Ricardo could not bring up in front of his father that he was not the only one invited to the party today.
"Sigh..."
A deep sigh came out of Ricardo's mouth with his back at the door. He bit his lips and was conflicted.
After a while, Ricardo made up his mind and left Diego's room. Then, he talked to the employee he encountered while walking down the hall.
"I'm going to the Amelie family right now. Go make preparations for my departure."
He's about to visit Osmond at the Amelie family's engagement anniversary party.
* * *
At that time, Axion had just entered the bedroom. He just finished work early today. It was also rarely in the evening that he was free.
Not long after, he heard a knock from the door. Axion stopped trying to change his clothes.
"Come on in."
When a gentle order was given, the man Axion entrusted, had opened the door and entered. As soon as he saw Axion, he quickly opened his mouth.
"Sire! While investigating the burned-out warehouse, we found a family that made a secret deal at the auction house and was recently connected to it."
"Where?"
The brief question was immediately followed by an answer.
"It's the Amelie family sire."
Axion immediately moved his body.
"Let's go now."
He could have had another subordinate, but he also moved himself. As the issue was a big deal, there was nothing good about taking a break.
Axion picked up the jacket he had just taken off and left the room. The destination was, of course, Amelie's mansion.
* * *
As Hilise stepped out of the wagon, the eyes of the people around her quickly focused on her.
A wave of silver spread around with a rumble.
**(note:not really sure what silver they are talking about on this one >.<)
Hilise didn't care about the noise and put her foot on the red carpet on the stairs in front of the building heading to the banquet hall.
"Lady Hilise."
As she climbed the stairs and reached the door of the banquet hall, she heard him calling from not too far away.
The face with a unique expressionless face turned slightly sideways.
It was the son whom she saw with Norton Ferrano at the Innoaden mansion last time.
He approached and called Hilise.
"Greetings to the Lord of Inoaden. I was with my father the other day. I've visited you at Taek, do you remember?"
**(note"not sure wth is taek)
The man with a slightly longer blue hair arranged and loosely tied came closer and bowed his head. Hilise stared at him for a moment and then took off her lips.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Enrique Ferrano."
Then, a deeper line was drawn in the mouth of the man who had a gentle curve.
"It's an honor that you remembered my name."
Of course Hilise remembered. She saw Enrique's face several times.
Hilise only did a few public appearances, but the people from their family only visited their house from time to time, so they didn't know their faces at all.
The same was true to Enrique Ferrano.
(-Like my father, Diego.)
She remembered Enrique being polite not only to Ricardo but also to her.
So she felt bad about him though she didn't need to.
(Of course it was all in the past and not as it used to be.)
Now, even the interest in discussing likes and dislikes has disappeared from others, so even if he faces like this, Enrique Ferrano did not have a faint impression.
Enrique did not seem to be willing to move directly to another place after just exchanging greetings.
He came a couple of steps closer to Hilise, looking polite. But he stopped again, keeping a certain distance from her, and spoke cautiously.
"Please give me your shawl, I'll hold onto it."
Hilise's head drew an oblique angle at the unexpected remark.
'That would be my job,' Enrique replied politely.
"Hilise is the master of Inoaden whom we serve in Ferrano, and you are the master I have to serve."
(Is that why he is willing to do what his servant can do without hesitation?)
She doesn't know if she should call him. Hilise's eyelashes cast a slightly longer shadow underneath as if she lowered her eyelid shallowly.
"And please speak informally. You don't have to bow down to me as a Ferrano's servant yet."
Enrique went so far as to add. It occurred to her that he was quite eccentric.
"......Yes."
Hilise stared silently at the man bowing his head in front of her and turned away first.
"But because you're a Ferrano, you don't have to wait on me in a place like this."
Hilise, who had taken off her shawl covering her shoulders and arms, handed it over to a servant waiting by the door.
"Will you allow me to serve you in a different sense?"
Hilise's gaze slid back to Enrique's face.
Enrique, who succeeded in drawing attention again with a mysterious tone, slightly bent the corners of his eyes.
His words followed as if to prove that the feelings Hilise had a while ago was not an illusion.
"I know it's too much, but I want to stand by Lady Hilise's side at the party today."
It was a remark that even she felt reckless, in contrast to the fact that he had only shown a very polite attitude in front of her so far.
Only then did Lilith realize that Enrique Ferrano was not as white as she had ever thought.
"As they always said, you really are too greedy Enrique Ferrano."
It was not Hilise's answer that crossed the line between the two, but the voice of another person.
Enrique turned his head to the voice of the man from the side. Hilise's eyes moved silently as well.
Christian Parthenon, with a gnarly smile on his face, was walking towards them.
He, too, was dressed in banquet clothes for the party. It was a bit flashy compared to the usual menswear, but it looked good on Christian.
"Christian."
"Good evening, sire."
Enrique greeted Christian first. The Ferrano's were strictly conservative, and they were used by all four major families following noble blood, only the Inoadens are not followed by them..
Christian walked past Enrique with a coordinated grace and stood before Hilise.
"I haven't seen you since the last time I met you at the king's palace, Lady Hilise."
The series of greetings was as slippery as water flows.
"How was your day?"
It was a question of subtle tones, whether intended or not. It sounded as if Hilise and him had deliberately met outside in private.
Enrique, who was next to him, also thought so, but his eyes slightly changed. It could have been to ignore Christian. As it has been so far.
But Hilise looked at his face and smiled similarly.
"Of course..."
As usual, a soft voice came out of the lips that drew thin lines.
"If you're talking about the recent encounter, I've had a great time thanks to the consideration of the head of Berzet."
Christian didn't have a particularly revealing response. But his red eyes, lightly shaded under his eyelashes, gave him a chill.
It was the second time that Hilise and Christian met at the king's palace. Among them, Hilise deliberately talked about her second meeting with Axion.
"That's... that's a relief."
Christian's mouth raised a deeper smile. There was an elegant and sour light on the beautiful face like frost flowers.
"Lady Hilise!"
Just then, with a buzzing noise, someone rushed out the door of the banquet hall.
It was Heliona Amelie, the star of today's party, who ran like a wave with the dark blue skirt.
"Welcome! I'm so glad you came today!"
She approached Hilise, her eyes shining like stars, and her face slightly flushed.
The excited voice, which revealed its emotions, breathed a warm wind into the air that was quietly rigid.
In fact, there is news that Hilise has already arrived in the banquet hall.
So she was waiting with a throbbing heart, but Hilise stayed at the door longer than she thought.
In the end, Heliona couldn't overcome her longing and ran out to greet her in person.
"Hello, Lady Hilise. Thank you for coming to our first anniversary engagement party."
Osmund, who followed Heliona, wrapped his hands on his fiancee's shoulders and greeted Hilise with a smile.
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Prepared by: Cutiecount
Congratulations to the winners on the advance chapter giveaway! <3 I hope u guys enjoyed the chapters. For those who did not win, don't worry we would host another giveaway from time to time. <3
See you this Wednesday~