Chapter 67: I took away Yeju's first love.
"The royal physician said he could remove the scars."
I gently placed my hand on his arm.
"So, let's go together and get treated."
Soon, the bell announcing the grand banquet rang.
I reached out my hand to him.
The worry that it might be awkward had long disappeared.
Raymond sat in the same spot as the current tower master Freya.
"Even watching over you has its limits, Ray."
"I never asked you to watch over me."
Freya sneered at Raymond's brazen attitude.
"I plan to report this incident to the Mage Association."
"It will be difficult to prove a crime without evidence."
"No evidence? Who said that?"
Shocked, Raymond momentarily held his breath.
It was absurd that there could be any evidence left.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Don't you know that the bracelet Karina wore was made of mana stone? A bit of your mana power was left on it."
"We'll see if it's a lie or not."
Raymond bit his lip at Freya's provocation.
"You're not going to let me take the position of the next tower master, are you?"
Raymond's face, which had suddenly turned pale, now flushed red as he abruptly stood up.
"Even though I am the strongest mage among the next generation!"
"There's no need to pass it to the next generation. I can just skip you and pass it to the generation after you."
His hand trembled, and he bit his lip. Freya smiled and turned her head to look up at Raymond.
"Why? You always acted like you had no interest in power, but now you seem reluctant to let it go?"
Freya mocked his shallow thinking.
Usually, Raymond would have laughed it off and acted brazenly, but this time was different.
The position of tower master held special significance for him.
Losing that position would be like losing the meaning of his life.
"What can I do to prevent you from reporting me to the Mage Association?"
Seeing Raymond finally break his pride, Freya swallowed a sigh.
At first, when Karina suggested he negotiate for the tower master position, she was skeptical.
Raymond always acted like he had no interest in his position.
'Who would have thought this would work?'
When he was really in danger of losing the tower master position, he was willing to do anything.
It was surprising that he could so accurately gauge the other person's intentions despite his apparent dislike.
Watching the restless Raymond, Freya recalled what Karina had wanted.
Even though she was her daughter, she couldn't understand what Karina was thinking.
We held hands and headed to the garden.
The garden was already filled with people enjoying the banquet.
They were boasting about their achievements from the hunting competition and chatting.
As Aster and I moved towards the grand banquet hall, the nobles' gazes all turned to us.
"Her Imperial Majesty and Lady Pionia."
Until now, the gazes we received were not favorable.
I had been caught up in Tatiana's love affairs, and rumors about me were widespread. Aster, on the other hand, had shed blood to protect his throne.
"I didn't expect the princess to step in to protect the duchess."
"I heard that the duchess was kidnapped because she was blinded by jealousy."
The incidents at the hunting competition had all turned to my advantage.
"It seems Her Imperial Majesty really cares for the princess."
"I thought he had no feelings at all... He's quite affectionate with his woman."
The gazes towards Aster had also changed.
"Shall we go to the finale?"
It was time to be the main characters.
The sky was clear and the wind was pleasant, with not a cloud in sight.
The fairy lights decorating the pergola's roof and pillars sparkled like stars.
On one side, a piano quintet was waiting to perform.
We enjoyed the mixed gazes of envy and jealousy as we headed to the dance floor.
The grand banquet officially began with Emperor Aster leading the dance with his partner.
The lively violin music started, followed by a beautiful harmony.
Our hands touched lightly and then separated, and the atmosphere grew intense as we spun around.
Aster's tense expression gradually relaxed.
As I had noticed at previous banquets, he was really a good dancer.
He could confidently say he was good at anything he did with his body.
The onlookers gathered around the dance floor began to be gradually captivated by his elegant dance moves.
However, I could still feel some gazes that were not pleased.
His voice brushed past my ear, bringing me back to my senses.
His eyes, which had drawn closer, held a hint of mischief.
"Why, why are you doing this, Your Majesty?"
"Does the dance not please you?"
He raised the corner of his eye and whispered softly.
"You keep getting distracted."
My face flushed at his words.
It was the first time someone had noticed my habit of observing people's reactions.
As I apologized, the music reached its climax. Aster gently turned my body and pulled me close with one arm, whispering.
"Don't look at anyone else."
His voice was sweet, but it had a dark and sticky undertone.
I was reminded of the day he was injured.
It wasn't as intense as that day, but it felt different from his usual demeanor.
"Alright. I'll focus only on Aster."
Aster smiled as usual and stepped away from me.
I realized the music had ended as he casually greeted the passing servant.
As we stepped down, people eagerly took the floor.
I watched the dancers from a slightly distant spot.
This hunting festival would bring many changes to the social scene.
I saw people who had just fallen in love and couples whose brief spark was fading.
Aster, who had been watching the dancers beside me, accepted a glass from a passing servant and handed it to me.
We lightly clinked our glasses and took a sip.
"The banquet hall is really beautiful."
"Hehe, the head butler worked very hard."
Without a queen to oversee the palace's internal affairs, the head butler must have taken charge and managed everything.
"Um, I've been thinking."
"About our relationship."
One of Aster's eyebrows slightly raised.
"I thought it might be time to clearly define our path."
"What do you mean by that?"
I could see the tension in Aster's body. I tried to suppress my laughter at this rare sight.
Then, I put on a serious face and spoke.
"How about we get engaged?"
He was silent for a long time, as if time had stopped.
I didn't expect him to answer immediately, but I didn't think he would be so flustered.
A long silence passed between us. Finally, I couldn't hold back and spoke.
Realizing his rudeness, Aster's face gradually turned red.
"Your Majesty, and Lady Pionia."
Turning around, I saw Count Loretta standing with his daughter.
'If it's Count Loretta...'
He was one of the main neutral forces alongside the Pionia duchy.
And there was Regina Loretta standing beside him.
I had a pretty good idea of what they were after.
'Since our relationship isn't solid yet, they're trying to test it, huh?'
Aster stepped forward and spoke to the count before I could.
"Count Loretta, it's been a while. Did you enjoy the hunting festival?"
"I heard you paid a lot of attention to it, and it was indeed a wonderful event."
As Count Loretta opened the conversation, the nobles who had been waiting for an opportunity gathered around.
While exchanging light pleasantries with them, a new piece of music began to play.
Count Loretta slightly bowed and spoke.
"My daughter is still unfamiliar with such occasions. If it's not too much trouble, could I ask for a favor?"
He glanced at me as he said this. Dancing with multiple people at a banquet was normal, and it would be rude to be jealous.
I took a slight step back and pushed Aster forward.
"I hope you have a pleasant time with Lady Loretta."
I smiled calmly and faced Regina.
She showed a slightly annoyed expression.
Aster was still smiling, but he looked angry somewhere.