C5 Part2

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(Christmas bonus chapters: 2/7)\n

“…, but Ortzen told me not to relax until today passed.”\n\n“It’s okay. I know a lot of things about the banquet very well. If you were to make a mistake, I’ll tell you right away.”\n\nEven though it’s my first time to attend a banquet as a woman, but I’ve attended many banquets as a man. Naturally I’m far more familiar and proficient in acting as a man. Now the problem is if I was careless, I might act like a gentleman out of my habit…\n\n“We don’t have much time left, quickly get ready!” Ortzen told me after he’s done handling the coachman.\n\nI’ll be late for sure if I don’t prepare quickly. I have to change my dress and my hair is in a mess because I took a nap in the carriage. I quickly entered the building together with Captain Jullius.\n\nThe banquet hosted by The First Princess Aranea was held at the pavilion inside the inner Palace. The outer palace of the Imperial Palace almost didn’t have any security checkpoint, but the inner palace was different. Not to mention for commoners, even the nobles need to have an entry permit or an invitation to enter the inner palace. It could be said, the real Imperial Palace started passing beyond the inner palace gate.\n\nCaptain Jullius is the leader of Special Task Squad so he’s granted the permission to enter the palace freely, but it’s different case for me who is just a daughter of a Count. That being said, I need an invitation card, but unfortunately that damn coachman said to have ripped away the invitation card. In any case, I still could enter into the palace without any problem because Captain Jullius guaranteed my presence. Usually the guess was accompanied by a coachman or a servant, so using one invitation card could permit up to two people to enter the palace.\n\n“Miss Epheria, let’s get off.”\n\nCaptain Jullius first got off from the carriage then he politely escorted me. I was deeply moved by the difference in his attitude today to his attitude in our previous meetings. Assistant Ortzen has changed a person! I stepped down from the carriage and I tried to be as gracefull and calm as possible to match his efforts. Then I calmy lowered my eyes down. I have to keep up my manners and pretended to act like a frightened fawn.\n\n“The Captain of Special Task Squad, Sir Jullius Rizar. Confirmed,” said the head attendant while checking the record books after the Imperial guards have checked whether if we brought any weapons. Then, the head attendant looked at me who was linking my arm with Captain Jullius’.\n\n“Please identify yourself as the companion.”\n\n“The eldest daughter of Count Epheria, Silla Epheria.”\n\nAssistant Ortzen has told me for countless times that losing the invitation card was considered as an offense towards the host of the banquet, so I have to play dumb not to said the truth. The head attendant who must have memorized all the participants of the banquet, tilted his head. He quickly went through the list of the guests then opened his mouth.\n\n“Someone from the Count Epheria’s family has entered using the invitation card.”\n\n“…, what?”\n\nAlready entered? Wait! Don’t tell me that the coachman didn’t ripped the invitation card but handed it to the gate keeper at the mansion! I tried my best to hide my embarrassment and asked in a quite voice.\n\n“Who has come from the Count Epheria’s family?”\n\n“The second daughter of Count Epheria, Roanne Epheria.”\n\nOh, she is Silla’s half-sister… that means she’s also become my half-sister now. So my dear stepmother sent her own daughter to the banquet in my place? The banquet hosted by the First Princess is such a great opportunity and it would be a waste to just let this chance slip away. Looks like she wanted to find a good husband for her own daughter. I see, haha. I clung even closer to Captain Jullius’ arm and softly said, “I think there’s a misunderstanding. But, I still could enter if Captain Jullius guarantee my identity, right?”\n\n“Yes, but… is Sir Jullius Rizar willing to be the guarantor on behalf of Miss Silla Epheria?”\n\n“I’ll guarantee it.”\n\n“Okay, confirmed.”\n

