The man’s gaze curled seductively as he looked at Latian.
His blatant flirtation left Latian frozen in shock.
Claude moved to shove the man’s head away, but the latter swiftly stepped back, feigning innocence with an exaggerated gesture.
Still smiling brightly at Latian, he then introduced himself with perfect manners.
“I am Rydium, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Kesid. I suppose you could say I’m a distant relative of Duke Ocellania. I was surprised to hear that our elusive ‘Ghost Duke of the North’ had decided to grace us with his presence—but I never expected such an adorable gentleman to be accompanying him.”
“Hah. What’s so damn pretty about a fish-faced brat like this?”
…Excuse me? Fish-faced?!
“If you’re here to escort us, then escort us. Quit wasting time.”
Claude shot Rydium a cold glare before reprimanding him.
Latian, feeling inexplicably wronged, hid behind Claude and glowered at him.
Rydium merely laughed it off like a ray of sunshine before turning to lead the way.
Perhaps because he was younger than Claude, related by blood, and held an equivalent status as a duke and crown prince, he didn’t seem to find Claude’s bluntness particularly offensive.
“Very well, follow me. We’ve made arrangements to serve a meal at any time, so you must be hungry. Let’s eat first; I’ll show you to your rooms afterward.”
Claude followed first, with Latian and the twins trailing behind.
As they stepped inside the palace, they were greeted by a dazzlingly grand hall.
Rows of butlers stood lined up, bowing in greeting.
The sheer magnificence of the place was overwhelming.
Still overwhelmed, Latian looked around curiously until he realized they had already arrived at the dining hall.
The long banquet table was being lavishly filled with dishes carried in by busy servants.
Told to take a comfortable seat, Latian quietly sat beside the twins.
Claude, seated alone across from them, had Rydium settling right next to him.
The crown prince turned to Latian with a beaming smile.
“May I ask for your name?”
“…Ah! It’s Latian.”
“Latian. What a lovely name—just like its owner.”
There was no mistaking it—this was pure, unfiltered flirtation.
Latian wasn’t exactly flustered in a romantic sense, but he had no idea how to respond.
So he simply buried his face in his empty plate.
‘Am I supposed to say thank you in this situation?’
In the end, he settled for an ambiguous smile, neither confirming nor denying anything, before reaching for a piece of bread.
From beside him, he could feel the twins struggling to hold back laughter, which only made him more self-conscious.
Then Claude’s irritated voice cut in.
“So. Where is His Majesty right now?”
“You want to meet him immediately?”
“If possible.”
“Well, as you know, ever since your letter arrived announcing your visit, my father has been preparing a banquet to welcome you. He probably won’t agree to meet with you until you attend. He’s not an easy man to get an audience with.”
Resting his chin on his hand, Rydium chuckled slyly.
Apparently, the King of Kesid had arranged a banquet in Claude’s honor.
It was exactly as Claude had anticipated.
While sneaking glances at the two, Latian focused on eating.
The quality of the food took him by surprise.
Maybe it was because he was starving, but the dishes were absolutely delicious.
They could easily rival the bold flavors of modern cuisine.
If this weren’t such a formal occasion, he might’ve even shed tears of joy.
‘Does the South have more advanced cuisine than the North?’
Then again, considering how he was treated in the North, they might have deliberately given him lower-quality food.
That thought suddenly dampened his mood.
‘The crown prince seems interested in me. What if I decide to stay here…? No, that wouldn’t work. They’ll find out I used to be an Imperial soldier. That would change everything.’
His past as an Imperial soldier constantly held him back.
‘Of all people, I had to possess the body of someone from an enemy nation.’
While Latian continued moving his hands, his brows drooped slightly in melancholy.
Meanwhile, Rydium and Claude’s conversation carried on.
“Let them know I’ll be making an appearance at the banquet.”
“Huh? You’re really attending? What’s the occasion?”
“I don’t see the need to explain myself.”
“Got some kind of plan in mind? Hmm. Well, fine by me.”
Rydium called over the waiting knight.
“I have matters to attend to, so guide them to their rooms in my place. Make sure you don’t do anything disrespectful to the Duke of Ocellania’s party.”
“Understood.”
