Chapter 51 (1/2)

Chapter 51: 032 I a Banquet -3 (Part One)

The banquet was held in the i tables were placed in an ordered arrangement and all sorts of luxurious delicacies had been laid out on top

Thea round

The aristocrats and bureaucrats of the Theocratic Eathered in one hallway to exchange idle banter and flatter each other

“Oh! Oh row up into such a beautiful lady I can’t even fatho adulthood”

“Thank you for your kind words, Lord Viscount”

Alice’s eyes santly as she looked at all the nobles ere approaching her to offer their greetings While doing this, though, she was sighing deep inside

-I shall not allow you to attend it! If it was a banquet to celebrate Har, then fine! But a banquet held to honour the Seventh Imperial Prince?!

Archbishop Raphael chose not to attend It wasn’t merely because of the Seventh Imperial Prince but he had to look after the First I from poor health

However, an archbishop like hi an official banquet would present various problems There was also the Holy Emperor’s reputation to consider, so Alice decided to reveal her intentions to attend behind Raphael’s back

‘Grandfather will surely bite my head off once he learns about it later, but still…’

Even then, ensuring that her grandfather’s reputation remained unaffected would be for the best, after all

“You’re still as beautiful as always If someone told me that you’re the incarnation of Goddess Gaia herself, I’d certainly believe it”

Alice flinched upon hearing those words and shi+fted her gaze behind her

It was Count Fomor Daia with his crimson hair and eyes, a man who used to serve the First Crown Princess Consort, Lady Yulisia

An aristocrat who not only supported the First Iested holding this very banquet to the Holy Emperor too

“…So it’s Count Fomor From what I heard, he seems to enjoy robust support fro to play to the whims of the lowborns Tsk, tsk”

“He’s also widely known for his friendshi+p with Archbishop Raphael too”

“However, he’s a loyal vassal who serves the First Imperial Prince That is quite a pity, really When will his highness’s health recover, I wonder?”

Alice could hear the various athered nobles Despite their voices being loud enough for everyone to hear, they didn’t try to hide the overflowing sneer in their tones

It was at thisan indescribable e off of the I her furrow her brows

But more than that…

Count Foh she earing a glove, for some reason chills ran down her skin

“I fear that once you reach race, row jealous in the afterlife”

Alice s at Count Fomor “Thank you for your kind words”

Why was this?

Why did she always find it hard to deal with this person?

It felt like her innards were twisting in knots

He certainly was a good man, but for some unfathomable reason, she instinctively wanted to distance herself far away from him

Even as cold sweat trickled down her body, Alice did her absolute best not to reflexively cover her aze anyoodness rand occasion of this nature…!”

“W-ill I do if you become this tense, my lord? I’m m-m-merely a commoner, you know?”

A rather aard atmosphere suddenly descended in the hall The attention of the nobles shi+fted over to the two onists of this banquet, feudal lord of the Ronia fiefdo, as well as the representative of the citizens living there, Gril

Alice quickly bade goodbye to Count Fomor and went over to them as if she had finally discovered a shelter from the storm

“Fuu-woo… Just where is Imperial Prince-nim, I wonder…?”

“I am not so sure of that myself What a to one another like a pair of very close brothers, with nary a sign of distance between the two

Was that the reason why?

“hello there”

Alice found it so much easier to speak to them

Gril and Jenald turned their heads almost at the same time