Chapter 19: The Emperor’s Birthday Banquet (4)  

“Haha, do friends really need a reason to meet?”  

“Ah, yes…”  

Chloe answered blandly.  

‘Even if friends, isn’t there usually a reason to meet?’  

Strictly speaking, they weren’t even friends.  

As she stared at him without adding anything further, Kaishan placed a hand over his chest as if he were hurt. But the faint smile on his face gave away that it was all an act.  

“It’s sad you won’t even humor a joke. In truth, I came looking for Helena. I haven’t had my first dance yet because we’ve been chatting about various things.”  

In other words, he was here to ask Helena to dance, not Chloe.  

His love for his younger sister was evident even here. Considering he’d once said he’d only marry a woman Helena approved of, it wasn’t surprising.  

Chloe recalled Helena’s letters. Helena had once grumbled about how difficult her life was because of her brother, who was the most eligible bachelor in the Empire, despite having passed the typical age for marriage.  

When he had failed to propose successfully at the founding anniversary banquet, Helena had immediately started matchmaking Kaishan, and it was clear there was some reasoning behind her actions.  

‘No wonder there were noble ladies trailing after him.’  

Most of them seemed to be aiming for the Crown Prince’s second dance. Their eyes gleamed with sharp determination as they subtly competed with one another.  

Chloe suppressed a weary expression and looked at Helena. Helena seemed like she wanted to chat a bit longer, but with her beloved older brother and a crowd of nobles waiting, she sighed as if she couldn’t keep them waiting any longer.  

“Your Highness, when exactly do you plan to get married?”  

“Well, don’t you think you should decide that for me?”  

“You always act so picky when I introduce someone to you.”  

“Haha, forgive me. I have my preferences too, you know.”  

“It’s excessive for a Crown Prince to talk about having preferences. At this rate, your bride will be chosen for you by force…”  

“Helena, you’re not one to talk.”  

“At least I’m pretending to search for a spouse.”  

The golden-haired siblings bickered but still held hands affectionately. After giving a light farewell to Chloe and Tehis, they headed toward the dance floor.  

As the nobles followed the royal siblings in droves, Chloe glanced at Tehis. She had initially intended to join the crowd, but the arm around her waist showed no sign of letting her go.  

“When will we dance?”  

“I don’t mind dancing at any time, but for now, everyone’s attention will be on the Imperial Family. Didn’t you say your goal was to avoid standing out too much?”  

“That’s true…” 

The presence of the Crown Prince and Princess was too overwhelming to make Tehis the center of attention. Besides, her relatively poor dancing skills would be blatantly obvious in comparison.  

‘To be honest, I feel like I’ve already achieved today’s goal.’  

Hadn’t we provoked the Emperor quite thoroughly?  

The distorted expression on his face was still vivid in her mind. Though she had stepped in to mediate in the middle, she hadn’t expected someone else’s anger to feel so satisfying.  

Recalling this, Chloe glanced at the Emperor’s seat. She saw him engaged in a serious conversation with several high-ranking nobles and individuals who appeared to be envoys from foreign nations.  

The nobles seemed to have already presented their gifts and dispersed, leaving fewer people around him.  

‘Now that I think about it, is the Second Consort here?’  

Chloe’s gaze shifted behind the Emperor. Three women who appeared to be his wives were seated there, but it was difficult to tell who was who.  

The only thing she could infer was that the woman sitting closest to the Emperor must be the Empress.  

‘She might not even be here.’  

From what she’d heard, the Emperor had four wives, so the absent one was most likely the Second Consort.  

As she scanned the beautiful women, Chloe belatedly realized that a pair of green eyes identical to Kaishan’s were looking directly at her.  

“Ah.”  

Their eyes met.  

Chloe quickly averted her gaze from the Empress’s kind and gentle smile. She had no desire to get further entangled with the Imperial Family here.  

Fearing she might be called over, she abruptly dragged Tehis to a secluded corner.  

“Is something wrong?”  

“No, it’s nothing. Um, aren’t you hungry?”  

“It is about time to feel hungry.”  

Tehis didn’t press her for what she was hiding and let it go. Instead, he picked up a simple dessert from a nearby table and held it up to her lips.  

Without realizing it, Chloe opened her mouth and began chewing on the egg tart he offered. Then she paused. It had felt so natural that she almost let it slide, but wasn’t this the first time he’d fed her without her asking?  

Before she could dwell on the thought, Tehis offered her a small piece of fruit. Chloe accepted it again without hesitation and enjoyed the refreshing taste before picking up a piece herself and holding it out to him.  

“You eat too, Tess.”  

Naturally, Tehis didn’t refuse her gesture.  

As the two spent a moment together, unsure whether it was an affectionate display or just a quiet break, an unexpected guest appeared.  

“It’s been a while, Grand Duke Escalante. You look well, I see.”  

“Duke Fernand. Do you have business with me?”  

Chloe followed Tehis’s gaze. The first thing that caught her eye was a familiar head of red hair.  

