"Oh, you're here!"
"Miss—no, *Countess* Montague."
Familiar faces gathered in the palace outbuilding greeted her with varying degrees of warmth.
Some ladies followed Juliet's gaze awkwardly, their smiles strained. Others forced pleasantries through clenched teeth.
The effects of the Duke of Carlisle's recent rampage were still being felt throughout the capital's social circles.
Juliet returned their greetings with a weak smile.
In reality, the wedding preparations were merely a formality. This gathering was far more about cultivating relationships and jockeying for position than any genuine concern for the bride.
Fatima caught Juliet's eye briefly and made a short, awkward gesture—something between a nod and a wave—before quickly averting her gaze.
"How about restricting the guest list to only the most prominent families?"
"And the order of procession should be arranged like this..."
The ladies clustered around the future Crown Princess, each eager to voice her opinions and suggestions. Fatima, surrounded by their fawning attention, looked positively radiant.
Standing out among the bride's attendants at an imperial wedding could earn one the coveted title of *premier bridesmaid*—the most distinguished among the bridal party.
Being recognized as the Crown Princess's closest confidante was a prize worth fighting for.
But Juliet had no interest whatsoever in that title.
All the important decisions—from the type of flowers to be used on the wedding day to the color of ribbons and the intricate seating arrangements—were left to Fatima's inner circle.
While the bridesmaid candidates discreetly vied for influence around Fatima, Juliet was tasked with making decorative ribbons for wrapping gifts.
It was simple, menial work that anyone could handle.
But she didn't mind in the slightest.
"I beg your pardon, Countess Montague..." A palace maid approached nervously. "We can take care of this for you."
"Everything's fine," Juliet replied casually, waving her off.
The task took her longer than it should have—she wasn't particularly skilled with her hands—but the repetitive motions gave her space to think.
---
The atmosphere in the Duke's mansion had grown unbearably tense lately. It was uncomfortable to remain there for long.
The conflict with the Marquis of Guinness seemed to be dragging on without resolution. All the officials at the ducal estate wore grim, troubled expressions.
No one had bothered to explain the exact nature of the problem with the Marquis's magic stone mines.
"It's none of your business," Lennox had said, his tone brooking no argument.
Without any clear role or means to help, Juliet had felt more at ease finding a place where she could retreat into her own thoughts.
*Why did the Marquis of Guinness suddenly take control of magic stone mines?*
Such an event had **never** happened in her previous life.
In that timeline, the Marquis of Guinness had harbored a deep, radical hatred of the Northern monopoly on magic stones. He had hatched countless plots against the Duke—and had ultimately been defeated and killed for his efforts.
*But the current Marquis of Guinness is still alive.*
If events had unfolded as they had in the past, he should have perished many years ago.
Well, much had already changed from the previous timeline. Perhaps the Marquis's survival wasn't so strange after all.
But the sudden discovery of a magic stone mine in the *South*?
That was undeniably strange.
*Mines cannot be discovered overnight.*
How had he acquired it?
While Juliet was lost in her thoughts, an unusual conversation unfolded around the future Crown Princess.
"His Majesty the Emperor said he would bring a rare demonic beast for display on the wedding day!" Fatima announced proudly, preening under the attention.
"It seems Their Majesties already adore Miss Fatima very much," one lady cooed.
"Exactly! And instead of using the palace mages, they've hired outside wizards, haven't they?"
"They brought mages from the **Marigold** Trade Guild!"
*What wizards?*
Juliet felt a sudden flicker of unease.
When she glanced up, Fatima was smiling triumphantly. Juliet seemed to be the only one who felt any apprehension in the otherwise cheerful atmosphere.
"Your Highness, the wizards have arrived!"
"Show them in!"
Before Juliet could slip away unnoticed, the doors swung open and a group of people swept into the room.
They were all dressed in magnificent robes embroidered with arcane symbols—clothing that clearly marked them as wizards of considerable rank.
Compared to the staid court magicians, these men and women looked much younger, though each wore an expression of unmistakable arrogance.
"Welcome!" the noblewomen chorused with exaggerated hospitality.
The wizards responded with only the slightest, haughtiest of nods.
And then Juliet met the gaze of the last wizard to enter.
He visibly **flinched** when he saw her.
"Ethelid?"
Only then did Juliet understand why Ethelid had looked so peculiar yesterday when she mentioned going to the palace.
