The highlight of the Malik Palace was its rooftop terrace or tiras.
From there, I absentmindedly watched the sun sink into the red-streaked dunes beyond the ornate pillars that climbed toward the roof. Just then, several vibrant lanterns suddenly lit up all at once.
I’d asked them not to make such a big production out of it, yet here we were, surrounded by Majaar’s most prominent nobles, all seated around the rectangular stage. And they had even placed me in a seat of honor.
I suppressed a sigh, ignoring every calculating glance thrown my way as I took my seat on the low sofa. My mind was consumed by thoughts of Cecilia, whom I’d had to leave behind, though she would be attending later.
I frowned when I saw Dirk approaching me.
“Well, well, little brother. I see you’re all dressed up tonight.”
“It’s nothing out of the ordinary,” I said.
“Is it? That ornament on your chest looks custom made. And the earrings are quite unusual. I could’ve sworn you stopped wearing jewelry once you grew up, but perhaps I was wrong. I’ll have to gift you some myself.”
He brought up those years when Anika had dressed me like her doll when I was a child. I wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face, so I reached for the fruit knife nearby, slipped its blade into my golden bracelet, then held it up like I was offering a new accessory.
“I think you’re a bit under-dressed tonight, Brother.”
Keep talking, and I’ll put a hole in your chest instead of your ears.
Dirk must have caught the veiled threat because his face twitched, and he stopped smiling immediately.
“Ha ha… Wow… Yeah, that’d probably be a bit too ostentatious. I think I’ll skip the jewelry tonight. I don’t think the gold matches my complexion!”
“Uh-huh.”
Like the pompous bastard doesn’t love his shiny trinkets. Maybe I’ll make him a necklace out of Bern daggers and fasten it right around his smug neck.
I flicked the fruit knife at the platter in front of him while I pondered how best to get revenge. Juice oozed out of the fruit like blood. The color drained from Dirk’s face, and he muttered, “So uncouth…” before clapping his hands. “Anyway, I heard you and the Aram princess patched things up. The gold work on your outfit is clearly from the Aram tribe. It looks good.”
He lifted his glass of wine and gestured at me, completely ignoring decorum. I just shrugged.
The thin embroidered tunic I wore was standard formal wear for Majaarian nobility. The robe was light and breathable, designed for long nights of dancing by firelight, and it would’ve looked too plain without any embellishments. That’s why it had all the gold accents.
Majaar’s reputation for gold craftsmanship was due to the kingdom’s abundant sources of gold. The higher the status of a noble, the more intricate their adornments. But the Aram gold I wore was the most exquisite of all.
It was supposedly a peace offering, but it seemed a bit too generous for that. But then again, it did seem to have inspired other nobles to treat the people of Aram better.
Cecilia had chosen both my outfit and jewelry for the night. I’d gifted her a hair ornament made from the same Aram gold in return. She didn’t usually like flashy things, but this time, her face lit up when she saw it. I wished I could bring the artisan home with me.
I made the right decision, following her advice to treat Yana Salkishan with respect.
Meanwhile, Dirk gave me a weary smile and shook his head.
“Judging by your mood, I take it you weren’t the one who patched things up? Not that I’m surprised, though. It must’ve gone even better than expected, judging by that gold work. My sister-in-law’s quite the charmer.”
“She’s my wife.”
“And we’re brothers, so that makes her my sister-in-law. Honestly, Lucas, you two are too much. She’s got a way of captivating even the most stubborn people. I came all the way here to Majaar for diplomacy, but in the end, your wife handled the whole thing herself.”
Then why’d you even bother coming?
I was about to say that when he continued and said, “She’s definitely a princess worthy of you.”
I just turned away, thoroughly annoyed. So he’d heard about how I’d dragged my feet apologizing to Yana at the coliseum…
The whole affair gave House Herbst a chance to embed spies near the Egrich-Aram border. I had nearly ruined that, and now I was getting scolded for it in the most passive-aggressive way. He thought using Cece to keep me in check was a clever strategy, but this was all her doing, not his.
“You should take notes from my wife.”
He’s so useless.
“Ha ha. I’d love to, but everyone has their own roles to perform, you know? By the way… Er, Lucas? Are you even listening?”
I ignored his excuses and let my gaze wander over to the stage area, just as the dancers began to make their entrance.
“Ooh, they’re even more stunning than I heard,” Dirk said as he admired the radiant dancers. Just then, a tall flame flared up in front of us. Despite its size, it shed no heat. It was a magical barrier to protect the dancers. “Whoa… Is that the protective flames I heard about?”
It was an inevitable fact that there would always be someone who couldn’t resist touching something so beautiful. And since in Majaarian culture, powerful men freely took women as concubines, it was possible one might try to force himself upon the dancers. As such, a magic stone engraved with Illusion magic had been placed at each of the seats surrounding the stage as a deterrent. As long as the flame remained, no one was allowed to approach or speak to the dancers, with one exception.
“If a dancer puts out the flame in front of someone, that one specific person may approach her,” Prince Islan said, appearing in an outfit so extravagant it made the dancers look homely. “Do you see the desert rose placed at each seat? If you accept her gesture, you give her the rose. So don’t forget to show your interest if someone catches your eye, Lord Dirk.”
It was clearly a jab at Dirk’s unwedded status.
He’s still bitter about getting buried in the dirt. Well, he should realize that little stunts like that don’t faze Dirk at all. To think we buried him alive and he still won’t shut up!
“Heh. I’m merely happy to be sitting next to my little brother, Your Highness. It’s a great honor that someone like me was invited at all.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that. How could I not invite the brother of the Hero?”
He had some nerve to say that after what he pulled. Islan plopped down beside me with a smug look on his face. Dirk sat on the other side, giving me his best grin. That could only mean one thing—he was about to say something ridiculous. But more importantly, where was Cecilia’s seat?