The prophecy ended without showing the result. Now I could only see the banquet hall that was so dazzling it hurt my eyes, not the dim corridor.
‘Why did it have to end right there?’
The inconvenient thing about prophecy was that I couldn’t choose to see only the future I wanted to see. In the distant past, when the family’s power was very strong, there were those who could do such things, but now it was only the past.
‘I need to check if the prophecy is about something happening today first.’
His Highness was already sitting in the seat next to the empty imperial throne. As if telling me that the sensation of daring to make eye contact was an illusion, he looked down at everyone. I wanted to confirm if it was the same clothing I saw in the prophecy, but the distance was too far to check the detailed decorations. When he entered the banquet hall, it was a mistake not to look closely at his clothing, being too busy confirming his face and the symbol of succession.
“Excuse me.”
Once I decided I needed to go closer to confirm, my body moved on its own. I pushed away the person who was slyly groping my forearm, unwearied despite me continuously ignoring him.
“What’s wrong? Am I a bit off today, or is there someone else you like?”
“I apologize. I have something to attend to, so I’ll be going.”
I had no time to humor such games. Even if I had time, I wasn’t skillful enough to smoothly escape the situation while matching the mood, so shaking it off quickly was the best option.
“Y-yes?”
He tried to grab me in bewilderment, but I was a bit faster. I twisted my body to escape from the spot and moved toward where the Caesius Family members were—that is, pretending to go where Aila’s father and older brother were while actually walking to a location where I could see His Highness’s clothing better. When I came to their side, the two exchanged glances but didn’t react much.
‘It’s completely the same as the clothes I saw in the prophecy.’
The color and silhouette of the clothing could be generally similar, but the positions of the jewels couldn’t be the same.
‘What should I do? Should I report it in advance? No. There’s no guarantee they’re already waiting.’
Moreover, unless His Majesty the Emperor came, I couldn’t leave my seat. If it was the Crown Prince, he would quickly deal with however many such assassins came. Even in the unlikely event he was hit by the arrow I saw in the prophecy, I couldn’t imagine His Highness being defeated. I knew his strength and power well, and I knew better than anyone that his guard knights were quite useful too.
‘But it could still be dangerous right now.’
His Highness was currently unprecedentedly gaunt and precarious. Even if there was no danger to his life, if an arrow even grazed him, and if that arrow had poison on it, it would certainly be very painful. Just imagining it made me breathless.
“His Majesty the Emperor is entering! Everyone show your respects.”
Time passed mercilessly without any sharp plan coming to mind. Even while watching His Majesty the Emperor enter with support, my head was filled only with thoughts of His Highness. For the first time, I regretted that I shouldn’t have died.
‘If I hadn’t, I could have told His Highness right away. No, I could have at least been a shield for him.’
I knew well that it was inconsistent thinking for someone who had decided to die because they could no longer prophesy. I didn’t know why prophecy became possible again after dying, but at least before death, the sensation that the power had distanced itself from me had been vivid. Nevertheless, I had no way to deal with the regret that suddenly came.
Something completely different from reason—the possibility that he could be even slightly in danger—made me anxious. There were quite many who approached me, unaware of these complicated feelings.
“Sir Aila, you are exceptionally more beautiful today.”
“I am not.”
“The flowers are beautiful, so won’t you go see them together after the banquet ends?”
“Yes. I have something to do today, so please enjoy them with someone else.”
“Your silver hair shines so much that I came here without realizing it.”
“I apologize. I’ll cover it from next time.”
At first I just let it pass thinking they were just greeting me, but some were so blatant that you’d be a fool not to know they were seducing. Moreover, those who spoke this way were the better ones. While I was focused on observing His Highness’s movements, someone who started by touching my hand appeared, so I had to be startled and shake them off.
‘This won’t do.’
As a last resort, I practically clung to the Marquis’s side, who was busy conversing with other nobles, and the approaches decreased somewhat. When I comfortably looked toward where His Highness was again, I saw him conversing with his fiancée, Lady Serina.
I reflexively turned my head away. My heart pounded as if I had seen a scene I shouldn’t see, so I hastily drank water. To other people’s eyes they would look like a beautiful couple, yet I alone was overreacting pathetically.
“I can’t be certain the two will actually marry.”
The Marquis also seemed to have witnessed the same thing as me and spoke to his successor in a small voice. Aila’s body, whose hearing was abnormally good, didn’t miss those words.
“Pardon?”
When I was excessively surprised, the Marquis raised his index finger to his lips. It meant to spare words.
