In the grand hall of the castle.
I was waiting at the entrance, dressed in a tuxedo.
Then, Krista, dressed in a dress, came running over.
Krista clung to me and stayed that way for a while.
She must have been very anxious during her absence.
When I stroked her head, she clung to me even tighter.
"Yeah... but... Elna protected me..."
"Hey, Big Brother Al... Elna is..."
"Don't worry, I heard. I'll take care of it. You don't need to worry. Enjoy the party now."
Hearing this, Krista's dejected expression lifted a little.
I changed the subject to cheer her up.
"Have you seen Leo and Sister Lise?"
"Yeah! This dress was chosen by Sister Lise!"
Krista twirled around to show off her purple dress.
She seemed very happy that Sister Lise had chosen it for her.
While we are both royalty, today's main guests are Leo and Sister Lise. They will enter later. Krista and I need to go in first.
"I see. Then we should show everyone. Rita should be inside too."
With that, I led Krista into the party hall.
As the knight by the door called out our names, applause and gazes followed. However, the attention was mostly on Krista.
She is the kidnapped princess and Sister Lise's biological sister.
Unlike the problematic older princesses, she is gentle, and many nobles hope to marry her to their sons in the future.
While keeping the nobles at bay, I headed towards Rita, who was participating as a knight-in-training.
"Hey, Big Brother Al! Kuu!"
Rita waved energetically, seemingly unaware that her instructor was glaring at her.
"Rita... that outfit suits you."
Rita was wearing the ceremonial uniform of a knight-in-training, with a sword at her waist.
It was a serious outfit, unlike Rita, but she seemed to like it a lot.
"Thanks! Kuu! Your dress looks great too!"
"Princess General! Can I meet her!?"
As the two of them had a heartwarming conversation, the entrance to the hall stirred.
Then Leo and Sister Lise's names were called.
The applause that filled the hall was incomparable to when Krista and I entered.
"Prince Leonardo! You have done a great job this time!"
"Marshal Liselotte! What a splendid battle! Your skills have not dulled!"
They were quickly surrounded.
Seemingly on cue, as they had been instructed by their parents, Krista was also surrounded by children her age. However, Rita wouldn't allow excessive closeness.
It's a good relationship.
While thinking this, I quietly left the scene and leaned against the wall.
On the opposite side from Leo and Sister Lise, Fine was also surrounded by nobles.
She must have paired her dress with a bluebird hair ornament. The blue dress suited her, but it seemed unlikely that anyone would approach her.
I also saw Jürgen, who, being sociable, was surrounded by acquaintances from the capital.
So much for finding anyone I know.
A party without anyone to talk to is boring.
Of course, it's only natural to feel that way when you're just watching others enjoy themselves.
After a while, Father arrived, and the party officially began.
Laughter and music filled the air, and many people started dancing.
Sister Lise, in her military uniform, was frequently invited to dance, and she probably said something like, "If you want to dance, win a match against me."
On the other hand, Fine and Leo were smiling and entertaining many people. That's their job. This is a good opportunity to gain allies.
Surprisingly, Jürgen was politely declining invitations from women. He's still a principled person.
Krista and Rita were still surrounded by children.
Feeling out of place, I sighed to myself.
I chose this position. Wanting to spend time happily with someone and feeling envious is a luxury.
There was a path to walk the same road as Leo. I chose not to take it.
If Leo is on the sunny path, I chose the shady one.
I don't need praise or recognition.
I chose this because I thought it was the best.
While I was thinking this, a noisy person arrived.
It was Gied, accompanied by his lackeys.
His tuxedo was so customized that it didn't look like formal wear at all. I can't believe he came in such an outfit. His sense of style is really terrible.
"Huh? What's wrong? I'm talking to you, the washed-up prince. You should be crying with joy, right?"
"Ha... Yeah, yeah. Thanks."
"You're not very grateful. You've been getting cocky lately, haven't you? Leonardo's achievements aren't because of you. The more Leonardo succeeds, the more your incompetence stands out. Everyone is saying that Leonardo's camp will eventually be dragged down by you."
I don't need someone who can only make such judgments.
I need someone who can join a camp and change it for the better.
