IYAMD: Episode 28

The next evening, a banquet was held at the royal palace for the knights heading out to hunt monsters.

Though the invitation had been sent in haste, most of the nobles in the capital attended, and the banquet hall was already bustling before the event had even started.

“I heard His Majesty is bringing a new adjutant.”

When someone mentioned this, the nearby nobles perked up their ears. Even though they were not part of the group talking, they all pretended not to care and listened in.

“I heard he’s from a commoner background. I wonder what kind of extraordinary talent he must have to suddenly appear as if dropped from the sky.”

“Some are saying he might be from a brothel…”

“No way, His Majesty wouldn’t bring someone like that.”

In the midst of this, a middle-aged man, who had been quietly listening, twisted his lips.

“Who knows, maybe he’s the Soulmate His Majesty has been looking for.”

“If that were the case, His Majesty would have already made an official announcement.”

“Well, we can never know. He might have gotten tired of waiting for the divine partner and just picked up some boy from the slums.”

The nobles gathered around laughed in unison. At the mockery of the Archduke’s faction, the faces of the pro-imperial nobles nearby grew cold.

At that moment, the herald announced the Emperor’s presence.

“His Majesty, Emperor Marsilia Serentio Arhen.”

As the grand doors of the banquet hall opened, the Emperor appeared, dressed in his military uniform. The tall, handsome man instantly drew everyone’s attention as he entered the room.

With his long arms and legs, broad shoulders, and towering height, he stood out even among the crowd. His bright blonde hair and deep green eyes, reminiscent of leaves, captivated everyone’s gaze.

A strong Emperor, comparable to the founding Emperor, and the only flaw being that he had no heirs because he hadn’t found his soulmate. Nobody could easily point out any other weaknesses of the Emperor.

It was only when the Emperor entered that everyone realized someone was following him. One of them was his chief aide, Serez Hastings, but the other man was someone unfamiliar.

A man with black hair tied loosely behind, slightly taller and thinner than Serez Hastings.

His unusual black straight hair and pale yellow eyes caught everyone’s attention.

The chatter that had ceased when the Emperor entered soon resumed, creating a buzz around the hall.

“Is he the new adjutant?”

“Not just an adjutant, looks like he’s been assigned to serve the Emperor. Must be from a brothel.”

“Did His Majesty buy a slave from the Eastern Continent?”

Among them, the mockery of the Archduke’s faction was the loudest. Even though they knew the Emperor, a sword master, was likely listening, they acted as if they meant for him to hear.

The Emperor scanned the room briefly before heading to his seat at the podium.

As he stood before the lavish chair prepared for him, a servant approached with a glass of wine.

The Emperor took the glass and spoke.

“Despite the hasty arrangement of this banquet, I thank you all for gathering. This is a gathering to comfort and encourage the knights who will depart tomorrow to hunt the monsters in the Ferento territory. I hope you all enjoy yourselves. For the peace of the Arhen Empire.”

As the Emperor raised his glass, everyone in the banquet hall lifted their glasses in unison.

At this moment, the divisions between the Archduke’s faction and the imperial faction didn’t matter. The knights heading to battle were the sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers of those present.

The nobles all drank in unison, wishing for the safety of the knights.

Thus, the banquet began, and soon, the music played.

As usual, the Emperor showed no interest in the dance, and the nobles, accustomed to this, paired up and began to fill the hall.

The Emperor, as always, did not join the dancers but approached those nobles who did not dance, exchanging greetings and engaging in conversation. The nobles greeted the Emperor, and then their attention turned to the unfamiliar man behind him, curious about him.

“Everyone is so busy looking at him, not me.”

“Isn’t that always the case, Your Majesty? There’s hardly any new faces in Arhen’s social circles. Would you introduce him to us?”

As Countess Darcy, known as the queen of high society, winked while covering her face with her fan, the nearby nobles all turned to the Emperor, eager to have their curiosity satisfied.

The Emperor then drew the man standing behind him closer. The man, who had been expressionless since entering, looked at the Emperor with a hint of confusion.

But only for a moment. Though a military man, his stiff posture and expression as he stood next to the Emperor showed he was clearly disciplined.

“This is Sable Dandelion, my aide’s subordinate. As you all know, my aide is competent in state matters but offers no help when it comes to military expeditions, so I hired this man. He will assist me in this subjugation.”

The Emperor introduced him to the nobles, then leaned in and whispered something to his ear. The action of cupping his hand to his mouth and whispering was so discreet that the onlookers narrowed their eyes.

“Seems like he’s a male prostitute, doesn’t it?”

One noble, observing from a distance, licked his lips and whispered to the man next to him.

The delicate face, pale skin with slightly reddened lips, dark long eyelashes, and neatly arranged eyebrows.

