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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: An Uneasy Dinner
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As evening fell, guests began to trickle into the banquet hall.
Though it was a small banquet, the atmosphere was as splendid as any grand feast.
“Did your guest not join you?”
Once everyone was seated, Emperor Perseus turned to Romeo and asked.
Romeo calmly put on a regretful expression.
“She said she suddenly felt unwell, perhaps from the fatigue of our travels. I made sure she was asleep before I came.”
“I will send a physician to her after the banquet.”
“That won't be necessary. A good night's rest should be enough, so please don't worry. If she is still unwell by morning, I will let you know through an attendant. Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.”
The guests glanced at Romeo, impressed by his impeccable etiquette.
As musicians began to play, attendants started serving the food.
Throughout the meal, Emperor Perseus would suddenly find himself staring into the distance.
His inability to focus was due to the events of the previous night.
Yesterday, the final day of the festival, had been his and Elizabeth's wedding anniversary.
More than twenty years had passed, yet he still longed for his wife.
Unable to bear the longing, he had gone to that place. And there, as if in a dream, his deceased wife had appeared before him.
*I must have been mistaken...*
By the time he came to his senses, the knights had already carried him back to his chambers.
But there was something strange.
One of the knights who had come to retrieve him was found unconscious in front of the cottage door.
Furthermore, around the same time, a small commotion had broken out at the northeastern gate of the palace.
Believing someone might have infiltrated the imperial palace, a search was conducted throughout the early morning.
But a thorough search revealed no trace of an intruder, nor were any items missing.
*Something is not right.*
The figure he had seen last night was too vivid to have been a dream.
That was why he had ordered his soldiers to find out if any woman with light green eyes had entered or left the palace.
Fortunately, nothing further occurred, but security for those entering and leaving the palace was strengthened severalfold. A search of the palace interior turned up no suspicious individuals. The culprit must have already escaped the palace grounds, so only the gates were placed under strict surveillance. He had also ordered a mage to investigate the cause of the knight's sudden collapse.
Perseus scanned the attendees of the banquet.
Today's gathering had been arranged to find a suitable young man to be Yuriana's fiancé.
Cedric and Damian, though not yet married, were already engaged.
Now, it was Yuriana's turn.
In truth, Perseus had no desire to see Yuriana married off, but the Empress had been adamant.
Empress Marianne, seated beside him, was observing the young men one by one with a benevolent gaze.
Her gaze toward Prince Romeo, in particular, was tinged with disappointment.
This was because when she had asked Prince Romeo a moment ago, he had replied that he was already engaged.
Compared to Cedric and Damian, who still seemed like children, he certainly appeared more mature.
Yuriana, on the other hand, was blatantly staring at Calix, who sat beside Prince Romeo.
Calix himself was paying no mind, simply eating his food, but Yuriana was doing her best to capture his attention.
*He won't even look at me once.*
Yuriana clicked her tongue in her mind.
She had tried her best to appear elegant and graceful for him, yet he blatantly ignored her gaze.
*Is he doing this on purpose? Should I switch my attention to that Romeo person?*
But she had heard that Romeo was already engaged.
Annoyed, Yuriana glanced around the room.
Just then, her eyes met Lute's, who had been watching her.
Yuriana primly turned her head away. The flustered look on Lute's face, which she caught just before turning, was deeply satisfying.
She found Lute's hesitation, his failure to approach her properly, both vexing and frustrating.
That was why she had been staring at Calix all evening—to make Lute squirm a little...
*Brothers Cedric and Damian were just teasing me. That man doesn't like me at all.*
Pouting, she shot a glare at her brothers sitting across from her.
The two had been glaring at Calix, but when they felt Yuriana's gaze, they simply shrugged.
*Yuriana...*
Lute, meanwhile, stole a glance at her profile, his heart aching. His gaze then shifted back to Calix, filled with resentment.
“...”
Unable to bear the stares from multiple people, Calix quietly set down his silverware.
Romeo, sitting beside him, covered his mouth with a hand and asked quietly.
“What is it?”
“They're all staring at me. Are they trying to pick a fight?”
“...Just bear with it.”
Irritated, Calix swept a sharp glare across the room. A few people flinched under his gaze and turned away.
Cedric and Damian, however, continued to glare at him as if he were their mortal enemy.
*Damn it.*
Calix wanted nothing more than to leave.
He felt a humiliating displeasure, as if everyone was staring at his eyes, which had changed to a strange color.
He forced his mind elsewhere.
*I wonder if she's all right.*
The image of the girl from earlier, the one who had reminded him of Leo, surfaced in his mind.
A sudden thirst seized him, and Calix gulped down his champagne.
