Among the many small banquet halls in Eos Castle, none was as splendid yet solemn as Vudeo Hall. On the ceiling of the enormous dome-shaped structure, “The Gathering of the Gods,” painted over several years by court artists, was majestically spread out, and at the very top of the building was a hole called “The Emperor’s Eye,” through which the majestic sun during the day and the serene moon at night constantly watched over this place.
It created the illusion that all things praised the birth of the gods and protected the emperor, God’s representative.
This was the location of tonight’s banquet.
“His Grace Duke Evernight of Tildyen enters.”
When night came, the sound of many people’s shoe heels echoed on the floor laid with alternating black and white marble. Torches burned intensely at every passage leading to Vudeo Hall, and carriages with their backs to the flickering firelight quietly rolled to a stop in front of the hall.
“His Grace Duke Evernight of Tildyen enters.”
When Buppu politely opened the carriage door, the soldier guarding the door shouted the same thing. Evernight got out of the carriage first, then extended his hand. Soon Anya’s hand overlapped on top of his. The two walked side by side. The heavy, massive marble door opened surprisingly smoothly, and soon the interior was visible.
Anya tried to steady his trembling breath. When he unconsciously gripped Evernight’s hand tightly, he stopped walking and looked down at Anya.
“……”
Not a trace of fear could be read in those blue eyes, so Anya was able to pull himself together instead. Just the fact that he was wearing the clothes he had bought for him and entering this place with him gave Anya great reassurance.
It was strange that he was finding comfort from the husband who had only been frightening, but he didn’t have the leisure to worry about such things right now.
In the middle of the hall were several long tables that could easily seat dozens of people and chairs decorated with ornate embellishments showing the craftsman’s skill. The head seat was empty, but several people were already seated at the table.
When Evernight and Anya entered the hall, several pairs of eyes focused on them. Because it was night, the interior wasn’t bright, but moonlight was dazzlingly seeping in through “The Emperor’s Eye,” and thanks to the oil burning in the black iron lanterns attached to every wall, Anya could easily face their appearances.
“There, the red rose emblem is the Montrose Family of Rivercastle, the blue mullet emblem is the Shonda Family of Runfield, and the green tree emblem is the Ramus Family of Forerium, my lady.”
Buppu whispered quietly to the two of them.
“Ah, on the far right, the scarlet book emblem is the Hakseos Family of Biblioteka.”
Anya nodded and repeated Buppu’s words. The dukes he was seeing for the first time in his life all had different attire, but one thing in common existed. They all proudly wore their family emblems embroidered on their clothes. And they wore shoulder capes dyed in colors symbolizing their families draped over their upper bodies.
“Your Grace, please come this way.”
Guided by Buppu, Anya sat down in a chair with Evernight. Across from them, a man wearing clothes embroidered with a blue mullet that seemed about to jump out of fierce waves stared at them while sipping wine.
“The mistress of Tildyen is much more elegant than the rumors.”
At his words, the other lords’ gazes focused on Anya. Anya was about to lower his head in embarrassment when he recalled Buppu’s words he had heard all afternoon while being dressed up.
‘You must bolster Duke Evernight’s prestige!’
Anya could barely manage a faint smile.
The empire’s dukes had already heard that, with Tildyen’s elevation to a duchy, Emperor Luksus had commanded the young lord of Tildyen to form a union with a prince.
Having to take a man as a partner… Putting aside public matters, the remaining dukes except for the Blue Mullet felt sorry for Evernight, but now that they had actually met the 12th Prince, they were more surprised that he had a better build than expected.
“Hmm….”
Everyone pretended not to be interested and only drank their innocent wine while glancing at Anya, but only the Blue Mullet openly observed Anya while resting his chin in his hand. One of Evernight’s eyebrows shot up, but the Blue Mullet didn’t care at all.
‘He’s actually quite decent?’
Fine, long brown hair flowed down past his shoulders, and crimson fabric befitting his white skin softly flowed down along his body lines. Though it was a tense face, he didn’t look like an “idiot” at all.
Rather, his gentle eyes were resolute, and somehow he showed both the greenness characteristic of youth and spirit.
“Thanks to this, I’ve been able to broaden my range of tastes even more. Haha.”
When the Blue Mullet, Bluoa Shonda, finished his appraisal and grinned, the man sitting next to him wearing a red shoulder cape said with disgust:
“Hey, Blue Mullet. It’s best not to touch someone who has an owner. Are you in your right mind, thinking of spreading romantic scandals all the way here?”
“Tch, the noble young master Montrose has arrived. There must be an old man’s soul inside you. Do you still think I stole your lover? That’s all because your abilities were lacking….”
A delicate hand wearing a red ruby ring, contrary to its appearance, struck the table strongly.