“It’s not something to be that surprised about. Lady Serina’s backing wasn’t particularly strong for His Highness’s fiancée anyway, so the marriage may not ultimately be finalized. Though it does seem true that His Highness cherishes Lady Serina.”
The Marquis was well-versed in information, but that was all. His Highness truly cherished her like handling a fragile flower, and I watched it from the side. So I thought marriage was a natural procedure. Even though looking at her wouldn’t give me an answer, I hurriedly raised my head. His Highness, having finished a brief conversation, was already supporting His Majesty the Emperor.
‘Is he leaving already?’
It had been long since His Majesty’s mobility became inconvenient, so I had expected the noble personage to exit quickly. However, it was very unexpected that His Highness would withdraw together.
‘Once he exits, he won’t return to the banquet hall.’
If this birthday banquet was the same as last year, the banquet would continue for two more days, and from tomorrow His Highness would have to continuously maintain his seat in place of His Majesty, so leaving early was entirely possible.
‘No.’
Even after thinking for a long time I couldn’t find an answer, so there was no way a sharp plan would come to mind right away.
“I’ll step away for a moment.”
My body moved before my head. I saw the Marquis sending a look that said ‘I knew it,’ but he didn’t have strong enough power to stop me.
‘If he’s escorting His Majesty and returning to the Crown Prince’s palace, there’s still time.’
If I couldn’t be a shield, I should at least play the role of a detection dog. After grabbing two daggers rolling around with swords in the training grounds, I ran toward the location I saw in the prophecy. This weak body was exhausted just by that and gasped for breath, but even with the taste of blood in my throat, I didn’t stop and kept moving my legs. It was fortunate at least that the training grounds weren’t very far from the Crown Prince’s palace.
‘This is it.’
With only four people, it seemed they didn’t have the guts to break through the Crown Prince’s palace security. Still, if it weren’t a period with such a large banquet, it was highly likely that coming even this far would have been impossible.
‘They’re hiding their presence well.’
I stood still and caught my breath, but even Aila, who had very good ears, didn’t particularly sense any different presence. If I had just been passing through this spot, I would have passed by without noticing anything strange. However, there was no way the prophecy would be wrong.
I searched and searched my memory and threw a dagger toward where the archer had been. Naturally, I didn’t expect to hit the target with this terrible skill. I just wanted to give a warning.
“I know you’re there. If you don’t come out now, I’ll call the knights.”
Very honestly, if I could call them, I would have called them long ago. Not only was there not a single knight who would believe Aila’s words, but I couldn’t call them because I couldn’t find an excuse to explain how I obtained this information right away. Still, whether my bluff worked or not, one of the assassins who had been hiding revealed himself.
“Who did you hear it from?”
“Is that important?”
When I gripped my sword and asked that, the opponent let out a hollow laugh.
“Your sword-holding looks pathetic? You’re not going to fight us looking like that, are you?”
I knew well that my appearance right now would be quite unseemly since I had no strength. But my goal wasn’t to defeat them, but to endure and endure to maintain the commotion until His Highness came. I just had to not become a corpse.
The assassin swung his sword and disappeared from view. Following his movements with my eyes was impossible, but like survival instinct, prophecy flashed.
“Ugh.”
I barely blocked the sword but was pushed back by the force. I deflected the sword using the opponent’s force as I learned in training, but my slow body didn’t react properly and ended up getting my arm slightly cut.
“Hmm… better than I thought?”
The assassin who had been acting playful changed completely after crossing swords once. He continued attacking without giving me a break, and even though I could know all his movements through prophecy, it was quite overwhelming. Each time I dodged, scratches appeared and I inevitably became slower.
‘No. Rather, this is good.’
If wounds formed this way and blood splattered everywhere, it would be difficult to clean up. I had to be satisfied that I could drag out the time even a little more.
“More tenacious than I thought?”
The person who thought he could handle it with one swing of his sword gave a glance to the side since I kept struggling. Even knowing an attack would come from behind, I was blocking the sword of the one in front, so there was nowhere to retreat.
‘Not yet.’
When I suddenly removed strength from my sword, the assassin was flustered and ended up slashing my shoulder. An incomparably deep and long pain struck compared to the shallow cuts I had received until now, but if I had stayed still, I would have lost my life. Instead of writhing in pain, I bent my body and rolled. The sword of the one who tried to attack from behind cut through empty air. I deliberately rolled rubbing my wounded shoulder on the ground, leaving bloodstains.
“This damned bastard.”
The assassin who realized the intention raised his sword high as if to cut my breath this time for sure. Whether the shoulder wound was deeper than I thought, even though I knew I had to move, my body kept sinking and my vision was blurry.
