The second night of the social gathering.
Unlike yesterday, when I had loitered around the outskirts, this time I was able to receive an entry pass through Amber, and as soon as the banquet began, I was granted permission to walk proudly into the center of the main hall.
And my status had changed a full one hundred and eighty degrees in just a single day.
“Oh, if it isn’t His Highness Prince Ian of Sterling.”
“Your duel with Count Gross last night was truly magnificent! To think you endured after downing that strong liquor one cup after another without even a bite to eat—one could not help but marvel at the spirit of the southerners!”
The moment I stepped into the main hall, the great nobles of the Empire, famous for their haughty pride, began to gather naturally around me.
To these arrogant imperial nobles, a hostage from a defeated nation was originally nothing more than a wretched, incompetent thing whose head could fly off at any moment—put kindly, a spectacle akin to a monkey in a zoo.
Until yesterday, the gazes directed at me had been half curiosity and half pity.
But today, the look in their eyes was clearly different.
The imperial nobles still had the hot blood of nomads flowing through their veins, and a culture of revering martial prowess and favoring macho behavior was deeply rooted among them.
To them, the crude, idiotic stunt I had shown against Count Gross yesterday had, ironically, been the perfect means of proving my worth.
Above all, among those who had received an entry pass on their wrist and entered the main hall, I was the only one who had been a hostage.
“Haha, you flatter me. It was merely the rashness of youth. More than anything, I only managed to hold on thanks to the count graciously matching my pace. To be honest, even now it feels as though my insides are on fire.”
I rubbed my stomach exaggeratedly, pretending to be suffering, and spoke with shameless ease.
“Hahaha! And modest, too! Later, you must try the specialty wine produced in our family’s domain. Its sweet and gentle flavor is superb.”
“May I ask which domain you are from?”
“I am Count Kyle. My territory lies far off in the midwestern region.”
“Ah, I know of it! Is it not a venerable noble house that has served since the Empire first became a kingdom?”
“Well now, you know of us! Though you have not been in the Empire long, you know a remarkable amount.”
‘I’m glad I looked over the list of families likely to attend before coming.’
It had been a good idea to memorize where these people were from and what their territories were famous for.
As I responded favorably to every noble who approached, the area around me was soon filled with warm laughter.
It was just as I was conversing with nobles at the center of imperial society.
“Haha! Has everyone been enjoying an interesting conversation with my dear friend?”
Second Prince Arthur, who had approached before I knew it, very naturally slung an arm around my shoulder in a friendly manner and joined the conversation.
“We greet Your Highness the Second Prince.”
“As you all know, Ian is my closest friend. Seeing the fine nobles of our Empire welcome Prince Ian so warmly puts me in a splendid mood.”
When Arthur once again openly declared our special relationship in front of everyone, I saw the eyes of the nobles surrounding me glint subtly.
Even as they smiled benevolently on the outside, they were surely calculating in their heads how they should treat me from now on.
Some would likely try to do something with the Kingdom of Sterling as well.
‘Have I only ended up doing good for the man who sold me off? No, not quite. Mother is there too…’
Around the time the mood in the main hall had ripened pleasantly, the enormous doors of the main hall opened with a grand fanfare, and the absolute ruler of this Empire appeared.
“We greet Your Majesty—!!”
Hundreds of nobles bowed their heads in unison.
I, too, bowed respectfully without complaint.
The Emperor walked leisurely toward the dais, then stopped when he spotted me surrounded by nobles.
“Is everyone enjoying the festival?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Your grace is boundless.”
The Emperor’s gaze, his face full of smiles, fixed precisely on me.
For a moment, a chill of tension ran down my spine, but fortunately, the Emperor was smiling in good spirits.
“Ian Sterling, I hear you provided quite an amusing spectacle yesterday. They say you drank my loyal subject Count Gross under the table? In the Empire, he was a man who would have been offended to be called second-best at drinking. To defeat such a man—impressive indeed!”
