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"Kadin might not like it?"
As the family's attention turned to her, Rosia seemed at a loss, then lowered her head.
"He... doesn't seem to like me very much. I think he still hasn't forgotten his former fiancée, Ayla."
Gerard's eyebrows furrowed. He shook his head as if that couldn't be, and said,
"What are you talking about? That guy was always like that. You don't know, but even when he was engaged to Ayla..."
He stopped speaking and bit his lip.
"No, I think I said something unnecessary. You're going to be engaged to him anyway."
"...I know what you were going to say, Brother. I've heard a lot of rumors about him."
Rosia continued, clutching the hem of her skirt tightly.
"But now it's not just a passing whim... he seems really sincere. I heard he's completely cut off contact with the Aristocratic society lately."
After speaking, she bit her lip tightly.
Her face was filled with a bitter expression, as if she found her situation utterly miserable.
Then Cedric casually interjected into their conversation.
"Rosia, do you dislike Kadin? Do you perhaps not want to be engaged to him?"
Rosia's gaze turned to him. She said in a slightly tearful voice,
"N-No, I want to be engaged to Kadin."
"Then Kadin's opinion doesn't matter. This is a matter between Noble houses. If he rejects you using Ayla as an excuse, you're the one who should be angry."
"Brother..."
Rosia's voice trembled, as if deeply moved by his comfort. Her eyes were already brimming with tears.
Then Calios, who had been watching his children's conversation, also grunted discontentedly.
As Cedric said, Rosia's engagement was carried out according to an important pact between Noble houses.
But to try to break that promise with the excuse of having another woman in his heart.
That was no different from disregarding the entire Duke Blanche Noble house.
"Yes, it would be good to settle the engagement issue this time."
An extremely resolute look appeared in his eyes.
"I've overlooked it repeatedly considering our past relationship, but we've dragged the discussion on for too long. We need to put an end to it at this banquet."
Calios, too, hadn't shown it, but he had been inwardly accumulating dissatisfaction with the Rate Noble house for postponing the engagement date time and time again.
As her brothers and even Duke Blanche took her side, Rosia's eyes trembled slightly.
She hadn't even thought of bringing up the engagement issue with Kadin because she was too busy watching the Duke's mood.
'Finally...!'
It was worth holding her breath and waiting for so long.
As her long-cherished wish seemed within reach, Rosia couldn't contain her emotions.
Soon, she nodded with a brightened face.
"Since Father and my brothers say so... I understand."
Calios looked at his daughter's appearance and smiled faintly.
'Yes, although her qualities are a little inferior to Ayla's... Rosia is still the one who inherited the true blood of the Blanche Noble house.'
In fact, Rosia was a child who lacked nothing.
Her appearance and personality were unremarkable, and she quickly learned etiquette and fit well into the Aristocratic society, and her magical talent was also quite outstanding.
It was just that she had been relatively overshadowed by Ayla's particularly prominent performance after she left the mansion.
'Is that why she's been watching my mood so much lately?'
Feeling slightly sorry for Rosia, Calios said to Cedric.
"You take charge of the banquet preparations, Cedric. You have to take responsibility since you brought it up first."
"I understand, Father."
"Prepare it well, without any shortcomings, so that it's befitting of the Princess Consort of the Blanche Noble house."
A smile gradually spread across Cedric's face at Calios's words.
"Of course. I have to prepare with all my might. It's all for Rosia."
Rosia blushed and seemed at a loss.
"To take such meticulous care of me... I'm so grateful, Father."
Watching her rejoice, Cedric smiled faintly.
It was the face of a brother who clearly cherished his younger sister.
When Rosia, who had met his eyes, smiled brightly, Cedric narrowed his eyes and reciprocated the smile.
'It went according to plan.'
He was just as happy as Rosia.
Through this, he could finally directly dispose of Rosia.
A subtle anticipation welled up from deep within his heart.
'Will Ayla forgive me a little because of this?'
Recalling Ayla's old appearance, when she smiled kindly at him, a smile naturally spread across his lips.
But the next moment, Cedric coldly mocked himself for thinking that way.
'No. Don't be greedy, Cedric. It's not too late to think about that after everything is over.'
Again, his cold gaze turned to Rosia, who was still smiling brightly.
Her appearance, elated by her family's attention without knowing anything, felt merely hateful to him.
Cedric scoffed inwardly.
'Are you so happy to be engaged to a guy like Kadin?'
He had been watching the events unfold and knew better than anyone how deeply Rosia was obsessed with her fiancé.
The reason he deliberately brought up Kadin's name in front of his father was precisely because of that.
He wanted the man Rosia loved so much to witness her ugly reality firsthand and turn his back on her more coldly than anyone else.
He wanted all the relationships she had built in place of Ayla to be shattered, and for everyone to eventually shun her.
So that she would eventually pay the price for deceiving everyone.
For all of that, he didn't care if the Noble house's reputation was somewhat tarnished.
He recalled the message Ayla had sent him not long ago.
[I think I'll be able to reveal how Rosia manipulated the Paternity test magic tool soon. But I don't want to end all of this quietly. The truth only has meaning when it's revealed in front of many people.
So, I would like to ask you, Cedric. Would you be able to hold a grand banquet on Rosia's upcoming birthday? I want to reveal the truth while everyone is watching.]
'That was a very Ayla-like thought.'
He had stared at the letter for a long time that day.
Her sorrow, having been unfairly expelled from the Noble house and having to endure all kinds of oppression, seemed to be contained in this short letter.
His heart ached just thinking about it, but Cedric tried hard to pull himself together.
'It's good that there's something I can do for Ayla right now.'
He was lost in thought, reminiscing about the past, when suddenly.
"Brother."
Suddenly, a sensation like bugs crawling all over his body swept over him.
Rosia had taken his hand affectionately.
Quickly regaining his composure, Cedric looked at her, struggling to suppress the urge to shake off her hand immediately.
"Thank you so much, Brother. For speaking up for me... I'm so happy for the first time in a while."
"Don't mention it, your happiness is my happiness."
Unlike his kind answer, there wasn't even a hint of a smile in Cedric's eyes.
'Be happy to your heart's content. Ayla will soon come to reclaim the position you falsely stole.'
Until that day comes, it wouldn't be bad for Rosia to be smiling in false happiness.
Rather, that way, the moment of her tragic collapse will be even more dramatic.
Thinking that way, Cedric smiled sincerely for the first time.
One month later.
The Blanche Duke's mansion was filled with the light of chandeliers and overflowing music.
It was a banquet of an excessively grand scale, too much to simply celebrate the Princess Consort's birthday.
Looking around the interior, which was packed with VIPs, Kadin couldn't hide his displeasure.
'...Did the Duchess come too?'
Not only were there famous nobles, but even the Duchess Blanche, who rarely showed her face due to illness, was in attendance.
Well, it's understandable that she's happy since it's the first birthday banquet of her long-lost biological daughter.
Looking at the Duchess's bright face, a bitter expression crossed Kadin's face.
'So, Rosia is the Princess Consort of the Blanche Noble house after all.'
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