Chapter 20: The banquet’s revelation

“Ah…”

With the feel of the cold bed, Irene slowly opened her eyes.

An unfamiliar ceiling pattern came into her blurry vision.

Her head throbbed as if it would break, and her whole body felt as heavy as lead.

She dazedly looked around.

A lavish but unfamiliar room.

This seemed to be a guest room in the Imperial Palace.

‘…I must have fainted.’

The memory of seeing Logan and Anastasia in the garden and becoming enraged, Logan’s cold words, and the shock of seeing him seemingly pledge himself to the Crown Princess, causing her to lose consciousness, vaguely resurfaced.

“Lo-Logan…”

In the past, when she had nightmares and was bedridden due to the aftereffects of a monster attack in her childhood, or when she collapsed from exhaustion after overdoing her magic training at the Magic Tower Academy, Logan was always by her side when she opened her eyes.

His warm hand touching her forehead with a worried face, his gentle voice asking if she was okay.

“Ah…”

But now, there was no one in this unfamiliar room.

The fact that she was left all alone, desolate, once again tore at her heart.

Logan’s absence came as a much larger void than she had expected.

‘No… Logan is just angry for a moment. If I treat him a little better… he’ll come back to how he used to be.’

Irene desperately denied reality.

The thought of Logan leaving her was unimaginable.

Everything about him existed for her.

But her pride was too wounded.

Why did she have to suffer so much because of Logan?

There was no need for that at all.

‘Yes, and anyway, I have Lian.

It’s okay even without Logan.’

She tried to shake off thoughts of Logan by thinking of Lian.

But even looking around, Lian was not in this room either.

It must have been Lian who brought her here after she collapsed, so why wasn’t he by her side either?

Knock, knock.

Then, with a knock, a maid cautiously entered the room.

“Have you awoken, Mage-nim?”

The maid asked politely, observing Irene’s complexion.

“Lian… Where is the Hero-nim?”

Irene immediately asked for Lian’s whereabouts.

The maid looked troubled for a moment, then cautiously replied.

“The Hero-nim… is currently attending the banquet as it has already begun.”

“Banquet…?”

Only then did Irene remember that a banquet celebrating the Demon Lord’s subjugation was being held tonight.

The fact that Lian had gone to the banquet alone without waking her or waiting for her made Irene feel deeply disappointed.

However, her mood quickly softened at the maid’s next words.

“The Hero-nim has prepared a beautiful banquet dress for you, Mage-nim.
If you are alright, shall I help you dress and guide you to the banquet hall?”

At the words that Lian had prepared a dress for her, Irene’s face brightened.

Indeed, unlike someone else, Lian had not forgotten her.

“Yes! Please prepare it quickly!”

Irene requested of the maid in a cheerful voice, as if nothing had happened.

Her displeasure towards Logan and her disappointment in Lian were long forgotten.

Now, her mind was filled only with the image of herself receiving the splendid spotlight with Lian in the banquet hall.

---

Meanwhile, the grand banquet hall of the Imperial Palace was filled with the heat of celebrating the Demon Lord’s subjugation.

Underneath a magnificent chandelier, an array of exquisite foods, sweet music, and the laughter of people intoxicated with the joy of victory mingled, heightening the festive atmosphere.

Sera was surrounded by numerous nobles and envoys, receiving a barrage of praise and flattery.

“Oh, Saintess! That beauty is surely a blessing bestowed directly by the goddess!”

“Thanks to the Saintess’s devoted prayers, we were able to defeat the Demon Lord and regain peace!”

“We earnestly hope for the Saintess’s wisdom and guidance for the future prosperity and peace of the Empire!”

Sera responded to their praises with an infinitely benevolent and holy smile.

“Thank you all.
I will continue to do my best to meet your expectations.”

However, her mind was filled with thoughts of annoyance.

‘Haah… Why do they keep stating the obvious? So annoying…’

Just then, the entrance of the banquet hall grew noisy, and everyone’s gaze turned to one spot.

Murmur, murmur.

Anastasia was entering the banquet hall with Logan.

Anastasia, in her beautiful pale violet dress, shone in her own right, but what captured people’s attention even more was Logan, who appeared as her partner.

‘No, really… Should I have reconsidered back then…?’

Sera almost let out an exclamation of admiration at Logan’s appearance.

Dressed not in his usual plain adventurer attire, but in a perfectly fitting blue tailcoat, he looked like a different person.

His neatly styled black hair and deep blue eyes further enhanced his looks, and his sturdy physique and subtly exuded elegant atmosphere radiated an overwhelming presence that most noble scions couldn’t even compare to.

The numerous young noble ladies and other attendees who had been surrounding Lian also couldn’t take their eyes off Logan.

“Oh my, there are so many people around the Hero-nim anyway, it’s hard to even talk to him.
Shall we go over there?”

“Shall we?

The Hero-nim is nice, but that gentleman over there is surely also a member of the hero party…”

Their gazes seemed to be a mixture of curiosity, admiration, and even a secret desire.

Sera couldn’t hide her displeasure as she felt the attention that had been focused on her instantly shift to Logan and Anastasia.

At the same time, a sense of regret and remorse for letting Logan go washed over her.

‘Tsk, was that one really better than this idiot?’

Sera inwardly grumbled, glancing at Lian, who was oblivious to the atmosphere and still playing around with the young ladies.

Meanwhile, Emperor Valerius, who was presiding over the banquet from the seat of honor, also looked at Anastasia and Logan with a somewhat surprised expression.

‘Anastasia…’

He had never expected his daughter, who usually regarded men as stones, to attend a banquet with a partner.

‘Was his name Logan…’

The Emperor remembered Logan’s name.

