Chapter 47
The road ahead looked clean—likely cleared by the Duke’s estate in advance. The previously distant castle now loomed clearly before them. They would arrive in about thirty minutes.
“What time is it now?”
“It’s just past five in the evening.”
“They said the year-end banquet starts at seven. We’re running quite late… Let’s move quickly.”
Normally, who arrives right before an event starts? But in this empire, the emperor was the law.
Just thinking of the glares from the western nobles already made Kenneth’s stomach churn.
Putting on a deliberately stern expression, Kenneth gave orders.
“Brush off the snow and straighten your attire before entering the castle! Inform His Majesty that we’re headed directly to the banquet hall, and send a messenger to notify the ducal house of His Majesty’s arrival!”
“Yes, sir!”
At last, after a long march, they arrived at the Layton Ducal Castle.
The soldiers were directed to a waiting area prepared by the duchy, while the knights and nobles attending the event quickly changed and headed for the banquet hall.
Amid the flurry of people changing clothes in their carriages, there was no small commotion.
Some nobles had hoped for a chance to rest upon arrival, and complaints began to stir. But as the emperor stepped forward, all voices fell silent.
Despite two sleepless nights on the road, the emperor’s presence was as commanding as ever. With the gait of a man entering his own palace, he walked into the banquet hall.
“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!”
Western nobles stood in orderly lines at the entrance of the banquet hall, waiting to receive him.
Unlike the capital’s nobles—splendidly dressed but weary-faced—the western nobles were orderly, disciplined, and composed, making the difference obvious.
The capital nobles kept clearing their throats, trying to summon their dignity.
‘Judging from the atmosphere… there are some former soldiers among them.’
To Kenneth, the nobles’ outfits all looked similar, but a few carried an unmistakable air—an aura of those who had experienced the battlefield.
Considering the emperor had the fewest prejudices toward military nobles, this likely wasn’t a coincidence—it was a strategic move to earn his favor.
While the capital nobles fumbled awkwardly, the emperor smoothly greeted Duke Layton.
“It is an honor to welcome Your Majesty to the Layton Ducal Estate. Not even the Snow Queen’s jealousy could stop the chariot of the sun.”
“Good to see you, Duke Layton. The queen of the west is rather fierce. At one point, I wondered if someone had cast a spell to block my path.”
“Haha, perhaps it was merely a playful trick from the queen.”
Though laced with jest and metaphor, the onlookers couldn’t laugh.
The Duke had metaphorically referred to the heavy snowfall as the ‘Snow Queen,’ but the emperor deliberately changed the wording to ‘Queen of the West.’ This brought to mind the Empire’s old history.
Long ago, the western territories were ruled by a queen who was defeated by the first emperor, symbolized by the chariot of the sun.
Thus, the west became part of the Faon Empire, and the royal family was demoted to the title of Duke Layton.
By referencing the “Queen of the West,” the emperor was subtly accusing the Layton family of opposing the throne.
Kenneth hadn’t expected such sharp tension from the first encounter. He held back a sigh that threatened to slip from between his clenched lips.
‘Duke Layton… was his name Mikhail? Handsome and bold.’
Thankfully, Mikhail seemed to be the emperor’s type—someone who caught his attention.
Though he kept smiling, there wasn’t a hint of groveling. He was quick-witted enough to catch the meaning behind metaphors, and his good looks didn’t hurt either. At least his first impression wasn’t bad.
‘I heard he grew up under the infamous Demon Duke…’
With that assessment, Kenneth shadowed the emperor as he moved deeper into the hall.
The banquet venue, specially remodeled for the year-end celebration, had a unique structure with three levels.
At the highest level sat the emperor and the ducal couple. Below them was a stage for speeches. The spacious lower floor was for the gathered officials and nobles.
It was a grand design, upholding both the emperor’s dignity and the elegance of the event.
The emperor took the most ornate of the three chairs. Duke Layton and his wife took the other two.