The struggle for the throne is a competition among royals, but it's also a power struggle. No matter how much Leo matches the other three, he can't become emperor if he lacks power.
"What? Are you depressed? Of course, you want the spotlight too, don't you? But you can't do it!"
Gied laughed with his lackeys.
They're so idle. I wish Father would leave soon. I can't leave until he does. I have somewhere to go after this.
Annoyed, I turned away, and Gied smirked.
"Here's some good news for you, Alnoth. Recommend me to Leonardo. I'll be his ally."
"Didn't you hear? It's understandable. I'm the eldest son of the noble House of Holzvart. No one would be as reliable an ally as me."
Gied dramatically brushed his bangs.
However, I wasn't concerned about that.
For Gied to deliberately involve himself in the power struggle, this must be an order from the Duke of Holzvart.
The Duke of Holzvart himself is close to Gordon, and his second son has been sent to Eric. If Gied approaches Leonardo, it means they want to be able to claim a favor no matter who wins.
They don't approach Zandra because the House of Holzvart has always had a poor relationship with the southern nobles.
This means the Duke of Holzvart has recognized Leo.
Missing this opportunity would be a loss. However, I honestly don't need Gied. Gied is the eldest son of the House of Holzvart, but his younger brother is more promising and talented. The fact that he was sent to Eric, the leading candidate, is a good example.
If I bring Gied into my camp, it could lead to the collapse of my power base.
"You can take the credit for bringing me into the fold. How about it, Alnoth?"
"Sorry, but I'll pass. If you want to be Leo's ally, talk to him directly."
Gied's cheek twitched, clearly not expecting to be refused.
Gied can't approach Leo. While Gied has maintained a surface-level relationship with Leo, he hit me when Fine and I went out. At that time, I pretended to be Leo.
So Gied thinks his misdeed is known to Leo. Leo probably already knows, even without that incident.
That's why Gied came to me, I guess.
"Don't get cocky. This isn't a request."
"I have no intention of accepting, no matter what you say."
"Hey! Don't get cocky! Your guardian, Elna, made a mistake and is currently on suspension! No one will help you!"
Those words were unbearable.
I knew I should ignore them and calm down, but I couldn't stop myself.
"What? No one will help you."
"Before that... Did you say 'mistake'?"
"Um? Oh, right! Elna made a...!!?"
I wanted to punch him so badly. How satisfying it would be to make him disappear from this world.
Gied, terrified, took a few steps back and fell on his butt.
I spoke calmly, just stating my demand.
His lackeys were frozen, and no one tried to intervene. Cheap connections.
"Elna saved Krista's life. That's an unchangeable fact. I won't tolerate insults to Elna in my presence. If you understand, take it back. Gied von Holzvart. Or do you want to die?"
I made Gied retract his statement and apologize, then quickly left the scene.
Father hadn't left the hall yet, but just being in the same air as Gied made me feel sick, and I had already drawn some attention.
It would be troublesome if I were questioned.
While thinking this, I stole a drink from a table and left the hall.
"If you're going to sigh, you should have endured."
Stepping outside, I sighed at my own foolishness. I had just decided to be incompetent, yet I immediately did something to contradict that. It was pitiful.
Sebastian, who seemed to be scolding me, called out from behind.
Why does he always sound like he's lecturing me?
I know I did something stupid.
"I couldn't help it. I'm calm now. I know I did something stupid. I gained nothing and exposed my hand."
"Silencing someone with just a glare is not an easy feat. Anyone who saw it would recognize that you've been through many situations."
"If that's the case, it's fine. Elna is special to Alnoth, so it's understandable. In this situation, people might also think that someone who rarely gets angry was surprised by your anger. You don't need to worry so much."
Sebastian tried to reassure me.
I got angry because she's special. It's easy to say it's understandable, but how many times will I have to get angry in the future?
"Today is just a day when I feel utterly pitiful..."
"Sometimes, you need a day like this. No one is perfect. It's impossible to suppress all emotions. By the way, I've prepared the carriage."
"...You're always perfect. I didn't say anything, did I?"
"I see... Let's go, then."
With that, I headed towards the carriage.
Even Al makes mistakes sometimes.