“I’m Carolyn Regent,” she introduced politely.

Raytan stared at her while keeping his quiet.

Brown hair coming down to her waist was lustrous as if covered with fragrant oil. Her pretty pink dress looked very expensive even at a glance, and the accessories worn on her body were also made of high-quality gems.

Carolyn Regent really looked different compared to Sezh, whose hair was always messy, wore inexpensive dresses, and had never worn proper accessories. On the other hand, Sezh was an oddity in nobility.

Carolyn looked at Raytan with her fluttering eyes.

“… It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”

“I didn’t know the Prince would come to the debutante ball. I have asked if you wanted to go, but I didn’t hear any news.”

“Even if my Lady didn’t say it, I already knew you asked your maid about me.”

“Did the Prince find that intolerable?”

She didn’t look sorry at all for someone who asked if he disliked her action or not. She even laughed to herself.

“Well, if you have any questions in the future, please ask me directly instead. I can spare time to do that, my Lady.”

Carolyn seemed a little surprised at Raytan’s words. She was silent for a split second.

“Then, can you give me some of that time today?”

Raytan’s eyes narrowed.

“I have a lot of questions about the Prince. You may not know, but I saw your gracious face several times while having tea time with Princess Lillian.”

“…”

“When I go to the Imperial Palace, I wonder if I could have a conversation with the Prince at least once.”

In his thoughts, she was a woman a lot more confident than she looks.

She was probably this confident in their first meeting because she already knew about his ‘position’ in the Imperial Palace. However, since she was the only precious daughter of the Regent family, her confidence was also somewhat expected.

A person who always gets a lot of attention and admiring gazes is completely different from Sezh. Raytan felt bitter without knowing why.

“Prince?”

Raytan, who was finally pulled back to reality, smiled with a strange face, “…So it’s like that. I never knew about it.”

“However, I’m glad that the Prince doesn’t dislike my previous action.”

“Then, should we indulge your curiosity? If my Lady is okay, we can do it while getting some cool air.”

“Of course, it’s okay,” Carolyn replied with a smile.

Raytan began to leave the banquet hall with Carolyn. He forced his gaze away from Sezh’s location and towards Carolyn.

***

No matter how long she waited, Raytan didn’t come back. Sezh stood alone in front of the window and looked around while stretching her neck, waiting for him. But, she couldn’t even see his shadow.

Subsequently, the banquet hall was getting even more crowded. After the dance, the ladies and gentlemen gathered together. Their parents greeted each other and shared conversations. Sezh once heard from Luna that there are cases where people who met in the debutante ball formed marriages together. That’s why noble families participate so diligently every year.

Sezh was trapped alone in a party of insane people. Some people greeted her from time to time, but that’s all.

She knew it too. It would not be very advantageous to build a network with Princess Sezh, who is neglected at the Imperial Palace.

Rather than being angry at Raytan, who suddenly disappeared, Sezh was worried.

‘Did he get into a fight again?’

Perhaps Bern attended the banquet tonight. Sezh was relieved not to see him when the ball started, but he may have entered late.

As Sezh thought about it more, she became anxious. Because of her, Raytan put up with things he didn’t like, so she didn’t want him to get involved in a useless fight. When Sezh couldn’t bear her anxiety anymore, she started to walk. She stumbled when someone suddenly approached and greeted her.

“Is the Princess alone? You seemed to be with the Prince before.

It was Sezh’s first time to see him. Considering that she didn’t know his face, he must not be from the Imperial Palace.

“I’m sorry for the late greeting, Princess Sezh. My name is Mathias Kareem.”

Kareem? Sezh widened her blue eyes at the unexpected words.

“If it’s okay, could I stay with you until the Prince returns? I attended this ball because of my cousin, but it hasn’t been long since I studied abroad, so I don’t know many people here.”

The Kareem family was one of the most influential families in the Denhelder Empire. Mathias Kareem is the firstborn of the Kareem family. Therefore, what he’s been saying must be a lie. Whether Mathias was studying abroad or not, even if he goes anywhere and returns after 50 years, people will still recognize him and become friendly with him in order to get close.

