The King seemed to have immediately realized where the traces of his own blackness originated from.

On that day, thrown into the cold hall, Idren heard the King confess to the Queen that about five years ago, when he went to the border area, he had committed an immoral act with a prostitute.

The Queen drove people away, leaving only the knight she had brought from her home country, and slapped her husband’s cheek. The sharp sound of the slap cut through the cold air.

According to the northern tradition, illegitimate children could not be ignored, so the King had no choice but to bring him into the castle.

No one welcomed his presence, but there was no other way. His eye color was so unique that he could not be left outside.

Of course, being brought into the castle did not mean he was recognized as the King’s child.

Idren stayed in the servants’ quarters and had to help with their work, running to serve like a servant whenever any of the King’s sons called for him. If he didn’t, he would be beaten to death.

Seven years passed like that.

It was not long after he turned eleven that day. Since his exact birthday was unknown, Idren always counted his age based on the first day of the new year.

Before the first month of that year was over, the King summoned him to the master’s table.

Unlike the memories of the day he was abandoned at the gates of Sigrasal, Idren clearly remembered that day.

The impossibly high ceiling of the hall and the table that was so dazzling it was intimidating. The King and Queen in stiffly collared clothes, and the three princes.

And even himself, the thin and emaciated boy in front of them.

That day, the King seated him at the very end of the table.

The man, stained with contempt and discomfort, spoke as if spitting:

“From now on, that is your place.”

After that day, his position within the castle subtly changed.

He still served the three princes, but he no longer did menial tasks. He was provided with clothes suitable for the weather and an education that was barely enough to make him a person.

Idren did not know why his situation had changed.

At first, he thought he might be a little less hated. But that was not the case. The King still looked at him like filth, and the Queen was the same.

The three princes were no exception. It was a wonder his bones didn’t break despite being beaten every other day like that.

And two more years passed. When he turned thirteen, the King called for him separately.

“Prepare to attend this conference.”

The conference was a gathering where the royal families of the three countries possessing deity stones, Leden, Egelbamot, and Aglante, met and spent time together when the weather was good.

It was a symbolic event that had existed since the beginning of each country, so even if one was the King’s child, they could not be recognized if they had never attended the conference.

That was why the King had taken his sons to the conference several times. But Idren had never been included in his entourage.

So at that moment when he heard those words, Idren almost mistook it for a moment. He thought that maybe now the King considered him his child.

The only reason he didn’t do such a foolish thing was purely thanks to the contempt in the eyes he met when he lifted his head.

The three princes resented the fact that he was intruding on the conference that had been their privilege.

They expressed that displeasure very well with their bodies, so by the time they arrived at the summer palace in Egelbamot, the venue for this year’s conference, Idren had no uninjured part except for his face.

At the summer palace, he received the same treatment as the three princes ‘outwardly’. He was assigned adjacent rooms and seated at an equal place at the table.

Anyone could see that it was a kind of mockery, even if he had little education. It would look ridiculous to anyone that he was being treated like a prince while wearing, possessing, and even speaking and acting like a bastard.

Idren knew that everyone was mocking him. But he had no one to defend him, nor the power to defend himself.

There was only one thing he could do. Staying holed up in his room to attract less attention.

Fortunately, there were many other distractions.

Of course, there was no share for him in the amusements prepared at the summer palace, but Idren was satisfied enough that the three princes forgot about him, distracted by new toys and games.

Hiding from people’s eyes, Idren counted down the days until the conference was over. He had thought there was no place as terrible as Edegrun, but the longer he stayed at the summer palace, the more he came to think that Sigrasal Castle was better.

At least there, no one mocked him except the three princes. Not because they cared for him, but because everyone was used to his presence. However, Idren missed that familiar indifference.

But things did not go as he wished.

One night, Lemetel, the oldest of the three princes, came into his room.

“Idren, are you still sleeping when the banquet is just around the corner?”

And before he could answer, Lemetel dragged him out of bed. Around that time, Idren had grown tall and even skinnier, so he was immediately dumped on the floor.

