Navia's newly hired portrait artist turned out to be fortuitously connected to Ares, allowing him to acquire her painting.
That was a mistake.
The moment he obtained Navia's portrait, the patience he had been maintaining faltered.
He longed to meet her.
The wait was unbearable.
Ares, dressed splendidly for the banquet, stepped into the corridor.
It was time to seek out the Emperor.
He then encountered Creed, who seemed to have the same intention.
"......Duke."
The two men, similar in height and bearing a strange resemblance, yet distinctly different, stared at each other.
Creed slowly nodded and said, "It's been a while."
Ares was slightly annoyed.
As a Duke, he was of equal rank to the Empress. Therefore, as a Prince, he had to treat Creed with respect.
Of course, before being a Duke, Creed was also a Prince, so they should treat each other equally, but Ares found this distasteful.
'Once I seize the throne......'
Ares suppressed his killing intent and smiled.
"Are you going to see the Regent?"
"Yes."
"Let's go together."
Nod.
Creed equally detested him.
The brothers skillfully hid their murderous intent towards each other and calmly proceeded to the Emperor's bedroom.
Among the many gifts Creed had received was a large mansion. However, he hadn't used it yet as he had to stay in the palace until the end of the banquet.
Upon their arrival at the Emperor's bedroom, the chief valet announced their presence.
"Your Majesty, Prince Ares and Prince Creed have arrived."
The valet deliberately referred to Creed not as the Duke of Eiles but as a Prince, a petty wordplay to remind him of his roots.
"Come in."
Inside, Yulrich was being attended by Diana, adjusting his clothes.
Such tasks were meant for servants, but Diana often volunteered for these menial tasks, citing 'a wife's duty,' knowing it pleased Yulrich.
Creed and Ares paid their respects to the couple.
"We greet Your Majesties."
Yulrich, satisfied, gestured for Diana to step back and looked at his grown sons with a content smile.
Creed was currently his most proud child, and Ares, having abandoned his childish tastes, was behaving as a satisfactory eldest son.
'Compared to her brothers, Monica is too headstrong.'
Even now, unlike her brothers who came to greet him, Monica was nowhere to be seen.
When questioned later, she would jest, "How can you treat the dutiful daughter who went hunting early in the morning for you like this?"
'It's hard to tell if she's more of a son or a daughter.'
Unlike her brothers, Monica was transparent and straightforward.
This made her the most beloved child. Yulrich was always concerned about her well-being and overjoyed at her achievements.
Especially since she might be compared to the empire's three princesses, he taught her even imperial studies to ensure her superiority. Eventually, her talents suggested she might be a candidate for the next Emperor.
Yulrich opened his arms to Creed, gathering his thoughts.
"Come here, my proud son!"
At that, both Ares and Diana faltered.
But they did not show their discomfort.
Yulrich favored Creed the most among his children.
Yulrich was immensely proud and boastful of his son, who had led the battle of Kaladis to victory, almost losing to the Allied Nations.
Creed hugged Yulrich willingly. There was no need to oppose someone who could be an ally.
But then Creed became puzzled.
'Was the Emperor this thin before...?'
It had been a long time since he had seen him, and he had not been interested, but now that he looked again, he seemed to have lost a lot of muscle. His complexion wasn't the same either.
'I had heard rumors that his health wasn't what it used to be, but this much?'
He was a man born with a very robust physique.
Even looking at his two sons, Creed and Ares, they could maintain an intimidating physique and a firm body with very little effort compared to others.
"You seem to have lost weight," Creed said, like a filial son concerned about his father's health.
Yulrich was very pleased with this.
"Son, I'm still in my prime, no need to worry. I just haven't had much appetite lately."
Diana smiled maternally as she watched the light embrace between father and son.
"His Majesty's meal is being taken care of by this mother. Don't worry too much, Duke."
Creed looked back at Diana, who declared herself as his mother.
Well, technically, she was his mother by lineage.
'The mother on my family register who killed my real mother.'
Whether she knew his thoughts or not, Diana continued with a relaxed smile.
"By the way, did you sleep well? I did pay special attention to it, but I'm not sure."
Creed paused for a moment.
He was suddenly reminded of the peculiarly tingling events of the previous night.
Just facing her was enough to make his heart burst, let alone such intense contact...
Creed swallowed a sigh.
The thought of Navia's body emanating his scent and her disheveled appearance made him momentarily dizzy.
He felt his throat drying up and soon responded to the Empress's words.
