Finally, it was time to face the Emperor of Ilnord.
As I prepared to step out of the carriage—
“I will get out first.”
Serdin was the first to step out.
Through the window, I could see him greeting the Emperor and Empress.
Beside him stood the Crown Prince with a displeased expression.
“Let’s go out as well.”
We deliberately left a little space between us as we exited the carriage.
As soon as we were all outside, the Emperor of Ilnord approached us with a bright smile.
“Haha, I never thought the day would come when we would meet face to face like this.”
“It certainly feels different to be here in Ilnord meeting the Emperor.”
I replied with a lighthearted smile.
The Emperor, however, took it a step further.
“Let’s keep it casual and call each other by name.”
“Alright then, Vitian.”
“Haha! Sounds good, Delight.”
He burst into laughter.
That irritatingly fake smile of his was still the same as ever.
“Indeed, you never know how fate will connect people. Our children have certainly forged a strong bond between us.”
As he laughed heartily while conversing with Delight, his gaze finally landed on me.
“Princess Violyana. This is our first meeting.”
Except, it wasn’t actually the first time.
The man standing before me—Vitian, the current Emperor of Ilnord—was the very person who had once driven a sword into my heart.
Yet, he did not recognize me.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
I maintained a carefully drawn smile and greeted him politely.
“I have been looking forward to this. You are someone Serdin cherishes deeply. Seeing you now, I can instantly understand why.”
His friendly demeanor felt oddly reminiscent of a father-in-law.
“Please take good care of Serdin from now on.”
It almost sounded as if he genuinely cared for him.
I gave a small, slightly shy smile.
“You must be tired from your journey.”
He glanced at Delight and Blueny as he spoke, his tone considerate.
“Rest for now. You should take some time to recover.”
A servant then guided us to our rooms.
Delight and Blueny were given a room, and right next to theirs was mine.
“We have prepared a room close to Prince Serdin’s on purpose. If you need anything, please let us know.”
“Understood.”
“His Majesty has arranged a banquet for tonight. We will come to escort you when it is time. Please rest comfortably until then.”
The servant bowed politely and left.
Once the door closed and silence filled the room, Delight was the first to speak.
“Is Serdin still with the Emperor?”
After greeting the Emperor earlier, Serdin had not returned with us.
“Yes, the Emperor called for him separately.”
Zaire was about to respond, but I answered instead.
It was only natural that the Emperor of Ilnord had many things he wanted to ask Serdin.
That didn’t worry me too much.
What concerned me more—
I turned to Hiel and asked,
“Hiel, can you find it here?”
“I can confirm that Luciel is somewhere within the palace. I could sense it the moment we entered.”
“What about the exact location?”
“I can’t pinpoint it just by scent here.”
Hiel, being from the beastfolk race, had a highly developed sense of smell.
Not only that, but his other senses were also exceptional, and he had the ability to locate his master or fellow kin.
Although Luciel was not of the same race, they had spent many years together, making it possible for Hiel to sense his presence through scent and intuition.
However, Luciel had been imprisoned in such a secretive location that pinpointing his exact position was difficult.
“We’ll need to explore the palace and track where the scent grows stronger.”
Moving suspiciously as soon as we arrived at Ilnord’s imperial palace would be too dangerous.
“During the day, we’ll use a walk as an excuse to look around together.”
Hiel had accompanied me as my servant, concealing his true identity as a beastfolk.
By following me on my walks during the day, we could avoid drawing unwanted attention.
Besides, I was already quite familiar with the layout of Ilnord’s imperial palace. If Luciel was being held here, I had a few guesses about where he might be.
“For now, we should get through tonight’s banquet and assess the situation before making any moves.”
Delight said, organizing our plan.
He was right—acting immediately upon arrival was too risky.
No matter how urgent the situation, we had to be careful.
***
Meanwhile, the Emperor had summoned Serdin for a private audience.
“I didn’t expect you to send news of your marriage from Promian. By the way, before you left, there was something you wanted from me…”
The Emperor paused momentarily, studying Serdin intently.
“Does this mean that by marrying and moving to Promian, you are giving up on Ilnord?”
