It was like that all along.
Julian just looked at Bridget, and when she laughed, he laughed too.
Whenever she was talking to someone, he would have his attendant find out who they were and what they were talking about.
In the first place, since there was no secret conversation going on in the middle of the banquet hall, Bridget didn't feel burdened by Julian's attention.
Julian enjoyed seeing Bridget happy.
That was the only thing that excited him at this beautiful banquet.
Then the servant brought Julian some wine.
"This is a gift from Chancellor Langston. It is a token of their appreciation for hosting this banquet. What should we do?"
The prime minister bowed respectfully under the podium.
In any case, it was the prime minister who suggested holding a banquet, so he must have wanted to express his sincerity.
In reality, it was Bridget who readily agreed to Julian's careless remark, but the prime minister did not know the full story.
Julian saw a bottle of liquor in an ice bucket and motioned for it to be brought to him.
Normally, he wouldn't have put anything in his mouth that was handed to him by others, but that wasn't the case after he freed Millea from preparing meals.
What Chancellor Langston gifted was a hard-to-find liquor.
There was no way that Chancellor Langston, who was timid and had a lot to lose, would have poisoned the drink he served in front of so many people.
'It's been a while since I've liked something.'
Julian immediately made him put away the glass of liquor placed in front of him.
High-proof liquor is not served at royal banquets.
To prevent nobles from getting drunk and making a fool of themselves in front of the King, they would serve sweetened liquor diluted with sugar water.
But Julian had no Intention of enjoying simple drinks or observing petty etiquette.
The strong liquor was poured into a crystal glass.
***
Chancellor Langston was satisfied with watching Julian swallow the strong drink like water without even frowning.
He called his servant and asked him.
"Are the dancers ready?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Let them in."
When he nodded to the musicians, they naturally changed their music.
Soon, sticky, exotic music began to flow through the banquet hall.
As the dancers appeared on the stage, the nobles stepped aside and watched them with interest.
It was an event specially prepared by Chancellor Langston.
The dancers were as beautiful and charming as fairies.
The rich, flowing dance costume covered most of the body but was transparent enough to reveal the silhouette.
It captured the attention of not only men but also women.
When they started dancing, they captured everyone's attention.
People were amazed and mesmerized by their graceful dance moves and beautiful bodies.
Chancellor Langston smiled sinisterly to himself.
'If the King does not pay attention to the noble ladies, then this is the only way to make him interested in other women.'
His first plan was to show off pretty noble ladies, but it failed miserably because Julian did not even receive greetings from the nobles.'
He knew it wouldn't be easy.
Preparing the dancers was the second plan.
Could a drunk man stand still in front of naked beauties?
If Julian was not going to take a Queen, he would have to separate Julian from Bridget.
If Bridget, who believed that the King's favor would last forever, saw Julian bringing another woman into his bedroom tonight, their romance would be over.
Women believe that love will last forever, but for men, there is nothing as shallow as love.
Prime Minister Langston, who had changed his wife twice and his government three times, thought so.
As if to prove his point, not long after the performance began, a satisfied smile spread across Julian's lips.
***
Julian was often drunk.
After returning to the palace after the war, he was mostly drunk until Bridget showed up.
So, Chancellor Langston thought that Julian was a person who got drunk easily and liked to be drunk.
But it was a mistake.
'It might not be enough.'
Julian did not get drunk easily.
He guessed that it might be the effect of a curse.
After inheriting the curse, his body became much stronger than others, regardless of the pain.
From his teenage years, he was taller and had a better physique than his peers.
His physical strength is as strong as a monster, and his physical abilities and senses are far superior to those of ordinary people. Even his recovery speed was faster.
There is no record of any of the successors to the curse being weak, even though they died young from heart failure.
It would have taken several bottles of strong liquor to get this large, strong body drunk.
But he didn't order more wine to be brought.
Alcohol was the hourglass for retirement.
Julian came with Bridget because she wanted to attend the banquet, but he didn't want to leave her alone and leave first, knowing full well the Prime Minister's dark intentions.
Julian did not enjoy intoxication but used it as a painkiller to relieve mental and physical pain.
Now, his body and mind were not in pain, so there was no particular reason to take it.
He looked at Bridget again.
Bridget, who was seeing this kind of performance for the first time, was almost lost in thought and watched the dancers.
