He was very proud of her. He almost patted her head without realizing it, but he stopped himself before he could, afraid that she wouldn’t like being treated like a little girl. Just as he was pulling his hand away, however, a small hand wrapped around his.
"I haven’t done anything like this before... so thank you so much for trusting me,” she said. She was pretending to be calm, but her voice trembled.
Regis wanted to say something to comfort her but he couldn't think of anything. He squeezed her hand. "Let me know if you need anything."
Despite his useless consolation, Jubelian smiled happily. "I will."
Observing his precious daughter, Regis smiled bitterly.
After I returned to my room, I brainstormed some ideas for the banquet. The only problem was that I had no idea what I wanted. I acted with confidence in front of my dad, but it had been three years since our mansion had last held a large banquet. It was no wonder I was lost.
Madam Perez would be willing to help me, but the problem with that was that she hadn’t hosted any parties since my debutante ball, so she wouldn’t be aware of the latest trends. I still remembered how much trouble she had preparing for the ball a few years ago.
It would have been nice to have another adult relative at a time like this. I lamented over my lack of connections. I wasn’t close with any of my paternal cousins, and while I had an aunt I was familiar with on my mother’s side, she didn’t live in the empire. In the end, I would have to deal with the preparations alone.
After a moment, however, I realized something: both Rose and Bea had recently hosted their birthday banquets. Bea, in particular, had been in charge of overseeing all the preparations for her event, so it was worth asking her for some advice. According to the plot, Rose would invite Bea to a tea-tasting party. I could simply meet her there.
I smiled. Then, I sighed, wondering if Max would come by today. I missed him...
Beatrice smiled as she read the letter she had received from Rose. How dare Rose invite her to her measly tea-tasting party? Well, she was still debating on whether she should go or not.
Then, she furrowed her brows. What was Jubelian doing these days? She hadn’t sent a letter in ages! Beatrice was glad she met new people during the banquet, but she regretted that she hadn’t gotten the chance to say goodbye to Jubelian. Fortunately, the young lady had sent a letter the next day, but that was it. Ever since then, contact had been lost.
Don't you dare ignore me and think I'm going to show up for the tea-tasting, Beatrice thought to herself, pouting.
Just then, her maid made an announcement. "Your Highness, a letter from the Floyen household has arrived.”
Her expression immediately brightened. "Is that so? Bring it here! Quickly!" she shouted.
When the maid delivered the letter to her on a gold tray, Beatrice quickly took it, her heart fluttering at the sight of it. The envelope was pink and the decorations were as pretty as Jubelian herself.
Beatrice quickly but carefully removed the seal and unfolded the paper. As soon as she did, neat penmanship bordered by floral adornments greeted her.
Dear Bea,
How have you been? I've been rather busy, so I haven't been able to write to you. I'm sorry. I heard that Rose invited you to a tea-tasting party, however, and I hope to see you there. There are a few things I have to ask you about.
Beatrice covered her mouth to mask the joy on her face. So, Jubelian was thinking of her, too… Well, if the young lady wanted her to attend the tea-tasting party… so be it.
Ecstatic, she suppressed the urge to hop in place.
Suddenly, her maid’s dismaying voice echoed from behind her. "Y-You can't do this!"
Someone entered the room. She frowned at the uninvited guest.
"My dear sister, you don't look very busy right now,” Max began. "I must have come at the right time for a chat."
Goosebumps rose across Beatrice’s skin at her stepbrother’s unfamiliar tone. Why was this thing here? She wanted to spit vulgar things at him so that he would immediately leave. However, she knew she couldn't do such a dishonorable thing in front of her maids.
For a moment, she simply glared at Max. Then, she dismissed her maids. "I have something to discuss with my brother. You may all leave,” she said.
Once they all left, she sat down and crossed her legs.
"What brings you here?” she asked.
Watching his arrogant sister, Max removed the helmet he wore. In the past, she hated seeing his face. Now, however, she thought he looked better without the helmet.
I guess he’s not hideous, she admitted silently.
"You," he began.
"What?"
"I saved you a few days ago, so be honest with me."
Beatrice furrowed her brows at the mention of that incident. "What is it?"
His expression was grave. "Even to you, I'm handsome, right?” he questioned. "After seeing my face, you would forgive me for any wrongdoing, right?”
Instead of answering, Beatrice shot up and pointed a finger at the door, furious. "Get the hell out of here.”
However, the eyesore didn’t budge. He was faced with far too dire an issue to leave. If he didn’t do anything, it would only be a matter of time before Jubelian realized that he had concealed his master’s words.
Once she grew closer to her father, she would begin to find some things strange. For example, the duke may say something like, "I told Max about how much I cherish you every day,” and this would make Jubelian feel betrayed.
"I trusted you... Did you hide these things knowing how much I wanted to reconcile with my dad?” she might say. "I'm disappointed in you.”
Fearing that the disheartened lady might leave him, Max hadn’t been able to sleep well. The insufficient rest was beginning to put a strain on his body.
"Come on, be honest with me," he pleaded.