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Edward reacted first and paid his respects right away.

“I am honored to be in your presence, Honorable Crown Princess.”

“I am honored to be in your presence, Your Highness.”

After Edward, Yelena and Kaywhin also paid their respects and greeted the crown princess. Yelena raised her lowered head. She stared at the crown princess in shock.

‘To think that she would come talk to us first…’

She had seen the crown princess surrounded by a crowd of people when she had first entered the party. She had wanted to greet the crown princess before moving to a quieter place, but she couldn’t have imagined that the latter would approach them first.

“I am elated that such precious people are here to celebrate with me.”

“You flatter me immensely, Your Highness. I sincerely offer my congratulations on your return to the kingdom.”

“Thank you.”

The crown princess’s eyes went from Edward to Kaywhin and stayed on Yelena. Her eyes were pink.

‘She’s nothing like the crown prince,’ Yelena thought unconsciously.

While their auras were certainly different, their appearances were vastly different right off the bat. Unlike Crown Prince Bartèze, with his plain brown hair and eyes, Crown Princess Kaedyla possessed hair and eyes an intense shade of red. People couldn’t help but do a double-take when they saw her.

‘She probably doesn’t get along very well with the crown prince.’

Yelena was completely sure of it.

It was super obvious. The crown prince’s inferiority complex would not have just gone away simply because she was his sister.

‘She’s someone who attracts attention without even trying, unlike him. He has plenty of reasons to be jealous of her.’

Perhaps that was why the crown prince currently wasn’t at the party.

While he could have just been late from attending other matters, Yelena couldn’t rule out the possibility that he deliberately wasn’t showing up.

‘No, wait. If that’s the case, then why did he send an invitation to the ducal castle?’

Just as Yelena started to feel troubled because she couldn’t figure out the crown prince’s motive, the crown princess opened her mouth.

“We haven’t prepared much, but I hope you enjoy the banquet as much as you can.”

Her voice commanded people’s attention. Yelena suddenly snapped to her senses and responded.

“Thank you, Your Highness. I hope you also have a pleasant time.”

The crown princess smiled brightly and then stepped away.

‘She just came to greet us.’

It was a short and sweet encounter. Next to Yelena, Edward swept off his chest.

“Was I acting weird just now? Or was I awkward?”

“I don’t know, did you talk enough to have said anything weird?”

“Hm… that’s true.”

Apart from his initial greeting, Edward didn’t say anything else to the crown princess. He swept off the nape of his neck as if he was wiping away his nerves.

“The crown princess is intimidating.”

“How so?”

“Just her aura, I guess?” Edward contemplated deeply and then raised a finger. “Yeah, it was like meeting another Liliana.”

“I get what you mean,” Yelena laughed.

A subtle, but firm presence that one couldn’t ignore once faced with it. A calm and quiet charisma that strangely encompassed its surroundings.

Crown Princess Kaedyla had those things.

‘What a shame,’ Yelena thought to herself. More than half of the royal family probably shared that same thought at one point in their lives.

‘She should be the one succeeding the throne.’

If only she hadn’t been the daughter of a concubine. Then, Yelena wouldn’t have to see the crown prince running amok the way he was now.

‘She doesn’t seem like she would dethrone him and take his place either…’

Well, that was probably why the king had no qualms about calling the crown princess back to the kingdom after sending her away to another country.

After Yelena had those thoughts, she put her disappointment to the side and turned around. Now that she had exchanged greetings with the star of the party, she had no reason to stay where it was rowdy and clamorous.

“Where are you going?”

“Somewhere quiet.”

Yelena took Kaywhin’s arm and turned back to face Edward.

“This goes without saying, but don’t follow us.”

***

Yelena led her husband to the terrace.

After closing the door, the sounds coming from inside the party grew faint. The muffled and indistinct sounds were like background ambience.

Yelena made her way to the banister, admiring the terrace’s view.

“This is nice.”

“…”

“The weather is refreshing, the breeze is just right… The atmosphere’s quite nice, isn’t it?”

Yelena turned her head. Her husband was silently gazing at her.

“Why are you just staring without saying anything?”

“Because it’s always nice.”

“Hm?”

“Whenever I’m with you… I think it’s always nice. Wherever we are, whatever the weather is like.”

Yelena’s eyelashes fluttered as she blinked. Then, she reached out her hand.

“Come here.”