TOPWL 37

Today, Yudit hid in the building across, but instead of peeking through the curtains, he made a hole in them. The people on Herut’s side also spotted him.

Not long after the banquet began, the windows and curtains of the banquet hall opened. It seemed as if they knew someone was on this side, as they looked over directly. Their identities were Huyan and Wadiram. Wadiram winked at Yudit. It was clear that he had made a deliberate gesture to allow him to observe openly. When a servant tried to close the window, Wadiram waved his hand, pretending it was too hot, and as a result, the window and curtains were left wide open, allowing Yudit to watch them much more comfortably.

Watching the banquet, Yudit realized that Hiore had shown a distinct personality. While yesterday’s banquet reflected the tradition and roots of Adanauer, today’s banquet spoke of the present and the future. Yesterday’s tapestries had told the story of Adanauer’s history and mythology, but today’s included more unique tapestries. Some were merged with modern styles, used various colors, and others were bizarre in appearance—bold and experimental attempts were evident.

The fountain was without water, but it sparkled as if it were, with blue-colored glass inserted to make it look like water. Furthermore, instead of inviting many musicians, Hiore played the Olya, an Adanauer traditional instrument, and occasionally sang. His sweet voice, carried by the wind, could be heard. He wasn’t dressed in formal attire but wore loose trousers and a shirt with a couple of buttons undone, which gave him the vibe of an artist. Initially, the guests had shown little interest, but as time went on, their reactions grew warmer.

At first glance, it seemed as though Hiore was simply trying to entertain those at the banquet without any greed. However, Yudit could deeply sense his longing for the throne more than ever before. He was not on Reginald’s side. Perhaps realizing this, Reginald’s expression remained unmoving. Yudit briefly prayed that they would destroy each other in a sibling rivalry.

Azil and Aisa were also attending today’s banquet. They sat next to the emperor, listening to Hiore’s song. When it ended, Azil clapped his hands enthusiastically. People indulged in the prince’s youthful charm. Hiore, with a friendly smile, patted his head.

The banquet lasted for over four hours. Yudit had spent the entire time standing, observing the event. Most of the guests and emissaries had left. Feeling the soreness in his legs from standing so long, Yudit decided it was time to leave.

“Your Highness.”

A small voice came from behind. Startled, Yudit turned around to see Wadiram and Huyan approaching him.

“I thought you’d still be here. Aren’t you hungry?” Wadiram pulled a ripe apple out of his coat and tossed it. The red apple sailed gracefully through the air and landed in Yudit’s hand. Wadiram let out a short whistle. Huyan silently shot him a look, as if telling him to be quiet. Yudit smiled and, in a quiet voice, spoke.

“Thank you. I was just getting hungry.”

“Please, eat this first.”

Upon hearing Yudit’s words, Huyan took something from his coat and handed it to him. It was bread wrapped in paper—three pieces, no less. It was hard to imagine how Huyan had managed to hide such large loaves of bread in his coat.

“How did you prepare this?”

“I packed it to eat.”

Wadiram poked Huyan in the side, and he answered in a dry voice.

“Then I’ll just eat the apple. Can’t take your midnight snack.” As Yudit offered the bread back, Huyan’s expression became somewhat awkward. Seeing this, Wadiram laughed, clutching his stomach.

“Hahaha! That bread was really meant for you, Your Highness. He’s been worried the whole time—thinking you hadn’t eaten anything in four hours.”

“Quiet.”

Huyan frowned and covered Wadiram’s mouth. At that point, it seemed awkward to return the bread.

“…Then I’ll enjoy it.”

Yudit took the bread out of the wrapper and began eating. Yesterday, Huyan threatened him with a knife to his neck, and today, thanks to them, he was eating bread—an absurd but amusing thought. Huyan, who had been watching Yudit eat, turned his head with a quiet “hm,” his expression oddly satisfied.

“How was the banquet?”

Yudit casually asked. Wadiram was the first to speak.

“It was better than yesterday.”

It was an unexpected answer. No matter how one looked at it, yesterday’s banquet had been much more lavish, yet Wadiram claimed today’s was better.

“May I ask why?”

“Well, yesterday was indeed magnificent, the food was delicious, everything was great.”

Wadiram scratched his neck, hesitating before answering.

“Your Highness, are you close with the prince who hosted yesterday’s banquet?”

At Wadiram’s cautious question, Yudit gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

“Not at all. I was kicked out and ended up watching the banquet from here.”

“Ah, of course. Then, let me be honest. Yesterday’s banquet felt… like saying ‘Look at me! I’m amazing! Look at how splendid and grand I am!’ On the other hand, today’s banquet felt more like ‘Look at me! I’m here to entertain you. How about it? It’s fresh, it’s fun, isn’t it?’”

Wadiram had surprisingly pinpointed their intentions. Unable to hold it in, Yudit burst out laughing.

“I felt something similar too.”

“Ah, as expected of Your Highness. We seem to understand each other,” Wadiram said, winking at Yudit. That gesture reminded Yudit of how Wadiram had opened the curtains and window for him after the banquet began.

“It was you who opened the window and curtains earlier, right? Thank you. I was able to watch comfortably because of that.”

“Haha. I thought you’d still be here today. But actually, it was Huyan who suggested we open the curtains.”

Yudit’s eyes widened in surprise and looked at Huyan, who turned his gaze to the side, embarrassed.

“Thank you, Huyan. How did you find the banquet?”

“…There was a lot of food.”

It was a brief answer. He seemed like he was about to say something more but just moved his lips.

“I, too… found today’s banquet better. Yesterday, the food and water were treated carelessly.”

“Ah…”

“They cleared away food before it was finished just to bring out other dishes, and they would mix dye into the water. For someone like me, who doesn’t understand aesthetics, it was a difficult banquet.”

Water is scarce in the desert. Because water is rare, life itself is precious. Those who had lived their entire lives in the desert seemed to find such things burdensome. For Yudit, who had grown up in a country abundant with water, it was a new perspective.

“It must have been hard.”

“That’s why I abandoned the banquet and came here,” Wadiram said casually. Huyan shot Wadiram a glare.

“What, why?”

“His Highness’s life was threatened. What happened yesterday is not something to bring up lightly.”

“Ah, yes, you’re right. I’m sorry.”

Wadiram scratched his cheek and apologized to Yudit, realizing his mistake.

“Wadiram and I came as escorts, so we aren’t very familiar with Adanauer’s etiquette. If we’ve done anything that bothers you, please let us know. We’ll correct it right away.”

Huyan said, bowing his head.

“For escorts, both of you speak Adanauer very well.”

“Huyan’s mother was born near the Adanauer border, so she knew the language. I learned it from her.”

Yudit nodded, understanding. It seemed they had been close since childhood. Suddenly, he felt envious of their bond.

“Your Highness said you’d be hosting a banquet the day after tomorrow, right? Tomorrow, the little prince will host his.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of banquet it will be.”

“I’ll do my best to meet your expectations.”

Wadiram and Huyan stared at Yudit. Wondering if there were crumbs on his face, Yudit rubbed his cheek.

“Why do you look at me like that?”

“Your Highness doesn’t seem very princely.”

“Is that so?”

“Ah, I mean it in a good way. You’re not overbearing… you’re kind and gentle.”

Is the desert’s way of speaking always this direct? Yudit’s ears turned red at Wadiram’s blunt words.