Chapter 120: Preparations for the Banquet
They continued discussing topics far removed from the idea of recruiting Vernell for the Empire.
“I also heard that you acquired the Dandolo Trading Company. It is now called Hestia Trading Company?”
“That’s right. How are things within the Empire?”
“There is quite a stir. Pascal Trading Company and Dandolo, now called Hestia, correct? Both have aligned themselves with the Far East.”
It was exactly as he had heard.
“In the case of Hestia Trading Company, it seems they are reorganizing everything and relocating their headquarters to the Far East, so there should not be any major issues. However, Pascal Trading Company will be a much more delicate matter. They may even issue an order restricting trade with the Far East.”
Stephan had already warned him about that and assured him he could handle it.
Perda casually mentioned Stephan’s strategy and asked for her opinion.
“What would you think if Pascal Trading Company handled the external distribution of magical engineering products?”
“Oh, if they take that approach…”
Olivia adopted a serious expression as she thought it over.
Her blue eyes looked far more alive than when she smiled.
“In that case, even the Empire would not be able to intervene easily. They would have to consider the Far East’s reaction. Was it President Pascal’s idea?”
“It was the future president’s idea.”
“I see.”
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
“It is a rather favorable situation, but even so, you should be careful, Regent. Have you heard the recent rumors?”
“You mean that we are diverting refugees.”
“That’s right. They are pathetic.”
Olivia’s beautiful face twisted.
“After everything you did to take care of them throughout that long winter, how can they say such things?”
“I feel the same way.”
“Suppose you return them. Then what? They will exploit them again, take everything they can, and when their granaries are full in autumn, discard them like pets. There is a limit to treating people as tools.”
Even though it was not a matter that directly affected her, she reacted with remarkable intensity.
It was the behavior of someone seeking the support of ordinary people.
“My administrator told me that I needed to find someone who could support us within the Empire.”
“In that regard, I am afraid I cannot help directly.”
Olivia showed an apologetic expression.
After thinking for a moment, she asked.
“Now that I think about it, Hestia still lacks a true ruling class, doesn’t it?”
The ruling class did not refer only to nobles, but also scholars, merchants, craftsmen, and priests.
Some renowned craftsmen had arrived from various regions, but they were still more skilled workers than true elites.
“In commerce, Stephan is organizing a guild. As for academics, Bernard, the rector of Escolea, is connecting the Far East exploration project and recommending interested researchers.”
“If you already have scholars and merchants, then you can say you have covered seventy percent of it.”
“The problem is the priests.”
From the beginning, Perda had an aptitude for dark magic, so he never fit well with priests.
Moreover, he despised Alte’s hypocrisy—preaching love and compassion while showing absolute cruelty toward heretics.
‘Even so, we need priests.’
Most of the village’s inhabitants came from the Empire and were followers of Alte.
With the monster-infested Far East before them, strong spiritual support was indispensable.
“Fortunately, that is something I can help with. I will look for people from the Church of Alte. Since this place will bring together people from many different backgrounds, I will make sure they are moderates.”
“I would be very grateful for that help.”
“What are you saying? We are moving toward a common goal, are we not?”
Olivia smiled sweetly.
“Speaking of the Church of Alte, have you considered holding a banquet at Castle Valdrova?”
“A banquet?”
Olivia rested her head on her hands.
Her smile was radiant.
“The followers of Alte will soon begin preparing for the Festival of the Beginning of Spring. The nobles as well. It is a season when banquets are held to welcome spring.”
“Oh, really?”
“That is why I think it would be a good idea to host a Festival of the Beginning of Spring here for the young people of the Empire. Not only from the Empire, but also those who will lead the north and the south. It would be a good opportunity to establish connections, wouldn’t you agree?”
“The goals and benefits seem worthwhile, but…”
Perda voiced the concern he had.
“Do you really think they would attend a banquet organized by me?”
Banquets were among the most important events for the nobility.
Precisely because of that, everyone tried to host one.
Being able to do so was a demonstration of influence.
It was another form of political struggle.
And Perda’s network of connections was pitifully small.
“Why wouldn’t they attend?”
Olivia smiled with her eyes.
“I will attend.”
She had decided to become the bait.
The Flower of the Empire, a woman outstanding in birth, manners, and beauty, announcing her attendance was more than enough to attract the attention of young nobles from across the continent.
And where powerful men gathered, women would inevitably gather as well.
One thing would lead to another, and the crowd would form naturally.
‘A banquet, huh…’
More than excitement or anticipation, the first thing he felt was annoyance.
Did he really have to socialize with a bunch of brats?
Even so, he had to admit that although his mind was different, his body was still young.
“Very well.”
“You will do it?”
Olivia blinked.
She seemed genuinely surprised.
“Is there a problem?”
