The Title Bestowal Ceremony (1)
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I must have forgotten to warn the children, because it seemed they had told Hellion everything.
“Ah, yes… that’s right.”
When Hellion answered awkwardly, Zahr quickly stopped his wife.
“I apologize, Your Highness. They say that once a woman becomes pregnant, her emotions fluctuate wildly and she ends up saying things she normally wouldn’t. She’s usually a very reserved person, but it seems she’s in an especially good mood today.”
Zahr gave me a meaningful look, silently urging me to take Hellion away. I barely held back the laughter threatening to spill out and returned to my seat with Hellion.
“Please sit here, Duchess of Wintera.”
The moment I tried to sit beside Hellion, a maid approached and pointed to the seat across from him. It was the empty chair next to Illid.
“I’m sorry, but His Majesty personally assigned the seats in advance…”
Why would His Majesty designate specific seats? Puzzled, I left Hellion’s side and sat down in the chair opposite him.
Soon after, Illid and Ebony Bladin entered the hall. Ebony, smiling so widely her mouth seemed ready to split, greeted the nobles who had arrived first, then took the seat beside Hellion.
“Welcome, Your Grace the Archduke.”
I rose from my seat and offered Illid a formal greeting. He glanced at me once, gave a small nod, and sat down.
Ebony, now seated next to Hellion, chattered nonstop, to the point where he looked visibly annoyed. The other nobles seated at the long table were all engaged in conversation with those beside them. Only Illid and I remained trapped in an awkward silence.
He was staring intently at the glass on the table. From the corner of my eye, his gaze looked strangely anxious.
“His Imperial Majesty has arrived.”
The chamberlain’s booming voice rang out from before the golden doors. The nobles gathered in the banquet hall instantly fell silent and rose to their feet.
“We greet His Imperial Majesty.”
The nobles bowed deeply, offering their respects. Leaning on his cane as he made his way to the head of the table, His Majesty’s face appeared unusually dark. In contrast, Karina, standing at his side, wore an exceptionally bright expression.
As she passed by me, the corners of Karina’s mouth curved into a sly smile. I kept my face carefully neutral and refused to look away from her gaze.
“Thank you all for taking the time to attend.”
Once His Majesty was seated, Karina took the chair placed slightly lower than his. Following her lead, the nobles sat down one by one.
The ceremony that followed was so monotonous it bordered on tedious. His Majesty bestowed upon Karina the title of Duchess of Lockpelt, and she accepted the decree with grateful tears amid thunderous applause.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will strive to become someone worthy of the title of Duchess of Lockpelt and serve you with even greater devotion.”
Karina bowed deeply, her voice thick with emotion. The applause from the attendees grew even louder.
Among them, the loudest by far was Ebony Bladin. The Countess of Telon, who acted almost like her lady-in-waiting, along with the nobles eager to curry favor with Karina, clapped with equal enthusiasm.
As members of the imperial family, neither Hellion nor Illid needed to clap, so they remained still. I, however, had no such luxury and reluctantly brought my hands together a few times.
“Since this is a joyous occasion, let us all raise our glasses together.”
Despite his command, His Majesty’s expression remained far from bright. Wondering what might be troubling him, I studied his face, but he strangely kept turning his head away from me.
“Duchess of Wintera.”
At that moment, Karina approached me with a radiant smile, holding a bottle of wine.
“Would you allow me to pour you a glass?”
I studied her for a moment. She wore an elegant crimson cloak over an ivory dress, and atop her head sat a sparkling tiara adorned with a veil—the attire permitted only to the new women of the imperial family. Seeing the very garments I should have worn first stirred up the suppressed emotions I had buried deep in my chest.
“Since it is such a wonderful day, allow me to pour the first glass for you.”
Karina tilted her golden eyes beautifully and offered an angelic smile. It was the first glass offered by the star of the evening. With no choice, I lifted my empty glass.
“…Thank you.”
I could no longer speak to her casually. The gap that had once existed between us—starting as a noble lady and a maid—had vanished the moment she became a duchess like me.
With a soft glug, red wine filled the empty glass. I drank what she had poured. Though the wine was sweet, the aftertaste lingering in my mouth was bitterly unpleasant.
“Thank you, Duchess of Wintera. I hope we can get along well while living together in the imperial palace. I trust you will treat me with the same courtesy from now on.”
Her words were a clear jab at how I had refused to engage with her before. Without changing her expression, she spoke with brazen confidence, then moved on to Illid without waiting for my reply.
“Your Grace the Archduke, I look forward to your guidance in many matters. In that spirit, allow me to offer you a glass.”
After pouring wine for Illid and then Hellion, Karina stopped before an unexpected person.
“Duchess of Regentera.”
