Chapter 54

When Ruitas arrived at the venue of the evening gathering, most of the attendees were already present.

Amid the quiet music played by the orchestra, the nobles opened up the central area for dancing and exchanged greetings with their acquaintances, eagerly awaiting the start of the event.

This year's fashion trend was the peplum dress, which flared out from a tightly cinched waist. Many unmarried young ladies had chosen this style of dress.

The flared skirts of the dresses swayed lightly with every movement of the young ladies, looking as lovely as flowers.

While the noblemen and noblewomen were laughing and chatting, Ruitas also spotted a familiar senior minister and exchanged a cheerful greeting with him.

During the conversation, Ruitas noticed the Count and Countess Kainz, who looked somewhat pale.

Their daughter, Echelle, who seemed to be unaware of anything, was wearing a lavish dress with ribbons and was chatting happily with one of the young noblemen.

When Ruitas muttered to himself that everything would be resolved today, he suddenly felt someone's gaze.

Turning in that direction, he saw Jace, whom he had spoken to at Count Yodum's evening gathering, looking at him with a meaningful gaze.

Excusing himself from the person he was talking to, Ruitas walked over to Jace.

After restating his gratitude for the other day and informing Jace that he had figured everything out, Jace's eyes widened.

"What happened to Glen...?"

Before Jace could ask, Ruitas slowly shook his head.

"Today, Lady Sedria will reveal everything."

"Lady Sedria...?"

Jace shook his head in disbelief. She was a woman who had never appeared in public before.

"I have received the king's permission to attend this evening gathering."

After answering, Ruitas turned his gaze to the Count and Countess Kainz.

"What the Kainzes did to Lord Glen, Lord Glen surely wanted you to know as well."

Following the gesture of Count Ladus, Jace moved forward.

While following Count Ladus, Jace recalled the carefree smile of his friend the last time they parted.

Glen had promised with a smile to meet again the next day, and then disappeared from Jace's sight.

From that day on, until he met his end at the young age of nineteen, what had Glen been thinking and what kind of life had he led?

Recalling the days they spent together in school with a sense of nostalgia, Jace reminded himself with a bitter feeling that he had lost his irreplaceable friend forever.

The truth he had longed for was finally about to be revealed to him.

Soon, the royal couple entered to the sound of a grand fanfare.

The nobles welcomed them with enthusiastic applause, and the king advanced to the center of the hall, declaring the start of the evening gathering with a majestic air.

Normally, the music for the first dance would begin immediately, but the king's next words were an introduction of a guest.

The king announced that Prince Celdis of Ancheize was present as a state guest and turned his face toward the entrance to guide the audience's attention.

After the people's attention was focused, the master of ceremonies loudly announced the name of Prince Celdis of Ancheize and, after a brief pause, introduced Lady Sedria Kainz, who was his sister.

A wave of confusion and murmur spread through the hall.

It was unthinkable to welcome a woman who had become a widow after marrying into the noble family of Sies with such high honors.

Whispers of "Kainz...?" could be heard here and there, and questioning gazes were directed at the Count and Countess Kainz.

On the other hand, Count Kainz probably did not expect Lady Sedria to appear at the evening gathering.

With a look as if he were seeing a nightmare, he stood there in a daze.

As the two introduced were about to appear, a round of applause broke out in the hall.

Amid the enthusiastic applause, Celdis looked down at Sedria with a gentle gaze, and Sedria smiled back at her brother.

This evening, Sedria was wearing a pale pink dress with lace cascading from the waist of a lacy top.

It exuded a sense of elegance and modesty, perfectly accentuating Sedria's refined beauty.

As sighs of admiration rippled through the hall, Ruitas quietly left Jace and moved to a position to protect the two.

Noticing this, Celdis slowly began to speak.

"Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Queen, I am deeply grateful for the invitation to such a grand gathering.

Please allow me to introduce my sister, Lady Sedria."

He greeted them with a dignified voice and extended his hand to Sedria again. As Sedria took his hand and they were about to approach the royal couple, a voice cut through the air.

"Wait!"

Count Kainz raised his voice loudly, cutting through the atmosphere of the hall.

If he allowed Sedria's debut in society to proceed without a hitch, the future of the Kainz family would be sealed.

Count Kainz was desperate.

With the eyes of a cornered beast, he stared ahead and hurriedly approached Sedria with his wife.

The nobles, intimidated by his expression, parted to make way for them.

As they hurried forward, just a few steps away from reaching Sedria, a nobleman stepped in to block their path.

It was Count Ladus of Ancheize.

Count Kainz glared at Ruitas as if he wanted to devour him and looked at Sedria, who was standing behind him, with a hateful gaze.

