The Velius Grand Duke’s castle stood at the edge of the central hill in the inner fortress. Though it appeared close from a distance, climbing the path actually took quite a long time. 

The people from Flora Village were soon panting heavily, which was understandable since this path was primarily designed for nobles traveling in carriages rather than people walking on foot. Lesia, however, could reach the castle without any effort as she rode in a cart.

Up close, the Grand Duke’s castle appeared even more massive and somehow carried a heavier atmosphere. It was so large and tall that it cast shadows everywhere. Having never seen such an enormous building in her life, Lesia tilted her head all the way back to take it in.

Meanwhile, Uncle Gayton from Flora was completing the entry procedures. 

“We’re from Flora Village, here to attend today’s banquet. We are 66 people in total, and here is our official document.”

When Uncle Gayton presented the official document, a knight verified its authenticity, lowered his spear, and allowed them inside. The castle interior was teeming with people gathered for the banquet, with maids and servants frantically running around to guide them to the banquet venue. A maid was also assigned to the Flora Village people.

“Are you the people from Flora Village?”

“Yes, we are.”

When Gayton nodded, the maid pointed toward the inner area and said, “Please follow me this way. The people who arrived earlier are already waiting.”

She was referring to Uncle Chalson and Grandma Lulu. The villagers’ expressions brightened, having been worried about the two people whose whereabouts they couldn’t confirm. They followed the maid to the designated location.

The Grand Duke’s castle was truly vast, appearing even larger than ten Flora Villages combined. The fact that residents from all villages under the Grand Duke’s territory could gather here without making it feel crowded spoke volumes about its scale. 

Lesia remembered what Grandma Lulu had told her: “The Velius Grand Duke family enjoys power even greater than the imperial family.”

Power, wealth, and military strength – Lesia, who knew little about nobles let alone the imperial family, couldn’t even imagine how magnificent it all was when she heard the stories. 

But after seeing the outer and inner fortresses of the Velius Grand Duke’s castle with her own eyes, she felt she could grasp at least a fraction of its grandeur. 

It was an entirely different dimension, a world that commoners like Lesia couldn’t dare to dream of. She couldn’t close her mouth, overwhelmed by the wonder of it all.

Now that she had experienced even just the exterior, Lesia became even more curious about the young master of this family who was supposedly around her age. 

The young master of the Velius Grand Duke family, the future Grand Duke of Velius, the person destined to become the most powerful figure in the Aker Empire to which Lesia belonged. It felt strange and fascinating to think about someone her age living in such a different dimension. 

Perhaps if she was lucky, she might even get to meet him once?

While Lesia was lost in these hopeful thoughts, the Flora Village residents arrived at the banquet hall. The venue was an outdoor banquet hall, larger than Flora Village itself. Everything in sight was beautiful and splendid. Tables covered with white cloths and iron chairs with delicate engravings were placed throughout, with designated seating for each village.

Flora Village, befitting its status as the outermost village, was assigned the least noticeable seats on the periphery. The tables were arranged in a circular formation, with a temporary stage in the center for dancing and performances. 

Above, a canopy-like structure had been erected with lace that fluttered gently, decorated with flowering vines. People looked around in amazement, with the Flora Village residents showing the most wonder. Their earlier promise to remain composed so as not to appear inferior had already evaporated at the sight of the magnificent banquet hall.

“Lesia, dear?”

Hearing someone call her name, Lesia turned her head. Her expression immediately brightened. 

“Grandma Lulu! Uncle Chalson!”

It was Grandma Lulu and Uncle Chalson who had been waiting at the banquet hall and approached after spotting the Flora Village people. Not expecting Lesia to have come along, their eyes widened to the size of large marbles. 

“How did you get here…?”

Jordan stepped forward to answer their questioning looks. 

“I’m sorry. It was my fault.”

The villagers who had become friendly with Jordan overnight came to his defense. 

“There was an accident.” 

“We’ll keep a close eye on Lesia, so please don’t worry too much.” 

“Hmm… Juliana, are you alright with this?”

When Grandma Lulu looked at her and asked, Juliana exhaled deeply and replied, “What can I do now?”

It was true. What could be done at this point? 

