<Chapter 92>

At the moment he was consumed by possessiveness and jealousy rising from the depths of his heart, Temenos belatedly realized what was happening and felt his mind go blank.

‘What in the world am I thinking right now?’

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Unaware of his turmoil, Inosensia blinked up at him with an innocent expression.

Temenos felt his mouth go dry. He wanted to say something—anything—but he had no idea what to say.

The only words he managed to squeeze out were:

“…The plate. I wanted to hold it for you, but I thought it might spill.”

“Oh, you don’t have to. It’s not that heavy.”

Her face, humming softly, was filled with anticipation for the assortment of desserts before her.

Temenos instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist, speaking before she could fully register his touch.

“More importantly, what was it that you handed to the attendant earlier?”

“Ah, that? It was something Dee asked me to take care of. Something she received from someone a long time ago…”

—Bwooo!

At that moment, a grand horn blast cut off Inosensia’s words.

The entire banquet hall fell silent in an instant. Even the orchestra ceased playing.

All eyes turned toward the door. There was only one occasion when such a horn was sounded for an entrance.

“His Highness, the Crown Prince, enters!”

An imperial entrance.

Everyone halted what they were doing and respectfully turned toward the door.

Temenos, too, took the plate from Inosensia’s hands, set it on a nearby table, and offered his respects.

Though one might expect the weight of hundreds of people bowing in unison to be overwhelming, the Crown Prince strode forward with unwavering confidence, ascending the podium without hesitation.

“Raise your heads.”

His voice, young yet dignified, resonated throughout the hall.

The attendees straightened their postures and gazed up at the Crown Prince on the podium.

His jet-black hair contrasted starkly with his pale skin, his features refined and noble. The golden eyes surveying the crowd gleamed with solemn authority, like the sun ruling over the sky.

“First, I welcome you all to this banquet celebrating the season of bountiful harvest. Originally, His Majesty the Emperor should be standing here to greet you, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he is absent.”

Though this was already common knowledge, hearing it confirmed from the Crown Prince’s lips caused a ripple of murmurs among the crowd.

However, the murmuring was brief. Realizing the Crown Prince had more to say, the guests quickly fell silent.

“His Majesty’s absence is due to a highly personal matter, and there is no need for you to concern yourselves with it. So, do not dwell on it and enjoy the banquet.”

A ‘highly personal matter’ serious enough to prevent the Emperor from attending the harvest festival banquet?

The guests were burning with curiosity. But the Crown Prince’s words were an unmistakable warning not to speculate, so no one dared to press the matter further.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince summoned an attendant and took a wine glass in hand. At the same time, attendants who had been standing by the walls swiftly moved among the guests, distributing wine glasses to everyone present.

Once he confirmed that all had received their glasses, the Crown Prince made his final toast.

“Let us give thanks for the blessings of God, for the fertile lands nurtured by His grace, for the peace and prosperity granted by His mercy, and for the benevolence with which He watches over all.”

He lifted his glass high before drinking it in one motion. Following his lead, the guests raised their glasses to their lips.

After passing his empty glass to an attendant, the Crown Prince gestured lightly to the orchestra.

Soft yet lively music began to play, signaling the true start of the banquet.

This was a preparatory piece, allowing the musicians to warm up and set the mood before the formal dance music commenced.

And next on the agenda was none other than the first dance.

Excitement flickered in the guests’ eyes as they awaited the Crown Prince’s descent from the podium.

Tonight, he had arrived alone—without a dance partner. This meant there was no preselected Crown Princess candidate.

Thus, whoever danced the first dance with the Crown Prince tonight would become a strong contender for that position…

Unfortunately for them, the Crown Prince made his stance clear by simply taking a seat on the podium, showing no intention of dancing.

The attendees barely concealed their disappointment, but they still held onto hope. The night was young, and opportunities remained.

‘Now that the banquet is truly beginning… Wait, what?’

Realizing something, several guests turned their attention to a single point.

Regardless of scale, a banquet was not considered fully underway until the host performed the first dance.

But there were times when the host either refused or was unable to participate.

In such cases, the first dance would be led by the host’s family or relatives.

‘But the Crown Prince has no siblings or close relatives?’

Distant relatives, of course, were not included in this tradition.

If the host’s family could not take on the first dance, then the responsibility fell to the next highest-ranking attendee.

‘And there is only one duke present at this banquet tonight.’

‘No way. The Monster Duke is going to dance the first dance?’

‘Impossible!’

All eyes filled with shock turned to the Duke and Duchess of Winstein.

Standing near the eastern balcony, the duke’s massive frame shielded his wife from view, obscuring her completely.

But no matter how solidly he blocked her from sight, there was no way to hide the innocent voice that rang out from behind him.

“…Huh? Wait, are we supposed to dance the first dance?”

“We don’t have to.”

That was true. This was not a matter of law, merely an unwritten rule of high society.

Not adhering to it would certainly make them the subject of gossip—but then again, weren’t they already gossiped about at every turn?

Thus, Temenos was about to take Inosensia and retreat to the balcony.

If not for the voice that called out to him.

“Duke Winstein.”

The distance was considerable. The Crown Prince’s voice was not loud.

Yet it carried clearly to Temenos’ ears, and the nobles instinctively held their breath to avoid disturbing the conversation.

“Your Highness.”

“There’s no need for formality. I heard you and your wife came to the capital to offer your thanks to His Majesty.”

“That is correct.”

Temenos’ face remained impassive.

With his mask concealing him, there was no way to discern his emotions—or whether he held the Crown Prince in any regard.

“But due to His Majesty’s absence, you lost the opportunity to pay your respects. Given the circumstances, wouldn’t it be meaningful for you and your wife to lead the first dance in his stead?”

Temenos fell silent for a moment.

However, since the Crown Prince had framed this as an act honoring the Emperor, there was only one answer he could give.

“…As you command.”

Temenos extended his hand to his wife. Inosensia did not refuse, stepping forward onto the grand dance floor.

Under the weight of countless gazes, her face paled.

But the guests interpreted it differently.

‘Dancing with the Monster Duke…’

‘Of course she’d hate it. Who wouldn’t want to run away?’

“Duke Winstein, do you have a specific song in mind?” The Crown Prince’s calm question cut through the murmurs. Temenos responded just as smoothly, “Yes, I do.”

An attendant quickly approached.

Temenos whispered a single word to him, and the attendant rushed to deliver it to the conductor.

The conductor briefly looked surprised but quickly composed himself. He relayed instructions to the musicians, then raised his baton.

As the melody began to fill the hall, the guests understood why he had been startled.

The choice was nothing short of shocking.
 

<To be continued>

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