Sylvia, who had been eating the food Zahr had carefully cut for her, stiffened instantly. Unable to hide her displeasure, she dabbed at her mouth with a white napkin.
“Duchess… of Lockpelt…”
Sylvia moved her lips awkwardly, as if thorns had sprouted on her tongue. Karina smiled sweetly and gestured toward Sylvia’s glass.
“Though we do not share blood, I too now bear the name of Regentera. That makes us family, does it not? In celebration of that, may I pour you a glass?”
“No.”
Sylvia set her silverware down with a loud clack.
“As you can see, I am only days away from giving birth. Unfortunately, I cannot drink.”
At that, Karina let out a small “Ah,” as if she had forgotten, and nodded.
“Then please return to your seat. I am also abstaining from alcohol in solidarity with my wife, so there is no one else to drink with.”
Zahr frowned at Karina with clear displeasure. Yet she merely shook her head with a persistently bright smile.
“You don’t have to drink what I pour, but surely you can pour me a glass instead? I would very much like to receive one from the Duchess.”
Karina held out an empty glass to Sylvia. With a small sigh, Sylvia picked up the nearby bottle of wine and poured for her.
“Thank you, Duchess of Regentera. Please convey my gratitude to the child in your womb as well.”
As Karina drank with exaggerated flair, Zahr mouthed a silent curse.
Karina emptied her glass in one dramatic gulp. After that, her procession continued. She moved from seat to seat, pouring wine for nobles and noblewomen or receiving it from them, skillfully maintaining a warm and harmonious atmosphere throughout the banquet.
I stole occasional glances at His Majesty’s face. For someone who had just granted his favored mistress a title nearly equal to that of an empress, he did not look particularly pleased. He merely poked at the food before him with his fork, barely eating.
When I turned my gaze forward again, my eyes met Hellion’s directly across from me. He had been watching His Majesty’s complexion as well and had turned at the same moment. As if by agreement, we both shook our heads, equally bewildered.
And then, a short while later—
“Kyaaaaaah!”
A sharp crash of shattering glass was followed by a piercing scream that shook the entire banquet hall. Everyone seated at the long table shot to their feet in alarm.
“What is happening?”
In contrast to the tense atmosphere, His Majesty’s voice remained strangely calm. The Countess of Telon, who had screamed, stumbled backward with a deathly pale face, staring at the floor.
“Duchess Lockpelt! The Duchess has suddenly collapsed!”
At the Countess’s sob, Ebony rushed to her side and helped the slumped Karina sit up. Only then did the people around them grasp the situation and gasp in horror.
“Duchess Lockpelt suddenly convulsed and fainted!”
“Call the imperial physician! Quickly!”
The Count of Telon shouted frantically at the knights. I pushed through the crowd toward the center of the commotion.
Karina’s body, still twitching from the convulsions, trembled irregularly. Her closed eyelids fluttered as she vomited up all the wine she had just drunk. The red liquid spread across her ivory dress like blood.
“Wow, to think something like this would happen on such an auspicious day! It’s almost as if someone was waiting for it!”
Ebony continued massaging Karina’s rigid body while shouting to the crowd.
“I’ve never heard that Duchess Lockpelt suffered from epilepsy. So what on earth could this be?”
At Ebony’s question, the people began murmuring again. Had someone deliberately done this to Karina?
“First, carry Duchess Lockpelt to the treatment room.”
At His Majesty’s command to the imperial physician, Karina was placed on a stretcher and carried out of the banquet hall.
“Karina…?”
I stared blankly at her receding figure and muttered her name. My heart pounded so violently it felt as though it might burst from my chest.
“No matter how I look at it, those were convulsions caused by poison.”
Ebony tilted her head, resting a hand on her chin.
“Could it be that one of the people here slipped poison into Duchess Lockpelt’s glass? Well, I suppose that wouldn’t be surprising. A duchess who started as a maid? There must be plenty of people who saw her as a thorn in their side.”
“Countess Bladin, refrain from jumping to conclusions. Nothing has been confirmed yet.”
Zahr stepped forward heatedly. However, Ebony began laying out her deductions like a child playing detective.
“That’s why I intend to uncover the truth one step at a time, starting now. First of all, Duchess Lockpelt did not touch any of the food. Is that correct, Your Grace Archduke Illid?”
At Ebony’s question, Illid, who was near Karina’s seat, glanced at her plate and nodded.
“Yes. The food remains untouched on the plate. The utensils are clean as well.”
“Then the only thing the Duchess consumed at the banquet was wine… Who poured drinks for her?”
Karina shall henceforth be known as Duchess of Lockpelt and shall receive all honors, privileges, and duties befitting the station. May she serve the empire with loyalty and grace.