The second day of the founding day celebration had dawned.
The carriage of the third prince stopped in front of the banquet hall.
It was a huge building that could not be compared with the banquet hall used for wedding receptions before.
The size of the banquet hall was as large as several palaces put together as it had to accommodate not only the nobles of the empire but also foreign envoys.
Yerhan got off the carriage and reached out to help Rosena and Illian to get off.
Rosena checked her clothes once before entering the banquet hall. It was awkward because her clothes and makeup were different from usual.
As Rosena was constantly checking her clothes, Yerhan whispered,
“You look really pretty today.”
At those words, the tips of Rosena’s ears turned red.
As they approached the entrance to the banquet hall, the attendant immediately recognized Yerhan and shouted into the hall.
“The Third Prince and his family have arrived!”
Just then, loud music played.
Rosena walked with her arms linked with Yerhan. As the pale pink dress swept the floor like a spring breeze and entered the room, all eyes were focused on it.
Those who were chatting, and even those who were eating in the corner all looked at them.
Although she met eyes with so many people, which made her feel slightly suffocated, Rosena was not as nervous as before.
After doing this a few times, she got used to it.
Rosena looked around her, trying not to harden her expression.
Those who were nearby began to sway like waves in the wind.
When the men saw Rosena’s face, they couldn’t take their eyes off her, and the women shook their fans faster and faster.
She felt like she was being dug up everywhere like a doll in a showcase.
Everyone showed interest in even the smallest details like the design of the dress Rosena wore, shoes, and hair ornaments.
In fact, Rosena had become a celebrity overnight.
Rumors spread quickly because she had summoned the auspicious Lagonia in the square. But no one approached.
Most of the nobles who attended the divinity ceremony yesterday kept their distance because of Duke Eloa’s words.
“Did you see it yesterday? In the divinity ceremony yesterday….”
“It’s never been like that before. It’s ominous.”
“As Duke Eloa said…”
They began to whisper in small voices.
It was obviously a conversation between them, but it also flowed into Rosena’s ears.
Rosena tightened her arm without realizing it. And led Yerhan away with a face expressing that they weren’t worth listening to.
As they walked further into the banquet hall, for once, there was someone who greeted Yerhan first.
“Your Highness.”
The person who spoke to Yerhan was none other than Deneb, the Lord of Haylor.
“Long time no see.”
Yerhan looked at him, a little startled.
He got to know Deneb during the last monster subjugation, and he was one of the few nobles who swore allegiance to Yerhan.
When Rosena looked at him with a puzzled face, Yerhan became a little confused. If he had to explain in detail, then he had to talk about the monsters.
Yerhan introduced him briefly without explanation.
“This is the Lord of Haylor.”
“Nice to meet you. Your Highness, Princess.”
Rosena belatedly accepted his greeting. After exchanging greetings, Deneb hesitated, as if he had something to say only to Yerhan.
“Rosena, I’m sorry, but can I leave for a moment?”
“Sure.”
Rosena gladly replied.
As Yerhan moved, the nobles around him paved the way.
Rosena looked at his back and took Illian’s hand.
“Do you want to go take a look?”
Illian had never been to a banquet like this, so she wanted to show him everywhere.
And there seemed to be a small social gathering for the kids, so she thought she’d take him there. She hoped he could make friends his age through this opportunity.
In the slightly stiff atmosphere, everyone glanced at Rosena.
There were quite a few people who wanted to approach them, but they found it difficult to do so.
Then the banquet hall became noisy again. In a particularly boisterous place stood a group of ladies.
Among the ladies, the one that stood out the most was Asilia.
It was partly because she was tall, but she stood out among the glamorous ladies with her unique hairstyle and flashy dress.
Rosena looked at Asilia for a moment, then found Rania standing next to her. Last time, they were standing together too. She seemed to have turned around.
She looked at her without thinking, and her eyes met with Rania’s.
Rania laughed and said something to Asilia, and they all walked together towards Rosena.
Rania, with an inappropriately imposing attitude, was like a sparrow that stole a pheasant’s tail.
