A few days later.
Several days had passed since the grand banquet officially began. The banquet was expected to last for seven days.
Those invited to the banquet were Auroria's high-ranking nobles and the heroes who had distinguished themselves in the recent war.
Though they had not attended the party for the past few days, today the four of them had no choice but to attend.
For today, the Emperor himself was scheduled to be present.
Among the gathered people, some discussed why Oscar, Calix, Griffith, and Romeo had come to Auroria.
Those who viewed it positively said with pleasure, "It's a good opportunity to demonstrate our Empire's dignity."
On the other hand, there were those who suspected, "Didn't they come to gather information about Auroria?"
In truth, the four of them were indeed considering killing the Emperor if he turned out to be the culprit.
Therefore, it was better to avoid suspicion for the time being.
Because of that, today they wore splendid formal attire and attended the banquet in an orderly manner.
People kept glancing at the four unusually tall and handsome young men.
There were noble ladies who considered approaching them first, but everyone hesitated due to the atmosphere that made it difficult to speak carelessly.
It was as if a transparent barrier had been erected only around them.
Inside the banquet hall where elegant music flowed.
Among the glances directed at the four young men, there was one unexpected gaze.
It was the gaze of a handsome young man named Rut.
'Why on earth did those guys come to Auroria?'
Rut was also a key figure in the Dragon Subjugation Party, but unlike Cedric and Damian, he was on relatively good terms with the four of them.
At the very least, they exchanged greetings when coming and going.
Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed everyone found it difficult to approach because the four were gathered with such serious expressions.
Rut deliberated whether he should go as a representative and speak to them.
Thump, thump.
At that moment, the sound of an attendant striking the floor with a staff from above the stairs was heard.
Soon the large doors opened, and what appeared were the brothers Cedric and Damian dressed in splendid formal attire.
And in the middle of them….
'Yuriana…!'
Princess Yuriana came walking elegantly with her arms linked through Cedric and Damian's.
Rut had reunited with Yuriana yesterday after a long time and shared many stories.
In that process, he felt that special emotions had been exchanged.
How happy Yuriana had been to learn that he had been waiting for her.
At that moment, Rut's gaze suddenly turned toward the four young men.
"……!"
Rut suddenly felt as if his heart had dropped with a thud.
The gazes of those four were directed above the stairs. They were very intense gazes.
Soon they began to converse while looking in that direction.
'Surely not….'
One suspicion crossed Rut's mind.
'Did they come to Auroria because of Yuriana?'
It shouldn't be possible, but the thought crossed his mind.
It was because of Princes Cedric and Damian who had joined the subjugation party late.
They always carried Yuriana's portrait in their necklace pendants and would frequently show it off to the heroes gathered from various empires.
Every time, Rut had not liked the two brothers.
No matter that she was their younger sister, to him she was the woman he liked.
'Did those guys see Yuriana's portrait too?'
One corner of Rut's mouth rose in dissatisfaction.
Well, it made sense.
The Yuriana depicted in the portrait was beautiful enough that no one could take their eyes off her. Of course, the real person was even more beautiful.
In any case, it was certainly worth coming to see her in person.
It was a joke, but there were even people who gossiped saying, 'Are they going to Auroria to see Princess Yuriana's face?'
However, he had never imagined that those four, who always carried themselves with dignity, would come to this place for that reason.
'So they're men too.'
Rut felt a vague sense of jealousy along with tension.
He straightened his attire and walked quickly to Yuriana who was coming down holding her brothers' hands.
"Yuriana."
"…Rut."
Seeing the two smiling as their eyes met, Cedric and Damian coughed in disapproval.
Meanwhile, Romeo, who was watching them, muttered.
"Is there any chance those princes are the culprits?"
"…They could be behind it, but they probably didn't administer the poison directly. They would have been outside the Imperial City at the time."
When Griffith answered with some sincerity, Romeo's face scrunched up.
"I hope they're involved."
So we can kill them together.
Romeo quietly muttered the last part.
There was a reason he was grinding his teeth like this against Princes Cedric and Damian.
Originally, when it became known that the four were heading to Auroria, Cedric and Damian had come to find them and said:
"What is the reason you're going to Auroria? Do you think you'll gain something?"
