Attending The Victory Party

“Mother, you look especially beautiful today. Truly stunning.”

“Do I? Hohoho. Thank you, my dear. And our Ian looks even more handsome today.”

It was a sight of his mother dressed in a sparkling sky-blue party dress, and Ian himself in formal wear. She always put effort into dressing up for the royal family’s monthly meals, but today she had gone the extra mile. The value of the jewelry alone must have been considerable.

Of course, even this level of adornment would be considered modest compared to other concubines.

“Mother, shall we go to the banquet hall?”

When Ian extended his arm and spoke, Emily felt proud of her son, who had grown so much that he now stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her. Arm in arm, the mother and son exited the concubines’ quarters. His little sister, Charlotte, was left in the care of Leni as she was still too young, so it was just the two of them heading to the party.

As usual, they were heading toward the main palace, and following the attendant’s guidance, they took a separate route that led them to the banquet hall. The space they entered was reserved only for members of the royal family.

Royalty had to be distinguished from other nobles. Accordingly, the space was designated so that even nobles could not enter freely. In a way, it was like building walls around themselves. Many concubines were already present.

‘Still a lot, as always.’

He always saw them at royal meals, but the number grew each year. A quick count showed over 30, a scene only possible thanks to a father consumed by lust. Of course, history told of many kings who had kept numerous concubines.

One king, according to what Ian had learned, had over 200 concubines. Perhaps because of that era’s influence, many smaller-scale annexes had been constructed to accommodate the concubines.

In any case, the concubines were posturing with fans or subtle gestures, maintaining their individual elegance while cautiously sizing each other up. What about their children? Most had already left this area to mingle or greet acquaintances among the nobles.

“I’ll be here, so why don’t you go out to the hall and meet someone? That Armin boy, was it? He said he was coming to the party, didn’t he?”

“Yes, he said he would when I saw him earlier today.”

“Then go meet him. Talk with others as well.”

His mother clearly wanted her only son to start building connections. Naturally—he was now 13 years old. In five more years, he would become an adult and have to leave the palace to live independently.

That must be why she hoped he’d start making connections now. Ian didn’t particularly want to, but seeing the sincere look in his mother’s eyes, he felt he had no choice. He nodded and spoke.

“Alright, I’ll go. But will you be alright on your own?”

“Do you think this is the first time I’ve been at something like this? Go on now.”

With a wave of her hand and a flick of her fan, his mother gestured him away. Ian moved as if to say “Understood,” bowing politely when passing by concubines. But they only gave him a glance without acknowledging the greeting.

Even so, Ian continued greeting them as he passed. Once he exited the royal-only space, the grand view of the banquet hall finally came into sight. It was dazzling—no other word could describe it.

This was the Wave Hall, the largest and most expansive hall within the palace. Looking up, the ceiling displayed waves crashing against a vivid blue backdrop. The wave patterns were gilded, creating an extravagant effect.

Even the thick pillars scattered throughout were gilded—perhaps even literally. It was a clear display of luxury to the extreme.

‘Good thing we won. Otherwise, we’d be in real trouble.’

Luxury was already excessive. Had they lost the war, the need to repay reparations would have caused taxes to rise, and the already struggling citizens of the Polia Kingdom would have erupted in discontent. With that thought, he crossed the hall—nobody greeted him.

‘They’re all pretending not to notice me.’

Honestly, that made things easier. If even one person greeted him, he would have to stop and respond, slowing his pace. Some of his older brothers were probably stuck in such interactions with nobles right now.

‘Now, where might Armin be?’

Knowing Armin’s personality, he wouldn’t be at the center. So Ian searched the corners. Somewhere along the way, he thought—Why am I even looking for him? Probably because his mother had suggested it and he was moving before realizing it.

‘He’ll probably come find me. Let’s go to the garden.’

Armin knew Ian wasn’t fond of parties. He was likely to show up in the garden connected to the hall. Sure enough, as Ian arrived, he found plenty of people there. Couples were scattered throughout the large garden.

‘Let’s avoid the denser bushes.’

Those areas were surely filled with couples getting intimate. Quite a few people met eyes at the party and came here to indulge youthful desire. Thus, Ian sought out a spot where the trees weren’t too tall.

‘Found it. This looks good.’

A streetlamp, a bench, and short trees—too exposed for other couples to pick. Most would prefer darker, unlit areas.

He took a seat and looked up at the sky. It reminded him that this was truly another world. Three moons hung overhead, each in a different color—red, blue, and green.

‘What kind of traffic-light sky is this?’

He’d seen it for over a decade now, but the moons still amused him. As he stared at the sky, lost in thought, someone’s presence approached. Could it be Armin? He turned his head—only to see an unexpected person.

“Huh? Miss Michelle?”

“Prince Ian, there you are.”

“What brings you here?”

“I just wanted a little air. Then I saw this very noticeable spot, so I came over. Did I disturb you, perhaps?”

It had been a year since they last met, and she had grown noticeably. Of course, she was still three years younger—ten years old—so she still looked quite young. Regardless, he had encountered his fiancée. He stood up and greeted her politely.