Rosena stared at Rania with a smile. Her dressing looked different from her usual. If your eyes were blurred, you might have mistaken her for Asilia due to her attire and gait.
Asilia’s group stood in front of Rosena. There were so many heads surrounding Rosena. Some of them were at the last tea party and hunting contest, and others were new faces.
In the meantime, the people in the group seemed to have changed.
“Long time no see, Your Highness. It’s the first time we’ve met since the hunting contest.”
Rania, who stopped right in front of Rosena, greeted her in a fairly formal way. Bringing Asilia’s horde with her, she looked so proud. It was as if she wanted to show this off, and yet she didn’t know what was going on.
Rosena had already cut ties with Rania, but there were many eyes on them, so she roughly accepted it.
Anyway, she didn’t need to bring so many people just to greet her…
When Rosena looked at her with a face asking ‘what business she had with her’, Rania aggressively asked,
“At a hunting contest, it was Your Highness’ doing, wasn’t it?”
It seemed like she was talking about being attacked by birds. Rania had run away frantically, avoiding the birds.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
When Rosena pretended not to know, Rania’s forehead narrowed slightly.
“Even if you pretend not to know, you can’t fool me.”
Rania stared directly at Rosena. She had seen Rosena converse with animals in the past.
“So, did you come with a group to argue with me?”
“Oh my, what are you talking about?”
Rania had a sad expression on her face. Then she looked around lightly at the ladies surrounding her and continued talking.
“Everyone was interested in you, so we came together.”
When Rosena didn’t say anything, Rania nodded her head while holding the folded fan.
“Well, it’s normal if you misunderstood. Your Highness has not made any friends since childhood.”
Then the ladies burst into laughter among themselves.
She whispered pleasantly, not caring whether Rosena heard it or not.
It was like putting people in front of them and treating them like fools.
Rosena looked at them with a glum expression. In the past, Rania invited people and treated them as if they didn’t exist, but Rosena wondered what she was up to this time.
“Your dress looks unique. From the looks of it, it seems to be from the Rael dressing room…”
A woman glanced down at Rosena’s dress and said so, and the ladies standing next to her responded.
“Isn’t that dressing room out of fashion already?”
“Perhaps they have lost their sight, so all the new fabrics are outdated.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying this to you.”
She shook her fan softly and smiled, it was not a skill that she had done merely once or twice. Apparently, whenever there was a person they didn’t like, they surrounded that one in this way and talked among each other.
It was such an intense way of bullying that if it was any normal person, she would have left immediately due to shame.
In the midst of all that, Asilia was still standing behind them without a word. It was like the master who moved the puppets.
They undermined her value and spoke ill of her while pretending to praise her.
Meanwhile, Asilia folded the fan when she felt that Rosena was clearly ostracized.
Everyone was silent for a moment at her actions.
“Everyone, don’t be like that. The Third Princess is trembling pitifully.”
Rosena looked at Asilia with a puzzled face. Apparently as the mastermind, she went forward pretending to save Rosena.
“By the way, you didn’t wear that brooch.”
What brooch? Rosena asked with her eyes, and the corners of Asilia’s mouth slightly distorted.
“The brooch that you took with an unfair win.”
Only then did Rosena realize what Asilia was saying.
She was talking about the brooch that the empress gave to the winner of the hunt.
“Are you not able to wear it because you were embarrassed because you took it unfairly?”
Asilia tapped her palm with a fan and asked.
After a moment of contemplation, Rosena opened her mouth for the first time.
“No, it’s heavy.”
Asilia’s face crumpled up when she said she didn’t wear it simply because it was heavy. If Asilia had received the brooch, she would have bragged about it all week.
What efforts she had made just to possess it.
“After all, it is something that is not suitable for those who do not know its value.”
Rosena sighed inwardly at Asilia’s words.
Will it be settled if she hands over the brooch?
She didn’t know she kept bothering her like this.
As Rosena looked down at Illian, Asilia’s gaze naturally fell down.
Illian was the combination of the best traits out of Yerhan and Rosena, resembling a living porcelain doll.
