Chapter 4 :

Chapter 4

Like someone who disliked drawing more attention than necessary, he raised one hand to stop the attendant who was about to announce his name, then descended the stairs with an elegant, upright posture.

But despite that effort, everyone focused on Varkas.

Even the presence of the next emperor seemed to fade with his appearance.

Thalia greedily examined him from head to toe.

As always, he was dressed impeccably in the formal uniform of the Imperial Guard.

The one thing different from usual was that beneath the ornate coat issued by the knight order, he wore a black breastplate engraved with the emblem of a black horse instead of the golden armor that symbolized the Roem Knights.

It meant that he had attended the banquet as the heir of Grand Duke Siarkan and as Ayla’s fiancé.

Just as Thalia had expected, Varkas headed straight toward the center of the hall, where Gareth and Ayla stood.

“I greet Your Imperial Highness the Crown Prince.”

After offering Gareth a bow that was neither excessive nor lacking, he turned toward Ayla, who was smiling shyly.

Her fingertips began to tremble.

Thalia gripped the wineglass so roughly that her knuckles turned white.

When Varkas held out one hand toward the “legitimate princess,” Ayla modestly took it.

In that instant, pain assaulted her as though her insides were twisting.

Do not touch him.

Do not lay your hands on Varkas.

She wanted to shout that, even though she had no right to.

Thalia had to bite her lip to keep herself from making a horrible scene.

“Would it not be better to leave the banquet hall as you are?”

The man, who had been watching her face, carefully suggested.

When even he, who seemed to sincerely enjoy discord, said that, Thalia came sharply to her senses.

She had not come here to leave in misery and humiliation.

Thalia regained the expression that had collapsed for a moment and crossed the hall with elegant steps.

Those surrounding the Crown Prince, the First Princess, and the noble lord of the East naturally cleared a path.

They, too, were undoubtedly hoping inwardly that an exciting incident would happen.

Thalia intended to satisfy their expectations perfectly.

“Good evening. My respected elder brother, and... my dear elder sister.”

Deliberately ignoring Varkas’s existence, she slowly greeted only the two of them.

If she faced his face directly, she felt as though the thread of reason she had barely managed to hold on to would snap completely.

With her back turned to Varkas, she fixed her gaze only on Ayla’s face.

Then she spoke in a mocking voice.

“I am relieved to see that you have recovered your health safely. Previously... you showed us a rather unpleasant sight, did you not?”

“Thank you for worrying about me.”

Ayla spoke with a gentle smile on her lips, one that showed not even a single shadow.

For an instant, goosebumps rose all over Thalia’s body.

This woman surely did not fail to know that it was her half-sister who had put medicine in her wineglass.

And yet, in the gaze she turned upon Thalia, there was not the slightest trace of anger.

They were eyes like someone looking at an ordinary object lying around here and there.

The wineglasses, plates, or candlesticks scattered throughout the hall...

How could a person possibly feel anger toward such things?

At her attitude, which was so calm that it was almost indifferent, deep regret surged up within Thalia.

She should have fed this woman deadly poison, not emetic medicine.

Even if that had led to a terrible extreme punishment...

Even if she had burned in the fires of hell for all eternity...

Compared to this woman, her elder brother, who plainly revealed raw anger, felt almost human.

“How dare you come here, of all places?”

Gareth leaned close toward her and ground his teeth.

His gleaming eyes swept her up and down with deep hatred.

“And dressed in such a vulgar state! Did your mother tell you to act like a whore and seduce my loyal retainers?”

“That is quite harsh, calling this vulgar.”

Thalia ostentatiously spread the hem of her dress wide.

“This dress is what Mother wore on the day she first met His Majesty the Emperor. It is a very meaningful dress.”

In that instant, silence settled over the hall.

Flames of fury flashed and burned in the Crown Prince’s eyes.

Unfortunately, Thalia very much enjoyed playing with fire.

“Our father must have liked this dress very much. Do you not think so?”

The Crown Prince’s shoulders shot upward.

It seemed he was about to lose control of his temper and raise a hand to her face.

But his clever sister would never allow such a thing to happen.

At the perfect moment, Ayla placed a hand on Gareth’s forearm to stop him, then turned to her half-sister with a clear, pure smile.

“Yes. It suits you very well.”

Surprisingly, there was no malice in her voice.

The utterly calm tone, as though she were merely stating a visible fact, irritated Thalia to no end.

Perhaps this woman thought that reacting one by one to the provocations of an insignificant bastard would itself damage her dignity.

Ayla sent her twin younger brother a calm look, as though telling him to stay composed, then approached her fiancé.

Then, leaning lightly against his side, she spoke with a supremely happy face.

“In any case, thank you for coming like this. Today is a very meaningful day for us... especially for me. If possible, I wanted to receive congratulations from even one more person.”

Ayla’s delicate hand settled lightly on the arm of the man standing quietly like a shadow.

Thalia looked down at that hand as though she wanted to tear it to shreds.

She could not bring herself to raise her eyes.

If, by some chance, she saw him smiling at Ayla, she felt she would be unable to stay sane.

Ayla spoke in a voice as soft as a feather.

“At last, the official date for our marriage has been set. On the day the Season of Wind begins, I will go east to become a member of House Siarkan. Of course, before that, I will first have to set out on a pilgrimage to receive the blessings of the saints. Since I must leave in haste before the days grow hot, today may be the last time I see you.”

She skillfully feigned a regretful expression.

“I am glad I could meet you like this before leaving the imperial palace. At least, I wanted to exchange a final farewell.”

Then, as though she wanted to end the conversation there, she gently leaned her shoulder against Varkas and added warmly,

“Please enjoy the banquet prepared for us to your heart’s content before you leave.”

With a tolerant smile on her lips, Ayla softly turned away.

Thalia, who had been staring intently at her, abruptly opened her mouth.

“Today is the last time...? Then I would truly like to bless your future.”

When she stepped toward Ayla, the man who had been quietly observing the soundless war between the two women reacted immediately.

At the sight of him stretching his arm forward as though to protect his fiancée, Thalia’s vision flushed red.

Before Varkas could completely block her path, Thalia swiftly poured wine over Ayla’s chest.

The dark wine stained the upper part of the white dress densely covered with pearl ornaments red and flowed down to the hem of her skirt.

It looked as though she had been stabbed in the heart and was bleeding.

“I will pray every day that you soon look like this.”

Everyone drew in a harsh breath at the horrifying curse.

Even Ayla, who had remained detached all along, turned deathly pale.

Her expression of genuine fear was so ridiculous that Thalia almost burst into loud laughter.

But the pleasure lasted only an instant.

A strong hand seized her wrist and pulled her harshly.

Because of that, Thalia had no choice but to face the man she had been avoiding so desperately head-on.

A pair of pale-blue eyes glared at her, filled with icy rage.