The banquet was held in the grand ballroom of the Central Palace. The entire royal palace shimmered under the light of lanterns carved in the shape of stars, and from the entrance leading into the ballroom, brilliant chandeliers lit the way as if it were midday. Massive golden candelabras fanned out in a radial pattern, each one suspended like a blossoming flower. Star-shaped lamps were fixed high upon the white marble walls, and the dark navy marble floor was inlaid with gold and white to form a circular night-sky design.
Nobles, each accompanied by their attendants, entered in a steady procession. After everyone had arrived, it was customary for the Tithers to appear, followed by the royal family. Seiyad, who had deliberately chosen to arrive last in the Central Palace’s waiting room that led down into the ballroom, unfortunately ran into the very people he had hoped to avoid—the Tithers. Every Tither was present, except for him.
Just as Zion Shildras was about to leave the room, Stella Vetria and Nova Bridehit stood behind him. The trio had been chatting as they exited the waiting room, but the moment they came face-to-face with Seiyad, silence fell. Zion’s eyes narrowed instantly.
“So you’ve finally decided to show yourself, Your Grace. You’ve been so scarce I began to wonder what you might be scheming on your own again.”
“I was avoiding this place so I wouldn’t have to hear your voice, but it seems luck isn’t on my side.”
Seiyad answered with a degree of formality. In the past, he would’ve told Zion he sounded like a barking dog. In fact, he had done so on several occasions before.
“Well, since you dislike it so much, I’ll just have to speak up even more from now on.”
That was the best Zion could manage in response. He’d never been particularly good at verbal sparring; in the past, Ressas had often stepped in to handle it for him. Perhaps because the previous Duke of Shildras had fathered children late in life and cherished them dearly, Zion had a certain naivety unusual for a Tither.
That was precisely what Seiyad disliked about him. Like the night resenting the day, he always found himself at odds with Zion.
“You’re unusually kind today, Lord Seiyad! You’re even responding to Zion’s jabs!”
At that moment, Nova, who had been standing behind Zion with her chin defiantly raised, suddenly popped forward. Petite and fairy-like, Nova, the only daughter the Duke of Bridehit would never let out of his arms, belonged to the same overly bright type that made Seiyad uncomfortable—just like Zion.
“And somehow you look even more handsome than before!”
Nova was a girl just a year younger than Ressas, which made her practically a child in Seiyad’s eyes. Though she had barely come of age this year, the idea of taking her into battle alone was enough to stir unease.
“Where’s your father? What are you doing here alone, Nova?”
“Father stepped out to discuss something with His Majesty. He told me to look after you in his stead!”
Nova clapped her hands together, her silver twin-tails swaying. Perhaps because she had had the fewest encounters with Seiyad, she didn’t fear him. Instead, she followed him around saying odd things. The girl, who once admired him so openly, came to loathe him after Bridehit’s death following last year’s Ritual of Invocation.
Having lost the father she loved more than anything, she needed someone to blame. And the only person she could accuse was Seiyad. Rather than console her, he had coldly pointed out Bridehit’s incompetence.
From then on, whenever they met, Nova—who once looked up to him—had only scorn in her eyes. Seiyad, who had long grown used to such looks, was briefly caught off guard by this cheery version of Nova he hadn’t seen since ages past.
No—this was more intense than his memory. It seemed the now-living Bridehit had told her something about him. The warmth in her gaze felt bizarrely foreign on his skin.
“You’re wrapped in your usual pitch-black, but you’ve even added a lovely white scarf for contrast…! Nova’s about to be blinded by Lord Seiyad’s beauty.”
Nova cupped her cheeks dramatically. Stella Vetria, who had remained silent until now, furrowed her brows, while Zion sighed heavily.
“Please, Nova.”
Being nearly the same age, Zion finally stepped in to stop her.
“Stop saying such horrifying things…”
“Why? Doesn’t he look that way to you, too? Like a single black rose in bloom.”
The one who finally put an end to Nova’s bizarre commentary was the head butler of the royal household, who had arrived from the direction of the ballroom. Having overseen countless banquets attended by the Tithers, the butler looked slightly flustered to see all four gathered at once. Nevertheless, he quickly composed himself and beckoned them forward with a bright smile.
“The King and Queen will be arriving shortly. Please make your entrance now.”
“Thank you, Lope.”
Zion replied politely. Despite having authority on par with the Crown Prince, he was kind to everyone except Seiyad and was well-loved in the royal household. Zion’s beaming smile brought a full grin to the middle-aged butler’s face.
As they moved toward the ballroom, Zion led the way beside Lope, followed by Nova. Seiyad, ignoring Nova’s repeated glances back at him with each step, walked behind Stella, bringing up the rear of the group.
“…Thanks for what you did for my mother.”
Just before descending the stairs into the ballroom, Stella, who had been walking in silence, finally spoke. It had been nearly three years since they last talked. After the last time they saw each other, only her mother—Selfini—had come to the North. That was the extent of it. Once close friends who used to confide in each other, they hadn’t even met each other’s eyes after growing distant. The last time they locked eyes had been the day he died.
“It was something that needed to be done. No need for thanks.”
Seiyad replied coldly, not having done it for praise. Stella responded without turning her head.
