Chapter 41

When Erez informed the emperor about the Primae Noctis, he was certain that he would soon be the subject of admiration and respect from everyone. Along with his expectations, he imagined Carlos whispering words of love and looking at him as if he were the most precious person in the world.

However, the reality Erez faced was far from what he had imagined.

Feeling resentment towards Russell, who kept silent without giving him any credit, Erez bit his lip. Unaware of the hidden contributors, everything seemed unfair to him.

Even the hunting competition rewarded the winner, yet he received nothing, not even the slightest recognition.

His dissatisfaction was accompanied by a growing anxiety.

‘What if he has noticed the lies I’ve told?’

Erez felt his heart drop as he stared at the podium. Russell, without a hint of anger, was calmly sipping his drink. It was only after taking in Russell’s composed demeanor that Erez’s anxiety began to subside.

‘Of course. There’s no way he could have noticed.’

If Russell knew the truth about his fake ability, he wouldn’t be left alone like this.

Calming his racing heart, Erez turned his attention to Carlos, who had just arrived with his game. He had been confident that Carlos would easily beat a mere side character like Tereza, but the outcome was different than he had anticipated.

Seeing the victory slip away to someone else filled Erez with frustration.

‘Even if the original story changes, there should be a limit. How could Carlos lose to a mere side character like Tereza? This doesn’t make any sense.’

Erez sighed as he watched Carlos and Tereza shake hands. In his eyes, Carlos seemed to be forcing a smile, even though he didn’t want to.

He decided that he should be the first to comfort Carlos and cheer him up before Aneta could. By doing so, he could finally leave a good impression on him.

With this hope in mind, Erez blocked Carlos’s path. Feeling smug at the thought of Aneta watching him, he put on his best sympathetic expression.

“Are you alright? I was sure you were going to win. It’s such a shame, it was such a close match.”

Carlos, however, remained unfazed. “I lost fair and square, so there’s no reason I wouldn’t be alright.”

Despite Erez’s attempt to show concern, Carlos’s face remained stoic. He was more interested in getting to Aneta than dwelling on the outcome of the competition.

“Do you have something else to say?”

“Excuse me?”

“If not, step aside.”

Carlos’s tone was curt and dismissive, his demeanor cold. Erez, caught off guard by this unexpected reaction, was left speechless. Carlos brushed past him, creating a gust of cold wind with his departure.

While others whispered about Erez’s bold move, Carlos made his way toward Aneta with a determined stride.

“My Lady, I have prepared the things you ordered.”

It was then that the servant who had left with Aneta’s instructions returned.

Carlos looked at the items in the servant’s hands in response to Aneta’s order. The basin of warm water and towels made it clear who they were meant for.

“You prepared these for me?”

His voice, filled with gratitude, was a stark contrast to how he had addressed Erez. The obvious difference in tone made Aneta glance briefly in Erez’s direction.

Erez was biting his lip in frustration, an action that strangely put Aneta at ease.

“Of course, who else would use these?”

Unlike her usual denials, Aneta’s response was a positive affirmation. Carlos’s face lit up with a bright smile.

“Thank you, Aneta.”

Carlos dipped his hands into the warm water and began washing away the animal blood. His actions were as reverent as those of a believer handling sacred objects.

The water, now tainted with blood, was quickly taken away, and the celebration for Tereza’s victory commenced with Russell leading the accolades.

As the award ceremony began, with Russell congratulating Tereza, a tinge of regret surfaced in Carlos.

“It’s a shame, isn’t it?”

Aneta was quick to see through the sincerity that Carlos hadn’t revealed to Erez. As if the time they had spent together was not in vain, she could read the emotions he had not displayed.

“Yes. I even asked you to watch over me.”

The outcome wasn’t bad, but he had wanted to present a more impressive sight, something that would make her proud.

“To me, you looked more impressive than Tereza today.”

Penetrating his innermost thoughts, Aneta once again conveyed the words he had longed to hear.

“Was today a special day or something?”

Carlos’s face turned a deeper shade of red as if it were a natural response. His hands moved to cover his flushed face, making Aneta smile even more.

“Are you embarrassed?”

Carlos, unable to conceal his increasingly reddened face, could not respond to Aneta’s question. Only the tips of his ears, still flushed, betrayed the state of his heart.

***

The following evening, as Aneta arrived at the palace, she touched her mother’s necklace around her neck before stepping out of the carriage.

The maids had subtly expressed their hope that she would wear a different necklace for the occasion, but Aneta had chosen to ignore their suggestions. It wasn’t just because she never wanted to part with it; up until the day before, she had considered wearing something else.

Her mind changed the moment she tried to remove the necklace. As her hand touched the clasp, Aneta felt a strange intuition that she should not take it off.

She couldn’t explain the source of this feeling, but she couldn’t ignore it either.

‘How strange.’

No matter how deeply Aneta tried to delve into the emotions that captivated her, she seemed unable to make any progress, as if something was blocking her way.

Swallowing a sigh, Aneta stepped out of the carriage, organizing her complex thoughts.

