Grace the Duke? Isn't this the first time you two have met? And why were you alone? Was even Mr. Chase not with you?”
“Ah… Y—Yes, because we needed to discuss a private matter…”
“And that is what I would like to know. What was this matter, exactly? Could it not be that His Grace spoke out of mere pity? You all know how merciful he is toward the people of Savaya.”
At that, Will Chase cast a sharp look at Ingrid and asked,
“Who might you be, miss? Which family do you hail from?”
She answered with a touch of bashfulness,
“I am Ingrid, the third daughter of Baron Hazel.”
Will continued in a polite tone that barely concealed a sudden edge,
“Miss Hazel, forgive me, but by your words, you seem rather intent on insisting that Miss Arsene is the culprit.”
Flustered, Ingrid stammered in reply,
“N—No! I didn't mean that at all, I never said…”
“The daughter of Count Arsene and the Duke have both confirmed they were together. Does it make sense to demand they disclose what passed between them before we deign to believe them? Is that not rather unseemly?”
The nobles nodded in agreement.
“He is right. They gave their word, and that is that.”
“What need is there for further talk after that?”
“Since when do we meddle so deeply?”
Will leaned down slightly toward the shorter Ingrid Hazel, his sharp gaze radiating intimidating authority.
“Has it become our duty to report our every movement to you, miss?”
“Will Chase!”
Erik intervened swiftly upon seeing the frightened look on Ingrid's face.
“We are not in the military, Will. It is hardly fitting for you to adopt such an intimidating tone with a noble lady!”
Turning tenderly to Ingrid, he asked with deep warmth,
“Are you all right, miss? Would you care to step away and rest for a moment?”
Wiping away her falling tears, she answered,
“I overstepped my bounds terribly today… I believe it would be best if I returned home.”
With tears still streaming down her cheeks, Ingrid took her leave.
Selina let out a frustrated sigh as she watched her go.
‘Nothing has been resolved yet.’
Glancing over at Erik, she saw him patting the shoulder of Ingrid, who had buried her face in his chest, weeping, while he shot Selina a pleading look for help.
‘Wonderful… It seems I have to clean up the mess for him yet again.’
“Your Highness Princess Helena, I understand that finding the culprit is of great importance, but the banquet is not over, and you require a dress to return to the hall. If you would be so kind as to share your measurements, I shall have one prepared promptly. Would a traditional Savayan gown suit you?”
No sooner had she finished speaking than the Princess's lady-in-waiting began reciting Her Highness's measurements, along with her preferred colors and patterns, without pause.
It was a lengthy list, but Selina committed every detail to memory, borrowed a pen and paper to jot down the notes quickly, and handed them to a servant with orders to deliver them to the Arsene estate.
The Arsene trading house operated on a grand scale and already possessed ready-made gowns tailored in the traditional Savayan style.
Though a ready-made gown could never rival a custom design, Selina judged that swiftly altering the size would be far better than borrowing a dress from someone else.
Before long, the dresses arrived, and Princess Helena selected one, expressing her delight,
“This dress seems to suit me even better than the first. Thank you very much, Miss Arsene.”
As the Princess smiled happily, the nobles gathered to watch understood that the incident had been settled without further trouble.
After bursting into tears, Ingrid had stepped out to the lounge with the Crown Prince, yet she departed the palace before the new dress had even arrived.
Erik voiced his regret over her early departure, but he insisted she take his personal royal carriage and instructed the driver to take the utmost care of her.
Inside the luxurious carriage, Ingrid leaned her weary body back against the plush seat, biting her lip in bitter resentment as thoughts swirled in her mind.
‘What is their relationship, truly?’
She had been stunned to hear Xenos declare with his own mouth that Selina was with him.
‘Yet I saw that woman with the Crown Prince with my own eyes!’
In truth, it was Ingrid who had torn Princess Helena's dress, carefully planning it around the certainty that neither Selina nor Erik would dare reveal the truth before everyone.
‘I intended to make her the most despised woman in the entire empire this time… How did Duke Eustia himself end up stepping in to save her? Did he do it to protect her? Or did he do it for the Crown Prince's sake?’
Whatever the case, Ingrid's sharp outburst before the assembly had been a grave, inexcusable mistake.
Composing herself quietly, she made a vow,
‘If I am to attain the future I dream of, I must be far more cautious with my actions from now on.’
