The Imperial Ball Turns Into a Fan Meet-and-Greet
The Empire’s Sun, Emperor Carchion, and His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, Her Imperial Highness the Princess, have arrived!
The Imperial Chamberlain’s thunderous proclamation rang out, and the massive golden doors began to swing open with grand splendor.
Streams of chandelier light poured down, and thousands of eyes fixed upon the stage.
Surprisingly… it felt heavy.
This was the moment the Empire’s Founding Festival Ball began.
I nestled deeper into Kailian’s arms and lifted my head high.
Today’s dress code was flawless—the black silk bow tie at my neck and the glossy crimson velvet cloak draped over my back.
Before we left, I’d checked myself in the full-length mirror and had to admit, I looked adorable. Even I would stare at me for a second. Who knew a tiger cub could pull off a suit this well?
……
A hush fell across the banquet hall.
The music stopped. The chatter of the nobles vanished. Every gaze locked onto the imperial family ascending the dais.
Emperor Carchion strode in first, his dignified face stern. Right behind him came Crown Prince Demian in full uniform, followed by Princess Kailian in a striking red gown.
It was the kind of sight that left people’s jaws slack— the empire’s top handsome and beautiful pairing.
But their faces didn’t hold the stares long.
Everyone’s eyes dropped lower, fixating on the small figure curled against Kailian’s chest.
“That’s… the one from the rumors?”
“No way, it’s actually a tiger?”
“How tiny is that supposed to be? A monster, and it’s acting like a doll?”
Soft whispers rippled through the crowd like waves.
I struck a proud pose and looked down at the nobles, tilting my chin just so.
Country bumpkins, this is the first time you’ve seen a white tiger. Don’t let your eyeballs pop out from staring too hard.
Of course, my heart was still thumping hard in my chest.
So many people. When I realized every single eye was on me, my fur stood on end. I was on the verge of a full stage-fright attack.
Butler, there are way too many people.
“Kauu…”
“It’s fine. I’ve got you.”
With more stares than I expected, I immediately buried my face against Kailian’s chest.
Kailian whispered softly and patted my back. Her touch was cool, but her arms held a fierce resolve that said she would never let me go.
She must have felt the same pressure—the memory of being shunned in society because of the “Mad Dog” and “Blood Witch” label still stung.
This was a battlefield for her too, tonight.
Good. As the master white tiger, I needed to act tough.
I stuck out my tongue and gave her hand a quick lick.
Don’t be scared, Butler. I’m right here—right in your arms.
We walked across the red carpet and climbed the dais. Emperor Carchion stood before the throne, glass in hand. He looked unusually relaxed.
Just having me by his side seemed to ease his worries.
“We celebrate the founding of the Empire, and we offer blessings to everyone gathered here tonight.”
A short, crisp toast.
As soon as Emperor Carchion finished, the music swelled again, and the ball began to warm up.
But the nobles weren’t dancing yet. They kept sneaking glances at us. The silent competition had begun—who would be the first to approach this magnificent tiger?
“Your Highness, may I ask if this child…”
The first to gather courage was the Marchioness of the Northern Border. A massive, muscular woman in bear fur over a ball gown, but her eyes sparkled like a shy girl’s.
Wow, those forearms are bigger than my head… I wonder if her strength is even stronger than the Butler’s?
“Yes. This is my family, Blanc.”
Kailian answered with perfect cool courtesy. Normally she would have dismissed her, but tonight she held back.
The marchioness’s eyes turned into little hearts.
Her huge frame and bulging muscles didn’t match her reaction at all.
“Oh my! The Empire’s sun himself! Up close he’s even cuter! Look at that foot jelly— it looks so soft and squishy!”
That single sentence was the starting pistol.
The nobles who had been watching from the sidelines rushed forward like a breaking dam.
“Your Highness, may I just touch it once?”
“It won’t be rude if I ask?”
“I brought the finest jerky from the East—please accept it as a gift.”
“Just one paw-pad stamp from the divine beast!”
Saintess Lina, why are you standing over there?
The fan-meet turned into a full-blown event in an instant.
I didn’t dodge the reaching hands. This was business. To refresh the empire’s image and raise Kailian’s reputation, I needed to sell myself. I had to earn my keep.
“Hey, Butler, you get to be pampered first!”
I nodded politely, and sometimes I even lifted my front paw for high-fives.
