The banquet hall of the imperial palace was bathed with light and bursting with activity as the night's festivities fully kicked off for Olivia's birthday. To begin the night, James and Olivia danced together in the center of the hall to show the nobility how good of a relationship the two had. Their performance captivated many of the nobles watching with a few commenting, "They truly look lovely together."

"Their movements are completely in sync. That silly rumor of their relationship being strained was nothing but hearsay."

"I know. Neither of them have taken their gaze off the other! How romantic!"

"Arlexia has a bright future ahead of us once they ascend to the thrones."

"…" The gossiping nobles could be heard by the two stars even over the orchestra, and Olivia gave James a curt smile. "I told you this would work."

"While you may be getting lucky, Princess, it's dangerous to keep relying on luck alone," James retorted and pulled on Olivia's arm just a little too hard when spinning her around.

"That 'luck' just silenced the entire capital's social scene," Olivia replied while attempting to step on James' foot with her heel only for James to shift out of the way at the last second. "Besides, it wouldn't hurt for us to at least pretend like things are going well so that the people feel at ease. People are still tired from the war so let's give them a distraction." Olivia took an extra step forward to make James fall but caught him right before he lost balance.

"You're saying to pretend, but you're also the one being suspiciously aggressive right now," James commented as he picked up his pace to try and make Olivia fall behind since she was in high heels.

"Aggressive? I think I'm being quite passive, Your Highness," Olivia dryly joked as she perfectly matched James' increased pace thanks to all her training giving her near-perfect control over her body. The two continued their subtle attempts to embarrass the other until the song came to an end and a round of applause was given. "I'm feeling far too good to be aggressive since it's my birthday," Olivia said after rising from her curtsy.

"Is that so?" James held an amused smirk on his face that appeared friendly but Olivia knew it was only filled with snark.

The nobles started to gather to give their compliments, "That was a wonderful dance!"

"You look stunning, Your Highness! That's such a beautiful dress!" While a few sounded genuine, it was obvious why they were here as the many sons of nobles tried to vie for Olivia's attention.

"Your Highness! Do you remember me?" It appeared that leeches liked diamonds. "I would be honored if I could have your seco-"

"Olivia!" Spreading the sea of suitors, Augustus pushed his way through to stand before Olivia. "Happy birthday."

"I'm glad you could make it, Augustus. How're your studies coming along?" Thanks to his presence, the many suitors aiming for a concubine position were shut out and forced to back away sulking; which Olivia was quite thankful for. Even though she'd been living in this world for thirteen years, the concept of concubines still made her feel uneasy since she saw it as no different from having an affair which already broke apart her first family. Her current father, Richard, also didn't take any concubines and stayed dedicated to Alice which only further fueled Olivia's mindset.

"I'm doing really well, thanks to you." Olivia knew what Augustus wanted, and what her friends were worried about, but she always made sure to keep him at a reasonable distance; or at least she thought so. Augustus' cheeks slightly flushed as he hesitantly offered his hand to Olivia and slightly bowed. "May I have this next dance?" He looked like a shy puppy trying to get attention.

But before Olivia could give her answer, a voice broke through the crowd, "Unfortunately, Her Highness has a prior engagement for her second dance partner."

"!!!" Augustus' hair stood on end and his face instantly darkened as he turned to see Lucina emerge from the crowd in a newly tailored scarlet red and black dress that matched the style of the previous Baroness Rolf's favorite design. Small, crushed-up pieces of red rubies were sewn into the dress causing Lucina to sparkle in the light and added a surreal air to her figure. A smile adorned her face while her eyes held daggers. "C-Countess?" To Lucina's amusement, Augustus didn't immediately run away and instead looked like he was standing his ground before her. The eyes of the would-be suitors were fixated on them as they felt like their chance at beating out Augustus was coming.

"Lucina…" Olivia silently muttered as she was having a hard time recognizing her friend's more twisted expression.

"…" James silently stood to the side so he could watch the show he knew was coming.

