055. The Imperial Banquet (4)

‘That can’t be right.’

But isn’t jealousy something you can only feel for someone you like? It could sometimes occur even among friends, but…

Could Lucia really be that kind of person?

‘…I’m not sure.’

On one hand, it seemed plausible; on the other, it seemed impossible. With her tendency toward obsession and possessiveness, jealousy seemed likely, but she also seemed like someone who would easily get bored and wouldn’t invest the effort to feel jealous.

“I really don’t know.”

Lucia furrowed her brow but didn’t bring up anything else, seemingly unsure herself. Owen couldn’t provide a definite answer, so he just moved on. They continued to dance, focusing on the final notes of the song.

“Owen.”

As the music ended, Lucia and Owen stepped off the dance floor. Heading back to their original table, they saw Kyle struggling to deal with a group of nobles.

“Would you stay with the Lord of the Tower for a bit? I need to go somewhere.”

“Somewhere?”

“It’s a banquet, so I need to talk to the other young ladies. And I’m also curious about that young lady we saw earlier.”

The young lady who seemed to be having her debut, the one who had been staring intently at Owen.

“…Alright. Go ahead.”

Though slightly worried, Owen decided it would be fine. The event Lucia had caused three years ago was only briefly mentioned in <The Flower of the Empire>, and he knew she wasn’t one to resort to physical violence.

“Thanks.”

As Lucia moved away, Owen approached Kyle. The nobles surrounding Kyle naturally made way for him.

“Duke Verdun.”

“Your Grace, it’s been a while.”

They were all people who found Owen’s presence welcome. The nobles around Kyle were mostly those interested in purchasing magical items, doing business related to magic, or hiring mages. The remaining were likely drawn by Kyle’s appearance. The former group found Owen’s presence advantageous, be it for business, family benefits, or personal gain.

“Kyle.”

Owen greeted the nobles casually and then called Kyle.

“Ah, you’re back?”

Kyle, looking relieved, responded and stood up with Owen.

“Come with me.”

Owen decided to pull Kyle away from the crowd, seeing how overwhelmed he was.

“Where are we going?”

Though Kyle followed him out of the noisy crowd, he sounded curious. They couldn’t leave the banquet, as their presence was necessary.

“You didn’t seem to enjoy dealing with people.”

“Of course not. I’m already tired.”

Kyle sighed with a weary expression.

“That’s why I hate crowded places.”

Kyle’s tendency to isolate himself in the Mage Tower wasn’t just because of his obsession with magic; he also found social interactions tiring.

“People keep bothering me, but I can’t speak freely to nobles.”

In the Mage Tower, he had to interact with other mages, but it was different. In the tower, social status meant nothing. Power was the only thing that mattered. The higher-ranking mages commanded respect and authority, with Kyle at the top as the Lord of the Tower, unchallenged by any mage.

“Aren’t you tired?”

Kyle found the excessive attention exhausting and assumed Owen felt the same.

“Yes, it is tiring.”

Owen nodded, agreeing. Though he was more accustomed to socializing than Kyle, it was still tiring. Being in a crowded space was stressful.

“So it’s not just me. But why are others so energetic?”

Kyle gestured towards the nobles bustling around the hall, dancing, talking, and mingling.

“People are used to it in social circles. Some even enjoy it.”

“Enjoy it? This?”

Kyle looked incredulous at Owen’s response.

“They must be crazy. Enjoying spouting pleasantries and mingling with people?”

Kyle couldn’t comprehend, and Owen just chuckled.

“Everyone’s different.”

“Even so…”

Kyle shook his head in disbelief. Fortunately, no nobles had followed them as they moved away from the table. The nobles who had surrounded Kyle seemed to have dispersed or started new conversations.

“Oh, is that young lady attending her first banquet this year?”

“Yes, it looks like she’s having her debut.”

“I see…”

“Her estate is in the southernmost part of the empire, so she might not be well-informed about the capital.”

“How unfortunate.”

Overhearing the conversation among some young ladies and noblewomen, Owen realized they were likely talking about the young lady Lucia had gone to meet.

He quickly spotted Lucia standing with the young lady in question. From the distance, he couldn’t see their expressions, but Lucia’s radiant smile was evident.