"...Yes, it was good."
They chatted amiably amidst a warm atmosphere. To others, they would appear like an exceptionally harmonious family.
Soon, Empress Sophia and Monica arrived, and they headed to the banquet hall. It was time to share the joy of victory.
"The Emperor arrives!"
Following the Empress, the Queen, and the Emperor's children were announced, and the nobles, who had been mingling and greeting each other pleasantly, turned their attention to the stage.
Their expressions were filled with curiosity.
'What kind of person is Creed Eiles?'
Soon Creed made his appearance.
"...Oh."
Born in March, Creed had just reached adulthood.
Yet his tall and slender figure made him seem anything but young.
Creed had spent nearly five years on the battlefield since the age of fifteen.
Having spent the time when a boy becomes a man in one of the most rugged places, Creed possessed an atmosphere that not just anyone could have.
He certainly did not look friendly. Unlike Ares, who was always smiling and kindly behaved, Creed seemed to have a cool demeanor.
His excessively handsome appearance and unapproachable aura made him even more attractive.
In an instant, Creed became the most sought-after bachelor.
"Everyone, raise your glasses!"
Yulrich raised his champagne glass high and exclaimed.
The nobles also, seemingly eager to fully enjoy this joyful and happy day, raised their glasses with smiles.
"We have triumphed! The prosperity of the Eden Empire shall be boundless, and it will forever stand as the world's mightiest victor!"
"Wow!"
At the Emperor's proclamation, the nobles cheered even louder. The victory in the war meant greater wealth for the Empire. In joy, they all celebrated, chanting long live the Eden Empire.
Yulrich called Creed to his side. Creed stood next to him, his demeanor remarkably composed.
"Let me introduce the great general who led us to victory."
The crowd was silent, but their eyes were bustling with activity.
"This is my second son and the primary contributor to our victory in this war, Duke Creed Eiles."
There was no one in the assembly who did not know this fact.
They were all aware of Creed's birthday, his age, the location of the mansion he had been awarded, and the fact that he was unmarried and had no fiancée.
He was like a rising star who had suddenly appeared in the high society of the capital. His lineage was of the highest caliber.
Creed was utterly indifferent to the admiration, longing, jealousy, and inferiority he was receiving.
He was born of the noblest blood, but he felt more distant from the nobility than anyone else here.
'It couldn't be helped.'
Until he was seven, he was locked up in a crystal prison, growing up like a beast, and then he was raised in Eseled with its strangely noble-like atmosphere.
Even Navia, who was like a model of nobility, felt comfortable around Creed.
'I haven't seen my noona yet.'
Creed discreetly scanned the surroundings, searching for Navia, but not a single strand of her silver hair was in sight.
Eseled's standing was said to be nearly royal, and no one dared to look down on her for being late to the party. Instead, people took it as a matter of course.
Today's party was not only for Creed.
It was also the day Navia made her debut in society, throwing her hat into the ring of social gatherings. She was another protagonist of today's party.
After the Emperor finished boasting about his son, people toasted and emptied their glasses.
The band was ready to play the first song.
"That's Prince Ares and Lady Agnes."
It should have been Creed who led the first dance. However, since Creed was unmarried and without a partner, Prince Ares, the first prince, and his fiancée Vivian took to the dance floor.
Vivian was still boasting a cute and lovely appearance.
People were praising Ares and Vivian as a perfect couple until their mouths were dry.
"The two of you have grown up, it's about time for you to get married, isn't it? There's no news yet?"
At someone's question, a noble smirked.
"It's rumored that Prince Ares has a special lady he admires."
Vivian was not married to Ares yet. Precisely, Ares was postponing the marriage, so she was still 'Agnes'.
"If that's the case, shouldn't he hurry up the marriage? Only then can he take a concubine after the official wife."
"That's right. What is the prince thinking..."
As they danced, a murmur began at the entrance of the ballroom, spreading like wildfire.
One by one, people turned their curious gaze to where others were looking, and they saw her.
"...It's the Lady of Eseled."
Read ahead by supporting me on Ko-fi. Access 5 advance chapters with the Agnes of Water Tier ($10) or 10 advance chapters with Duffman of Dominion Tier ($18) For every $25 collected on Ko-fi, I will release an extra chapter. Choose your tier by clicking the 'Support me' button! Join our discord server for latest release updates and novel discussions. Rate and review this novel on NU to help people find this novel. Bonus chapters on reaching milestones. Happy reading!