Chapter 43
The day of the banquet had arrived.
It was the second banquet held in recent days, and this time she had been able to observe all the details thoroughly, including the preparation period.
If another banquet were to be held in the future, she thought it might even be possible for her to take the lead while Teowin watched from the side, their roles reversed.
As Teowin had said, the banquet wasn’t dazzlingly extravagant. Still, it didn’t lack elegance and refined dignity.
“You’ve done admirably once again.”
“It’s not just once or twice… What’s this about ‘admirably’? I’m not a child.”
Standing side by side on the platform, the Emperor and the Crown Prince exchanged light words while surveying the hall.
The Emperor seemed to be in exceptionally high spirits, his face lit with a deep smile as he looked over the nobles gathering one after another.
There had been a time when all of this felt overwhelming, but before he had even fully grown accustomed to it, most of the responsibilities had already fallen to the Crown Prince.
Of course, he hadn’t been perfect from the start. He had often chased after attendants, and whenever he forgot something, it created a glaring gap in the arrangements.
“Of course you’re admirable. I still can’t forget the chaos that day when you forgot to arrange tablecloths and the plates and forks clattered noisily through the entire banquet.”
Today’s banquet was accompanied by light fare. Guests could dance and converse in the center of the hall, or gather around tables outside the hall to enjoy a casual meal while chatting.
“T-that time…”
Teowin gave the Emperor a sharp look as the man chuckled over his old mistake. Instead of laughing out loud, the Emperor kept his composed public smile, while Teowin’s ears reddened slightly, unable to argue back.
Still, the two of them exchanged words more comfortably than one might expect. They weren’t the sort who would remain awkwardly silent, unable to speak at all.
“Now then, today’s banquet is simply a gathering here in the palace to exchange greetings and spend a pleasant time together. I hope you will enjoy yourselves.”
“We are deeply honored.”
Once most of the attendees had gathered, the Emperor quickly wrapped up his greeting. Dragging it out any longer was pointless—it was better to let everyone enjoy themselves, a benefit both to the nobles and to the Emperor himself.
“Now then, enjoy the evening. I won’t interfere.”
Without holding anyone back—including his son and daughter-in-law—the Emperor picked up a glass of wine and slipped away to the terrace at the side of the hall.
“I thought he might greet the nobles, but it seems he just wanted time alone.”
He hadn’t lingered at all, leaving in an almost hurried manner. Watching his retreating back, the Crown Prince and Princess exchanged faintly amused smiles.
“There’s still a little time before the ball begins. Has Rejern arrived yet?”
Teowin glanced around the hall, but there was no sign of him. Aneis, too, kept watching the nobles as they entered, waiting for her father’s arrival.
“I’ve been watching since earlier… but he’s not here yet.”
Even though it wasn’t as if they seldom met, the fact that he wasn’t present at such a gathering made her uneasy.
“He’ll be here soon. Don’t worry.”
The way Teowin spoke—as though he already knew—made her laugh softly. At that moment, she spotted César entering through the doorway.
“See? He really did arrive soon.”
Smiling at his calm nod, she couldn’t help but laugh brightly.
As soon as she saw César, Aneis quickly stepped down from the platform.
Many nobles, waiting for a chance to approach the Crown Prince and Princess now that the Emperor had vanished in the blink of an eye, instead turned their attention to the Princess moving so suddenly.
Seeing her run straight toward her father with a radiant smile was more than enough to dispel the nasty rumors that had been circulating since the banquet before her imperial marriage.
“What is this? You said she looked like a complete witch!”
The mother of a young noblewoman, who had entered already nervous, was now staring in awe at the Princess’s beauty and scolding her daughter.
“But that time… she really was terrifying!”
The young ladies who had once spoken recklessly and been caught by the Crown Prince—spared from harsher punishment only to endure Aneis’s sharp words instead—had never repeated the tale outside their families.
The experience of being rebuked, first by the Crown Prince and then by the Crown Princess, had been too shocking for them.