“I thought you would say it was a waste of time. I even prepared arguments to convince you, so I feel a little deflated.”
She knows me far too well.
If Isabella had not warned him beforehand, he probably would have said exactly that.
“Then it is settled. You do not have an event organizer, correct?”
“No.”
“In that case, I will send one from the Empire. If you intend to hold banquets frequently in the future, it would be wise to hire a permanent team from the start.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
Olivia was extraordinarily competent.
There was a reason she served as the Empire’s principal hostess.
‘If she had been born as the Third Prince rather than a princess, she might have surpassed her brothers.’
She too was trapped by a cruel fate.
That was what Perda thought.
“Are you familiar with the dance that is currently popular in the Empire?”
Perda’s body immediately tensed.
“It is called the Moonlight Step.”
“I am not.”
“That is a problem. If the host of a banquet is behind the trends, he will become a laughingstock. They will say that the Regent of the Dragon Duchess does not even pay attention to the world.”
“…I think I would rather cancel the banquet.”
“Oh, what a shame. You can no longer back out.”
Olivia let out a light laugh.
“Do not say that and let us practice a little. It is a light variation of the waltz. If you learn the trick, you will master it quickly. At least you know the waltz, right?”
“……”
“You do not know that either? I thought every noble learned it as a child…”
What if he canceled the banquet?
Olivia pretended to think for a few seconds before standing and extending her hand.
“Come.”
“…What?”
“If you are going to dance, you need to stand up. Get up.”
He knew he needed to practice, but he had not expected her to want to start immediately.
“Wouldn’t you like to dance elegantly with Lady Valdrova?”
Valdrova.
The first banquet with his fiancée.
The moment he imagined it, Perda’s lips moved before he could think.
“Yes, I would.”
“You see? Then every second counts. Don’t you think learning from someone who knows dancing well and also understands women perfectly would be much better?”
For some reason, those words sounded strangely convincing.
Even so, before accepting, he instinctively looked toward Ruri.
Strangely, she was silent.
Had the bribe worked, and was she planning to look the other way?
‘No matter how easy it is to tempt her with food, she is not someone who acts so carelessly.’
She was definitely plotting something.
Perda let out a sigh.
Either way, he could not keep postponing it.
“Very well.”
And so he decided to practice dancing.
“Now that I think about it, I have never seen Lady Valdrova in human form. How tall is she? She is still a woman, at least, right?”
Height.
Perda looked at Olivia.
She was the only reference point before him.
“She is a little shorter than you, Your Highness.”
“Then there will be no problem teaching you.”
Olivia’s fingers slid between Perda’s.
The distance between them, already short, became even smaller.
“Good. Hold your hand like this and imagine the music playing. Ta-ra-ra-ran, ta-ran. Very good. Now tap your foot lightly and step to the left…”
Under her instructions, he began to learn.
Perda did his best to follow every movement.
When Olivia finished humming the melody, she gave her assessment.
“Mm. You dance rather badly.”
She said it kindly.
In reality, he was completely terrible at dancing.
Olivia could not hide her bewilderment.
She had always thought that Perda’s imposing presence concealed extraordinary skill.
But dancing required using one’s body.
And using his body was precisely what Perda was worst at.
“You are very quiet.”
“…What can I say? I was expelled because of this useless body.”
“Useless? But you look so dignified…”
The voice that left the sentence unfinished carried a seductive undertone.
“For now, it is enough that you become familiar with the light waltz and the Moonlight Step. Let us start by simply holding each other.”
“Do we really have to keep dancing?”
“Of course. I consider myself quite an expert at teaching others. You have wounded my pride, Regent. Do you know how costly it is to wound a woman’s pride? You will have to dance all day.”
He did not know, nor did he want to know.
She had dragged him into all of this on her own, and now she was acting completely arbitrarily.
“I will help you master it in a single day, so follow me.”
“Does that mean you are staying until tomorrow?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“Before being an Imperial Princess, you are still an unmarried woman. If you spend the night in another man’s residence, rumors will spread.”
“Another man? But you are already engaged.”
“There is a saying that you should not even tie your shoelaces in front of a melon patch.”
“You worry too much. I have a perfectly valid excuse.”
“What is it?”
“Hand over Vernell Marquis to me.”
Olivia suddenly made the proposal.
“No.”
“I expected that. Then we will have a long discussion about this matter, won’t we? The Imperial Princess will conduct a marathon of meetings. Since you will have nothing better to do during that time, you might as well learn to dance. For Lady Valdrova’s sake, of course.”
Was something like that really possible?
Perda was not convinced, but Olivia gave him no time to continue questioning it and kept moving at her own pace.
In the end, he found himself accompanying her in the dance lessons.
Whatever the case, Perda also wanted to learn how to dance properly.
