Eustia's Banquet (10)
A week later.
The day of Eustia's banquet.
Iriel's mansion was in a frenzy of activity, preparing for the hastily arranged banquet.
"His Highness might attend today's banquet, so we must ensure everything is perfect!!!"
The butler shouted with a stern face.
However, there was no need for him to push them; everyone was already sweating profusely and moving with urgency.
"Is the food preparation going smoothly!!!"
"How should I know?! Don't ask me, go see for yourself! I have to prepare the props!"
"Good heavens! I have to check on the wine as well!"
"You there! Go check with the security detail!"
"We need to rehearse our fourth piece one more time!"
"Argh……."
This was an important banquet that even royalty might attend.
The heads of each department were yelling and pushing each other, determined to create a flawless event within the limited time frame.
[ Eustia has invited all the students from the swordsmanship class to the banquet. ]
This was the rumor that Iriel had spread among her followers.
Iriel was known for frequently hosting banquets,
so at first, the nobles simply acknowledged that another banquet was being held in Eustia. However, their expressions soon hardened.
Zeke Clayman's swordsmanship class.
It was famous for its small size and rigorous training, but even more so for the extraordinary individuals who made up its ranks.
Royalty, Dukes, Counts, Commoners.
The diverse group gathered in Zeke's class inevitably drew attention wherever they went.
Furthermore, it was an open secret that Count Gilbert was affiliated with the First Prince.
This fact only served to further fuel the interest in Eustia's banquet.
And the presence of someone in particular added fuel to the fire of their curiosity: Selena.
'What will Yohaiden do!?'
Zeke's swordsmanship class included not only the Eustia family but also Yohaiden.
In essence, Iriel had thrown down a gauntlet right in front of Selena.
The academy students buzzed with gossip whenever they met,
and the nobles of Ramielli diligently spread the news like busy bees.
As a result, it hadn't even been a few days before [ Eustia's Banquet ] became the hottest topic in the capital.
The Eustia family was flustered.
They had begun preparations with a light heart, thinking it would be like any other time Iriel hosted a banquet for her followers.
But the scale of the event had suddenly ballooned.
However, the invitations had already been sent out, and there wasn't a single noble who hadn't heard the news.
Canceling or postponing at this point was out of the question, as it would damage the family's reputation.
In the end, they were left with no choice but to grit their teeth and prepare for a grand banquet.
"What in the world is going on……."
A maid with dark circles under her eyes muttered to a senior maid she was working with.
The senior maid looked equally exhausted.
"Who knows, we just do what we're told."
"I... I haven't slept in three days……."
"Everyone's in the same boat. Now hush and go help set up the tables over there. That one looks like she's about to collapse."
"Ugh……."
The servants of the Eustia mansion were going through a rough time.
And the same went for Iriel.
"Miss, let's practice one more time."
"I'm done. I'm exhausted. How many times has it been?"
Iriel whined, massaging her shoulders.
But Hades, who had come at Hela's behest, was in no mood to indulge her childishness any longer.
"Lady Hela's orders. She said you must take responsibility for the banquet you so recklessly decided to hold. If you don't handle this properly, there will be severe consequences."
Iriel bit her lip.
"Why did you even do this?! Informing us about a major banquet with royalty a mere week in advance? What kind of nonsense is that?!"
Twitch.
Iriel's eyebrows shot up at Hades's outburst.
"If you hadn't betrayed me, none of this would have happened."
"I have never betrayed you. I have always been Lady Hela's person."
"But you lied."
"……."
There's no one to trust.
The person who had come as Zeke's replacement and stayed by her side for so long was actually her aunt's puppet.
When Iriel first returned to her own home from the Yohaiden mansion,
Hades had calmly bowed his head among the other servants.
Iriel, feeling deeply betrayed, immediately tried to dismiss him.
But she couldn't bring herself to do it when he shamelessly held onto his position, using her aunt as a shield, saying, "I was ordered to keep an eye on Lady Iriel."
It was incredibly frustrating to have him constantly interfering in her affairs after revealing his true colors.
Iriel glared at Hades.
