Chapter 14 – A New Beginning (Part 5)

The guards bowed in apology, but Tartenon didn’t tell them to rise. Even as another carriage arrived, the guards remained bowed, unable to stand until Tartenon permitted it. As the Northern Grand Duke showed his anger, the guards struggled to breathe under the pressure.

Reubellina didn’t feel Tartenon’s imposing aura directly, but she sensed the atmosphere. She realized Tartenon was engaging in a power struggle with the guards.

Not intending to intervene, she simply watched. The nobles arriving behind them were the ones who felt the most discomfort.

Tartenon didn’t intend to move until he received an apology from the guards. Bowing wasn’t sufficient.

Finally, unable to withstand the pressure, the guard apologized on the spot.

“We apologize for the disrespect, Your Grace.”

Only then did Reubellina and Tartenon move away, allowing the guards to turn their attention to the next arriving nobles. The tense atmosphere left the arriving nobles too intimidated to speak back to the guards and they entered the annex quietly.

“The guards are unusually tense todayl” 

“…….”

Tartenon’s stern expression didn’t soften. No one had ever shown such disrespect to the Northern Grand Duke. Even the imperial knights, always showing respect due to his status as a Sword Master, had never behaved this way. Today’s behavior was unprecedented.

From the guards’ attitude, Tartenon could roughly guess what the imperial family had planned.

‘They’re either trying to oust me or separate Reubellina.’

Regardless of the target, the impact would be significant as the two were practically one.

He was glad he had preemptively stationed knights. Noticing a palace spy passing by, Tartenon exchanged glances with him. The spy rarely showed himself unless it was urgent, so his presence indicated something pressing.

Unable to leave Reubellina, Tartenon signaled the spy with his eyes. Understanding the signal, the spy hesitated nearby before quickly departing. Tartenon deliberately moved closer to a palace decoration where the spy had looked.

Since they were on the way to the banquet hall, Reubellina followed without suspicion. Tartenon deftly retrieved a note the spy had left.

Before he could read it, they arrived at the banquet hall. Finding a moment to read the note was difficult as the palace was always under surveillance.

‘It might be better to read it at the banquet.’

With Reubellina holding a fan, he could use it to discreetly read the note.

The higher one’s status, the later they preferred to enter the banquet hall. Arriving late drew more attention. As long as they didn’t miss the start time noted on the invitation, it was fine. Nobles of Tartenon’s rank typically aimed to arrive just before the start time.

“Shall we look around the annex first?” 

“No need.”

Usually, banquets held in the annex allowed for a tour of the surroundings, but Tartenon declined her request. He didn’t know what traps the imperial family might set if they wandered around. In such a situation, it was better to head straight to the banquet hall. Thus, Tartenon chose to go directly to the banquet.

Reubellina understood his intention and remained silent. It was better to be among the many nobles in the banquet hall, prepared for whatever might happen, rather than giving the imperial family any pretext.

‘Ha, really.’

Forcing her reluctant steps, she found herself at the banquet hall entrance. The attendant announced their arrival.

“Presenting the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of the North!”

With the announcement, the doors to the banquet hall opened.

***

The first impression Reubellina had upon entering the annex’s banquet hall was the blinding light. The hall was like a paradise, seemingly having cost a fortune. Though many palace banquets had been held, none had been as lavish as this.

“They must have spent a lot.” 

Tartenon remarked cynically. Reubellina nodded involuntarily, sharing the same thought.

Other nobles seemed to share the same thought. The extravagance of the banquet hall was so overwhelming that it diverted attention even from the entrance of Tartenon and Reubellina. If this was the imperial family’s strategy, it was effective.

A small fountain of chocolate and another of wine stood on either side, catering to distinct tastes. Next to the chocolate fountain, a variety of colorful desserts sparkled. Sugary treats, especially those coated in sugar, were dominant. The high price of sugar in the capital seemed justified now.

‘Oh, those yellow sugar-coated treats look like gold coins.’

