### Chapter 50: Sophia’s Wild Thoughts
Light and shadow danced in Sophia’s eyes like they were auditioning for a role in a soap opera.
In the magnificently decorated banquet hall, applause and cheers filled the air with unprecedented fervor, with all eyes glued to two stunning figures in black and white. Their entrance crashed into the atmosphere like a cannonball plopping into a pond, sending ripples of excitement surging through the crowd.
“Sophia, did you see that?!”
Her father’s voice boomed in her ear, a tad more excited than usual.
But even with all that enthusiasm, his voice sounded distant to Sophia, like soft whispers floating down from the heavens or echoing through her dreams.
“Look at that little girl walking next to Her Majesty the Queen; she’s the daughter of Duke Skarlick from the Valen Empire, Miss Peilo of Shanter Castle!”
Peilo…
Daughter of Duke Skarlick…
Sophia was at a loss for words. Her brain was working harder than an over-caffeinated squirrel trying to process this information, struggling to connect the dots between the girl who seemed only interested in food and the majestic castle she had in her mind.
She just stood there, staring. Staring at the petite figure who stood hand-in-hand with the regal queen, becoming the centre of attention at the dinner.
“Everyone, please! Silence!”
The old knight in shiny armor shouted for attention. Sophia remembered his face; though she couldn’t quite place him, she recalled seeing her father shake his hand earlier, and she instinctively bowed pretty low.
“Ha! I’m honored to be hosting this evening’s ceremony! Celebrating Her Majesty’s 23rd birthday — such a crucial moment! I’m so thrilled to be back just in time! Truth be told, if Her Majesty hadn’t told me to keep it down, I would’ve organized a parade or something…”
The old knight didn’t seem to fit Sophia’s noble image of how aristocrats should behave. He spoke freely, not at all worried about stepping on toes or making a faux pas in front of the queen, coming off more like a jovial grandpa from the market than a dignified nobleman.
If you could ignore the armor, that is.
Sophia got it — the old knight had to be incredibly important; there was no way he’d be making jokes like that at the queen’s birthday bash if he weren’t. Yet, even after asking her father about it, she was still blown away by the old knight’s stature.
“That’s the head of the Reikmont family, Old Man Reikmont.”
Just two quick sentences were enough to convey the titan’s significance in Ethanbel.
But here was this towering figure, lowering himself in front of a girl who was practically the shortest one in the room.
“…And tonight, the Queen has invited a distinguished little guest, the beautiful Miss Peilo from Shanter Castle… Now, now! I know some of you energetic young lads can’t take your eyes off her! But don’t get your hopes up — my grandson hasn’t even made the cut yet! Haha! Miss Peilo and Her Majesty are good friends…”
After that, Sophia tuned out. The only thing bouncing around in her head was: Miss Peilo and Her Majesty are good friends.
That little fool…
She’s friends with Her Majesty the Queen…
If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Sophia would never have believed something that sounded so ludicrous.
No wonder.
No wonder Peilo acted so nonchalant towards Alex and those obnoxious nobles at the academy. Sophia had always thought it was simply because she was young and clueless about life’s harsh realities — assuming everything was sunshine and rainbows.
She had assumed Peilo’s carefree spirit stemmed from being pampered at home. After all, she’d seen plenty of folks living under the shadow of their elders, most of whom shared similar traits. But in this moment, Sophia finally understood that Peilo’s laid-back attitude wasn’t because she didn’t care about her situation; it was because she simply didn’t think it was worth her time.
Friend of Her Majesty.
Understanding the unspoken rules of nobility, Sophia realized this was not something you casually mentioned at a gathering like this.
Even the most powerful families in Ethanbel — Cleve, Reikmont, Chrisrodney… — even their offspring, like Alex, could only flaunt their family name to avoid being bullied at school or around common merchants and the daughters of lesser nobles. But that was it.
People in that tier wouldn’t dare claim a friendship with Her Majesty at such an event; even if they had played together since they were toddlers, that wouldn’t hold up. Without some exceptional identity or reason, they’d be like her—standing in an inconspicuous corner, clapping like good little wallflowers.
So logically, Peilo standing there next to the Queen made no sense.
Even if… she really was the famous King of Tricks, the Pope Knight who fought against the Abyss, daughter of Duke Skarlick, she shouldn’t be on that pedestal.
People who deserved to stand there should be her father… or heads of the families, like Old Man Reikmont.
That would be reasonable.
But curiously enough, none of the big shots seemed to think this was weird. Old Man Reikmont even intentionally positioned himself further back to give that girl plenty of space, creating a subtle illusion for Sophia that somehow, “Peilo and Her Majesty are equals.”
Is this an illusion?
Sophia couldn’t tell. The reality she witnessed tonight shook her to her core; her thoughts felt like a jumbled mess.
The only thing she knew for sure was that Peilo had a reason to be standing there.
That was also why Peilo didn’t bat an eye at Alex — they weren’t even in the same league, and Peilo was clearly mingling with folks who were a generation older.
Sophia began to piece things together: besides being the daughter of Duke Skarlick, Peilo must have some other identity…or resources? Something that made Old Man Reikmont treat a sixteen-year-old girl with such respect. It explained her casual entrance alongside Her Majesty into formal situations.
That reason might stretch far beyond anything Sophia could imagine.
Suddenly, elegant music drifted through the hall, yanking Sophia back from her daydream.
She turned to see the butler in his tails striding in confidently, pushing a five-tiered cake forward with four maids trailing behind him, finally halting right in front of Her Majesty before bowing deeply and stepping back.
The old knight leaned in to whisper something to the Queen; who knows what, but she gently shook her head.
Then she handed the cake-cutting kn*fe to Peilo.
The hall erupted in applause once more.
Sophia watched the small girl wield a kn*fe to slice into a cake bigger than her body, then, when the crowd was distracted, she snuck a hefty chunk of frosting into her mouth, her dark eyes sparkling with mischief.
Sophia covered her face.
But for some reason, she felt unexpectedly relieved.
Peilo…
After all, she was still that little fool Sophia knew.
Soon after, the banquet moved to the next segment. The Queen descended from the stage, joining the old knight and other high-ranking nobles at the long table below, beginning a chat with everyone. This was likely the highlight of the evening, as many who rarely got a chance to speak with Her Majesty were eager to share their thoughts directly.
Her father was among them.
He took a token bite of the cake sent to him by the servant before marching off with a carefully wrapped birthday gift.
Before he left, he turned to Sophia and said, “Sophia, Miss Peilo is around your age; take this chance to talk to her. It can only help you.”
“Father…”
Sophia sighed softly.
She looked over at Peilo, who had already hidden herself in a corner, devouring a cake slice large enough to cover her entire face, a comical sight that made her smile in resignation.
“Though it sounds unbelievable, Peilo… is my roommate at the academy.”
Right after, Sophia noticed her usually composed father suddenly widen his eyes and drop his jaw, looking utterly astounded.
