DMHS 17

A woman came running, panting. The moment she spotted Kian, her face changed, and she smiled shyly, as if she was embarrassed.

Kian smiled back and pointed at the princess.

“The princess is here. Will she also attend the banquet today?”

The nanny closed the distance quickly and grabbed the princess’s hand. Even though she was caught trying to escape, the princess still smiled brightly.

After introductions, the nanny looked between Kian and the princess.

“Unfortunately, the princess must attend her overdue lessons today. To finish them all, she cannot leave the palace for at least three months.”

The princess corrected her with a smile.

“Three months? You overestimate me, nanny. Even after a year, I will not finish those lessons.”

“You see? We must return now and begin etiquette lessons. Please excuse us.”

When the nanny and princess left, Ibrahim appeared.

“What were you doing here?”

He pinned a new brooch to Kian’s chest. Looking down at him, Kian answered.

“Nothing much.”

By now Kian was used to Ibrahim and could easily predict his reaction.

‘If I tell him I met the princess, he will be shocked out of his wits and demand to know everything.’

Kian smiled and added,

“I only met the princess for a moment.”

“Cough!”

Ibrahim’s hand slipped.

“Th-the princess?”

Even though the brooch pin pricked his finger and drew blood, Ibrahim did not glance at the wound.

“Princess Elizabeth? The one who causes so much trouble she spends half the year confined to the palace?”

So she was famous even here. There was reason she had smiled even while being dragged away by her nanny.

“Yes. Let’s get to the banquet hall before we are late.”

“Already the time… no, wait. How did you meet the princess? What did you talk about with her? And where did she go? Sir Kian, wait a moment. Stand still for me!”

Kian crossed the Lavender garden without hesitation.

A faint smile still hung on his lips.

The banquet hall was inside the building.

Guided by an attendant, they went deeper into the first floor and arrived at a dining hall connected to a balcony that opened onto the garden.

The three other candidates, aside from Kian, were already seated at the table.

When Kian entered, a small stir broke out.

‘This time, except for one, all the finalists are men. Doesn’t that mean the woman will have an advantage in the final selection?’

‘I thought so until just now, but I’ve changed my mind.’

‘How so?’

‘The man who just entered. His looks outshine everyone else’s.’

The whispers of the attendants could be heard from behind.

When Kian turned to see who was speaking, the attendants lined up against the wall were all staring straight ahead.

Then Daisy, sitting beside Kian, spoke to him.

“You look even more handsome today, Sir Semes.”

“Thank you. You too, Lady Bernstein, look more beautiful than usual.”

“Do I?”

Daisy gave a faint smile and touched the pendant of her necklace.

“A banquet with His Majesty the King. I was so nervous last night I hardly slept.”

“I was the same.”

Of course, in Kian’s case it was because he was still troubled about the “someone” who had helped him and vanished.

“Oh my, you too, Sir Semes?”

Finding an unexpected similarity, Daisy covered her mouth and laughed.

“I thought nothing would faze you, Sir Semes. That you were steady no matter what happened.”

“That is not so. I also have things I like and things I dislike.”

“True. Everyone does.”

Their conversation ended there. The official entered from the doorway and announced the king’s arrival. Everyone in the dining hall stood to greet him.

The king looked to be in his early forties. He sat at the head seat and addressed the candidates.

“Thank you for your welcome. Please, sit.”

As they sat, the food that had been waiting was served. It began with a soup to settle the stomach.

“I hear from the official that this year’s group has gathered some truly remarkable talents.”

The king opened the conversation.

“Lady Daisy Bernstein. I heard you sliced a magic stone with aura at your fingertips even without a weapon. A skill that can only be called extraordinary.”

“You flatter me, Your Majesty.”

“Young Master Gavin Gray, you reached the finals at the youngest age of all candidates.”

“Th-thank you.”

“Young Master Frederick Erlesia…”

Frederick’s eyes shone as he looked at the king. But the king glossed over it with a vague remark and turned his gaze away.

“Well, I hear you did adequately.”

Frederick’s shoulders slumped. Next, the king looked at Kian.

Unlike before, when he spoke easily, now he held his tongue and dragged out the moment.

“Hmm…”

The king rubbed his chin, tilting his head, narrowing his eyes as he looked Kian over.

As the strange silence stretched, everyone’s gaze in the hall turned toward Kian.

“…..?”

Kian read the puzzlement in their eyes, but he too could not make sense of the situation. Feeling the atmosphere turning odd, the official spoke.

“Is something troubling you, Your Majesty?”

“Ah… I lingered too long and made everyone uncomfortable. It was nothing. I was only curious about something personal. Pay it no mind and continue your meal.”

After that, the banquet flowed smoothly. The king showed kindness to the candidates, asking questions, and they replied with proper courtesy.

When the meal ended, dessert was served. But the king stood up without touching it.

“Lately the princess’s scolding over my belly has been deafening. I have eaten enough, so the rest of you enjoy your dessert. I am glad to have shared this time with you. Then…”

He looked ready to leave. Kian was taken aback.

‘Weren’t the finalists supposed to receive a private audience with His Majesty?’

He had thought there would be a separate time after the luncheon, but apparently not.

Thinking about it, it was odd to hold a banquet and then schedule another audience. Perhaps the “private audience” promised to finalists was simply this meal itself.

His heart raced. Kian scraped his chair back and stood.

“I have an urgent matter to present to Your Majesty.”

The king looked at him and lowered his chin.

“Speak.”

“It is not something I can say before so many people. I ask that Your Majesty grant me a private moment.”

“You mean it is something you can only say when we are alone.”

“Yes.”

The king stroked his long beard. His furrowed brow showed he did not like the suggestion.

Kian pleaded more earnestly.

“It will not take long. Please grant me only a moment of your precious time. It has nothing to do with the selection tournament.”

“Nothing to do with the tournament?”

“Yes. I can swear it on the honor of my late father.”

The tension on the king’s face eased somewhat. It seemed he had expected Kian to beg privately about the results of the tournament.

“What do the other candidates think?”

Daisy and Gavin answered in turn.

“If it is not related to the tournament, I see no problem. And though it may sound impertinent, we know the final decision of the mate selection does not rest with Your Majesty. If it is a personal audience, we have no reason to object.”

“I think the same.”

“I…”

Frederick was about to speak, but when his eyes met Kian’s, he hurriedly turned his head.

“I know that man would not use a cowardly way to win. So it is fine.”

‘Oh?’

Kian was briefly surprised at Frederick’s unexpected words, but then the king gave his decision.

“Since we saved the time for dessert, I will grant that much time to him.”

At the king’s words, the official led them to a room near the dining hall. The walls were lined with bookshelves as if it were normally used as a study, and a fine carpet covered the floor.

The king sat on a sofa in the center of the room. When the official closed the door and left, the king called Kian, who was standing by the door.

“Sit comfortably across from me.”

The king leaned back against the sofa with his legs crossed, carefully observing Kian as he sat on the opposite sofa.

‘So this is the man Luci is obsessed with.’

Lucien, the Gold Dragon who guarded the palace, was King Edward’s old friend.

Judging by appearance, the king seemed much older, but by Lucien’s claim “time spent in the egg also counts as age” they treated each other as if they were the same age.

To the king, Lucien was a peculiar dragon. As many pointed out, aside from being stuck in the egg for too long or being unable to transform into his true form, he simply lacked drive for anything.

‘Records say dragons are supposed to crave treasure and power.’

Lucien looked exactly like a quiet boy. Sometimes he played mischievous pranks, but mostly he stared at the sky, lost in daydreams.