What’s he planning this time, if it’s not just a normal dance?
Something about the way he said it caught my attention, but the Majaar’s king-to-be had just called me his friend in public, so I couldn’t refuse.
Annoyed, I told him I was reaching my limit. Islan gave me a tense smile and clapped his hands.
The banquet hall went still again.
I took a swig of the honey-colored liquor and waited for Cecilia. Dirk leaned in again, and I felt a headache coming on.
“You backed off more easily than I thought you would, Lucas.”
“Shut up. My job here is done. Now quit breathing down my neck.”
And why are you even still next to me? I glared at him, then lazily tied him up with a magic chain. For some reason, he didn’t even resist and just looked back toward the stage. Apparently, he had gotten too used to being restrained.
“Using you as a pawn always makes me feel nervous,” he said.
“Well, I’m perfect for the role.”
“If your wife’s there, sure. Honestly, she really is an exceptional bride.”
He gave me a knowing look, like he was waiting for something, and I frowned. My brother lived to keep secrets until the very last second, but he didn’t say a word.
“I don’t agree that Prince Lucas is easy to use as a pawn, but I do agree that his wife is quite remarkable. I thought her a timid woman, so it was deeply satisfying when she slapped Prince Akeem.”
“Yeah, it made quite a sound. Thanks to her, I’d hope Akeem’s view of the world has shifted a little. He probably realized that the people whom he sees as mere stepping stones have feelings of their own.”
Islan’s eyes went wide, but Dirk merely chuckled. He seemed to be enjoying himself thoroughly.
“How do you know Prince Akeem is trying to dissolve his harem?” Islan said. “Don’t tell me there’s a Lebensklinge spy among the palace staff?!”
“Ha ha. Of course not. It’s just a guess.” His sly smile and way of speaking had clearly gotten under Islan’s skin.
But surely the prince must’ve known from experience that if you let Dirk control the conversation, you’d never win. He held his head dramatically, then heaved a sigh of resignation.
He really was trying, but poking at Dirk was just a waste of time.
“Haah… I suppose it was the right move to team up with someone who specializes in strategy and warfare. It’s terrifying… But I suppose it’s those kinds of people who keep the royal family of Bern going. I just wish I had someone that devoted in my own camp.”
So he wasn’t giving up the Lebensklinge agent in his palace.
It was about what you ought to expect from someone who built a whole faction in the succession war, after all. It was a smooth pivot, but a mistake nonetheless.
That bastard brother of mine still hadn’t played his best card, which contained all the juicy tidbits everyone would be desperate to keep under wraps.
His smile curved up just like mine did, and a chill ran through me. Dirk looked at the two of us and smiled gently, like he was confirming exactly what I feared.
“Ha ha. You say you want someone that devoted, Your Highness, but you already have someone like that by your side. You just haven’t realized how important she is.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your ‘miraculous rose’ just walked out on stage. Along with another one.” He pointed, and my breath caught in my throat when I saw the object of his gaze.
A woman stood in front of the crimson curtain draped over the entrance. A sheer veil covered the lower half of her face, but I could see those bright green eyes that gleamed like perfect gemstones…and I couldn’t look away.
She wore a vivid green outfit, adorned with intricate gold work in the signature Aram style, which shimmered in the light. And the pearl ornament I’d picked out for her rested upon her chest.
“What?!” I blurted out before I could help it. And of course, that wasn’t enough to convey my surprise. I couldn’t believe my eyes. My body moved on its own, standing before I even realized it.
And then her eyes softened into a smile that calmed and steadied me, just like always.
She stepped barefoot across the stage with those pure white feet, and every time her ankle bells chimed, the flames that had burned low flared up again, one after the other.
Why is she coming from the dancers’ entrance? And why is Yana Salkishan walking behind her? Why does everything about this scream that my wife is being presented as a dancer right now?
My heart was pounding so loud my ears were ringing, but I couldn’t move a single muscle. It was like I was frozen solid.
She looked like some kind of fairy out of a dream, with her pale skin and amber-colored hair.
Everyone in the room stared at her, completely captivated as she gracefully raised her arms toward Yana, who held up a sheathed sword, and then drew the blade out slowly in a single, fluid motion.
“What is this, Prince Islan? Don’t tell me when you asked me for another chance, you meant you were going to use my wife?” Even saying it out loud sent a chill down my spine. My voice trembled from the sheer insolence of the idea.
Cecilia whirled the sword in one hand and the air rang with a steely sound, followed by the soft tinkling of bells, leaving a high-pitched echo in my ears.
Her long, honey-colored lashes fluttered as she blinked, and I gritted my teeth, forcefully throttling the mana that surged through me.
“Answer me, Islan. Who decided she should do this?” I demanded in a growl.
His answer was a surprise. “It was Princess Cecilia’s request! She asked us to let her dance for the sake of our nations, and for you! But I swear I didn’t know it would be like this! Yana, why are you up on the stage?!”
The nobles began to murmur at the scene unfolding onstage.
“The first wife of Prince Islan is kneeling… Don’t tell me Aram’s sworn loyalty to the Hero’s wife now?”
“What does this mean for Prince Islan’s faction?”
I couldn’t blame them for panicking. Islan’s influence in Majaar came mostly from Aram, and Yana Salkishan was the chieftain’s daughter. They were known for their incredible prowess at hunting monsters, which was a huge factor in their power.
It made sense that she would side with Cecilia, because she was the Hero’s wife and a royal princess of Bern. Bern was renowned for its success at quelling monsters and had the strongest military on the continent.
So of course Yana would approach Cecilia if she wanted that support so badly. And knowing Cecilia, she’d probably coaxed her into it.