052. The Imperial Banquet (1)

Time passed, and it was now August, the last month of summer.

On the day of the Imperial Banquet, postponed to early August, Lucia greeted Owen with a smile.

“You look great.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

Owen was dressed in the formal wear they had picked out together at the boutique. The outfit, chosen by Lucia, was a mix of red and black, creating a mysterious and darkly decadent feel. The deep wine color, not a bright red, gave it a sophisticated yet somber tone. It was more elaborate than his usual attire.

“You look stunning as well.”

Lucia’s dress also carried a decadent and alluring design, matching Owen’s ensemble. Her hair was adorned with a dark red rose-shaped ornament, and her necklace and earrings were crafted from the dark red spirit stones she had commissioned.

“Thank you.”

Lucia extended her hand, gloved in black lace to match her dress. Owen placed his hand over hers, his glove decorated with an intricate pattern stitched in dark red thread.

“This is your first banquet in a year, right?”

Lucia asked as they climbed into the carriage together.

“Yes.”

Though it was actually his first, Owen nodded without hesitation.

“What do you usually do with your time?”

Lucia continued, “You don’t like banquets, don’t attend other social events, and don’t seem to have any hobbies.”

She likely gathered this information through her background checks. Lucia often spent her allowance on such investigations. She was a VIP client at various guilds, including information and mercenary guilds. She knew all there was to know about Owen.

Just as Owen prided himself on knowing Lucia best, Lucia believed she knew Owen better than anyone.

“I mostly handle accumulated work.”

“…And you still thought of expanding your business?”

“I have more leisure time now than before.”

Owen spoke confidently, as it was true.

“I also spend time training or managing the knights.”

“That’s quite monotonous.”

“Is it?”

“Yes. What do you do in your free time? Do you even have free time?”

Though the position of family head was naturally busy, Lucia was surprised by how much he seemed to focus solely on work.

Owen tilted his head slightly, as if puzzled by her question.

“I spend time with you. Or buy gifts for you.”

His honest answer left Lucia momentarily speechless. Owen often surprised her with his candid remarks, making astonishing statements as if they were the most natural thing in the world.

“Is that all you do besides work?”

“I sleep and eat, of course.”

“Other than that.”

“Yes.”

He nodded. Lucia opened her mouth but couldn’t speak for a moment. Finally, she managed to say,

“Owen, you must really like me.”

“Indeed.”

“….”

“Does it seem excessive?”

His unwavering voice filled the carriage. His black eyes bore into hers intensely.

“But it’s true. There’s no reason not to tell you, Lucia.”

While Lucia was still taking in his words, the carriage came to a stop. They had arrived at the Imperial Palace.

The carriage halted at the entrance of the Central Palace, where the banquet was to be held. The palace was so vast that walking was not feasible. After a checkpoint at the main gate, the carriage moved to its final destination.

“Allow me to escort you to the waiting room.”

A servant approached as they alighted from the carriage. The eyes of other nobles, who had arrived around the same time, turned toward the pair. Owen and Lucia, however, showed no reaction.

“Owen.”

As they neared the hallway to the waiting room, a familiar voice called out.

“You’re early. Last year, you arrived just in time.”

“Kyle.”

The voice belonged to Kyle, the Mage Tower Lord. Like the Verdun family, Kyle was mostly barred from the Imperial Palace but was obliged to attend the summer banquet. It was a long-standing tradition decreed by the Emperor, with complex underlying reasons.

“Ah, you’re with someone…”

“This is Lady Lucia Edelte.”

“Hello, Lady Edelte. I am Kyle, the Mage Tower Lord.”

Kyle greeted her informally, unaware of her name and status, almost being rude.

“Nice to meet you.”

Despite the informal greeting, Lucia smiled. She found it interesting because Owen had mentioned that Kyle was his first friend.

“By the way, I’ve nearly completed what you asked for.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Once it’s finished, I’ll call you to the Mage Tower. You should collect it yourself.”

“You’re not sending it?”

“It’s something that needs careful handling.”

Kyle started talking about the magical stone, and Owen listened attentively. Lucia watched them with interest. Both Owen and Kyle were known for their limited social interactions. Seeing them together was a novelty.

‘They seem to have grown closer since the hunting competition.’

Their bond had strengthened during the hunting event earlier this year. Before that, they had only exchanged formal greetings.

“You two seem to have become close.”

Lucia smiled as she spoke, drawing Kyle and Owen’s attention.

