Chapter 14

***

‘What’s going on?’  Thoughts rushed through my mind as my mind went blank.

I was as surprised as when I met him on the street a while ago. I thought that day was just a coincidence. Why is he still standing in front of me in a knight’s outfit?

The reality I was constantly facing with him was completely incomprehensible.

“…”

After a moment of surprise, I soon felt my mind calmed down.

‘Yeah, what if he’s here?’

Perhaps, as I expected, he decided to return to the Empire after traveling abroad and join the Knights to earn money again. As an imperial citizen of the Rosien Empire, there was no reason why he could not join the Knights.

He has the right to work in the Imperial. It was natural.

My gaze glanced back at Sebastian. The figure of him standing motionless was like a lonely old tree. I always felt that way. He always seemed lonely, and while he was always by my side, his gaze was directed elsewhere. For some reason, I kept looking at him.

A few minutes later, when Sebastian turned to face me. I just looked straight ahead.

As if I hadn’t even found him, as if we didn’t know each other from the beginning.

***

Soon the imperial palace banquet began.

The order of the annual banquet was there, and it wasn’t much different, except this time the banquet venue was changed to an outdoor space. A pre-invited band, dancers, and troupe perform a noble stage tailored to the taste of the aristocrats, and the nobles enjoyed them.

It was a banquet, but it wasn’t for me. For me, who had been away from the world for several years, it was the first banquet to officially participate in after the debutante.

I soon began to completely immerse myself in the performance, forgetting Daphne and Sebastian.

It was a nice day and the atmosphere was peaceful. The content of the play was interesting. Soon after all the performances were over, my mind was as peaceful as the atmosphere of the scene.

“Thank you all for coming to my birthday banquet. It is very emotional to say that I am already celebrating my 59th birthday. I think I’m a very old man now, and my hair has turned white.”

After the performance, the seats were cleared. The emperor began to speak.

“Yeah, looking in the mirror yesterday, I suddenly thought of that. Now I think I’m old…”

The emperor looked at the crowd with a gentle but overwhelming gaze. After looking at the nobles slowly for quite some time, his gaze soon turned to the seat next to him.

To his lovely son who was sufficiently supportive of him.

“Until my birthday next year, I plan to hand over the throne to Usher.”

“….!”

The nobles looked at the emperor with a surprised expression. There were exclamations all over the place.

It was the same with Usher. He turned and looked at his father with a surprised expression.

Judging from the reaction, it was the first time he, too, had heard the emperor’s declaration.

“Usher has now grown up to be a prince who can rule this Rosien Empire. Everyone knows he has no objections to becoming the next emperor.”

“…”

“The only thing I’m worried about is… It’s the fact that Usher doesn’t have a match yet.”

The keen nobles’ eyes lit up as if they realized what the emperor wanted from Usher and from the nobles. Usher, who will soon inherit the throne, and the seat of the Crown Princess, which remained empty next to him.

“You know. I lost my wife for a long time and left the Empress position vacant. I do not regret it, but I have felt firsthand how great the void was during the reign of the Empire.”

“….”

“That’s why I want Usher to stop being stubborn and find a match as soon as possible.”

It was also a command issued by the emperor to his son and nobles. An order that the prince’s courtship will proceed in the future, and that everyone wished to cooperate in this courtship in their own way. Usher was no exception.

At the bombshell declaration issued by the emperor, the banquet hall began to rumble.

***

After eating, a ball was held.

Like a banquet held outdoors, the ball was also scheduled to be held in full sunlight.

Around the stage in the center, outdoor tables were set up. On top of that, delicious desserts and light champagne were prepared to fully enjoy the banquet.

The music of the band resounded, and the ball began. The nobles who liked to dance attended the ball and danced freely, but most of them did not attend the ball and were busy talking in a corner.

They had more issues to discuss.

Finally, the emperor succeeded to the throne to his son.

And soon Usher will marry someone. It was expected to happen someday, but it was a huge declaration. Of course the nobles were most interested in who would become Usher’s wife.

One of the noble girls who was talking suddenly asked the group in a tone of curiosity.

“By the way, why hasn’t the Crown Prince married yet?”

In fact, Usher was already old enough to be married.

Marriages of the royal family usually start from a very young age. The nominees were usually picked ahead, and after they got engaged when they were young, they would grow up together and get married.

The more compatible the emperor and empress, the more stable the imperial power.

At Young Lady’ words, the eyes of the nobles turned to the corners one by one. At the end of that gaze was me. One of the nobles, who was watching, whispered very carefully. 

“Don’t let Aileen hear you.”

“Weren’t the Crown Prince and Duchess Aileen engaged a long time ago?”

“That’s right. However, after Duchess Aileen was unable to walk due to the accident, they broke up the marriage. Since then, he probably hasn’t dated or engaged to any other woman.”

“So, why?”

Whispered as much as she could, the Young Lady still tilted her face and asked. If the engagement was broken, wouldn’t it be common practice to find another lady as soon as possible and prepare for the future? She still did not understand Usher’s actions.

She asked the question as if curious, but the nobles just shrugged their shoulders and answered.

“We don’t know why. Only the Crown Prince knows his heart. 

“Well, if you think about it, even His Majesty the Emperor did not bring in another Empress after her death a long time ago. Could it be something similar to that?”

I stood alone at the table and took a sip of champagne, listening to all the stories.

Normally, I would go back and forth between the nobles to say hello, but I realized that everyone in this room was talking about my relationship with Usher. Everyone whispered so that I could not hear them, but it was a situation in which I knew very well what kind of story was coming and going.

Due to this situation, it was not easy to approach any group. People couldn’t come to me easily either.

It was an unpleasant story. Since the story of Usher’s marriage came out, as his former fiancée, I had to accept it.

Sophie just sighed and stood by my side.

It was then. Someone approached and I turned my head. 

“I see you, Princess. If it’s okay, can we have a glass of champagne together?”

“Ah, Marquess Lewis. Hello. Yes, of course.”

The owner of the familiar face was Marquess Lewis, whom I had interacted with while maintaining a moderate friendship.

Marquess Lewis was a decent socialite and had a good reputation, so she approached me first and then a few people started to come and say hello to me.

Some people even showed interest in the dress I wore.

“I haven’t seen such a narrow dress in a long time. The Princess looks good in it.”

“Thank you. I’m flattered.”

“That’s it. I’m getting tired of these flashy decorations, I’ll have to order a dress like the Princess’s next time. It’s simple and I think it stands out well.”

“If you have any questions, please let me know. I will tell you the shop where I ordered the dress.”

Contrary to Daphne’s words, my dress was quite favored by noble women.

In particular, Marquess Lewis was known as a pretty big hand in the fashion world by supporting many fashion designers in the capital.

It was when I was taking a sip of champagne while receiving questions about my dress in moderation.

People started to gossip. Feeling a strange atmosphere, I looked around. Everyone was glancing somewhere and whispering toward each other.

I looked in the direction people’s eyes were facing.

On the stage, Daphne was asking Usher to dance.