/
Contrary to Clara’s urging that she would be late, Dorothea arrived at the salon a little earlier than the beginning of the music performance.
‘I prepared it early in the morning, so maybe it was a natural result. Thanks to that, the salon was still quiet.’
‘I wonder if Ethan is already here? Wouldn’t he have come early to do a rehearsal?’
The only reason Dorothea attended today’s music performance was because of Ethan.
She is going to meet Ethan and try to organize her relationship and feelings with him clearly and neatly.
Dorothea got off the carriage and entered the garden under the guidance of the butler who was waiting in front of the gate.
She looked around to see if Ethan was there, but unfortunately, the first people she found were Monica Aponita and Nereus.
‘Today
 it’s unpleasant.’
I’m nervous even if I start fresh, but as soon as I entered, those two caught my eye.
They were talking about something in a remote, dark shade of the garden.
Dorothea didn’t really want to associate with them, so she ignored them and tried to enter the building.
However.
“After canceling our engagement, how did you come to the music performance I was attending, Monica?”
Nereus’ voice, cold and arrogant, drifted into her ears.
‘I don’t know why my ears were so sensitive at times like this.’
“Oh, is it because of that Ethan Bronte you like?”
And Ethan’s name stopped her from walking.
Nereus was displeased that Monica, the woman who had broken off their engagement, shamelessly attended the concert.
“I can’t believe you have the courage to see me after doing that. If you cared about your family and your parents, you wouldn’t do this.”
“I also got invitations to the music performance. I have the right to attend this event
!”
Monica, who had dared to refute Nereus, her voice trembled slightly contrary to her intention.
Monica had been avoiding Nereus lately, trying to avoid meeting him.
But Nereus had been showing up at everything she’d been invited to as if to isolate her.
Monica had to cancel most of her appointments to avoid him.
But today, she really wanted to see Ethan’s performance, so she had the courage to come.
Monica tried not to run into Nereus as much as possible, but she couldn’t because she was in the same place.
“You must know that I belong to the club that hosted the music performance today. Then, even if you got the invitation, you can’t come, just because of that guy who is a playboy.”
“Ethan Bronte is not a playboy!”
“Does that mean that Ethan Bronte can be your companion?”
Nereus was sarcastic to Monica.
Then, Monica’s body stiffened as if pressed by something heavy, and Dorothea, who was listening to the conversation from afar, closed her lips.
When Monica couldn’t refute and was stunned, Nereus raised one corner of his mouth and continued.
“Did you know that his mother was a woman selling herself in a bar?  Doesn’t he inherit the blood of his mother and go out with women to get something?”
“You talk too much
! Ethan is not like that!”
“he isn’t? There are so many rumors about Ethan Bronte these days.”
“Prince Nereus, you’re the one who’s always ignoring people and using parties and social gatherings as an excuse to go out with other women when you say you’re engaged to me!”
Monica clenched her fists tightly as if showing courage, replied to Nereus.
Then Nereus’s eyes turned cold.
“Are you done talking..?”
Nereus, who had been treated like Ethan, raised his hand in the air.
Monica closed her eyes tightly to him.
Then

“That’s enough, Prince Nereus.”
With a firm voice, Nereus’ hand stopped.
Monica opened her eyes carefully, and in front of her was a blonde beauty holding Nereus’ hand.
“Do, Princess Dorothea!”
“Princess Dorothea.”
Unlike Monica, who was surprised, Nereus’ temple was trembling with irritation and anger.
“I appreciate your personal attendance at today’s music performance, but this is none of your business, Princess.”
“I hope you have the decency to honor the royal family of Hark.”
Dorothea spoke quietly without averting Nereus’ eyes.
She squeezed Nereus’s wrist, and he clenched his teeth and roughly shook her hand away.
Then, He glared sharply at Monica, who cowered behind Dorothea and entered the salon building where the concert was being held.
‘You should be ashamed of yourselves for wanting to slap a woman who has no power.’
Nereus also punched Ethan at the last Episteme graduation ceremony.
‘It’s not an impulse, it’s a habit. bad hand habits.’
‘I don’t like how you’re so consistent before and after the return
’
Raymond, Theon, Ethan, Stefan, and the others had shown a side of themselves that Dorothea hadn’t seen since the return, but Nereus was still a short-tempered person.
“Thank you, Princess.”
Dorothea clicked her tongue as she looked in the direction Nereus had gone, but behind her, Monica bowed her head to express her gratitude.
