Chapter 55

After that, the venue was abuzz with excitement for a while.

The sight of the man, who had committed a crime, lying about in front of the king and being dragged out by the guards was so disgraceful that the Caines family's reputation seemed to have hit rock bottom.

Afterward, the ball resumed as if nothing had happened.

The first dance was performed by Prince Celtes and the king's sister-in-law, as it was the rule that the highest-ranking male guest and the hostess should dance first.

In the hall, still tinged with excitement, the two danced as if the commotion had never occurred, exchanging soft smiles and taking light steps.

Drawn into their refined and elegant dance, the murmur in the hall gradually faded, and by the time the second piece was played, the ball had regained its usual splendor.

Confirming this, Luitas quietly guided Sedia to the presence of Their Majesties to receive permission to leave.

Celtes, who held the highest position among the guests, could not leave the ball, but Sedia, having reclaimed her status as a princess in public, had fulfilled her role.

Unaccustomed to social gatherings and without any preparation, Sedia needed to leave the scene early, and this had already been communicated to Their Majesties.

After greeting Their Majesties, Luitas was stopped by a familiar voice as he tried to leave the hall inconspicuously.

It was Jace, accompanied by two friends.

The three bowed before Sedia, introduced themselves as Glen's friends, and apologized for not being able to help him.

Furthermore, they earnestly bowed, expressing their desire to know how Glen had spent those five years.

For them, this was their last chance.

Sedia, having reclaimed her status as a princess of Ancheize, would return to her homeland in a few days and become unreachable.

They wanted to have a proper conversation about their deceased friend before that happened.

For Sedia, this was a welcome offer.

The annulment of the marriage was what she had wished for, but she felt a resistance to severing ties with Glen in this manner.

When Sedia expressed her desire to talk to the three, Luitas, after a moment's thought, replied that it would be fine if the priest was present as well.

Priest Roman also wished to speak with Sedia before leaving Sies.

The five of them moved to a waiting room, and the priest, though slightly surprised, was genuinely pleased to meet them when they introduced themselves as Glen Caines' friends.

The priest knew that Glen had spent lonely days at the secluded mansion where no one visited.

However, he also knew that his friends had visited him multiple times, and he was glad to hear this, as Jace and the others wiped away their overflowing tears with their fists.

Wanting to know about the life at the secluded mansion, Sedia told them about the five years she had spent with Glen.

She described how Glen had faced and lived through those five years of suffering, what he showed interest in during his daily life, and what brought him joy.

The priest also quietly shared his observations of Glen during his visits to the sickroom.

Glen was in the midst of great suffering at the time, but he was struggling to walk the right path, the priest said.

Sedia could not imagine how difficult that journey must have been, but Glen had built a true sense of peace day by day.

"I have severed ties with the Caines family today. But Glen was an important family member, and I will never forget him," Sedia whispered to the priest.

"Will Glen forgive me for leaving Sies like this?"

"…That is precisely what I wanted to convey to you, my lady."

The priest smiled gently and asked in return.

"Do you resent Lord Glen for not telling you that the marriage was invalid?"

Sedia thought for a moment and shook her head quietly.

"In that closed space, we comforted each other, grew together, and spent peaceful times.

I consider it an irreplaceable time.

Most of all, Glen needed me. That was a true joy for me."

The priest nodded slightly.

"When Lord Glen confessed his sins, he was crying and apologizing to you.

He was suffering, unable to bring himself to tell you that the marriage was invalid, and I told him that it was not necessary to say it.

I told him that if you needed him, he did not have to say it. Instead, he should pray for your happiness every day.

He asked if his prayers would eventually become a power to protect you, and I assured him that they would.

And with that, he seemed to finally find peace, smiling genuinely and saying that he would pray for your happiness until his last breath."

"Glen said such things?"

Tears welled up, and Sedia covered her mouth with a trembling hand.

"Yes."

The priest nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with a gentle compassion.

"Please be happy. That is Lord Glen's only wish."

That night, after returning to the palace, Sedia recalled those words many times.

The priest's words became a support, and she began to believe that she could live with her head held high without shame.

And the one who gave her that peace was the late Glen.

Recalling the time they spent together with a calm heart, Sedia quietly prayed for Glen's soul to rest in peace.

Afterward, Sedia spent the remaining days in Sies comfortably at the palace.

The only scheduled event was a dinner with Their Majesties the night before her departure, and nothing else.

In fact, invitations to host Sedia were pouring in from various places, but Celtes, out of consideration for the unaccustomed Sedia, had declined them all.

Thanks to this, Sedia was greatly relieved, but it seemed that the burden fell on Celtes, who was busy with social engagements from morning till night without a break.

Finally, on the day of her return, Celtes, who had managed to clear his schedule for this day, visited Sedia.

Due to the cups he could not refuse the night before, some alcohol still lingered in his body.

