Melissa visits the royal castle four times a week as a candidate for the engagement of the Second Prince, Christopher, while her older brother, Patrick, attends as a candidate for the close aide of the First Prince, Eldred.

On rare occasions when their schedules overlapped, Melissa and Patrick would share the same carriage to the castle. Melissa secretly looked forward to those moments, cherishing the time spent alone with her brother.

Their conversations were trivial—Patrick would talk about books he had read, and Melissa would discuss the piano pieces she was practicing—but to Melissa, those moments were precious as time spent with her beloved brother.

One day, at the end of summer when the mornings and evenings had begun to cool, Melissa unexpectedly ended up accompanying Patrick to the castle due to a sudden schedule change. She climbed into the carriage, expecting to travel with just her brother.

“Why is Amelia here?”

Melissa was surprised to find Amelia, who was not supposed to be there, sitting inside the carriage.

“I was selfish and said I felt lonely staying behind at the ducal residence while my brother and sister went to the castle,” Amelia admitted.

“No, it wasn’t Mel’s selfishness. Prince Eldred specifically asked me to bring Mel along. Initially, I had mentioned Mel to His Highness, and then Jacqueline also spoke about her. It seems that piqued his interest,” Patrick explained.

So, he was willing to introduce Amelia to Prince Eldred but never once thought to introduce me… Not that I wanted an introduction, but seeing my brother treat Amelia specially made me feel sad.

“I was so nervous about meeting the First Prince that I couldn’t sleep well last night.”

“Mel’s etiquette instructor has given her approval for you to visit the castle. You’ll be fine. And even if something happens, I’ll be there.”

“As long as my brother is with me, I feel safe.”

For the rest of the journey, Patrick and Amelia continued their conversation as if there were a wall between them and Melissa.

“By the way, I didn’t realize Mel was so close to Lady Jacqueline.”

“Yes, she has been very kind to me.”

“Prince Eldred and Lady Jacqueline are deeply affectionate toward each other. If you gain favor with the future royal couple, your position will be secure as well, Mel.”

“Brother! I’m not close to Jacqueline because she’s the future queen! We simply get along well!”

Amelia puffed out her cheeks in protest. Though she acted as if she had no ulterior motives, Melissa couldn’t help but admire how Amelia had managed to arrange a meeting with Prince Eldred so effortlessly.

After her grandmother dismissed her concerns about Amelia, Melissa had wondered why Amelia was isolating her. Then, she finally realized—if Amelia was an ambitious person aiming for a higher position, it was far easier and quicker to step on Melissa and take her place rather than befriend her and create a new standing. The realization of her own obliviousness left Melissa disheartened.

Amelia had a strong desire to rise in status, skillfully manipulated those around her, and ensured everything went her way without revealing her ambitions. That was the ideal behavior for a noblewoman. In noble society, it wasn’t something to be condemned—rather, it was Melissa, who was so easily outmaneuvered by a former viscount’s daughter, who deserved criticism.

Before boarding the carriage, the house steward informed Melissa that one of her maids had requested to be reassigned to Amelia. That maid, who had witnessed the events at the tea party from the same perspective as Melissa, was highly ambitious. Aware of Amelia’s hidden nature, she had still chosen to serve Amelia over Melissa. Amelia knew exactly which face to show to whom, and that made her terrifying.

Melissa had simply been born into the ducal family and was merely pretending to be strong to match her position. There was no way she could compete with Amelia.

Since her initial introduction to Prince Christopher at age six, where he had visibly shown his disappointment, Melissa had hardly interacted with him—after all, she was only a candidate for engagement, not a formal fiancée. A kind maid at the royal castle once told her that before the meeting, Christopher had been thrilled to learn that his potential fiancée was the daughter of Vanessa, as he had admired Vanessa since childhood when she visited the castle with Patrick.

Amelia, with her blonde hair and red eyes, bore a striking resemblance to their mother, not just in appearance but in her bright and carefree personality as well. Now, Amelia was going to the royal castle. It was obvious what would happen if she met Prince Christopher.

Melissa had no personal feelings toward Prince Christopher—she barely knew him enough to like or dislike him. If anything, she would be relieved to have more time to play the piano without the burden of princess training.

By the time the carriage reached the castle, Melissa had already given up. She was certain Amelia would become Prince Christopher’s official fiancée.