"What on earth are you thinking? As if spending the night at the Yohaiden estate wasn't enough, you immediately invite royalty to a banquet."
"Ha, I told you, I stayed at the Yohaiden estate because Zeke Clayman was there. And if I had returned to Eustia then? Wouldn't I have been sent straight to the monastery? This banquet is buying me time."
"……."
"And if I manage to forge a connection with either the First or Second Prince through this banquet, they won't be able to just chase me out of Ramielli."
Iriel explained why she had organized the banquet and invited royalty.
"As I told you, you wouldn't have to leave the academy even if you hadn't done this...."
"Hades."
Iriel cut him off in a low voice.
"I'm not a fool anymore."
"……."
"You're right, my aunt may be leaving me alone for now. But doesn't that mean she can still chase me out whenever she pleases?"
"……."
Hades remained silent, like he had swallowed his tongue.
Ha,
Iriel let out a hollow laugh.
"I don't trust your words anymore. You do your job. I'll do mine."
Pat. Pat.
Iriel approached Hades and patted his shoulder.
"Let's stop this charade, shall we? I won't cause any trouble. You just do your surveillance. Don't overstep your boundaries and try to interfere."
Hades kept his mouth shut and stared at her with a hardened expression.
"We both know we can't go back to the way we were before, right?"
Iriel sneered, concealing her true objective: 'to establish contact with Zeke Clayman.'
'It wouldn't be bad to tell Hades now, but it'll be more effective after Flowerbed publicly announces her protection of Zeke. I need to deal directly with my aunt for this.'
She hadn't shown it, but
Iriel had been grinding her teeth every night, unable to forget the humiliation of crying in front of Selena Yohaiden because of the Zeke assassination attempt and nodding along to her plans.
Iriel had learned to think more deeply instead of acting on impulse like she used to.
'It would be even more effective if the Princes were to attend, but they wouldn't come after receiving such a hastily written invitation. Well, it can't be helped.'
The important thing was that Selena Yohaiden and Zeke would be present at the banquet.
Iriel frowned, stretching her arms, which were sore from muscle pain.
She felt like her bones were going to fall apart from all the training in Zeke's swordsmanship class and now even dance practice.
She wondered if it was really necessary to practice dancing so diligently.
'If the First and Second Princes aren't coming, it'll just be the same old faces I always dance with. How boring.'
And this time, she would be the one playing the supporting role.
It made her even less enthusiastic about something she already disliked.
'Wait, but what about Zeke?'
It suddenly occurred to Iriel that Zeke would also be attending the banquet, not as a guard but as a nobleman.
'He's coming as a nobleman. And Flowerbed will announce him as her benefactor. They'll definitely dance together...'
A triumphant smirk spread across her face.
Although she hated to admit it, the situation felt like Selena had snatched away the bread she had saved for herself. It made her grind her teeth.
But it couldn't be helped.
Yes, there was no helping it.
This was all part of the plan to protect Zeke.
'Then wouldn't it be alright for me to have the second dance with him?'
What if she were to dance with Zeke at the banquet?
Would people criticize her for dancing with someone from Yohaiden?
No.
Perhaps ordinary nobles might see it that way, but from Eustia's perspective, it would actually elevate her standing.
'It would be a way to show that Zeke still cares about me...'
It would also give her another card to play in her dealings with her aunt.
The Eustia family, curious about Zeke, would have to be cautious in approaching him because of Yohaiden.
If she were to step forward and offer to gather information about Zeke...
Of course, putting aside such calculations, the prospect of dancing with Zeke was personally very appealing to her.
With the beautiful night as their backdrop, she would move to the music with Zeke.
His strong arms would encircle her waist, and as she leaned her head against his firm chest, she would glance up at him.
And his usual stoic expression would soften into a smile...
Iriel's lips curved into a giddy smile, but then she remembered Hades was watching and quickly cleared her throat.
"Hmph! I'll practice my ballroom dancing more. I can't have the First or Second Prince step on my feet!"
Iriel declared haughtily.
"Play the music again. Something romantic this time.”
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