The tournament was hosted in the capital every four years, and was a large event for the Imperial Family. The interest and love the subjects had for the monarchy was enormous, and the knight who would win the competition was an enormous draw as well. There was a large festival where not only knights from various families and regions participated, but numerous prospective knights who wanted to make a name for themselves as well.
As the day of the tournament grew closer, the capital city of the Keith Empire began to flood with crowds. The number of knights from each province and those who came to see them was beyond imagination. Among them was Luke, who came from the Duchy of Edel to observe the matches.
“Make way for Grand Duke Edel’s arrival!”
Luke’s procession was magnificent in scale. He was at the head atop his horse, followed by an impressive train of knights. They were elites experienced in war, and had an atmosphere as sharp as a well-forged blade. The people of the Keith Empire welcomed him like a war hero and bowed to him deeply. Luke had been expected to succeed the throne since a young age, and his image was far more revered than that of the other Imperial Family members.
Upon arriving in the capital, Luke headed for the palace. The palace had readied itself to welcome him after receiving the message of his arrival.
Emperor Howard was seated at the head of the dining room, with Empress Madelyn placed next to him. On a lesser seat sat Second Prince Leon, and on the left side of the Emperor were Oliver and Amanda.
“Kollog, kollog.“
Howard’s face was pale as he coughed hoarsely.
Beolkeog!
Suddenly, the entrance door opened and Luke strode into the dining room. He knelt before Howard with a broad smile.
“Hail to His Majesty the Emperor. Eternal glory to the Keith Empire.”
While Luke was the elder of the two brothers, he immediately was subservient when Howard rose to the throne. It was the natural order for the ruler and ruled. Howard was the emperor, and Luke was the servant.
Howard smiled gently as he spoke to Luke.
“Your greetings are too much. It must have been a difficult journey to the capital.”
“Not at all, Your Majesty. I brought you a little something on the way from Edel.”
Luke gave a glance backwards, and several servants waiting outside came carrying a wealth of treasure that exceeded the tributes of other kingdoms. A look of surprise crossed Howard’s face.
“Kollog, why did you bring so much?”
“Consider it my sincerest honor. I hope you’ll be happy to accept it.”
Luke bowed deeply as he expressed his gratitude to Emperor Howard. Amanda couldn’t help but admire Luke inwardly as she watched the scene. Because Luke hid his claws, Howard had no reason to expel him.
That didn’t mean Howard did not have suspicions about his brother, however. Although the emperor appeared to smile, he was extremely wary about his brother’s arrival at the capital. Luke hid his ambition, and while Howard and the rest of the Imperial Family welcomed him, the court was not a place to judge someone by their outward appearance.
Now that Amanda was part of the Imperial Family, she clenched her teeth and she forced herself to remain calm at Luke’s appearance.
‘…Not yet.’
Unlike in her previous life, he was not the only enemy she had to face now. Her red eyes flickered towards Madelyn and Leon sitting across from her. Oliver hadn’t said anything to Amanda yet, but she knew it was likely that the Empress planned the ambush on them.
‘I’ll have to repay her.’
It was polite to give back to someone as much as one received, and even better if it was several times more.
Amanda swallowed her feelings of contempt and looked towards Luke with as much indifference as possible. Meanwhile, Howard asked Luke to take a seat.
“You had a hard time getting here. Have a seat. This is a small family dinner, so help yourself.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Luke lifted his head and took the seat Howard indicated. If Howard was at the highest level, Luke was at the very bottom. Not only was he ranked below Leon, but he also sat the farthest away from the emperor.
Luke smiled calmly and took his seat with a hint of enmity. Only Amanda, who knew that Luke would attempt to take the throne and become an emperor, could see his hidden smile.
“You’ve been away from home for so long. Is there anything special you want to eat?”
“What do you mean, Your Majesty? My home is in the Duchy of Edel now, not the Imperial Palace.”
“Hoho, is that so?”
As an emperor who knew politics, Howard would attempt to probe his opponent’s intentions. However, Luke remained calm and relaxed. Although there were no swords nor shields, this dining room was like a battlefield.
Amanda knew she had to get used to this uncomfortable meal, and poked her salad with a fork. Oliver stopped her from the side, and turned to the maid standing behind her.
“I asked that porridge be prepared for my wife.”
“Oh, my apologies, Your Highness. I’ll fix it right away.”
The maid turned pale at the thought of making a mistake at such an important gathering. But not everyone cared about the status of the maid; All of them had their eyes on Oliver’s face. A flush spread across Amanda’s cheeks.
“I’m fine, Your Highness.”
“No. You don’t have to inconvenience yourself.”
Leon stifled a smirk. Oliver ignored him, and when the porridge was brought to the table, he stirred it to make sure it was the right temperature before handing it to Amanda.
It was an affectionate gesture to anyone who saw it. In fact, when Amanda viewed her relationship with him through the lens of the contract marriage, she would have praised him greatly. Now, however, the thoughts she had now made her feel hotter than those calculated displays. Amanda replied with a smile.
“Thank you.”
Oliver smiled and went back to his plate. Howard looked tired, Madelyn had a subtle sneer, and Leon gave an amused smile. So did Luke, and he stared at Oliver and Amanda with awakened interest.