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Chapter 4
The morning of the much-rumored banquet dawned. As she always had, Anellia sat before the vanity and began to adorn herself alone. She chose earrings and a necklace set with opals, and a headband adorned with pearls. The other imperial family members would surely come out again draped head to toe in gold to show off the dignity of the imperial house. Just picturing that ridiculous sight made her snicker already.
‘Things went better than expected.’
It hadn’t been difficult to coax the Emperor into sending her to Grand Duke Argenté. Grand Duke Argenté also had bright silver hair—a color that could be mapped onto the “white thing” whispered about among the people.
[I cannot keep making Belita suffer forever. For the sake of my beloved Belita, grant me the chance to sacrifice myself, Father.]
Argenté would take on the calamity she brought in Belita’s place. Then Argenté, who had been advancing from victory to victory, would surely be checked, and the imperial palace would shine all the brighter. When she had explained it that far, the Emperor had granted Anellia’s request with remarkable readiness.
[To think you’d have such a thoughtful idea—how commendable. You’ve grown up.]
She had even received praise—something she hadn’t heard a single scrap of in her entire life. Anellia shook off the bitter feeling and finished her adornment.
‘What remains is the Grand Duke’s response.’
In case the Grand Duke refused, the Emperor had already announced to the empire that he would hold a grand banquet. If one refused a publicly bestowed reward of commendation, it would give the Emperor grounds to claim Argenté was being persecuted. With the board laid out like this, an ordinary noble would find it hard to refuse even knowing the reward was the black-haired princess. But if it was the Grand Duke of rumor…
“I need to prepare a little.”
Not a single margin of error could be allowed in the plan. Checking her dress one last time, Anellia slowly rose from her seat. The dress, harmonizing deep green and white, trailed softly along the ground with a pleasant sound.
A splendid chandelier, air dizzy with the mingled perfumes of countless women and the scent of alcohol, music ceaselessly ringing in her ears. And the stinging glares and displeasure directed at the black-haired princess. Amid that chaos, Anellia quickly surveyed the banquet hall.
‘The Grand Duke isn’t here yet.’
Since the banquet had been announced well in advance, there were a great many attendees. From provincial nobles to central nobles, and every member of the imperial family. Not only the most prominent figures but even people from minor houses were gathered in small groups, chatting.
‘This is a complete honey pot, isn’t it?’
Anellia moved to and fro among the people, picking up every conversation that passed between them without missing a thing. Most of it was trivial, but genuine information always emerges from among such things. It was while Anellia was enjoying her own sort of feast that it happened.
“His Highness Grand Duke Luane Argenté enters—!”
The protagonist of the rumors slowly revealed himself. The noisy background music of the banquet continued as before, yet somehow it was only the sound of conversation that seemed to cut off entirely, as if silence had settled. Where everyone’s gaze converged—at the entrance of the banquet hall, a man with silver hair dazzling enough to blind was visible entering with a dry expression.
“I greet His Highness the Grand Duke.”
“Congratulations on your victory.”
“I greet the guardian of Lodeiam.”
Leaving behind the people who all rushed to make an impression, the Grand Duke swept his gaze across the banquet hall without a word. The moment the two red eyes beneath his straight brows sparkled like rubies—
‘Did our eyes meet?’
She was certain. It was only for a very brief moment, but her eyes had met the Grand Duke’s. And in that moment, the corner of the Grand Duke’s mouth seemed to curve subtly.
‘Maybe it’s because he’s a man who’s rolled around on battlefields—his expressions are fiendishly hard to read.’
Thinking that things wouldn’t be easy ahead, Anellia moved her feet slowly. Soon, a subordinate of the information guild she had infiltrated in advance would deliver a note to the Grand Duke. Then Anellia planned to go out to the terrace immediately. As Anellia stopped near the terrace she had designated in advance, a servant who had been waiting approached the Grand Duke slowly with a tray of drinks.
“Your Highness, would you care for a drink?”
Luane glanced at the drinks tray and shook his head flatly.
‘I knew he’d be like that, honestly.’
Anellia clicked her tongue softly. If he had just taken it and drunk, there would have been no trouble. Because she had instructed that if he didn’t accept it obediently, the servant should simply dump the drink all over the Grand Duke’s clothes.
“Gah!”
“My goodness, Grand Duke!”
“What is the meaning of this, you!”
As planned, the servant pretended to step back politely and spilled the drink, and the people nearby glared and berated him.
“I’m sorry, I’m truly sorry, Your Highness!”
The servant wiped the Grand Duke’s clothes and subtly slipped the note into his garments. There was no way the sharp-witted Grand Duke hadn’t felt that. He looked for a moment at the servant who kept bowing his head in apology, then opened his heavy mouth.
“Enough. Withdraw.”
The servant glanced at the Grand Duke’s expression, then made a show of being overwhelmed with gratitude and withdrew. Having confirmed that much, Anellia quickly went out to the terrace. Unlike the noisy banquet hall, the cold air of late winter wrapped around her. In the night sky, now fully cloaked in darkness, the silver stars seemed about to pour down, catching her eye at once.
“Whew…”
Perhaps because she had a clear purpose today, her body was more tense than she had expected. Still, thankfully things had proceeded smoothly up to here—all that remained was to face the Grand Duke and draw him in.
‘He’ll surely be interested in my proposal.’
