The banquet was in full swing. Colorful fireworks exploded and beautifully decorated the night sky.
The fireworks visible through the large window and the orchestra's violin performance aroused the excitement of those attending the party.
Jang!
Everyone in the banquet hall laughed and clinked their wine glasses together.
“Isn’t she really a great beauty, just like the rumors say? If His Highness the Crown Prince had not declared her as his mistress, there might have been a fight between the men over that woman.”
A middle-aged man with a very flushed face licked his lips with regret. A young man standing next to him answered, twirling the wine glass in his hand.
“I don’t know. What will happen now that His Excellency Duke Gregrick has taken her away?”
“Well, since she went out and hasn’t come back yet, it looks like His Excellency Duke Gregrick also likes that woman.”
“You’d better lower your voice. His Royal Highness doesn’t seem to be in a very good mood.”
While the people were excited, only Jeremy, who was sitting lazily on a golden chair on the podium, was giving off a gloomy aura that was not typical of the main character of the banquet.
Several nobles approached him and offered congratulations, but Jeremy did not listen to them.
“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I sincerely congratulate you on your birthday. I look forward to the day when you will sit on the throne.”
“...”
“Once Your Highness ascends to the throne, the empire will definitely become stable.”
Instead of looking at the noblewoman who was flattering him, Jeremy continued to pour strong wine down his throat.
His eyes were fixed on the entrance to the banquet hall the entire time. People were whispering behind the scenes as they seemed to be waiting very openly for Seliya to arrive.
“Your Highness seems to be quite anxious.”
“It’s already been over two hours since you two left, right?”
“Even so, isn’t it right that Your Highness should pay more attention to those attending the banquet? He will soon become Emperor...”
The ladies who were aiming for the position of Crown Princess returned to their original positions with steamy faces, and Balt, who was leaning against the pillar, was yawning as if the banquet was boring.
Jeremy felt his stomach twist. She said it would only take a moment, but she didn't seem to come back even after two hours.
Gabriell was also not in a good mood. Just when Seliya was thinking that it was a good thing that she had become a plaything for the Crown Prince named Mistress, she ran out of the banquet hall with Illeon.
“Is it because you come from the streets? You still have the habit of spilling the beans on men.”
As Gabriell spoke profanity, Hariel nodded her head vigorously as if she sympathized.
“It’s because her ass is so light. It turns out she’s been with men several times, hasn’t she?”
“Maybe it really was just like my mother said. Perhaps, her purity may have already been damaged before she was admitted into our family.”
The lack of chastity of an unmarried woman was a huge flaw in aristocratic society. Gabriell was whispering with Hariel, shaving Seliya as she breathed.
“She has become the Crown Prince’s mistress without any reason, so if she is found to be impure, she might be kicked out tonight.”
Gabriell was already thinking of pulling the trigger if something like that happened, saying she didn't know anything about it.
'She has joined the imperial palace, but is there any way to establish contact with Dietrich somehow?'
Dietrich, whom she had missed so much, could not see a single hair on his head, and only insignificant noblemen occasionally showed interest in her and subtly asked her questions about Seliya.
Meanwhile, after drinking one glass of strong wine after another, Jeremy's vision began to blur. Because he felt sick, he drank more than he usually drank.
“One more drink.”
His aide, who was next to Jeremy, stopped him.
“Your Highness, this is already my second bottle. A little restraint...”
“Didn’t you hear me asking for another drink?”
At Jeremy's words, the aide couldn't help but pour the wine. As soon as the glass was filled with some red wine, Jeremy drank it down in one go.
“Your Highness, if you’re not feeling well, why don’t you take a break...”
Before his aide could finish speaking, Jeremy threw the wine glass in his hand against the wall.
Clang!
There was a sharp sound and the shattered remains of the glass scattered across the floor.
The sound of the violins the orchestra was playing stopped, and the once noisy banquet hall became completely quiet.
People were embarrassed and looked at each other.
“How dare you ignore me? As you can see, I am in very good condition.”
Jeremy's irritated voice echoed loudly throughout the banquet hall.
Heavy silence continued for a moment. In the silence, Jeremy lifted up from where he was sitting.
As soon as he got up, Jeremy stumbled over his body. The aide quickly walked closer and helped Jeremy.
“Let go! I can go alone.”
Jeremy shook off his aide's arm and staggered out of the banquet hall.
Balt, who was watching this, shook his head.
It wasn't like that even when he saw it a few times at official appearances.
The people in the banquet hall were all whispering about Jeremy's strange behavior.
***
Seliya took a closer look at the vial he received from Illeon. The clear liquid in the bottle looked no different from water just by looking at it.
“What’s in this bottle... Is it poison?”
Illeon answered Seliya’s question in a cheerful voice.
“To be exact, it is a poison that ruins the opponent’s face. Even if you ingest a small amount, your face will melt horribly.”
“...”
Seliya's fine eyebrows furrowed in an instant.
“I can’t have something like this. I’ll give it back to you.”
Seliya returned the vial to Illeon. Ieon tilted his head as he looked at the poison that was back in his hand.
“Why? Lady Sely. There may come a time when this is absolutely necessary.”
“Even if such a moment comes, I don’t want to use such cowardly means.”
It would be better to solve it with the abilities she has. She doesn't want to harm people by using such poison.