---
## — The Wizards' Performance —
The relationship between the Marigold Merchant Guild and Juliet was not yet widely known in the capital's social circles.
After the incident in Lucerne, Juliet's grandfather—Lionel Lebatan—had kept everything carefully under wraps.
"What magic will the wizards show us?" the ladies asked eagerly, their eyes shining with anticipation.
"We're all looking forward to it! The court magicians' fireworks display is always so magnificent."
However, the wizards looked distinctly unimpressed.
"Ha! We didn't come here to perform such *trivial* fireworks," one of them scoffed.
"Of course not," another agreed pompously. "True magic lies in mastering the fundamental principles of the universe..."
All the mages except Ethelid grumbled and spoke in obscure, incomprehensible terms.
The ladies, unaccustomed to dealing with wizards, exchanged puzzled glances.
The general consensus seemed to be: *We may not understand what they're talking about, but let's wait and see what they show us.*
"Our colleague Ethelid will explain further... Ethel?"
One of the mages elbowed Ethelid sharply in the ribs.
"What are you doing?"
While the other wizards had been pontificating, Ethelid had been sending Juliet desperate, pleading signals with his eyes—gestures that clearly meant ***please don't mention the dragon.***
"Ah! Uh... what?" Ethelid quickly pulled himself together and cleared his throat with exaggerated dignity.
However, his fellow wizards were sharper than he'd hoped.
They noticed a woman attempting to slip quietly toward the exit.
"Countess Montague!"
A well-meaning lady caught Juliet's arm, stopping her escape.
"Come see the magic with us!"
Fatima nodded as well, though her expression was strained.
"Yes, Miss Juliet. Come and watch. We can handle the ribbons later."
Then the eldest of the four wizards spoke with visible irritation.
"*Hmph!* As I was saying, ladies—magic is **sacred**. It should not be reduced to a mere spectacle for—"
The pompous wizard stopped mid-sentence.
His gaze had fallen on the woman being held by the hand.
"What did you just say? *Countess*... Juliet **Montague**?"
The faces of all the wizards—except Ethelid—changed **instantly**.
*They must have come here undercover specifically to see the dragon,* Juliet thought. *And they all seem rather eccentric.*
The wizards in their luxurious robes shot to their feet at once, suddenly competing for attention.
"...Is there a spectacle *more magnificent* than magic? Of course not!"
"Our *primary* role is to entertain esteemed guests!"
Their tone was utterly different from moments before.
***Clap!***
"Oh my goodness!"
White doves burst from the hands of the wizard in green robes, fluttering gracefully around the room. The other three mages immediately launched into demonstrations of their own magical skills.
"What else can we show you?"
It was nothing short of a talent competition.
"Hey, Ethel!" one of them hissed.
"You do it too! That thing where you breathe fire!"
Forced into action, Ethelid waved his hand reluctantly.
Instead of flames, shimmering bubbles appeared in the shapes of tiny fire-breathing dragons, casting beautiful rainbows across the salon.
"My goodness!"
"I've never seen anything like it!"
The ladies applauded with genuine delight.
After a while, when the tricks finally came to an end, the wizards sat down, looking slightly winded.
One of them leaned toward Juliet with a desperate expression.
"So... about this little dragon—"
"We *loved* it!" Juliet interrupted brightly, her smile firm. "Thank you so much for the performance."
"Wait a minute!"
"We have something else to show you!"
*What could they possibly mean?*
The wizards seemed to have completely forgotten their original scholarly purpose.
While the ladies crowded around the mages, enchanted by their antics, only **Fatima's** expression darkened. She had noticed something strange—the way the wizards fawned over Juliet, as though *she* were the guest of honor.
"Excuse me for a moment," Juliet murmured.
"M-my lady!" one of the wizards called after her.
But taking advantage of the distraction, Juliet slipped quietly toward the exit.
---
## — The Escape —
"Hm?"
Outside the palace building, she found Jude sitting on the ground, stifling a yawn. He brightened when he saw her.
"Why are you leaving so soon?"
"I'm going home."
"Now?"
"Quickly. I'm being chased by fire-breathing mages."
"Hm? But our carriage—"
"Leave it."
Juliet quickened her pace with determination, pulling Jude along behind her. They had just passed through the palace gates and onto the main avenue when—
***"AHHHHH!"***
A piercing scream tore through the air.
---