"While you may be Olivia's childhood friend," Augustus began as he felt braver since Olivia was present which meant that Lucina, probably, wouldn't do anything drastic. "That doesn't excuse being rude, Countess Sanguine. I asked Olivia first. It's not very eloquent to force your way between us like this."

"You're the one lacking eloquence, Augustus." Lucina hated every time the word 'Olivia' came out of Augustus' mouth. "As a loyal subject to the crown, I'm simply doing my part to help the imperial family save face."

"Save face?" Augustus cocked an eyebrow at Lucina and asked, "How is not dancing with me saving face?"

"Because what would people say seeing Her Highness dance with a known criminal?" Lucina's voice was innocent while dripping with an obvious venom.

"I am no criminal!" Augustus found some sense of pride and loudly declared for all to hear, "Olivia accepted my plea of innocence, Countess, meaning I hold no fault for what my parents did! How dare you say such lies during Olivia's birthday!"

"Lies?" Lucina innocently tilted her head to the side in mock confusion. "But those are your own words, Augustus." Even though Augustus was addressing Lucina by her title of 'Countess', Lucina deliberately only called him 'Augustus' without using the last name Rolf as a jab that his house was completely ruined. Some of the surrounding nobles whispered their confusion at Lucina's claim loud enough for her to hear so Lucina clarified what she meant, "You threw yourself at Her Highness' feet and begged for forgiveness based on ignorance. And because Her Highness is so kind-hearted she granted it…after you finish your schooling and become a government official. So until you graduate, you're a criminal."

"That's semantics!" Augustus argued.

"But that's what you promised." Lucina pressed the point, "You would make up for your parents' crimes and your family's tarnished name by graduating and becoming a government official to faithfully serve Arlexia." She took a step forward and Augustus took a step back. "So until the day you do those things, you're still guilty of holding the Rolf name. Everyone knows this, Augustus, so why don't you?"

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"B-But it's impossible to graduate so early when I'm not even halfway through the academy! Holding me to those words now-"

"So did you lie to the imperial family?" Lucina cut him off and something unnerving danced in her eyes as her gaze was fixated on Augustus. "Are you demanding your reward before even completing the minimum amount of work? That's quite bold to do, Augustus. Not even I would sully the imperial family like that and then demand their affection." Another step forward. "For a criminal like you, just standing in Olivia's presence is a gift. Stop wasting it." She took another step forward.

"I would love to dance with you, Lucina," only for Olivia to speak up and step in between the two. She held out her hand to Lucina expectantly. "Shall we?"

"…Of course!" Lucina's face instantly softened as she took Olivia's hand and was led to the dance floor.

"I can dance with you later, Augustus," Olivia promised as she did her best to separate him from Lucina.

"…Of course, Olivia." Augustus lost all momentum and backed away. The jeering gazes of the other noble sons dug into him as he left to find someplace quiet to collect his thoughts. James had an amused grin on his face and found that he quite enjoyed Lucina's antics when he wasn't the one on the receiving end.

"…" Olivia was silent as Lucina started leading her through the next dance. She held a complicated expression and couldn't find the right words to say.

So Lucina helped her by speaking first, "Did I go too far?"

"…A bit," Olivia admitted when she found her voice. "I let you go at him for a while since only keeping you two apart wouldn't solve anything. I hoped you could find some understanding since he's trying to make up for his parent's mistakes." Olivia hesitated to go further but ultimately decided to add, "Though he is going a bit far with how close he thinks he is to me, so I'm glad you called him out on that."

"If you know, then why not let me take him?" A dangerous glint flashed across Lucina's eyes.

"I already told you in-"

"I want to hear it from you."

"…" The determined look on Lucina's face told Olivia she couldn't brush this aside and would have to have this conversation. "Because I want to give him a chance. I believe in the benefit of the doubt."

"Was it like that in your previous life?" Lucina asked while gently spinning Olivia around.

"In some places, but not my home country," Olivia admitted. "I lived in a 'guilty until proven innocent' kind of land."

"And you don't share those views?"