"…Perhaps you're not welcomed in your home countries."
Damian, standing beside Cedric, had spouted openly rude words. Cedric had nodded.
"Well… perhaps. Or maybe… did you see our Yuriana's portrait too?"
"…Is that true?"
Damian reacted very sensitively to Cedric's speculation.
Immediately after, a battle suddenly broke out, cutting off the conversation.
Unlike the other three who had ignored it, Romeo still remembered that conversation.
"So that Yuriana they kept going on about is that woman, I see."
When Romeo muttered this, Calix pulled down his bothersome cravat irritably and asked with annoyance.
"Stop with the useless talk. Did you track more?"
At the question, Romeo narrowed his brows.
"Aren't you sick of asking only that question for days? Do you think I'm playing? You don't do anything but whine, yet your mouth is certainly alive."
Calix shrugged as if accustomed to Romeo's scolding. Romeo sighed and continued.
"Tracking is impossible. It seems they sold or disposed of the magic stone."
Having thought of it, Romeo took out his fountain pen from his pocket, saying let's try once more.
When he tapped the part where the blue magic stone was embedded, invisible magical power flowed from Romeo's fingertips.
That was when it happened.
"Huh? Wait a moment."
Romeo's eyebrows twitched.
"Why?"
Griffith, who had downed champagne in one go, reacted sensitively.
Oscar also gazed at Romeo with sharp eyes, and Calix, who had asked the question, was surprised and straightened his posture.
"What, what is it? What are you sensing?"
"……."
At Calix's question, Romeo smiled meaningfully without answering.
That was when it happened.
Thump, thump!
Once again, the sound of an attendant striking the floor with a staff announced the entrance of the Imperial couple.
The curtains were drawn aside, and the Imperial couple dressed in splendid formal attire mixed with gold and white revealed themselves.
Emperor Perseus was a middle-aged man who still retained his youthful appearance.
The noble ladies, seeing his still handsome appearance, recalled their girlhood when they had secretly pined for the Crown Prince.
People lightly bowed their heads to show respect to the Imperial couple.
Emperor Perseus raised one hand to return the greeting and slowly descended the stairs with the Empress.
The musicians began playing an elegant dance tune again.
The Empress separated from Emperor Perseus and headed to where the noble ladies gathered as if familiar with it.
"Your Majesty the Empress."
The noble ladies and attendants welcomed her. However, despite it being a festive day, the Empress's expression was dark.
It was because her mind was troubled by leaving her young son, who had caught a cold, in his chambers.
Three years ago, a new prince was born between Emperor Perseus and Empress Marianne.
Cedric, Damian, and Yuriana had gained a young sibling.
It was in the middle of their conversation.
"Your Majesty the Empress, do you know how long they plan to stay in the Imperial City?"
A noble lady asked the Empress with a flushed expression.
The Empress's gaze naturally turned to where the noble lady was pointing. There, the young men who had recently become a topic among the capital's nobles were gathered.
"Are you asking because of your daughter's marriage?"
At the Empress's smiling question, the noble lady quickly nodded, saying that was correct.
'They are decent young men….'
The Empress quietly observed them and, like the noble lady who had asked the question, naturally thought of Yuriana.
Yuriana also had no fiancé and was at an age where she would soon need to marry.
Marianne was different from Emperor Perseus.
'His Majesty has not the slightest intention of marrying off Yuriana, but….'
Marianne wanted a son-in-law without a single flaw.
In her desire to give her daughter only the best, she was the same as Emperor Perseus.
Meanwhile, the four people, completely unaware of the meaning of the gazes directed at them, exchanged serious looks.
"What, what is it."
Calix asked impatiently as he looked at Romeo, who was frozen as if time had stopped.
Romeo said with furrowed brows.
"…A flow of magical power was detected. Just wait a little."
With those words, Romeo headed to the empty terrace.
The other three looked in the direction where Romeo had disappeared with serious expressions.
It would be easier to concentrate alone, so they deliberately did not follow.
"Anyway, banquets don't suit my temperament."
Calix completely untied his cravat and shoved it ungracefully into his pocket.
"As you say."
