ITETD 35

Chapter 35

“Prin! Wipe that table down again!”

“Okay! Got it, sis!”

Prin was a maid working at the royal palace.

The palace was crazy busy preparing for a party happening in two days. The worst part? The party was being held outside in the greenhouse, so every maid and servant had to spend days moving things like tables, chairs, and flowers out there.

Prin didn’t understand why she had to work so hard for a party she wouldn’t even be attending. Her vacation started tomorrow, so not only would she not be going to the party—she wouldn’t even be around to sneak a peek at it.

“Your vacation starts tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, it just worked out that way.”

“Too bad. If you were staying, you might’ve gotten to watch the party.”

“Haha, maybe.”

She smiled on the outside—but on the inside, she was grumbling.

“Ugh. I hope that stupid party crashes and burns.”

Everyone at the palace had been pulled from their usual work for a whole month just to help with the greenhouse setup.

And to make things worse, the Duke of Heretrio—the one who’s famous for never showing his face—was said to be attending… with a commoner woman by his side.

Some of the maids were even hoping to catch his eye.

Prin? She didn’t care one bit about dukes or nobles.

She was just annoyed that her vacation got pushed back. She could’ve left earlier!

“Still, it looks really pretty now, doesn’t it?”

“If you’ve got time to talk, help move another flower pot, sis.”

She answered with a bit of attitude, but as Prin looked around the greenhouse, she had to admit:

“Not bad at all.”

Sunlight was shining through the glass ceiling, making everything sparkle. The setup was actually… kind of magical.

Still, this was a party for nobles and their money games. A maid like her had no place there.

“Whatever. I’m on vacation starting tomorrow.”

All she could do was hope her coworkers survived the madness.

She glanced at the maid working beside her and smiled.

* * *

The party would go on for three weeks.

According to Calix, you only had to show up on the first day, and after that, you could attend as you liked.

It wasn’t a strict rule, so technically we could leave after the first day and head back home.

But still… Calix had ten dresses made for me.

“This is definitely just for his own fun.”

So now I had to pick which dress to wear from the ten that had been delivered to the mansion.

“That green one looks so good on you! It matches your eye color perfectly!”

said Hanna, hands clasped with excitement.

“Hmm. I agree.”

Calix nodded approvingly from the side, watching me.

“I liked the ivory one you tried earlier,”
Arel, the other maid, said softly.
“It made your hair and eyes stand out.”

“Yeah, that one was nice. Should I try it on again?”
Calix joined in.

Wow. These three are really enjoying this, huh?

I stared grumpily at the full-length mirror in front of me. I’d lost count of how many times I’d changed.

“Can’t I just wear whatever?”

“Of course you can. You look amazing in everything.”

“Oh my gosh…!”

Hanna gasped and covered her mouth with both hands, turning bright red from embarrassment.

Which, of course, made me turn red too.

“I told you not to say that in front of others!”
“Why do I care what the maids think, anyway?”

I glared at Calix, who just smirked at me.

“Fine. I’ll wear the white one I tried on earlier. Decision made. No more dress opinions allowed.”

I declared, siding with Arel’s pick.

Today was the first day of the greenhouse party.

“How do you want your hair done?”
one maid asked.

“Just… not too tight.”

I glanced at the pile of hairpins and swallowed hard.

“…Please don’t make it painful.”

Soon, I was all ready, makeup done, and my hair pinned loosely to fall naturally around my shoulders.

It shimmered and flowed smoothly, thanks to the hours of work the maids had put into it.

“I look like a shampoo commercial.”

“You look beautiful.”

Calix’s voice came from behind me.

I looked up and met his eyes through the mirror. He was smiling softly.

“So, so beautiful.”

“I know,”
I answered sassily, standing up.

“Shall we go?”

I took his hand like I was doing him a favor.

It felt strange, walking through the mansion with the staff bowing and seeing us off like we were royalty.

Down in the lobby, knights in their finest uniforms were getting ready for the party.

“Wait, why didn’t you get a new outfit?”

I asked Calix, suddenly remembering.

He rolled his eyes.

“I have way too many already. Besides, I had new ones made just a few months ago for the emperor’s birthday. I haven’t even worn those yet.”

Wow. In one sentence, he managed to show he hates both new clothes and the emperor.

Calix always got cold and distant whenever the emperor was mentioned.

“He’s not seriously going to stab someone today… right?”

I really hoped not.

The ride from the mansion to the palace didn’t take long.

The front of the palace was lined with fancy carriages, and the people stepping out of them were even fancier.

I scanned every face, wondering…

Could the female lead be one of them?

“Rule of fantasy novels: the female lead is always beautiful.”

Just like I was observing them, I could feel people looking at me, too.

Some were whispering behind fans as I walked by.

But no matter how hard I looked, I didn’t spot anyone who looked like the heroine from the original story.

Actually…

“Wait… am I the prettiest one here?”

No seriously. I looked around again.

Yup. No one here looked better than me.

“Looking for someone?”

Calix asked beside me.

“Someone prettier than me.”

“That person doesn’t exist.”

“Exactly. No one’s prettier—or even as pretty—as me.”

I concluded while glancing coolly around.

The heroine wasn’t here.

“Did she really not come?”

Maybe the original heroine had planned revenge with Calix—but after I survived, she gave up and went home?

“Was she one of the maids who helped me escape that night?”

Maybe she thought I died and now she’s just living her quiet life somewhere far away.

Hmm. Something feels off.

I couldn’t shake the feeling I was missing something important.

While I was stuck in my thoughts, we reached the entrance to the greenhouse.

Even with my head down, I couldn’t miss the dazzling lights ahead.

The party was held at night, and the huge glass greenhouse looked absolutely magical in the dark.

The chandelier sparkled and sent light bouncing through the glass, creating reflections everywhere.

Exotic flowers, a central fountain, and even glowing butterflies fluttering through the air—it was stunning.

I could smell faint, sweet perfumes in the air, and music from the orchestra drifted outside.

People lined up in awe, slowly moving toward the entrance.

“No wonder the emperor’s so proud of this place.”

Even Calix, who hated the emperor, had to admit:

“Wow… this is something else.”

He gave a dry laugh.

“Of course the greedy emperor would want to show this off.”

Now I understood why we had to walk instead of riding the carriage up close.

The full effect of the greenhouse was best seen this way.

People around us gasped in amazement, too.

We naturally fell into line with the other guests.

Holding Calix’s arm tighter from nervousness, I could feel him notice right away.

“You okay?”

“…Yeah. It’s just my first time at something like this. Feels weird.”

Calix had probably been to tons of events like this. Meanwhile, I was fiddling with my dress in nervous distraction.

“Should I ask him if anyone here seems suspicious?”

Hmm… nah. I didn’t feel like it anymore.

Maybe my theory was wrong. Maybe the heroine never planned to come.

Maybe the story really wasn’t following the original plot.

And maybe I was too focused on her, missing out on the actual beauty of the moment.

So I made up my mind:

I’ll enjoy this party.

“I’ll stay close to you the whole time. Don’t worry,”
Calix said.

“I’m not worried.”