“Ah, yes, we grew closer somehow.”

“We bonded during the last hunting competition.”

“Is that so?”

Kyle blushed and scratched his cheek, looking embarrassed. He seemed even less accustomed to forming relationships than Owen.

“By the way, Lady Edelte, you don’t have to be so formal with me.”

Kyle asked, blushing.

Lucia shook her head and replied,

“You are the Mage Tower Lord, after all. You deserve such respect.”

“Well, that’s true…”

Kyle didn’t deny his prestigious status.

However, Kyle couldn’t quite grasp why Lucia was being so formal.

“Other nobles speak informally with me.”

“Then you’ll remember me more distinctly.”

“Pardon?”

“You said it’s unusual. So, you’ll remember me as an unusual young lady.”

Lucia smiled.

“You seemed to forget my name earlier.”

“Oh…”

She was lightly teasing Kyle for not recalling her name properly, but in a way that wasn’t offensive.

“It’s good to remember. It’s useful to know the names of major noble families.”

Owen supported Lucia’s words, prompting Kyle to nod in agreement.

“That makes sense…”

“Especially since today’s banquet will be full of nobles.”

“I wish no one would greet me.”

“With your hair color and looks, you’re too noticeable.”

Kyle sighed deeply at Owen’s remark.

Lucia watched the two men with renewed interest, realizing that they were aware of their appearances. Owen and Kyle were renowned for having the most striking looks in the Empire. Following them were Crown Prince Richard, Lucia’s half-brother Louis, and the Marquess of Selid’s son.

Just as Lucia was considered the flower of high society, followed by the Crown Princess and the Marquess of Selid’s daughter, the same logic applied.

“Do you know the names of foreign nobles too? Envoys come often, after all.”

“I know most of them.”

“You really only work all the time.”

“You’re one to talk, always buried in your magic research.”

Their conversation ended there. Lucia, who had been watching their light-hearted banter with interest, turned her attention to Owen’s hand holding hers.

“Shall we head to the waiting room now?”

“Sure.”

“Kyle, see you at the banquet.”

Kyle briefly replied to Owen’s farewell and turned to head to his assigned waiting room.

“The room assigned to you, Owen, is similar to mine.”

The waiting room was luxuriously furnished with plush sofas, tables, and cushions. It was not only a place to wait before the banquet started but also served as a resting area during the event, with a changing room for any mishaps with clothing.

“Though it doesn’t seem to be used much.”

These resting rooms, also serving as waiting rooms, were reserved for great nobles, prestigious families, and foreign envoys. It was a special privilege. Lower-ranked nobles, like barons and viscounts, had to share common waiting rooms.

They didn’t need to wait since they were among the first to enter. Interestingly, Kyle, as the Mage Tower Lord, was also given a private room. This was due to the Emperor’s personal invitation to the summer banquet, held once a year, for specific reasons.

“We must keep watch over the banquet hall.”

The Imperial summer banquet was a grand event, lasting five days, attended by all the Empire’s nobles and high-ranking officials. It also drew foreign delegations, making the capital bustling and the palace security tight.

The Emperor, who usually avoided bringing the Verdun family into the palace, allowed them during this period for safety reasons, preferring trusted locals over foreign guests in case of an incident.

“The Emperor has many concerns.”

Everyone in the Empire knew this. It was amusing that the Emperor, who usually avoided them, invited them when needed. Neither the Mage Tower nor the Verdun family refused, as they had much to gain or maintain in return.

The Imperial family disliked the Verdun family gaining power but didn’t interfere in their business ventures as long as they stayed out of politics. Similarly, they prevented the Mage Tower from being built in the capital but allowed its facilities elsewhere, fostering magical enterprises.

This was a mutual agreement to not infringe on each other’s domains.

“Considering past incidents, the Emperor is probably being cautious.”

The reason for the Emperor’s invitation of the Mage Tower and the Verdun family to the palace, despite their strained relationship, was rooted in an incident with foreign envoys during the reign of the previous Emperor.

Before that incident, neither the Verdun family nor the Mage Tower had a presence in the palace. The Imperial family had always been hostile towards them, obstructing their businesses and withholding permits for magical items. The temple also joined in the exclusion, and the nobles remained silent, naturally isolating the two factions.

“They’re probably worried about another incident, like a war.”

The memory of that event had made the Imperial family wary, leading to the inclusion of these powerful yet distrusted entities in the palace during crucial times.