Rydium rose from his seat first, and just before leaving, he turned to Latian with a bright, playful smile.
“Laty. You’ll be attending the banquet too, right?”
Laty? Already using a nickname?
“Uh… yes. I will.”
“I figured as much. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have shown up with someone completely unfamiliar. And he doesn’t seem like an Awakened either. The Duke must have had a specific ‘purpose’ for attending from the start, huh?”
He seemed frivolous, but he was sharper than expected.
Rydium glanced briefly at Claude, who remained silent, then turned away.
“Then, see you at the banquet, my love.”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll be asking you for a dance. You’ll accept, won’t you?”
“!”
Just when Latian thought he was starting to get used to Rydium, he was caught off guard again, his eyes widening.
‘A dance… I don’t know how to dance.’
He needed to refuse.
His lips parted, but before he could respond, Rydium had already waved a hand and disappeared—as if he hadn’t really been asking for permission in the first place.
‘Damn it.’
This was bad.
What if he stepped on the Crown Prince’s foot and caused a problem?
People might snicker behind his back, mocking how the prince’s partner danced like a disaster.
‘Why is fate doing this to me? Claude alone is already more than enough to handle.’
Noticing Latian’s troubled expression, the twins cast him a mischievous look.
“Advisor. You’ll dance with us too, right?”
“…What?”
“You have to dance with us as well. One by one.”
“…I don’t know how to dance.”
“Yeah, we figured.”
“Your face says it all.”
When Latian shot them a sharp glare, they just chuckled.
“Watching someone fumble around is the most entertaining part.”
“…….”
“Pffft. Just picturing you flailing is already hilarious.”
“…If you end up with swollen feet, don’t blame me.”
“That just makes it more thrilling.”
“Let’s see if you can dodge properly.”
Latian vowed to step on them as much as possible—hard.
Pretending it was an accident, of course.
As he made this silent promise, the twins turned to Claude with amused eyes.
“And what about you, Lord Claude?”
“Don’t you want to see the Advisor’s atrocious dancing firsthand?”
Claude, who had been quietly eating, gave Latian a sidelong glance.
Naturally, he would refuse.
“I’ll pass.”
As expected.
“I’d rather not be forced to walk around with bruised feet.”
…Huh.
The way Claude smoothly went along with the joke delighted the twins, who burst into laughter.
Latian, on the other hand, flushed. He hadn’t expected even the cold-hearted Claude to play along with the twins’ teasing.
‘These awful people… Just because I never learned how to dance, they’re really making fun of me for it.’
Fuming, Latian started stuffing food into his mouth in retaliation.
He ate so much with that small mouth of his that just watching made one feel full.
The twins, caught up in the moment, started cutting up the best pieces of meat and piling them onto Latian’s plate.
“Eat slower, or you’ll get indigestion. Is it that good?”
“It’s because you three keep teasing me.”
“Oh, is that how it works? Alright, we’ll stop.”
Amused by their cute and sulky advisor, the twins laughed as they indulged him.
Latian, scowling, kept stuffing his cheeks like a puffed-up squirrel.
It was so endearing that had they acted on impulse, they would have patted his head without thinking.
“Try this one too. It’s good.”
“Mm-hm. Okay.”
And the only one who noticed that the twins were completely enamored with Latian… was Claude.
Completely oblivious to how the twins doted on him, Latian simply accepted whatever they handed him, devouring everything.
It had been a long time since he’d eaten this much, filling his stomach to the brim.
Finally, after each person was guided to their respective rooms, Latian could finally be alone.
After washing up, he sprawled out on the large bed, basking in the bliss of his full stomach.
“This is heaven. Ahhh, this is nice.”
Like an excited child, he flailed his arms and legs, relishing the feel of the mattress.
After a while, he decided to step outside to help digest his food.
‘There was a terrace in the hallway, right?’
He figured he could catch some fresh air there before the banquet later that night.
“Well, what a coincidence.”
Suddenly, a voice—overly familiar in tone—rang out nearby.
“?”
Latian turned his head.
He was alone in the hallway, yet someone had just spoken.
It was too perfectly timed to be a coincidence.
A middle-aged man, who had clearly been lingering near the staircase, grinned as he approached.
“I heard you’re from the Empire… is that true?”
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