"Is this... really necessary? The one you gave me last time was much more elegant, wasn't it?"
I tried to channel Charlize’s usual arrogance as I looked at the second necklace Noah had brought.
"His Majesty isn't asking you to wear this *instead* of the first one," Noah explained quickly. "He wants you to wear them together."
'Together?' I looked at the delicate silver chain, its tiny diamonds clustered like mist flowers. 'Wait, is he using the language of flowers? Is he saying I should be the "support" for the main event, like gypsophila in a rose bouquet?'
"Why would I wear two necklaces?" I asked, reaching up to touch the gold locket that held my mother’s portrait.
"His Majesty said that the 'most important necklace in the world' should never be left unprotected," Noah said.
My fingers brushed the old gold. He was right—my mother’s necklace looked out of place against the high-fashion dresses my grandfather provided. But this new necklace... it was designed to blend in, to cover the secret one without drawing attention to itself.
'...Did Loxdian really think that far ahead?' I wondered.
"He also has a message for you," Noah added.
"What now?"
"He says you should take this and 'play hard.'"
"Oh, I absolutely hate that."
I snorted. Loxdian clearly saw this banquet as a game, and he was arming me with the best "equipment" money could buy. He wanted me to stand out, to be the center of attention.
'Even without his help, I’m planning to cause a scene,' I thought. 'I have to get to Askin and get him out of there before my grandfather makes that announcement.'
I looked at the jewelry box and then turned away. "Fine. Just leave it there and go back."
I thought that was a very "Charlize" thing to say. But for a moment, Noah looked... sad.
"If you don't like it, you don't have to take it," he whispered.
"What?"
'Why is he acting like this? Is Loxdian testing me again?' I looked at Noah, trying to read his expression. He seemed unusually careful, as if he were acting out a role he didn't quite believe in.
"...It’s not bad," I said, picking up the necklace. It caught the light and shimmered with a subtle, elegant brilliance. "I’ll wear it. Tell your master I said... thanks for the delivery."
Noah looked at me for a long moment, and then he smiled. It wasn't his usual, soft smile—it was cold, sharp, and for a second, I felt like I was looking at Loxdian himself.
"It is an honor to fulfill my role," he said, bowing his head. Then, just as he was about to leave, he added, "But if I’m not mistaken, Princess... you seem to have changed since your trip."
* * *
Noah left, leaving me in a state of high-tensile anxiety. His question had been a direct hit. If even he could see the change, how long before Loxdian or my grandfather figured out the truth?
I decided I needed some fresh air. I walked out to the front entrance and stopped dead.
A massive, incredibly elegant carriage was parked in the driveway. It was deep black with dark blue accents, pulled by six powerful black horses. It was the "sedan" of the villain world—the kind of car a billionaire CEO would step out of in a K-drama.
The gold accents were perfectly placed, and the entire thing screamed "excessive wealth." But as I looked closer, I saw a name engraved on the door in solid gold.
*Charlize Altsbeit.*
'Oh God...' I felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment wash over me. It was like an elementary schooler writing their name on their lunchbox in permanent marker. Except the lunchbox was a multi-million-dollar carriage.
'Is this what "power of money" looks like?' I wondered, cleaning my face with my hands. 'I can't ride in that. I absolutely cannot.'
"Princess, it’s time to get ready," Susan said, appearing at my side.
I had no choice but to head back inside. As I walked, I was so focused on the monstrosity of a carriage that I didn't notice another vehicle approaching from the distance.
* * *
As Charlize disappeared into the mansion, the second carriage pulled up to the gates. The staff and guards all stared in shock.
It was another massive, splendid carriage—easily a match for the one the Duke had just commissioned for Charlize.
"Who is that? A guest?" one of the maids whispered.
"I don't know... the butler didn't say anything."
Just then, Duke Altsbeit himself stepped out of the building, ready to depart for the palace. He frowned as he saw the newly arrived carriage.
"What on earth is that eyesore?" he muttered. To him, anything without a healthy coating of gold was "clownish."
But as he looked closer, his eyes widened. Engraved on the door of the new carriage was the unmistakable crest of the Imperial Family.
The knights escorting the carriage immediately dismounted and bowed to the Duke.
"Greetings, Duke Altsbeit."