◈ 179. [Side Story] Victory Party (3)
“… … Where is Ash?”
At this one word muttered by the emperor.
slap!
Everyone’s eyes at the party turned around like dominoes, and then they all focused on me.
“yes?”
I mumbled stupidly,
“… … Hiccup.”
Princess Yoon next to me started to hiccup.
The emperor, who found me, nodded and started walking slowly along the carpet into the grand banquet hall.
‘ah.’
It was only then that I realized why the Emperor sought me first.
Behind the emperor, envoys from the Northern Kingdom followed closely, and in front of them stood people with ivory hair like Princess Yun.
Allies of the Northern Front led by the Aryan Kingdom.
The emperor met with them first, had a meeting, and then attended a party here.
I don’t know, but there must have been a story about strengthening the alliance, and naturally, the marriage story between me and Princess Yoon would have been mentioned.
rumble… … .
When the emperor walked, the people split to the left and right as if they had promised, and widened the road, even though the road was already wide enough to the left and right of the carpet.
It seems that the sea is parting.
“ash. Follow me.”
The emperor stood next to me and softly… … But he commanded me in a deep, heavy voice.
“There was also a princess from the Aryan Kingdom. Come with me.”
How dare you not follow?
Yun and I calmly followed the emperor and walked on the carpet. Everyone in the hall focused on me and Yun, who were closely following the emperor.
“Abama.”
Fernandez, who was waiting in the middle of the carpet road, bowed his head to the emperor.
“Fernandez.”
The emperor nodded and chined back.
“Follow me.”
“yes.”
Joining the line, Fernandez gave me a wink. I smiled bitterly.
“Abama.”
Lark, who was waiting at the end of the carpet road, lowered his head. The emperor chuckled.
“Lark. Let’s go up together.”
“It is an honour.”
Lark did not join the line, but stood next to the emperor and walked the end of the carpet together.
The carpet was cut under the platform at the innermost part of the banquet hall. The Emperor, Lark, Fernandez, and me and Yun stood on top of the platform.
Flutter-!
The emperor, standing at the top of the platform, turned around halfway around and looked back toward the great banquet hall.
The red cloak hanging from his back drew a circular arc in the air.
“Listen, my subjects!”
The nobles who were bowing their heads toward the entrance quickly got up and bowed their heads again toward the platform on this side.
The emperor shouted in a clear, ear-piercing voice.
“Currently, Everblack is facing an unprecedented and unprecedented crisis. Crisis is brewing everywhere, on all sides and inside the country.”
It was a sudden, heavy speech that did not suit the atmosphere of the party, which had been lightly excited just a moment ago.
However, the existence of the emperor itself was sufficient context and probabilities.
As he led, the atmosphere in the audience naturally became serious. All nobles listened attentively to the emperor’s story.
“Jim struggled for a long time to resolve this situation. And meanwhile, my eldest son, Larc, solved the troubles of the West.”
When the emperor pointed to Lark standing next to him, Lark bowed respectfully to his father. The emperor smiled broadly.
“You are truly proud, my son.”
“Everything is thanks to Obama.”
The nobles below the stage began to clap as if they had promised. clap clap clap… … !
Applause filled the banquet hall. The emperor waited for the sound to subside before opening his mouth again.
“Today’s place was held to praise Lark’s achievements. However, everyone should keep in mind. That there are still other crises, and they are strangling Everblack.”
The Emperor turned to Fernandez.
“In order to overcome this crisis, we must first solidify the country’s internal affairs.”
Fernandez smiled and bowed. The emperor smiled at his second son as well.
“We will also have to build stronger relationships with our neighbors and our allies.”
The emperor turned his gaze to the envoys of the northern allies standing below the platform. The envoys also looked up and bowed their heads.
“That’s why I’ll announce it here!”
The emperor spread his arms out in front of him and shouted out loud.
“The engagement between my third son, Ash, and the second daughter of the Aryan kingdom, Princess Yoon!”
“… … !”
As I had guessed, I was calm, but Princess Yoon’s shoulders trembled in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected an affirmation to come out of this.
“The relationship between the brave kingdoms of the north and us, Everblack, is no longer just an alliance! It is a blood oath!”
Blood oath.
At that word, smiles bloomed on the faces of the envoys from the north.
After all, there is no way for two distant countries to become closer than having an in-law relationship.
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“My subjects! We ask for warm hospitality to guests from far away.”
The emperor smiled cheerfully, pointing at the northern envoys.
“You are no longer a guest, but a member of our Everblack family.”
clap clap clap… … !
I don’t know if the imperial etiquette includes how to clap, but in any case, as if they had been trained, the hall was filled with loud applause.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to refuse this wedding talk, but… … .”
Amidst the loud applause, Princess Yoon let out a small sigh.
“I didn’t know you would make an announcement like this today.”
“Iknow, right. I didn’t know that it would go on like this.”
This time, they said they would just say hello to each other. The emperor simply pulled out the bullhorn and threw it away. Except for the opinions of the two of us.
“Well, our opinion doesn’t matter.”
Yun smiled faintly at me.
“Since I was born into a royal family and have lived well, I have to pay the price in this way at least.”
Yoon held out his hand towards me.
