The evening after returning from catching up with Agnes about recent events, including the celebration of Prince Antonio’s birthday banquet.

After finishing dinner in the dormitory dining hall, Ethan asked me a sudden question when we returned to his private room.

"Have you prepared for the banquet in two weeks, Lillis?"

"Sorry, what?"

"The banquet in two weeks at the royal palace for Prince Antonio’s birthday. You haven’t forgotten, have you?"

"Oh, no… I remember the contents of the invitation, of course…"

I was the one who handed Ethan that letter that arrived at the academy, so there’s no way I’d forget it.

I’d already prepared several options for the clothes Ethan would wear in two weeks. If necessary, I could buy something from the shops under the academy and make minor alterations.

But considering that he’s the one attending the banquet, why is he suddenly asking for my opinion…?

‘…Wait a minute, this pattern….’

For some reason, I had a hunch that if I brushed off this conversation as usual, it would undoubtedly lead to some trouble later. So, I decided to clarify Ethan's intention behind this question.

"Am I also attending this banquet?"

"…Huh? Of course, you’re attending."

"…."

"…You didn’t think I’d be going alone, did you?"

"…Yes."

As I nodded cautiously, Ethan looked at me with a somewhat exasperated expression.

Even Isabelle, who was observing our conversation, was looking at me with a strangely pitying gaze.

Of course, I had a reason for assuming that Ethan wouldn’t take me with him.

The royal banquet hall generally doesn’t allow outside servants to enter, so if he wanted to bring me along, it would have to be as his fiancée or something similar.

Back when I was new to the academy and didn’t know anyone, it might have been different, but now, half of the students at the academy would recognize me if I attended an external event.

Unlike Seraphine’s birthday banquet, this wasn’t a masquerade, so there was a real chance I could jeopardize Ethan’s marriage prospects. It was simply a matter of knowing when to step in and when to step back.

"Are you sure about this? This time, a lot of people might actually start believing that I’m your fiancée."

"I don’t mind. It’s actually preferable. It’s better than women who are only interested in arranged marriages clinging to Blackwood."

"But what about Lord Harold…."

"I’ve already gotten my father’s approval. I asked him if I could bring you as my fiancée, and he said to do as I please."

…Well, now that I think about it, Harold was always a doting father.

From the moment Ethan expressed his intention to bring me as his fiancée to the banquet, Harold’s opinion was practically irrelevant.

Lately, I’ve only seen Harold as the sword master who beats Ethan mercilessly, so I forgot about his doting father persona from the game.

"…Is it because you’re worried, Lillis?"

"Huh?"

"You agreed to the temporary relationship for the duration of the academy, but are you concerned that stories of being my fiancée might spread after we graduate?"

"Is there really any reason to worry about that now? With everything that’s happened at the academy, that rumor is already unstoppable."

"Well, you’re right about that."

"Besides, I’ve never thought about marrying anyone other than you, Young Master Ethan, so you don’t need to concern yourself with that."

"…What."

"…Oops."

…Did I say something strange?

I was just expressing my honest thoughts, but Ethan and Isabelle both reacted with surprise.

If you think about it, the idea of getting married to a man is a bit strange.

Even though I’m a woman now, I still have memories of being a man in my previous life, so it’s hard to imagine a future where I live happily ever after with a man. It’s almost as if my brain refuses to entertain such a horrible thought.

That said, my body is female, but I don’t have any romantic feelings toward women either.

If it’s Ethan, who is the only man I’m somewhat familiar with and to whom I owe a few favors, he’s my limit. The thought of marrying or even holding hands with any other man just fills me with an indescribable sense of disgust.

"Did I say something strange?"

"Oh, no, Lillis. I was just a bit surprised. I didn’t realize you were thinking that way too."

"…Lillis, you’re usually so clueless, but sometimes you say really bold things. Like those noises I sometimes hear through the wall at night."

"Huh? Noises at night?"

