Calix crossed the banquet hall under the gaze of countless pairs of eyes.

Thanks to the Queen’s overly enthusiastic welcome, his mood had soured considerably.

His golden eyes, resembling those of a beast, gleamed more sharply than usual and an unmistakable savage pressure radiated from him, spreading through the gathered nobles.

Those who had initially approached him intending to speak were instinctively pushed aside by his overwhelming intimidation, unknowingly parting the crowd and clearing a path before him.

This allowed Calix to survey the banquet hall without interruption.

The throne and the seat beside it, reserved for the Queen, remained empty.

The royal couple had clearly not yet made their entrance.

The hall was filled with dazzling light, music, and endless conversation. Because of this, none of the nobles seemed remotely aware of the disturbance that had occurred only moments earlier.

Calix himself had no intention of drawing attention to the assassination attempt either.

If there was even the slightest chance that it could interfere with his plans for tonight, it was far better for the incident to be forgotten.

Calix stopped thinking and continued forward.

His cold gaze swept across the crowd until it finally rested on a head of striking crimson hair: Prince Kreset.

His half-brother, who had inherited Queen Valietta’s fiery red hair.

The moment Calix started walking towards him, quiet murmurs spread throughout the banquet hall.

It had been a very long time since the two half-brothers had stood face to face, both personally and publicly. Naturally, the assembled nobles were instantly curious.

Because of Queen Valietta, Kreset had always felt uneasy around Calix.

While Calix could hardly claim to be close to his half-brother, he saw no reason to deliberately avoid him.

“It’s been a long time, Brother.”

Despite being the younger brother, Calix bore a closer resemblance to the elder brother, with his tall stature and body hardened by years of battle.

Looking down at Kreset with his naturally domineering gaze, he greeted him casually.

“Ah… Calix.”

Kreset clearly had not expected Calix to approach him first, and awkwardly shifted his eyes.

His gaze wavered uncertainly.

“It’s been eight years. You don’t seem particularly happy to see me.”

“…N-No, that’s not true. I’m relieved to see you returned safely.”

Only after a delay did Kreset add a stiff congratulations for the victory.

At that, Calix let out a faint laugh.

“You needn’t force words you don’t truly mean.”

Kreset’s complexion immediately paled.

Despite his familiarity with noble manners and refined speech, it seemed that his half-brother still struggled to adapt to Calix’s bluntness.

Of course, if he had wanted to, Calix could have chosen his words more elegantly.

But that was not out of consideration for Kreset.

There were simply too many people nearby, and he was exercising the bare minimum amount of caution because of them.

“Please tell the queen that I received her welcome quite well.”

“Welcome…?”

Kreset blinked in confusion.

Looking at Calix’s innocent face, it was clear that he knew nothing. This only served to deepen his sneer.

It seemed that mother and son did not communicate very well.

Still, there was no reason why he could not enlighten the boy.

“Let’s just say that the queen, who finds my face unbearably unpleasant, tried to stop me from entering the banquet hall.”

“…!”

When he heard the implication that there had been an assassination attempt, Kreset’s eyes visibly wavered.

Calix found this reaction almost amusing.

After all, this was not the first time the queen had tried to kill him.

The Kreset he knew was far too soft-hearted to possess the ruthlessness required to eliminate a political enemy.

Despite his mother’s hands already being drenched in blood, Kreset alone had remained untouched — like a blank sheet of white paper without a single stain.

Should he admire this extraordinary maternal devotion, which had ensured that only her own hands were dirty and preserved her son’s innocence?

“It couldn’t have been Mother. She would never deliberately draw attention on the day meant to celebrate your victory…”

So that was why Kreset could defend his mother so easily.

As he listened to his half-brother speak in the Queen’s defense, Calix suppressed a mocking laugh.

Unlike Calix, Kreset genuinely seemed to believe that the Queen was innocent.

Calix reached for a wine glass on the table.

In truth, whether the Queen herself had ordered the assassination was almost irrelevant.

Either way, the mastermind behind it was bound to be one of the nobles acting at her behest, or someone closely connected to her.

After taking a small sip of wine to wet his throat, Calix finally spoke.

“You are quite filial. It’s a truly admirable sight.”

It was a mockery of the way Kreset always hid behind his mother to ensure his own safety.

Kreset bit down on his lip.

Looking down indifferently at his half-brother, whose eyes seemed filled with a strange sense of injustice, Calix said,

“If you have something to say, then say it.”

Kreset’s lips parted several times before he finally spoke in a deeply subdued voice.

“…No. It seems I’ve wasted your time for nothing.”

With a dark look lingering in his eyes, Kreset turned away.

As he watched his half-brother retreat without saying a word in his defense, Calix sneered quietly.

He held no personal grudge against Kreset.

However, the mere fact that Kreset was Valietta’s son meant that Calix felt no obligation to greet him warmly or engage in pleasant conversation.

Just as Leticia had been killed simply for being his fiancée.

Just as House Gracie had been wiped out for supporting him.