And to do that, he needed the help of someone who understood current trends and mastered the art of dancing.
Olivia’s gaze remained fixed on him.
She smiled throughout the entire lesson.
As though she were genuinely enjoying every moment of it.
Olivia remembered her entire life.
When had that exhausting performance begun?
Probably from the moment she discovered that even her only ally, the nanny she trusted, was nothing more than one of the Emperor’s dogs.
From then on, she spent several hours a day in front of a mirror practicing smiles.
While others sought to smile more brilliantly, Olivia did it to give meaning to that smile.
There was a part of her that wanted to manipulate men, but the deeper reason was something else.
To prevent others from seeing things that did not exist.
She knew objectively how beautiful she was.
A casual glance.
A simple smile.
That was enough for countless people to convince themselves that she loved them and begin harassing her with one-sided affection.
That was why she could not even smile freely.
And that was precisely why being with Perda was so comfortable.
He did not mistake a smile the way other men did.
And even if she smiled with that intention, he would not waver.
Because his heart already belonged to someone else.
That was why she could allow herself to ask something like this.
“Regent, how about trying to smile a little?”
“Smiling may be difficult.”
“Smiles need practice too. When you hear something boring, try imagining something pleasant.”
Even so, smiling seemed difficult for him.
His lips moved only slightly before returning to normal.
And yet, Olivia felt quite satisfied.
That smile was surely reserved for his fiancée.
‘What a noble person.’
Nobility of spirit was not simply about how much someone believed in a god.
It meant constantly questioning oneself, suffering, tormenting oneself with one’s convictions, and still continuing forward while carrying them.
That kind of nobility inspired Olivia.
Even her Circle, which not even Alte had been able to touch, began to move gently.
It turned like a wheel, pushing her toward her dream of becoming a saint.
Just a little longer.
She wanted to remain like this just a little longer.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock at the door shattered the atmosphere.
Perda released Olivia’s hand.
Olivia put her mask back on.
After observing her for a moment, Perda gave an order to Ruri.
“Let him in.”
The commander of the knights entered, gave a brief bow, and spoke.
“Your Highness. It is time to depart.”
She had expected it, but it felt like cold water being poured over the moment.
“I am afraid I cannot return today. We are still discussing the matter of the technician…”
“It is an order from His Majesty the Emperor. You must return immediately.”
“Is it truly necessary to leave when the day is already ending? At the very least, I could return tomorrow morning.”
“There is no need to worry. An Imperial mage has already been dispatched. Everything has been prepared for your return via Teleport.”
“……”
Ah.
The atmosphere and the good mood they had shared scattered like a midsummer night’s dream.
She wanted to stay a little longer.
And just when she felt she could no longer resist,
“We are in the middle of a conversation.”
Perda intervened.
“She came here as a representative of the Imperial Family to hold a serious discussion. Are you intending to interrupt it?”
“Her Highness’s visit was intended to strengthen relations with the Dragon Duchy. It has no connection to the recruitment matter.”
“And does that mean we should pretend that all the conversations we have had until now never happened? Are you trying to turn a formal negotiation into garbage?”
“That is not what I mean.”
Perda replied with obvious displeasure as he continued pressing him.
Olivia watched him in silence.
For someone who had lived her entire life as nothing more than another person’s trophy, it was the first time she had been treated so humanely.
Why was he acting like this?
Olivia knew the answer.
Perda assumed she had a reason for not wanting to return and was supporting her.
He was helping her as an ally who shared the same goal of bringing down the Empire.
And yet…
Even though she knew it…
Even though she understood perfectly why he was doing it…
If he showed that expression while protecting her.
‘I’m really going to end up misunderstanding him.’
Olivia stood up.
“It seems there is nothing more that can be done. Regent, I believe it is time for me to return.”
“Do you not wish to continue our conversation?”
“What can I do? If an unmarried woman spends the night in another man’s residence, strange rumors would begin to spread. It is best for me to leave, don’t you think?”
Olivia returned the exact same words he had used earlier.
And Perda did not insist any further.
“I wish you a safe journey.”
“Yes. And I heard that you will be holding the Festival of the Beginning of Spring. I am very much looking forward to it. I will certainly attend.”
After saying that, Olivia left the room.
Even until the moment the door closed, she continued looking at Perda while waving goodbye.
***
Valdrova’s lair.
— You’re saying there will be a banquet in a month?
After hearing the entire story from Ruri, Valdrova asked that question.
A pure light shone in her fierce eyes.
“Yes. Apparently, the Festival of the Beginning of Spring will be held in one month.”
— I see.
For someone who had always admired human banquets and wished to attend one, it was irresistible news.
Without a doubt, it was one of the places Valdrova had always wanted to attend at least once.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationLooks veldrova also want to attend this banquet.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationLooks like she’s having fun.