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“……What a nuisance.”

Axel grumbled but still moved swiftly to open the door. As Eugene and Leonid were about to step inside, they paused, their eyes widening slightly at the sight of Axel greeting them.

“You’re looking even more impressive today.”

Leonid clapped his hands, admiring Axel’s dazzling appearance. It was the same reaction I had.

‘Indeed, Axel’s appearance is something that pleases the eye, regardless of gender.’

Of course, Leonid’s appearance, as he complimented Axel, was also different from usual. Leonid always preferred comfortable attire that wouldn’t hinder his studies. It seemed that the topic of “outfit concerns” had no room in his mind, filled as it was with various theories.

‘He looks so handsome when he dresses up.’

Although not as striking as Axel, if Leonid had dressed like this more often, he might have broken the hearts of many young noble ladies his age.

‘But the person who stands out even more is…’

It was, of course, Eugene.

Ever since I first encountered Eugene at the temple, his stunning beauty had amazed me, and he was already a well-known figure in the Ivory Tower. Leonid often grumbled about how female students constantly flocked around Eugene, squealing with delight, regardless of whether they were seniors or juniors.

If the Duke of Kreutz had taken proper responsibility for the seed he sowed, and Eugene had grown up as the young master of the ducal family from childhood…

By now, Eugene would probably be shaking up the social scene as everyone’s first love.

“And the Ivory Tower?”

Axel asked Leonid first. Although it was a very brief question, it seemed to be asking if he had obtained permission to leave the Ivory Tower.

Despite the many details omitted from the question, Leonid responded lightly.

“Have I only been at the Ivory Tower for a year or two? I can leave easily now. Graduation is just around the corner, after all.”

After all, the Ivory Tower is a place where people live. While the rules are strictly enforced at the beginning of one’s studies, they seem to loosen up as graduation approaches. Leonid seemed to have formed a decent rapport with the professors, who now turned a blind eye to most things.

Especially since it was almost certain that Leonid would be invited to become a scholar at the Ivory Tower upon graduation. It seemed that the Imperial Academy had also offered him a position as a researcher, but…

‘Wait.’

I suddenly recalled Leonid’s face from the future. At the time, I wondered why Leonid was in the library of Elpinard.

‘If he becomes a scholar at the Ivory Tower, it’s not strange for him to be in the Elpinard Library, is it?’

Somehow, I felt like Leonid’s future had become even more certain.

In the meantime, Axel’s questions had turned to Eugene.

“Eugene, how about your assignments?”

“I finished them all this morning.”

“Really? That must have been a tough assignment. Well done.”

Despite his sullen expression, Axel lightly patted Eugene on the shoulder. When we were bickering, I never noticed it, but seeing Axel interact with Eugene, I could clearly see his maturity.

‘He’s really such an adult.’

If I hadn’t gotten caught up in strange forces and had aged normally as “Greslin,” I might have turned out like Axel.

I felt strangely emotional.

“You’re diligent and smart, making you a rewarding student to teach. I didn’t expect much, but you’re doing well.”

“…Thank you.”

Eugene’s ears turned slightly red at Axel’s characteristic, straightforward praise. It seemed like Eugene hadn’t anticipated receiving any compliments here.

‘Besides, isn’t a simple, sincere compliment more touching than one filled with flowery words?’

You can feel the genuine sentiment behind it.

‘I was a bit worried at first… but now they really seem like a proper teacher and student, don’t they?’

I had been concerned since Axel took on an unexpected student to clean up the mess I’d made, but seeing how well they got along eased my mind.

“Reshia isn’t ready yet. You can sit on the sofa and wait.”

Axel, who had been standing guard at the door like a sentry, moved aside slightly and directed the two toward the sofa.

Leonid noticed me sitting in front of the vanity and gave a small wave with his usual stoic expression. Eugene, meeting my gaze, broke into a wide smile and mouthed, ‘You look beautiful!’

Their reactions were so typical of them that I couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Daisy, her face slightly flushed, leaned in to whisper cautiously in my ear.

“With three handsome men here, the room feels so much brighter.”

“How can you say such a thing in front of such high-ranking individuals?”

Lily gently scolded Daisy, but her tone wasn’t harsh, indicating that Lily probably shared the same thought.

“Alright, we’re finished, my lady.”

