Chapter 758: A Celebration of Youth
Devildom Royal Palace
Apex World Aeturn
Dorcaster Star System
Hell Universe
December 31st
Year 730 of the 50th General Calendar
Laughter and lively chatter echoed through the grandly decorated hall of the Palace, where nobles mingled beneath ornate chandeliers. Refreshments lined long tables, and goblets of wine rested in the hands of the well-dressed guests.
These men and women were all nobles of the Devildom, the ruling class of the Hell Universe. From lowly Barons with dominion over a single Star System to mighty Grand Dukes commanding entire Galaxy Clusters, all stood beneath the same roof.
They had gathered for a party held once every decade—a tradition that had evolved over time. Originally an annual affair, it shifted to a five-year interval after its tenth occurrence, and after two such events, it settled into the ten-year cycle it follows now.
After seven more iterations, the event would transition to a hundred-year cycle, then eventually to a thousand-year cycle, and continue expanding in that pattern.
Despite the lengthy gap between gatherings, the event remained highly anticipated. It brought together the most influential figures of the Devildom, offering rare opportunities to form alliances and connections with nobles whose territories were often far-flung and isolated.
Ten years might seem long, but for these high-ranking Devils—powerful Deity Realm beings—it felt no longer than how ten months felt to normal mortals. For some, with their warped perception of time, it was closer to ten weeks.
As for the event that had prompted these high-profile nobles of the Devildom to converge in one place, it was the birthday celebration of the youngest and newest addition to the Devildom’s Royal Family. The newest member in over 12,000 years.
Though the party was in full swing, the main character of the day had yet to arrive, nor had the rest of the Royal Family.
This wasn’t typical protocol, but it gave the nobles extra time to mingle and forge connections, so no one complained.
Still, the celebration couldn’t truly begin without the presence of the Royal Family.
They eventually made their grand entrance heralded by a loud announcement from the Chamberlain. But notably, the celebrant of the day was absent from their procession.
Traditionally, the King was the last to enter, but on special occasions like this, that final spotlight was reserved for the celebrant, ensuring all attention centred on them.
[Entering! His Royal Highness, Prince Arthur Vaughn, accompanied by Lady Nicole of Count Harper.]
At the announcement, all eyes turned to the grand doors, where the young man and woman stepped in, completely unbothered by the sea of gazes fixed on them, still chatting with each other.
The young man on the left had a youthful, somewhat gentle face, framed by short, neatly styled silver hair. His eyes were deep obsidian, with well-defined lashes and eyebrows a shade darker than his hair.
He had a relatively fair skin tone and a small smile on his lips as he conversed with the lady whose arm was linked with his.
The lady wore a serenely composed expression, her large, captivating amethyst eyes glinting faintly as she scanned the hall, as if searching for someone in the crowd.
Her dark pupils stood out in stark contrast to her vibrant irises, and her arched eyebrows matched the deep, dark purple of her long hair, which was styled with several obsidian accessories.
She wore an elegant black dress that hugged her figure, its fabric shimmering faintly under the light. A keyhole neckline opened just beneath her collarbone, trimmed with silver adornments that matched her partner’s silver hair. Her long, dark purple hair cascaded down her back in gentle waves, the strands interwoven with slender silver pins and clips that mirrored the detailing on her dress.
Beside her, the young man wore a black ceremonial uniform with purple accents that perfectly matched her amethyst eyes.
The deliberately coordinated colours of their outfits created a striking visual harmony between them that was pleasing to the eye.
As they walked, murmurs rippled through the crowd of nobles, mostly compliments. Even those with reservations dared not voice them openly in the presence of the King.
A few young ladies whispered among themselves, remarking how dashing the Prince looked tonight, while expressing their envy towards the one at his side.
Some quietly slipped closer to the front, eager to be the first to ask the Prince for a dance.
Meanwhile, some titled nobles quietly conversed on a different topic, though still related to the Prince.
"It’s been ten years, but he hasn’t aged a single day," a certain Viscount noted.
"Of course, he hasn’t," came a reply from another Viscount beside him.
Another voice retorted, "What do you mean, ’of course’? He’s still young. His ageing shouldn’t have stopped yet."
"Have you not heard the rumour?" another chimed in. "That the Prince has inherited his grandfather’s time powers?"
