Chapter 306
Meanwhile, at that moment.

Sero wandered the hallway with a flushed, slightly intoxicated face. He had no choice but to attend since an official invitation had arrived from the royal palace, but the whole situation felt unbearably awkward.

Upstairs, Ian—the very person who had tried to crush him—looked down, and beside his shoulder were the nobles who had slandered and gnawed at him behind his back.

Though it was their custom to wear masks and laugh heartily, the more the alcohol took hold, the heavier the burden felt.

“Sigh.”

Maybe it would have been better if he hadn’t allied with Ian. Having once buried his nose in a honey jar, even the sweetest things no longer tasted sweet. Just then, a woman lightly tapped his back.

“Oppa, what are you doing?”

It was Sero’s younger sister, Alenara.

Like him, she had been drinking and eating since the banquet began, but her crimson lips were perfectly painted, as if etched on. She adjusted the elbow-length gloves on her arms firmly and scolded her brother.

“Don’t leave your seat. If we don’t speak up, others will have more chances to make their statements. Standing by and watching is like putting your neck in the lion’s mouth.”

Their family’s status was pushed to the brink. Thanks to Alenara’s unique tact, they could still participate in social events without issue, but no one knew how long that would last.

Sero grumbled but straightened his sister’s collar.

“And what about you? Why did you come? To hand your neck over to the lion?”

“Hahaha. That’s your job, oppa. I’m just here to watch. By the way, I noticed a mage controlling the stairs going upstairs. Is there no other way?”

“Upstairs?” Sero frowned at Alenara’s question. Now that she mentioned it, he had seen nobles lingering suspiciously near the stairway entrance.

At first, he thought they were trying to get noticed by Ian and Jin, but judging by Alenara’s tone, their goal was elsewhere.

“Alenara.”

“Save the old-fashioned talk for the drinks. You even proposed marriage to Lord Ian, so why keep saying no to foreign countries? It’s better to wear a crown in another land than cling to a crumbling old mansion.”

News had already spread that all the foreign leaders visiting Bariel were unmarried. For nobles like the Sero family, who were staggering under the palace’s scrutiny, this was a flicker of hope.

“If possible, I’d prefer to be part of the royal family without going abroad. But you know how it is—Lord Jin is too young, and Lord Ian has already fallen. Above all, there’s no suitable match among the nobles right now.”

It had always been this way. When the royal family and nobles formed ties, it was a contract made with a clear purpose—either requiring vast capital or to soothe the nobles’ pride under the palace’s watchful eye.

From any perspective, the current Bariel palace had no reason to reach out to the nobles.

“There’s no way here, so we have no choice but to go abroad. That way, our family’s importance within Bariel will rise as a key player in diplomatic negotiations. Haiman did the same, after all.”

“Shh. Don’t mention that name lightly.”

Everyone acknowledged the Haiman family’s greatness, but their true honor as ‘royalty and nobility’ came only after the patriarch married a woman from the Ruswena royal family.

They had participated in diplomatic coordination between Bariel and Ruswena, and the enormous profits that flowed in through that connection were incomparable to other families.

“So what if it’s true? So, oppa, pull yourself together and fix your collar properly. Who knows? King Eriphoni might take a liking to you.”

“Don’t say such things.”

“You’re not so bad when you look closely. You should’ve taken after mother more, though. Tsk.”

Alenara clicked her tongue as she tidied Sero’s outfit.

The officials gathered for diplomatic relations, but the nobles gathered to survive. No matter how you looked at it, after the appointment ceremony, the palace’s authority would only grow stronger and more absolute. Then, the nobles’ standing would shrink even further.

Before that happened, this was their last chance, a gift from the heavens.

“So, how do we get upstairs? You come to the palace often, so you must know.”

“All the places I know are already controlled. Even other nobles can’t get up there.”

“Ah, really.”

No help at all.

Alenara crossed her arms and thought hard. If they couldn’t go up, the kings would have to come down—and then other nobles would have easier access, right?

“Oppa, you go in first. I’m not familiar with this place, so I’ll pretend to be lost and look around.”

“Alenara!”

“Smile. People’s eyes naturally go to those who smile rather than those who stay still.”

She nudged her brother toward the banquet hall corridor and turned her body the other way.

There was a garden surrounding the main palace; if she followed it, there had to be stairs leading upstairs. It didn’t matter if it was a path used by servants.

She gazed at the brightly lit building.

Silhouettes appeared and disappeared behind the windows, and occasional conversations drifted from the garden before fading away. Since the upstairs was a space for royal events, there were noticeably fewer windows than downstairs.

‘If I go around this way, it’s the exact opposite side of the balcony where Lord Jin gave his toast earlier. No one will come this far…’

“Eldert, what do you think?”

“I believe there’s merit to this. Letting them pass as intended could bring danger. Besides, today marks the beginning of history. It’s too soon to cut things off…”

Alenara caught voices from a nearby upstairs terrace. She instinctively shrank and pricked up her ears.

Eldert? If she was right, Eldert was the Ruswena envoy. And if he was showing respect, there was only one person he would do that for.

