“Welcome, Lord Kael. I’m truly grateful you could make it to this invitation.”
“Hahaha! Nonsense! It’s the Baron’s birthday—of course I had to come!”
This whole affair started with a banquet at the residence of a baron located in the capital.
Now, I didn’t personally have much connection with this guy, but when I heard he was a cousin of one of my father’s acquaintances, I thought, “Why not drop by?”
Besides, this particular baron’s faction leans toward the pro-war camp, which aligns well with our anti-Empire faction, so obviously I was welcomed with open arms.
“You’re the eldest son of the Duke of Bertier, aren’t you? Heh heh, old friend, you’ve raised a fine son!”
“Indeed! Last time, when you retired, you were worriedly saying, ‘Ah, my son, what am I to do with you?'”
“I must humbly admit, I am far from being worthy of my father. His shadow towers over me still.”
“Nonsense, lad! You’ve done admirably already!”
Next up was a party hosted by an elder veteran of the army—a direct superior to my dear old pops. Naturally, I showed up.
Now, by rank, my father and this veteran are probably about equal—or, let’s face it, my father might even outrank him. But military ranks work differently, and besides, those with more battlefield experience always get more respect.
“Everyone keeps talking about me, but I believe the role of the Legion Commander is absolutely crucial. After all, without the Commander’s trust and support, none of my strategies would mean much, would they?”
“Ho ho ho! I sensed something special about you that couldn’t quite be put into words!”
This particular Legion Commander, who had previously led my unit during our campaign, graciously invited me over to his estate. Naturally, I didn’t hesitate. After all, he was one of the people who had actively supported my operations in the past.
And there’s no way the Commander could possibly turn against me now. You see, the accomplishments I made in the war reflect directly on him. A soldier doesn’t disown his victories, so as far as the Commander is concerned, I’ve got his full backing. Supporting me wasn’t just a choice—it was a necessity.
“Hey, isn’t this place frequented by the pro-Empire faction?”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Looks like they’re itching to stomp on me. Bringing me to their home turf, huh?”
Among the invitations I received, one from a pro-Empire noble was promptly ignored.
Are they crazy? If you think I’m walking into their lair just because they said, “Haha! A banquet? Should be fine!”—well, good luck with that.
As they say, soldiers hide their swords inside their scabbards, politicians hide their daggers behind a smile. Now why on earth would I crawl into that snake pit of smiling assassins?
I can just picture the venom rising in their veins right now. They’re likely hissing like a bunch of poisonous snakes. Anybody who extends a hand my way at that event better have a jagged lightning scar on their forehead.
“Ah, what should we do, Young Master?”
“Decline. Just give them some vague excuse. And not just this one—reject all invitations from that side for now.”
After telling Alexei that, I refocused on my remaining plans.
Anyway, according to my calculations, this should all wrap up pretty soon—one more week at most. Of course, according to Kaya, even that feels like an eternity.
“Master, Miss… she keeps asking when exactly you’ll be arriving…”
“Please tell her I’m sorry, but I’m incredibly busy, even if I’m running a fever.”
“Well, she also mentioned wanting to visit the capital herself…”
“Block it. Absolutely, no exceptions.”
Some sibling rivalries are about one wanting to eat the other, but that’s not us. No, the relationship between Kaya and I is solid. It’s just… Kaya’s a bit overenthusiastic.
‘She’ll definitely act like my personal guard rather than my sister.’
To our family, it’s harmless, but to outsiders, it could seem a bit strange. Especially now, when everyone’s eyes are on me for various reasons—it’s not the best time to have Kaya by my side, no matter how much I appreciate her loyalty.
“Master!”
One day, as usual, Alexei was sorting through invites when suddenly he started panicking.
“You’re stuttering, so I take it the big one’s arrived.”
“You knew about this?!”
“I had an inkling.”
“What do we do?! What do we do?!”
Shaking uncontrollably yet maintaining impeccable etiquette, Alexei extended the invitation with both hands. His professionalism as a butler never ceased to impress me.
“An invitation from someone who, on the surface, claims to be part of the neutral faction.”
“But look at the guest list! Here, as you can see…”
“Ho ho, this is big. The First Prince will be present.”
