Chapter 120: Chapter 120
Chapter 120 - Preparing for the Banquet
The conversation continued, but it was far removed from the original purpose of recruiting Vernel into the Empire.
"I also heard that you acquired the Dandolo Trading Company. Is it now called the Hestia Trading Company?"
"That’s correct. How is the situation within the Empire?"
"It’s causing quite a stir. The Pascal Trading Company and Dandolo—now called Hestia, right? Both of them have shifted their weight toward the Far East now."
It was exactly as he had heard.
"As for the Hestia Trading Company, it seems they’ll reorganize and establish their headquarters in the Far East, so there shouldn’t be much trouble. However, the Pascal Trading Company will definitely become a serious issue. The Empire may even issue an administrative order restricting trade with the Far East."
Stephan had already mentioned this in advance, saying he could handle it himself.
Ferda casually brought up Stephan’s strategy and asked for Olivia’s opinion.
"What if the Pascal Trading Company were put in charge of distributing Magitech Engineering products?"
"Oh my, if you were to make a move like that..."
Olivia wore a serious expression as she pondered.
Her blue eyes seemed even more alive than when she smiled.
"Then even the Empire wouldn’t be able to interfere so easily. They’d have to keep an eye on the Far East. Was that Chairman Pascal’s idea?"
"It was the future chairman’s idea."
"I see."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"It’s quite a favorable situation, but Your Highness the Regent should still be careful. Have you heard the recent rumors?"
"You mean the ones claiming we’re secretly smuggling refugees away?"
"Yes. They’re utterly despicable."
Olivia’s beautiful face twisted with anger.
"After everything you’ve done to care for them throughout that long winter, how could they say such things about you?"
"Exactly my thoughts."
"Even if they sent those refugees back, what would happen? They’d simply exploit their own people again and squeeze everything out of them! Once the granaries are full after autumn, they’ll cast them aside like unwanted pets! There’s a limit to how much you can treat people like tools."
Her reaction was surprisingly emotional, even though it wasn’t her own affair.
It suited someone who sought to gain support from the common people.
"The Administrator already informed me that I need someone who can strengthen my position within the Empire."
"In that regard, I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you directly."
Olivia looked apologetic.
After thinking deeply for a moment, she asked Ferda,
"Come to think of it, Hestia is still lacking an elite class, isn’t it?"
The elite class referred not only to nobles but also to scholars, merchants, master craftsmen, and priests—the upper echelon of society.
Although several craftsmen renowned in various regions had come, they were still little more than skilled laborers rather than true elites.
"Stephan is currently forming a merchants’ guild, and Bernard, the Headmaster of Escolleia, is recommending interested scholars through the Far East Exploration Project."
"If you already have scholars and merchants, then you’ve secured about seventy percent of what you need."
"The real problem is the priests."
From the beginning, Ferda possessed the aptitude of a Black Mage, making him fundamentally incompatible with priests.
Moreover, he despised Alte’s hypocrisy—preaching love and mercy while showing absolutely no mercy toward Heretics.
’Even so, priests are necessary.’
Most of the people in this town came from the Empire, and most of them worshipped Alte.
With the Far East, where Monsters constantly emerged, right before them, they truly needed spiritual guidance.
"I can help with that. I’ll look into the Alte Church myself. Since Hestia is a land where people of many backgrounds coexist, I’ll find members from the moderate faction."
"I would be deeply grateful if you could."
"Oh, don’t mention it. We’re simply walking toward the same shared goal, aren’t we?"
Olivia smiled brightly.
"Since we’ve brought up the Alte Church, have you considered hosting a banquet at Valdrova Castle?"
"A banquet...?"
Olivia rested her chin upon both hands.
Her smile was radiant.
"The followers of the Alte Church will soon begin preparing for the Festival of the Beginning of Spring. The nobles will as well. It’s the season when people hold banquets to celebrate the arrival of spring."
"I see."
