Preparation For Attending a Party part. 1

A Beautiful Morning, at Least for Everyone in the Palace.

It was a beautiful morning, at least for everyone in the palace. Today was the day of the grand garden party hosted by Earl Ventela. The air was filled with a sense of anticipation, and the palace buzzed with preparations.

At this moment, Aliester was in his study with Ryan, discussing the details of the upcoming party. But before their conversation could turn serious, Ryan noticed something peculiar—Aliester was smiling to himself, lost in thought.

"Your Majesty…" Ryan called out, but Aliester didn't seem to hear him.

He was too absorbed in his own musings.

"Why is my daughter so adorable~?" Aliester muttered under his breath, his face glowing with paternal pride.

"Right now, I feel like punching the real Aliester for neglecting such a precious child like Magdalene."

"And then… and then… she asked me for a kiss! Gyaaa! My heart can't take this cuteness!!"

"Even during breakfast… she smiled at me so sweetly. Ahhh~ How wonderful it is to have such a beautiful daughter."

It seemed that Aliester had fully embraced his role as a doting father, even though the soul residing in his body wasn't the original Aliester's.

Ryan, growing increasingly suspicious of his master's strange smile, decided to call out to him again, this time a bit louder.

"Ahem! Your Majesty."

"Eh? Huh? What? Oh, Ryan. How long have you been here?"

"Your Majesty, I should be the one asking how long you've been making that strange face."

"Don't be like that. I'm just happy to see my adorable daughter's sweet face."

"Very well," Ryan replied flatly. He handed Aliester a stack of papers with clothing designs. "These are from the royal designer. Your attire for the party is ready for a fitting this afternoon."

Aliester glanced at the designs and was genuinely impressed.

"I don't fully understand the system here, but I'm certain that this place has an incredible sense of aesthetics."

"These outfits… they're so well-made, even without the advanced machinery from my world."

"Alright," Aliester set the papers down. "I'll try them on later. By the way, have you gathered any information about the guests and the garden party?"

"It seems that the garden party is held annually at two locations within Earl Ventela's estate: the rose garden and the main lobby."

"The rose garden is directly connected to the main lobby, so the party will be quite spacious."

"What about the open house they mentioned?" Aliester asked.

Ryan pulled out a small note from his pocket and read it aloud. "According to the information I've gathered, Earl Ventela will host an open house before dinner, specifically in the late afternoon."

"Then, the party will commence just before dinner, so all the guests will dine together."

"However…"

"Hmm? What is it?" Aliester's expression turned serious. "Is there something wrong?"

Ryan leaned in closer and whispered something to Aliester. After hearing the explanation, Aliester's face grew stern. "I see. I'll try to keep my distance to avoid any strange rumors."

"Your Majesty will be safe if you bring Princess Magdalene with you wherever you go. They won't dare approach you."

"That's a good idea. I'll do that."

---

Meanwhile, in Magdalene's Room

Meanwhile, Magdalene was still smiling happily. Her radiant face showed that she had slept well, and breakfast had been delightful as she laughed with her father.

"I feel like I've truly become Magdalene~" she thought to herself.

Viona and Selina, her maids, were overjoyed to see her in such high spirits.

"Princess Magdalene seems so happy."

"Indeed. She's been smiling like that since she woke up."

Magdalene overheard her maids' conversation and smiled to herself. But then, her smile faded slightly.

"Tonight is the party at that annoying Earl Ventela's estate, and I can already imagine how it's going to be."

"It's going to be full of annoying people!"

Selina approached Magdalene. "Princess Magdalene, since His Majesty has decided to attend the party, shouldn't you try on a lovely dress?"

"A dress?"

"Yes, a beautiful dress. The royal designer will have it ready this afternoon, and it seems His Majesty will also be trying on some outfits."

Magdalene's face lit up with joy. "Kyaaa~"

"Magda wants to wear a pretty dress that matches Daddy's outfit~"

Viona and Selina were thrilled to hear this from Magdalene. After all, it was a significant improvement in the relationship between father and daughter.

As Viona and Selina left the room, allowing Magdalene to play, they whispered to each other.

"What do you think, Viona? I didn't want to say this in front of Princess Magdalene because she's so excited about the party, but…"

"I don't know, Selina. Honestly, when I heard from the head maid that His Majesty agreed to Earl Ventela's invitation, I was hoping he would decline."

Viona didn't hold back her thoughts. "I feel the same way. Earl Ventela seems very suspicious."

"He's been sending invitations to His Majesty repeatedly since Queen Helene passed away. It's very strange!"

"I'm sure Earl Ventela's intention is to get closer to His Majesty so that Lady Bernadette can marry him and become the new queen!"

"Vi—Viona!!" Selina was shocked by Viona's words. She quickly glanced around to make sure no one had overheard.

"You need to be careful with your words, Viona!" she whispered. "If anyone hears, His Majesty will become the subject of gossip."

"I—I'm sorry."

Selina sighed and suggested they drop the topic. But little did they know…

Behind them, hidden behind a sturdy pillar, was a little girl who had overheard everything.

Magdalene, of course. The little princess had grown suspicious and had followed her maids out of the room without them noticing.

She had done so because she was certain that news of her father's attendance at the party would spread throughout the palace, and others might think the same way she did.

"I knew they would think the same thing as me."

"I won't stand by and do nothing. Daddy must not marry that annoying, ugly woman."

"If necessary, I'll find out more about them myself!"

Magdalene returned to her room to process everything she had heard.

---

Magdalene's Soliloquy

Back in her room, Magdalene sat on the sofa, grumbling to herself as she spoke to her teddy bear.

It might have seemed cute—a little girl talking to her stuffed bear—but the soul inside Magdalene was that of a career woman from another world.

"So, Mr. Teddy…" Magdalene began giving the bear a name. How sweet.

"...Viona and Selina think the same way. That's good."

"Now, I just need to be the sweet, smiling Magdalene and keep Daddy away from that annoying woman."

"But if I use ordinary methods, it'll be difficult. Usually, in the comics I read in my past life, the villain's plans always seem to succeed faster."

"Okay, let's assume Bernadette is the villainess, even though I don't know what she's really like. But one thing's for sure—Earl Ventela is definitely not a good person."

"He's ugly, his face looks sleazy, and he's just not a good person!"

"But if he doesn't do anything bad at the party tonight, I might behave."

"Mr. Teddy, you have to help me, okay? At least pray for me so that Daddy doesn't dance with that ugly woman."

"..." Of course, there was no response from the teddy bear.

---

Afternoon Fittings

As the afternoon arrived, the royal designer brought various sets of clothing for Aliester and his adorable daughter to try on.

"How about this, Your Majesty? The color is very soft," said the royal designer, Lady Cecil.

Aliester was wearing a newly arrived outfit—a light blue attire with touches of white and black, exuding elegance. He was stunned when he saw himself in the mirror.

"I knew that ever since I became Aliester, my handsomeness increased by 100 times. This is incredible!" he thought to himself.

He glanced at Magdalene, who was twirling around happily in a dress that matched the color of his outfit.

"Magda looks so pretty~"

"Magda looks like a real princess~"

"Ahahah," Aliester knelt down in front of his daughter and gently patted her small face. "Magdalene is already a princess. My beautiful princess, just like your mother."

"Ehehe~"

This was only the beginning of their preparations for the party. But little did they know, something unexpected awaited them.

---

To Be Continued…