TOPWL 15

[To Prince Yudit,

Hello, Prince Yudit. This is Selena Craven. The weather is growing colder, as winter seems to be approaching. I hope you are spending warm days. The reason I am writing today is that I would like to invite you once again to a banquet. I was disappointed that I could not share the principles of the drink fountain with you the last time we parted. This time, it won’t be a large-scale banquet like before, but a small and cozy gathering at a townhouse. If you could come and grace the occasion, it would be an immense honor for me. Until the day we meet again, I wish for your health and good fortune.

Selena Craven]

There was another page in the letter, briefly noting the place and date of the banquet. It would be held after these days. No matter what, Yudit had to go. Holding the letter close, he quietly gazed at the darkness outside the window. The room, which had been cold, now seemed a little warmer.

…

The next morning, as soon as Yudit woke up, he headed toward the banquet hall assigned to him. The princes were each given halls of similar size, but since they had been designed for different purposes, they were not identical. Yudit’s hall was the smallest among the four, but that suited him better. Even if he had been given a larger hall, he wouldn’t have been able to decorate the entire space, so it was better to work with a smaller one.

As Yudit entered the hall and looked around, the stone walls felt cold, and wind blew through the gaps between the stones. It wasn’t clear whether they had been instructed to decorate the banquet hall with the remaining funds or to repair it. It was somewhat understandable that Reginald had been making noise with the construction since dawn.

The hall Yudit received could accommodate about 50 people, but it was more like a place for knights to eat and drink than for nobles. The floor was covered in dust, and cobwebs were all over the ceiling, indicating it hadn’t been used in a long time. The dark, gloomy walls gave the place an eerie feel.

Yudit closed his eyes for a moment and thought about how to decorate the hall. The total number of guests, including the emperor, princes, and emissaries, would be around 30. He had a heavy responsibility to host them. As he checked the durability of the chairs and tables, the sound of construction outside grew louder.

Meanwhile, two other halls had been added for construction. Since Reginald started, both Hiore and Azil had begun working as well. Yudit looked out the window at the workers breaking stones. There seemed to be at least twenty workers. Although he had brought his own servants, they were all too old for hard labor. He turned to his servants.

“Let’s start by cleaning.”

“Yes.”

The servants quickly began cleaning, each with a dusting tool, sweeping cobwebs away or wiping the tables. Yudit actively participated in the cleaning as well. His clothes were soon covered in dust. Wiping his itchy cheek with the back of his hand, he redoubled his efforts.

“Prince, please take a break.”

Yudit accepted the drink his servant handed him. The beverage, with apple juice, was lukewarm, but it was just what he needed to quench his thirst. After a sip, Yudit looked around.

“It’s much cleaner now, right?”

Yudit nodded at his servant’s comment. After a half day of intense cleaning, the hall was completely transformed. The floor was at least three shades lighter, and the large gaps in the stone walls were sealed, reducing the wind that had blown in.

“Now the problem is with the table and chairs. What should we do?”

Unlike the stone walls and floor, the wooden tables and chairs were quite damaged. Even after cleaning, wood dust kept falling. In the end, they had to move all the tables and chairs to one side before they could finish cleaning. Yudit ran his fingers over the surface of an old table.

“We’ll replace all the chairs. For the tables, I think it would be good to use tablecloths.”

“That’s a good idea.”

The servant nodded happily. Yudit was actually relieved that his nanny wasn’t around. If she had been there, she would have interfered with every decision, telling him what to do and how. The other servants, except for the nanny, were somewhat intimidated by him as a prince, so Yudit was able to make decisions much more easily.

“And it would be good to hang tapestries on the stone walls to block out some of the wind.”

“There should be some tapestries stored in the imperial palace warehouse.”

Yudit’s eyes sparkled at the servant’s words.

“Right, there should be some there. I had forgotten.”

Though hanging tapestries would be much better, he had been hesitating because of the cost. However, the imperial palace warehouse likely had extra ones. There were probably many other items they could obtain as well.

“I’ll go there right away. Thank you.”

The servant, honored by a prince’s gratitude, deeply bowed.

“Please take care of the rest. I’ll add extra pay within three days.”

“Thank you.”

Leaving the cleaned hall behind, Yudit stepped out the door. His slow pace gradually quickened, and before long, he was practically running. Bashur would surely nag if he saw him, but Yudit didn’t mind as he dashed through the palace corridors.

Before reaching the warehouse, Yudit stopped and took a deep breath to calm himself. Once his breathing settled, he approached the warehouse keeper.

“Please tell me your name and purpose.”

“Yudit Friedrich Adanauer. I’ve come to borrow items for the banquet.”

Even after revealing his name, the warehouse keeper seemed indifferent. He signaled to the other keeper nearby, who stepped aside.

“There probably won’t be much that’s usable.”

The keeper opened the heavy door decorated with lions, and the musty smell of the warehouse filled the hallway. One of the keepers turned his back to Yudit, allowing him to enter.

As the keeper had said, the warehouse was almost empty. There were a few items, but none that could be used for decorating the banquet. Yudit’s face darkened, and the keeper, seemingly embarrassed, spoke in defense.

“It’s not usually like this… All the other princes have taken everything.”

Yudit looked at the keeper, who trailed off. He should have come to the warehouse from the start. He had never hosted a banquet before, so he hadn’t thought about it.

“Did they take everything here?”

“No, not everything. The palace’s treasures are still here. But the things the other princes couldn’t take… You won’t be able to borrow them either.”

The keeper’s awkward expression said it all. What was left were rare items that could not be used for the banquet. Yudit sighed.

“Well, thanks for letting me know.”

The keeper, looking apologetic, lowered his head. Yudit considered searching the market instead. Rubbing his temples, he pondered.

“Can I see the inventory?”

“Yes, of course. Would you like to see it now?”

“Please.”

The keeper went inside to retrieve the inventory and handed it to Yudit. Yudit flipped through the pages, scanning the details. Contrary to his expectations, it was Azil who had taken the first items when the competition began. Reginald and Hiore followed, with Reginald taking about 1.5 times the amount Hiore had. Most of the tapestries were also taken by Reginald. Yudit paused, deep in thought.

“I see.”

He returned the inventory to the keeper and stepped out of the warehouse. For a moment, he stood still, seemingly unsure of where to go. After a brief pause, Yudit made up his mind and turned right, walking forward.

…

Yudit headed to Reginald’s office. As he got closer, the knights recognized him and were puzzled. Normally, Yudit avoided both Reginald and Hiore, as meeting them would likely lead to an argument or even a beating. It was unusual for Yudit to directly visit their office, as it was akin to a rabbit voluntarily walking into a tiger’s den.

“Your Highness.”

“Is my brother inside?”

“Yes, he is, with a guest.”

Reginald was inside. Yudit suddenly realized his hands were damp.