Beneath the brilliant fragments of shattered light, he remembered once dancing with a girl who shone even more brightly than the chandeliers above them.

She had asked him to be her partner for the first dance of her debutante ball.

And he had promised her that he would.

Calix quietly buried the memory once more, lingering only briefly on a promise that could never now be fulfilled.

There would be time for sentimentality later.

After all, he had come to this banquet for a reason: to obtain something from his father.

Guildford, who had gone after the assassin, still had not returned.

While waiting for him, Calix casually entertained the nobles who approached him and eventually drained the remaining wine in his glass in one gulp.

Then—

Despite having remained tightly closed until now, the doors of the banquet hall slowly began to open.

A servant loudly announced the arrival of the royal couple.

The nobles, who had been engaged in conversation, immediately fell silent and turned towards the entrance.

As the king and queen entered the banquet hall together, everyone lowered their heads in respect.

King Philip walked down the crimson carpet with the dignified air of a ruler.

Beside him, Valietta — dressed in extravagant finery for the occasion — wore a graceful, flawless smile.

Her eyes were so gentle and elegant that no one would ever suspect that she had orchestrated an assassination attempt only moments earlier.

The queen’s gaze settled upon Calix.

Calix returned her smile willingly.

She was already imagining how entertaining it would be to watch that elegant face twist and crumble in ruin.

King Philip took his seat on the lavish throne atop the raised banquet hall platform.

Looking down upon the assembled nobles with visible satisfaction, he began to speak.

“Thank you all for gracing us with your presence. I also extend my gratitude for the loyalty shown by those who set aside their busy affairs to gather here tonight.”

After offering several more formal greetings welcoming the nobles, King Philip continued, saying there was something he wished to announce before the banquet officially began.

“As you all know, the reason Gloucester’s army was able to conquer the northern territories this time is thanks to Prince Calix and his brave knights. Therefore, I intend to grant Calix a great reward here tonight.”

The king’s gaze turned toward Calix.

At the mention of a great reward, murmurs spread among the nobles.

“Prince, come forward.”

Answering the king’s summons, Calix stepped toward the platform.

“If there is something you desire, then speak it. Whatever it may be, I will grant you one wish.”

Fortunately, his father had not forgotten the promise he had made to him.

Had the king become so senile as to forget their agreement, that would have been disappointing in its own way.

Above all, Philip should be grateful for his father’s stubbornness.

Valietta had undoubtedly fought desperately to overturn the king’s decision, but Philip had refused to yield.

Allowing this brief thought to drift away, Calix finally spoke.

“I gratefully accept Your Majesty’s generosity, and I do indeed have one request to make.”

King Philip had already awarded the knights and soldiers who took part in the campaign against the barbarians generous rewards.

In addition to the war reparations demanded from the defeated kingdom, Gloucester amassed vast spoils from the war.

The king benefited little more than from the glory of Calix’s achievements, but the effect on the nobles was undeniable.

For this reason, every noble present watched Calix closely, eager to see what reward he would ask for.

Having suffered a devastating defeat, the barbarians were forced to sign a humiliating treaty and surrender part of their territory to Gloucester.

The rich mineral deposits hidden deep within the northern mountains would make an exceptionally valuable reward.

Alternatively, Calix might request a prosperous port city, which would generate enormous wealth through trade.

“The iron from the north is said to be exceptional quality, is it not? If he wishes to forge stronger weapons, surely he’ll ask for iron mines.”

“What nonsense. If one must choose, then naturally it should be an ice-free port. There are already many eager to establish new trade routes.”

A quiet buzz of speculation spread through the banquet hall.

All eyes were on Calix, waiting for him to speak.

All the nobles present knew that Queen Valietta and Calix were direct opponents.

Naturally, there was immense curiosity surrounding his decision.

Until now, the balance of power between them had remained relatively equal.

However, after leading the war to victory, Calix’s influence had grown considerably stronger.

So it was only natural that the nobles were eager to see how he would try to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with the queen.

Calix was fully aware of their expectations.

Relishing the calculating gazes of the nobles weighing profit against loss, he slowly swept his eyes across the hall before finally turning back towards the throne.

Looking directly at the king and queen, Calix finally spoke.

“I request the restoration of House Gracie.”

House Gracie was a noble family that Valietta destroyed on fabricated charges of treason long ago.

Demanding their restoration would be tantamount to declaring war on Queen Valietta herself.

“H-House Gracie…?”

A request that no one had anticipated caused an uproar throughout the previously quiet banquet hall.

Murmurs spread like ripples across still water.

After all, since the Queen had prepared such an enthusiastic welcome for him, wasn’t it only fitting for him to reciprocate with an equally impressive gift?

Having just openly declared war against his longtime enemy, genuine amusement glimmered in Calix’s golden eyes.

As he watched the Queen’s elegant expression slowly twist, he arrived at a deeply satisfying conclusion.

Fortunately, it seemed she liked the gift he had prepared for her very much.