Dragging his heavy body to his sister's quarters, he found Luitas, as usual, by her side, and the two seemed to be in a very intimate and relaxed state, which made Celtes frown.

He knew that Luitas had been staying at the palace to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances, but he thought that Luitas was enjoying himself too much, leaving his own brother behind.

"Why am I the only one so busy?"

He vented his vague dissatisfaction at Luitas.

"Thank you for your diplomatic efforts."

Luitas replied in a tone devoid of any genuine sentiment.

There was not a trace of respect for the royal family, and it felt as if he was treating his friend's younger brother casually.

Normally, he would have confronted him, but today's Celtes was different.

He had a mission to complete, given by his sister in the homeland, and it was time to put into action the ambition he had been nurturing for a long time.

Lord Ladus, who was smiling and chatting with his sister, looked like a mature and handsome man, and even from Celtes' perspective, he was very impressive.

If he could fluster and manipulate this Lord Ladus, he could finally consider himself a grown man. (That was what Celtes believed.)

...As an aside, Celtes had once pondered why he wanted to defeat Lord Ladus and not Lord Antore or Lord Morgan.

He concluded that he had been conditioned to respect the former as a superior, and the latter seemed too scary to joke with and had unpleasant consequences.

So, by process of elimination, it was Lord Ladus.

...His condolences.

So, Celtes sat down with a nonchalant expression.

Perhaps because he had mentioned his slight hangover, the maid had prepared a mint-scented herbal tea for him.

The refreshing aroma spread around.

"It's really good to have this tea time with you, sister.

Actually, I was asked by the Empress to talk to you about your future.

I was a bit anxious because we couldn't find a good time to meet."

Celtes said this and elegantly picked up the cup.

"Ah, it's delicious indeed."

The refreshing aroma wafted into his mouth, and Celtes narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.

Seeing this, Sedia opened her eyes in wonder.

"Prince Celtes, you enjoy herbal tea?"

"Princess Via used to like it, so I often drank it when I was a child."

Upon learning that he liked herbs, Sedia's smile deepened, in contrast to Luitas, who slightly furrowed his brow.

He was bothered by Celtes' words a moment ago.

"What do you mean by 'future'?

Has the date for Sedia's debut been set?"

Celtes looked at Luitas with a playful smile.

"I was told that she should gradually get used to the social atmosphere in small gatherings, and the debut would come after that.

Since groundwork is necessary, they probably plan to observe for a month or two."

Then, Celtes suddenly dropped a bombshell on the two.

"The Empress is talking about Sedia's marriage."

"Marriage?"

The two of them changed their expressions and shouted.

Taken aback by the unexpected words, Sedia's mind went blank. Her heart pounded loudly, and her fingertips turned cold.

"…Am I not going to be welcomed back to Ancheize?"

Sedia clasped her hands at her chest and asked in a barely audible voice.

On the other hand, Luitas showed his anger.

"What do you mean by marriage!

Now that she has returned to the royal family, deciding her next marriage so quickly is like forcing her out!"

"Force her out? That's a terrible way to put it."

Celtes frowned in disgust.

"Since she has reclaimed her status, it is only natural that she will marry somewhere.

Or do you think Lady Sedia should remain single for the rest of her life?"

"I didn't say that!"

Luitas retorted sternly.

"Even if she is to marry eventually, it is too soon now. Sedia has just returned to Ancheize.

Wouldn't it be better for her to spend time building a relationship with the Emperor and her siblings?"

"Of course, that is the Empress's intention.

Since it is a royal marriage, it will not happen for at least half a year. I'm sure you understand that, Lord Ladus."

"But..."

"Even if she debuts without a fiancé, it will be the same.

As a princess, she will receive many proposals. It is only natural for the Empress to want to select a suitable match before that."

Sedia could not interject and just clung to Luitas with a pleading look.

She was already twenty-one. As a royal princess, she was, to put it bluntly, past her prime.

Therefore, she knew she should be grateful if the Emperor and Empress decided a match for her.

However, her heart could not follow.

She had believed that she would be accepted as a family member, but the disappointment and sadness of being sent out so soon were overwhelming.

Seeing such a Sedia, Luitas could not remain silent.

"To force an unwanted match on Sedia is ridiculous!

Besides, it's unlikely that a nobleman suitable for a princess will be found so conveniently."

Ignoring Luitas' rare display of anger, Celtes turned to Sedia.

"He is from a distinguished family, has a decent appearance, and is only six years older. The Empress has apparently checked his background, and he has no illegitimate children so far.

He is wealthy and healthy. I don't think he has any strange hobbies... probably."

The last part was somewhat concerning, but the real issue was not there.

"Anyway, if Sedia does not wish it..."

Luitas was about to protest, but Celtes stopped him with a hand.

"Are you still not in the mood, sister? The groom is from the distinguished Ladus family, which means this Lord Ladus here."

"Eh...?"

The tears that were about to fall from Sedia's eyes were retracted.

"Ladus-sama?"

The