Chapter 38
To get to the main hall where the banquet was held, we had to ride in a carriage. I recalled the main hall from the first day I arrived at the palace and encountered the imperial family. It had felt overwhelmingly large, but today it would be packed full with the nobles of the capital.
‘Lady Marine will probably be there too.’
Right, this was no time to be flustered over how handsome Licht was. I had to protect both Marine and Licht today.
Reminding myself of today’s mission, I lifted my chin firmly. Lelia would be traveling in a different carriage with Lucas, so I took Licht’s hand and climbed into the carriage waiting in front.
The interior was several times more luxurious and comfortable than the one I had ridden before.
‘At this rate, I won’t even get motion sickness even after a long ride.’
Motion sickness? More like I could fall asleep like a baby. I cracked the window slightly open and let in the cool outside air. The sky was turning dusky red, the sun just about to set.
A brief awkward silence passed, then Licht spoke quietly.
“Is the dress uncomfortable?”
“Oh, not at all! It’s my first time wearing something like this, so it does feel a bit strange. Haha, Lady Meliz would be shocked to see me like this, don’t you think?”
I exaggerated my laugh as I smoothed down the skirt of my gown. Every time my fingers brushed against it, the silver lace shimmered in the fading light.
“Perhaps so. It suits you very well.”
“Ah—thank you.”
His sudden compliment left my cheeks flushing before I could even stop it. How could the prince toss around compliments so directly? Koreans aren’t used to that kind of straightforwardness!
Or maybe it was just me, but I thought I saw a faint blush creep up on Licht’s face as well. It could have just been from the cold air outside.
‘Calm down, calm down!’
I prayed the layers of makeup would hide my blush and tried to act nonchalant.
“S-so, there must be a lot of nobles attending the banquet, right? I’ve never experienced anything like this before, so I’m terribly, terribly nervous.”
I blurted out words just to break the suffocating tension.
“Lelia will stay close to you if possible, but should anyone approach you with needless chatter, you may ignore them. You have my permission.”
Licht’s voice turned cold, his expression hardening in an instant. Clearly, not everyone in the hall would be there out of goodwill.
“But… they’ll all be nobles, won’t they?”
“Yes.”
“Then how could I possibly ignore them?”
“It’s fine. There will be no one there more important than you.”
“…I see.”
That was a strange way of putting it. I’d noticed it before—Licht always had a way of saying things that made people self-conscious.
Wasn’t he supposed to be the type to freeze out everyone but the heroine? Yet here he was, looking at me with gentle eyes, dropping heart-racing lines like, “There will be no one more important than you.”
‘What if someone takes that the wrong way?’
He was exactly that type of man—the kind who unconsciously flirts, without even realizing it! An unintentional bad guy! Good thing I was the one who transmigrated, otherwise someone would’ve long since misunderstood and started dreaming of marrying him already.
‘If you’ve got such a gorgeous face, at least be careful with it, seriously.’
Unable to say anything in response, I leaned my face closer to the window. The dim lighting was the only thing saving me now, because I could feel the heat burning across my face without even touching it.
‘If I were actually Edel, I would’ve already dragged Licht to the wedding hall and stamped the marriage papers myself.’
Thankfully, Licht didn’t say anything else. Soon, dazzling lights appeared in the distance—the glow of the main hall.
Rows of carriages lined up outside the massive entrance. The coordination was astonishing, dozens upon dozens of horses and carriages neatly arranged.
“Oh? Do we have to wait in line to go in?”
The second I said it, I realized how ridiculous it was. Of course not—he was the guest of honor tonight!
“No.”
Licht gave me a soft smile, and my heart once again skipped a beat.
“R-right, of course. You’re the prince, the star of the night!”
Our carriage rolled forward unhindered. Instantly, the nobles waiting outside turned their attention toward us, like a volley of arrows flying in unison. Some even pulled aside the curtains, trying to peek inside.
Gulp.
The tension I’d been suppressing came rushing back. The faint excitement I’d felt vanished, replaced with a sharp nervousness twisting in my stomach.
‘Lady Marine should be arriving soon too.’
I unclenched my fists, realizing I had been gripping my dress too tightly. Opening and closing my hands to release the tension, I braced myself. The true stage was about to begin.
The carriage slowed. The horses stopped. The servant’s voice outside announced it was time to step down.
Licht stepped out first and extended his hand to me.
“Shall we?”
“Yes.”
At last, the prince’s welcome banquet was about to begin.
“—So Lady Edel was the one who checked on His Highness Licht and managed Duke Meliz’s barrier as well?”
“Ah, yes. It wasn’t easy, climbing all the way up to the top floor of the magic tower three times a day.”
“That’s truly amazing!”
Kyaa~
The return of Licht Glacies Ludensa, the Empire’s hope, had sparked a rare festival where everyone could finally celebrate without restraint. Tonight’s banquet was held only in the palace, but it would soon be followed by festivities throughout the capital. For the people of the Empire, this was a day of pure joy.
With Licht gone to meet the Emperor, Lelia came to my side, and the mood instantly shifted.
‘They must really be curious about the magic tower.’
The palace had its own mages, of course, but they were different from those of the magic tower. Most were of noble birth, working as imperial officials, and even their attire resembled bureaucrats more than sorcerers.
So naturally, tower mages—cloaked in black robes, shrouded in mystery—were perceived as enigmatic figures.
‘Whereas I’m basically an open book, really.’
Duke Meliz Evgenin, the current Tower Master, was a great noble but rarely appeared in public. For that reason, ordinary young ladies from noble families had likely never spoken to a tower mage before.
So once they finished greeting Lelia, they eagerly approached me, eyes shining with curiosity.
‘At least they’re friendly—that’s a relief.’
Thanks to that, it wasn’t hard for me to blend into their circle. Lelia hovered nearby at first, keeping watch, but seeing how peaceful and lively the conversation turned out to be, she eventually relaxed.
She chatted briefly with some acquaintances before sipping her wine, clearly uninterested in the grand spectacle. She really hadn’t been lying when she said she wasn’t into banquets.
Lucas was no different. Plenty of young ladies tried to engage him, and after a few awkward dances, he retreated to his group of knightly friends.
So much for being my “partner”—it was obvious we were acting like real siblings, doing our own thing separately. Watching Lelia finally enjoy herself instead of fussing over me made me smile unconsciously.
They said palace banquets usually took months to prepare, yet despite having less than one month this time, the spectacle surpassed imagination. Even the lavish parties of the French court in movies would pale in comparison.
The artifact lights installed everywhere were mesmerizing too. Artifacts were supposed to be rare and precious, yet here they seemed to be scattered about like pebbles. Truly, this was the heart of the Empire.
The hall was already overflowing with nobles, and the palace staff were rushing about, busy ensuring everything went smoothly.
Soon, it would be time for the Emperor to make his entrance, followed by the toast to Licht’s return.
Amidst the chaos of the celebration, I kept my eyes moving constantly. It was almost time for the first incident to unfold.