"So I think it would be wonderful if you hosted a Festival of the Beginning of Spring for the Empire’s young generation. It shouldn’t be limited to those from the Empire either. It would be a good opportunity to become acquainted with those who will one day lead both the South and the North. Don’t you agree?"
"I agree that the purpose and the benefits are worthwhile, however..."
Ferda asked the question that had been bothering him.
"Do you really believe they would attend a banquet hosted by me?"
Banquets were among the most important events for nobles.
Precisely because they were so important, everyone tried to host a Festival of the Beginning of Spring.
The ability to host one meant extending one’s influence.
In other words, it was another battlefield for political power.
At the moment, Ferda’s network was nothing short of disastrous.
"Why wouldn’t they come?"
Olivia smiled knowingly.
"I’ll be attending."
She had decided to become the bait herself.
The mere announcement that the Flower of the Empire—a woman blessed with noble birth, impeccable character, and extraordinary beauty—would attend was enough to draw the attention of young nobles from every corner of the Empire.
Where powerful young men gathered, young women naturally followed.
One person would attract another, until a great crowd formed on its own.
’A banquet...’
Rather than excitement or anticipation, Ferda only felt exhausted by the thought.
At his age, was he really expected to mingle with a bunch of youngsters?
Then he remembered that his body was still just as young as theirs.
"Very well."
"You’re really going to do it?"
Olivia blinked in surprise.
She clearly hadn’t expected him to agree so easily.
"Is there a problem?"
"I was prepared to spend quite a while convincing you because I thought you’d dismiss it as a pointless endeavor. I suppose the wind has been taken out of my sails."
She really knows me.
Had Isabella not warned him beforehand, he would have said exactly that.
"Since you’ve agreed, that’s settled. You don’t have a party planner, do you?"
"No."
"Then the Empire will send one this time. You’ll be hosting banquets often in the future, so it’s best to hire an entire team in advance."
"Thank you for the advice."
As someone who effectively fulfilled the role of mistress of the Imperial Palace, Olivia was knowledgeable and exceptionally capable.
’If she had been the Third Prince instead of the Imperial Princess, she might have surpassed all of her brothers.’
She too had been born with a cruel fate.
That was what Ferda thought.
"Are you familiar with the dance that’s currently popular in the Empire?"
Ferda’s body stiffened.
"It’s called the Moonlight Step."
"I’ve never heard of it."
"That won’t do. If the host of the banquet is behind the times, you’ll become the laughingstock of society. They’ll say that the Regent of Valdrova has no interest whatsoever in current affairs."
"...Perhaps I should simply cancel the banquet."
"Oh my, no backing out now."
Olivia giggled.
"Come now, let’s practice a little. It’s simply a variation of a light waltz. Once you know the basics, you’ll learn it quickly. You at least know how to dance a waltz, don’t you?"
"..."
"Oh my... don’t tell me you don’t even know that? I assumed every noble family taught it..."
Maybe I should just forget the banquet altogether.
After pretending to think for a moment, Olivia stood and extended her hand toward Ferda.
"Come."
"...What is it?"
"If you’re going to dance, you have to stand up. Hurry."
He knew he needed practice.
He simply hadn’t expected it to begin immediately.
"Don’t you want to share a beautiful dance with Grand Duchess Valdrova?"
Valdrova.
Their very first banquet together as an engaged couple.
The moment he imagined it, Ferda answered before he even realized his lips had moved.
"I do."
"See? Then every minute and every second is precious, isn’t it? And wouldn’t it be even better if someone who truly understands dancing—and, more importantly, a woman who understands women—were the one teaching you?"
Her words strangely convinced him.
Still, unable to accept so easily, he instinctively looked toward Luri.
For some reason...
She was completely quiet.
Had she accepted a bribe and decided to turn a blind eye?
’No matter how easily she’s tempted by food, she isn’t the type to sell out that cheaply.’
She was definitely plotting something.