Thud.
When my soft foot jelly touched the noble lady’s palm, she shrieked and dropped to the floor.
“Kyaaaa! I think I’m going to become a saint!”
“The jelly… it’s so warm!”
“Kauu!”
With a wink as service, the noble ladies all clutched their chests like they’d suffered a heart attack.
So this is what alpha-male life is like. Easy.
My popularity was skyrocketing.
I wagged my tail in delight, lost in the fame. At this rate I was probably more important than the Emperor.
“Grrr…”
“Ah, aah… heh…”
While the young lady offered her palm, I growled softly and gave it a gentle lick. She blushed crimson and slumped to the floor.
The Empire’s future was looking bright.
“Hey, Kailian. Your chin is getting way too high.”
Crown Prince Demian swirled his champagne and clicked his tongue. His forehead had smoothed out a lot since Blanc arrived.
Kailian puffed out her chest with quiet pride.
“Of course. My instincts are never wrong. Blanc is the best in the entire universe. If Uncle had dressed him in that ugly armor you brought, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
“Tch. The defense would’ve been better that way.”
Why on earth would I wear armor to a ball?
Demian grumbled, but his eyes held a rare warmth. Seeing people look at his little brother with envy instead of fear was a first, and his face looked brighter than ever.
The atmosphere was at its peak.
Emperor Carchion chatted happily with the nobles, and Kailian—never before in society—was receiving endless praise.
A clean, radiant smile graced her face for the first time in a long while. The healing effect Blanc gave her.
Everything was perfect.
But when light shines bright, shadows grow deep.
I felt someone’s gaze on me from the corner of the hall, hidden behind a pillar.
Among countless friendly eyes, one stood out—sticky and cold, like a snake eyeing its prey. An unpleasant, crawling sensation.
Who is it?
I stopped waving my paw mid-service and stared in that direction.
A man in a black tailcoat.
He looked like an ordinary noble, but the liquid in his wine glass rippled blood-red. A greasy smile curled at the corner of his lips.
Phantom.
When our eyes met, he didn’t flinch. Instead he raised his glass as if to toast, almost inviting me to join him soon.
Creepy.
A chill ran down my spine.
It wasn’t simple curiosity. That was the hunter’s stare—calculating, predatory. And behind it something darker, more twisted, waited. My fur stood on end, warning me of danger with every strand.
Ugly, but somehow unsettling.
“Blanc? What’s wrong?”
“Kauu!!”
Butler! The crazy guy smiled at me!
Kailian noticed my strange reaction and asked.
I growled and looked back, but the man had already vanished into the crowd like a ghost.
Was it just nerves?
No. My beast instincts were never wrong.
Maybe it was good I’d eaten less snacks today—my body felt lighter. Tonight I had a bad feeling I might need to use this light frame for something. Something dangerous.
Thump. Thump.
My heart raced faster—not from excitement, but from the warning of approaching threat.
I grabbed a fistful of Kailian’s dress.
“It’s okay, Blanc. Are you hurt? Are there too many people?”
Kailian checked my body with concern. She worried because she thought I was in trouble.
I licked her hand to calm her. I’m fine. You should be calm too. We’re going to be okay.
Then.
A loud explosion echoed from the entrance of the banquet hall.
Kaboom!
The chandelier shook violently. Glass shattered. Screams erupted.
Sorry, I’m not okay…?
“Kyaaaaah!”
“Terror! Attack!”
The ball hall turned into chaos in seconds. Black smoke billowed. Nobles shoved each other toward the exits.
The music stopped. Peace was shattered.
“Blanc!”
Kailian wrapped me in her arms and crouched low.
Demian and Emperor Carchion instantly surrounded us in defensive stances.
But the figures that emerged from the smoke weren’t simple terrorists.
Crash!
The grand windows of the banquet hall shattered at once. Men in black cloaks poured inside. Their target was clear. Not the Emperor. Not even the Crown Prince.
Their eyes locked solely on the small form curled in Kailian’s arms.
“That’s him! Capture the white beast!”
Kailian’s eyes turned ice-cold. Ice magic erupted from her hands.
“You dare… threaten my child?”
“You dare—without even knowing your place—accost the divine beast right in front of me?”
Kailian’s crimson eyes burned with terrifying light. The light in Lina’s eyes vanished.
Butler, report! I’m hiding.