“The wedding was merely a pretext to bring them to Ilnord.”
Serdin stated firmly, meeting the Emperor’s gaze head-on.
“I expect you to keep your promise.”
The Emperor smirked.
Seeing Serdin’s determination put him at ease—after all, a person who desires something is predictable until they obtain it.
“Very well. As long as you remain useful to Ilnord, my promise stands.”
“Thank you. I will trust in Your Majesty’s word.”
Serdin bowed his head.
“Good. While you are here, stay by the princess’s side and report back to me on the situation.”
“Understood.”
“Now, you may leave.”
After Serdin exited, the Emperor leaned back, stroking his chin with a faintly sinister smile.
By the time he opened his eyes again, the sky outside was painted with the colors of the setting sun.
“It’s about time for the banquet.”
***
The grand banquet hall of Ilnord’s imperial palace was adorned with gold, more extravagant than ever before.
He had always had a fondness for flaunting wealth.
Though this was called a banquet, only a few noble figures from Ilnord and our group were present.
Tonight’s gathering was merely an opportunity for everyone to get acquainted.
The Emperor of Ilnord seemed to be in high spirits from the very beginning.
At that moment, he was seated across from Delight, engaging in an enthusiastic conversation.
“I was quite surprised when I received the letter about their wedding.”
From start to finish, their discussion revolved around my marriage with Serdin.
“I used to feel guilty, thinking I only made things difficult for her as a child, but now I’m relieved that she has found such a good match.”
“Ollia has always been fond of Prince Serdin since she was young, and now it has led to this.”
Delight’s words just now were part of the prearranged story we had come up with when we decided on the fake marriage between me and Serdin.
“We have already prepared a grand wedding here in Ilnord, so there is no need to worry.”
“I trust that it has been well arranged.”
“Of course! You can look forward to it. It will be even more extravagant than the Crown Prince’s wedding.”
The Emperor spoke proudly, showing his enthusiasm for preparing the wedding.
At that moment, I noticed the Crown Prince’s face contort slightly.
Ever since we arrived and throughout the banquet, he had looked displeased.
It seemed he was very unhappy about my marriage with Serdin.
Or perhaps, he was simply bitter that Serdin was the center of attention.
With that thought, I shifted my gaze away from him.
Meanwhile, Delight and the Emperor continued their conversation.
“Ollia is my only daughter, so I want this to be a truly special moment for her.”
“Haha, it will certainly be a day she will never forget.”
“Let’s drink to that.”
At first, I had been worried that Delight might not be able to suppress his hostility when facing the Emperor of Ilnord.
However, to my surprise, Delight remained completely composed.
He played the role of a father earnestly supporting his daughter’s marriage and a wise emperor acting in the best interest of his people.
Watching him handle the situation so smoothly made me realize something—
‘He is no longer the Delight from my childhood.’
Nor was he the same Delight I had faced after becoming his daughter.
Over the past ten years, Delight had changed significantly.
I observed him for a moment before turning away.
The banquet carried on in a lively and pleasant atmosphere.
As the event reached its peak, Serdin approached me.
“You don’t have to stay much longer. I’ve already informed Mother as well.”
“What about you? When will you leave?”
“I should stay a while longer.”
“Alone?”
Serdin chuckled at my question.
“Why would I be alone? The whole room—”
“—is full of people who dislike you. But no one here actually wants to enjoy the banquet with you.”
“……….”
“Well, there’s no helping it. I’m not fond of banquets, but I suppose I’ll stay and keep you company.”
Just then—
The Crown Prince, who had been standing in a corner drinking several glasses of wine throughout the banquet, suddenly approached Serdin.
“Serdin, you look well. It seems you’ve been enjoying your time as a hostage.”
“Thanks to Ollia, I was able to adjust comfortably.”
Without hesitation, Serdin subtly positioned himself in front of me, shielding me from the Crown Prince’s gaze.
“So, are you already acting like a devoted husband?”
“Naturally—”
“As soon as you secured your engagement to the princess, you started ignoring your dear older brother, huh?”
The Crown Prince smirked and mocked Serdin loudly, his voice laced with sarcasm.
