Up until I received the invitation, I’d been in quite a good mood. I was rather excited because I’d made significant progress in my training. This body, though pathetically weak and dull for swordsmanship, wasn’t without its advantages. My five senses were fairly developed, so if I combined them with my precognitive ability, I wouldn’t be completely useless in actual combat. Of course, I could only hold out defensively, but if I continued training steadily like this, I could see the possibility of improvement.
“Young master! A lot of mail has arrived again today.”
“If they’re invitations, refuse them all again today.”
My swordsmanship training was finally getting on track, and I had no intention of attending useless social parties. However, the servants didn’t answer immediately, not today. Even Ian, the attendant who would usually chatter beside me with half suspicion and half mockery saying “Young master, they say people die if they change suddenly—are you alright?”, was unusually composed.
“We’ll do that for the others. However, young master. This is an invitation to a banquet celebrating His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday… I think you need to check it.”
It was natural for a marquis family to receive an invitation to His Majesty’s birthday banquet, as it was an occasion nobles were expected to attend. What was strange was that such an invitation should be received by the ‘family,’ not by ‘Aila.’
“That should be an invitation bestowed upon the family, so it should be delivered to Father. Why is it mixed in with my mail?”
“Well… separately from the invitation sent to the family as a whole, an invitation arrived specifically for you, young master.”
Hearing that far made me inevitably anxious. Setting aside the fact that it was extremely rare for the imperial family to send invitations to individuals, Aila was a knight. No matter how he lacked any of the qualities a knight should have and his skills couldn’t even handle third-rate assassins, he was still part of the Imperial Third Knight Order.
‘Even if it’s obvious he’d be a hindrance rather than help, the normal thing would be to assign him to security.’
Despite that, the fact that a separate invitation came meant I was to set aside my role as a knight for a while and attend the banquet. Now I understood why the servants and attendant were anxious.
“Give it here.”
I took off my gloves and checked the envelope, and a groan escaped me. It wasn’t the official imperial palace seal, but His Highness the Crown Prince’s personal seal.
“Young master, you didn’t do anything disrespectful to His Highness the Crown Prince, did you? No, no. No matter how gentle His Highness the Crown Prince’s temperament is said to be, he wouldn’t just overlook something like that.”
I didn’t stop Ian’s confused rambling. I was just as flustered, and though it wasn’t in the direction he was thinking, I was also guilty since I really had done something disrespectful to His Highness.
“You think I’m thoughtless enough to dare make advances toward His Highness the Crown Prince? I’ll check it, so refuse the rest of the invitations as you see fit.”
“…Well.”
Though I didn’t have the talent to read others’ minds, from his delayed answer and dragging tone, his inner thoughts of ‘But young master really is thoughtless’ were flowing out abundantly. Even I, recalling the outrages of Aila I’d heard about from those around me until now, thought ‘Does this guy carry his head around as a decoration?’, so I couldn’t say I didn’t understand. The greatest misfortune was that it happened to be quite a beautiful decoration, so there were people who fell for it.
“If you don’t like it, I’ll check them one by one and reply myself.”
Though it was a different texture from the neglect I’d experienced in the Sayus family, I was familiar with being ignored. I reached out my hand asking for the mail without bothering to point out their rudeness. Though it wasn’t an action meant to criticize but genuine, the servants suddenly turned pale and waved their hands busily.
“No, not at all! We’ll handle everything except that invitation.”
Though I hadn’t raised my voice or frowned, seeing the servants react so excessively made me feel sorry for them. Still, making excuses would only make things more pathetic, so I just said “Alright. Thank you.”
“Then we’ll take our leave now.”
“Alright. Good work.”
After all the servants left, only Ian the attendant remained, glaring at the envelope in my hand. Having spent several days with him, I’d naturally learned that Ian wasn’t so much a typical attendant as a watcher of the son and a device the marquis had attached to prevent reckless behavior.
‘At mealtimes he’d always ask Ian if I’d caused any trouble, and tell me I should absolutely never do anything Ian tried to stop me from doing.’
There was a reason Ian spoke so freely.
“Aren’t you going to open it?”
Even now, seeing him ask as if monitoring me, it seemed he was determined to find out what this was about and report it to the marquis.
“I’ll read it.”
The content and format itself were the same as an ordinary invitation. The only addition was the content ‘Attend not as a knight but as the third son of the marquis family.’ When I conveyed this to Ian, he pressed me asking if that was really all, and I answered several times that it was.
“Hmm… compared to what I was worried about, the content isn’t much? But why would they call you separately, young master?”
“Right?”
Though I spoke calmly, I wasn’t calm inside. There was nothing strange about the content, but the handwriting was important. Strong yet beautiful and elegant writing—this was writing I’d seen until it wore away.
‘His Highness wrote this himself.’
Unless it was a bestowed item, if a non-royal person received the Crown Prince’s handwritten letter, they had to burn it immediately after reading. It was a rule created because of past incidents involving forgery of the Emperor’s handwriting. However, it would be awkward for Aila, who had lived a life with little contact with the imperial family’s power players, to recognize the Crown Prince’s handwriting or to follow the tacit rule and act accordingly.
‘But what choice do I have? Just in case it falls into the servants’ hands and His Highness’s handwriting is leaked, that would be troublesome.’
I put only the contents of the invitation into the fireplace without hesitation, leaving only the envelope and seal.
“Young master! What are you doing?”
