While sitting with a blank look, I closed my lips. Then I lifted the scissors and took it to the handkerchief.

“… ”

The two legs of the scissors placed over a white cloth trembled. My heart began to pound as I began to cut it down gradually. All I had to do was to give the scissors a little more push, but I couldn’t clench my fingers.

After hesitating for some time, I put down the scissors with a deep sigh.

I got up and went to the next room. I opened the first drawer of the spacious desk and carefully put down the white handkerchief next to the letter file neatly placed.

After looking at the stuff inside for a moment, I closed the drawer and headed back to my room. This time I thought of embroidering something for my father.

I closed the door.

“Thank you so much for helping me, Frincia. I know it’s hard helping the duchess preparing for the banquet.

“You’re welcome, Aristia. We are friends. ”

“Same to you, Beatrice. Thank you very much.”

“My pleasure, Aristia. I should thank you for giving me the chance to help you.”

I welcomed three women in the parlour, feeling refreshed a lot as I had a good rest for the week after I started my period.

Perhaps it was because of my coming period that I felt frustrated and annoyed, but I felt much better. These days, my body also felt lighter, so I felt like I was walking on air.

I had three weeks to go before the festival would begin.

As I didn’t do anything while taking a long break, I had to prepare for the banquet on the second day. I felt I wouldn’t have enough time to prepare alone because I had to take care of my work as the knights captain’s aide. After agonizing for some time, I invited the two women I could call a friend and another woman. Frincia, Beatrice, and …

“We are meeting for the first time, right? Hope I’m in great hands, Lady Whir.”

“Thank you for inviting me, Lady Monique. You may confuse me with my sister, so please call me Grace, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure, Grace.”

Originally, I wanted to invite Lady Genoa, namely Ilya, but I couldn’t because she was so busy with preparing her wedding which was at its last stage.

So, after trying hard to find someone to replace Ilya as well as test her abilities, I sent a letter to one of the candidates for the crown prince’s concubine that I had been searching for. Lady Whir, or Grace, had a good reputation in social circles. Frincia and I praised her highly as the crown prince’s concubine.

I smiled, looking at Grace bowing to me gently. Although I have heard rumors about her, this is the first time I saw her face to face.

‘She is pretty!’

Her well-formed features, reddish hair, dark brown eyes and a gentle smile. Overall, she had an impression that gave people good feelings.

“How are you going to host this banquet, Lady Monique?”

“Well, the emperor is not likely to stay at the banquet for long, and the crown prince likes natural things…So, I would like to paint the walls and floors with light colors and decorate with fresh flowers that don’t smell strong.”

“That’s a good idea, Aristia.”

“I think so. It’s going to be beautiful.”

The two former princesses were very familiar with this kind of banquet, so they had no problem understanding my point. Grace quickly understood, even though she had never done this before. I decided to invite her after taking into account various things about her, but I felt she was a good choice.

For a long time, I discussed lots of things with the three ladies. For example, the dance songs to play on the day, the type and color of fresh flowers for decoration, the patterns and colors and sizes of fabric to be used as tapestry, and the types and quantity of food and drinks. Besides, as the host of the banquet on the second day, I had to consider the time that would take for me to refurbish the banquet hall as the guests already used it on the first day.

“Then, you can do it this way…”

“As for the types of fresh flowers, I think I can tell Entea to bring them here through her traders. But the rest of the stuff needs to…”

“Let’s solve it one by one, Aristia. First of all, why don’t we call the musicians to coordinate the music program tomorrow, and bring the chefs to solve the food issue the day after tomorrow?”

“That sounds good. By the way, as a token of my appreciation for you, I would like to give you the dresses for the banquet as a gift. Please think of it as an expression of my little sincerity and accept it. ”

“Oh, thank you, Aristia.”

“Thank you, Lady Monique.”

I smiled slightly at Frincia, Beatrice, and Grace who was brightly grinning at me.

I spread out a rough sketch of the entire banquet hall and worked with them to create an overall harmony and iron out the details of the banquet. I was very satisfied with their discerning judgment, which confirmed the rumors about their good reputation in social circles.

How much time passed? When we were done drawing the basic frame of the banquet, it was already getting dark. We all sighed a weary expression.

Blinking her light purple eyes a couple of times, Frincia asked, “By the way, Aristia, are you also participating in the inspection ceremony?”

“No. I’m sorry if I gave you the impression that I’m getting preferential treatment, but I was fortunate not to attend because I was so busy preparing this.”

“You’re right. Even now, you are snowed under with work. I think you might collapse with exhaustion if you attended it,” said Beatrice, nodding at Frincia.

“I wonder if Lady Jena planned that inspection ceremony with Aristia in mind. Everyone knows that Aristia belongs to the knights group. How can you imagine Aristia attending the inspection ceremony while she is busy preparing her own banquet? If she decides to attend, she might neglect the preparation, but if she doesn’t attend, she will be certainly talked about in social circles.”

“I don’t think you can rule out that possibility. Based on my experiences of meeting Lady Jena in social events several times, she is far from a pushover.”

When Grace said that, Frincia put down the teacup and opened her mouth with a smile, “Hmm, the crown prince is definitely an excellent man, but he is not kind to women. I just don’t know why she wants to be his wife so much? Oh, sorry, Aristia. I think I’ve brought up an embarrassing topic.”

“That’s fine, Frincia. You don’t have to worry that much. ”

“Nonetheless… Aside from me and Beatrice who are already married, Aristia and Grace, what type of man do you like? I mean as your spouse.”

As soon as Frincia said that playfully to change the topic, Grace was excited, with her blue eyes sparkling, and turned to me. I lifted the mug, turning my eyes from her who was staring at me curiously.

Grace, who smiled softly at me pretending to be indifferent, said first, “Well, I may look like a snob, but I like a man who is very competent and high in the noble hierarchy. It would be better if he is ambitious.”

“Really?”

“Of course, it would be good if we were in love, but since he was born into a noble family, he would be more likely to marry for political reasons…I don’t have any intention of going down to the local estate and living there. I also don’t want my children to suffer because my husband doesn’t have a hereditary title. That’s why I want to marry someone who has a title and works in the central government.”

While I was feeling tired and drowsy, I suddenly came to my senses hearing that.

At that moment, my eyes met with Frincia’s, who looked at me.

As the next duchess who has lots of influence in social circles, Frincia said she would help me as a friend, saying she heard from Duke Lars about my conversation with him.

Obviously, she and I read the same thing in Grace’s shiny light purple eyes. Nodding at Frincia slightly, I smiled at her who was also smiling at me.

Finally, I have found the right concubine for the crown prince to check Jiun!

Grace was beautiful, a daughter of the nobleman with the pro-emperor faction and ambitious. It remains to be seen how competent she was, but she looked like the right candidate, given the way she handled her job today.