Growing Closer To The Prince

Isabella sat beside Noel throughout, speaking to him at length about how devoted House Clavel was to the royal family, how smoothly the territory was being managed, how she herself was the one expected to inherit House Clavel, and how her father was tirelessly searching for a suitable match for her sake.

“I think it would be wonderful if I could marry someone like you, Noel-sama.”

Deliberately shifting her chair, Isabella leaned toward Noel and cast him a sidelong, alluring glance.

“Isabella! You’ve been behaving indecently for quite some time now—”

As Marguerite hurriedly protested, Noel raised a hand.

“It’s incognito anyway, so you don’t need to worry. Both houses complied with my mother’s unreasonable request, and I also want to understand the current situation.”

Once he said that, Marguerite—who had effectively been cut off from her birth family after marrying into House de Broy—had no information she could offer.

While Marguerite fell silent with a worried expression, Isabella curled her lips into a sly smile.

‘See? He’s letting it slide. Noel-sama isn’t displeased at all.’

In Isabella’s eyes, Noel’s unfathomable nature was invisible. She saw only a gentle, mild-mannered prince.

‘If I grow close to a prince, it’ll be useful later. And if he takes a liking to me, I could live even more luxuriously than now. I’m not particular about status, so I don’t even need to be his queen consort—’

From another table, Nicholas and Sharon occasionally cast glances their way. Isabella interpreted them as envy.

They were children of houses equal to or higher than hers, yet they could not sit beside Noel.

“Noel-sama, please have some tea.”

“Thank you.”

“Shall I serve you some tart?”

“Sure, then berry would be nice.”

Noel accepted Isabella’s attentive care without resistance.

Within Isabella, her confidence steadily solidified.

“I have an engagement I can’t avoid, so I’ll be leaving around now.”

When Noel announced his departure earlier than the others, it was only natural that everyone except Noel and Isabella let out an inward sigh of relief.

“Shall we head back as well, Nicholas-sama…?”

“Yes, staying any longer would only tire the young couple.”

Nicholas and Sharon also spoke of taking their leave.

Politically, their houses stood in opposition, but Noel’s participation made it clear that the royal family was seriously prepared to intervene in factional struggles. Since neither held a negative impression of the other, they thought it wouldn’t hurt to establish friendly relations as a first step.

“Next time, please allow me to extend the invitation.”

“Oh my, I look forward to it.”

As Nicholas took Sharon’s hand and kissed it, Sharon responded with a warm smile.

‘And I’d like to hear more about Lady Marguerite for Lucien’s sake…’

‘And I’d like to hear more about Lucien-sama for Marguerite’s sake…’

The two, both mindful of their dear friends, exchanged glances and laughed together once more.

After seeing Nicholas and Sharon off, only Isabella remained.

Yet Isabella showed no sign of leaving.

“Hey, since I came all this way, let me see your room, Sister.”

Saying so, she stepped into the mansion without even seeking Lucien’s consent.

“Hey you, take me to my sister Marguerite’s room.”

Stopping Anna, who had been directing the cleanup after the tea gathering, Isabella briskly headed up the stairs.

“I’m very sorry, Lucien-sama. I will deal with my sister, so please return to your duties.”

With Marguerite bowing desperately before him, Lucien could do nothing.

Isabella’s participation in the tea gathering had been at Noel’s instruction, and Noel himself had permitted her behavior toward him. Lucien had no pretext to expel her from the mansion.

‘What on earth is Prince Noel intending…?’

If Noel was acting under Queen Emilenne’s orders, he should have wanted to avoid stirring conflict between House de Broy and House Clavel.

Allowing Isabella’s behavior at today’s tea gathering could be explained by that reasoning as well, but—

There was only one possibility that came to mind.

Still uncertain whether he should tell Marguerite about it, Lucien left the scene with his doubts unresolved.