Chapter 4
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 4
True to his nature as a man who loathed drawing unnecessary attention, he raised a hand to stop the attendant from announcing his name, descending the stairs with an elegant, upright posture.
Despite his efforts, however, every eye in the room was fixed on Barkas. Even the presence of the future Emperor seemed to dim the moment he appeared.
Thalia devoured his appearance greedily, scanning him from head to toe.
As always, he was dressed impeccably in the formal uniform of the Imperial Guard. The only difference from his usual attire was that beneath the ornate greatcoat provided by the order, he wore a black breastplate engraved with the Black Horse Crest instead of the golden armor that symbolized the Roem Knights.
It was a declaration that he was attending this banquet not as a knight, but as the heir to House Sieorkan and Aila’s fiancé.
Just as Thalia had expected, Barkas headed straight for the center of the hall where Gareth and Aila were standing.
“I greet Your Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince.”
He offered Gareth a salute that was neither excessive nor lacking, then turned toward the shyly smiling Aila.
Thalia’s fingertips began to tremble violently. She gripped her wine glass with such force that her knuckles turned bone-white.
When Barkas extended a hand toward the ‘legitimate princess,’ Aila took it with demure grace. In that instant, a pain as sharp as a knife twisting in her gut surged through Thalia.
Don’t touch him. I said, don’t you dare lay a hand on Barkas.
She wanted to scream those words, even though she had no right to do so. Thalia had to bite her lip hard to keep herself from making a hideous scene.
“Would it not be better to leave the banquet hall now?”
The man who had been watching her face made the suggestion in a low, cautious voice. Hearing such words from someone who had seemed to be genuinely enjoying the chaos snapped her back to her senses. She hadn’t come here to make a miserable, pathetic exit.
Thalia smoothed her crumbling expression and crossed the hall with an elegant stride. The crowd surrounding the Crown Prince, the First Imperial Princess, and the noble son of the East naturally parted to make a path for her.
They, too, were undoubtedly hoping for something exciting to happen. Thalia intended to satisfy their expectations perfectly.
“Greetings, my esteemed brother, and… my lovely sister.”
She deliberately ignored Barkas’s presence, offering her slow greeting only to the other two. She felt that if she looked him in the eye, the thin thread of her remaining sanity would snap completely.
Keeping her back turned to Barkas, she fixed her gaze solely on Aila’s face and spoke in a voice laced with mockery.
“I am glad to see you have recovered your health. You were in such a… pitiful state before, after all.”
“Thank you for your concern,” Aila replied, a gentle smile playing on her lips without a hint of a shadow.
For a moment, goosebumps broke out all over Thalia’s body.
This woman couldn’t possibly be unaware that it was her half-sister who had drugged her wine. And yet, there wasn’t a speck of anger in the gaze she directed at Thalia. It was the look one gave to a common, everyday object found anywhere.
Like the wine glasses, plates, or candlesticks scattered about the hall… How could one feel rage toward such things?
Aila’s attitude, which was beyond calm and bordered on indifferent, brought a wave of deep regret crashing over Thalia.
I should have given her a deadly poison, not an emetic. Even if it meant facing a gruesome execution… even if it meant burning in the fires of hell for eternity…
Compared to her, the brother who wore his raw fury openly felt almost human.
“How dare you show your face here.”
Gareth leaned in close, grinding his teeth. His glinting eyes swept over her from head to toe with profound loathing.
“And in such a vulgar state, no less! Did that mother of yours instruct you to play the harlot and seduce my loyal subjects?”
“Vulgar? Your words are quite harsh.”
Thalia flared her skirts wide for all to see.
“This dress is the very one my mother wore the day she first met His Majesty the Emperor. It is a garment of great significance.”
A heavy silence fell over the hall.
A flame of rage flickered and burned in the Crown Prince’s eyes. Unfortunately for him, Thalia took great pleasure in playing with fire.
“Our father must have been very fond of this dress. Don’t you agree?”
The Crown Prince’s shoulders jerked upward. It looked as though he might lose his temper and strike her across the face.
However, his clever sister was not about to let such a thing happen. Intervening with perfect timing, Aila placed a restraining hand on Gareth’s forearm and turned to her half-sister with a crystal-clear smile.
Surprisingly, there was no malice in her voice. Her tone was so calm, as if she were merely stating plain facts, that it was infuriating. Perhaps this woman felt that even reacting to the provocations of a lowly bastard was beneath her dignity.
After giving her twin brother a steady look to calm him, Aila stepped closer to her fiancé. She leaned lightly against his side, her face the picture of absolute happiness.
“In any case, thank you for coming. Today is a very meaningful day for us… especially for me. I wanted to be congratulated by as many people as possible.”
Aila’s delicate hand came to rest softly on the arm of the man who stood as silent as a shadow.
Thalia stared down at that hand as if she wanted to tear it to shreds. She couldn’t bring herself to look up. She knew that if she saw him smiling at Aila, she wouldn’t be able to maintain her composure.
Aila spoke in a voice as soft as a feather.
“Our official wedding date has finally been set. On the day the Season of Wind begins, I will be heading to the East to become a member of House Sieorkan. Of course, before that, I must embark on a pilgrimage to receive the blessings of the saints. Since we must leave before the weather turns hot, today might be the last time I see you.”
She feigned regret with practiced ease.
“I’m glad we could meet like this before I leave the Imperial Palace. I wanted to at least say a final goodbye.”
Then, as if wishing to end the conversation, she leaned her shoulder slightly against Barkas and added serenely, “Please, enjoy the banquet held in our honor to your heart’s content.”
Wearing a smile of practiced tolerance, Aila turned away smoothly. Thalia, who had been staring at her intensely, suddenly spoke up.
“The last time, you say… Then I must make sure to bless your future, sister.”
As Thalia took a step toward Aila, the man who had been quietly observing the silent war between the two women reacted instantly. Seeing him thrust his arm forward to protect his fiancée made Thalia’s vision turn crimson.
Before Barkas could fully block her path, Thalia lunged and poured her wine over Aila’s chest.
The dark wine bloomed across the white, pearl-encrusted bodice like a deep red stain, trickling down to the hem of the skirt. It looked as though she had been run through the heart, her lifeblood spilling out.
“I shall pray every single day that you soon find yourself in this very state.”
At the horrific curse, a collective gasp echoed through the hall.
Even Aila, who had remained detached until now, turned deathly pale. Her expression of genuine terror was so ridiculous that Thalia almost burst out laughing.
But the joy was fleeting. A powerful hand clamped around her wrist and yanked her back with brutal force. Thalia was forced to look directly into the face of the man she had tried so hard to avoid.
A pair of pale, shimmering blue eyes glared down at her, burning with cold, sharp fury.