“Please take good care of me, Mr. Seo.”
“… … .”
I hesitated for a moment, but carefully reached out my hand and held her hand.
Then Yoon’s bright yellow eyes, like wild animals, flashed humorously.
“Then, where is the empire’s number one playboy… … Shall we see how well you dance?”
The next moment, Yoon pulled me in. Whoa?!
‘what?! Do you think you’re stronger than me?!’
They said, “Because it’s muscular, so brave like a bear.”
Yoon led me down the platform and ran to the center of the party at once.
I was dragged helplessly. Seeing us like that, people laughed and whistled.
Yoon, who led me to the center of the party, bowed at the waist to show my embarrassment.
“Because it’s like this, I’ll become the main character of this party.”
“What do you mean?”
“Originally, the main character of this party is His Highness Prince Lark. However, since our wedding talk was announced, let’s go further. Let’s make it our wedding anniversary party, not a victory celebration party.”
I was dazed for a moment at Yoon’s words, then I smiled.
“I kind of like that.”
I bowed my head and said yes.
The next moment we stood close together, clasping each other’s hands, placing our hands on each other’s shoulders and sides.
The quick-witted orchestra began playing a lively waltz.
And me and Yun started dancing.
Everyone in the grand banquet hall and the emperor’s eyes were on one body.
Round and round. Round and round.
***
“… … .”
Serenade continued to touch the ends of her empty hair.
Her beautiful blue hair, long enough to extend past her waist, was shaved all the way down to her neck.
The end was scorched during the fire last night, so it was shortened like this, leaving only the intact part.
‘I’ve been growing my hair almost my whole life… … .’
Serenade looked at the mirror with awkward eyes.
The bob-cut hair that draped around her neck was acceptable for something done in haste, but nothing compared to the beauty of her natural long hair.
I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night, so my eyes were puffy. I had light burns on my legs, which I covered with stockings, but they were sore.
His face was not burned, but it was still red and hot, as if the heat of the fire had lingered. The makeup didn’t work very well.
All the dresses and shoes I had collected were burned, so I hurriedly borrowed one from a nearby clothing store and put it on.
The problem was that today was the day of the festival, so all the decent dresses were already gone.
Serenade had to choose the best one out of the remaining scraps and wear it.
So, the self in the mirror was a mess.
Her hair was awkwardly short, her makeup didn’t work, and her dress didn’t match.
‘It’s the worst.’
To attend a big party hosted by the imperial family like this. Everyone would be dressed up in style, but he was like a powdered crow.
‘I just want to be stuck in a corner… … .’
but.
– Serenade. Let me just say this. i need you tomorrow
Ash said:
say i need you
He was someone I wanted to look better than anyone else, so I never wanted to show him this.
But if that person needs him, he deserves to run even worse.
So, Serenade got on the carriage. To attend a party held in the imperial palace.
“Hey!”
The maid at the driver’s seat who started the carriage- Elise cautiously spoke into the carriage.
“master. As you may have guessed, those who set fire to the top building yesterday may come again.”
“… … .”
“If they attack again today, it will be dangerous to go to the imperial palace. To a safe place immediately… … .”
“no. I must arrive at the imperial palace.”
Serenade replied with a determined voice.
“It’s not just because of Prince Ash’s request. The road where we Wintersilver guild members can live is also in the imperial palace over there.”
“… … .”
“Please, Elise. me… … Let me reach the imperial palace.”
“… … I understand, master.”
Elise nodded with a hard face.
“No matter what obstacles arise, I will destroy them all, and I will escort my master to the imperial palace.”
“thank you.”
Dag-dak, dag-dak, dag-dak!
It started to run down the road like a carriage flying.
Elysee, who judged that the straight route from the pier to the imperial palace was dangerous, took a long detour and drove the carriage.
Was her judgment correct, or was the enemy’s attack undesirable?
Even though they approached the imperial palace from a distance, there was no attack. Elise took a short breath.
‘Well, today is the day of the festival. There’s no way they would openly attack in such a bustling and snowy situation-‘
… … It was the moment I thought it was.
They had to go through an alley instead of a main road because they had to take a long detour, but the moment they pulled the carriage into the alley, Elise sensed something ominous.
The alley was empty.
In this city, where people came to the festival, there were no passers-by, no merchants, no children playing, and not even beggars begging for a block of this alleyway.
Elise, who sensed the danger, shouted out loud.
“Hold tight, Master!”
the next moment.
Kwajik-!
An arrow imbued with magic that flew in from somewhere became lodged in the wagon’s wheel, causing an immediate explosion.
Elise tried desperately to keep her balance, but the wagon with a broken wheel ended up rolling sideways.
Kudang-tang-tang… … !
Tree splinters were scattered in all directions, and the toppled wagon crashed into the wall of the alley.
All in all, bags of soil and sand had been piled up on the wall, and as the bags exploded, a thick cloud of dust rose up all over the area.
that buck that buck
And through the dust and smoke, five shadows approached.
A dedicated Black Ops squad under direct control of the Imperial Family.
Dark Aegis task force.
Among them, the 4th team is in charge of the assassination mission within the imperial capital.
The hounds of the imperial family rushed in, clutching the crossbow that glowed blue after it was loaded.