A middle-aged man, with traces of age etched into his face as wrinkles, greeted them with a relaxed smile. He resembled Demian Fernand but had a much more composed demeanor.  

“Let’s just say it’s a belated courtesy call.”  

“And only now, you say?”

Duke Fernand brushed off Tehis’s cold words without a hint of concern.  

Considering this was their first private conversation, it was only natural for Tehis to be wary. In fact, the Duke would have been disappointed if Tehis hadn’t been defensive, so his smile only deepened.  

“I’ve heard some very interesting news today. Aren’t you curious, Grand Duke?”  

“……”  

This doesn’t feel good.

Sharing the same thought as Tehis, Chloe cast a soundproofing spell around them.  

Wasn’t Viscount Mureki, who had dealings with the dark mage, connected to the Duke Fernand family? 

Worried that the conversation might touch on sensitive topics, she took at least this minimal precaution.  

“Oh, is this the great magic of the Elder Mage? Is it soundproofing?”  

“Yes, so feel free to speak.”  

“Haha, I see…”  

Duke Fernand stroked his short beard thoughtfully, a faint smile on his face. Then, he said something completely unexpected.  

“I have a son, you see. Would you consider taking him as your second husband?”  

“……?”  

Has he gone senile?  

“Duke, your nonsense is going too far.”  

While Chloe was still questioning her own hearing, Tehis stepped forward. He moved in front of her, shielding her with his body, and glared coldly at Duke Fernand.  

A chilling killing intent radiated toward the Duke. Even though it was an intangible attack that could have made an ordinary person faint, the Duke remained completely unbothered. Instead, he smirked and shrugged, his demeanor almost shameless.  

The second Sword Master of the Empire, Britan Fernand.  

The first Sword Master lived as the Emperor’s shadow, so in terms of free individual power, Britan was the strongest.  

“It was just a joke, Grand Duke. It seems I can’t even pretend to be friendly with the mage without being frightened.”  

“You’re terrible at jokes, Duke. Instead of pretending to be friendly, why don’t you keep your distance?”  

Chloe cut in bluntly, wrapping her arms around Tehis’s waist. Peeking out from behind him, she smiled brightly.  

“As you can see, my darling is very jealous.”  

“……I see. That does seem to be the case.”  

Duke Fernand, hit directly by her straightforward words, nodded obediently. In truth, his suggestion hadn’t been a joke, but he hadn’t actually expected her to meet Demian, so he let it go easily.  

“Why don’t you just deliver the news you mentioned earlier and enjoy the banquet, Duke?”  

Tehis’s sharp tone made Britan chuckle lightly. He didn’t even bother hiding the fact that he wanted the Duke to say his piece and leave.  

One of the Duke’s goals had been to build rapport, but that was clearly impossible now. Still, he hadn’t expected much from the start, knowing their personalities wouldn’t align. Holding back his urge to stir the pot further, he spoke in a calm voice.  

“I heard that the Grand Duke’s lover has a dark friend. Were you aware of this?”  

“……!”  

Chloe barely managed to swallow a gasp.  

He was talking about Lucas. She had expected suspicions about the trade scene or mentions of contact with the dark mage, but this…  

‘Did Lucas directly speak with Duke Fernand?’  

Chloe held her tongue, unable to discern the exact circumstances. However, she tightened her grip on Tehis’s arm, knowing that her friendships could be a liability to him.  

Tehis, as if to reassure her, placed his hand gently over hers and patted it. Rather than reacting emotionally, he looked at Duke Fernand with calm, steady eyes.  

With only circumstantial evidence, nothing could be proven, and the Duke himself was someone entangled with the dark mage. It was obvious that he had a specific purpose for bringing this up.  

“What exactly are you trying to say?”  

“Oh, it’s nothing much. I just noticed that your resentment toward His Majesty seems quite strong today…”  

Duke Fernand began speaking leisurely.  

He had spent years away from the Empire, attending to diplomatic matters while participating in the birthday banquets of his daughter, who had married into a foreign kingdom. This meant he only had the opportunity to observe Tehis once a year, at these events.  

Last year, all he had seen was Tehis squabbling with the Princess, which had made the idea of recruiting him as an ally seem impossible. After all, wasn’t Tehis the man who had silently endured the Emperor’s unjust treatment and focused solely on leading the North?  

But today, seeing him openly provoke the Emperor and draw clear boundaries with the Crown Prince, Britan’s perspective had shifted.  

And now, he had just the right information in hand. A top-tier sword expert and the ruler of the North, who had an Elder Mage as his lover—this was the perfect opportunity to bring him into his fold.  

‘It feels like my birthday.’  

With a sly smile, Britan took a step closer to Tehis.  

Even with the soundproofing magic in place, he moved his lips discreetly, ensuring that no one could read them. Dangerous words slipped out in a near-whisper.  

“I was merely considering arranging a meeting with someone who could open a new future for you.”