“It would have been more perfect if you hadn’t stayed away from the capital for five years.”

The voice, disguised as a reproach, was tinged with disappointment.

“I had my reasons.”

I had to appear as if I had completely disappeared… The situations of a reincarnated person, which could never be explained in detail, always made Valentine feel like a guilty person without words. It was unfair and sad, but familiar.

‘What’s the use of having a mouth…’

Seeing Valentine’s face suddenly change to a sad expression with both ends of his eyebrows drooping, Cecilia declared him innocent.

“If you hadn’t even sent letters, I really wouldn’t have forgiven you, Valentine.”

“I’m glad.”

“You have no idea how empty it felt without you.”

Cecilia tightened her already linked arm and shook it while glaring at Valentine, causing a smile to escape his lips. She was the only peer who didn’t envy Valentine for things like his traits or family background.

Being a beta, Cecilia didn’t know or feel the differences or levels of pheromones exchanged between trait bearers, so she had no reason to be jealous. Moreover, she was too fond of herself to be interested in or admire others’ circumstances…. Valentine clicked his tongue as he looked at Cecilia’s upturned nose and confident expression, showing no signs of nervousness before the concert. Her boldness and confidence were impressive as always.

Moreover, the Osborne Count’s family was as wealthy as the Wiche family. So there was no need to be jealous of things like social status or wealth, which determined power within the empire. In the end, all of Valentine’s conditions were nothing special to Cecilia, just enough to make her shrug once.

It was the same when they were young.

She didn’t envy Valentine, who was prettier than most girls and as lovable as an angel despite being a boy. Instead, she enjoyed taking him around and dressing him up in all sorts of clothes and accessories as if he were a doll. The fact that she had never shown any complexes since childhood was what Valentine particularly liked about Cecilia.

Even when Valentine, as a teenager, strutted around with arrogance and pride at people’s praises,

[That ignorant fool is at it again….]

She would just snort and ignore him.

Even when Valentine was known as a little devil during his boyhood, Valentine wanted to give a standing ovation to Cecilia, who would just brush him off and look at him with mild contempt.

Anyway, they had been acquaintances since childhood, maintaining some level of interaction. If Valentine had not gone to study abroad and had become an increasingly worse oblivious villain as in the original story, they would have cut ties long ago, but now it was completely different.

She was the one who welcomed Valentine, who had suddenly become more cautious and shed his arrogance, second only to his family.

[Welcome back to your senses, you ignoramus.]

When he realized his reincarnation and the original story, she looked him straight in the face and said that.

But along with the realization, he immediately left for his escape study abroad…. So this level of intimacy was mostly built through letters.

“Really…. I had so much to talk about when we met, but you stayed away for so long that I forgot it all.”

“My goodness, are you saying those letters weren’t all of it…?”

“You’re the one who should say ‘my goodness’! Those letters didn’t even contain a quarter of what I wanted to say!”

Valentine’s mouth fell open.

Clearly, every time a letter came, the thickness of the envelope was so excessive that it could stand upright or sideways on the table. And that tiny handwriting…. All of that wasn’t even a quarter of what she wanted to say…! I have underestimated you, my friend. Certainly, Cecilia’s chatter was absolutely insufficient in written form.

Valentine couldn’t help but smile as he watched Cecilia’s brown curly hair swaying gently as she shook her head, talking incessantly about trivial issues like the arrangement of chairs on the platform this morning, with her arm still linked with his.

‘I’ve definitely returned to Eldon from Sorencia.’

Seeing his friend actively engaging in social activities and the gentlemen and ladies filling the reception room, Valentine felt a renewed sense of homecoming.

It felt like everything had finally returned to normal.

‘Such comfortable social activity.’

Perhaps this feeling was more pronounced now because the biggest problem had been resolved, unlike when he first returned.

Now, there was no more whispering about engagements or gold diggers when someone recognized him. He realized for the first time how pleasant social activities could be when approached with such a light heart. This is how good freedom feels.

As Valentine smiled, looking around at Cecilia and the people around them, she opened her mouth to praise Valentine once again.

“You really came at the right time today. This scale is perfect for restarting your social activities. And it’s not lacking in class either. Just right.”

Cecilia looked around the hall and immediately continued.

“It seems the only person left to arrive is His Highness the 3rd Prince. Well, as usual, he’ll probably come after the event has started.”

You mean there’s someone coming even later than me? Valentine, who had arrived like a tardy student due to oversleeping, let out a sigh of relief before realizing the name of his enemy and immediately asked back.

“His Highness the 3rd Prince is coming too?”