"Are you saying he’s stopped his time altogether? Come on, even if he’s talented, it’s impossible to maintain such a spell permanently at his current realm."
"True, his realm isn’t that high yet."
The Prince himself heard the whispers, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he thought to himself.
’Like you know what my actual realm is...’
"Arthur."
"Hmm?"
His attention quickly shifted from the whispers of the group of Viscounts to the lady beside him.
"Your expression was changing. Layla’s going to get pissed."
Arthur chuckled at Nicole’s little warning as they reached the centre of the hall.
"I’ll keep that in mind."
He reached out, and a glass from a servant’s tray flew into his hand. Catching it, he looked up to the nobles around and raised the glass for a short toast.
With the sound of clinking glasses, the orchestra slowly changed the tempo of their music.
Arthur took a sip of the wine before returning the glass and leading Nicole toward the centre of the dance floor.
As they glided slowly across the dance floor, the gentle rhythm of the waltz carrying their movements, Arthur broke the silence.
"I didn’t mention it earlier, but I like the new hair colour."
He was naturally referring to the deep purple shade that now adorned her hair, a contrast to its natural black. At his compliment, Nicole’s lips curved into a soft smile.
"Thanks."
Leaning in slightly, Arthur’s voice took on a teasing tone.
"Though, if I’m being honest, I preferred the original black."
His words made her glance up at him, her expression remaining mostly unchanged, but the look in her eyes spoke volumes.
"One normally wouldn’t say that right after a compliment."
"Oh please," he replied with a smile, "when have I ever been normal?"
At that, her expression finally changed, and the familiar light of curiosity appeared in her eyes as she asked, "Oh? You actually admit to being abnormal?"
"No," Arthur answered almost instantly. "Calling me abnormal is still a false accusation today, just as it was yesterday."
Nicole chuckled lightly and Arthur’s hand reached up, adjusting one of the silver pins nestled in her dark purple hair. Then, he guided her into a smooth spin that made her dress swirl around them before he drew her close once again.
"I prefer the black," he murmured, "but this dark purple might grow on me."
They moved together across the dance floor, their steps following the steady rhythm of the waltz, bodies turning and weaving in time with the music.
It was then that Arthur’s ears caught the sound of Nicole’s quiet murmur.
"...I’m not so sure if I’d want that though."
"Huh?" he blinked, clearly caught off guard by her words. "Why?"
As they continued to turn, Nicole’s hand resting lightly on his shoulder, she replied, "When the novelty eventually wears off, the compliments are likely to reduce."
Arthur raised a brow at that, his lips curling into a teasing smile as he responded.
"Oh. You want to be complimented about it."
"Not exactly," she refuted instantly.
He leaned in closer as they circled once more, and she whispered just loud enough for only him to hear, "I want you to compliment me about it."
With a quick spin that brought her back into his arms, Nicole added, her lips curved in a rare full smile, "I do like it when you compliment me, after all."
Arthur, momentarily stunned by her words, blinked in surprise before a wry smile spread across his face.
"You’ve been saying things like this a lot more often..."
Tilting her head slightly, Nicole blinked as she answered, "I suppose I have. But by now, you should expect that I know exactly what to say and do to get certain... amusing reactions from you, no?"
Arthur could only laugh at that, and as their steps carried them into another turn, Nicole continued.
"While we’re on the matter of colours," she said, her gaze lifting to meet his, "although the black does look nice, I certainly do prefer your natural colours.
I suppose I can somewhat understand you saying you prefer my hair to be black."
There was no direct context, but it was obvious what she was talking about. She was referring to Arthur’s eyes, currently masked by contact lenses that made them appear black to everyone.
Arthur smiled lightly, guiding her into a slow spin before drawing her back in.
"While I would love to show you the original colours every waking moment of the day, unfortunately, certain aspects of my power are still universal secrets. I can’t exactly have people finding out about that now, can I?"
If word got out that Arthur’s affinities to powerful laws like Time and Destruction were so potent that they had permanently altered parts of his body, he didn’t even want to imagine the reactions of the numerous gods who had been secretly monitoring him, searching for any hint of information about his growth.
They would no doubt react... poorly.
Nicole gave a small nod, her voice calm as she replied, "Yeah, I suppose that’s understandable."
And so, the two of them continued their dance, turning slowly across the floor as they slipped into quiet, casual conversation once more.
