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Chapter – 20
While most people couldn’t believe it, a few began to whisper among themselves.
“Now that I think about it, there were rumors that Lady Lobru showed special powers when she was young, but then they disappeared.”
“Oh, I remember that too! It caused quite a stir back then.”
“My goodness… then does that mean her power didn’t disappear after all?”
People kept adding speculation on top of speculation.
These days, Lafine was without a doubt the most talked-about person.
Just a few days ago, she had shaken high society with a suicide incident, and now it was about special powers.
How could the nature of the rumors change so drastically? People didn’t know how to judge Lafine anymore, and the atmosphere became restless.
Not long ago, she had been a pitiful woman clinging to Cedric, even trying to throw away her life. And now suddenly, she could use special powers?
The first was extremely humiliating for a noble lady, while the second was more honorable than anything.
So they simply couldn’t believe it.
Especially the Emperor’s gentle behavior.
“Then… does that mean today’s ceremony is not for His Majesty, but…”
The people quickly realized that Lafine was the main figure of the ceremony, and their mouths fell open even wider.
And had the Emperor ever treated someone this gently before?
The nobles couldn’t hide their confusion. They could only guess that it was because she was also a wielder of special power.
“I guess… that must be it.”
“Then the place His Majesty is heading to right now…”
The nobles covered their mouths as they followed the two with their eyes.
The distance from the Great Hall to the garden with the brazier wasn’t far. Usually, the Emperor would appear on the stage and lead a procession there.
But today, he was escorting Lafine.
The nobles quickly understood what that meant. As they watched the two, someone suddenly spoke up with a question.
“Wait, then did the Marquis hide her powers all this time?”
“That’s true…”
“Come to think of it, wasn’t Lady Lobru’s mother also someone with special powers?”
People struggled to recall old memories.
“But she was very weak… didn’t she die young because of her powers?”
“Tsk.”
They added more comments while looking at Lafine.
The unexpected turn of events left everyone confused.
Most of all, those who had criticized Lafine and spread strange rumors about her because of Cedric fell completely silent.
Everyone else watched with curiosity, interested in the appearance of a new power user.
“Do you think her power is as strong as His Majesty’s?”
“Well… I’ve heard that Count Shilean’s power is impressive, but I’ve never seen it. And the current Duke of Playton’s family hasn’t shown theirs yet.”
“Maybe her power is so great that His Majesty personally brought her here.”
People nodded seriously.
With this, three families already had power users in this generation. If the Playton family awakened theirs, then every great family would have one.
The nobles quietly began to imagine the future, realizing Lafine would rise to power in society. Those who had spoken badly about her were now worried about how to fix things.
“The Marquis family will gain more influence.”
“We’ll have to see. It depends on how Lady Lobru acts. I heard she isn’t close with her father.”
Of course, not everyone was optimistic. Some may have simply wanted to deny it.
But one thing was certain—now that Lafine was gaining attention, the Marquis might face trouble.
“Well… especially if he intentionally hid her power.”
At that thought, everyone clicked their tongues uneasily.
If the Marquis had truly hidden her power, it was a serious problem.
“My goodness, then he completely deceived us?”
“Hiding such power… that’s unacceptable, isn’t it?”
Those with special powers were considered valuable enough to be managed by the state.
The biggest issue was how the Emperor would react.
People carefully looked for the Marquis, but strangely, he was nowhere to be seen.
“Then what about the young master of Playton?”
“That’s right. Shouldn’t he be here? If his fiancée became a power user, there’s no greater blessing.”
“But neither the Marquis nor the young master is here…”
Meanwhile, Lafine easily found Cedric among the crowd, staring at her with sunken eyes.
Perhaps because she always looked for him at banquets, it had become a habit.
“……”
But Lafine deliberately avoided his gaze. His burning eyes followed her, but she ignored it as if it meant nothing.
Soon, the ceremony began.
Lafine stood in front of the brazier, escorted by the Emperor.
She carried the flame that the Emperor had ignited with his power and transferred it to the brazier.
As expected, Lafine was the main figure of today’s ceremony.
The darkening horizon met the sky, spreading like flames, creating a scene like a painting.
As the small lights rose and reached the brazier, they burst into sparks and grew larger.
The wind blew.
“Wow!”
People cheered and clapped.
The wind that came from the sky swept over the crowd, twisting the fire in the brazier into a spiral before disappearing.
Even without words, it was a night where everyone could see that Lafine had awakened her power.
After the ceremony ended, she naturally headed to the main seat with the Emperor. Sitting beside him required more attention than she expected.
She recalled what had happened a few days ago.
Bayern, who had said he had a special plan, had handed Lafine a personal letter from the Emperor.
It was about the invitation to the Founding Festival she had received before.
She already knew about the ceremony, but it was her first time performing it, so it felt fascinating. The instructions had been extremely detailed.
I can’t believe I’m really taking part in this ceremony… I can’t believe His Majesty is right beside me…
Normally, only the Empress could sit in that seat, but today, as the one who performed the ceremony, she was specially allowed to sit beside the Emperor.
Sitting in such a visible place felt strange.
Feeling awkward, Lafine kept sipping the water in front of her.
“Isn’t it boring sitting here like this?”
The Emperor spoke first.
“Would you like to dance with me?”
“Ah… it would be an honor…”
Just as she was about to stand—
The Marquis finally appeared, having come late to greet the Emperor.
It was natural for nobles to show respect where the Emperor was present.
But because of Lafine’s situation, he had delayed and only came now.
“I greet Your Radiant Majesty.”
“Oh, Marquis.”
The Emperor welcomed him warmly.
“I’ve been waiting for you. You’ve come quite late.”
“My apologies. Elizabeth was unwell…”
He gave a vague excuse, looking troubled, unsure where to look.
“Your second daughter is sick, so you must be worried. But having such an excellent eldest daughter by your side must make you proud as well.”
The Emperor deliberately praised Lafine. The Marquis replied as if denying it.
“She is still lacking.”
As the Marquis bowed his head, the Emperor burst into laughter.
“No need to be so modest. If you had come earlier, you could have seen your daughter perform the ceremony splendidly.”
As the Emperor continued to lift Lafine up, the Marquis didn’t know what to do.
“Why did you leave such a talented daughter unnoticed until now?”
“Well, I thought she was lacking…”
“I do not like excessive modesty, Marquis.”
“I-I apologize.”
The Marquis’s flustered appearance was quite a sight. Considering what he had done, he must feel like he was standing at the edge of a cliff.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke again.
“Your Majesty… may I speak with Lafine for a moment?”
His trailing voice lacked confidence.
“Hmm, I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
The Emperor smiled and rejected his request immediately.