"No." Now it was Olivia's turn to be determined in her ways. "Because I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of that kind of world." Many rumors spread after Ayaka's father cheated on her mother with some saying it was her mother's fault for not living up to her husband's standards. Her mind flashed back to the days she would sit silently by her mother's side as she wept herself to sleep after coming home from an office filled with accusatory whispers and glances. Ayaka herself also received her fair share of bullying since 'not even her father wanted her', though those bullies were silenced when Ayaka finally stood up for herself and fought back. Olivia apprehensively bit her lip before continuing, "I know you're all concerned for me, but I want to give him a chance to not be shackled by his parent's wrongdoings."

"…" Lucina silently stared into Olivia's unwavering gaze before giving a soft sigh and saying, "If that's what you want, then I'll drop it…for now."

"Thank you," Olivia said and warmly smiled at Lucina. The magic lights that lit up the hall made Olivia's white dress and hair glitter as if made of jewels, and her eyes sparkled like a lake reflecting the sun.

"…" Lucina's heart throbbed and longed to wrap her arms around Olivia. "That's what friends do." But she banished those thoughts since now wasn't the time for such things. Olivia was already dealing with annoying suitors which meant it could backfire if she made her feelings known; she didn't want to be rejected because Olivia is tired of dealing with people aiming for her heart. To distract herself, Lucina changed the mood by humorously mentioning, "You must have practiced quite a lot with His Highness since you're much better at dancing than I remember."

"That was over two years ago!" Olivia didn't want to remember the days when she first practiced ballroom dancing and how stiff and awkward she was with the movements. "I'm a master when it comes to moving my body, now! I could even out-dance you here and now, but I wouldn't want to embarrass our newest countess."

"Oh?" Lucina matched Olivia's sly smile and the two quickly tried to make the other mess up in a playful battle of pride that had both of them laughing by the end of the song. Lucina gave a respectful bow once the song was done and stated, "It appears your dancing is quite refined, Your Highness Olivia."

Olivia gave a curtsy and playfully replied, "And you obviously haven't been skipping your dance lessons, Countess Lucina." The two girls giggled at their mock speech and the previously dark mood was completely forgotten. "I'm surprised you know the lead moves since I only see guys dancing it."

"I thought it would be worth learning," Lucina answered while only revealing part of her reason. "Are the others here, yet?"

"Margaret and Cassandra are taking a break at that table over there, let's grab some snacks and-"

"Could I have a word, sister?" Interrupting the good mood came Derik who gave an annoyed glance to Lucina which only made Lucina silently chuckle.

"Derik?" Olivia briefly looked around before asking, "Where's Vivian?"

"Over there," Derik replied and motioned to another part of the dance floor where Vivian was dancing with Adam. "Now, can I have a word with you?" He sent a glare at Lucina and added, "Privately."

Lucina kept her laugh to herself and nonchalantly said, "I think I'll go over and try the cake before heading over to the others. Happy birthday, Olivia."

"See you in a bit," Olivia gave Lucina a nod and watched her friend leave before turning to Derik. "What's up?"

"What's up is the fact that you seem to be ignoring my warnings," Derik complained and ran an annoyed hand through his hair. "Countess Sanguine isn't someone you should casually associate with. She's dangerous."

"This, again?" Olivia complained and let out a frustrated sigh. "Why does everyone I know keep telling me who I should and shouldn't associate with? I'm not that bad with people."

"Yes, you are." Derik's brutal honesty stung but Olivia also couldn't wholly refute it.

"Well, thank you again for the advice but I'll stick with my gut when it comes to Lucina." Olivia stood up for her friend to her brother and justified, "Even if she's…changed… That's because of James and the Emperor sending her to war despite her only being ten. I'm not going to turn my back on her just because she's a little dangerous."

"You make it sound like His Highness and His Majesty specifically targeted the Countess, but from what I know their reasons were perfectly valid." Derik ignored the scowl his sister was giving him and continued, "She wields magic on a scale like no one else, has the entire temple claiming she's some 'Harbinger of Zulm', and she's shown herself to be unstable. I wouldn't be surprised if she's some temple experiment they're using to weaken the crown's authority."

