As a child, the mere mention of a banquet brought endless excitement.
It was glamorous, lively, and best of all, everyone seemed to be smiling.
—
But then one day, after getting smacked in the forehead by a book and subsequently recalling my prior life…
And once I grasped the workings of the world at a rather early age…
I realized that banquets weren’t just about eating and drinking anymore.
—
It’s intense reconnaissance. Are they friend or foe? Can I use them, or will they use me?
Blades of words flash in the blink of an eye—perhaps even more brutal than the battlefield itself.
And here I am, trying to figure out if this smile on my face is real or fake.
—
For good reason, banquets allow for zero slip-ups.
Which is why many nobles only attend gatherings from factions they deem “friendly.”
—
‘And here I am, doing the exact opposite of that.’
—
You can’t just move based on the host of the banquet.
You’ve got to figure out who else will be there.
Because running into someone awkward could get extremely uncomfortable.
—
Given all that, I probably shouldn’t have come to this one.
—
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince is coming, and I’m still uneasy about it.”
“It’s fine. Even the nobles of the Neutral Faction wouldn’t dare cause trouble at their own party.”
—
The Crown Prince is here. The First Prince. The leader of the Pro-Empire Faction and the same guy I dealt with recently.
Sure, we parted ways with smiles, but his people didn’t hesitate to pull a dirty trick on me.
Translation: We’re in some seriously awkward territory with each other.
—
“Master… If you feel the mood getting strange…”
“Tell me it’s time for a balcony retreat to clear my head.”
“‘Retreat’ sounds better than ‘run,’ doesn’t it?”
“I get it, Alexei. Don’t worry too much though.”
—
There’s no way the Crown Prince would be dumb enough to bring that noble again.
This is a party hosted by Lord Marquis Robgon, a member of the Neutral Faction, at his estate.
And causing chaos here would make the Neutrals turn against them completely.
—
“Ah, Master. You have no idea how exhausting these gatherings can be.”
“But I’ve been to plenty of banquets before!”
“All with people from the Anti-Empire Faction or the Military though!”
“Yeah, yeah. Just stop worrying already!”
—
Let me reiterate: This is a gathering of Neutral nobles, Alexei.
One mistake here, and even the Prince himself couldn’t cover for the political fallout, okay?
—
I assured everyone I wasn’t worried and boldly walked into the banquet hall…
Only to immediately wonder if Belle had secretly reincarnated at some point.
—
“…What the hell is going on here?”
—
Belle stood to my left. The First Prince stood to my right.
Representatives of the Pro- and Anti-Empire Factions—two people no one thought would show up to a Neutral Noble event.
—
At least I knew the Prince was coming, so I wasn’t completely blindsided…
But the Princess? Not only was her arrival unexpected, but I didn’t even hear a hint of it beforehand!
What the heck’s going on here?
—
“Welcome, Lord Kael.”
“Your Excellency, Lord Robgon.”
—
Alright, let’s start with formalities and greet the host of this banquet.
—
“I’ve heard about it. Your brilliant strategy greatly contributed to the army’s recent victory.”
“That is correct.”
“An impressive young man. The Duke of Bertier must be thrilled.”
—
Truthfully, I barely know Lord Robgon. We’re not close, but his rank makes at least a nodding acquaintance reasonable.
So we exchanged pleasantries, until…
—
“Ah, Lord Kael!”
“Lord Kael!”
—
Both the Prince and Princess, who had been bickering moments ago, suddenly lit up and practically skipped over when they spotted me.
And the Princess was determined to get there first, even half-running to make sure!
—
‘Back off! You two need to arrive one at a time or else it gets weird!’
—
Of course, neither sibling had a clue about my inner turmoil as they approached me.
Desperate, I turned to Lord Robgon, silently pleading for help.
You know, because being stuck between two whales is a great way to get squished like a shrimp.
—
“Lord Kael…”
—
And just like that, I learned another brutal lesson about politics.
“I have other guests to greet. See you later.”
“…Excuse me?”
—
Did Lord Robgon just abandon me? Seriously, does the host just ghost his guests like that?!
—
“Lord Kael…”
—
At this point, the Princess had been separated from the Prince and approached me.
—
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
“You were invited, too, I see. Quite the coincidence meeting here, isn’t it?”
“…Yes, quite the coincidence.”
—
Yeah, we all know it’s not a coincidence. And while the Prince probably knows it too, admitting it out loud is a completely different story.
Since I understood that, I played along with his act.
—
“Seeing each other again like this feels like fate. Perhaps we could chat for a moment?”
“Hold on!”
—
Before I could respond, the Princess swooped in and grabbed the Prince’s arm.
“What about that story? I want to hear it too!”