Afterwards, the guards also thoroughly checked our coachman’s body and the head attendant moved aside to give way after he took some notes on the list with his pen. The Imperial guards who were guarding the entrance also moved aside to free some space and we returned to our carriage to get into the inner palace.\n\nIn general, the banquets held inside the palace were divided into two kinds, the informal and the formal ones. Previously, the banquets were being held for obvious reasons such as war victories celebrations, marriages of the Imperial Family members, engagements or the births of Imperial Family members, announcing the succession of high ranking nobles, and other obvious reasons. But lately, there’re also some banquets being held with the reasons being, “Today’s weather is nice but I feel bored. Let’s gathered up and have a nice chat, shall we?”\n\nIn terms of scale, the former banquets were obviously overwhelmingly large, but there’re numerous informal banquets being held lately. Furthermore it’s not just the Imperial Family, but also high ranking nobles could ask for permission to held a banquet at the palace’s pavillion. Thus there would be around two to three gold-rimmed invitation cards spread amongst the nobles in just one week of time. If I also included the banquets held inside the nobles’ residences, it wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that there’s a banquet in every each day.\n\nUsually the guests didn’t have to come precisely on time as indicated on the invitation card in an informal banquet like today. But of course it’s rude to be too late so you need to be arrived in roughly one hour after the time indicated on the invitation. Unlike the formal banquets, it’s more rude to arrive sooner at informal banquet than being late.\n\nEven so, perhaps because today’s banquet was hosted by the picky First Princess Aranea, the hallway to the banquet hall was empty. If this was any other informal banquet, I might saw other guests flocking together while chattering as they walked towards the hall besides the two of us in this hallway.\n\nBy the way… my half-sister, is it?\n\nI haven’t met her in person yet, but I’ve heard many things about her from Sofia. The seventeen-years old younger sister who loves to randomly take away her older sister’s new dresses. Thanks to her, I only have a few dresses to wear. Even if Silla’s new dresses didn’t fit her size, she would be unreasonable and still snatched them away. Her personality is horrible.\n\nWell, I mean what could be expected from the daughter who learned nothing good from that kind of mother.\n\nEven all the servants inside the mansion disregarded Silla, didn’t they? I could clearly imagined how’s the half-sister, who treated Silla badly, look like without meeting her in person. I bet she would create a trouble when I entered the banquet hall. In the past all the young ladies loved me so I don’t know how to deal with them now. Sigh… if only I was still inside my original body, I could deal with Roanne easily.\n\n“I’m worried.”\n\n“Yes?”\n\nCaptain Jullius who was silently walking next to me, suddenly opened his mouth.\n\nWorried?\n\n“Captain Jullius doesn’t need to be worried. I’m not weak.”\n\n“And that’s exactly the reason that I’m worried.”\n\nHis grey eyes quivered a bit when he looked at me.\n\n“With only the power owned by the Count Epheria family, it would be hard to restrain Miss on their own. I think there must be someone with higher authority helping them in the dark.”\n\n“The guards inside the Count’s mansion are indeed weak though.”\n\nActually the Count’s private guards could be considered as decent for a noble family that originated from outside the Capital, but their standards were still far below ours (Silla&Captain Jullius). But still, thank you for your concern anyway.\n

I looked up and stared at Captain Jullius. Unlike before, this time Captain Jullius was walking slowly to match my pace so we’re walking together side by side. Although it might have been the result of Ortzen’s teachings, but it was still awesome. I want to pat his head. But he’s too tall. If I lifted up my arm too much, my sleeve would get crumpled. Emm, alright.\n\n“Please come this way for a moment.”\n\nI grabbed Captain Jullius’ wrist and led him to one of the balcony along the hallway. The pavilion inside the Palace that mainly used for banquets, usually had some round balconies installed in the hallway with this curtains at the entrance. Those balconies were intended to be use if someone had separate private matters and need to take a leave from the banquet for a while. I directed Captain Jullius to stand near the balustrade at the balcony then I climbed up onto the balustrade. Someone who was at the ground below might felt nauseous when he looked at me because we’re currently at the third story of the building. Although other might probably saw something inside my skirt, they wouldn’t see anything because it’s already dark so it’s okay. What could be seen anyway? I’m wearing underpants beneath the skirt, and also the inner skirt are layered with many laces so they can’t see the dangerous parts.\n\n“Miss Epheria?”\n\nNow I’m taller than him and Captain Jullius, who was looking at me, called my name and looked confused on what I’m going to do.

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