Gnaius Heldenberg, the First Prince. A key figure in the pro-Empire faction. Not too long ago, one of his nobles had tried to outsmart me but failed.
Of course, that put us in somewhat of an awkward position. But this seemed like an attempt to mend fences.
‘Still, this is somewhat unexpected.’
If this invitation had come under the name of a pro-Empire noble, it would be a clear declaration of me as an adversary. By contrast, this neutral-front invitation is more like an olive branch.
It seems the egg toss I pulled off made more of an impact than I anticipated. They probably thought I was just some brash young talent they could dismiss.
But I reckon the reason they’re reaching out now is that they’ve seen me networking actively over these last few days.
‘This is giving me a headache.’
I thought for sure the egg toss would ruffle some feathers and turn them against me. After all, even the pro-Empire faction clearly wants a piece of me.
Yet here’s the First Prince, who’s at the heart of it all, bowing his head first.
Officially, it’ll look like an accidental meeting, given the neutral noble’s name on the invite—but in reality, this is a calculated move.
“What should we do, Alexei?”
“How should I know, Young Master? I’m just a butler with a knack for my job.”
“You’re also the butler of the young strategist they all keep talking about.”
“…Didn’t you hate being called that?”
At this, I nodded in agreement. I’m no strategist—I just talk a lot about things I know.
But revealing too much could ruin me. Still, disliking the label and outright rejecting it are two different things.
“I do dislike it. But if it helps the family, I can deal with it.”
“Wow, so you’ve truly become one of the Empire’s noble elite, Master.”
“What, so I wasn’t before?”
“Sir! To think that would wound this Alexei deeply!”
*
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
“Say that again.”
Isabel was radiating her displeasure in waves.
And for good reason.
“Where has my dear brother gone?”
“The First Prince is hosting a party at Lord Ribgon’s estate. And our Lord Kael has also received an invitation.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s official from the palace.”
Isabel let out an exasperated sigh. Clearly, she’d been had. She’d let her guard down recently, lulled into a false sense of security.
Kael, who had been showing a decidedly unfriendly stance toward the pro-Empire faction. An excellent, young talent on her side. She had been feeling pretty secure with him in her corner.
She’d heard he’d been making appearances around the capital these past few days, which had been a comforting thought.
But it seemed the First Prince thought he could reel Kael in.
Or, rather, Kael had made the list of people the Prince felt were absolutely necessary to pull into his orbit.
‘Unless there’s something else going on, there’s no reason for that man to attend a party hosted by Ribgon, a supposed neutral noble, or for an invite to reach Kael at the exact same time.’
One thing she knew for sure was the First Prince’s remarkable rhetorical skills. As his younger sister, she’d had firsthand experience with his persuasive powers.
Of course, she didn’t doubt for a moment that Kael would resist any of the Prince’s attempts to sway him. The First Prince’s side had made the first provocation, after all, and it was as obvious as day.
Besides, while the current Bertier Duke has never publicly declared his allegiance to the anti-Empire faction, many assume that’s where his loyalties lie. Kael has never questioned or wavered from following in his father’s footsteps.
Which means Isabel has nothing to fear from Kael being pulled into the Prince’s web. If anything, her frustration is more directed at her brother.
‘This man! Sure, I let him ruin the atmosphere at my last event. But now he’s out here trying to poach the star talent I recruited first?’
She could forgive a lot, but not this. What, does he have nothing better to steal than people?!
And how many others has he already lured in with that d*mn charm of his? What makes him think he can get away with this again?
“Lieutenant Lail.”
“The letter has already been sent to Lord Ribgon. Mentioning that if the First Prince is attending, the presence of the Second Princess would make the event shine even brighter.”
“Ah.”
“And of course, the carriage and the security detail are all prepared.”
This is exactly why she keeps Lail around for her independent operations. She praised the Lieutenant internally, then waited.
If Ribgon declines her invitation, she’ll deal with it. But considering his neutral stance, it’s unlikely he’d turn down her offer. Especially if the event is seen with only the First Prince present—it could send the wrong message.
Exactly one hour later.
“Let’s go, Lieutenant.”
Isabel climbed into her carriage with poise, ready to rein her brother in before he lures her prize away.