"Huh?! W-What did I just say? I, I suddenly can’t remember…."

While I was pondering Isabelle’s sudden flustered behavior, Ethan continued our earlier conversation.

"Anyway, if you’re okay with it, then there’s no problem. You can join me as my fiancée."

"Yes. I have no problem with that."

"Isabelle already prepared a dress, so you don’t have to worry about that. It’s the same one you wore for Princess Seraphine’s birthday."

…He’s talking about that deep crimson dress.

Given what happened with Lizzy back then, I can’t say I have fond memories of it, but I did like the design.

Besides, the dark yet striking color gave it an evil lady vibe that matched well with Ethan when I stood beside him.

I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time, but if I’m going to be acting as his fiancée, that might be the best option.

"If you think the color is too dark, should I prepare something lighter?"

"No, it’s fine. The dark color suits you better, Young Master Ethan. I’ll stick with that."

"…If that’s what you think, Lillis."

…Now that I think about it, if I’m going to act as his fiancée, I should go back to using the nickname we established back then.

It’s been years since I last used it, so it feels a bit embarrassing, but I decided to hide that feeling by boldly using it.

"Since I’ll be attending as your fiancée, I’ll use the same nickname as before at the banquet in two weeks."

"The same nickname as before…."

"…It’s been a while since we showed up at a banquet together, Ed. May I ask you to escort me again?"

"……."

"…Like this, Young Master Ethan."

"Oh… Th-That…."

Ethan visibly blushed, clearly flustered by hearing his old pet name for the first time in years.

Then he carefully recalled that day and addressed me with the nickname he had used back then.

"Right. P-Please take care of me again, …Lily."

"…Yes, Ed."

…Why does my face feel so hot over something like this?

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

Two weeks passed after I decided to attend Prince Antonio’s birthday banquet.

The banquet, held at a rather fitting time after the midterms, had us arriving at the royal palace.

‘It’s been almost three years since Seraphine’s masquerade ball.’

The royal palace had changed quite a bit compared to before.

The most significant change was the security and defense facilities.

In light of the terrorist attack during Seraphine’s masquerade ball, the number of guards had more than doubled, and the palace itself had been reinforced with various defense magic circles during the repairs.

‘It’s basically impossible to use magic inside now.’

To be precise, any magic, no matter how small, would likely be reported to the palace guards immediately. Even though the defensive magic circles can’t predict and block every type of magic, they’re more than enough to detect and counter disguise or concealment spells from external intruders.

‘This time, I should avoid drawing attention.’

Given that this is the first official event since the terrorist attack at the masquerade ball, they’re probably on high alert for any suspicious individuals.

I should avoid doing anything that might attract suspicion.

…Like, for example, confidently navigating the palace as if I knew its layout by heart on just my second visit, and heading straight to the banquet hall.

"The banquet is in the Sunflower Hall at noon. You know how to get there, right, Lily?"

"…I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ed."

"Huh? But during Princess Seraphine’s masquerade ball…."

"There are so many maids at the palace entrance, why should we wander around looking for the way ourselves? That maid over there seems free; let’s ask her for directions."

"……."

After receiving directions from a maid, we made our way to the Sunflower Hall, where a few noble heirs had already arrived and were chatting inside.

Ethan, taking my joke about escorting me seriously, began attending to my needs.

"It’s still a bit quiet."

"We left early in case the carriages got delayed. There’s still plenty of time, so let’s relax and wait, Ed."

"Sure, Lily. Should I get you a drink? What would you like?"

"Anything cold will do."

"Alright, I’ll be right back. Wait here."

With a nod, Ethan headed over to the self-service bar set up for early guests.

As I watched him walk away, I felt a gentle tug on the hem of my dress from behind.

Turning around, I saw a red-haired mage who only came up to my chest, looking up at me.

"…Lillis?"

"Are you well, Lady Agnes?"

"…What’s this? You said you weren’t coming today."

…Come to think of it, I forgot to tell her about the change.