Gentle, soothing music curled around the pillars and brushed past the colorful clerestory windows. The crystal chandeliers cast a hazy glow over the lavish hall, whose exquisite design rivaled even the finest palaces, making it seem all the more dreamlike. Every figure drifting through it was a distinguished guest, a smile on their face.
The air was rich with the scent of wealth. Every banquet table was laden with delicacies fit for a state dinner. Even the Punora Federation’s rare vintage wine, of which only a few dozen bottles were produced each year, had been stacked three rows deep. It was easy to imagine the staggering cost of this ball.
“Grandpa Federo, the ball starts in just three minutes. Are there any other distinguished guests who haven’t arrived yet?”
Prince Cameron stood obediently beside Federo, holding a glass of apple juice as he gazed curiously at the tightly shut doors of the hall.
The prince was only twelve, the youngest of his siblings. He’d come to the ball at his mother’s request, hoping to make a good impression on the Governor.
Clearly, the little prince’s question was on the minds of all the distinguished guests. The lowest-ranked among them was at least a count, and there were no fewer than three dukes. One of them was the host of the ball, Grand Duke Darren—a distant relative of His Majesty the Emperor.
With such an illustrious gathering, even the princes and princesses had arrived early, so as not to waste the guests’ time. Yet some mysterious guest still hadn’t arrived, just three minutes before the ball was due to begin. That was quite a grand entrance to be planning.
Federo reached out with a thin, bony finger and gently stroked the little prince’s neat chestnut hair. His voice, as ever, gave nothing away. “Yes. I wonder what’s keeping that boy. He’s even late to my ball.”
At those words, the guests immediately sensed there was more to the story. Even Grand Duke Darren couldn’t hide the keen interest in his eyes.
For the Dark Governor to wait patiently for someone—and even speak up for him like that—the guest who had yet to arrive must be someone of extraordinary standing.
And the Governor had called him a boy? That suggested the guest was still young. There seemed to be only one young man who could earn the old man’s regard...
At the thought, Grand Duke Darren exchanged a glance with the other two dukes. All three saw the same disbelief in one another’s eyes. By all rights, that person couldn’t possibly be on Fran Island.
At last, the clear chime of the clock announced the ball’s scheduled start. Federo continued to wait patiently, and the distinguished guests maintained a respectful silence. Their curiosity, however, only grew.
A few minutes later, a young butler hurried in through a side door. He rushed to Major General Meri, who was leaning against a snow-white pillar and sipping wine, and whispered something to him. The major general’s eyebrows shot up, and he turned to the old man with a look of startled inquiry.
Knowing the person he’d been waiting for had arrived, Federo gave the major general a distant nod. His snake-like emerald eyes stirred, and for a moment they held a softness that seemed impossible in a man like him.
Meri knew the Governor had already received the astonishing news. Now he understood why the old man had spoken so approvingly of that major. He sighed softly, helpless in the face of this rare display of the old man’s willfulness. “Announce him.”
The butler wiped away the cold sweat and rainwater streaming down his forehead. Facing the dozens of distinguished guests watching him, he loudly announced the newcomer.
“His Excellency Cain Howard, Supreme Commander of the Orlan Navy and Admiral of the Empire, has arrived!”
The heavy doors swung wide. Wind drove the rain inside, soaking the red carpet embroidered with gold patterns. With the storm came a young man carrying an umbrella, accompanied by a tall young woman who clung to his arm.
The doors quickly closed again, shutting out the cold wind and torrential rain that didn’t belong at this grand occasion.
Under the knowing and astonished gazes of the crowd, the young man handed his umbrella to a maid who was trembling with excitement. Then he and the young woman walked across the smooth stone floor to meet the old man approaching them. He bowed slightly. “Kain pays his respects to the Governor.”
Federo’s gaunt face twisted into an awkward smile. He looked like a demon baring its teeth, but the distinguished guests at the ball knew that the Governor rarely smiled at all. When he did, it meant he was genuinely happy—a rare sight indeed.
“Your father’s been out at sea searching for you for so long. He’d never have guessed you were hiding in that boy Ivan’s castle.”
At the old man’s dry-voiced remark, Kain coughed lightly and explained, a little awkwardly, “Grandpa Federo, I only arrived on Fran Island three days ago. I wasn’t hiding anywhere.”
The officer addressed the old man with an easy familiarity, nothing like Prince Cameron’s earlier attempts to draw close while suppressing his fear. Kain had grown up under the old man’s watchful eye, and their bond was hardly any less deep than that of a real grandfather and grandson.
“Mm. Ivan told me everything. Don’t let it weigh on you too much. Just treat this ball as a chance to unwind. When it’s over, you can come back with me.” Federo nodded to show he knew the truth. His earlier teasing had only been a small way of venting the worry he’d felt over the past two months.
“And who is this young lady?”
Federo turned his gaze to Roy, who had been watching him all along, and asked with keen interest.
Feeling the scrutiny in those emerald eyes, Roy’s eyelid twitched a few times. She lowered her gaze slightly, unwilling to draw too much attention to her dark golden eyes, and answered respectfully, “Your Excellency, my name is Elizabeth. I’m a collateral-line heir of the Anderson Family, and...”
The moment Roy said the name Anderson, the people in the hall changed expressions. Unexpectedly, though, the distinguished guests showed little of the indignation one might expect at the mention of an enemy of the Empire. Instead, many looked delighted.
They were all powerful figures in the Empire, and knew its troubles with the Federation inside out. Hearing that surname, they didn’t need to think twice to understand what it meant for the young man and woman to have arrived together.
Sure enough, the distinguished guests soon heard the news they’d been hoping for.
“Young Master Howard’s fiancée.”
The entire hall fell silent. Then gasps and congratulations rang out. Even the princes and princesses representing the royal family offered their heartfelt congratulations.
No one knew how the commander of the navy and the young lady of the Anderson Family had met, but nobody cared. All that mattered was the result.
The entire hall was swept up in a curious joy. Only Governor Federo remained calm. He quietly watched the young woman bow her head after speaking, taking in her rare dark golden eyes. After a moment’s silence, he asked, “Is that true?”
A suffocating tension spread through the hall, and the voices around them gradually faded. Seeing this, the astonished major general seemed to understand. He silently set his wineglass back on the table and edged closer to the Governor without drawing attention to himself.
A flicker of panic crossed Roy’s eyes, but it quickly gave way to resolve. She met Federo’s scrutinizing gaze and lifted her head proudly. “Yes, Your Excellency. Even if you dislike my family, I’ll still become his wife.”
The two held each other’s gaze for a long time. The old man’s imposing presence eventually wore down the pride in Roy’s eyes, but she still gritted her teeth and refused to lower her head. Only then did Federo slowly nod and extend his hand to her. “It seems you’re not lying. Then I’m very glad to hear the news, Miss Anderson.”
Roy stared at the hand as if she couldn’t believe she was being given the chance to shake the Governor’s hand. Only after her aide quietly prompted her did she come to her senses. Excited and trembling, she shook the old man’s hand.
“Thank you, Your Excellency.”
