Finally, it was the day of the imperial palace banquet.

Natasha and Sieghart attended the banquet as representatives of the Asthart family. The official banquet is said to last for four days. If desired, one could stay longer, as they had mentioned.

Befitting the great Letius Empire, the size of the ballroom was as large as the mansion of an average noble family.

And there were so many nobles attending the banquet that the enormous space was completely filled.

“Oh my, Duchess Asthart!”

It was when the two arrived at the banquet hall and were preparing their future plans with a glance. A cheerful voice from behind greeted Natasha warmly.

As she turned her head towards the source of the sound, she saw a young lady emerging through the crowd.

It was Dorothea Park.

Accompanied by her chaperone as usual, Dorothea seemed to have dressed up more prettily than usual, perhaps conscious of her crush.

She grasped Natasha’s hand tightly and greeted her enthusiastically.

“It’s been so long, my lady!”

“It has been a while, Lady Park. Have you been well?”

“How could I be? My dear Duchess Asthart hasn’t been in touch at all! I thought my unrequited love had doubled. You haven’t replied to any of my letters lately, or rather, anyone’s letters, have you?”

“Ah… Well, you see…”

Dorothea pointed out Natasha’s recent lack of response with a disappointed face. Thanks to this, she found herself in a predicament less than an hour after attending the banquet.

From Natasha Asthart’s life of seclusion due to marital discord to Ellis Ripper’s life of fleeing to Bale to plan rebellion after escaping from the ducal family.

Natasha, who had been preoccupied with other matters, had neglected her duties as a duchess. This included maintaining connections with noble young ladies she had befriended as Natasha Ast.

Suddenly, the image of letters piled up in her office desk drawer flashed through her mind. It seems there were quite a few letters from her friends among them.

How many of those were from Dorothea Park?

Although she hadn’t bothered to count, the fact that the envelopes kept catching her eye suggested it wasn’t a small number…

As the woman was fumbling for an excuse, another concerning question was dropped before her.

“Really… I thought I would die of worry! Do you know how shocked I was when I heard about your chronic illness from the Duke? But since you’re attending this banquet, you must be feeling better now, right?”

It was an incredibly warm sentiment, considering it was directed at a rude woman who had ignored her friend’s letters multiple times.

Natasha, faced with concern rather than criticism, couldn’t hide her bewilderment and kept blinking repeatedly.

After mulling over the kind worry a few times, the woman finally succeeded in grasping the situation.

That her sudden departure had been explained to others as ‘recuperation’.

Glancing sideways at Sieghart standing stoically beside her, Natasha quickly drew a faint smile towards Dorothea Park.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry for not contacting you. I’ll write to you often from now on.”

“Are you really alright? Your face looks so much thinner…”

“I’ve recovered a lot. I’m really fine.”

“Alright, I’ll believe you. You’ll have to spend a lot of time with us today! I have so many stories to tell you. Come on over here! Lady Helen will be waiting too.”

Everyone Natasha encountered at the banquet was concerned about her health condition. They would ask about the progress of her chronic illness and if she was feeling better.

Although it had been explained as a sudden illness, not a single person seemed suspicious of her unannounced departure for recuperation.

Perhaps it was because Natasha, who had appeared after a long time, showed up with a significantly thinner body.

In any case, it was fortunate that no one raised doubts about her unexpected disappearance.

“By the way, it seems His Majesty the Emperor has put more effort than usual into this banquet.”

“Indeed! It’s much more splendid and grand than the last one!”

The young ladies seemed to have their hearts stolen by the magnificent banquet hall, each of them busy expressing their admiration.

There, Natasha silently nodded her head, showing her agreement. It was certainly a sight that naturally elicited praise.

The antiques placed here and there depicted the long history of the great Letius Empire.

On the wall, that is, on the side where the platform was located, hung a large portrait of Kyle Letius, a work by a painter known as a master of the era.

The characteristics of the masterpiece, with its rough brushstrokes clearly visible, captured the emperor’s aura well.

If one turned their head to look up, an enormous chandelier whose end couldn’t be seen captured one’s attention.

The massive object, comparable in size to an average room, sparkled and shone. It was a collaboration of countless crystals and diamonds.