Asilia’s children were also said to be pretty, but they’re not as pretty as Illian. Illian was undeniably adorable in appearance.
Asilia, who was looking for something to pick on, looked up, as if she suddenly remembered something.
“I hear your son is a little… that’s what I heard.”
The calm Rosena’s face sank at that one word.
“They say parents are the mirror of a child.”
She was talking as if it was all because of Rosena that Illian was lacking.
“My children are far superior compared to their peers, perhaps because they’ve been properly educated since childhood. Well, if you need, I’ll find you a good…”
“Second Princess.”
Rosena cut off Asilia’s words.
“There are things that can be said and things that cannot be said.”
Rosena said, looking straight at Asilia.
“Apologize.”
There was a moment of silence all around.
Asilia looked at Rosena with her eyes wide open in surprise.
“You want me… to apologize?”
Asilia asked as if she was dumbfounded. It seemed to contain a question about how dare she say that. But Rosena didn’t back down and spoke up.
“How can you say that in front of the child?”
Asilia smirked at Rosena’s face, which looked so angry.
No one had ever openly confronted her like this. She got angry because it sounded ridiculous.
The surroundings of the ladies began to stir. Other nobles, who were just watching, muttered one by one.
Asiilia, whose face was flushed, grabbed the fan. To ask her to apologize in front of a lot of people. She didn’t even know her place.
“Why are you so angry? It’s not like I said something wrong.”
There was a moment of silence upon Asilia’s remarks. Then Illian, who was holding Rosena’s hand tightly, cried.
“Don’t… say that to my mom.”
Tears welled up in Illian’s big eyes. And those tears which were like glass beads ran down his cheeks and dripped onto the floor.
Everyone looked sad at his pitiful look. Even the ladies who sided with Asilia closed their mouths.
“…It’s my fault.”
Illian murmured, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. When the music that filled the banquet hall ended, the surrounding area became as quiet as death.
Then the noblemen watching the fight nearby murmured as they listened to the quarrel.
“Even so, I think she was too harsh on the child.”
“What did the child do wrong…”
Asilia couldn’t help but hear those voices. She looked up and looked around.
Even if they couldn’t say it out loud, the atmosphere was leaning toward Asilia’s overacting.
Asilia looked around with a puzzled face, then looked at Rosena again.
Rosena, who was comforting Illian, felt her gaze and lifted her head.
Asilia pursed her lips. She felt like she had to apologize, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. Apologizing to Rosena is something that will never happen in Asilia’s life.
“You don’t seem to want to apologize. Then I will not try to force you.”
The time to apologize was now gone. Asilia tightened her fists, not paying attention that she was damaging the fan.
There was a stinging amount of attention. She, who had always only received envy and jealousy, could not bear the arrows of criticism.
Asilia, who was standing tall, turned her body and twisted her lips.
“It’s a waste of time to be like this.”
It was an attitude of trying to avoid this situation.
As Asilia left with the clacking sound of her steps, her group followed after hesitating.
They were the ones who could change the atmosphere of the social world with one wave of their fans, but this time, they could not avoid criticism.
Rosena looked at Asilia’s back as she was moving away and held Illian in her arms.
“Illian, are you okay?”
Illian rubbed his eyes and nodded his head.
Rosena thought that she should go to a place where Illian could rest.
Holding hands tightly, Rosena headed towards the corner of the banquet hall and slowly bent her knees to meet Illian’s gaze.
“……”
Seeing Illian’s reddened eyes, her heart ached as if it was going to break. Rosena hugged Illian tightly and whispered in his ear.
“Don’t take it to heart. To mom, you are the best son.”
Illian, who had been quietly hugged, nodded his head.
After a while, Illian calmed down and opened his eyes as usual.
Rosena, who had barely calmed her heart, stroked Illian’s head. After that, she heard a roar of laughter from somewhere.
As children’s voices were heard nearby, Rosena remembered that there was a space for children inside the banquet hall.
“Illian, do you want to play with your friends?”
