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chapter 53
It was around the end of the dance with Teansis. The doorman standing at the entrance shouted in a booming voice:
“His Majesty, the Emperor of the Valkanus Empire, has arrived!”
It was my first time seeing the emperor in person, so my gaze naturally turned toward the entrance.
Soon, the emperor entered with a dignified stride. From the crown atop his head and the royal emblem on his attire, it was immediately clear that he was the emperor.
Resius Septaro Valkanus.
Emperor Resius was a middle-aged man who looked frailer than I had imagined. Yet his eyes shone with the intelligence of a highly esteemed scholar.
At his entrance, all the nobles in the ballroom bowed as if by agreement. Teansis and I did the same.
“Your Majesty, we greet you! Long live the Valkanus Empire!”
Resius chuckled and took his place on the main seat on the dais. Looking at the nobles, he spoke in a cheerful voice:
“Thank you all for coming. Let’s enjoy ourselves today.”
The nobles responded in unison:
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Then, the doorman’s voice echoed again from the entrance:
“Her Majesty, the Crown Empress of the Valkanus Empire, has arrived!”
“Her Majesty, the Empress of the Valkanus Empire, has arrived!”
With an aura so elegant it could steal the attention of anyone, Caleska—the Crown Empress—entered the ballroom alongside the kindly-looking empress.
Caleska, the Crown Empress of the Valkanus Empire, was well-known. She was the emperor’s mother and wielded immense power, enough to control the empire with a single hand.
Originally a princess of the Delak Empire, she had married into the Valkanus Empire long ago through a political marriage and ultimately became the Crown Empress.
Since the party was held in honor of the emperor’s birthday, even Caleska, who was usually hard to see, had made an appearance.
The nobles in the ballroom bowed again in greeting:
“We greet Her Majesty, the Crown Empress, and Her Majesty, the Empress!”
Caleska gestured gracefully to acknowledge their bows. Strangely, even that alone exuded authority.
The nobles were technically bowing to both the Crown Empress and the Empress, but the Empress remained silent, simply smiling beside her. Somehow, it seemed to represent the hierarchy of power.
As I quietly observed them, Teansis, standing beside me, asked softly:
“What are you staring at?”
“Oh, am I? It’s just… it’s a bit fascinating to see members of the royal family for the first time.”
Teansis looked somewhat surprised but, true to his word that he wouldn’t press me if I was uncomfortable, he replied calmly:
“It’s rare for the Emperor, the Empress, and the Crown Empress to gather in one place. In that sense, today’s party isn’t so bad.”
I could sense a certain consideration for me in Teansis’s words.
He wasn’t prying, nor did he look down on me for seeing the royal family for the first time—he just reacted naturally.
Unconsciously, I looked up at him. Despite being much younger than me, he sometimes appeared surprisingly thoughtful.
Noticing my gaze, a small smile appeared in his eyes. Seeing him make such an expression didn’t feel strange anymore.
At that moment, a royal messenger approached us and bowed:
“Greetings to Duke Acruze and Lady Fredov.”
Teansis’s gaze immediately turned cold as he looked at the messenger:
“What is it?”
“The Emperor requests your presence.”
Turning my head, I saw Resius looking in our direction.
Feeling that this wasn’t my place, I stepped back quickly:
“Then I… shall take my leave…”
But my words were cut off. The messenger quickly added:
“His Majesty wishes to see the lady who danced with Duke Acruze for the first time as well.”
“Ah…”
It was my first time seeing the royal family in person, and I had never imagined I would be summoned so closely.
Seeing my flustered expression, Teansis whispered softly beside me:
“Understood. Let’s go now.”
“Yes, Duke.”
The messenger finished relaying the message and returned to Resius.
As I momentarily panicked, Teansis whispered softly:
“No need to worry.”
Reflexively, I turned to meet his gaze. Teansis’s eyes met mine, and he quietly continued:
“Stay right beside me.”
Strangely, hearing his words made my racing heart calm. Worries about what to say to the emperor or making mistakes gradually faded.