“I am honored, Your Majesty. I was merely fortunate.”
“Kekeke! Nothing in this world is accomplished by luck alone. Whether you won through luck or because you truly hold your liquor well, a victory is a victory. I hear you can drink quite a bit. Next time, it would be most enjoyable to converse with me over wine instead of tea. Would it not?”
For an instant, a very brief silence settled inside the hall.
While the surrounding nobles stared at me in astonishment, I leisurely raised the corners of my mouth and bowed my head.
“Summon me whenever you wish, Your Majesty. If I can taste the Empire’s fine liquor together with Your Majesty, I will gladly come running.”
“Good. I shall look forward to it. Conversation over wine rather than tea should be enjoyable as well. Next time, I shall call you in the evening after official affairs are finished, rather than in the afternoon.”
After the Emperor left behind a satisfied smile and headed toward the seat of honor, the whispers of the people, which had been held back until then, burst out.
“…After His Highness the Second Prince, even His Majesty?”
“Hostages usually receive almost no treatment at all, do they not? How on earth did that fellow manage this?”
“If His Majesty is treating him that leniently, is he truly that capable? Or is there something about the Kingdom of Sterling…?”
“As far as I know, the Kingdom of Sterling is just a small seaside kingdom. What could possibly be there…? It seems that prince himself is extraordinary.”
Soon afterward, with the performance of a splendid orchestra, the true opening of the ball began.
“Her Highness the Second Princess enters!”
The flower of today’s ball was, without question, Chloe, the Emperor’s second daughter, who was making her debutante appearance.
‘…She’s beautiful.’
Chloe, taking her first step into society in a beautiful pure-white dress, was dazzlingly lovely, like a fairy from a fairy tale.
I glanced furtively toward the dais.
The Emperor, who had been exuding terrifying charisma only moments ago, was resting his chin in his hand at the seat of honor, watching his beloved youngest daughter dance with eyes dripping honey.
I could hardly believe that man was capable of such a gaze.
‘Chloe really is a much-loved daughter. Well, she is the youngest daughter…’
Lightly holding a glass of champagne, I pleasantly watched Chloe stepping through the waltz at the center of the hall.
As Chloe twirled in time with the music, our eyes met for a moment.
Having noticed me, Chloe flushed slightly and smiled shyly, and I too lifted my glass a little and responded with a gentle smile.
“—That was Her Highness the Second Princess! Please give her a great round of applause!”
When Chloe, who had danced splendidly to the music, took hold of both sides of her dress and bowed her head, thunderous applause filled the hall.
Perhaps overcome with emotion after seeing his daughter’s debutante, the Emperor, with his usual dignified bearing nowhere to be seen, sprang to his feet and applauded noisily, and Chloe responded by bowing once more to the Emperor.
The whispers of nearby nobles brushed past my ears.
“By the way, does Princess Chloe have no marriage talks? Usually, something is decided to some extent at a debutante.”
“Well, from what I hear, His Majesty cherishes her so much that he has no intention of marrying her off for the time being. I cannot even imagine how fastidious he will be in choosing a prince consort.”
“Hoho, to think it is to that degree…”
‘Chloe is loved.’
Chloe, smiling brightly as she greeted those around her, brightened the space simply by existing.
A child raised with love is someone who can give love to others in equal measure.
That must have been why she had been able to be so kind and gentle to me as well.
As I smiled while looking at Chloe, who was like a radiant sun that made one smile just by seeing her—
‘…Why did that person suddenly come to mind?’
Someone who was the complete opposite of her came to mind.
A black-haired beauty awkwardly leaning against a pillar at the edge of the main hall, sipping her drink, visible if I turned my head ever so slightly.
Unlike Chloe, who made one feel at ease when together, she was someone who felt burdensome just to be near.
“……”
In Princess Victoria’s eyes as she watched Chloe from a corner of the ball, there seemed to be all sorts of complicated emotions.
For some reason, I felt a sense of pity, and I turned my head to look at Chloe again.