Rosena asked after thinking. If she continued to bring Illian around, she might end up showing him a different kind of harshness.
And at this time, Illian also wanted to make a new friend. It would be much more fun to play with his peers than with adults.
Instead of answering, Illian slowly released Rosena’s hand. Normally, he would have grabbed the hem of her skirt, saying he didn’t want to part.
Still, a smile came to her mind, thinking that he wanted to see his friends.
Rosena only left after watching Illian go inside.
Rosena realized that even though she had reached the corner of the banquet hall, there were still many people watching.
They seemed to have been interested because of the commotion, but she was already feeling tired.
It would be great if the banquet ended right now. Rosena tried to kill time alone, waiting for Yerhan to return. While doing so, some people started to circle around Rosena.
Even just by looking at them, she could tell that they were young ladies who were not yet married.
As Rosena looked at them, the young ladies took the courage to come up.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”
The young ladies shyly greeted her and revealed their identity and name. It was quite a different feeling; to receive a lot of attention because they wanted to get to know her without any ill intentions.
It was because Asilia apparently didn’t have influence on these young ladies.
Rosena smiled at the young ladies who were greeting her. Then the young ladies, who were very nervous, started arguing in front of each other and opening their mouths.
“Actually, I wanted to have a conversation. I saw Your Highness in the square yesterday, and you were so beautiful…”
“That’s right, how the birds appeared when Your Highness came out.”
Everyone said in unison that Rosena, surrounded by birds, was impressive.
Rosena, who unintentionally grabbed the attention of the young ladies, answered them one by one while being perplexed.
It was a different reaction from Asilia, who didn’t respond well if she didn’t like the person.
As the friendly atmosphere continued, the ladies who were skeptical of Asilia’s group also approached and talked to Rosena.
The number of people talking to her gradually increased, and even the ladies who were thrown out by Asilia, wandered around Rosena like a dragonfly.
Rosena, who was trying to kill time alone, unintentionally became as popular as Asilia.
It had been a long time since she had talked with so many people, so Rosena was stunned.
The second day of the founding day celebration had dawned.
The carriage of the third prince stopped in front of the banquet hall.
It was a huge building that could not be compared with the banquet hall used for wedding receptions before.
The size of the banquet hall was as large as several palaces put together as it had to accommodate not only the nobles of the empire but also foreign envoys.
Yerhan got off the carriage and reached out to help Rosena and Illian to get off.
Rosena checked her clothes once before entering the banquet hall. It was awkward because her clothes and makeup were different from usual.
As Rosena was constantly checking her clothes, Yerhan whispered,
“You look really pretty today.”
At those words, the tips of Rosena’s ears turned red.
As they approached the entrance to the banquet hall, the attendant immediately recognized Yerhan and shouted into the hall.
“The Third Prince and his family have arrived!”
Just then, loud music played.
Rosena walked with her arms linked with Yerhan. As the pale pink dress swept the floor like a spring breeze and entered the room, all eyes were focused on it.
Those who were chatting, and even those who were eating in the corner all looked at them.
Although she met eyes with so many people, which made her feel slightly suffocated, Rosena was not as nervous as before.
After doing this a few times, she got used to it.
Rosena looked around her, trying not to harden her expression.
Those who were nearby began to sway like waves in the wind.
When the men saw Rosena’s face, they couldn’t take their eyes off her, and the women shook their fans faster and faster.
She felt like she was being dug up everywhere like a doll in a showcase.
Everyone showed interest in even the smallest details like the design of the dress Rosena wore, shoes, and hair ornaments.
In fact, Rosena had become a celebrity overnight.
Rumors spread quickly because she had summoned the auspicious Lagonia in the square. But no one approached.
Most of the nobles who attended the divinity ceremony yesterday kept their distance because of Duke Eloa’s words.
“Did you see it yesterday? In the divinity ceremony yesterday….”
“It’s never been like that before. It’s ominous.”
“As Duke Eloa said…”
They began to whisper in small voices.
It was obviously a conversation between them, but it also flowed into Rosena’s ears.