“Not at all. Would you like to sit here?”

“Is that alright?”

“Of course. It’s not reserved or anything. Please, have a seat.”

“Then I’ll join you.”

She was young but mature—no doubt due to her noble upbringing. Most noble daughters received early education, which tended to make them grow up quickly. Still, to Ian’s eyes, it simply looked like the actions of a child trying hard to seem grown-up.

“It’s really curious. How did we just happen to run into each other like this?”

“Indeed, it is.”

Unless someone deliberately orchestrated it, this kind of meeting wouldn’t be so coincidental. Thinking along those lines, one certain person came to mind. Surely Armin didn’t lead Miss Michelle to his location on purpose?

“Just in case, have you seen a short boy with dark blue hair in the hall?”

“Dark blue hair? Ah, I think I did. Come to think of it, he said I seemed restless and suggested I take a walk in the garden.”

“I see.”

So it really was Armin’s doing. Either he had been watching nearby or, seeing Ian with his fiancée, had quietly left. Ian thought Armin had once again done something unnecessary.

‘What should I even talk about?’

He had no idea how to talk to a girl that age. As silence fell between them, it was Michelle who kindly broke it first.

“Why aren’t you in the party hall, Your Highness?”

“I’m not really interested in those kinds of parties. I prefer quiet places like this.”

“Oh, me too. I’d much rather be somewhere calm and peaceful than in all that noise.”

It was probably a thought she could afford because her family’s power had waned. If her family still held its former glory, people would be scrambling to meet and greet her, and she likely wouldn’t even be here. Maybe our environment defines our preferences and opportunities more than we realize.

So their conversation again lapsed into silence. Should he be the one to speak now? What topic would be best? He thought hard—he had never been a young girl, so he didn’t know what she might find interesting.

“…Um.”

‘Ah, she’s speaking first again. She really is a thoughtful fiancée.’

“Yes, go ahead.”

“I’m really glad we won the war.”

“I think everyone would feel that way. I do, too.”

“More than anything, I’m relieved my father didn’t go to the battlefield.”

‘Are we close enough for her to talk about such personal matters?’

“Is that so? I heard he had a critical role defending the homeland.”

“That’s what they said. I’m truly grateful for that. I never wanted him to be in danger out there.”

“Anyone would feel the same.”

Of course, Ian didn’t. His own father, as king, had always been safe inside the palace and never faced any real danger. Still, he understood that for those with family at war, it was natural to worry deeply.

“Every day after the war began, I prayed at home. I begged that nothing would happen to Father.”

“Your heartfelt prayers were answered. He came back safe, didn’t he?”

“Yes, and I was so happy. But… Father doesn’t seem to feel the same. Ever since he returned early, he’s been drinking every night. I thought coming home safely was good, so why does he act that way?”

She must have shared her feelings earlier to ask this very question. Though they won the war, her father might be drinking because he didn’t achieve any major military merit. As the family’s influence declined, not earning honors as an admiral likely added to the pressure.

There was a high chance he wouldn’t even be able to pass on his admiral position to the next generation. After all, he’d only held it this long because of the family’s long history of naval success in the kingdom.

But now, commanding a fleet made up of the worst ships, it must have felt hopeless.

“Maybe he wants to restore the family’s honor but feels powerless to do so.”

“I’m happy with how things are, though. Why does he want to go to such dangerous war zones so badly when we don’t lack anything in life?”

No matter how mature she seemed, she was still a young girl. She couldn’t yet understand the burdens adults carried. One day, when she realized how naïve her words were, she might feel embarrassed. Understanding that, Ian gave her a gentle answer.

“We’ll probably understand once we grow up.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Even if it doesn’t make sense now, once we mature and gain more wisdom, we’ll be able to find the reason behind it.”

“I suppose that’s a good answer. You’re a really kind person, Prince Ian.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You’re so kind.”

“Just doing the basics is enough to seem kind.”

Which implied that the other princes didn’t even manage the basics. Michelle, unaware of that, simply thought herself fortunate to be engaged to such a kind prince.

With the ice broken, the two continued to chat. Then, from the direction of the banquet hall came a loud clap—clap clap clapclap!—a sign that something had begun.

“Looks like the award ceremony is starting.”

“Seems like it.”

“We should probably go inside now, right?”

“Yes, I suppose we should. Let’s go.”

As a prince, it was only proper that he be present. Ian stood from the bench and returned to the hall with Michelle. There, the king had already made his entrance and was delivering a speech celebrating victory, followed by awarding medals and bonuses to those who had led the war effort.

Each recipient wore dazzling uniforms adorned with medals—admirals and ship captains alike. Watching the ceremony unfold so smoothly even though he had arrived late, Ian once again felt that his position in life was indeed very convenient.

More importantly, he never did meet Armin at the party. It wasn’t until the next day at school that Armin greeted him with a teasing comment, asking if he had enjoyed his time with his fiancée. Perhaps he had set the whole thing up to help them get closer.

‘For someone usually so sharp, he really lacks tact in these things.’

For the first time, Ian felt like punching Armin on the head.