Then, revealing the authority of the head of the family, he suddenly shouted at Sedria.

"Why are you here!"

"You?"

The one who sharply rebuked these words was Celdis, who was standing beside Sedria.

"Count Kainz, please watch your words. Your treatment of my sister is extremely disrespectful."

"This person is the former heir of our family, Glen's wife. As the head of the family, I see no problem in referring to a family member as 'you.'"

Count Kainz replied in a voice that could be heard by those around him.

"Furthermore, this person was instructed to stay quietly at the convalescent residence where my son Glen was recuperating.

Disobeying the orders of the head of the family and appearing at such a place is not permissible."

Interrupting the two opposing parties, the Queen of Sies spoke up.

"Lady Sedria's attendance at the evening gathering was desired by the Prince of Ancheize and permitted by His Majesty. Do you intend to object to this?"

She continued in a slightly stern tone.

"Furthermore, what do you mean by 'staying quietly at the convalescent residence'?

Is it the custom of the Kainz family to isolate a widow in a separate residence and prevent her from going out?"

Asked by the Queen of her own country, Count Kainz was momentarily speechless. Seeing this, Countess Kainz interjected in an attempt to salvage the situation.

"Your Majesty, that is not the case.

It is a shameful matter, but this person lacked proper manners and had to be kept away to avoid disgracing our family."

"The lady speaks the truth," Count Kainz hastily added.

"Even before her debut in society, she was confined to the convalescent residence with Glen during his recuperation, and thus did not receive proper ladylike education."

The Queen frowned at the one-sided denigration of Princess Sedria and fell silent.

Taking this as a sign that the Queen was convinced, Count Kainz turned to Sedria with a look of exasperation.

"Well, Sedria, you've had enough of the attention. Go back to the convalescent residence."

His tone was gentle, but he reached out to forcibly drag her out. Ruitas grabbed his hand with a look of disgust.

"Do not touch the Princess of our country."

"She is no longer a princess! She is the wife of the late Glen and belongs to our family!"

Shaking off the hand that grabbed him, Count Kainz shouted, his face turning red.

"Glen's wife?

After surrounding Lady Sedria with lies, you still speak such delusions?"

"What are you saying! The one speaking delusions is you!"

No matter what, Count Kainz seemed determined to see things through to the end.

Celdis sighed and looked up at the King of Sies, thinking it was time to act.

He then addressed the King in a calm voice.

"Dear King and Queen,

Prince Celdis of Ancheize hereby appeals for the annulment of the marriage of his sister, Lady Sedria, in this place."

The gathered guests were greatly stirred.

The Kainz family was a prestigious family that had taken a royal princess as a wife. The sudden scandal that befell the Kainz family caused a stir among the nobles.

Amid the excitement and murmur that enveloped the hall, the King calmly urged Celdis to continue.

"Annulment of marriage, you say. Then, please state the grounds for your appeal."

Celdis nodded and began to speak calmly.

"The marriage between Lord Glen of the Kainz family and Princess Sedria was to be officially confirmed when the princess turned fifteen.

The foundation of this marriage was that Lord Glen was the heir to the Kainz family.

We believe that Lord Glen, at the age of fourteen, when he was sent to the convalescent residence in Uzuk under the pretext of recuperation, had already lost the qualifications to be the heir."

Count Kainz tried to counter with a forced smile on his tense face.

"Glen was only moved to the convalescent residence for recuperation. Although he passed away at the age of nineteen without his condition improving, they lived as a happy couple until the end.

To suddenly claim that the marriage is invalid..."

"In the case of Lord Glen, the process of his recuperation is highly suspicious," Celdis said with a cold smile on his pale face.

"Until then, Lord Glen had many friends in the center of the capital and was actively socializing. However, from one day on, he suddenly became unreachable.

Not only could he not be met, but even his handwritten letters stopped, and he ceased all social interactions as a noble.

As the heir to the family, this was an abnormal situation, and it is natural to understand that he was in a state where he could not fulfill his role as the heir."

"But, if you say so, Glen himself wished to take a break from social activities for a while..."

Count Kainz stroked his chin as if he were troubled.

"Glen had a bad cold that worsened. He was originally very active outdoors, but he became depressed and was sent to the pleasant environment of Uzuk..."

Before Count Kainz could continue his string of lies, a woman's voice, filled with anger, interrupted him.

"Bad cold?

To tell such a terrible lie in front of Their Majesties, are you truly a loyal subject of the king!"

The clear voice echoed more than expected, and the nobles, who had been watching the scene in suspense, turned their eyes to Sedria in surprise.

Without flinching at the many gazes directed at her, Sedria raised her head straight and continued to expose Count Kainz's crimes.

"Glen fell off a horse at the age of fourteen and suffered