I found it curious how calm I felt, so I stared at Teansis. He let out a small smile and whispered lowly:
“If you look at me with such an awed expression…”
Teansis pointed playfully at his chest with a finger, then leaned toward me and whispered so only I could hear:
“You’re making my heart race too much.”
My face, which had calmed, now burned with heat again. I looked at him, my face flushing bright red, and he gave a faint smile.
It seemed like no woman could resist that smile.
Suppressing my pounding heart, I said to Teansis:
“L-Let’s go. His Majesty must be waiting.”
I wanted to use the emperor’s summons as an excuse to escape the situation, but it wasn’t possible to delay any longer.
Teansis nodded and escorted me to the emperor’s seat. As we walked, he whispered:
“If you get too nervous talking to His Majesty, hold my hand.”
“Your hand, Duke?”
“I’ll handle it somehow.”
“Handle it… how?”
“Whether I carry you out or change the conversation, I’ll make sure everything’s fine. Don’t worry.”
Naturally, my gaze fell on Teansis’s gloved hand.
Since the party had many guests, Teansis wore gloves, so I couldn’t feel any warmth during the escort.
Then, as if sensing my thoughts, Teansis removed his gloves and escorted me with his bare hand, as if ensuring I could hold it anytime.
Surprised, I looked at him, and he replied casually:
“It’s natural to want to do anything for a woman you like.”
His calm confession made my heart race faster and my face heat up again. Each of his words set me aflame.
Until meeting him, I never paid attention to whether my heart was beating properly, but now I felt its rapid thumping as if discovering something new.
It was amazing.
I had long admired Teansis, but the closer I was to him, the more new emotions seemed to grow.
— I like you. I’ll chase you even if you run, but don’t go too far—let me catch you.
I felt less and less capable of running away from him.
With Teansis’s escort, I reached Resius. We both bowed once again.
“Your Majesty, we greet you.”
“You greet the Emperor, Your Majesty.”
Perhaps intentionally, Teansis walked slightly ahead of me, forming a protective barrier between me and Resius.
Looking at his sturdy back, my chest tightened.
Resius stood up with a delighted expression and approached Teansis, grasping his hand:
“I sent word wanting to see you, but you didn’t come. Even in the capital, you stayed at the Kamar Academy and didn’t show your face. Isn’t that a bit much?”
Teansis, who usually disliked contact, showed no reaction now.
“My apologies. I’ve still much to learn, so I stayed at the Academy for lessons.”
He lied without changing his expression, even though he had said few professors could teach him.
Resius laughed, seemingly aware of this:
“Are there many at Kamar Academy who can teach you? Be it swordsmanship or academics, I thought you’d have nothing left to learn.”
“I believe arrogance is poison, so I revisit what I already know.”
Wow. Teansis’s response left me speechless.
I had only ever seen him at Kamar Academy, so seeing him in a social setting like this was new.
I suddenly recalled what Zerga once said:
—He’s always known how to act to get reactions from people. What’s so good about such a clever man to women?
“Clever”—maybe that was right.
But Teansis’s social skills impressed me.
Teansis was Duke Acruze, ruling the North. Every word he spoke carried weight unlike anyone else’s.
“I know Duke Acruze is busy, but I’d like you to visit often. We won’t see each other much when you go North.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
After speaking with Teansis, Resius turned to me. I flinched but tried to remain composed.
“Are you Lady Fredov?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“This is the first time seeing your face. I’ve heard many rumors about you. I didn’t expect you to dance with Duke Acruze, though.”
Apparently, dancing with Teansis was a noteworthy matter.
Reading my puzzled expression, Resius continued:
“The princess asked the Duke to dance, was rejected, and cried for days. Ha ha.”
Listening to this, I vaguely understood why Resius wanted to see me. He seemed to hold Teansis in great regard while speaking joyfully about the past.
“I-I apologize.”
Unsure what to say next, Teansis anticipated my hesitation and spoke first:
“I met Lady Fredov at Kamar Academy. I owe her a lot, so she asked to dance first.”
