Chapter 56: The Dawn’s Affection

The estate’s specialty was the garden that connected to the ballroom with its antique charm, so Lara planned the evening gathering to be held in the garden during the night.

Without sparing oil and firewood, the ballroom was warmed up, and tables were set up in the chilly garden to allow the ladies to proudly showcase the furs they had enthusiastically prepared.

From fox fur scarves to sleek sable fur coats, Diane mentioned that the ladies had become obsessed with furs since the previous year.

Lara, considering what furs the ladies attending the ball would competitively wear, decided to hold the event in the evening.

She herself prepared a fur that she could wear as a shawl when leaving her bedroom. It was a silver-gray fox fur, quite expensive, and it was a gift from Alec. She was told it had originally been a gift from Empress Eloise, Alec’s mother, to her husband, the Emperor.

The value and significance of the gift were immense. But more famous than the fur was something priceless.

The deep blue gem adorning her neck… and the noble drop-shaped jewels shining beneath her ears. Finally, the radiant glory atop her head.

Once called the masterpiece of the century, the blue diamond—a jewel so rare that craftsmen declared no such luxurious heirloom would ever be seen again in this generation—drew every gaze in the ballroom.

“Lara.”

Alec’s voice reached her. Lara turned her head and met his gaze.

Dressed in a magnificent tailcoat just like Lara, he gently embraced her waist. Then, in front of everyone gathered in the ballroom, he kissed her cheek.

As she received his kiss, Lara’s eyes scanned the tall man before her. His black hair was neatly swept back, revealing his forehead, contrasting with his pale skin. His features were sharp and clear, without a single flaw.

His striking, masculine features were accentuated, and though they exuded a coldness that made it hard to approach him, they perfectly matched his royal status.

“Here.”

Before making her way through the crowd, Lara adjusted her husband’s cravat once more.

Perhaps moved by her affection, Alec kissed her cheek again and subtly caressed her lower abdomen. This, too, was an act done with the awareness of the people’s eyes on them.

“How do you feel?”

“It’s good.”

“Tell me specifically.”

Alec, who had kissed his wife, asked Lara. As he pressed for a more detailed response, Lara looked at him quietly. Alec whispered, “Smile for me.” Lara lowered her gaze slightly and then looked back up at him, whispering:

“…Lovely.”

At her heart-pounding reply, Alec’s cheek flushed slightly.

---

The Princess was wearing the necklace set of his mother, the former Empress Eloise.

Decades ago, a blue diamond mined from the diamond mines at the far end of the Western Continent came into the hands of Count Neovil, a wealthy man and a loyal servant of the Emperor of Empostium. The Emperor presented this beautiful gemstone to the newly married young Empress.

The Empress’s jeweler crafted a tiara, necklace, and earrings that would shine on the Empress’s small ears, using this dazzling gemstone. The Empress named the collection “The Dawn’s Affection.”

In Empostium, “dawn” was often used as a metaphor for the Emperor, so the name “The Dawn’s Affection” likely signified the Emperor’s love.

Such a priceless gem was passed down to Alec Maximilian Amileo D’Naissus Theodosius von Roincaster III, the only legitimate heir to the throne, after the death of Empress Eloise. The Emperor’s son inherited both the vast wealth left by his father and the Empress’s heirlooms.

But now, such an important and immense symbol of royal meaning was shining atop the head of a mere slave girl…

Valerie struggled to keep a calm expression as she tried to look at the Prince. Though the girl wasn’t even officially acknowledged as his wife—let alone a Princess—she told herself that. But seeing the Empress’s tiara glittering on the girl’s head, it was hard to keep herself composed.

‘Why do I have to feel like this?’

She felt tears welling up in her eyes from a sense of humiliation. Betrayal, envy, and sadness overwhelmed her.

‘Why her? Why, of all people…’

She knew she had nothing guaranteed from Alec. Even if she felt entitled to it, she hadn’t received anything from him.

Even though her father and his mother had exchanged talks about marriage, she had never received a definitive answer. Yet, her teeth clenched. She realized that it was because of the girl he chose. It was all because of that girl, and she couldn’t accept it.

Why Lara, of all people? The Lara she remembered was nothing special, and now she had to lower her head to that girl—it was beyond absurd.

It felt like everything had been taken from her. She couldn’t maintain her composure, as there was nothing about that girl that she thought was better.

“Such a good match,” a voice said.

Valerie turned her head. A young woman with an innocent face was talking nonsense.

“Good match?”

A familiar voice came from somewhere. The voice, laced with laughter, clearly carried mockery.

“That person… well, she doesn’t have a title, but since she’s pregnant with the Prince’s child, I suppose we should call her Princess? So, do you think the Prince and her make a good match?”

“What?”

“Did you know? She introduced herself as ‘Lady Caitlyn’ at first.”

“That’s…”

“‘Caitlyn’ is her maiden name, you know. How funny is it that she added her maiden name before ‘Lady’? Is she saying she’s my stepfather’s wife or what? Hahaha, ridiculous. But the funniest part? She’s actually not Caitlyn at all.”

