Chapter 58

#058 Frederick Riester (3)

"Your Highness."

"Hello, Sedric."

"Hello, Your Highness."

"......"

Today, the atmosphere was unusually calm.

The prince merely glanced at me, not even offering a brief greeting.

It wasn't surprising, so I just stood beside Cardinal Bute, waiting my turn.

The servant, who was checking the guest list, gestured to the knights without further ado.

Two knights, clad in silver armor, moved like mirror images to push open the massive doors.

-Click!

"His Highness Prince Sedric, His Eminence Cardinal Aureli, and Prince Yeseo Penethian have arrived!"

With the sound of the doorknob turning, the servant loudly announced our arrival.

Tension began to creep back up.

In a few dozen minutes, I would meet the master of this empire.

I couldn't help but glance at the prince and the cardinal's attire.

Neither of them was dressed in formal wear.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. Everyone has a positive interest in you."

As if reading my anxiety, the cardinal whispered softly beside me.

-Creak......

The door opened, and the spacious ballroom filled my view.

It was more than just a glance.

I struggled to close my gaping mouth.

It was quite difficult not to let my eyes dart around.

The imperial palace was a place of grandeur and luxury, and the ballroom was no exception.

The chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling numbered over ten.

The massive pillars supporting the ends were all made of marble, and orchestras were positioned in between.

The center of the hall was empty, suggesting that someone would dance there.

The atmosphere and scale were different from the welcome banquet held in the Duehm Marquisate.

The entire room shimmered with a platinum glow.

"These are all the great nobles who are close to Frederick or maintain a good relationship with him."

The cardinal whispered elegantly.

We began walking side by side, with the prince leading the way.

Beyond the clicking of our footsteps, the nobles rose in unison to pay their respects.

There were roughly 200 of them.

To me, it was a suffocating number, but to the emperor, it would definitely be a small, intimate gathering.

They were seated at three long, wide tables, with the Carrara marble dining tables and chairs adorned with lavish gold trim.

"Don't be nervous, just think of good things. For example, what can you get from Frederick today?"

"Your Highness."

The prince quietly called to the cardinal.

I knew she was saying this to ease my mind, so I just smiled it off.

Before I knew it, we had reached the front of the central table.

The nobles were bowing deeply, not even breathing. The cardinal added,

"Your birthday is coming up soon, isn't it? Is there anything you want?"

"Really?"

My birthday soon? I was taken aback by the unexpected information.

Servants quickly approached to pull out our chairs.

The seat of honor, which clearly belonged to the emperor, was empty, with the cardinal's seat to the right and the prince's to the left.

I sat next to the cardinal. The emperor was so close that I already felt dizzy.

Sitting at the same table as the CEO, there was no way to escape.

"Shall we play some music again?"

The cardinal spoke softly to the air.

A well-dressed servant bowed and waved his arm once.

-♬♪♩......

At the same time, the orchestra's beautiful melody burst out in surround sound.

It was as if the play button on a paused playlist had been pressed.

The nobles, as if by agreement, sat back down in unison.

The hall, which had been quiet, suddenly became lively.

It seemed to have been like this from the start.

"Hello, Your Eminence. Your Highness. Prince Yeseo."

A familiar, clear voice then settled opposite us.

She was the one sitting next to Prince Sedric today.

Her pink hair swayed slightly as she smiled brightly, like a light had been turned on.

*

"The name of that insectoid monster is 'Illusion Worm.' It was the grand prize of the 'Monster Purge' seven years ago, and I almost fell victim to it!"

The Marquis François Duehm, sitting to my right, loudly proclaimed.

Drunk nobles laughed and chatted loudly throughout the ballroom.

It was past seven, but there was no sign of the emperor.

Christel was expertly mixing brandy into the marquis's black beer.

That's just a bomb......

"His Eminence said that the monster's hallucination fog wasn't meant to kill."

I quickly said, wanting to clear up my curiosity while the marquis was still sober.

Christel, who had pushed a glass of bomb cocktail to the marquis, started feeding beef bourguignon to Sir Elizabeth, sitting to her left.

The protagonist was indeed a good person.

A simple splint was still on the viscount's right arm, but it would heal completely in about a week if he was careful.

"That's true. The hallucination I saw was sad, but also happy. It was about one of my three younger sisters suddenly bringing a fiancé home."

The marquis said, pretending to cry. Three younger sisters? I didn't see them in the marquisate.

"You love your sisters very much. You cried for an hour after seeing that hallucination."

"Erve! How can you lie in front of such distinguished guests? I cried for two hours."

Sir Erve Duehm, the marquis's bodyguard, chimed in, and the marquis corrected him with a sharp tone.

I burst out laughing, finding it absurd.

I had imagined a grand and intimidating setting for the emperor's victory celebration, but it was surprisingly comfortable.

Perhaps because the top performers from the purge were seated near the seat of honor, there were many familiar faces.

"Seeing such a joyous occasion, it seems the monster's fog was just to cause confusion. I can easily understand His Eminence's teachings."

"You are a good student."

The cardinal answered affectionately to my words and took a spoonful of pot-au-feu.

The warm potato aroma tickled my nose. It was a flavor that couldn't fail.

I nodded and reached for the cassoulet in the center of the table.

"Speaking of which, Your Highness."

"Yes."

The marquis turned his body slightly towards me.

"My eldest sister will be making a sacred vow next week. By the emperor's divine grace, the ceremony will be held in the palace temple."

"I see, congratulations."

I piled fava beans, pheasant, and goose onto my spoon and took a bite.

As I savored the melting texture, like a gratin, I recalled the definition of a 'sacred vow.'

The formal name of the sacred vow is 'Pact of the Twin Stars,' a contract made between a member of the Riester royal family or their collateral line and a priest.

It is a ritual where two people swear to be soul companions, or 'religious partners,' before the deity.

The royal family strengthened their religious standing and support by partnering with influential priests, while the priests received wealth, honor, and privileges by becoming the royal family's partners.

At least recently, it seemed to be used solely for this purpose.

Since the Duehm Marquisate was a collateral line of the royal family, it wasn't strange for them to make a sacred vow with a priest.

Emperor Frederick and Cardinal Bute were also connected through a sacred vow.

Of course, they had already built a deep friendship before that.

It is said that the contract partners can feel each other's emotions and hear each other's voices, but I don't know if it's true.

Anyway, it seemed to be depicted that way in the romance novels serialized in the 'Biweekly Riester.'

"However, we are one witness short. The pact must be made in the presence of one noble of marquis rank or higher and two bishops or higher-ranking priests."

The marquis continued. I nodded and finished the cassoulet.

Christel and Sir Elizabeth were also fixed on the conversation, finding it interesting.

"Would you, by any chance, be willing to fill the witness seat, Your Highness?"

"Me?"

I blinked for a moment.

It wasn't leaving the palace, and it wasn't a role like officiating or hosting, so it wouldn't be difficult.

Since the parties involved in the sacred vow are ultimately two individuals, not families or dioceses, there wouldn't be any headaches later.

The Duehm Marquisate is definitely close to the emperor, but since Enseo never mentioned them, they probably don't play a significant role in 'Retired Duke.'

I looked back at the cardinal.

If she allowed it, I would do it; if not, I would just play that day, so I had nothing to lose.

"It