"Maxwell and his fiancée have gone ahead, I hear."
"My, did His Majesty permit that?"
"He gave them a chance to turn the atmosphere around by going first."
A faint mockery threaded through Heinrich's voice.
"It seems His Majesty still holds expectations for Maxwell. I didn't know the Emperor's heart was so tender."
"Her Majesty the Empress, on the contrary, seemed to have made her peace with things quite quickly."
"News travels fast."
"I heard, you see."
Heinrich, who knew I was gathering all manner of information through crows and mice, wasn't particularly surprised. He merely let out a hollow laugh and glanced at me.
"He is a flexible man. He declared that if necessary, he would make an official apology to you."
"Ah, I did hear something like that."
The noise grew steadily closer.
"He's a man of quick judgment. He's someone who must hold a central place in the Imperial family going forward."
In other words, the Imperial household had no need for multiple adults.
'Though the only adults in the Imperial family are the Emperor and Empress.'
I bit my lip to suppress the laughter that nearly burst out.
Remembering the Emperor weighing his sons, I thought that Heinrich was indeed his son.
Heinrich must have learned from watching him.
"A reliable son, indeed."
"The Empress didn't accept him because he's a reliable son. It's because she quickly understood that half of those who incurred the Resurrected One's wrath needed to be cut away for the Imperial family to remain intact."
I don't know much about the marital relationship between the Emperor and Empress, but it certainly didn't seem romantic.
Then again, someone like the Emperor didn't seem like the type to maintain a romantic marriage in the first place.
"Your Highness must have been the outsider, then."
"Fortunately so."
Heinrich laughed and nodded. Far in the distance, a door at the end of the corridor came into view. Through the gaps in the door, long and brilliant light spilled out.
"Thank you for the great help you've given all this while."
Suddenly Heinrich whispered. The hand holding mine tightened slightly.
"Our interests aligned, after all."
"After today passes, I won't lean on you anymore."
Heinrich's words sounded like both a pledge and a declaration.
"It seems you've found your footing faster than I thought."
"Because only then can I give you what you want."
"What I want?"
"Freedom."
I looked to the side before I knew it. Heinrich was calmly gazing straight ahead.
"I want to give you at least one gift you might like."
Strangely, that sounded exactly like a farewell.
Right now he was my banquet partner, and I had no intention of leaving the Imperial Palace tomorrow, at least.
"I won't forget you. All the help you gave, all the feelings I harbored for you."
As the door drew closer, Heinrich's voice faded.
"I'll handle the memories, so you can stop forgetting this wretched place."
That was truly, of all the countless gifts I received in the Imperial Palace, the most perfect one.
* * *
Heinrich's words that the Emperor intended to give Maxwell a chance were correct. After announcing the start of the banquet, the Emperor made a few complimentary remarks about me publicly, then departed early.
At the same time, he declared that he would leave all reception of the soon-to-arrive guests entirely to the Crown Prince. Needless to say, Maxwell accepted those words with joy.
'But it doesn't seem particularly effective.'
Despite the Emperor's words, there didn't seem to be much progress. They must not have forgotten the former presence that drew people even when he simply stood still.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be standing there so stiffly.
In contrast, how was Heinrich faring?
After the first dance, Heinrich busily circulated through the banquet hall.
His words about having found his footing didn't seem to be false; unlike before, many people surrounded him. Compared to the previous banquet, it was truly a quantum leap forward.
Though various incidents had occurred in the meantime, seeing such results in a short period, Heinrich clearly wasn't merely incompetent.
'It also seems true that Heinrich's victory was disrupted by Lilia's intervention during the succession struggle.'
While Heinrich crisscrossed the banquet hall, I held my head high and made myself a spectacle.
Once again, my scar protected me splendidly. For some reason, the banquet attendees glanced at my scar with even greater fear than during the first banquet.
'What's unexpected is that Friesian isn't visible.'
I was the one who told Friesian to give up her position as Little Duchess, but I didn't think she would cease public activities so immediately.
'I expected her to attend the Imperial banquet and confront me somehow.'
Since Mother isn't visible either, perhaps she remained at the estate to prevent my sister's attendance.
Or perhaps there was a conflict while persuading my sister to accept my demands.
At least Father attended the banquet, but he didn't particularly approach me or acknowledge me.
'Father will probably... approach me tomorrow or the day after.'
Perhaps because even blood relations kept their distance like this, the people around me found it even harder to approach.
Thus, in effect, I was now in quite a comfortable environment.