“Still, she probably just looked at her. Lady Edelte won’t cause a scene over that.”

“She’ll likely just issue a warning today.”

Three years ago, Owen first met Lucia.

-Ah, sorry.

The memory surfaced clearly, like a familiar panorama. It was a voice he liked.

-No need to apologize.

Owen had replied gruffly.

At that time, Owen had answered as he always did—cold and emotionless—but Lucia’s eyes had reflected ripples.

“It seems like an accident.”

Her red eyes, trembling slightly, quickly filled with desire. That moment was probably when she decided she must have Owen.

Wearing a deep red dress as vibrant as her hair, Lucia asked him again, belatedly.

“Would you dance with me?”

* * *

Although she reached out and smiled, his response was silence.

“Not that it’s much, but as an apology. Even if it was an accident, I did step on Your Grace’s foot.”

“Your words make sense.”

“Pardon?”

“As an apology, asking to dance is unusual.”

With that cold remark, Owen turned away.

“Hey.”

Kyle’s voice pierced his thoughts, shattering the memory.

“The Saintess is coming this way.”

The scene of the ballroom three years ago faded, and today’s ballroom came into view. Just as Kyle had said, Bella was walking towards them, accompanied by several young ladies and gentlemen she had met today.

Seeing Bella in her white dress brought back the memory of Lucia in her red dress asking him to dance.

‘Was there such a scene in the original?’

He knew that Lucia had driven away everyone pursuing Owen three years ago, as it had been mentioned. Initially, she issued warnings, then threats, and finally isolated them from the social circle, making it impossible for them to engage in high society. This was easy for her as the center of social life. She would ask the young ladies and gentlemen she associated with to withhold invitations, thereby isolating the targets. If their marriage prospects were hindered, others naturally started to avoid them, making those pursuing Owen disappear from the surface, except for those debuting at the summer banquet.

Knights or businessmen required more complex methods, but…

‘No matter how I think about it…’

However, the first meeting between Lucia and Owen three years ago was never detailed in <The Flower of the Empire>. That made sense. There was no reason to describe the first meeting between a mere villain and the male protagonist unnecessarily.

‘It must be another memory.’

So, this was undoubtedly a memory embedded in his body. A memory Owen alone possessed.

“Duke Verdun, Lord of the Tower.”

As Owen was lost in thought, Bella spoke. She had approached and was now only a step away.

“It’s been a while. Have you been well? It’s the first time since I saw you at the Mage Tower.”

“Ah, yes. The Saintess visited the Mage Tower last time.”

Bella greeted, and Kyle responded, recalling the event.

“Yes, we met then. How did you like the gift?”

“I received it well. It was a blessed gem.”

“Yes, the High Priest prepared it personally.”

Their expressions initially weren’t great. Understandably so, since relations between the temple and the Mage Tower weren’t good. They likely assumed the same applied to the Saintess and the Lord of the Tower. Though that wasn’t the case, Owen being associated with Lucia wasn’t pleasing to Bella. Among those with Bella were nobles who disliked Lucia, notably Crown Princess Daisy Le Freyon and Lady Hannah of the Marquess of Selid.

Before becoming Crown Princess, Daisy had been a count’s daughter who felt overshadowed in society and envied Lucia, the only daughter of a grand ducal family.

‘This is according to the original setting, anyway.’

Of course, he hadn’t seen it firsthand, only knowing from the settings provided by the author of <The Flower of the Empire>. Daisy had an inferiority complex towards Lucia, and Hannah had fallen out with her after Lucia broke off her engagement with Hannah’s brother, leading her to furiously claim Lucia had insulted the Marquess of Selid.

“Go ahead and finish your conversation.”

Since he had no particular interest in them, Owen decided to step away. The most certain thing now was that if he stayed with Bella, Lucia would be very upset. Kyle and Bella were talking now, so he thought it best to leave them to build their relationship. It would be beneficial for both if they got to know each other better.

“Huh? Hey, you-”

“Enjoy the banquet, Saintess.”

Kyle tried to stop Owen, but Owen ignored him. He left a polite farewell to Bella and walked away.

“Wait a moment, Your Grace…!”

He vaguely heard someone calling him from behind, but he didn’t turn back. He had caught sight of Lucia’s red eyes watching him.