This was an ideology that went against her beliefs as a Princess.
“I hope you don’t use this poison on anyone else.”
At Seliya's words, Illeon let out a low laugh and lifted one side of his lip.
“Do you know who I can used to?”
“... There’s no way I could know that.”
Seliya was uncomfortable with his work.
Thanks to him, she realized that Dietrich had special ability, but for some reason, she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.
Maybe it's because he's hiding his true feelings behind a seemingly gentle smile, or maybe it's because she thinks he might actually be the one who destroyed her kingdom.
- If you stay at ease, every last bit of your flesh will be bitten off.
'Why is this person trying to drive a wedge between me and Dietrich?'
Seliya didn't have the confidence to tell whether the person in front of her was her enemy after only seeing him for one day.
If Dietrich was like a wild beast with no clear path, Illeon was like a snake that deceives people.
Even if it's not today, she'll still have a chance to check it out. So Seliya suggested that she go back first.
“It’s late, so I’d better go back to the banquet hall.”
“Lady Shelly.”
Illeon smiled and called Seliya.
“Before I go, let me ask you one thing. Would you rather throw away the pawn or the Queen?”
Seliya tilted her head at his inexplicable words.
“Are you talking about chess?”
"Yes. Please answer this one question. Are you going to throw away your phone? Are you going to abandon Queen?”
A pawn is the lowest level on the chessboard and the Queen is the second most important piece after the King, so isn't it natural for her to discard the pawn?
Seliya thought this was indeed a strange question.
“I would throw away my pawn.”
At those words, Illeon blinked his eyes a few times, then folded his eyes into a half-moon and smiled.
“The answer was good. Shall we go back now?”
Illeon held out his hand. Seliya hesitated and took his hand.
Illeon's hands were still cold.
The two immediately left the garden. The palace where the banquet was being held was brightly lit, as if the banquet was still in full swing.
Just before entering the banquet hall, Seliya ran into someone she was now familiar with.
The pale moonlight fell on his ebony hair.
The red eyes in the vivid features held an indifference as if he was not interested in anything in this world.
His sharp nose, broad shoulders, and solid body were hidden beneath a wrinkle-free black uniform.
It was Dietrich.
Dietrich was looking down at Illeon and Seliya's joined hands without saying a word.
Illeon smiled casually and spoke to Dietrich first.
“Sir, no. Now I have to call her Duke Calypso. Do you have anything to say to me?”
“...Duke Gregrick.”
Dietrich slowly opened and closed his eyes, turned to face Ilion, and said.
“I don’t think you can go inside the banquet hall. Because His Royal Highness was drunk with wine and went to bed first.”
“Oh, thank you for telling me. But...”
Illeon added, placing the hand that was not being held by Seliya on Dietrich's shoulder.
“The new words I haven’t seen before have become very short.”
Seliya thought Illeon was very strange. Why does he speak informally to Dietrich while speaking politely to her, who is of a much lower status?
“...I just want to take a break.”
At Seliya's words, Dietrich held out his arm as if he had been waiting.
“I will escort you from here, Sally.”
Seliya changed her mind. Illeon was strange, but Dietrich was also quite strange today.
Normally he speaks informally, but when Illeon sees him, he uses an honorific.
When Seliya gave him a look as if asking what on earth he was doing, Dietrich looked away and gently wrapped Seliya's other hand and said,
“Aren’t you going to go into His Highness the Crown Prince’s bedroom?”
“I would throw away my pawn.”
At those words, Illeon blinked his eyes a few times, then folded his eyes into a half-moon and smiled.
“The answer was good. Shall we go back now?”
Illeon held out his hand. Seliya hesitated and took his hand.
Illeon's hands were still cold.
The two immediately left the garden. The palace where the banquet was being held was brightly lit, as if the banquet was still in full swing.
Just before entering the banquet hall, Seliya ran into someone she was now familiar with.
The pale moonlight fell on his ebony hair.
The red eyes in the vivid features held an indifference as if he was not interested in anything in this world.
His sharp nose, broad shoulders, and solid body were hidden beneath a wrinkle-free black uniform.
It was Dietrich.
Dietrich was looking down at Illeon and Seliya's joined hands without saying a word.
Illeon smiled casually and spoke to Dietrich first.
“Sir, no. Now I have to call her Duke Calypso. Do you have anything to say to me?”
“...Duke Gregrick.”
Dietrich slowly opened and closed his eyes, turned to face Ilion, and said.
“I don’t think you can go inside the banquet hall. Because His Royal Highness was drunk with wine and went to bed first.”
“Oh, thank you for telling me. But...”
Illeon added, placing the hand that was not being held by Seliya on Dietrich's shoulder.
“The new words I haven’t seen before have become very short.”
Seliya thought Illeon was very strange. Why does he speak informally to Dietrich while speaking politely to her, who is of a much lower status?
“...I just want to take a break.”
At Seliya's words, Dietrich held out his arm as if he had been waiting.
“I will escort you from here, Sally.”
Seliya changed her mind. Illeon was strange, but Dietrich was also quite strange today.
Normally he speaks informally, but when Illeon sees him, he uses an honorific.
When Seliya gave him a look as if asking what on earth he was doing, Dietrich looked away and gently wrapped Seliya's other hand and said,
“Aren’t you going to go into His Highness the Crown Prince’s bedroom?”
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