Ch.94Empress Isabella

I heightened my senses and scanned the banquet hall, searching for the Marquis.

Normally I wouldn’t need to concentrate this much, but since my vision was currently obscured by the veil, I needed to focus to see clearly.

“Let’s see… ah, there he is. Second floor corner, next to the balcony.”

Marquis Ludwig was sitting on a sofa, turning his head to speak with a knight standing behind him.

Judging by his strangely weathered face, he seemed to be the knight I met at the marquis’s territory.

His name was Sean, if I recall correctly.

I head up to the second floor with Frider.

As I walked, the nobles around us courteously stepped aside.

Thanks to that, I could cross the crowded hall without hindrance.

“Walking with you has quite the effect! Normally there would be at least five people clinging to me saying ‘Greetings, Lady Faelrun—’ by now. You’re practically a magic item that repels insects.”

Frider whispered softly with a pleased smile.

“Ha, seems like they all wanted to get close to you. You should have made friends with them. You don’t have many friends, do you?”

Saying you have few friends rather than none is my small act of consideration.

You’re welcome.

“Friends? They’re all just greedy people. Whether they covet Faelrun’s power or me personally.”

Her attitude was cold, as if she found it disgusting.

“Well, I suppose that’s true.”

“I wanted to tell them to get lost, but I couldn’t because of appearances. It was quite troublesome.”

Appearances? Between that and how you’ve dressed up today, you seem to care about others’ opinions more than I expected.

Even if it’s for the sake of family honor.

—-

“Hmm? Princess Haschal and… Lady Faelrun, Lord Nigel. It’s been a while. Is the Duke well?”

“Yes. Fortunately, my father remains in good health. I hope you’ve been well too, Marquis.”

Frider picked up the hem of her dress and bowed respectfully.

The dissonance was so terrifying that I couldn’t help but shiver like a child waking from a nightmare.

Is this how those nobles felt when they saw my face earlier?

“As long as the east remains quiet, I’m always well. Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Frider settled onto the sofa with graceful movements.

I just sat down casually.

“Uh, um. It’s been a while?”

I usually speak informally, so using formal speech felt awkward.

But with Frider being formal, it would be strange if I alone acted as usual.

My awkward speech pattern must have been quite amusing, as Marquis Ludwig let out a small laugh.

“Yes, congratulations on your recovery. Lord Nigel looks healthy as well.”

“I apologize for causing you concern.”

Nigel, standing beside the sofa with Sean, bowed deeply.

He probably felt it would be inappropriate for a knight to join us at the sofa.

“By the way, what’s with that veil? I’ve heard ladies in Panam cover their faces when going out, but I didn’t know Ka’har had such a custom.”

“That’s not it… Nigel prepared it for me. The nobles who saw me were quite confused, so…”

To be honest, they weren’t just confused—they nearly fainted.

Marquis Ludwig pressed his lips tightly together.

His mouth corners twitched repeatedly as if he was trying to hold back laughter.

“A-ahem. Yes. That can happen. Um. They tend to be rather delicate, you see. Kuk…!”

Yes, go ahead and laugh.

—-

“So, what brings you to see me?”

“You are both my father’s friend and my friend’s patron, so I wanted to greet you before the banquet begins.”

Frider smiled lightly.

Friend? Now she’s completely treating me as a friend. At first she looked at me like I was some beast.

Well, if that’s what you say, then I suppose that’s what it is.

“A friend, is it? I’m glad to see your friendship has deepened enough to request an escort. I was worried about how well you would adapt to the academy, but thanks to Lady Faelrun, I can rest easy now.”

“Hehe, you flatter me.”

That is indeed flattery. The one who’s probably resting easy is the Duke of Faelrun.

Thinking his troublemaker daughter finally made a friend.

Cringing at Frider’s pretense, I continued chatting with the Marquis for a while.

He was delighted to hear about my performance in the duel with Leonore, and regarding my refusal of Isabella’s invitation, he advised me to be careful in the future, saying it was prudent but dangerous.

I considered telling him about Isabella’s misdeeds… but while I was wondering if it was appropriate to speak of such things in Frider’s presence, our time ran out.

“I should head downstairs now. His Imperial Majesty will be arriving soon, so let’s end our conversation here. It was pleasant.”