“Why are you butting in again, Belle? This is between me and Lord Kael—”
“Because I don’t trust you not to insult him somehow.”
“That’s because…”
“If you had an issue, you should’ve managed your people better at your own banquet.”
“…”
—
Wow. The Crown Prince just had his whole spiel interrupted by his sister.
And let’s be clear: This isn’t just because she’s a Princess. This is purely sibling dynamics.
From what I’ve heard, they’re only a year apart. Huh. They really must have mastered the art of not killing each other.
—
“Oh, fine.”
—
The Prince ended up backing down, likely because he felt guilty about something.
“Fine. But you won’t interfere in my conversation with Lord Kael.”
“Unless you say something weird. Then I might intervene.”
“Fair enough. Just wait until after our conversation. That’s the limit of my patience.”
—
You’re right, Princess. That truly was a massive concession on her part.
—
—
The Princess eventually gave the okay. She seemed to realize pushing further wouldn’t achieve anything productive.
Then the three of us followed Lord Robgon to one of the estate’s reception rooms.
—
‘This feels… a little suspicious.’
—
Trailing behind the Prince and Princess felt a bit like I was part of a conspiracy.
Like maybe they were plotting to overthrow the Crown Princess while I helped them with my unparalleled lust for power.
—
“Take a seat.”
—
The Prince gestured for me to sit, but I refrained from sitting too quickly.
Instead, I pulled out the chair next to mine and offered it to the Princess.
She looked briefly surprised before smiling and thanking me.
—
This wasn’t some random act of “Ladies First.” It was a subtle signal.
A reminder that I was still annoyed by what happened last time with the Pro-Empire Faction.
And an acknowledgment that I was showing favor toward the Anti-Empire-affiliated Princess.
—
“Ahem.”
—
The Prince caught the hint and cleared his throat. He clearly understood the danger of saying something ill-advised.
—
“In any case, before we get to the main topic, I’d like to apologize for what happened the other day.”
“Apologize? That’s preposterous, Your Highness.”
“Not at all. As Belle rightly pointed out, I should take responsibility for failing to manage my people properly.”
—
Here I was: The son of a Duke loyal to the Empire.
And yet, despite our rank disparity, the Crown Prince insisted on apologizing.
It made me uncomfortable. What exactly was he trying to set up with this setup?
—
“Lord Kael…”
—
The Prince’s tone shifted. This was it—his real purpose.
—
“You understand how the political landscape of the Empire works, correct?”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
—
Just as Nobogorod has its Moderates and Hardliners, the Empire’s political scene splits into three factions:
– The Anti-Empire Faction (or Pro-Military), which advocates for brute force as the Empire’s primary weapon.
– The Pro-Empire Faction (or Anti-Military), which prefers diplomacy over violence.
– And the Neutral Faction, balancing between the two to maintain stability.
—
The Princess next to me belongs to the Anti-Empire Faction. So does my family, technically.
Lord Robgon, the host of this gathering, leans Neutral.
And across from me sits the First Prince, aligned with the Pro-Empire Faction.
—
“Let me be direct, Lord Kael. Let’s work together.”
“What?!”
—
The Princess’s shout startled me, and I turned to look at her.
Despite their sibling relationship, she’s still a Princess and he’s still a Prince.
And I, as their subject, can’t show their rivalry in front of me.
—
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m not* asking for help to change the line of succession.”
—
But the Prince kept pushing forward, undeterred by her outburst.
This brother-sister combo is something else.
—
“I love our sister. She will undoubtedly grow into an excellent ruler.”
“Then why ask me to join you?”
“Do you truly believe brute force will always keep the continent under control?”
—
Before the Princess could interject again, the Prince jumped back in.
—
“Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not against the military. In fact, I deeply respect it. If anyone ever disrespects the Imperial Army while claiming to align with me, I’ll cut ties with them immediately.”
—
Listening to him speak, you’d think he belonged to the Anti-Empire Faction.
And it seems the Princess noticed the same, since she’s now muttering under her breath.
—
“I believe…the Empire can progress in a better direction. We can’t keep relying solely on military might forever.”
“The Empire has grown and thrived thus far thanks to our military, Your Highness.”
“Yes, you’re right. That’s why we must change our approach now.”
—
The Prince continued, laying out his vision for the future.
The Empire has spilled so much bl**d, ours and theirs alike.
Even the slightest spark of conflict now freezes the air around us.
And if we clash with one nation, their neighbors might jump in before we know it.
—
“The Empire always declares readiness to face all enemies at once. But through diplomacy and pressure, we might convince some—possibly half—of them to back down. Why wouldn’t they choose weaker opponents elsewhere?”
“…”
“With careful management, we could shift the power dynamics from big versus small nations to something more balanced: big ones, small ones, and…bystanders.”
—
