ISPF CHAPTER 102

Once the meeting ended, everyone stood up and left the hall. The banquet held in the imperial palace was a sufficient reward for the long hours they had endured through the tedious meeting. As they walked towards the banquet hall, chatting about what kind of food might be served today, they were filled with excitement.

Retina and Norden were the only ones left in the spacious hall as the crowd quickly exited. When Norden stood up, leaving Retina who remained seated despite the end of the meeting, she was the only one left at the round table.

“I’ll go ahead. I’ll inform those looking for the duke, so come when you’ve calmed down a bit.”

Rather than urging Retina, who was sitting motionless, Norden gave her enough time to collect her thoughts on her own.

Although other nobles might not know, Retina’s feelings for the crown prince were deep enough that she could confidently say she wanted to marry the person she desired. Therefore, no one could interfere with her choice.

One could hardly guess how many different conflicts she had gone through before deciding to go to the North.

“Others are also coming to the banquet, right?”
“Yes. Only the heads of the families gather for the meeting, but their successors attend the banquet. Including His Highness, the Crown Prince.”
“Ha… Thank you. I’ll follow shortly.”
“As long as you don’t take too long, the food won’t get cold.”

With a hand on Retina’s shoulder, Norden passed her and followed the nobles disappearing down the corridor. As everyone left the hall, Retina’s true feelings finally surfaced, and her expression twisted in pain. She had clenched her hands so tightly that crescent-shaped nail marks were deeply imprinted on her palms.

“Huff, sigh, huff…”

Leaning her arms on the table and burying her face in them, Retina took deep breaths. Left alone, she agonized over the severed ties, banishing the image of the duke’s proud face from her mind.

She had wanted to maintain her relationship with the Crown Prince until the end. She had hoped to stay with him, even using the power she possessed.

But the situation she had only heard about was different when she experienced it firsthand. The Crown Prince’s position, which always seemed firm and unshakable, was, as the Emperor said, unstable.

Although he was the only heir to the throne of the empire and had a close relationship with the Deneuve brothers of the noble faction, he had failed to gain the trust of the nobles who formed the Emperor’s faction and could have been his support base.

Therefore, the Duke of Deneuve needed to secure the full support of the noble faction to balance the power dynamics. However, as he failed to secure complete support from the nobles while opposing the Emperor’s faction, his position grew more precarious with each passing year.

Though some followers remained due to the Deneuve family’s active support of the Crown Prince, few noble houses would truly trust and follow him once he became Emperor. Unless there was a generational shift to younger heads of families around the Crown Prince’s age, this situation would not change.

This was the reality the Emperor had spoken of—a reality that could not be ignored, even if one tried to turn a blind eye to it. For Herald, who was about to ascend the throne, the only way to win back the hearts of the Emperor’s faction was to marry a noblewoman from their ranks who would stand by his side.

Retina lowered her arms and swept her face with her hands. This was also a choice made for him. The burden of their responsibilities was too heavy for them to manage based solely on personal feelings.

This was not an issue that could be resolved by strengthening the relationship between the North and the East through her marriage to the Crown Prince, now that she was a Northerner.

“Let the happy memories remain as memories.”

Retina recalled the joyful days she had spent with the Crown Prince when she stayed in the imperial palace not long ago. Even if she could no longer be with him, the memories they shared were enough to sustain her.

“But I regret not telling him first.”

She regretted expressing her thoughts at the meeting before explaining them to the Crown Prince. He might have heard what she said in the hall during the more relaxed conversations at the banquet.

She worried that her declaration that they had no relationship might have hurt him. It was a concern that anyone would find laughable, but Retina was always an exception for him.

“We both knew it, didn’t we? The end of this relationship.”

Muttering to herself, Retina hid her pained expression behind a mask. It was a future she had foreseen from the moment she realized her feelings for the Crown Prince.

Even as he whispered words of love to her, the Crown Prince was always anxious. They both knew the source of his unease. They had merely reached the future they had hoped would never come.

Retina composed herself and left the hall last, following the others.

* * *

The banquet hall was filled with long tables and chairs, adorned with statues and paintings decorating the space. The table, covered with meticulously prepared dishes by the royal chefs, was so full that the tablecloth was barely visible.