Then, when a dancer performed an acrobatic dance, she was startled and put her hand on her chest. Soon, she laughed and clapped her hands.
Her blue eyes, like the ocean, opened wide and then rounded.
Then Julian's lips also formed a round curve.
She smiled in satisfaction at the sight of Bridget's colorful expressions as she watched the performance.
***
"It's funny, really."
Leticia was laughing too. It was a sad laugh..
Chancellor Langston thought Julian was laughing at the dancer.
But Julian was still only looking at Bridget, and only Bridget was absorbed in the performance prepared by the Prime Minister.
Julian wasn't the only one looking at Bridget.
'Did you put honey on it?'
Leticia clicked her tongue inwardly and tapped Eric's sleeve.
"Hmm? Oh, Miss Leticia."
Eric smiled kindly.
Leticia knew that it was a look she had always shown to everyone.
"I guess the performance wasn't that great."
Leticia spoke to Eric naturally.
Although they exchanged greetings as they came and went, the two were not close friends.
Still, they started talking like they were always close.
Because Eric would definitely be gentlemanly and friendly.
"Aren't you happy, Miss Leticia?"
Look at this.
The kindness to continue the conversation without just letting the words of someone you are not interested in slide.
"Not me. His Majesty."
Leticia nodded at Julian.
She deliberately directed Eric's gaze towards Julian.
"He's been looking at Miss Bridget the whole time."
I wanted to save this handsome and kind man.
There is no place for you between the two of them. So come to your senses.
She pretended not to know and made a fuss.
"If you watch them closely, they are always like that. How can they love each other so much? Probably nothing can interfere with their love. That is what they mean by the perfect love that can overcome even death, as depicted in beautiful stories!"
She put her hands together and blushed with a dreamy expression.
"I see. Haha..."
Eric laughed awkwardly, looking back at himself in the past when he had misunderstood Julian as taking Bridget lightly and bringing her into the government.
Leticia mistook the laughter for foolishness.
What is the reason why she suddenly gets angry?
"Miss Bridget is a strong woman. She has no reason to seek joy outside herself, so she is not lonely, and a woman who is not lonely is strong."
So what she's saying is that Eric, who is outside of Bridget's Interest, has no chance.
It was a remark made as if she wanted to see Eric's gloomy face.
But when Eric heard that, he asked an unexpected question, which startled Leticia.
"She's strong because she's not lonely. I see. Is that why you're strong, Miss Leticia?"
"Yes?"
"I've always thought you were amazing. I saw you practicing swordsmanhip one day."
Leticia's gaze wavered.
"Have you seen me...?"
She's sure he was only looking at Bridget.
"Yes. I saw you horseback riding, too. You looked like you were having fun."
Eric laughed heartily.
Leticia, who suspected that he was being sarcastic, blinked blankly for a moment at the refreshing smile.
'What.'
It looked like a big dog was laughing.
Nothing steals a person's soul like the harmless grin of a big, cute dog. At least, that's what Leticia did.
Leticia came to her senses with an "Oops."
"I looked so embarrassing."
She said that without realizing it.
She was never ashamed of wielding a sword or riding a horse, but she was never proud of it either.
It was Count Lunarock who was ashamed of her doing so.
"A girl should be distracted by such useless things! Who would love you when you act like a servant? You should be ashamed of yourself!"
Her father's words struck her so deeply that she found herself unconsciously repeating what he said.
Eric shook his head and clenched his fist as if to cheer.
"What an embarrassing sight. I thought it was really cool."
That's cool.
Leticia was really embarrassed.
"...Speaking the truth!"
It was the first time she had felt so embarrassed in front of a man. Hrt face turned bright red.
"I... I think I drank too much."
As she fanned herself and looked around helplessly, Eric held out his arm with a worried look on his face.
"Lean on me. I think it would be better to go out on the terrace and get some air."
Leticia blinked innocently at the arm extended in front of her.
When she was giving advice to her friends, she was a love expert, but when she was actually supported by a gentleman and went out onto the terrace, she was confused about what was going on.
"Thank you?"
So Leticia walked to the terrace, escorted by Eric.
'This is just a kind gesture. Sir Eric is a kind person to everyone, isn't he?... Isn't he? Oh... isn't he?'
Leticia tilted her head the whole way there.
Because of that, she didn't get to see the end of the performance.
A dancer in the center was seductively moving towards Julian.
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