“Yes. He sent a reply saying he would attend. I heard he’s been particularly active in attending events for the younger generation lately.”

Just as he had talked with Dalton recently, it seemed that the 3rd Prince Clifton was actively working to gather support from the younger generation and new forces, like the 1st Princess.

However, the 3rd Prince always arrived a little late and quietly at these kinds of events, saying he didn’t want attention to be drawn to him instead of the main character, except for the host.

It was a completely different approach from the 1st Princess, who always attended from the start of any event and actively offered congratulations.

Their supporters praised the 3rd Prince’s modesty and the 1st Princess’s generosity respectively.

‘I wonder which is the right behavior?’

Valentine tilted his head, pondering this thought.

He had been expecting the 3rd Prince to appear at the charity event of the Osborne Count’s family, which, like the Wiche Viscount’s family, had a lot of capital and engaged in large-scale trade.

Valentine whispered carefully into Cecilia’s ear.

“By any chance, is your family also leaning towards His Highness the 3rd Prince…?”

The Osborne Count’s family, like the Wiche Viscount’s family, maintained political neutrality. But things might have changed recently. It was such a rapidly changing time.

“Since when did our family do such a thing?”

Cecilia shrugged as she spoke. It seemed their neutrality was still intact. But then why…?

“Then why isn’t Her Highness the 1st Princess coming?”

“She probably went to Williamsdale University today. I think I heard that a famous professor from abroad is giving a special lecture today.”

“Ah, I see…”

Come to think of it, I saw it in the newspaper. Professor Münchhausen, famous for his research on the Enlightenment, officially visited the empire. Today was the day of his lecture. It was a move befitting the 1st Princess, who mainly associates with intellectuals.

Valentine lifted his head and lightly scanned the guests in the reception room. Most were people who ran large businesses or had significant capital.

Just as children tend to play with those similar to them, the adult world was the same. Families in similar situations tend to associate with each other. Similar political leanings, comparable capital, similar work…. Since the families they interact with are generally like this, the invited guests were the same. Just like how the Wiche Viscount’s family and the Osborne Count’s family were the closest.

So this event, though called a charity concert, was no different from a gathering of Eldon’s moneybags.

Cecilia seemed to be thinking the same thing, as she whispered the same thought to Valentine.

“Yes. This is just between you and me.”

“Okay.”

“There’s a rumor going around that His Highness the 3rd Prince has been focusing his social activities on noble families with large businesses lately.”

“As expected…. Is it about money after all?”

“That’s right. It’s about money.”

Cecilia nodded as she whispered to Valentine.

“The announcement of the successor is not far off. What could be more important than money at a time like this?”

Money was necessary for everything. Politics and public sentiment were no exception.

“Right. The tax collection rights bill was finally passed recently…”

The newspaper I read on the train returning from Sorencia to Eldon. The parliament had finally won. Now the emperor could not collect taxes arbitrarily without the parliament’s permission.

“That’s right. The imperial family is particularly short of money right now.”

Cecilia showed off her knowledge as Valentine nodded and spoke. It was the perspective befitting the daughter of a business family.

“It’s been like that for a long time.”

The emperor had particularly bad luck, or rather, lack of ability when it came to finances.

“It’s because their way of thinking is still outdated.”

“They’re still living in the past.”

Valentine and Cecilia exchanged glances secretly as they thought of the emperor who couldn’t keep up with the changing times.

“It certainly makes sense for His Highness the 3rd Prince to come here.”

Cecilia nodded. He would soon be here.

‘In the past, I would have done everything to avoid this.’

But the situation has changed.

Now, whether it’s about an engagement arrangement or whatever, it doesn’t matter anymore.

‘Now I can say whatever I want freely.’

Valentine secretly steeled himself. Of course, it would be most welcome if they pretended not to know him, but if they picked a fight like last time, he resolved not to let it slide this time, gritting his teeth.

Ding….

A small bell rang, drawing the attention of the guests.

He hoped it was his imagination that the sound seemed ominous somehow.

“Ladies and gentlemen! The concert will begin soon, so shall we move to our seats?”

Along with the cheerful voice of the Countess Osborne holding a small bell, all the guests in the reception room moved to the concert room. Valentine was surprised to see that, befitting a family known for its wealth, the size of the concert room was comparable to a small concert hall.

‘Cecilia… You’ve always had outstanding guts and confidence since childhood, but to stand on a stage like this…’

He had thought it was just a salon concert common to any noble family, but it seemed the Countess Osborne’s scale and capacity were even grander than he had imagined. Well, where else would that courage come from…. It was hard to believe that he, the king of nouveau riche, was friends with Cecilia.