Compared to the self-praising, womanizing hero Lian, he was a young man who seemed far more reliable and serious.

Recalling the church’s scheme to make the imperial family their puppet by pairing the handsome Lian with the Crown Princess, Logan’s presence actually felt like a relief.

His daughter was not swayed by superficial appearances and was finding her own path well.

But looking now.

‘My daughter… it seems she doesn’t entirely disregard appearances…’

He had heard he was an adventurer of commoner origin, yet he exuded a noble and elegant grace superior to any aristocrat.

‘That young man really went through a lot, didn’t he..?’

He too had heard reports that Logan had taken on all the difficult tasks alone and suffered greatly during the subjugation journey.

Therefore, if his daughter wished it, he had no intention of opposing it.

‘It doesn’t matter how low his status is.’

No, rather, because of that, he considered it fortunate that there would be no fear of him getting entangled in power struggles or plotting usurpation when Anastasia became empress.

Thus, the Emperor decided to support the two and welcomed them with open arms.

“I welcome the arrival of my daughter Anastasia and Sir Logan!
These two can truly be called the main protagonists of this Demon Lord subjugation!”

The banquet hall stirred once again at the Emperor’s sudden praise and support.

Sera couldn’t hide her displeased expression.

‘This crazy old geezer! Sir, he says, when he hasn’t even granted him any official position!’

As if his bombshell declaration in the audience chamber about entrusting state affairs to the Crown Princess wasn’t enough, now he was openly trying to push those two together.

This was troublesome.

In her future plans, Logan, who possessed the ability to have significantly contributed to the Demon Lord’s subjugation, should not become so close to the Crown Princess.

Contrary to Sera’s feelings, because Valerius openly supported them, many people naturally flocked around Logan and Anastasia.

“Hahaha! Everyone knows that Her Highness the Crown Princess excellently fulfilled her duties as the commander of the subjugation forces!”

“That’s right! And I’ve heard that Sir Logan, also known as the Black Shadow, has accumulated many achievements!”

Furthermore, Baldur and Elara, who held great influence, as well as the leaders of several allied nations, also approached the two.

“Ahem! Logan… that outfit suits you quite well…”

“Khahahat! You’re right! It really suits you, boy! Enough to make the pointy-ear blush and lose her senses!”

“Shut up! You dwarf!”

Thus, Logan and Anastasia appeared as if they had become the new protagonists of the banquet hall.

‘Tsk..! What on earth is that idiot doing..?’

Sera couldn’t help but click her tongue inwardly.

“Hahaha! So I used my holy sword on the Demon Lord..!”

“Oh my! You’re so cool, Hero-nim!”

“So what happened then?”

The foolish Lian, completely oblivious to the seriousness of this situation, was still grinning foolishly at the women who remained near him, enjoying the banquet.

‘I told him so many times not to get close to just any woman…’

And yet, he shamelessly pestered her to sleep with him at night.

That’s why she had no choice but to use illusion magic.

Anyway, this wouldn’t do.

She had to change the situation somehow.

Suddenly, the thought of a certain woman popped into Sera’s mind.

It was Irene.

But that only made her more annoyed.

‘What is she really doing? Isn’t it about time she woke up?’

She had no idea what the one woman who could possibly change Logan’s mind was doing.

Just then, speak of the devil.

When Sera turned her gaze to the banquet hall entrance, Irene was making a late appearance, dressed in a gorgeous gown.

---

As soon as Irene entered the banquet hall, she was shocked.

‘Is that… really Lo… Logan..?’

At the sight of Logan with Anastasia.

And at his beautifully adorned appearance.

Why hadn’t she realized it?

That he had always dedicated himself to her and lived so busily that he had no time to dress up or groom himself.

Even if the Crown Princess had taken care to groom him, his hair, skin, and everything else must have roughened from long hardship, yet he could look so handsome.

In Irene’s eyes, Logan’s appearance was not in the least inferior to Lian, whom she had fallen in love with at first sight.

No, he might even be better.

Because when she turned her gaze and compared him to Lian, who was grinning foolishly and flirting with several young noble ladies, she couldn’t help but think so.

Lian’s looks were still as dazzling as the day she first saw him, but now, there was a sense of lightness and frivolity about him.

But Logan exuded a deep and mature charm.

“Lo-Logan..!”

She wanted to separate Logan and Anastasia right this instant.

She wanted to approach Logan and shout, why wasn’t he looking at her, to come back to how he used to be.

However, no matter how unreasonably she usually acted, she couldn’t do anything in the banquet hall, where the gazes of numerous people, including the Emperor, were present.

If she caused a disturbance here, it was obvious she would be seriously marked.

‘Logan..! Logan..! I’m here..!’

Therefore, Irene desperately sent a pitiful gaze towards Logan, pleading for him to look at her again.

She wished his gaze would turn to her even just once, so he would understand her true feelings.

However, he didn’t give her even a slight glance.

“Would you like to try some of this, Logan?”

“Ah, I can eat it myself…”

“Don’t say that, here! Now, ah~”

“Ah…”

His gentle smile and affectionate demeanor with Anastasia were so natural, as if the existence of Irene had never been there from the beginning.

At that fact, hot tears flowed from Irene’s eyes.

It hadn’t been long since she entered the banquet hall, but she could no longer stay here.

Logan’s disregard shattered even her last shred of pride.

‘Logan, how could you do this to me!?’

Irene resented him, sobbed, and ran out of the banquet hall alone.

Her thoughts of receiving the splendid spotlight with Lian in the banquet hall had long since vanished.

And—

Now, she could no longer hold onto the vain hope that he would return to her.