Those who had foolishly believed in the malicious gossip shook their heads as they saw her again now.
“Father! You’ve finally arrived?”
“You were waiting, weren’t you? There was a small problem with the carriage on the way, so I was delayed.”
“Goodness! You weren’t hurt, were you? Nothing serious happened?”
“Of course not. I’m perfectly fine, as you can see.”
Rejern smiled broadly at her warm welcome, and they exchanged a few words. With the Crown Prince joining in, it wasn’t long before the other nobles’ gazes began to settle on them.
“At this rate, you should replace the carriage. You’ll be using it every day… No, better yet, just move into the palace already.”
Teowin had been waiting for a chance to say this. Watching him look after César in that way filled Aneis with a warmth, as if she herself were being cared for.
And César, in turn, felt his mood lift as he watched his daughter’s smiling face.
When the marriage was first proposed, her reaction had been rather stiff, making him wonder if he’d accepted too hastily. But she hadn’t been immature enough to break the engagement.
Fortunately, she had shown herself in a good light alongside the Crown Prince as well. He hoped they would come to love each other in time, though it wasn’t quite there yet. Even from the outside, one could see that.
“I’ve been thinking seriously about that. After devoting my life to the Imperial Knights, it seems I’ve been rewarded with a luxurious retirement home.”
Hearing that César might come live nearby, Aneis beamed with joy, while Teowin, proud to see the two of them, nodded in satisfaction. The nobles around them could only sigh in amazement.
There had often been whispers that the imperial family treated César, who remained a mere marquis, far too stingily. But with this much hospitality, no one could make such complaints anymore.
He had given his daughter the highest position a woman in the empire could achieve, as Crown Princess. On top of that, the Emperor had already granted him free access to the palace for his health, and now was even offering him a residence inside the palace itself.
It was clear that the imperial family treated House Rejern with extraordinary generosity.
“W-we are from House Banati, Your Highness.”
In his fluster, the Duke of Banati, wiping sweat from his brow, forced his way into the middle of their conversation.
His sudden interruption, while they were still deep in talk, created a brief silence. The duke bowed again, dabbing more sweat from his face.
“Ah, yes. Duke Banati.”
Aneis, who had been about to say more, drew a deep breath and pressed her lips together. Teowin and César both barely held back their laughter at her restraint.
Since she had at least responded to his greeting, whether to continue the conversation was entirely up to her.
“Then, please enjoy the banquet.”
Although he was a duke, the man had barged into someone else’s conversation without reading the room. She finished the exchange with courtesy, but the commanding air in her voice left him unable to say anything further. He watched in silence as Aneis walked away, followed by the Crown Prince and César.
In fact, this was precisely the moment when they were to begin exchanging greetings with the nobles one by one. If the duke had waited a little longer, he would have been among the very first to be greeted.
As Teowin scanned the crowd to see whom to greet first, he suddenly sensed a stir. Aneis, noticing it as well, turned toward the commotion. It was coming from the entrance.
Had someone new arrived? But the scale of the reaction was far too great for that alone.
“Your Highness? Someone just entered through the doors.”
Her voice was soft as she informed Teowin, since she couldn’t quite tell who it was. Only then did he turn his attention to the disturbance.
Even the young ladies, who had been keeping quiet since their scolding at the last banquet, were now clasping their hands in excitement, contributing to the rising commotion.
Who on earth had appeared?
This banquet had no formal invitation list. Any noble who wished could attend. Since it was an informal gathering meant to be comfortable and easy, there was no way that person’s name would be written anywhere.
From within the crowd, a head rose above the rest. Under the light of the hall, hair gleamed—a brilliant, fiery red. Aneis tilted her head slightly in puzzlement.
She had only ever seen such red hair on one person in this world…
No, that couldn’t be. Surely red hair wasn’t unique to just one individual. There must be another noble with hair that striking…
But the moment the man turned his head, Aneis’s eyes flew wide open.
