Dami, who wiped away her tears and pulled herself together, went back to the banquet hall. Fortunately, it was her friend Cecil who welcomed her first.

“Damia! What the hell were you doing? It’s been two hours since you got here. I’ve been looking for you for a long time. “

She frowned and grumbled as she studied my expression. Then she asked with a serious look.

“What’s wrong with your face? Did you cry?”

“Is it too obvious?”

Dami asked frankly without denying it. Cecil knew about her painful crush anyway. So there was no need to hide it from her.

“Why are you crying stupidly? Ugly!”

Cecil snorted. But contrary to her rather chilly tone of voice, her eyes were visibly concerned about her dear friend.

Cecil, who was not honest, had a cold expression and attitude, which made it easy for others to misunderstand her. But Dami knew she was warmer than anyone else.

‘Dami… I am so sorry.’

Cecil knew what “Kael Roysten’s farewell party” meant to Dami. No matter how much I nagged next to her, Damia’s unrequited love showed no sign of ending. Before meeting Dami, I didn’t know that a heart could end up as minced meat from pain alone.

Dami was obviously heartbroken. Cecil took Damia’s hand to the lounge heavy with a painful sympathy. Dami cried, and Cecil carefully fixed her slightly broken makeup.

“What are you doing? Makeup isn’t a drag-and-go thing to do—especially with that face? If you’re going to use it like that, give it to me.”

Cecil hastened to console Damie. Of course, it was a joke, but Damia’s face was so pretty that even I couldn’t get used to it and would be in awe of her at times.

Her hair, red as a rose, was a vivid color that was extremely rare in the black-haired North. But the face in between was much more colorful than that. The unique white skin of the North Nobility was filled with elegantly arched eyebrows, large blue eyes, and thick red lips, making it hard to unsee.

‘Kael Roysten is unbelievable; how can you let this face go?’ Cecil thought he was truly unique.

If Kael hadn’t been swayed by Cesare’s tricks, he would have knelt at Damia’s feet.

“…I, do I look okay now?”

Dami raised her head and asked carefully.

I couldn’t help crying, but I didn’t want to look pitiful now. I didn’t want to show that to Kael, who just rejected me, or even Cesare, who would rejoice thinking it was his turn.

Cecil, who knew Damia’s heart well, looked at her with a sad look.

Damia’s appearance was especially miserable right after she cried. Because of this, her face felt uselessly decadent, and her beauty was fatal.

‘Don’t people usually get ugly when they cry?’

Cecil pouted at Dami at the unfairness, but it’s a good thing to look pretty.

She’d rather have a decent guy grab Damia with this chance.

Otherwise, Dami’s personality won’t be able to escape her long-standing crush and just wither away.

But not a weirdo. Idiots particularly targeted Damia. Like her step-brother Cesare.

Knowing this, Cecil frowned upon the unexpected guest who had just arrived at the banquet hall. She felt the need to warn her vulnerable friend in advance.

“Dami, be careful today. Do you know who’s out there right now?’

“Who?”

Damia asked back listlessly. There was no sign of her willingness to defend herself. A frowning Cecil spat out a more assertive tone.

“Don’t be surprised. You know that arrogant rascal from the capital. Do you remember? Why Count Fisher’s wife asked the youth to be careful and to ask the young ladies to be cautious?”

“…Lord Akkard of the Valerian Duke? You mean him?”

***