“Still, my mother lived thanks to you. And you… told her about what happened back then, didn’t you?”
They continued talking as they descended the stairs. As he met the unified gaze of the crowd now gathering below, Seiyad felt a peculiar tightness in his chest. Every time he faced such a crowd, it felt as if he had done something wrong. Someone had died because he didn’t save them, or because he gave up. Behind the whispering stares fixed on him, it was as if the word devil was always lurking.
He quietly clenched his trembling fingers into a fist to hide the subtle shake at his fingertips. It simply became hard to breathe. He was all too aware that he didn’t belong here, and he barely managed to suppress the overwhelming urge to turn back.
“So if you don’t mind… tomorrow or the day after—before I return to my estate—let’s have a cup of tea. There are a lot of things I want to apologize for.”
Stella’s words brought him back to his senses, and he forced himself to look away from the crowd. Fixing his gaze on her blue hair, he hesitated for a moment before giving a nod.
“…All right.”
At that, Stella finally looked back at him. She had just stepped off the final stair into the ballroom. On her expressionless face, the faintest trace of a smile bloomed. The moment he saw it, he realized—something was slightly different from the past.
It’s okay.
It’s not too late yet.
Seiyad whispered this to himself. The blood that stained his past would never disappear, but in this present he’d returned to, those destined to die by his hand were still alive. Swallowing the urge to flee, he stepped into his assigned place—one meant for welcoming the royal family in accordance with tradition. From the central of the three staircases in the ballroom—the one reserved for royalty—the King and Queen of Solias began to descend.
Beside the King, who bore the radiant golden hair and blue eyes passed down through Solias’s royal lineage, stood Queen Leana, her striking black hair twisted up into an elegant bun. Her porcelain complexion and commanding presence, inherited by Ressas, were more composed and joyful than before. The reason was walking just behind her.
Even though the Crown Prince Aster descended after them with his usual magnetic presence, today, the spotlight had been claimed by someone else.
The nobles’ gazes were all fixed not on Aster, but on Ressas, who followed directly behind. For many of them, this was their first time seeing Ressas, as he rarely appeared at public events. The moment the prince with black hair stepped forward, a breath of awe escaped from behind Seiyad.
“So they weren’t exaggerating—he really is that beautiful.”
“They say once you see him, you’ll dream of that face for the rest of your life—and it’s true.”
The admiration for Ressas’s appearance wasn’t limited to just the women. Seiyad’s keen ears caught countless whispers spreading like wildfire through the crowd.
“He used to be just beautiful as a child, but now he’s so… strikingly masculine, it’s like he’s become someone else.”
“And when did you see His Highness as a child to say that?”
“I’ll have you know—I once saw him when he visited the Shildras estate.”
Countless voices from the dozens packed into the ballroom pierced through him at once. There were those who longed to fall into Ressas’s arms, those who praised his divine features, and those who speculated about this sudden, rising contender for the throne. Whether Seiyad wanted to hear it or not, it surrounded him.
No matter where he went, it was always about Ressas—as if the world conspired to keep Seiyad from ever pushing him out of his thoughts.
Even Lyley, the young second prince and Queen’s youngest son, had stepped forward alongside the Tithers. The King, beaming with a benevolent smile, looked out over the assembly and began to speak. The hall quieted at once.
“As many of you gathered here know, a brilliant light has risen recently in the skies of Solias. My second son, Ressas, has at last unveiled the power that was bestowed upon him last winter. While today’s banquet was held in celebration of that event, it also serves another purpose—one of great importance.”
At the King’s signal, Aster and Ressas stepped forward. Seiyad, who had been watching the King closely, suddenly found his gaze locking with Ressas. The soft smile that Ressas had been wearing before the crowd darkened slightly the moment their eyes met, as though he had been waiting for this exact moment. Their gazes tangled.
“Following this Gratitude Festival, I will abolish the forest that cages this nation—for the greater glory and safety of Solias. My two sons will from now on serve as the light that slices through the dark in my stead. The future of Solias rests in their hands, and I ask that you offer your prayers filled with blessings.”
A stir rippled through the ballroom at the King’s declaration. Even among the Tithers, the reaction was visible—Zion looked at the King in surprise, as though even he hadn’t expected it. Seiyad, frozen in place, couldn’t even blink, captivated by the pair of deep violet eyes that stared only at him.
“The Grand Duke is someone more bound by duty than anyone else. That’s why I decided to remove the reason I couldn’t stand by your side.”
He hadn’t thought much of those words when they had casually crossed paths during the day. After all, someone had to do it eventually, and the King had long wished for this—so Seiyad had assumed it would happen sooner or later.
“I will erase the forest.”
But the timing was far too early. Four years earlier than in his memory. The investigation of the forest, which had only begun after his death, was now suddenly imminent. From the very moment Seiyad returned, the past had already started to shift—but here, today, the trajectory had veered completely.
What if the choices I’ve made were all wrong?
It felt like stepping off a clearly marked path and into a snow-covered forest, where only endless white stretched ahead. Now directionless, unsure of where to go or where the “right answer” even lay, Seiyad was overcome by a dizzying sense of disorientation. And the one who had created this moment—those enigmatic violet eyes shining as they gazed at him—might now be writing a future no one could predict.
