episode_0174

“Accept the drink offered by the Crown Prince!”

“…Yes.”

Under the grand command of the eunuch, I felt sweat cooling on my back.

‘What if I make a mistake? I already slipped up last time by calling him “master,” and he gave me the cold shoulder…!’

I somehow managed to calm my trembling legs and approached the master sitting on the throne.

Stopping at a distance from the master, I bowed once and then received a cup handed to me by the eunuch beside me, kneeling as I accepted the drink poured by the master.

Sip…

Slowly, the cup began to fill…

I tried to steady my shaking hands by calming my mind as much as possible.

Already feeling like a thief in front of the master, with the eunuchs behind me and even the court ladies staring, I felt even more tense.

How intensely they all stared at me…

The back of my head kept feeling poked, as if I were being scrutinized for every move, making it hard to breathe.

‘Ha… A banquet, they say… What’s with this solemnity…’

Shouldn’t a festival like this be enjoyed boisterously, like any other feast…?

Phew…

Well, it makes sense since this is not just any village feast but a banquet held in the ‘palace.’

However, what I find most puzzling is the specific procedures or etiquette I must follow alone at this banquet while receiving the drink from the master.

As the eunuch who was guiding us suddenly stopped walking and informed us that there were certain etiquettes we needed to learn before reaching the banquet hall, how bewildering it was…

-“Madam, since the banquet hall is a bit of a distance away, allow me to briefly explain the procedures and etiquette of the banquet during our journey. I heard you are sharp-minded, so you should be able to remember everything, right?”

-“Yes.”

-“Please forgive the hasty etiquette lesson… It was unavoidable due to the order to educate you about the banquet. My apologies, madam. Now, since time is short, let me proceed directly with the procedures of the banquet.”

-“Wait a moment, so sudden like this? And do we have to learn rituals and ceremonies here too…?”

-“Haha, do not worry. You are the only one who will stand before His Majesty, so it is sufficient for you to grasp the etiquette alone. It is not overly complex, so do not be too nervous… Who here would not consider your circumstances? To accommodate you, His Majesty has instructed to simplify the procedures for you. Let us proceed to the main points now. First, you must receive a cup from His Majesty…”

Throughout the journey to the banquet hall, I listened to the overall sequence of events taking place at the banquet. Despite the considerable distance from the palace gate to the banquet hall, it felt surprisingly short…

While the process wasn’t overly complicated as the eunuch had mentioned, I couldn’t help but feel anxious about possibly forgetting or missing something in between.

‘Even though the eunuch assured me that the attendant would guide me through the steps, I still worried about forgetting or messing up…’

But seriously, isn’t it common courtesy to at least inform me beforehand instead of suddenly throwing me into action like this?

Instead of allowing for a quick review, they explained everything and immediately ushered me into the banquet hall as soon as the explanation ended.

Phew…

Ah… I don’t know…

I decided to just give it my best shot.

After all, I was brought here without any information, so what does it matter if I make a mistake?

If they wanted me to do well from the start, they should have explained clearly from the beginning instead of hiding things.

“Letting go of the desire for perfection, I felt a sense of calm wash over me.

“Honoring the cup…!”

I raised the cup that had somehow been filled to the brim, bringing it to my lips in sync with the refreshing voice of the server, taking a sip of the drink.

Gulp—

The cup was lowered.

“Pouring ritual…!”

Once again, as the server’s voice echoed fresh and clear, this time the master extended the cup towards me,

Swoosh…

I poured the drink into the master’s cup as gracefully as folding a sleeve on my wrist.

Gulp—

The master slowly emptied his cup just like I did.

Phew… The first step concluded with the master emptying his cup in that manner.

Tap.

Soon after the master quietly placed the emptied cup on the table, a small sound reverberated through the banquet hall.

It wasn’t a loud noise, but I could safely assume that everyone in the banquet hall heard it.

Unlike earlier when there were murmurs upon my entrance to the banquet hall, now it was so quiet that you could hear ants passing by.

I heard that the next step involved the master giving a speech; perhaps that’s why the atmosphere was so hushed?

I’m curious about what he will address in his speech.

When I asked the server who or what the speech was for, they simply chuckled without providing any answers.

How cryptic.

“Speech…!”

Coincidentally, the procedure is named ‘speech’ once again.

As the server’s voice rang out once more,

In no time, the master turned to me with his characteristic cold and expressionless face, then slowly began to speak.

“Today’s banquet is held in honor of an unknown benefactor and his daughter, the fairy Heeseon.”

“….?”

Eh? Me? A banquet for me and Heeseon??

What on earth are you talking about, Master?

“Although a slightly unfortunate misunderstanding marred our initial meeting, the unknown benefactor successfully navigated three trials bestowed upon him, dispelling all misunderstandings and becoming a true member of the Heavenly Realm…”

“….”

“This banquet serves as both an apology for past misunderstandings and an expression of gratitude towards the savior of the fairy Heeseon, the benefactor.”

“….!”

“Furthermore, it is a celebration of the grandson conceived by the fairy Heeseon, a farewell ceremony for the benefactor and the fairy Heeseon as they prepare to return to the mortal realm… Please enjoy this banquet in good spirits.”

“I-I am truly honored. Your Majesty…!”

…The words were so astonishing that I was left dumbfounded, almost biting my tongue!

Fortunately, the server emphasized that I must say ‘I am truly honored’ at the end of the master’s speech, so I unconsciously blurted it out…

Wait, was I really the center of this banquet?

It finally dawned on me.

Were they secretly filming me all along…?

It was beyond my imagination.

I only realized upon arriving here that this was a banquet?

No wonder things felt off…

Up until now, the information I had seemed like pieces of a puzzle that didn’t quite fit together.

Heeseon didn’t explain why she went to the palace, making me think it was a secret, but her familiarity with the altar and rituals was odd, and when the royal advisor adorned me, I thought it was for some event at the palace, but then again, why keep a simple event hidden from me?

Even when they told me I could enjoy being the center of attention, and the advisors dressed me up well, I vaguely understood it as a metaphorical way of saying to shine at the event…

Phew… But the seriousness and sense of duty felt excessively alienating.

Despite my efforts to understand the situation, there were so many puzzling parts that just didn’t seem to fit together…

But if I think of this gathering as a surprise farewell party prepared for me, everything falls perfectly into place.

Wow… Was I really that clueless…?

Everyone was blatantly giving it away by saying things like, “I can’t reveal the secret, but we have a surprise gift prepared for you!”

The truly embarrassing part was when people started cheering and shouting as I made my way to the hall.

Even while witnessing the crowd cheering me on, I couldn’t help but think, “Oh, so there’s a culture of inviting spectators to events in Heaven Realm?”

Despite the massive crowd that had gathered…!

It’s no wonder that I had never imagined someone would throw such a grand party for me all these years…

“Wow… everyone is really…”

I was quite taken aback, but it was incredibly moving.

Though my lips must have been itching, I kept them sealed until the end out of the desire to make me happy, along with the sincerity of the performers who adorned me, and the cheers from the people of Heaven Realm, the kindness of the soldiers and fairies…

As the whole story unfolded at once, and the fact that all of it was for me dawned on me, the feeling of being touched grew even stronger.

That’s why they all kept it a secret from me.

Lost in the moment of emotion,

Chuckling..!

The master craftsman seemed to have noticed that I had realized the whole story and was moved, meeting my eyes and breaking into a warm smile after his earlier cold and expressionless face.

“……”

My pupils trembled unexpectedly.

“From now on, let the banquet begin. Strike up the music…!”

“Hail to His Majesty…!”

And thus, the banquet began.