While he was stunned by the pain of the unexpected impact on his body, Sineron and Rossel entered the room. They were Lemetel’s two younger brothers, two and three years older than him, respectively.

Fumbling on the bedroom floor with only a single lamp as the sole light, the startled Idren spoke:

“Wait, Lemetel. What do you mean by a banquet…?”

“Lemetel? You should call him Your Highness!”

And Sineron laughed loudly. Lemetel waved his hand at Sineron. Shh, Sineron.

“We didn’t come here to torment Idren.”

And with a face just like his father’s, Lemetel smiled brightly against the light.

“We came to help him attend the banquet.”

And the three brothers dragged him out of the bedroom. Outside, it seemed like a banquet was really taking place, just as Lemetel had said, with the clamor and bright lights.

Knowing how much of a mess he looked and that no one would welcome him, Idren desperately tried to return to his room.

The adults’ banquet hall was prepared separately, and they said the place they were going to now was decorated for the children, but he knew he would not be welcomed anywhere.

But he never had the right to refuse in the first place.

Lemetel, who was gripping the back of his neck so he wouldn’t run away, opened the door to the banquet hall and pushed him in as if throwing him.

Idren staggered at the force of that hand. He almost fell to the floor but managed to regain his balance. Laughter could be heard from somewhere.

Bright light flashed above his head and the sounds of mockery and music rang out nearby. Idren shrank back. A chill ran down his spine.

He took a step back to escape from the banquet hall. But someone blocked him from behind. It was Lemetel.

“My, my, Idren. Are you going to leave without even dancing once after coming all the way here?”

“L-let me go. I…”

Then Lemetel grabbed his chin and snarled in a low voice.

“Where do you think you’re going? You followed us to the conference without knowing your place, and you didn’t even expect something like this?”

Idren tried to protest to his half-brother, who was twice his size. It was not himself but the King who brought him to the conference venue.

But Lemetel was quick to throw him back into the center of the banquet hall.

The boys and girls filling the banquet hall burst into laughter as if it was an amusing spectacle.

Giggling could be heard from all around. Idren felt his breathing quicken. He felt dizzy and couldn’t focus on what was in front of him.

Standing firm behind him so he couldn’t run away again, Lemetel shouted:

“Now, is there no one who will dance with this pitiful fellow? Although he hasn’t learned much, if you show him a bit of sympathy, it will be a lifelong honor for this filthy bastard!”

And gripping both of Idren’s shoulders, Lemetel whispered:

“If even one of those noble girls dances with you, I’ll let you go.”

Those words were no different from saying he would toy with him until the banquet was over. Idren’s face turned pale.

For other boys who had been raised preciously since birth, dancing once might be nothing, but he was different.

He had never learned to dance, and above all, he was a bastard.

The Mevasa of Leden, the Sigrasal of Aglante, and the Runtalis of Egelbamot placed more importance on marriage vows than other royal families. They treated illegitimate children like beasts.

So which girl would dance with him?

As Idren shrank back at the bleak reality of being ridiculed for hours on end, Lemetel snickered. He shouted again:

“Any lady who will bestow mercy upon this filthy fellow? If there’s really no one, then this wretch will have no choice but to keep standing here!”

As soon as Lemetel finished speaking, laughter erupted from all around once more. Idren squeezed his eyes shut. His face flushed and the tip of his nose stung. It felt like his throat was being strangled by a rough hand.

It was then that the surroundings suddenly quieted down.

Realizing that people were whispering rather than giggling, Idren slightly opened his eyes.

Since he had his head lowered towards the floor, the first thing that caught his eye was a pair of small shoes embroidered on white deerskin.

The surprised Idren raised his gaze a little. Above that, the hem of a blue dress could be seen.

A little higher than that were rippling silver waves, and above that was a small chin.

Realizing that some girl was standing in front of him, Idren was startled and abruptly lifted his head.

It was then that he met a pair of large, bright blue eyes.