‘King Eriphoni.’

Good grief. Damn it. If she’d known, she would’ve sent her brother instead! Alenara squeezed her eyes shut in frustration and held her breath.

But strangely, no further words came.

“I’ve heard rumors that the palace’s portraits have eyes and ears, but I never thought the trees would too.”

“…?”

“I’m talking about you—the young lady hiding behind the tree.”

“…!”

Alenara was caught off guard and revealed herself.

Leaning on the railing was King Eriphoni. His long teal hair hung loose as he looked down at Alenara with interest.

The moonlight caught the sheen of his hair, and Alenara was reminded of a summer riverbank. His towering height made the encounter feel strangely intimate.

“Are you on your way to meet a lover?”

“No, Your Majesty. I just stepped out to cool off and got a bit lost. I’m not familiar with the palace layout. I apologize for the intrusion, Your Majesty Eriphoni.”

“There’s no need to apologize. This is Bariel’s royal palace, after all. I am a guest, and you are…”

“Alenara Sero, daughter of the Sero family.”

When the king trailed off, Alenara immediately bowed properly. Normally, she would have mentioned her title, but after failing to inherit the dukedom, she no longer spoke of it.

Eriphoni propped his chin on his hand and raised an eyebrow.

“Very well. In any case, enjoy yourself. I doubt there will be a more perfect prelude to the night than this.”

Raising his glass, Eriphoni turned to leave the terrace. As the ends of his long hair fluttered, Alenara realized this moment was slipping past her like the wind.

She had to do whatever it took to catch the king’s attention.

“Your Majesty!”

Her sudden shout was off-key, but it made Eriphoni turn his head in curiosity. He wore a relaxed, slightly sharp smile.

“With the king’s presence, this night shines even brighter. Truly, you are someone who has caught the royal family’s attention.”

“…The royal family’s attention?”

Eriphoni leaned his upper body over the railing, peering down. His hair flowed with the movement. To Alenara, it felt like a lifeline leading upstairs.

Grab it. Grab it now.

As the thought crossed her mind, her tongue moved on its own.

“What do you mean by that?”

“D-didn’t you exchange marriage proposals with Lord Gale? Everyone was disappointed it didn’t work out. Bariel and Ruswena could have forged a new bond and history.”

She brought up the rumor that during the civil war, Gale had tried to avoid execution by arranging a marriage with the Ruswena king.

Did he know? Did he not?

It didn’t matter. She just wanted him to be interested in her.

So, please call me over to where you are.

“Oh ho.”

Eriphoni raised his eyebrows and glanced at Eldert, who shook his head as if he’d never heard of it.

It was a tactic to root out traitors, unrelated directly to Haiman, so the information hadn’t spread to Ruswena. Moreover, the Arsen incident had soon followed, and the whole thing faded into a faint memory.

“What was your name again?”

“Alenara Sero.”

“Ah, yes. Lady Alenara.”

Eriphoni gracefully dropped a fan over the railing. Alenara quickly picked it up and looked back up at the king. His three-eyed gaze held a bright smile.

“Would you mind fetching my fan?”

He was telling her to come up here. He would tell Eldert to clear the way. Alenara nodded firmly, clutching the fan with both hands.

The fan carried a rich, sweet scent—deep enough to rival the honey jars the Sero family had once known.

*    *    *

“Your Highness, it’s about time to head inside.”

At the end of the corridor leading to the banquet hall, Damon stood still, staring blankly into space as if lost in thought. Time passed, and even the guards began to glance at him with curiosity. Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he took a step forward.

Creak.

The doors swung open to either side, and Prince Noah turned to look at Damon. The atmosphere was much the same as when he had left earlier. The prince’s face was dark, Jin was deep in conversation with the gray-haired man, and Ian—

‘There he is.’

Apparently receiving some report, Ian had his back turned, engaged in discussion with the mage. Noah sniffled and greeted Damon.

“Pardon me.”

“And what of King Eriphoni? What did he say?”

“Hm. I didn’t get to see him, but did he follow me out? The night air is cool—perhaps King Eriphoni is enjoying some quiet reflection.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

Damon’s tone was casual, as if nothing had happened. When he lifted his empty wine glass, a servant promptly stepped forward to refill it.

“Prince Noah.”

“…Yes?”

Damon addressed him directly. Noah, sensing some hidden meaning, replied quietly, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

“It seems the tribute from Burgos was insufficient. I expect we’ll need to send an additional offering once we return.”

“And?”

“I’m considering sending high-grade fertilizer to qualify for tax exemption. If we do that, I doubt anything will be sent to Clipford until next year. I wanted to give you a heads-up.”

Noah’s mouth slowly opened in surprise.

“What do you mean—?”

“It’s not confirmed yet. Just a possibility. Or perhaps we could have a private conversation later? I’d like to consult on what tributes have been sent to Clipford, and I have some matters to discuss regarding gem management as well.”

With a soft clink, Damon poured wine into the glass in Noah’s hand, filling it to the brim until it nearly spilled over.