“His Highness’s seal was on it. The principle is that documents written directly by His Highness shouldn’t be left outside the imperial palace.”
“There’s such a principle?”
“I heard it in the knight order.”
With that explanation, Ian didn’t press further either.
“Anyway, since it’s in two days, I need to prepare something to wear. I can’t go to His Majesty’s birthday banquet wearing my usual party clothes.”
“With so little time left, it’ll be difficult to get perfectly fitting clothes. I’ll instruct them to alter your best outfit.”
“Alright.”
I held back a sigh while looking at the invitation burning. I could only hope this matter would end as just a warning not to run my mouth carelessly.
* * *
The atmosphere in the carriage heading to the banquet hall wasn’t too bad. The marquis and his heir discussed matters about the family and the imperial family throughout the journey. They occasionally spoke to me, but most of it could be summarized as ‘Please, please don’t cause trouble today.’
Their worries didn’t end even after getting off the carriage. Still, they seemed a bit relieved when they saw my outfit.
“Your clothes today are acceptable. Dress like that from now on.”
“Understood.”
I had no intention of dressing as flamboyantly as the original Aila, so I answered obediently. It was hastily made by removing lace from fancy clothes that would only be worn at weddings and adding as much expensive fabric as possible to cover exposed skin, but it fit my body too tightly and was uncomfortable to move in.
‘I’ll have to get several suits made as soon as this banquet ends.’
Making such leisurely resolutions, I headed to the banquet hall. The marquis and heir handed their invitation to a knight and went inside. Naturally trying to follow them in, I had no choice but to stop at one knight’s intervention.
“You must present your invitation.”
He was Sir Ken, one of His Highness’s guard knights. No matter how short-handed the palace was, he wasn’t someone who should be deployed to a place like this, which was curious.
“Here it is.”
But I showed no sign and handed over the envelope I’d brought in preparation for such a situation. He checked with emotionless eyes that the envelope was empty, then returned it to me.
“Confirmed. Please go inside.”
Though it was unnatural behavior, I thought he might have checked to retrieve His Highness’s letter. Without thinking deeper, I entered the banquet hall, and the always splendid scenery came into view. The light was dazzling enough to make me frown slightly, and I could see the empty, shining imperial throne in the highest place.
‘I wanted to see His Highness sitting in that seat.’
There was no clean answer to the question of how long a soul that had died once could remain in this world. Since this life I’d regained didn’t originate from my own wishes, I didn’t know when it might be taken away.
I tried to imagine His Highness sitting on the imperial throne with my meager imagination, then soon shook my head. Getting sentimental for no reason wasn’t a good habit for a knight. Thinking I should do something else, I looked around. The marquis and heir, who I’d thought would stick close to monitor me, were busily conversing with nobles of the pro-Crown Prince faction. Since it was awkward for me to join them, I just stood quietly in a corner.
‘Let’s eat some food.’
As it was an occasion celebrating His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday, the banquet’s food was indescribably luxurious. It was a bit embarrassing to fill my stomach when the noble personages hadn’t entered yet, so I picked up some simple finger food.
The savory cream cheese spread on the bread filled my mouth first. The rich fish and popping roe tasted quite good. Even without hearing an explanation, I could tell how hard the chefs must have worked. Just as I was about to pick up a second one in a daze.
“It’s been a while. Sir Aila.”
When I turned my head, a face I’d seen once or twice came into view. He was the second son of Count Duro’s family, more talented and ambitious than the eldest. Though I didn’t know why such a person was speaking to Aila, I bowed my head lightly in greeting.
“A splendid night.”
“Yes, a dazzlingly splendid night.”
I thought he’d leave right after greeting, but unexpectedly he positioned himself next to me.
‘Too close.’
Feeling burdened, I moved one step to the side, but before long he pressed his body close again. It was too ambiguous to point out, so I just pretended not to notice while eating food and considering whether to move. As if he’d noticed, he pressed his body more actively, then finally whispered in my ear.
“Your clothes being different from what you usually wear has a different kind of beauty. How about spending the night with me? Last time was quite enjoyable.”
I wondered why this bastard was acting like this, and it seemed to be another matter the owner of this body had started. I was about to open my mouth to firmly refuse, but the doorkeeper’s announcement was faster.
“His Highness the Crown Prince is entering!”
The moment the heavy doors opened and that person, shining beautifully as if wrapped in light, entered, I completely forgot who was beside me. His Highness advanced forward at a speed neither too fast nor too slow. The now-perfected symbol of succession sparkled on his chest.
It felt like watching His Highness’s triumphal ceremony that I hadn’t been able to see. For just a moment, my heart raced with the thought that perhaps I’d been reborn for this moment. Though it was regrettable that I couldn’t scatter flowers to commemorate the victory, I decided to be satisfied with having contributed even a little to creating that path. His Highness, who had been walking looking only forward, turned his head in what seemed like slow motion.
‘I think our eyes met.’
Those eyes that always seemed to be burning had now burned completely and settled quietly as if satisfied. Entranced by them, just as I tried to move my feet, a flash flickered and the future unfolded before my eyes. The full moon had cleared the path leading to the Crown Prince’s palace.
His Highness stepped proudly on that light and advanced forward, but unspeakably insolent assassins revealed themselves. And in the instant when the knights all had their gazes stolen by them, I saw an archer hidden in a tree drawing their bowstring.
‘No!’
Even knowing it was something that hadn’t happened yet, the back of my neck went cold.
