TOPWL 9

Yudit felt the air in the banquet hall change in an instant. All eyes were simultaneously on him and Khalid. The density of the air made his head spin. Yudit pressed his feet into the floor to steady himself.

The curious gazes of the strangers. Yudit accepted their stares and gradually took a step forward. It seemed people were eager to add their own commentary to this amusing sight. Growing anxious, Yudit leaned toward Khalid and whispered.

“When was the last time you attended a banquet with someone?”

“This is the last time.”

“Duke, I’m not trying to play games right now.”

“Really, Your Highness, this is the first and last time.”

Yudit’s face drained of color. He had never imagined that someone like Khalid, who appeared to be promiscuous, had never brought a partner before. Had he attended even one banquet, he might have known, but this was Yudit’s mistake.

The single Duke , Khalid, whose looks and wealth far surpassed the average, was a man every person here would eagerly flock to as a potential husband. To think the first partner he brought was Yudit. For someone who had lived his life carefully to avoid drawing attention, this situation felt overwhelming.

“If you had told me earlier….”

“You wouldn’t have come, would you?”

Khalid’s face, as he said “Right?” was unbearably irritating. Yudit could see people whispering and sneaking glances at him.

“If it’s Prince Yudit, born of that servant’s womb…”

“He is still alive?”

“I thought he was a beta, but it seems he’s an omega. How did he manage to seduce the Duke?”

“If he’s an omega, it’s obvious.”

“I don’t think he’s good at that…”

“They say the quietest cat always jumps onto the shelf first.”

“Oh my, what happens then? Could this affect the succession to the throne?”

“It might. But are they really a couple?”

Yudit and Khalid were the subject of many whispered conversations. Then, Yudit spotted Reginald.

“….”

Reginald, holding a glass, looked at Yudit with an expression of disgust. Next to him stood the third prince, Hiore. They watched Yudit with disdain, as if seeing an impurity among the white snow. Yudit, who had spent every day quietly living to avoid their attention, felt suffocated at the unexpected confrontation.

“Ugh…”

A rush of ingrained fear came over him. He tried his best to act indifferent, but anxiety crept up. As his knees buckled, Yudit lost his balance and staggered. Just before he could fall, someone gripped his arm firmly and lifted him.

Yudit looked up at the owner of the hand with an anxious gaze. It was Khalid. As their eyes met, the tremor stopped.

“Are you alright?”

Yudit’s racing heartbeat didn’t seem to slow down. Khalid led him toward a wall and whispered in his ear.

“You don’t look well. Come here and lean against the wall.”

Weak, Yudit allowed Khalid to guide him in front of the wall. The coolness of the wall seemed to calm his nerves.

“Let me bring you something to drink.”

Before Yudit could refuse, Khalid stepped forward. Yudit sighed softly and stared at his back.

It wasn’t a small banquet. It was a celebration for pure enjoyment, not an imperial affair. Naturally, he should have expected to see them there. Yudit took a deep breath. He just had to treat it like any other royal event. He was used to facing them at such occasions, only today, they had to stay longer.

“Drink this.”

A glass suddenly appeared before Yudit. It was the drink Khalid had offered. Normally, he would have refused, but his throat was dry. Yudit accepted the glass and asked.

“Is this… alcohol?”

“Do you think I’d offer alcohol to a patient? It’s fruit juice.” Once he confirmed it, Yudit carefully took a sip. It tasted like a typical tangy-sweet fruit juice. Yudit finished it in one go.

“Seems like you like it. Want another?”

Khalid offered his drink. Yudit didn’t refuse and drank it as well. Once the sugar hit, his mood lightened a little, and the tremors stopped.

Wiping his lips, Yudit said, “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it, it’s nothing between us.”

Khalid’s words made Yudit narrow his eyes. People had gathered near them, eavesdropping on their conversation. It was clear they had overheard Khalid. It seemed Khalid wanted to solidify their relationship, regardless of Yudit’s feelings. Still, since he had received help, Yudit forced a smile and replied.

“Yes, thank you, Khalid.”

Seeing Yudit drive a wedge into their misunderstanding, Khalid smiled brightly. Yudit, standing on tiptoe, whispered in his ear, acting like lovers exchanging sweet words in front of others.

“I’ll rest here, so you can go talk to the others.”

“I brought you here because I didn’t want to talk to those people,” Khalid said in a whiny tone. Yudit, speechless, just stared at Khalid in disbelief.

“…”

“I’m just kidding. I’ll be back soon.”

Khalid, completely erasing his childish demeanor, turned around.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you all.”

“Greetings, Duke. I hope all has been well.”

“Greetings, Duke. What’s going on here?”

Even as Khalid spoke with the nobles, they kept sneaking glances at Yudit. Yudit didn’t react, instead beginning to look around the room.

Despite its vast size, the banquet hall was beautifully arranged. Massive marble columns, delicately carved briar, numerous flowers, and lavish decorations adorned the space.

The music was also top-notch. There was traditional classical music, which Yudit had heard at the imperial palace, but occasionally, lively waltzes that young people would enjoy slipped into the playlist. On one side, dancers were performing s, while on the other side, a small fountain made of drinks caught Yudit’s attention. Curious about the drink fountain, he slowly moved toward it.

“This is the newly added drink fountain. Quite fascinating, isn’t it?”

A man with a mustache curled upward and a broad forehead stood in front of the nobles, boasting proudly. Yudit quickly guessed that he was Count Craven.

The nobles listened to him, faint smiles lingering on their faces. Having grown up in the imperial palace, Yudit knew exactly what that expression meant.

Contempt.

Despite spending such a large sum, Count Craven had not yet been accepted into noble society. As if to prove this, Craven was boasting about his own belongings while constantly watching the nobles for their reactions. Even Yudit could see that the drink fountain was indeed fascinating. Standing in a discreet spot, he was scanning the room when someone spoke to him from the side.

“You find this machine interesting?”

A soft yet strong voice. Yudit turned to see a woman with pink hair raised high, smiling brightly at him. She stared at him for a moment before suddenly realizing something and quickly lowering her head.

“Your Highness…”

Yudit raised his hand to stop the woman, who then faltered, unable to continue her sentence.

“It’s fine. Please, feel at ease.”

He had purposely chosen an inconspicuous spot to avoid attention, and he didn’t want to be noticed. Understanding, the woman nodded and pressed her lips to her index finger.

“I’ll be quiet.”

“Thank you.”

Unable to tear his eyes away from the machine, Yudit was asked again by the woman.

“It’s fascinating, isn’t it? This machine.”

“Yes, it is. I’m curious about how it works.”

“If you stay a little longer, I can show you in detail.”

“…Pardon?”

“That person over there, that’s my father.”

The woman pointed toward Count Craven. Since the Count had silver hair, Yudit hadn’t thought she was Craven’s daughter. Staring at both the woman and Craven, Yudit finally spoke.