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Sparkling dresses looked like blossoming flowers under the warm chandeliers in the great hall of the Lazuli Palace. The giggles and festive talk filled the air as ladies flaunted their extravagant dresses adorned with as many flowers and pieces of jewelry to show off their wealth.

Men, on the other hand, carried themselves with a more respectful air. A banquet held in the imperial palace was one of the best places to make connections.

Although aristocrats who only had this privilege found it insulting how families with newfound wealth and affiliated with commerce could now attend such a gathering. But no one had the audacity to voice it out since the empire acknowledged these people in trades and their contributions to the economy.

Everyone was busy whispering in each other\'s ears, hiding the smirk behind their fans, or gloating about their achievements. Suddenly, all that came to a halt when the doors opened. All eyes instantly shifted to the doors and caught two figures entering.

The silence and surprise were short-lived as whispering and murmuring soon exploded in the great hall. Ladies, who studied the woman in a long, studded peach dress, revealed jealousy in their eyes. While men gazed at her with either surprise or desire.

Aries smirked, seeing things unfold from the prepared seat on the raised platform for her and for Joaquin.

"So this is what you were aiming for, huh?" she cast Joaquin a side-eye and leaned her elbow on the armrest.

"Countess Lloyd is a lovely woman. It\'ll be a shame to not put it to good use." She shrugged. "I simply gifted her a dress I designed. What comes after is out of my control."

He chuckled as he gaze at the great hall before them where everyone was at.

"I\'d say it\'s genius. No wonder you used to dominate the high society in Haimirich." Joaquin rocked his head, listening to the murmuring, and could only make up a few discussions.

Apparently, although everyone was surprised by the Lloyds\' appearance, it wasn\'t because everyone was interested in them. People were talking mostly about the dress Cherry was wearing since a rumor recently spread in high society about Aries\'s generosity.

How it spread or where the rumor came from did not matter. Everyone, especially ladies, looked forward to this so-called dress the crown princess designed herself. So now, after seeing it worn by the Countess, their interest shot up to the roof.

Cherry was already beautiful and desirable, now looked different. It was not like her face changed, but her style and aura changed since Aries clothed her from head to toe.

"You don\'t plan on selling them, do you?" He asked out of plain curiosity, laughing when she looked at him with dismay.

"My crown prince, should I auction these dresses and tarnish our reputation? I\'d rather burn those than make myself appear I am in dire need of finances."

"My bad." He raised his hand and shrugged.

He knew he shouldn\'t have asked since his wife was a woman born with a golden spoon. Discounts and free things were considered insulting — same with selling stuff. She would rather put all of it in the archive.

Only <strong>\'that woman\' </strong>in the land of the ruined green would resort to that humbling action.

"But Earl Lloyd is surely a lucky man to marry such a beautiful wife." Aries changed the subject, eyes on Cherry and her \'average-looking\' husband — or what Cherry used to complain as if the Earl was a curse for her.

"Really?" Joaquin, who hadn\'t paid much attention to those two approaching figures, gazed at them. His eyes veered to Cherry, and he must admit, she looked different tonight.

If Cherry was dressed up like that from the beginning, he would\'ve considered her. But before Joaquin could have further ridiculous thoughts, he glanced at Aries on instinct.

"If luck is what we\'re talking about, I am the luckiest." He smiled, watching her eyes dilate slightly in surprise before facing him. "You look stunning, Circe, and even if you purposely dressed as simply as possible to look humble as the first impression, you still looked fine and expensive."

Aries held her breath as she didn\'t expect this from him. "Don\'t look at me that way." She looked away to hide her flustered face, hearing him chuckle at her timid reaction.

"Can\'t help it." Joaquin teased.

"Greetings to the crown prince, greetings to the crown princess."

Both Aries and Joaquin smiled at Earl Lloyd and his wife, the crown princess lady-in-waiting. Both of them received their greetings, showcasing the harmonious relationship they wanted everyone to see and talk about.

<strong>******</strong>

Meanwhile, as everyone was talking about the seemingly good chemistry between the future emperor and empress, Inez scoffed. Unlike any other night where she would be the center of attention, she purposely dressed less fancifully than usual, knowing it was Aries\'s first public appearance.

However, someone dared dress so extravagantly and steal the crown princess spotlight. Inez knew that dress was Aries\'s gift to Cherry, but for her, if Cherry had the slightest decency or proper decorum, she would refuse.

"I never liked her," Inez mumbled, standing near the pillar of the hall.

"Who?" she quirked a brow when Ismael\'s voice came from behind her. "The crown princess? Or the Countess?"

She cast him a side-eye, not expecting him to attend tonight\'s banquet. During all the fiasco almost a month ago, Inez never had a chance to talk to the third prince due to their conflicting schedule. Also, Ismael was often busy with things she didn\'t know about.

"It\'s good to see you, brother," she greeted coldly, peeling her eyes away from him. "It\'s been a while."

"It has been." Ismael smiled, keeping his chin up. "So, which of the two is it?"

p "Do I need to choose just one?"

Ismael laughed before he cast her a knowing look. "Sister, I\'m always amazed by your fierceness. It\'s a surprise you didn\'t seem to plan to be the center of this event… quite strange."

"Being the center of this event just to deal with people like you?" she laughed in ridicule. "No, thanks."

"Hah…" he shrugged as he didn\'t plan on pressing her nerves, looking around the grand banquet Inez prepared. Inez was famous for her extravagant parties, but it was easy to discern tonight\'s banquet seemed to be handled meticulously as if she used every wire of her brain to put everything together.

But Ismael didn\'t dwell in tonight\'s venue as his eyes glinted upon catching Roman\'s figure walking away from the banquet hall. The side of his lips curled up before he turned and faced his vicious little sister.

"Just a piece of advice as your half-brother. You should smile and open your heart, sister. That way, you just don\'t explode and lash out at people." His smile stretched broader, seeing how her eyes grew icy. "What goes around comes around, after all. I\'m just worried about your welfare."

"Very well. This lucky prince will go on his way to meet a few people. Have a great night, Inez," he added when she scoffed in response to his piece of advice.

As he walked away, Ismael glanced in Aries\'s direction, only to see her gaze at him as if she could see him, even in this crowd.

\'Damn… she scares me.\'