The reason she had chosen Grand Duke Argenté among all the candidates: according to the information she had gathered, he was definitely a man interested in power. How much time had passed like that? When the cold air had raised goosebumps on her skin, the terrace curtain was pulled aside and the door opened.
“What a surprise. I was wondering whose ridiculous prank this could be…”
Silver hair that sparkled all the more under the moonlight. Red eyes that seemed like a bottomless abyss, or perhaps transparent rubies. The man Anellia had chosen as the final key to her revenge—Grand Duke Luane Argenté. He had come.
“To think it was the noble princess.”
Luane waved the wet paper in his hand with a flutter, openly provoking her. It was a mocking remark, but Anellia actually felt pleased. Because in it there was none of the prejudice against the black-haired princess.
‘As expected, I chose well in picking this man.’
Smiling faintly and gathering her wits, Anellia spoke in a composed tone.
“When this banquet ends, the Emperor will bestow me upon you.”
“…What in the world do you mean, all of a sudden?”
Luane’s brow furrowed deeply. His red eyes also narrowed, revealing displeasure. But Anellia, refusing to grow impatient and striving to maintain her composure, continued.
“He will issue an order for you to marry me as the reward for your victory.”
“How absurd, isn’t it. So, Your Highness the Grand Duke, let us make a deal.”
Luane stared at Anellia without a word. Under that gaze as if telling her to continue, Anellia took a deep breath and brought out the main point.
“Please do not refuse the Emperor’s command.”
“So you’re saying you want to become the Grand Duchess of Argenté?”
“…To be precise, I need a shield called Argenté. One that can protect me.”
“A shield. You must face a great many threats to your life.”
“As you well know, I have many enemies.”
At the sneering remark, Anellia shrugged and answered lightly. Luane’s red eyes glinted, quietly taking Anellia in. Silently enduring that gaze, Anellia opened her mouth again.
“But I don’t even want marriage, so if you speak well to the Emperor, it could be changed to an engagement.”
And once the plan was all over—once the revenge was complete—she could break off the engagement. Because an engagement is easier to break than a marriage. Luane closed and opened his eyes for a moment, as if thinking something over, then asked back.
“A deal requires something to be exchanged. What will you give me?”
Anellia did not answer right away; she tucked her hair behind her ear and caught her breath. From now on was the real thing. Because she had to utter something far too absurd for a powerless princess—one who was lucky just to be alive, a veritable insect—to speak aloud. Luane waited quietly. His red gaze pursued her actions persistently, as if binding her. When Anellia’s black hair fluttered a few times in the breeze, clouding her vision before growing still again—in a small but clear, confident voice, Anellia named what she would offer.
“The throne.”
In that moment, everything seemed to stop. At least, that was how Anellia felt. The sound of the wind, the sound of leaves rustling, the sounds of the banquet hall beyond that door—in a sensation where nothing could be heard, like an illusion where everything had vanished, Anellia said again.
“I will make you emperor.”
Gulp. Did the Grand Duke hear this sound, filled with tension? Anellia’s golden eyes met Luane’s red ones once more. Luane let out a slow breath and placed his hand on the terrace railing. Tap, tap. He tapped the railing lightly, then opened his mouth.
“This is far bolder than I expected—I’m surprised.”
Not an answer like “that’s nonsense,” or “don’t speak such absurdities.” Anellia inwardly cheered and struggled to hold back the corners of her mouth that were trying to rise. As expected, this man—she knew he’d be interested! While Anellia was inwardly exulting, Luane held up the paper from earlier and spoke.
“It’s hard to believe, but… your confidence seems to be connected to this.”
Soaked in champagne and beginning to blur out of shape, it was now hard to see what had been written on it. What had originally been written was a single line.
[The Ashen Knights, the third terrace.]
The Ashen Knights. In the world, they were better known as the faceless knight order. The reason being that no one who knew their faces had ever been revealed. The one thing they did: punish nobles who engaged in corruption and abuse. Of course, most of them were nobles of the current Emperor’s faction, or the Emperor’s limbs, and so on… Which was why the Emperor had flown into a rage and declared he would hunt them down and tear them apart, but because they were so secluded, not a single one had been apprehended to this day.
‘The master of that knight order is Grand Duke Argenté.’
If that became known, Argenté’s very survival would be in danger. Since she had mentioned such information, even the indifferent Grand Duke couldn’t help but come.
“That’s right. Before that, there’s something I should show you first.”
Anellia took a small stone from her bosom and showed it. It was a smooth black stone with a pattern engraved in intaglio, and Luane’s eyes widened slightly as he recognized its value at once.
“That’s… isn’t that the token held only by special clients of the information guild ‘Märchen’s’ branch leader?”
“As expected, you recognize it. Actually, I’m… very, very close with the owner of ‘Märchen.’”
“Very, very… close, you say.”
“Yes. Truly extremely, immensely, supremely close.”
Since I’m the owner, there’s no one closer than that. Anellia rationalized and gave a small nod. And so, she failed to notice the momentary frown that crossed Luane’s face, and continued her explanation.
“So if you take my hand, ‘Märchen’ will assist Argenté wholeheartedly.”
“You’re that close, you say.”
“Of course. If you like, you may test me.”
Just as she said that much, Anellia finally sensed Luane’s displeasure and stopped speaking. He had maintained composure and dryness throughout, so why was his face suddenly like that…?
‘He looks all puffed up, doesn’t he?’
What on earth was he displeased about? Weren’t things going well right now?