Ferda sighed.
Regardless, there was no avoiding it any longer.
"Very well."
Putting everything else aside, they began practicing.
"Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Her Highness in her Polymorph form... How tall is she? She’s a woman, correct?"
Her physique...
Ferda looked at Olivia.
She was the only suitable point of comparison nearby.
"She’s a little shorter than Your Imperial Highness."
"Then teaching you shouldn’t be a problem."
Olivia’s fingers slipped between his.
Their already close distance became even smaller.
"Now, hold my hand like this... Imagine the music is playing. Da-ra-ra-ran, da-ran. Good... Tap your foot lightly here, and step to the left..."
Under her guidance, he learned the dance.
Ferda did his utmost to follow every instruction.
When Olivia finally stopped humming the imaginary melody, she gave her evaluation.
"Hmm... You’re quite terrible at dancing."
That was the polite way of putting it.
In reality, he had absolutely no talent.
Olivia couldn’t hide her bewilderment.
Because Ferda always carried himself with such dignity, she had assumed that his dancing must also be elegant, merely concealed beneath his composed demeanor.
But dancing required physical coordination.
And using his body was precisely what Ferda was worst at.
"You’re awfully quiet."
"...What can I say? This useless body is the reason I was cast aside."
"Useless? But you look so gallant..."
Her voice trailed off with an oddly seductive tone.
"Let’s just focus on getting you accustomed to a simple waltz and the Moonlight Step. For now, we’ll just help you get the feel for it."
"Do we have to keep dancing?"
"Of course. I pride myself on being an excellent teacher. You’ve wounded my pride, Your Highness the Regent. Do you have any idea how serious it is to wound a woman’s pride? You’ll be dancing all day."
He didn’t know.
Nor did he particularly want to find out.
She had dragged him into this on her own, yet now she was acting completely unreasonable.
"I’ll make sure you master it within a single day, so just follow my lead."
"Does that mean you’ll be staying until tomorrow?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"Before you’re an Imperial Princess, you’re still an unmarried woman. If you spend the night in another man’s residence, won’t rumors spread?"
"Another man? Your Highness the Regent is already spoken for, isn’t he?"
"There’s a saying: don’t even stop to tie your shoelaces in front of a melon field."
"You worry far too much. We have a perfectly good excuse."
"What would that be?"
"Hand Vernel Marquis over to me."
Olivia pressed the issue without hesitation.
"I refuse."
"Exactly. Which means we’ll have a very long discussion about the matter. The Imperial Princess will continue the negotiations like a marathon meeting. Since you’ll have nothing better to do during that time, you might as well learn to dance."
"For Grand Duchess Valdrova’s sake."
Could that really work?
Though still doubtful, Olivia never gave him time to dwell on it.
She immediately resumed leading him through dance practice.
Whatever the case, Ferda genuinely wanted to become a good dancer.
And for that, he needed someone who understood both dancing and the latest fashions.
Olivia’s eyes never left him.
She smiled the entire time she taught him.
As though every moment of it brought her joy.
Olivia reflected upon her life.
When had she begun performing this endless, exhausting play?
Perhaps it had started the day she learned that even the nanny she believed to be her only ally was merely another one of the Emperor’s hounds.
From that day onward, she spent hours every day sitting before a mirror, practicing her smile.
Others practiced smiling to make their smiles more beautiful.
Olivia practiced to give hers meaning.
Part of it was to manipulate men.
But there was a far more fundamental reason.
To prevent them from reading meanings that didn’t exist.
She knew, with perfect objectivity, just how beautiful she was.
A casual glance.
A simple smile.
Those alone had caused countless men to convince themselves that she loved them, leading them to pursue her with relentless affection.
So she could no longer smile freely.
In that sense, being with Ferda felt remarkably comfortable.
Unlike other men, he never misunderstood her smile.
And even if she smiled with such intentions...
He wouldn’t waver.
Because his heart already belonged elsewhere.