“Many ladies must have wanted to dance with you, yet Lady Fredov took that honor.”
I bowed slightly, embarrassed. Teansis glanced at me affectionately.
Being beside him, my tension slowly melted. Even standing before the emperor, his presence was comforting.
Teansis then shifted the topic:
“For His Majesty’s birthday, I brought good liquor from the North.”
“Oh, only you know me well,” Resius said, hugging Teansis’s shoulder and moving to another spot, seemingly to drink together.
“You may leave now, Lady Fredov.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I bowed politely, relieved that I didn’t have to answer any difficult questions about the Fredov family. Teansis’s guidance had prevented any mishaps.
I silently sighed in relief and stepped back.
At that moment, the Crown Empress Caleska approached:
“Oh, isn’t this Duke Acruze?”
Teansis noticed her and greeted her, but his expression stiffened compared to when he was with Resius.
Not only Teansis—Resius also looked slightly awkward.
“Mother, you have arrived?”
“Your Majesty, you seem clever. I wonder if the people of the empire cheer more for Duke Acruze than for your own procession.”
Resius glanced at Teansis and replied:
“Well, the Acruze family are heroes who stopped the war in the Taran Forest…”
“Which empire has a hero more famous than the emperor?”
“Don’t say that. Duke Acruze is technically part of the royal family too.”
As Resius said, Teansis had succession rights because his mother was a princess of Valkanus. Remembering this made the situation clearer. Resius had a half-sister who was Teansis’s biological mother, making Teansis practically his nephew.
“So that’s why His Majesty seemed so fond of the Duke earlier?”
Resius’s gaze at Teansis held genuine affection beyond politics.
But Caleska was different. Teansis’s biological mother was her stepdaughter, so despite being family, their royal connection was weaker.
Caleska said:
“Duke Acruze, tell me. Didn’t you think the cheers were louder for you than for His Majesty when entering the capital?”
It was a question where a wrong answer could be a serious mistake.
I swallowed nervously. Teansis, however, remained unfazed, as if experienced in such matters.
“Crown Empress, I believe you are mistaken. The cheers of the people are always for His Majesty. I’ve never felt otherwise, so I don’t know how to answer you.”
I almost gasped.
Teansis had subtly denied Caleska’s assumption and extricated himself gracefully—a perfect answer.
Caleska frowned in displeasure, but Resius simply laughed approvingly.
“Duke Acruze is correct. I don’t think I felt any difference either.”
Caleska looked at Resius, clearly unimpressed that he sided with Teansis.
“He is my son by birth, yet sometimes I cannot understand the Emperor.”
Even so, Resius smiled gently and calmly. He released Teansis’s shoulder and quickly guided Caleska in another direction.
“Now that I think about it, there’s something I want to show Mother. Duke Acruze, the liquor you brought can wait.”
“Whenever you wish, Your Majesty.”
Resius looked satisfied with Teansis’s answer, but Caleska didn’t follow immediately.
When she resisted, Resius said softly:
“Today is my birthday, Mother.”
There seemed to be a subtle power struggle between Caleska and Resius.
Eventually, Caleska reluctantly moved:
“…What are you planning to show me?”
“Ha ha, you will be surprised, I think.”
With that, Caleska and Resius walked off. The moment was brief, but it felt tense.
Teansis immediately came to me and held my cold, tense hand. The warmth from his hand seemed to melt my anxiety.
“Good job.”
He didn’t say much, but I understood he meant I had endured the tension between Resius and Caleska. Ironically, the one who truly worked hard was Teansis.
I cautiously asked:
“Is it usually like this?”
I spoke vaguely to avoid eavesdroppers, yet Teansis seemed to understand:
“Compared to normal, this is mild.”
Though he answered casually, I felt uneasy. I could sense his struggles in these brief moments.
As I followed him down from the emperor’s dais, I heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
Instinctively, I turned—and my eyes widened.
Standing there, looking straight at me, was my eldest sister, Medina.
Frozen with my mouth open, Medina cautiously asked:
“Belia… is that you?”
