Chapter 65 ….
It was clear that something was wrong with Richard.
I watched Richard’s back as he received his award and exited, lost in thought.
At that moment, I decided I’d have to ask Theodora about it.
“Theodora Hill Esperusa.”
The very name I had been thinking of reached my ears.
Unlike the previous two, Theodora occasionally met with me even during the war and we would talk.
So, looking at Theodora, I felt nothing particularly special. I only thought that the deep green dress she wore today suited her perfectly.
But the reactions of others were different.
“Is that the Seventh Princess?”
“I’ve heard so much about her, but this is the first time I’ve seen her face.”
“She looks so different from what I imagined!”
Before this war, Theodora had hardly appeared in society. From a young age, she had been busy learning how to manage intelligence and run organizations under her mother’s guidance.
“She led the intelligence operations, which can be called the flower of war, significantly contributing to the imperial victory, and also provided huge financial support to boost the morale of the imperial army…”
But this war was different.
She had thrown the full weight of the war into the open, even revealing the existence of Teridion, which she had been secretly cultivating.
It was all for Theodora’s ultimate goal.
To take revenge on her maternal grandfather, the head of the Blue Serpent.
He was the man who had forcibly sold Theo’s mother to the imperial family. Theodora despised him deeply for treating his own daughter merely as a tool.
At that time, the Blue Serpent had aligned with Asenbach and was fully supporting the duke.
Theodora used all of Teridion’s intelligence resources and the financial power she had gained through Teridion to bring down Asenbach.
The minimal casualties among the imperial army during the war were entirely thanks to her.
“…We acknowledge that contribution highly.”
The emperor, understanding the importance of intelligence, had surely called Theodora last. I, too, felt a sense of anticipation, wondering what reward she would receive.
“I appoint Seventh Princess Theodora Hill Esperusa as Minister of the Imperial Intelligence Department.”
“My goodness!”
Someone screamed, only to shut their mouth under the glare of others.
But everyone was undeniably astonished. I, too, almost cheered the moment I heard it.
Theodora becoming an imperial official!
At first glance, it might seem like a trivial reward—after all, it was only a high-ranking bureaucratic position being granted to a royal.
But the key was not the position itself, but its affiliation.
By becoming a minister of a department, Theodora officially became a direct subordinate of the emperor. Now, attacking Theodora would be tantamount to attacking the emperor himself.
No matter how fiercely the crown princes fought over Solea, it was still a sibling rivalry. No one would be reckless enough to make an enemy of the emperor.
The emperor’s true reward for Theodora was her safety.
Once people realized this, they celebrated her with cheers and applause.
She simply smiled with composed grace, as if aware of it all along.
After the cheering subsided and Theodora stepped down from the emperor’s presence, he spoke again.
“Finally…”
My heart pounded at that moment.
Everyone in the room knew whose name the emperor would call last.
The person with the greatest achievements and the most dramatic story.
The one worthy of concluding the war’s grand finale.
“Sir Tristan.”
The simple name, without any title, echoed through Carmea Hall.
At the same time, the curtains were drawn back, and he appeared under the lights.
“…!”
I was speechless.
Even though I had guessed he would have changed a lot while I hadn’t seen him, I couldn’t help but be shocked.
“My goodness…”
Someone couldn’t contain their awe and whispered excitedly.
Eighteen-year-old Tristan was now completely grown.
He had grown so tall that he was barely recognizable, and his body under the Magnus Knight Order uniform looked incredibly solid.
The boyish charm that had once graced his beautiful face was gone.
In its place was a dangerously captivating man’s face.
His large golden eyes had a faint shadow in them, and his firmly set mouth showed no hint of softening.
The expressionless face, devoid even of laughter, only accentuated its sculpted perfection.
Tristan scanned the people before him with a gaze that seemed almost inhuman.
For several seconds, no one dared to speak.
Only after he turned to the emperor did people exhale, as if Tristan’s gaze had momentarily strangled the entire hall.
“Despite preventing the assassination attempt on the emperor just before the war, he requested to serve as the emperor’s sword as his reward, and thus served the empire as a squire of the Magnus Knight Order.”