Her clear voice seemed somewhat intimidated.
“Yes.”
‘I didn’t help her because I liked her.
To be honest, I was bothered to see her with Ethan at Restaurant Caro.’
There was no way for Dorothea to know what Ethan and Monica had done that day, and a thousand different scenarios ran through her head.
Ethan talks with Monica with a smile, Ethan wrapping his arms around Monica’s waist, Ethan slices Monica’s steak, Ethan wipes the sauce off Monica’s lips, and Ethan compliments Monica that she’s pretty.
Dorothea forced a smile, trying to stop her endlessly expanding imagination.
“Did you have a good meal with Ethan that day?”
Pretending to be fine and asked with the softest voice possible.
However, even with Dorothea’s passionate pretense, Monica’s forehead was slightly wrinkled.
“You mean did we eat well?”
“Oh, didn’t Caro’s food not suit your taste?”
Dorothea asked again, confused by Monica’s reaction.
Come to think of it, Ethan said that that day, the food didn’t quite fit his taste. Maybe he made the wrong choice on the menu.
“Didn’t Ethan say anything?”
“What do you mean?”
When Dorothea asked, Monica paused for a moment, then shook her head.
“If Ethan didn’t tell you, I don’t think I’m going to tell you.”
Dorothea blinked and tilted her head at Monica’s words.
“If Ethan comes today, be sure to talk to him, Princess. That’s all I can tell you.”
After hesitating, Monica added a confusing word.
Then, She bowed once again, saying thank you, and disappeared into the salon.
* * *
“Welcome, Princess Dorothea Milanaire!”
As Dorothea entered the salon, a loud noise greeted her.
All eyes were on her for a moment.
As soon as the salon employees found her, they all greeted her with a loud voice and escorted her to the center seat.
They had prepared for her arrival.
The chair, which was immediately recognizable as a special seat, was larger than the others, with plusher cushions and a higher backrest.
A rather burdensome chair was suitable to attract more attention that was already focused on her.
“Is Princess Dorothea attending?”
“Why did she suddenly come?”
The atmosphere became chaotic when Dorothea, who had never appeared for a while, appeared.
People from the salon’s organizers heard the news that she had arrived and rushed to greet her.
“Isn’t the seat uncomfortable?”
“It’s okay.”
“Do you need anything?”
“No, don’t worry about it.”
‘Please. Everyone is staring at me.’
Their excessive interest and hospitality were like a loud fanfare announcing the arrival of a princess.
On the other hand, Nereus, who belongs to today’s organizer, was staring at her from afar, as if he had been offended by what happened in the garden.
‘I’ll be grateful if you don’t talk to me.’
While Dorothea thought so, nobles gathered around her, blocking Nereus from her view.
“Oh, how long have you been absent from the event, Princess! Everyone really wanted to see you!”
“I thought a goddess came in when the princess entered. Indeed, Milanaire’s light
 !”
Dorothea was uncomfortable with the excessive praise, but she smiled in moderation.
Dorothea found herself more adapted to this atmosphere than before.
“It’s a good thing you came today. I can’t believe the two people that people want to see the most these days are attending.”
“The two people?”
“The Princess and Ethan Bronte. Especially today, many people are looking forward to Ethan’s violin performance. Did the princess come expecting Ethan’s performance too?”
Ethan’s name pierced Dorothea’s heart for no reason.
‘It’s not that I want to hear Ethan play, but, indeed, I came here because of Ethan
’
“Now, I try to attend these events more often.”
Unable to give a straight answer, Dorothea hid her true intentions.
Then the arrogant voice of Nereus came through the people.
“That’s a relief. There were so many people who wanted to see the princess’s face.”
Perhaps Dorothea didn’t think he was getting people’s attention, so he walked through the crowd and stepped out in front of Dorothea.
“I really wanted to see the princess too.”
“You wanted to see me?”
Dorothea asked at his shameless attitude.
“Haha, aren’t the Empress and I have ‘spirits’ and we can’t easily talk to other people about that, right? As a person who can deal with the spirit, I wanted to share some stories with you.”
The word ‘spirits’ is emphasized as if to say, “Listen up”.
He seemed to be arrogant by emphasizing that he was different from the others, So Dorothea felt somewhat awkward.
And as expected.
“Then princess, can you show us the spirit of light?”
Nereus’ eyes narrowed coldly.
Dorothea noticed that he was trying to test her abilities.
“Are you trying to make me a spectacle?”