The palace was bustling with nobles gathered to attend the banquet.

While the extravagantly dressed guests were waiting to enter, Aneta stood at the front of the line as the guest of honor.

It was then that she became aware of the familiar gaze reaching her from behind.

Glancing briefly over her shoulder, she confirmed that the owner of the gaze was Carlos, who had just arrived. She then returned her eyes to the front.

“It seems your eyes don’t approve of my dress, my ex-husband.”

It was obvious where Carlos’s gaze had landed. As Aneta stepped through the open doors, she spoke.

The dress Aneta had chosen for this evening’s banquet was a white lace gown adorned with small diamonds, forming a circular pattern around the bodice.

Carlos’s eyes were fixed on the dress’s back, which was daringly open, as if it were his mortal enemy, and Aneta couldn’t help but point this out in a casual tone.

“No matter how much you glare at it, the missing fabric isn’t going to magically appear.”

“Aneta. I just don’t like the thought of anyone else looking at you inappropriately.”

Carlos recalled the swarm of admirers that had buzzed around Aneta the day before, grinding his teeth silently. The act of tying a handkerchief around her wrist and boldly kissing the back of her hand had all been to ward them off.

“Whether we’re divorced or not, I have no right to dictate your clothing choices. What you wear is entirely up to you.”

Carlos tried to calm the turmoil inside him by stating the obvious truth.

The conversation did not continue as his lips pressed together, for familiar faces had come into view.

From a distance, someone raised their hand in a friendly greeting; it was Tereza. Beside her were Serce, Vernon, and Chris.

“Those four, that’s an unexpected combination.”

“I agree.”

Aneta nodded at Carlos’s observation. The sight of them together was striking, given their vastly different appearances, personalities, and auras.

They had connections, but their interactions rarely went beyond greetings. Seeing them all together sparked a curious feeling.

It was like a bouquet made up of flowers with entirely different characteristics.

“But they look good together.”

“Perhaps they are connected through you.”

“That’s too much of a stretch.”

“Is it?”

Carlos followed Aneta as if it were the most natural thing to do. Along the way, his gaze met Serce’s, but the exchange between the two was not a greeting, but a clear display of mutual wariness.

‘There’s that face again.’

Even though Serce was Aneta’s friend, Carlos couldn’t bring himself to like him.

How could he see him in a positive light when Serce’s demeanor changed every time he encountered Aneta?

‘If only he was someone approaching Aneta for her wealth like the others, dealing with him would have been much easier.’

Carlos swallowed a heavy sigh, recognizing that Serce, in every way, was more of a benefit than a harm, making the situation even more complicated.

Meanwhile, Aneta, having greeted those welcoming her, scanned the hall with indifferent eyes.

While the atmosphere yesterday, stained with the blood of hunted beasts, had been aggressive and fervent, today it was quite the opposite.

A sweet, pinkish aura seemed to be floating everywhere, spreading a sugary scent.

Amidst the saccharine ambiance, Aneta spotted Erez, who was smiling with narrowed eyes. Still upset over being ignored by Carlos the day before, he was now busy engaging with those around him rather than approaching Carlos.

Normally, when a noisy person behaves calmly, one would feel relieved that the day would pass without incident. Yet, Aneta felt even more uneasy and turned her gaze away.

Just then, the sound of trumpets announcing the emperor’s arrival echoed through the hall.

“The merciful sun of the empire, His Majesty the Emperor, is entering!”

Russell appeared, exuding a dignified presence as everyone lowered their heads, he walked gracefully on the red carpet. Instead of heading directly to the podium as expected, he stopped in front of the seemingly bored Aneta.

“Your face looks bored even before the event has begun, Marquis Adenauer.”

“That is a misunderstanding, Your Majesty,” Aneta refuted in a calm tone, but Russell did not seem convinced.

“You’ll probably only be able to enjoy the banquet for a short while. So don’t make such a face and enjoy it while you can.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“You’ll find out soon.”

Russell’s ambiguous words left Aneta looking at Carlos for answers. Carlos, however, simply shook his head silently, indicating he knew nothing either.

Russell often set the stage without even giving Carlos a hint.

Aneta was convinced that the inexplicable anxiety that had been troubling her since morning must be due to this. She wanted to ask again, but Russell, having said what he wanted, moved on as if he had no further business with her.

Naturally, Carlos followed in his wake. Russell spoke to him in a subtly suggestive tone.

“Carlos, if you’d like to remain by Marquis Adenauer’s side, you may do so.”

“No, that’s alright.”

Carlos shook his head firmly, interpreting Russell’s subtle suggestion as an insinuation of something significant.

Though Carlos wanted to stay by Aneta’s side throughout the banquet, he knew better than to make an impulsive choice. He wasn’t young or inexperienced enough to neglect his duties for a momentary desire.

“Alright then, do as you wish.”

Acknowledging Carlos’s refusal, Russell nodded and took his seat at the throne at the end of the podium.

A mysterious loud noise echoed soon after.