As Tristan knelt before the emperor, the emperor slowly recited his life story.
“After becoming a squire, he worked tirelessly to become a knight faster than anyone else, and after being knighted, achieved several major victories that overturned the deadlocked war…”
In fact, Tristan’s deeds were already famous across the nation.
The story had started spreading when he received knighthood unusually quickly, and it grew like a snowball with each victory.
“There are far too many battles to list individually.”
Moreover, Tristan was literally the one who ended the war.
“Above all, he captured the rebel Wilhelm Asenbach and beheaded his eldest son, Ludwig Asenbach, bringing the war to a victorious conclusion, achievements unmatched by anyone else.”
He was the one who had finally taken Kalten Castle in the last battle.
Most people cheered at the news, praising Tristan’s divine swordsmanship and sharp tactics.
Yet, for some reason, I felt uneasy about Tristan.
What had gone through his mind?
When he killed his brother and captured his father as the emperor’s sword, had he felt joy at achieving revenge?
I was intensely curious, but even with Tristan in front of me, I didn’t think I could bring myself to ask.
“I hereby bestow a new name upon Sir Tristan.”
The emperor gestured to the chamberlain, who presented a rolled-up parchment on a tray.
The emperor unrolled the paper and spoke.
“Sir Tristan shall henceforth lead the House of Noctia as Duke Tristan of Noctia. In recognition of his achievements, the Asenbach lands shall be granted to him, and the region shall henceforth be called Noctia.”
The hall erupted in noise more than ever before. I was caught off guard—I hadn’t expected it to go this far.
A duke? And Asenbach as his domain?
It was an unprecedented decision. I looked at the emperor, bewildered.
Despite being illegitimate, Tristan was a blood descendant of Asenbach. Granting him the same dukedom and lands as his father…
Anyone would inevitably compare Tristan to the former Duke of Asenbach.
What was the emperor thinking? Was he trying to consolidate the northeast around Tristan? Or test Tristan’s loyalty? Or permanently brand the northeast with the mark of rebellion?
My mind was entangled in calculations.
“Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your grace.”
Tristan bowed before the emperor.
Hearing his voice made all my thoughts stop.
‘Right. Now isn’t the time to think about the emperor’s intentions.’
Clap, clap, clap.
I slowly applauded amidst the murmuring crowd. A few cautious onlookers followed my lead.
‘Today, I’ll just celebrate Tristan.’
Those who had been gossiping about the emperor’s decision gradually fell silent as the applause grew louder.
Ultimately, Carmea Hall was filled only with the thunderous sound of clapping and cheers.
The emperor declared amid the applause.
“This concludes the awards. Enjoy the party.”
At just the right moment, music began to play.
People, long awaiting the signal, began to move.
Some approached the royals, but most of the attention was on Tristan.
“Sir Tristan—no, Duke of Noctia, congratulations.”
“You have received the reward fitting your achievements.”
“Being the most noble of the empire’s nobles, how pleased you must be.”
Tristan barely responded to the endless congratulations.
A nod or a glance was all he offered, which could have seemed haughty to some.
Yet, with the imposing aura surrounding him and the dukedom added to it, everything seemed natural.
It was as if he had been born a ruler, and people could only marvel.
As the hesitant congratulations continued, someone asked,
“Duke, who will you share your first dance with?”
A sudden tension spread among the crowd surrounding Tristan.
‘Wow… look at this atmosphere.’
Even I, observing from a distance, flinched at the palpable tension.
Especially the marriageable young women and those of their parents’ generation—they exuded overwhelming presence.
With that atmosphere, refusal seemed impossible. And given Tristan’s status, not dancing here would surely invite whispers…
I felt a sudden worry.
‘It’s Tristan’s first time in society. Will he handle this well?’
At that moment, Tristan silently pushed through the crowd and moved forward.
“Huh?”
I blinked.
Was it just my imagination, or was Tristan heading toward me…?
“Seventeenth Princess.”
It was not my imagination.
He parted the crowd and knelt before me.
Golden eyes I hadn’t seen in so long.
My surprised expression reflected in those eyes.
“If it’s agreeable to you, may I have the honor of sharing the first dance with you?”
