After a brief moment of silence, Letier quickly composed herself, grasping the hem of her dress as she gracefully bowed.
“…Though my abilities are lacking, I am simply glad if I was able to be of any help to His Highness.”
“Such humility, as always,” the Empress remarked with a benevolent smile, nodding slowly.
“Since you will soon be returning to the Lenever territory, I must ensure you receive an appropriate reward before you leave.”
“I appreciate Your Majesty’s generosity.”
“Then, please enjoy the rest of the banquet.”
With that, the Empress withdrew her gaze, and one by one, the surrounding nobles followed suit, their attention shifting away from Letier.
“Prince Dante will now return to his duties. I trust you will all support him well,” the Empress added in a formal tone.
A few nobles nodded in response.
As soon as she was certain that no one was looking at her anymore, Letier let out a quiet sigh and straightened her back.
One thought dominated her mind—she needed to speak with the prince and find out what was going on.
“…I still don’t understand my mother,” Aiden murmured beside her, exhaling softly.
“Pardon?”
“That calm face of hers… I have no idea what she’s thinking.”
Letier looked up at him silently.
His expression wasn’t calculating or cautious—it was simply frustrated, confused.
Looking at his composed features, she suddenly wondered if Aiden might actually know less about the Empress than she did.
“Ah, Lady Letier! Do you recall our previous conversation about Inse root tea?”
Catching her gaze, Aiden suddenly changed the subject, his expression instantly lightening.
It was an abrupt shift.
“Oh, Inse root tea! That… well…”
“It’s alright. It has been a long time—you might not remember.”
Aiden smiled kindly.
Letier only knew that Inse root tea was something given to young children, but she couldn’t figure out what connection it had to Aiden.
“Could it be that we met when we were younger?”
At her question, a brief flicker of delight crossed Aiden’s face.
“Are you remembering something?”
Letier hesitated before shaking her head apologetically.
“Sorry, not quite… I just guessed, since Inse root tea is something you only drink as a child.”
“Ah, I see.”
Aiden’s smile dimmed slightly, but only for a moment.
After a brief pause, he spoke again.
“It seems the memory isn’t with you. In that case, as a generous man, I shall give you the answer myself.”
Letier chuckled at his playful tone and nodded, feeling slightly guilty.
She prepared herself to listen carefully and recall whatever she could.
“We did meet as children.”
“Where? At the Lenever estate?”
“In the Imperial Palace.”
The palace…?
Letier narrowed her eyes slightly, searching her memories.
If it was during her childhood, she likely visited the capital while staying in the palace for her mother’s medical treatment.
And around that time…
It was vague, but she might recall attending a social gathering for noble children at the palace.
“I think I remember something,” she said slowly.
“At the time, I was a child who despised drinking Inse root tea,” Aiden said, a playful glint in his eyes. “I ran away at every opportunity, but my attendant always caught me and forced me to drink the awful thing.”
“Haha! That’s adorable.”
“I was serious about it, though. I truly believed I’d one day escape unnoticed.”
Smirking, he continued,
“One day, while hiding in a secret spot only I knew, I met a young girl.”
“…And that girl was me?”
“That’s right.”
Letier wracked her brain.
She had few memories of childhood friends from her brief stays in the capital.
Most of them had scattered back to their own territories, and after her mother’s passing, her grief-stricken father had kept her close.
She glanced at Aiden.
He was still smiling, as if recalling something fond.
That’s strange…
Even if I don’t remember the encounter, surely I would’ve remembered that striking silver hair…
Deep in thought, Letier instinctively reached out and picked up another wine glass from a passing waiter’s tray.
“You must really like the wine.”
“Yes! It’s delicious—I keep reaching for it.”
“It’s made from fruits grown right here in the palace. The taste is sweet, but it has a high alcohol content, so be careful.”
Aiden nodded as he naturally continued escorting Letier.
“For now, let’s set aside the blurry memories and take a walk around?”
“Sure.”
Letier followed the Crown Prince as they slowly strolled through the ballroom, listening with genuine interest as he explained the history and hidden stories behind various statues and portraits.
“…And this painting here,” Aiden stopped in front of a modestly sized portrait, “is a commissioned work by a famous artist from the Retronian Empire, requested by Her Majesty the Empress.”
Encased in an elegant frame, the painting depicted Rosenthal with a gentle smile, her features drawn with masterful precision.
She was adorned in an emerald-green dress, the fabric embedded with real gemstones so dazzling they almost seemed to glow.
“Wow… What an incredible painting! And the Empress’s dress is breathtakingly extravagant.”
“It’s my mother’s favorite piece. Oh, and this is a secret…”
Aiden leaned in, lowering his voice near Letier’s ear.
Curious, Letier instinctively moved closer to hear him better.
“…She sent an entire cart filled with Espialde gems to the artist just for this one commission.”
“Oh! So those gems are Espialde?”
“Yes. The artist painstakingly broke them down and embedded them into the painting. Whatever remained likely ended up in his personal collection.”
“Just how much Espialde are we talking about? I can’t quite picture it…”
Letier thought of Espialde, the most coveted gemstone in the Trillante Empire.
It was incredibly rare and difficult to obtain, so much so that even high-ranking nobles could only acquire small amounts.
A single pair of Espialde earrings was enough to draw admiration all day long.
And yet, a whole cart of it had been sent for a painting?
“Well… It’s enough to buy food for the entire Trillante population for a year—with plenty to spare.”
Aiden chuckled, as if he found the story amusing.
But Letier’s smile vanished instantly.
He had meant it as an exaggerated way to express the painting’s worth, but she couldn’t help feeling deeply unsettled.
“Enough to feed the entire empire for a year…?”
She recalled her visit to the western district of the commercial sector months ago.
The gaunt faces of starving people, the sickly children…
If spent wisely, that kind of wealth could have helped so many.
And yet, it had been poured into this single portrait—placed in a ballroom for decoration.
“The moment it was unveiled, the capital was in an uproar, full of admiration. My mother surely felt not the slightest regret for the cost.”
Letier turned to Aiden with a conflicted expression.
Did he truly believe the painting was worth that price?
Did it never occur to him that the Espialde could have been used for something more meaningful?
“Your Highness.”
Just then, Patrick approached without making much noise, speaking in a low voice.
Aiden turned his head slightly, listening to his attendant’s whispered words.
His expression briefly stiffened before he turned back to Letier.
“Lady Letier, I’m afraid I must apologize—my mother is calling for me.”
“Oh! Please, don’t worry about me—go ahead.”
“…I’ll return as soon as I can.”
Aiden hesitated for a moment, looking reluctant to leave, but soon followed Patrick and disappeared into the crowd.
Letier absentmindedly watched his retreating figure before shifting her gaze back to the portrait.
All that money for a single painting…
She stared at the opulent artwork, glittering even more brightly under the chandelier’s glow, feeling a strange heaviness settle in her chest.
“Letier.”
A familiar voice fell into her ears.
She instinctively turned her head, finding Dante standing there with a rigid expression.
Something about seeing him without his mask stirred an unfamiliar feeling inside her.
She remained silent, simply staring at him.
Meeting her gaze, Dante spoke, his voice slightly hesitant.
“Can you step outside with me for a moment?”