Nevertheless, Grandma Lulu couldn’t shake off her uneasy expression. Noticing this, Lesia cautiously approached and tightly grabbed the sleeve of Grandma Lulu’s dress. Grandma Lulu looked down at her.

“I’ll behave well. You don’t need to worry. Really.”

“…”

Although she had strictly opposed Lesia’s attendance, Grandma Lulu was actually the person in Flora Village who was weakest when it came to Lesia. Faced with Lesia’s downcast eyebrows and sparkling eyes, looking like an abandoned puppy, Grandma Lulu couldn’t continue her objections. Finally, just as Juliana had done, she sighed deeply and gave her silent permission.

At this, the expressions of the villagers, including Lesia, brightened. Chalson, who had been anxiously watching from the side, felt the same way. 

As they sat and caught up with each other, night fell before they knew it. The next moment, the lights in the banquet hall came on, and a person walked toward the center.

* * *

“You should be able to hold out for a while.”

Before the banquet began, Teresa handed something to Cesar. Standing like a doll with unfocused eyes while dressed in a black tailcoat, Cesar received it. It was a necklace with a red stone embedded in it.

“It’s a magic stone that calms the curse. Its effect won’t last long, but it should help you endure until morning. Don’t let it fall off your body under any circumstances.”

“…Yes, Mother.”

With a monotone response, Cesar put the necklace around his neck. The moment the jewel touched his body, he felt a lightness, as though a burden had been lifted. Seeing Cesar’s complexion change dramatically, Teresa slightly furrowed her brow.

‘If only we could supply these in large quantities, we could endure the curse.’

Magic stones were extremely rare minerals, found only in tiny nail-sized pieces even in special mines. Even the Velius Grand Duke family couldn’t freely purchase such precious minerals. The nail-sized stone around Cesar’s neck was of tremendous value, taking decades to collect that much.

So tonight was their only chance – the opportunity to find a companion who could take on Cesar’s curse. As the sun set and the silver-blue moon began to rise, the lights in the banquet hall turned on, and the light also filtered into the room where Teresa and Cesar were.

With backlighting on their faces, Teresa firmly gripped Cesar’s shoulders and spoke gravely. 

“No matter what happens, you must find your companion.”

“…”

“You’ll recognize your companion the moment you see them. You absolutely cannot miss this chance. Once you find them, bring them to me.”

At these words, Cesar, who had been standing still like a soulless doll, raised his head and met Teresa’s eyes. 

Cesar resembled Teresa to a remarkable degree – the jet-black hair color, the deep red eyes, and the somewhat cold impression. But the most similar feature was their eyes, which made it impossible to guess what they were thinking.

Despite being her son, Teresa found Cesar difficult to understand. Perhaps that was why she tried to control him so strictly. With their eyes locked, Cesar opened his mouth. The boy’s unbroken voice cut through the darkness and spread quietly.

“Mother, what if that companion doesn’t want to come to me?”

Teresa slightly frowned at this unexpected question. But she soon answered without hesitation, firmly. 

“That won’t happen.”

“…”

“The moment you set your eyes on your companion, you will be the only one left in their world.”

At that moment, something flickered in Cesar’s red eyes. Teresa lowered her head and whispered in Cesar’s ear.

“If you want something, you take it. You are the one who will become the master of Velius.”

At Teresa’s words, Cesar lowered his gaze. The master of Velius – would such a future ever come to him? 

No one felt the shadow of death more keenly than Cesar did. He was already sick of all this talk about curses and companions. Even if the Velius lineage ended with him, Cesar just wanted to escape this seemingly endless pain.

But knowing how his mother, the Grand Duke of Velius, would look at him if he voiced such thoughts, Cesar simply kept his mouth shut. After closely examining Cesar’s expression, Teresa stood up and said as she left the room:

“All the lights will be turned off in the middle of the banquet. If you blend in among the people then, no one will recognize you.”

Since Cesar rarely left his room due to his weak constitution, very few servants knew his face. 

“You must, absolutely must find your companion. For the sake of Velius.”

With those words, Teresa left the room. After staring at the closed door, Cesar approached the window. The banquet was taking place in front of the separate building where Cesar was staying. The crowd of people looked like a swarm of ants.

‘My companion is among them?’

Cesar let out a hollow laugh.