The guests seated around the table enjoyed their meals, making a variety of sounds with their cutlery. Some savored their wine, others focused on filling their stomachs, and some took the opportunity to engage in conversation with other nobles. The cacophony of voices created a lively atmosphere in the banquet hall.

Retina entered the hall with her long hair flowing gracefully, making her way through the room without a hint of disarray. The sound of her high heels clicking on the floor drew immediate silence, and the noise of the banquet subsided as everyone turned their attention to her.

In the hushed room, the sound of someone swallowing could be heard as all eyes focused on Retina. While the older nobles, who had already experienced her presence, ignored her with practiced ease, their successors, seeing Retina in her formal attire for the first time, could not take their eyes off her, captivated by her angelic appearance in white.

Amidst this, Retina found her lover almost immediately, but she turned her head before their eyes could meet.

Having heard about the events in the meeting room, he did not approach her immediately. Instead, he stared at her intensely.

If she faced the Crown Prince in this state, it felt as if the carefully constructed wall she had built would crumble. She was afraid that seeing him might make her approach him immediately and reconsider her decision.

Ignoring the eyes following her, Retina walked over to her brothers who were sitting with Norden.

“You’re late.”

“I had some things to tidy up.”

She took a seat next to Haint, who had unbuttoned a few buttons of his tight uniform, clearly uncomfortable, and was carving meat. Across from him sat Sharhim, a noble of the Raglaras family, who had been accompanying them. Despite their previous animosity, which had seemed intense as if they were ready to devour each other, the atmosphere between Sharhim and Haint had softened noticeably after seeing each other daily for the past few days.

It felt stifling, even in the spacious banquet hall, surrounded by such large men.

“You handled the negotiations with the nobles well on your own. The prince didn’t have to step in at all.”

“You’re saying that just to make me feel better. If His Highness hadn’t provided backup every time I was in a difficult spot, I would have surely been swayed by the heads of the families.”

“There wasn’t much to add. It seems that the sharp intellect runs in the family; the Duke handled the negotiations very well. She seemed like someone who had been participating in meetings consistently for a long time.”

“The Deneuve family has always been responsible for negotiations. That fool is the exception. I still can’t figure out how someone like him came from our parents.”

Sat, who was in perfect harmony with Norden, shook his head. Norden also agreed with Sat’s words as he watched Haint, who was focused solely on his meat. The two, who had quickly bonded over their shared experience of having a younger sister through Retina, developed a camaraderie due to their similar ages.

“Retina, you said at the meeting that you’re going to the North.”

“Yes. I meant to tell you first, but somehow it ended up being conveyed to others. I’m sorry.”

“You’ve been pondering this for a long time. So, you’ve made up your mind.”

“Since I’m now the head of the Ignis family, I have the same duty to protect them as Father did and as you will in the future. Even though I’m hesitant to leave the family and the empire I’ve lived in for so long, the people of Ignis will become my family.”

Retina offered a faint smile. Although she had never met them before, seeing Sharhim made her feel that they were all good people.

“If that’s what you think, then I won’t say anything to make you feel bad.”

Sat gently patted Retina’s head. Although he was saddened by the thought of parting with his sister, he respected her decision. The weight of being the head of a family is heavy, and he was proud of her for accepting and enduring all of it.

“You’ll leave after the social season ends, right?”

“Yes.”

“That’s not far off. I’ll have to make sure to see you as much as I can before then.”

Hearing Sat’s gentle voice, Retina felt a chill on the back of her neck and turned around. Haint, with his mouth full of food, had stopped chewing and was staring intently at her.

“Don’t be too upset. Once trade becomes more active, I’ll be able to visit often. I’ll also send letters.”

“Ugh, ugh, uuugh.” (Retina, don’t leave me behind.)

“Haint, finish swallowing before speaking.”

As Haint mumbled with his mouth full, Sharhim scolded him from the side. The two resumed their playful bickering, and Retina, Sat, and Norden turned their heads as if they were unfamiliar with the commotion.

‘I should say goodbye to the others too.’

Seeing Haint so upset despite knowing the situation beforehand made Retina feel that she should bid farewell to the people around her before it got any later.

After picking at her food for a while, Retina lifted her head. Spotting the Crown Prince quietly leaving the banquet hall, she quickly followed him out to catch up.