/
I led Keynes to the parlor. He doesn’t have to come, but Erhan strangely follows. Neither I nor Keynes knew why he was sitting here together with us, but we didn’t ask why either.
Keynes handed over the book, “Rare Ophthalmological Diseases in Irvia,” which I lent at that time. I was somewhat surprised and accepted the book. At best, I thought the book would come delivered by a servant, so it was really unexpected.
“I thought you were a noble Young Lady, but
.”
Keynes laughed as if he had just found out something exciting.
I tried not to be embarrassed and managed my expression. He already knew that I was the assistant of the primary Doctor of the Duke of Cerceus. Well, if the imperial family wants to find something, it’ll not be hard for them to find out.
“Come to think of it, you never said you were a noble.”
“Yes.”
I answered confidently. I wondered if there was a problem, but it didn’t seem to be that atmosphere.
Keynes just seemed to find it all interesting.
In fact, I’m a commoner, so he can use informal language with me. However, he didn’t seem to have any intention of questioning me and kept using the same respectful speech as before.
“Then, Viscount Ferelmen must be your godfather
.”
“Yes, he’s my godfather.”
Even though the pigeon only brought a short, “Yes. -Godfather.”
Erhan looked at me in amazement at my words.
“What? When?”
“It hasn’t been long. I’ve already told the Duchess about it.”
He frowned and sighed. Seeing that he hadn’t even heard this, it seemed that his relationship with the Duchess had not yet recovered.
“Hmm.”
A godfather was usually something in the noble sphere, but there was no law that a commoner couldn’t have a noble godfather.
“Actually, I have one more thing to give you.”
Keynes took a gold envelope out of his arms.
‘Is it money?’
In fact, I didn’t need much money because I was living a rich life, but I’m still looking forward to it since it could be expected for the amount to be large.
He said with a gentlemanly smile.
“As you may have expected, thanks to you I was able to treat the Crown Prince’s eye problem well.”
“Oh, that’s good.”
“If I hadn’t met the young lady in the Free City
The Prince could have lost one of his eyes.”
“Probably so. Then I suppose I made a great contribution to the Empire.”
I nodded slowly while drinking tea.
“That’s why the Crown Prince would like to see Ms. Lise again.”
“Ah.”
It was the same for me. But not now.
‘There’s no evidence to present yet.’
While I was panicking for a moment, Keynes continued.
“I remember Miss Lise saying she wanted to see the Crown Prince again.”
It was Erhan who immediately responded to the remark. He looked at me with incredulous eyes.
“What? Is that true, Lise?”
“Oh, yes.”
I nodded.
With his face trembling as if seeing the end of the world, Erhan sighed. Keynes laughed as he pushed me the golden envelope.
“Actually, the Prince had no doubts that Ms. Lise would come during the Victory Banquet, but when he heard that you were a commoner, he was quite saddened.”
I took the envelope and opened it slightly, there was no money inside.
“There is only one way for the common people to attend the victory banquet. And that’s when you’re especially invited by the Imperial family.”
I was lost in thought while looking at the fancy invitation to the banquet.
“For your contribution to saving the Imperial Family, the Crown Prince personally invites you to the Victory Banquet, so please attend.”
There was no way I would be interested in something like a banquet. However, I remember the fact that noble Young Ladies were fighting over who was going to dance with Erhan at the banquet.
‘It means that Viscount Avik will certainly attend.’
I don’t know much about the banquet, but if it was a big imperial event attended by all the aristocrats, there could be an opportunity to get clear evidence.
In addition, I remembered the Victory Banquet was such an amazing event that I could hear about it even when I was quietly serving as a doctor in the corner of the territory. Recalling Betia’s face, which seemed to have no idea that her father was a rebel, I touched the golden envelope.
‘If I use this chance well
.’
No matter how much I thought about it, there was no reason not to attend.
“Alright.”
I answered with a smile.
“I’ll make sure to attend.”
“
Will you really attend Lise?”
Erhan asked in a trembling voice.
“Yes. Should I not?”
“No
 I’m going if you want to
.”
Keynes laughed happily as he covered his voice which seemed to be somewhere vague.
“The Crown Prince will like it.”
“Why?”
“Because ever since his eyes got healed, he often talked about Ms. Lise.”
I couldn’t answer that because Erhan broke the teacup he was holding. While the maid was busy cleaning up, Erhan didn’t say a single word.