“Hmm… I still had more to say… but I suppose it can’t be helped. Let’s talk again next time.”

“If you have something to say, come find me after the ball. And Lady Faelrun, I hope you enjoy the banquet.”

“Thank you for sparing time for us despite your busy schedule. I express my gratitude in the name of Faelrun.”

Frider bowed her head in farewell.

Marquis Ludwig responded with a smile before heading downstairs.

We should go down too.

We can’t look down from the second floor when the imperial family enters.

“Wow, you’re quite the actress! It gave me goosebumps.”

“It’s not acting, it’s courtesy. Perhaps that’s too difficult a concept for a barbarian to understand?”

“Well, it’s probably easier than spending a year without a single friend.”

Exchanging harmless jokes, I took Frider’s hand and went downstairs.

Some nobles were still looking our way, but they too soon had to turn their heads toward the main entrance.

“His Imperial Majesty Ferdinand Reinkel Wittelsbach, rightful ruler of Karl Las, Empress Isabella, Prince Leopold, Prince Ernst, and Princess Leonore have arrived!”

With the attendant’s announcement that shook the hall, the imperial family finally made their appearance.

All the nobles bowed to show respect.

I too imitated them, glancing sideways at their movements.

The Emperor walking at the front looked much older than before.

Sunken cheeks and hollow eyes. Even his gaze was unfocused.

His hair had more bald spots now, and his gait was weak and unsteady.

The nobles who witnessed this displayed obvious confusion, anxiety, and desire in their eyes.

Understandably so, as he now looked like a dying patient who might not last another day.

His thick cape dragged on the floor. An expensive red cape lined with marten fur and embroidered with lion patterns in gold thread.

The attire meant to display the emperor’s dignity and majesty instead looked shabby, like a blanket covering a dying old man in bed, due to his emaciated frame.

In that condition, wouldn’t it have been better to rest rather than attend the banquet?

Isabella must be troubled too.

Unlike before when the power dynamics were overwhelmingly in her favor, she would want to avoid the Emperor’s sudden death at this point.

She’d want to delay the succession vote by the prince-electors until Ernst regains the upper hand.

I slightly raised my head to look at the woman walking one step behind the Emperor.

With my face covered by the veil, she wouldn’t notice me watching her.

…She is indeed beautiful.

Abundant golden hair flowing like melted starlight. Purple eyes radiating a strange charm.

Long, feathery eyelashes exuding a decadent beauty.

A small beauty mark sat beneath her slightly downturned eye corners.

Her sharp nose bridge formed a delicate line, and her plump lips shimmered with a moist red hue.

Despite having grown children, she possessed a magical beauty that made her appear not even thirty.

Her purple dress clung tightly to her upper body, revealing the voluptuous curves of her chest, with the tips slightly protruding—more seductive than if she wore nothing at all.

A necklace adorned with diamonds and rubies covered her cleavage, sparkling brilliantly.

The lower part of the dress had two layers—a dark underskirt with a semi-transparent black fabric floating like mist above it.

Over her shoulders, she wore a cape decorated with snow fox fur like a cardigan, and on her gloved hands, she wore golden ornaments that spiraled up from her fingertips to her elbows in geometric patterns.

With each step she took, an intoxicating scent wafted from between her swaying breasts, spreading in all directions.

I noticed the men around turning red-faced and breathing heavily.

Sometimes even the women reacted similarly.

She looked around with a haughty expression as she followed the Emperor across the center of the banquet hall.

The hunched Emperor and the straight-backed Empress.

It was a sight that revealed to all who truly held power in this country.

But there was a disgusting smell.

The scent of alcohol. Strong perfume. Mixed aphrodisiacs. Male body odor. The fishy, sticky smell of bodily fluids after intercourse.

And the acrid, rotten stench unique to dark mana.

Despite her attempts to conceal it with her natural scent and heavy perfume, she couldn’t escape my sense of smell.

It was a familiar sight, exactly as I had expected.

She wasn’t a woman I’d seen just once or twice. Nor was she a woman I’d killed just once or twice.

Yes.

Isabella Benes Wittelsbach, the final Empress of the Empire.

The root cause of the Empire’s destruction.

Isabella the Witch.