IDMLG 31

Chapter 31

When the Emperor raised his glass first, the other nobles hurriedly grabbed their own and lifted them high.

Once the atmosphere had settled to his liking, the Emperor shouted in a powerful, resonant voice.

“To the eternal glory of the Kaiden Empire!”

As the nobles echoed his words, the grand hall vibrated with such force it almost felt as though the entire place trembled.

I involuntarily flinched and furrowed my brows, but Michael, my older brother, quickly gave me a warning look, silently telling me to relax my expression.

After that, the soft music, which had briefly stopped, began to flow again, and the banquet resumed.

Nobles, in order of their rank, began to approach the imperial couple to offer their greetings. It wasn’t long before it was our turn.

“We’re next. Behave properly according to etiquette.”
“I know that.”
“Don’t say anything unnecessary. Just something like, ‘Thank you sincerely for inviting me.’ Or better yet, stay quiet.”
“Do you take me for a five-year-old?”
“I’ve told you countless times, you’re worse than a five-year-old.”

While bickering with Michael, who wouldn’t stop nagging, our turn came faster than expected.

I composed my face into the calmest expression I could manage and walked forward to stand before the Emperor and Empress.

I could feel the oppressive gazes that had momentarily dispersed now returning to latch onto me and my brother.

“I greet the glorious Sun of the Empire.”

Following the etiquette I’d been forced to memorize since childhood, I gently lifted the hem of my skirt with both hands, bent my knees, and bowed gracefully.

I recited the greeting perfectly, including the part about the “Sun of the Empire,” and introduced myself without a single slip.

“Lady Elizabeth Christener.”

Just as the Emperor gave me permission to raise my head, I heard a refined, gently amused voice call my name.

Startled, I looked up to find Empress Serena meeting my gaze with long-lashed, smiling eyes.

Her beautiful, serene face overlapped for a brief moment with that of another man’s.

It made sense—they were siblings, after all—but the sudden thought of him made me flustered.

To hide my confusion, I lowered my eyes slightly, but before I could collect myself, the Empress rose from her seat and slowly descended the stairs.

Before I knew it—she was standing right in front of me, extending her hand.

She clasped both of my hands warmly and smiled like she’d just reunited with an old friend.

“Thank you so much for coming today. Did you receive the invitation I sent personally?”

She came down from her seat just to say that to me?

I blinked in bewilderment, unable to hide my confusion, staring at her as if dazed.

To anyone watching, it would seem as though the Empress and I had long been close companions.

Indeed, I could hear the gasps and hushed whispers of surprise spreading through the hall.

A strange sense of déjà vu crept over me.

Right—it was exactly the same feeling as when I had pretended to be close with Lady Reina at a banquet, deliberately showing off our supposed friendship.

Just as I’d done it for a purpose, the Empress must have her own reason too. That realization made me even more nervous.

First her younger brother, and now she—what was going on?

I couldn’t even begin to guess why she had personally invited me to this banquet in the first place.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you very much for the invitation. It is truly an honor to be here.”

I managed to steady my voice and deliver my prepared line.

“I see. I was worried that sending the invitation so suddenly might startle you—but I’m relieved.”

As I thanked her, the Empress’s smile deepened with what seemed to be genuine delight.

Serena was known for her gentle and compassionate image—quite the opposite of her brother—but today she seemed especially expressive, as though she wanted everyone to see.

Just as I’d once deliberately done the same thing to make a point.

But… why would she? What could possibly be her motive?

What did the Empress have to gain by flaunting an apparent friendship with me of all people?

Anyone associated with me only risked damaging their own reputation.

“No, I was truly happy and grateful for your invitation.”
“I’m glad. I’ve wanted to speak with you for quite some time, but the opportunity never arose.”

She smiled softly again—and once more, I saw Rixion Luhanes’s face overlap with hers.

I almost frowned but caught myself just in time.

They looked too alike. Especially when they smiled.

And no, it’s not like I wanted to think about that man!

I internally protested my own thoughts, forcing myself to smile politely back at the Empress.

“Could it be that rumor was true, then?”

A too-bright whisper reached my ears. I instinctively perked up, sensing more trouble.

“That rumor about Lady Christener and Duke Luhanes being engaged—it’s true after all!”

My forced smile froze.

No way…

“Lady Christener?”

The Empress tilted her head slightly, puzzled by my sudden stiffness, and tightened her grip on my hands.

A chill ran up my spine. Of course. No kindness comes without a reason.

For a moment I stared blankly at her fingers clasping mine, then finally came to my senses and opened my mouth to speak—

“Yes, I apologi—”
“Your Majesty, my apologies. My sister doesn’t seem to be feeling well. May she rest for a while?”

Michael, sensing something was wrong, quickly stepped in, taking hold of my arm and gently pulling me away from the Empress.

“Oh dear, did I hold her too long?”
“Not at all, Your Majesty. It’s simply that she seems nervous in such a formal setting. A little rest will do her good.”

I must have thanked the heavens over a thousand times that the shrewd, socially adept Michael Christener was my brother—but today, I added one more to that count.

He subtly moved me behind him and smoothly steered us away.

Just then, Count Bolton—Lady Reina’s father—stepped forward to greet the imperial couple, perfectly covering our retreat.

I silently thanked him too as I followed Michael out of the crowd.

Even so, a few nobles tried to approach us for small talk, but Michael politely brushed them off until we reached a quiet corner of the hall.

“You were doing fine—why did you suddenly freeze up?”

Michael asked in a low voice. I sighed, equally frustrated.

“Someone behind me said I was going to get engaged to Duke Luhanes! I was just… momentarily shocked!”

I expected Michael to respond with outrage—Who dared spread such nonsense?—but his reaction was… oddly hesitant.

He froze for a moment, then gave me a cautious look.

“Wait… don’t tell me—you already knew that ridiculous rumor was going around?”

I glared at him in disbelief. He looked sheepish and avoided my eyes.

“I mean… I thought maybe you two were really seeing each other, just secretly.”
“I told you a hundred times that’s not true! You should’ve clarified it for me at least!”

I wanted to grab him by the collar and shake him, but instead, I just thumped my chest in frustration. Ugh. So infuriating.

“Well, Her Majesty herself sent you a personal invitation this time. Of course, I assumed it was true!”

Michael frowned as though he were the one annoyed.

“Honestly, I was starting to feel hurt thinking you hadn’t told even me.”

“You’ve been fooled, that’s what! Why don’t you believe me for once?”
“Because I’ve been tricked by you too many times since childhood.”

“What? When did I ever—”
“When you were eight, you ate all the cookies meant for me and blamed the maid—”
“Hold on, are you seriously bringing up something from when I was eight?”
“Then should I mention when you were fourteen and snuck half of your five-tier birthday cake before the party started, pretending it wasn’t you?”

Wow. Low blow.

Digging up childhood incidents like that? Really?

I looked away, having run out of arguments. He had a point. Maybe this was karma for not always being the most honest sister.

And… honestly, I already had plenty of things I hadn’t told him.

Like the connection between the plague and holy water.

Or the strange power within me that healed a red plague rat in seconds before my very eyes—something I didn’t even fully understand myself.

So, I didn’t really have the right to complain.