“Shut up!”
The young heir of Montrose, called the Red Rose, Canon Montrose, glared fiercely at Bluoa.
“Why is it that every time you meet, you two are desperate to devour each other?”
The man wearing a green velvet cape was the lord of Forerium. He was an elderly man with white hair who looked more like a noble scholar than a lord.
“Welcome, Lord of Tildyen. And it’s my first time meeting Your Highness the Prince as well. I am Lord Rohan Ramus who rules Forerium.”
Rohan Ramus smiled and raised his wine glass high. Looking at him somehow reminded Anya of Sabelli. With feelings of longing and gladness, Anya likewise raised his glass following him. Rohan Ramus burst into hearty laughter as he clinked his glass against Anya’s.
‘I thought everyone would ignore me….’
Like a grandfather watching his grandchild’s antics, Anya felt a little happy.
“But does Tildyen not yet have a family emblem?”
Rohan asked Evernight as he set down his glass. Come to think of it, only he and Anya were not wearing shoulder capes. Anya recalled the flag hanging lonely on the Tildyen castle walls, fluttering in the fierce north wind. That flag he had looked at from his bedroom every night was still painted entirely black without any particular emblem.
“Tildyen has not yet been organized.”
When Evernight answered concisely, someone from the opposite side let out a sneer.
“It’s not intentional? Do you all know what people call Tildyen’s knights?”
He was from the Hakseos Family, and unlike the other splendid and distinctive lords, he looked rather ordinary. Perhaps because of his thin build and sharp impression, his manner of speaking sounded unnecessarily argumentative. Anya watched Evernight’s reaction. He had a bored expression and didn’t even glance at Hakseos.
Thinking he was being ignored, Hakseos gritted his teeth and maintained his sneer to the end.
“They call them Black Crows. They say the imperial family has Golden Crows, and Tildyen has Black Crows. While the strategy of making people recognize Tildyen could be called successful, when a sparrow tries to follow a stork, its legs will tear.”
“Now now. Watch your words, my lord. This is not your domain. It’s a fair gathering.”
When Rohan of Forerium pressed him, Hakseos pursed his lips and stopped talking. Even so, he continued to mutter gloomily.
When did everyone ignore Tildyen again. These two-faced people. Damn it.
Occasionally, sharp and hostile gazes were directed at Evernight. Anya knew that look. The expression Royster would sometimes make when looking at him. When Anya bit his lip and looked at Hakseos, he soon noticed.
“Why does Your Highness the Prince look at me so?”
Hakseos seemed to find Anya disagreeable as well. He was the vassal who had most strongly opposed the emperor’s decision that disrupted the social order.
“A man giving birth to a duke’s heir. My, is it even plausible?”
With the complaints that poured out with a sigh, Anya felt his heart sink. It was such a blatant criticism that his face burned all over. Evernight’s long fingers beside him tapped the table, tok tok tok.
“Why are you so interested in my heir, my lord?”
Evernight asked with a smirk. His tone was so calm, no different from usual, that it touched a nerve with Hakseos.
“Naturally! In the entire history of the Delphium Empire, there is no record of a man giving birth to a duke’s heir! Even lowly barons don’t do such things! Won’t the order collapse because of you!”
Hakseos’s frail body trembled with anger.
“Then you shouldn’t be arguing with me.”
Evernight looked at Hakseos with a suddenly serious expression. When his blue eyes, said to resemble the sinister things beyond the wall, shone coldly, Hakseos flinched and trembled.
“Argue with the emperor. That kind of hollow pretense you’re blabbering about wasn’t ordered by me, but by Emperor Luksus.”
When the emperor was mentioned, the hall was instantly engulfed in silence. Bluoa stood up from his seat and patted Hakseos on the shoulder. Now now.
“Lord Hakseos. Did seeing Tildyen’s handsome young lord make you upset? Well, since rumors abound that you’re a eunuch who can’t even snare a woman, let’s stop here….”
At Bluoa’s smirk, Hakseos’s face turned red and blue alternately.
“Blue Mullet!”
As he stood up from his seat trembling all over, the chair fell backward with a thud. Rohan of Forerium pressed his forehead and shook his head. At that moment, the soldiers outside moved in unison, and soon a booming voice was heard.
“His Majesty Emperor Luksus, the Sun of the Delphium Empire, Her Majesty Empress Violet, the Moon of the Empire, and Their Highnesses the Princes, children of the Sun and Moon, enter!”
Thanks to this, the chaotic situation stopped and everyone stood up from their seats. Anya’s heart was already pounding heavily among the displeased dukes, but thinking about seeing his father this closely made him feel his mind growing distant. He had always only seen him from afar.