At Rose’s words, the three on the sofa turned their attention toward me. I carefully rose from the chair and turned around. Feeling slightly unsteady, I furrowed my brow, and Lily offered a concerned piece of advice.

“You’re wearing heels higher than usual, so you need to walk carefully.”

I nodded and lightly tapped one foot in place. When I tried them on in the fitting room, they didn’t seem that high, but now that I was actually walking, they felt uncomfortable. I briefly considered changing into more comfortable shoes, but since these were the only ones that matched my outfit perfectly, I decided to endure the discomfort.

‘I’m the host today!’

I needed to present myself perfectly in front of my guests. Resolute in my decision, I took a few steps forward.

‘Huh?’

Suddenly, the heel wobbled dangerously, and my ankle twisted slightly. Just as I was about to lose my balance and fall backward—

“Reshia!”

Their voices overlapped, ringing in my ears as all three called out simultaneously.

“Hey! You need to be careful.”

The one who grabbed my right arm was Axel.

“Those shoes need to be thrown out.”

Leonid had grabbed my left arm.

“Are you okay, Reshia?”

Eugene was behind me, supporting me firmly with a worried expression.

My heart pounded from the sudden incident. High heels were indeed a dangerous thing.

“Reshia?”

When I remained silent, holding my breath, all three called my name in unison.

‘Wow…’

How should I describe this?

‘A flower in each hand?’

No, wait.  

‘This is more like being buried in a field of flowers, isn’t it?’  

I suddenly understood why tyrants, after seizing power, always surrounded themselves with beautiful women. I couldn’t tell if my heart was pounding because I had nearly fallen or because of the handsome faces that were now so close to me.

“…I’m fine. I was just a little startled.”  

After finally pulling myself together and standing firmly on both feet, Lily, who had been worried, quickly approached me.

“You really should change your shoes. No matter how pretty they are, it’s meaningless if you end up hurting yourself.”

“Yeah, bring me some flats, without heels and more comfortable.”  

Axel proposed an extreme solution. I was about to say that such measures weren’t necessary, but Axel spoke again before I could.

“Falling in front of the guests would be the most humiliating thing, so just do as I say.”

“…Alright.”  

The thought of tripping and falling with everyone watching as the doors swung wide open made it impossible to insist on wearing the pretty shoes. At the same time, a wave of anxiety washed over me.  

‘Can I really fulfill my role as the host today?’

* * *

“I can’t remember the last time I attended a party like this. I never thought I’d visit the Elpinard estate again in my lifetime—is this a dream or reality?”

“Ever since the Duchess passed away, the doors of the Elpinard estate have remained firmly closed.”

“I heard they’re also revealing a prophecy from the Ivory Tower today. May the blessings of the gods be with us.”

Amidst the noisy chatter, someone mentioned the blessings of the gods, and soon, the phrase “May the blessings of the gods be with us” echoed throughout the room.  

The Elpinard mansion, which had opened its doors wide to welcome guests after such a long time, was breathtakingly beautiful. The prophecy that was to be revealed was, in itself, seen as a sign of the gods’ abundant blessings. Everyone’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

However, not everyone present held positive expectations.

“But, do you all know? There was supposed to be a party at the Imperial Palace today.”

“Oh, yes. That party was postponed due to the Empress’s health issues, wasn’t it?”

“That’s just an excuse. Rumor has it that the Empress got into a power struggle with Lady Elpinard and ended up suffering for it.”

“No matter how influential Lady Elpinard is, to clash with Her Majesty the Empress? And Lady Elpinard isn’t even a true Elpinard by blood.”

“But the Duke dotes on her. She’s a saint, and she has the Central Church backing her up, so even the Emperor chose this party.”

“I’ve heard that Lady Elpinard has quite the personality. At her debutante ball, she stormed out midway, saying she didn’t understand why she wasn’t the star of the event.”

“My goodness. I thought it was strange when she disappeared without dancing properly!”

When people gather, baseless rumors spread quickly. As if enjoying themselves more, people began adding layers to the stories with growing fervor.  

So it was, and so it is said. As countless “I heard that” stories swirled around and grew in magnitude…

“Oh my! Look over there! Lady Elpinard herself has arrived.”

The doors to the banquet hall opened, and the subject of all the rumors appeared.

“…And she’s not just with one partner?”  

She had three handsome men trailing behind her like accessories.