Kenneth stood behind the stage, half-concealed by a curtain—a standard guard position to respond quickly if anything went wrong. On the opposite side, the ducal family’s guard stood ready as well.
‘His Majesty is quite the looker, but the ducal family… they look like something out of a fairy tale.’
It was no exaggeration to say the Layton family was the most beautiful household in the empire. Seeing them in person made the rumors seem completely valid.
As Kenneth peeked at the duke and duchess from behind the curtain, he suddenly sensed a presence behind him.
He turned his head and saw a woman in the darkened space, smiling and greeting him in a calm tone.
“Good evening.”
“Ah… Pleased to meet you.”
“No need for formalities.”
Kenneth instinctively started to bow, but she waved him off.
‘That uniform…’
When he noticed her attire, Kenneth assumed she was another guard for the ducal couple. She was wearing a military-style uniform.
Her navy hair was tied back and fell past her shoulders. Her deep-set eyes radiated intelligence, and her face, with a clean forehead, exuded neatness.
She was small in stature and not intimidating—but undoubtedly a soldier in posture and bearing.
“Don’t be shy. Take a good look.”
“N-No, thank you.”
“Mikhail and Helene are stunning, aren’t they? I was surprised too when I first saw them.”
“Yes… The rumors don’t do them justice.”
“Still, I think it’s even more impressive that His Majesty doesn’t fade beside them. You must’ve worked hard, guarding him.”
“Thank… you.”
As they talked, Kenneth began to piece together who she was.
She spoke of Mikhail and Helene by name, seemed to be in her twenties, and addressed Kenneth informally without awkwardness.
There was no need for further deduction—this was none other than Wilhelmina Layton, the ducal heiress.
Why she was wearing a military uniform was a mystery…
‘And somehow, it suits her—maybe that’s the strangest part.’
On closer inspection, it wasn’t standard military wear. Each button was set with gemstones, and the fabric was clearly high quality, giving off an elegant air.
Had he seen her outside, he might have mistaken her for a commanding officer rather than a noble lady.
‘Still, why the military look?’
The dress code for the banquet was white and gold, symbolizing snow and sunlight.
Even the guards wore white uniforms, so Wilhelmina’s deep crimson-black military outfit stood out like a sore thumb.
As Kenneth pondered her intentions, the clear voice of Duke Layton rang out from the hall.
“It is my great honor to welcome the descendants of the sun and proud pillars of the Faon Empire.”
“It’s beginning,” Wilhelmina said.
Kenneth glanced at the stage. Duke Layton stood tall, delivering the opening speech.
His resonant voice filled the entire banquet hall and commanded attention even from the capital’s exhausted nobles.
Kenneth’s assessment of the duke went up another notch.
And next up—was the duchess. Kenneth cast a glance toward Wilhelmina, who stood with arms crossed, calmly watching the stage.
“…May this be a moment of gratitude for the blessings of the heavens and a time to recognize our labors this past year. Thank you.”
‘Huh?’
Kenneth had been wondering what kind of speech the duchess would give, but Duke Layton was already wrapping up.
A murmur spread among the capital nobles.
Not once during the long speech had the duke acknowledged the emperor’s visit or commended the capital nobles for their efforts.
It was a bland address that praised only the western nobles—bordering on outright snub.
Not even a token phrase like “glory to His Majesty.”
The crowd thought the speech might continue, but Duke Layton returned to his seat. From the capital nobles’ section, voices laced with hostility rose.
“…That was rude.”
Those who had joined the emperor during the succession struggle were especially loyal.
Because the emperor had endured so many slanders due to his origins, any slight against him drew sharp responses.
The atmosphere teetered on the edge of explosion.
Kenneth unconsciously placed his hand on his sword hilt. If the emperor gave the order, he was ready to draw.
“This is outrageous…”
The spark finally came from a young noble whose face turned red with indignation. He pointed accusingly at Duke Layton, about to unleash his fury—
—when Wilhelmina brushed past Kenneth.
Que emoción!!!!… 🤣