Griffith replied sarcastically, and Calix sullenly downed champagne continuously.
Oscar, uncomfortable with the curious gazes directed at him, alone moved away from the spot.
"……."
Rut, standing at a distance, observed them.
At that moment, Yuriana, who had briefly gone to Emperor Perseus, approached Rut.
"Yuriana."
Rut immediately changed his expression and smiled at Yuriana.
His heart pounded as he saw her beautiful green eyes.
Yuriana looked at such Rut and asked kindly.
"Are you having an enjoyable time?"
"Of course."
The two soon began to converse affectionately. Perhaps because they had memories together from childhood, the awkwardness of meeting after a long time was brief.
It was when the topic of conversation shifted to 'where the gaze of the noble ladies attending the banquet was directed.'
"By any chance, you're not interested in them too, are you?"
Rut asked in a slightly tense voice. Yuriana raised her eyebrows as if to ask what he meant.
"Those guys."
At Rut's words, Yuriana's gaze turned in that direction.
"Ah…."
When Yuriana nodded as if she had heard of them, Rut became even more anxious and repeatedly parted and closed his lips.
"I'm worried that those guys might like you."
Perhaps due to anxiety, foolish words slipped out without him realizing.
At those words, Yuriana gave a demure smile.
"…Why would that be a worry?"
"Well…."
"……."
At that moment, uninvited guests appeared between the two.
"What are you doing here, Yuriana?"
It was Princes Cedric and Damian.
Moreover….
"…Y-Your Majesty."
Rut was flustered but showed proper etiquette upon seeing the Emperor's face that appeared afterward.
"What were you talking about?"
Prince Damian asked with sensitive eyes. Yuriana laughed and answered.
"We were talking about the ones who are the topic among the noble ladies, Brother."
"Ah… those guys?"
At those words, Cedric and Damian immediately looked to one side.
There was Calix with his cravat undone like a scoundrel, and Griffith with his usual sullen expression.
"Why are they alone? Those sinister guys."
"My, what do you mean sinister?"
Yuriana looked at Damian with surprised eyes. Damian smirked and said.
"Those guys. Do you know why they came here? To see you."
At Damian's words, Rut felt like his vision went dark in that moment. Damn it, it was really true?
"What nonsense is that?"
It wasn't just Rut who was surprised by those words. Emperor Perseus, who was watching, also frowned deeply.
"It's certain. I always showed off Yuriana's portrait on the battlefield, and they saw it and came. To see Yuriana in person."
When Damian explained properly, Yuriana blushed and muttered.
"…That's ridiculous."
"Why is it ridiculous?"
At Yuriana's denial, Cedric was rather confident.
"How about it, Yuriana? If all of those guys propose, who will you marry?"
Damian asked playfully. At those words, the gazes of Emperor Perseus, Cedric, and Rut pierced Yuriana's face.
"I… um…."
Yuriana hesitated for a moment and stole a glance at Rut's face very briefly.
"I should issue a marriage prohibition decree."
Emperor Perseus said with narrowed eyes.
"I agree, Father."
"Me too."
When Cedric and Damian followed, Yuriana burst into laughter. It was a flawless, beautiful laugh.
Emperor Perseus smiled slightly as he watched Yuriana.
The moment she trembled and called him Dad for the first time felt like just yesterday, yet before he knew it, she had become an adult.
Though not his biological daughter by blood, Emperor Perseus had never once thought of her as anything but his own daughter.
To him, Yuriana was that precious a existence.
His late wife, whom he failed to protect, remained as a wound in his heart. His precious daughter, who had a smile as warm as hers.
Though it might be a sad fact for someone, Emperor Perseus had erased the very existence of Rellia from his mind.
He had tried to find the child immediately after she went missing, but soon felt it was futile.
He did not want to torment the child as revenge against his sister who had tormented his wife.
Since the child had left the Imperial City on her own, he rather let her go to live freely, forgiving her.
"I agree too. I'm going to live with my family without marrying for the rest of my life anyway!"
Yuriana answered with a bright smile.
At those words, Emperor Perseus, Cedric, and Damian laughed as if they owned the world.
Meanwhile, Rut smiled forcibly and swallowed a bitter laugh inside.