⊱⋅ ──────────── ⋅⊰
“What?”
Madam Isabel, who became the Dowager Duchess as of yesterday, was surprised and could not speak for a while.
“The Crown Prince invited you to the Victory Banquet?”
“Yes.”
The guests began to go back one by one, and the madam called me to prescribe her a soothing agent, saying she was tired.
Then, when I lightly told her what happened today during the little tea time that followed the consultation, she couldn’t hide her excitement.
“It happened in the free city.”
She held my hand with sparkling eyes.
“Lise, if it’s the victory banquet, there’s not much time left. Famous tailors would have been fully booked by now. From tomorrow, we will also have to hurry.”
“What? I have a lot of clothes.”
“It’s a direct invitation from the Crown Prince.”
She said firmly.
“Then you’re going to do the first dance with the Crown Prince. That’s the custom.”
“What?”
I was so surprised that I almost jumped out of the chair. Dancing was the word that suited me the least.
“I can’t dance
.”
“Of course, you have to learn. I’ll send you a tutor starting tomorrow. And just in case, with an etiquette teacher
.”
At this point when my time to research wasn’t enough, troublesome things suddenly kept intervening. Perhaps she misinterpreted my tearful face, but the lady sighed with her tongue clenched.
“I wanted to turn you into my foster daughter in case this happened.”
Her eyes flared with anger again. The opponent was, of course, Erhan.
“Whatever happens, I don’t want your status to hinder you.”
“What?”
“If the Crown Prince says he likes you, you can be the Crown Princess
.”
I opened my mouth in astonishment.
I’m just a commoner who can’t even marry a nobleman, but mentioning the crown princess role made it all the more profane.
“Madam, that won’t happen.”
“Why not?”
She said as if she really didn’t understand why it couldn’t be done.
“There’s no one as pretty, as cute, as smart, and as nice as you. There might be a lot of young ladies from other families, but you’re the best.”
“I treated Young Lady Betia’s ankle today, and she had luscious blonde hair that didn’t compare to my normal brown hair.”
“Why were you treating Young Lady Avik?”
The Madam’s eyes frowned, she asked again with gleaming eyes.
“Who made you do such a trivial thing?”
“What?”
“I can’t have this. I will make Viscount Avik send an official apology for this
.”
“Oh, n-no. Please don’t do that.”
Anyway, Erhan and his mother sure were the same when they were angry at a strange tangent, and would suddenly make a ferocious expression.
I sighed and returned to the topic.
“Anyway, at the Victory Banquet, there won’t be anything like what the Madam imagines.”
“Who knows.”
She murmured with a face lost in thought.
“The Crown Prince is the star of this victory banquet. And you are his first dance. If people discover that you’re a commoner, they will surely make a lot of remarks from behind. I’ll do my best to support you as much as possible so nothing goes wrong.”
“Well, I don’t mind if I get criticized behind my back, but I will do my best to not dirty Cerceus’ honor.”
“Yes.”
Still, she couldn’t erase her disapproving expression, thinking that it wasn’t enough for me to attend the banquet with a commoner status.
“I gave birth to him, it’s my own blood. But Erhan, that shameless bastard
.”
The Madam spoke in a cold tone.
“I also think the same way as the Duke. Though I’ve already told the Madam before.”
I mumbled an answer.
“Don’t side with that stupid boy. The more I looked at him, the stranger he became in my eyes. To the point where I wondered if it was much better when he was still a weak kid.”
“Well
 I still think it’s much better that he became healthy. Besides, he came back a lot better in many ways. From the perspective of someone who lives and works in the Duchy, I like the Duke who does his job well and manages his fief thoroughly.”
“He knows too well he’s capable and became somewhat arrogant. And he doesn’t even give people
.”
“But the Young Ladies went crazy wanting to impress the Duke.”
“What kind of woman could manage that temper? Even I’m frustrated, and I’m the mother. I don’t know who’s going to be my daughter-in-law, but I feel sorry for her.”
Hmm. He’s not that bad though.
Somehow, I felt like their relationship went too bad because of me.
‘You’re hitting your son too hard
.’
I sighed out of guilt for some reason.
“Anyway, don’t worry about the Victory Banquet.”
‘I wasn’t worried.’
“Now that my hand is free from managing the estate, even if I have to sell my soul
.”
Suddenly, I started to worry.