Rosena tightened her arm without realizing it. And led Yerhan away with a face expressing that they weren’t worth listening to.
As they walked further into the banquet hall, for once, there was someone who greeted Yerhan first.
“Your Highness.”
The person who spoke to Yerhan was none other than Deneb, the Lord of Haylor.
“Long time no see.”
Yerhan looked at him, a little startled.
He got to know Deneb during the last monster subjugation, and he was one of the few nobles who swore allegiance to Yerhan.
When Rosena looked at him with a puzzled face, Yerhan became a little confused. If he had to explain in detail, then he had to talk about the monsters.
Yerhan introduced him briefly without explanation.
“This is the Lord of Haylor.”
“Nice to meet you. Your Highness, Princess.”
Rosena belatedly accepted his greeting. After exchanging greetings, Deneb hesitated, as if he had something to say only to Yerhan.
“Rosena, I’m sorry, but can I leave for a moment?”
“Sure.”
Rosena gladly replied.
As Yerhan moved, the nobles around him paved the way.
Rosena looked at his back and took Illian’s hand.
“Do you want to go take a look?”
Illian had never been to a banquet like this, so she wanted to show him everywhere.
And there seemed to be a small social gathering for the kids, so she thought she’d take him there. She hoped he could make friends his age through this opportunity.
In the slightly stiff atmosphere, everyone glanced at Rosena.
There were quite a few people who wanted to approach them, but they found it difficult to do so.
Then the banquet hall became noisy again. In a particularly boisterous place stood a group of ladies.
Among the ladies, the one that stood out the most was Asilia.
It was partly because she was tall, but she stood out among the glamorous ladies with her unique hairstyle and flashy dress.
Rosena looked at Asilia for a moment, then found Rania standing next to her. Last time, they were standing together too. She seemed to have turned around.
She looked at her without thinking, and her eyes met with Rania’s.
Rania laughed and said something to Asilia, and they all walked together towards Rosena.
Rania, with an inappropriately imposing attitude, was like a sparrow that stole a pheasant’s tail.
Rosena stared at Rania with a smile. Her dressing looked different from her usual. If your eyes were blurred, you might have mistaken her for Asilia due to her attire and gait.
Asilia’s group stood in front of Rosena. There were so many heads surrounding Rosena. Some of them were at the last tea party and hunting contest, and others were new faces.
In the meantime, the people in the group seemed to have changed.
“Long time no see, Your Highness. It’s the first time we’ve met since the hunting contest.”
Rania, who stopped right in front of Rosena, greeted her in a fairly formal way. Bringing Asilia’s horde with her, she looked so proud. It was as if she wanted to show this off, and yet she didn’t know what was going on.
Rosena had already cut ties with Rania, but there were many eyes on them, so she roughly accepted it.
Anyway, she didn’t need to bring so many people just to greet her…
When Rosena looked at her with a face asking ‘what business she had with her’, Rania aggressively asked,
“At a hunting contest, it was Your Highness’ doing, wasn’t it?”
It seemed like she was talking about being attacked by birds. Rania had run away frantically, avoiding the birds.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
When Rosena pretended not to know, Rania’s forehead narrowed slightly.
“Even if you pretend not to know, you can’t fool me.”
Rania stared directly at Rosena. She had seen Rosena converse with animals in the past.
“So, did you come with a group to argue with me?”
“Oh my, what are you talking about?”
Rania had a sad expression on her face. Then she looked around lightly at the ladies surrounding her and continued talking.
“Everyone was interested in you, so we came together.”
When Rosena didn’t say anything, Rania nodded her head while holding the folded fan.
“Well, it’s normal if you misunderstood. Your Highness has not made any friends since childhood.”
Then the ladies burst into laughter among themselves.
She whispered pleasantly, not caring whether Rosena heard it or not.
It was like putting people in front of them and treating them like fools.
Rosena looked at them with a glum expression. In the past, Rania invited people and treated them as if they didn’t exist, but Rosena wondered what she was up to this time.