It was the result of spending without hesitation, as if money were an infinite resource.

There wouldn’t be a nobleman who wouldn’t be moved by such a luxurious banquet.

Shortly after, the majestic sound of a cello resonated throughout the hall. As the clamor of voices briefly subsided, instruments began to play one by one, building harmony.

And when the first piece announcing the start of the banquet ended, the person who appeared on the platform was, surprisingly, not the emperor.

“What a beautiful night.”

Instead of Emperor Letius, it was the Pope, God’s representative and the leader of world peace.

After a light greeting, the Pope immediately began to introduce today’s glorious and grand banquet.

And when the man gestured, the orchestra’s devoted performance began again.

A group of knights moved to the platform in step with the music. Swaying their bodies like a dance, once to the right and once to the left in time with the beat, they finally faced forward and bowed their heads.

The Pope then explained how excellent and powerful the knights of the Letius Imperial Order were.

The knights standing majestically behind the Pope with their heads bowed. The imperial theme song flowing gently, as if worshipping the glory of the knighthood.

These grand and elegant scenes delivered immense emotion to everyone, regardless of gender.

“A speech by His Holiness the Pope… Isn’t this the first time he’s attended and given a speech at a single country’s imperial banquet? As expected of the Letius Empire.”

“And what about the Imperial Knights? I heard they got new uniforms this time, custom-made from the empire’s finest salon? It’s certainly classic.”

“Come to think of it, isn’t the recruitment notice opening soon? I wonder what kind of excellent young ladies and gentlemen will become the new stars of the knighthood this time?”

“I heard the second son of Duke Swen is a strong candidate… but we can’t be sure. This competition seems particularly fierce.”

“Well, there’s no knight who wouldn’t fall in love with this sight. Noble families are good, but isn’t the Letius Empire the best after all?”

The nobles, blinded by the luxurious banquet, soon began to praise the Letius Empire.

The young ladies passionately discussed which knight they would gift their handkerchief to at tomorrow’s knighthood hunting competition.

As Natasha was nodding along and agreeing appropriately, something cold touched her hand.

“…”

The thing grasping her hand was so painfully familiar that she could spare the effort of turning her head to face the other person.

Sieghart placed something in her hand and then quietly left.

When the other’s footsteps had faded, Natasha opened her hand to check the object.

‘A brooch?’

It was a brooch that emitted a rainbow of colors.

As Natasha stared intently at the jewel in the center, she soon realized that it contained divine power.

It seemed to be an item prepared for Natasha, who would be going alone to find the emperor’s room. It was probably a device that would send a signal to Sieghart if activated.

Natasha glanced briefly in the direction where the man had disappeared. After contemplating how to handle the brooch, she ended up stuffing it into the inner pocket of her dress.

She felt too proud to wear it on her dress as the man had intended, but she was also worried about potential situations, so she couldn’t bring herself to throw it away completely.

After the speech was completely over, the imperial palace banquet officially began.

Waiters were walking around with finger snacks and champagne. Following the young ladies who were satisfying their hunger with occasional snacks, Natasha also picked up a piece of food.

A warning was heard that some desserts had peanut butter spread on them, so those who couldn’t eat it should be careful.

Peanuts were something Natasha couldn’t eat well. While it wouldn’t kill her to eat them, she suffered from severe abdominal pain and hives every time she did.

Despite hearing the warning, Natasha casually popped the dessert into her mouth. And in less than a few minutes, hives began to appear on her body. She then started to breathe heavily.

People around her began to panic as they noticed her condition.

“Oh my goodness!”

“Duchess Asthart! Are you alright?”

“Quickly, to the infirmary!”

People, realizing that the woman’s condition was not good, urged her to go to the infirmary quickly. Some even offered to take her there themselves.

“No, I’m, I’m fine… It’s not that I can’t move, so I’ll go by myself. The rest of you can continue enjoying the banquet here.”

Natasha left the banquet hall alone, despite the concerns of those around her.

She limped out and then stopped abruptly in front of the door.

‘To find the emperor’s bedroom from here…’

Soon, a map of the imperial palace began to form in her mind.