"You're the one sounding crazy," Olivia countered and continued to argue, "A temple experiment? You and I both know that's not true and is just a conspiracy you're telling yourself to justify your dislike of her."

"Is it a conspiracy?" Derik scoffed as his eyes followed Lucina who was hurriedly leaving the banquet as if following someone. "I'd sooner believe she was purposefully created by someone than believe someone like the Butcher of Toldrin just so happened to be born."

"Derik!" Olivia's voice held the authority of a crown princess as she glared at her brother who felt his throat seize shut. "I've warned you against speaking that terrible nickname, and now you do it during my birthday party after chasing Lucina away? As someone who will soon be part of the royal guard, fix that mouth of yours or I will ask you to leave."

"Again, you side with her over your own flesh and blood," Derik bitterly complained and shook his head.

"I'll side with you when you start talking sense," Olivia corrected. "Also, you're getting married next month so you should at least dance one song with Vivian." Olivia looked over to Vivian and Adam and caught Vivian stealing expectant glances at Derik.

"Unfortunately, this 'soon-to-be royal guard' doesn't have much free time and I just wanted to have a talk with my sister briefly on her birthday before leaving." Derik bowed and turned to leave. "Enjoy the rest of your birthday, sister."

"…" Olivia's good mood was thoroughly ruined and she took a deep breath to calm herself down. She was trying to be on at least friendly terms with her brother but they butted heads on too many issues to have such a harmonious relationship. Was this differing of opinions on so many things also what drove the original Olivia and Derik apart in the game? Also, while Derik's reasons were nonsense, Olivia couldn't deny the fact that Lucina was becoming dangerous. It was extremely admirable that she was able to turn Solfin around the way she did in such a short time, but the hasty execution of the Baron and Baroness, and her blatant hostility toward Augustus who was trying to make amends didn't sit right with Olivia. "…That's the world you live in, Olivia," she muttered to herself. The morals from her life as Ayaka constantly came into conflict with her current life's world of swords, magic, nobility, and demons. It was silly to hold onto such morality, but Olivia also didn't want to let it go as it was a piece of what made her who she was. With more and more complicated thoughts swirling in her head, Olivia headed over to the table Margaret and Cassandra were waiting at to try and distract herself from her dour thoughts.

***

"…" When Derik left the party early, many eyes were watching the interaction between the two Ordrin siblings. One such pair of eyes was Vivian's which now fell to the floor as she turned her head away.

"Would you like to take a break?" Adam asked as they continued to dance and he noticed Vivian's movements started getting sluggish. He knew she wasn't slowing down from being physically tired, but he also didn't want to say the real reason out loud.

"No." Vivian silently appreciated Adam's discretion on the matter. "I can dance one more song if you're willing?" Vivian's blue hair poured down her back and shoulders like a waterfall that glinted in the magic lights, and her yellow eyes glimmered like gold jewels despite the apathy they held. She made sure her dress was Holst's shade of blue and only wore gold jewelry to completely match Holst's colors, yet Derik never spoke a word to her.

"…" Adam held his tongue as the words he wanted to speak should be forever locked in his heart. Instead, he readjusted his hold on Vivian's hand and waist and said, "It would be my honor to continue our dance."

"…Mmm." Vivian's stubborn pride would never allow her to openly admit how grateful she was to Adam. If it hadn't been for him coming up to her asking for a dance, Vivian would have remained a wallflower at the Crown Princess' birthday party. Derik either didn't realize or didn't care that having the future duchess be in such a state would be an embarrassment for the Holst duchy. Since Adam was the heir to Gauldrin and a future vassal to Derik, it was socially acceptable for him to dance with Vivian; though not for the first dance which was typically reserved for spouses or direct family.

"…" But the two silently ignored that social rule as they continued to slowly dance while losing themselves to the melody on the air and their own troubled minds.