Savoring the leisure given to me, I was idly drinking wine in a corner when I sensed a commotion near the banquet hall entrance.
"Those are the Temple's...."
"They're more impressive than I thought."
Between the murmuring people, those entering the banquet hall came into view. Priests and paladins clad in pure white ceremonial robes.
I'd heard news that the Temple had sent additional people, but this was the first time encountering them directly. Certainly, with the increased numbers, their presence seemed formidable.
They said the Temple would flex its muscles as the Imperial family elevated the Resurrected One's prestige, and that wasn't wrong.
Among them, Samuel stood out prominently.
Simply put, this was because he had a more striking appearance and larger build than any of the surrounding paladins. Even in the same ceremonial attire, he stood out as if wearing different clothes entirely.
"So that's Sir Samuel?"
"My, if only he hadn't consecrated himself to the Temple...."
Among the whispering voices, faint sighs could also be heard. Mainly from young women.
"They say his divine power is unmatched?"
"He's supposedly excellent at hunting monsters."
"Seeing how monsters are running rampant these days, I think we should have taken someone like him as an Imperial knight."
"At least having him in this banquet hall is fortunate."
I wonder how they would react if they knew that Samuel, who hunts monsters so well, was traveling with Dullahans until recently.
I was idly eavesdropping on others' gossip when, following the Temple officials, a guest from the Magic Tower appeared.
Unlike the Temple group that had swept in noisily creating an atmosphere, the Magic Tower's guest was just one person. That appearance drew attention for different reasons than before, so people's gazes converged once again.
Zenon, wearing a robe elaborately embroidered with the Magic Tower's insignia, had a somewhat stiff expression. Looking closely, his brow was furrowed, seeming unaccustomed to the attention.
Seeing him occasionally touching his neck area, he seemed uncomfortable with the formal attire worn underneath.
Though he himself was feeling awkward, objectively his adornment was splendid.
First, the magnificent Magic Tower robe itself was something not seen in the Imperial Palace, so it caught the eye immediately, and his red hair, always disheveled, was neatly groomed, making his clean face particularly visible.
'Perhaps because he's dressed up, he looks striking.'
He still gave off a stray cat vibe, but maybe like a stray cat that's bathed and had its fur prettily combed?
"Is that really a guest from the Magic Tower?"
"The Imperial Palace mages have been on edge lately because of him."
"This is a secret, but apparently he broke through the Palace barrier incredibly easily?"
"He must be skilled then. If he's representing the Magic Tower?"
Almost nothing was known about Zenon. Perhaps for that reason, people couldn't take their eyes off him, their gazes filled with curiosity.
"He looks young."
"Do you know which family he's from? What was his name again?"
"My goodness, look at his expression. He's definitely uncomfortable, isn't he?"
"How cute. Are all Magic Tower people that shy?"
The women's mischievous conversation reached my ears as well. I saw them laughing softly and casting subtle glances at Zenon.
Zenon himself, busy adapting to the noisy atmosphere, seemed completely unaware of this.
With the appearance of external visitors, the Imperial nobles were briefly in an uproar. However, all topics of conversation in the banquet hall ultimately concluded with matters concerning me.
"Setting aside the Temple, but a guest from the Magic Tower as well. The Resurrected One's prestige is certainly considerable."
"Her neck was severed and reattached, after all."
"Is the rumor true?"
"At the very least, she's frightening. ......Moreover, we all watched her die."
One noblewoman covering her mouth with her fan while whispering made eye contact with me. She startled and stepped back a full pace.
Looking again, their fear had certainly grown compared to before. Judging by how they discussed rumors, something must be circulating about me.
'Rumors worth circulating in society....'
Due to the much larger scale compared to the first banquet, many nobles seeing me for the first time attended this gathering. Whether due to the rumors' influence or not, their gazes were tinged with fear and rejection.
Well, perhaps it's just as well.
'They don't seem inclined to bother me particularly.'
While the Temple rejoiced and praised it as God's blessing, would ordinary people find that miracle merely wondrous?
I pretended not to notice their reactions and turned my gaze away. I heard the noblewoman breathe a sigh of relief.
Finding somewhere else to direct my attention wasn't difficult.
For Maxwell and Lilia had just stepped forward together to the center. Naturally, all eyes converged toward the center.
"Honored guests have arrived. The Empire...."
"Yes, thank you for the invitation."
Samuel, standing at the forefront, coldly cut off Maxwell's words.