"Everyone, may I have your attention."
The deep, steady voice cut cleanly through the banquet hall.
Conversations halted. Glasses paused midair.
A man stepped forward.
Golden hair, neatly kept, and a crown resting upon his head—there was no mistaking the symbol of the royal family.
"The Emperor…"
As the highest authority in the empire revealed himself, the nobles instinctively straightened. Every gaze converged on him.
"Each and every one of you," the emperor continued, his tone measured yet resonant, "is a pillar that supports this empire. Before you indulge in tonight's banquet, there is someone I wish to formally introduce."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the hall.
"Someone worth a personal introduction from His Majesty?"
"Has a new hero emerged?"
"Or perhaps a rising duke?"
"Could it be Alice Draken… the prince's fiancée?"
Speculation buzzed like a low hum beneath the vaulted ceiling. Whoever it was, they had to be extraordinary.
Then—