“Your dress looks unique. From the looks of it, it seems to be from the Rael dressing room…”
A woman glanced down at Rosena’s dress and said so, and the ladies standing next to her responded.
“Isn’t that dressing room out of fashion already?”
“Perhaps they have lost their sight, so all the new fabrics are outdated.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying this to you.”
She shook her fan softly and smiled, it was not a skill that she had done merely once or twice. Apparently, whenever there was a person they didn’t like, they surrounded that one in this way and talked among each other.
It was such an intense way of bullying that if it was any normal person, she would have left immediately due to shame.
In the midst of all that, Asilia was still standing behind them without a word. It was like the master who moved the puppets.
They undermined her value and spoke ill of her while pretending to praise her.
Meanwhile, Asilia folded the fan when she felt that Rosena was clearly ostracized.
Everyone was silent for a moment at her actions.
“Everyone, don’t be like that. The Third Princess is trembling pitifully.”
Rosena looked at Asilia with a puzzled face. Apparently as the mastermind, she went forward pretending to save Rosena.
“By the way, you didn’t wear that brooch.”
What brooch? Rosena asked with her eyes, and the corners of Asilia’s mouth slightly distorted.
“The brooch that you took with an unfair win.”
Only then did Rosena realize what Asilia was saying.
She was talking about the brooch that the empress gave to the winner of the hunt.
“Are you not able to wear it because you were embarrassed because you took it unfairly?”
Asilia tapped her palm with a fan and asked.
After a moment of contemplation, Rosena opened her mouth for the first time.
“No, it’s heavy.”
Asilia’s face crumpled up when she said she didn’t wear it simply because it was heavy. If Asilia had received the brooch, she would have bragged about it all week.
What efforts she had made just to possess it.
“After all, it is something that is not suitable for those who do not know its value.”
Rosena sighed inwardly at Asilia’s words.
Will it be settled if she hands over the brooch?
She didn’t know she kept bothering her like this.
As Rosena looked down at Illian, Asilia’s gaze naturally fell down.
Illian was the combination of the best traits out of Yerhan and Rosena, resembling a living porcelain doll.
Asilia’s children were also said to be pretty, but they’re not as pretty as Illian. Illian was undeniably adorable in appearance.
Asilia, who was looking for something to pick on, looked up, as if she suddenly remembered something.
“I hear your son is a little… that’s what I heard.”
The calm Rosena’s face sank at that one word.
“They say parents are the mirror of a child.”
She was talking as if it was all because of Rosena that Illian was lacking.
“My children are far superior compared to their peers, perhaps because they’ve been properly educated since childhood. Well, if you need, I’ll find you a good…”
“Second Princess.”
Rosena cut off Asilia’s words.
“There are things that can be said and things that cannot be said.”
Rosena said, looking straight at Asilia.
“Apologize.”
There was a moment of silence all around.
Asilia looked at Rosena with her eyes wide open in surprise.
“You want me… to apologize?”
Asilia asked as if she was dumbfounded. It seemed to contain a question about how dare she say that. But Rosena didn’t back down and spoke up.
“How can you say that in front of the child?”
Asilia smirked at Rosena’s face, which looked so angry.
No one had ever openly confronted her like this. She got angry because it sounded ridiculous.
The surroundings of the ladies began to stir. Other nobles, who were just watching, muttered one by one.
Asiilia, whose face was flushed, grabbed the fan. To ask her to apologize in front of a lot of people. She didn’t even know her place.
“Why are you so angry? It’s not like I said something wrong.”
There was a moment of silence upon Asilia’s remarks. Then Illian, who was holding Rosena’s hand tightly, cried.
“Don’t… say that to my mom.”
Tears welled up in Illian’s big eyes. And those tears which were like glass beads ran down his cheeks and dripped onto the floor.
Everyone looked sad at his pitiful look. Even the ladies who sided with Asilia closed their mouths.
“…It’s my fault.”
Illian murmured, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. When the music that filled the banquet hall ended, the surrounding area became as quiet as death.
Then the noblemen watching the fight nearby murmured as they listened to the quarrel.