Besides, somehow his face looked a little stiff. It must be because of the girls lurking and leering at him from far away. They were watching and waiting for an opportunity to chat with him. It was not an exaggeration to say that Mathias was a top-notch groom. His family was respectable, he had a good brain, and he was tall and handsome.

His red hair, neatly organized without any flaws, his soft hazel eyes, and his other features arranged themselves into a calm face. Sezh thought Mathias was merely pitying her, so he chose to start up a conversation.

“Oh, sorry, but I… have to go now. I was about to find my brother.”

“Where did the Prince go?”

“I am not sure. It looks like Raytan was only going away for a little while…”

“Why doesn’t the Princess wait with me here? In the meantime, we can talk to each other,” Mathias said with a smile.

Sezh hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she nodded her head.

Sezh was also worried she would encounter so many paths in the hallway once she went to find Raytan. It was difficult to know if she would find anyone who would kindly show her the right way. Nevertheless, what kind of conversation should they have? Regrettably, Sezh was extremely bad at thinking up conversation topics.

She never had friends her age in her life, and at best, Raytan and Luna were all she had to talk to. Of course, there was Eton too. But the time she got to know him was short, and it was four years ago, so it’s a little too much to say that he’s a conversation partner.

“The Princess is 16 this year, right?” Fortunately, Mathias brought up a topic first. “Even though you are a member of the Imperial family, you did your debut a little late.”

Sezh didn’t know what to say. She only opened her mouth and made a faint sound like, “Ah.”

What kind of expression Mathias will make if he knew Sezh almost couldn’t have a debut even though she’s from the Imperial family.

“But after seeing you in person, I understand now.”

“Yes?”

“It seems that Lady Yerena is worried about the Princess’s beauty, so she decided to hide the mysterious Princess strictly.”

What did he just say? Yerena was worried about her so her mother hid her strictly? Sezh laughed reflexively. Maybe Mathias really was studying abroad. It wasn’t too long after he returned, so he didn’t seem to know about her circumstances at the Imperial Palace. The Imperial family and all the nobles knew: Concubine Yerena treats her daughter, Princess Sezh, with hostility.

Sezh suddenly became uncomfortable being near him. It was unbearable to have so many stolen glances daggered at her and Mathias.

“I-I’m sorry, but I have to find my brother,” Sezh fidgeted as she spoke.

“Isn’t it possible the Princess will only vainly search for the Prince when there are so many places? Or perhaps I could accompany you…”

“He will be still around here anyway… I can find him on my own.”

“Shall I have my attendant find the Prince?” Mathias asked with a face full of worry.

Sezh thought he was a very kind person. He came to her when nobody else didn’t, he softly talks to her, and he worries about her like this.

However, Mathias might change his attitude when he learns Sezh is treated as a maid rather than a princess. Or he would make a more sympathetic expression than he had now. Sezh hated both choices. She was now so desperate to get out of this place.

“Thank you, but it’s really okay.”

“But…”

“It was a great honor to meet you. Please have a good time…”

After saying goodbye, Sezh took off from her place in a hurry.

Now, it seemed that Raytan was not in the banquet hall.

‘I think he went outside… Then, let’s go outside first!’ Sezh began to walk towards the door with hurried steps.

‘But these damn shoes,’ Sezh gritted her teeth.

“Akh!” Sezh, who has just tripped over her own feet, stumbled down powerlessly.

She knew it would be like this. It was a miracle she had not yet fallen so far. Besides, of all places, why did she have to fall in front of so many people?

Sezh closed her eyes tightly in embarrassment. However, she didn’t hit any ground. Instead, a set of arms gently wrapped around her shoulders.

“As expected, it would be better if I went with you, Princess.”

Sezh found Mathias still staring at her from behind.

“T-Thank you… Ah!”

The increasing pain made her unconsciously frown. So frustrating, it seemed she had sprained her ankle.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Someone in the crowd bumped into Sezh.

The banquet hall was getting more and more crowded.

Mathias frowned and soon spoke while supporting Sezh, “Shall we go out of this place? Princess.”