That was why she could make requests like this.
"Your Highness the Regent, why don’t you try smiling a little?"
"Smiling may be more difficult than you think."
"You need to practice smiling as well. Whenever people are talking about something trivial, just imagine something pleasant instead."
Even after hearing that, smiling remained difficult.
Only the corners of his lips twitched briefly before returning to normal.
Even that satisfied Olivia.
That smile would undoubtedly one day belong to his fiancée.
’How truly noble...’
True nobility of heart wasn’t measured by how deeply one believed in a god.
It was the willingness to constantly question oneself, suffer for one’s convictions, and yet continue carrying that burden forward.
That nobility inspired Olivia.
The Circle that not even Alte had been able to move began turning gently.
It moved like a wheel carrying her dream of becoming a Saint.
Just a little longer.
Just a little longer like this.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A knock shattered the pleasant atmosphere.
At the sound, Ferda released Olivia’s hand.
Olivia put her mask back on.
Ferda watched her for a moment before giving Luri an order.
"Let them in."
The Captain of the Knights entered, gave a brief bow, and spoke.
"Your Imperial Highness. It is time for you to depart."
He had expected this, but they truly intended to ruin the moment completely.
"I’m afraid I won’t be able to return today. We’re in the middle of discussing the matter of the engineers—"
"It is His Majesty the Emperor’s command. You are to return immediately."
"Is there really any need to depart at sunset? At the very least, I can return tomorrow morning."
"You needn’t concern yourself with that. A Royal Mage has already been dispatched. Preparations have been completed so that you may return by Teleport Door."
"..."
Ah...
The pleasant atmosphere and the feelings they had shared scattered like a midsummer night’s dream.
I wanted to stay here just a little longer...
Just as she realized there was no longer any point in resisting—
"They’re in the middle of an important discussion."
Ferda interrupted.
"The Empire’s representative came here to hold serious negotiations, and you intend to interrupt them?"
"Her Imperial Highness visited this place to promote exchanges with the Grand Duchy. It has nothing to do with recruiting personnel."
"So you’re saying that every conversation we’ve had until now should simply be treated as though it never happened? Do you wish to reduce a formal negotiation to nothing more than garbage?"
"That is not what I meant."
Ferda pressed him relentlessly, his tone clearly displeased.
Olivia stared blankly at him.
For someone who had lived her entire life as nothing more than someone else’s trophy...
This was the first time anyone had treated her like a real human being.
Why...
Why is he acting like this?
Olivia knew the reason.
Ferda believed there must be a reason she was so determined not to return, so he was standing up for her.
As an ally who shared the common goal of bringing down the Empire, he was helping her.
And yet...
Even knowing all of that...
If he looked at her with that expression...
’I’m afraid I might really start misunderstanding everything.’
Olivia rose from her seat.
"I suppose this is as far as I can go. Your Highness the Regent, I’ll take my leave now."
"Won’t we be discussing anything further?"
"What choice do I have? If an unmarried woman spends the night in another man’s house, strange rumors are bound to spread. Isn’t it better for me to leave?"
She returned the very same words Ferda had spoken earlier.
This time, he made no attempt to stop her.
"I wish you a safe journey."
"Thank you. And since you’ve decided to host the Festival of the Beginning of Spring, I’m truly looking forward to it. I will most certainly attend."
Leaving those words behind, Olivia stepped outside.
Even as the door closed, she continued looking at Ferda and waved to him until the very last moment.
***
Valdrova’s Lair.
"So they’re really holding a banquet in one month’s time?"
After hearing the entire story from Luri, Valdrova asked.
Within her fierce, intimidating eyes sparkled a pure and innocent light.
"Yes. They plan to hold the Festival of the Beginning of Spring in one month."
"I see."
For someone who had always admired human banquets and dreamed of attending one...
It was an incredibly alluring event.
It was one of the places Grand Duchess Valdrova had always wanted to experience at least once.
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