“What? What do you mean, Miss Flapins…?”

“She’s adopted, they say.”

Before she knew it, Gladys had come closer. Whether it was because she was aware of their gaze or not, Gladys was grinning behind her fan, watching her cousin chatter away.

But Valerie didn’t reveal anything. She pretended to be demure and composed. A lady would always subtly have others do her bidding to achieve what she wanted—this was the nature of the women from the Beljeno family.

‘Well, this is all they’ve learned, after all.’

Pathetic. Valerie smiled slyly, only for Gladys to notice and quickly stiffen. Gladys then turned away, fluttering her fan. The innocent woman who had praised the Prince’s wife now looked flustered, her lips twitching.

“Well… then…”

“She’s a slave.”

Julia drove the point home. With a scoff, her eyes, filled with envy, glared at the Prince. Perhaps she felt uncomfortable playing the role of a mistress to a man now nearly in his sixties.

Julia also had a subtle desire when she looked at the Prince. The woman he kept at his side seemed beneath him. Even though she couldn’t claim what wasn’t hers, seeing that girl possess something undeserved surely made her furious.

“I think I heard she was a slave from some family.”

“Oh my, Miss Flapins, please don’t say such things…”

Gladys shot Julia a side glance, feigning a warning. Valerie lowered her gaze and thought of Lena. After leaving the bedroom, Lena had gone to visit a detective.

However, the clues gained through that encounter weren’t much. Lena, unable to control her messy temper, had confided in a servant she was familiar with. That servant was the one Valerie had prepared.

Valerie had known that as soon as Lena left the bedroom, she would spill her thoughts and plans. She had already anticipated who Lena had been building a connection with, and through that person, Valerie made sure Lena spoke freely and openly.

The person Lena confided in was one of Gillian’s associates, a man with a sharp mind and access to valuable information.

He investigated the village where the Princess had lived and discovered how she managed to escape Heidelbern and settle there. Valerie had provided him with details of her time as a slave and her life in Heidelbern.

The man subtly shared his findings with Lena, and she eagerly opened up, telling Valerie everything. During this, Valerie checked to see if Lena had been gossiping about what she had learned.

The servants had loose tongues. The ones who spread rumors inside and outside the mansion were lighter than birds. Women like Gladys surely hadn’t missed any rumors. These women, who gnashed their teeth every night trying to find ways to undermine the Princess. Valerie had to hold back a smile as she looked ahead.

“Nice to meet you, Lady Oppreese.”

A round-eyed gaze landed on Valerie. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of fear in the eyes that stared at her. Valerie recalled the days when this woman had looked up to her. It seemed like nothing was left of that clarity in this woman.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness. I never had the chance to greet you properly at the Marquis’s ball.”

Valerie knelt and bowed to her. Gladys and Julia also knelt in the same manner.

The Princess accepted their greetings with grace, her demeanor refined and dignified. Valerie thought it was laughable and pitiable that such composure was something a slave could never possess.

“I hope you enjoy the banquet.”

Her light blue eyes curved gently. Valerie’s gaze shifted to the Prince, who was holding the Princess. The Prince didn’t acknowledge her. She had tried to speak to him at the Marquis’s mansion, but he had merely given a light greeting in return.

It wasn’t just her—he was the same with other women. His aloof and dry demeanor made her mouth go dry. Did he truly love his wife? No. She wasn’t even his wife…

She had never been granted the title of “Princess.” Yet, he made everyone bow their heads to her. Why? What made her so special? This woman could offer him nothing.

“The banquet hall is beautiful. I heard His Highness invited a foreign landscaper to take care of the garden?”

Valerie stretched her lips into a smile and asked the Prince. She had prepared quite a bit to say, paying extra attention to her appearance and trying to learn about the Prince’s interests.

“A foreign landscaper?”

The Prince, who had been brushing off powder from his wife’s shoulder while sipping champagne, turned to her. Valerie was caught off guard by the unexpected response and found herself at a loss for words. She wasn’t used to this kind of dry reaction, and her face paled.

“Just recently, in the salon…”

“Is that so? Darling, did you bring a landscaper from abroad?”

The Prince intentionally interrupted Valerie’s words and turned to his wife. The Princess, who had been staring at Valerie without any expression, nodded.

Despite the simplicity of her nod, the Prince’s entire face brightened with a smile, whispering, “I see,” as if he wanted to kiss her right away, his expression filled with longing.

“Heh heh.”

Gladys, who had been staring at Valerie from the side, let out a quiet laugh. When Valerie shot her a sharp glance, Gladys quickly smiled and gave Julia Flapins a knowing look.

What was she planning now? Julia, who had been staring only at the Prince, seemed to pick up on Gladys’s signal and looked around at her group of women, shifting a bit further away.

Valerie watched with a tense expression as the women’s actions unfolded, then looked at the Prince. The Prince was observing everything with cold eyes. A sense of unease crept over her, and she felt like something was about to go wrong.