The cookies shaped like gold coins, stamped with the Freynante Empire’s emblem, were popular. Noblewomen and ladies were already gathered around, discussing the cookies.

The wine fountain area was dominated by male nobles, likely due to the various drinks and beverages available. Realizing it would be difficult to stay together, Reubellina and Tartenon understood the deliberate placement of the food.

‘Why did they arrange the food like this?’

The arrangement of food in a banquet could reflect its theme. As someone who had hosted banquets, Reubellina always paid attention to food placement. This was the first time she saw a banquet that openly segregated men and women. She wondered what could be the purpose of this banquet.

Reubellina tightened her grip on Tartenon’s hand. Sensing her anxiety, Tartenon led her further into the hall. Some nobles glanced away from the desserts and wine to observe them.

“The Grand Duke is here.”

“He’s quite famous these days. They say the North has made a lot of money.”

“My daughter was bragging about buying a Stella stone. What’s so pretty about a gem that commoners like, huh!”

“But it has a nice meaning, doesn’t it?”

Reubellina could hear the nobles murmuring. The noblewomen and young ladies were also whispering.

“Today’s headpiece on the Grand Duchess is something I’ve never seen before.”

“Oh my, it must be from the North. You can’t find designs like that in the capital.”

“Indeed. She didn’t buy her accessories from the capital’s jewelers this time.”

“She used to lead the trends in the capital, and now she’s leading them in the North as well.”

“Ah, the Stella of the social circle has become almost meaningless now.”

“Of course. Princess Selena has practically taken on the role of Stella. It’s a relief that the Crown Princess is so meek.”

“Right. Otherwise, we’d be struggling to appease two imperial ladies.”

From the bits of conversation she overheard, Reubellina could gauge the recent happenings in the social circles. She almost clicked her tongue but bit it to avoid being rude.

She knew the Crown Princess well. A woman who had almost handed over her family’s rights to the imperial family after marrying Monterno.

‘It’s not surprising she lost everything when they were determined to take it.’

Like Reubellina, the Crown Princess was the daughter of a family that owned the most famous mine in the Freynante Empire. However, after marrying Monterno, the ownership of the mine changed. Since then, she had lived quietly in the Crown Princess’s palace, not attending any social events.

Due to her quiet nature, rumors had once circulated around Reubellina. There were whispers that Reubellina, aspiring to be the social Stella, was deliberately hindering the Crown Princess’s social activities. However, those rumors completely disappeared after Reubellina became engaged to Inferno.

“Now that I think about it, it’s strange.”

“What is?” 

Tartenon leaned in towards her. Though she had spoken to herself, he had heard and brought his face closer to her ear. Worried that nobles might see her flustered expression, Reubellina opened her fan to half-cover both their faces. At the same time, she noticed Tartenon unfolding a white piece of paper.

To avoid suspicion, Reubellina didn’t glance at the paper. If her eyes moved towards the paper while Tartenon was reading it, it might reveal that they were doing something behind the fan.

‘What is he doing in such a crowded place?’

Though taken aback, Reubellina smiled at the people beyond the fan. Confirming their smiles in return, she blinked at the sound near her ear.

A smacking sound accompanied Tartenon’s face moving away. Simultaneously, she saw the nobles blushing. Awkwardly laughing, Reubellina turned to Tartenon, forgetting to cover her reddened ears.

From a distance, their actions appeared like those of a newlywed couple. The nobles murmured, commenting on how lovely they were. Tartenon seemed to have finished reading the note. He was empty-handed, and the note had disappeared.

‘What was that about?’

It must have contained significant information. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have read it in such a crowded banquet.

“Reubellina.”

When she heard Tartenon’s low whisper, Reubellina was certain something was wrong.

“Is there a problem?”

“I need to step away for a moment.”

“You’re leaving the banquet hall?”

“I’m heading behind the curtains.”

Tartenon casually mentioned knowing the secret passages of the palace, making Reubellina almost turn her head sharply. She managed to maintain her composure but thought internally,

‘How extensive is the North’s intelligence network?’