“Even so, I think she was too harsh on the child.”
“What did the child do wrong…”
Asilia couldn’t help but hear those voices. She looked up and looked around.
Even if they couldn’t say it out loud, the atmosphere was leaning toward Asilia’s overacting.
Asilia looked around with a puzzled face, then looked at Rosena again.
Rosena, who was comforting Illian, felt her gaze and lifted her head.
Asilia pursed her lips. She felt like she had to apologize, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. Apologizing to Rosena is something that will never happen in Asilia’s life.
“You don’t seem to want to apologize. Then I will not try to force you.”
The time to apologize was now gone. Asilia tightened her fists, not paying attention that she was damaging the fan.
There was a stinging amount of attention. She, who had always only received envy and jealousy, could not bear the arrows of criticism.
Asilia, who was standing tall, turned her body and twisted her lips.
“It’s a waste of time to be like this.”
It was an attitude of trying to avoid this situation.
As Asilia left with the clacking sound of her steps, her group followed after hesitating.
They were the ones who could change the atmosphere of the social world with one wave of their fans, but this time, they could not avoid criticism.
Rosena looked at Asilia’s back as she was moving away and held Illian in her arms.
“Illian, are you okay?”
Illian rubbed his eyes and nodded his head.
Rosena thought that she should go to a place where Illian could rest.
Holding hands tightly, Rosena headed towards the corner of the banquet hall and slowly bent her knees to meet Illian’s gaze.
“……”
Seeing Illian’s reddened eyes, her heart ached as if it was going to break. Rosena hugged Illian tightly and whispered in his ear.
“Don’t take it to heart. To mom, you are the best son.”
Illian, who had been quietly hugged, nodded his head.
After a while, Illian calmed down and opened his eyes as usual.
Rosena, who had barely calmed her heart, stroked Illian’s head. After that, she heard a roar of laughter from somewhere.
As children’s voices were heard nearby, Rosena remembered that there was a space for children inside the banquet hall.
“Illian, do you want to play with your friends?”
Rosena asked after thinking. If she continued to bring Illian around, she might end up showing him a different kind of harshness.
And at this time, Illian also wanted to make a new friend. It would be much more fun to play with his peers than with adults.
Instead of answering, Illian slowly released Rosena’s hand. Normally, he would have grabbed the hem of her skirt, saying he didn’t want to part.
Still, a smile came to her mind, thinking that he wanted to see his friends.
Rosena only left after watching Illian go inside.
Rosena realized that even though she had reached the corner of the banquet hall, there were still many people watching.
They seemed to have been interested because of the commotion, but she was already feeling tired.
It would be great if the banquet ended right now. Rosena tried to kill time alone, waiting for Yerhan to return. While doing so, some people started to circle around Rosena.
Even just by looking at them, she could tell that they were young ladies who were not yet married.
As Rosena looked at them, the young ladies took the courage to come up.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”
The young ladies shyly greeted her and revealed their identity and name. It was quite a different feeling; to receive a lot of attention because they wanted to get to know her without any ill intentions.
It was because Asilia apparently didn’t have influence on these young ladies.
Rosena smiled at the young ladies who were greeting her. Then the young ladies, who were very nervous, started arguing in front of each other and opening their mouths.
“Actually, I wanted to have a conversation. I saw Your Highness in the square yesterday, and you were so beautiful…”
“That’s right, how the birds appeared when Your Highness came out.”
Everyone said in unison that Rosena, surrounded by birds, was impressive.
Rosena, who unintentionally grabbed the attention of the young ladies, answered them one by one while being perplexed.
It was a different reaction from Asilia, who didn’t respond well if she didn’t like the person.
As the friendly atmosphere continued, the ladies who were skeptical of Asilia’s group also approached and talked to Rosena.
The number of people talking to her gradually increased, and even the ladies who were thrown out by Asilia, wandered around Rosena like a dragonfly.
Rosena, who was trying to kill time alone, unintentionally became as popular as Asilia.
It had been a long time since she had talked with so many people, so Rosena was stunned.
