### Chapter 15: Dinner Gathering (Part 2)
However, once I made it to the second floor, I suddenly realized that this lavish palace didn’t just have one dining room.
The construction of the Chielis City Royal Palace was completed over twenty years by the previous royal family, long before the “Winter Moon” took over the empire. Its scale of grandeur and luxury still stands as a masterpiece of Valen Empire’s architectural achievements, boasting around two hundred halls of various sizes. Behind the palace lies the Royal Forest Garden, sprawling over approximately 100,000 square meters. I vaguely remember hunting there once with the young princes when we were just kids…
So, I wasn’t exactly a stranger to this palace. I was quite familiar with the chaotic maze of halls on the second floor; nearly every room had its own dining area.
But I had a feeling I knew exactly which dining room that young hunter was referring to.
Striding through the spacious and opulent corridors, I soon arrived at the east side of the main palace building, entering a hall named “Adelina.” I remembered coming here ages ago; every year, we royal members waited for Emperor Keynes to wake up in this very place. The first time I visited, I was shocked by the extravagant golden candlesticks and crystal chandeliers – that memory is still vivid.
Although it seemed like those items had been raided by the armies of the Northern Royal City, even the murals of Keynes and the princes had been torn down and carelessly tossed into a corner.
“Pepé?”
Just then, amidst the chaos of hunters hauling supplies out of the hall, I heard someone call my name. Turning, I saw Firebird Annie striding toward me.
“Annie!” I responded.
“Where did you run off to this afternoon? I was just about to send someone to look for you…”
The warrior in her red armor stepped closer, a hint of happiness surfacing when I called her “Annie.” Her tone became more affectionate: “Did you hardly eat anything at lunch? I remember you were a big eater… Ah, not in that way! I mean, you must be starving, right?”
“…I’m okay.”
Sure, I didn’t eat much at noon, but I had long learned not to let it bother me.
“Come, come!”
However, Countess Erin was quite enthusiastic. She grabbed my hand and pulled me deeper into the hall: “Your mother is just over there in the suite! She says she’s preparing a feast for you tonight. We’ve been looking for you for ages!”
“…Oh.”
We passed through the hall, and right behind it was the emperor’s suite. Yep, the queen’s chamber was also here. So, my mother was indeed nearby.
As I thought this, I was pulled along by Annie, who was in excellent spirits today. Compared to her usual serious demeanor, she seemed more like a woman now, her chatter increasing.
“We barely got a chance to talk when we met briefly in the valley! You returning safely truly surprised me!”
“……”
“Pepé, you’ve become so impressive! Did you get hurt during the siege? It must have been tough for you over the past two years…”
“……”
“I asked Lady Catherine, but she wouldn’t tell me. You weren’t in the Western Continent during that time, were you? Do you know what those damned church folks said about you? We believed it…”
“They spread those lies all over the news. When Lady Catherine found out, she fainted right on the spot. It’s been hard for her too these past two years. I’ve been by her side, so I’ve seen how tough it’s been… You need to spend some time with her. Since you’ve come back, she’s been like a different person, as if her lost soul has returned…”
“……”
Annie was quite the chatterbox during our walk, asking questions left and right like someone who couldn’t stop talking. This side of her was something I vaguely remembered not seeing before. I suspected she was just trying to cover up other emotions lurking beneath the surface.
“Oh, I smell food!”
That remark didn’t come from me but from Annie, who perked up after we stepped out of the hall into the mirror corridor.
She looked back at me, her excitement palpable: “Roasted pig? Roasted leg of beef? Mmm… and eggs and milk! I haven’t smelled anything this good in ages. This past few months, I’ve been gnawing on hard, dry bread. Thanks to you, Pepé, I’ll finally have a feast tonight!”
The mirror corridor led directly to the imperial dwelling; the emperor’s suite was located deep within, guarded closely by several familiar hunters. I recognized them as the same folks who followed my mother around in Baihao City, Uncle Hoover’s men.
They were the first to know about my identity, aware I had returned alive, and since they were quite familiar with Annie, they made no effort to stop us, standing tall and saluting as we approached.
These loyal and exceptional Workshop Hunters from Shanter Castle gazed at me with a mix of respect and awe, just like the look that unwittingly emerged when one was in front of a father.
“Great job, everyone!”
Annie smiled back at them: “I’ll have a word with Lady Catherine later, and you all need a good reward for your hard work.”
I nodded at them too.
At this point, the fragrant aroma of food was becoming more pronounced.
I think I caught a whiff of donuts…
I subconsciously raised my nose; it was indeed a delightful smell, particularly reminiscent of my mother’s cooking.
Suddenly, I found myself craving food…
Even if my appetite wasn’t exactly roaring.
As we entered the suite, the embroidered canopy and gilded railings caught my attention immediately. The enormous bas-relief on the ceiling made the place sparkle, even more luxurious than the Adelina hall. Perhaps it was because the crystal chandelier hadn’t been dismantled yet, making the entire main room feel exceptionally refined.
The emperor’s true living quarters, the place for audiences and ceremonial greetings. Only the grand throne room on the first floor could rival its opulence in the whole empire.
Such a lavish palace…
Yet, just a window away, the outside was filled with the poverty and hunger, grime and chaos of the poorer district.
Inside was a paradise of indulgence.
Outside was a hell of survival.
As these thoughts popped into my mind, I suddenly felt Annie release my hand and hurry toward a little hall in the north end of the main room, where the tantalizing aroma of food wafted from. Peering through the arches, I could see the long dining table dressed in red satin, with busy maids bustling around, bringing dishes to the table one after another.
“Lady!”
Annie darted through the arch, calling out and waving toward what seemed like the kitchen: “I’ve brought Pepé! The kid must be starving…”
I already said I was fine!
I made my way over, pushed back my hood, shook out my messy long hair, and took a peek at the dinner spread. Wow… it was quite the feast, especially with lots of desserts and even wine… huh?
“Here you are!”
My mother poked her head out from the kitchen window, sleeves rolled up and an apron tied around her waist, her black hair neatly pinned up. Her bright eyes scanned the dining room, and upon seeing me, her face lit up with a warm smile.
“Go sit over there; eat a few snacks to tide you over. Dinner will be ready soon.”
She said this as she turned back to her tasks.
But that unintentional smile sparked something in me, reminding me of the times back at Shanter Castle, where I’d often see this very scene and this same smile on her face.
In a daze…
I felt as if I had been transported back to those days.