It was an undeniably seductive face for an adjutant. It was strange enough that he had been given a name and an official letter of appointment. The Emperor’s secretive attitude made it seem as though it were true.

Countess Darcy, reached out her hand toward the adjutant.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lady Grace.”

The adjutant said nothing and did not take her hand. Instead, the Emperor, who was standing next to him, chuckled and took the Countess’s hand.

“He is still unfamiliar with Arhen’s etiquette, so I hope you understand, Lady Darcy.”

The Countess, who had been holding up her fan out of embarrassment, fluttered it, but when the Emperor kissed the back of her hand, she silently bent her knee and paid her respects.

“Still, may I not receive at least a greeting, Your Majesty?” she asked with a soft smile, causing a brief moment of discomfort to flash across the Emperor’s face.

“Unfortunately, he had an accident and cannot speak.”

“Oh my. How did that happen?”

“Well, I’m not sure what kind of accident it was, but I heard it was a serious one when he was young.” The Emperor concluded as he looked around at Lady Darcy and the nobles nearby. “In government affairs, a man of few words is often needed, so I took advantage of the situation and appointed him.”

The Emperor smiled warmly, but his gaze sharply swept over each noble in the room. No one there failed to understand the Emperor’s warning not to speak recklessly.

Just as the atmosphere began to chill, the first dance came to an end. As the dancers started to scatter from the center of the hall, the Emperor released Lady Darcy’s hand and offered a parting salute.

“I hope you enjoy the rest of the banquet, Countess.”

In time with the Emperor’s graceful gesture, Lady Darcy also lowered her body modestly. The men standing around her also bowed, and the Emperor nodded before departing.

After receiving the Emperor’s warning, the people no longer dared to gossip about the adjutant. Few could afford to disregard the warning of a Sword Master, whose hearing was far sharper than a normal person’s.

The Emperor walked around the hall, smiling contentedly. During his conversations with the nobles, a couple of dances ended. While the music paused briefly, the voice of the herald rang out across the banquet hall.

“Exion Clarence Doton, Archduke of Doton.”

The noise in the hall quieted for a moment. All the nobles’ gazes shifted toward the entrance of the banquet hall.

As the doors opened, a middle-aged man with slightly dull blonde hair and pale green eyes appeared.

Archduke Doton. The first son of the late Emperor and brother of the previous Emperor. His divine power surpassed that of the late Emperor, but because the Soul mark appeared on the previous Emperor, he had been pushed out of succession.

The man, whose eyes were somber and deep, looked around the hall with a smile before turning his gaze toward the Emperor and slightly tilting his head.

He leisurely descended the stairs and walked directly toward the Emperor. The Emperor, who remained seated with a relaxed expression, waited for him. When the Archduke arrived before him and knelt, the Emperor finally spoke.

“I heard you were having difficulty attending due to matters in your territory. I was feeling a bit disappointed.”

“There were minor issues in my territory, but they were resolved faster than expected, so I rushed back, Your Majesty.”

“I see. I’m pleased to see you in good health. This is not a banquet in your honor, but please, enjoy yourself.”

The nobles swallowed their saliva in silence, listening intently to the conversation between the two men. It was intriguing that the Archduke, who stood in opposition to the Emperor, had appeared at this moment.

It was a rare occasion in Arhen’s social circles, which had been uneventful for so long, to have two exciting new developments. The nobles couldn’t help but feel their curiosity piqued.

The Emperor’s new adjutant and the return of Archduke Doton, who had been absent for a while.

It was even more intriguing since the Emperor was about to leave the capital to deal with the monster threat, and the Archduke appeared just in time.

As theArchduke received the attention of all the nobles, he lifted his head and looked up at the Emperor sitting on the platform.

“I’ve heard some news on my way here from the Ferento territory. It seems that the situation is of such a scale that the empire’s safety is at risk. I heard you intend to lead the knights. In that case, wouldn’t the security of the palace become an issue?”

The Emperor grinned and responded.

“Cut to the chase, Archduke. What need is there for such lengthy preambles between us?”

“If you allow it, Your Majesty, I would like to offer half of my knights to assist in slaying the monsters.”

“Oh, that’s an unexpected proposition. We’ll discuss that after the banquet ends. Please, be seated.”

The Emperor waved his hand to indicate the Archduke should rise, then gave instructions to the steward.

“The mood has grown heavy with such serious talk. Please, have the musicians play a lively tune.” The Emperor watched the Archduke retreat with a smirk. Though the Emperor often concealed the sharpness of his gaze, the nobles could easily tell how much he resented the Archduke.

Thus, with more intrigue in the air, the nobles eagerly watched the Emperor, the Archduke, and the newly introduced adjutant.