"Faust, why do you look so pleased?"
A calm inquiry came from nearby. Faust immediately looked toward Youshewude, who was waiting outside the sleeping quarters.
Her clear eyes were like holy green gems. They reflected a rainbow of colors. Those beautiful eyes were almost too magnificent to describe.
The Princess stared intently at the Prince. It seemed as if he was the only person in her entire world.
"It is nothing, sister. I just suddenly learned quite a bit. I cannot help but feel a little excited."
Faust touched his forehead and sighed. He briefly explained the situation to the silver-gray haired Princess.
When they were still rivals for the throne, Faust maintained a basic level of distance. However, the struggle for succession was over. He could now fully trust this noble sister of his.
Youshewude stared at the curse mark on the arm of Faust. She spoke slowly.
"A Fairy? I know our father contracted a Fairy, but I have never spoken with it. To be favored by a Fairy... Faust, I did not realize you had such talent."
'Does this even count as talent? Well... in this world, it is indeed considered an amazing talent.'
However, Faust would not pin his hopes on the gifts of a transcendent being. Compared to a contract with a Fairy, he cared more about things he could actually grasp.
Faust said, "That may be true, but I do not know the attitude of the Fairy. It has not communicated with me yet. Regardless, the throne of the Qingxi Kingdom is a better place to show my talent."
"Congratulations."
The cold Princess spoke plainly after hearing the hint from Faust. Her face remained expressionless beneath her veil.
Faust lowered his eyes slightly. He spoke in a testing tone.
"Ahem... Our father intends for you to assist me."
The Prince looked at his sister. As the two royal heirs of the Qingxi Kingdom, Faust and Youshewude each had their own factions.
The followers of Faust were mostly technical bureaucrats and professional military officers. Youshewude held the only team of Warlocks in the kingdom. She was also the Chief Court Mage of the Qingxi Kingdom.
Faust definitely wanted to control the Warlock team, but he was not sure about the attitude of his sister.
"Hmm..."
The Princess stared at the side of the face of the man. She seemed to want to carve this scene into her eyes forever.
After a long moment, Youshewude took a deep breath.
"I have no objection."
"Oh?"
Youshewude said calmly, "You always use the worst assumptions to judge others. Perhaps such a dark mind is the proper nature of a King. However, I have no desire for the throne. You do not need to worry about me."
'Oh, is that so?'
Based on his past knowledge, Faust also believed that Youshewude was indifferent to fame and wealth. But if she did not admit it herself, he could not be certain.
The Prince finally felt relieved. He waved his hand.
"In that case, let it be at the ball tonight. I will announce my status as the definitive heir to the entire capital at the ball!"
...
That night, the palace gates opened. Various carriages and visitors arrived on the wide road.
After learning that the status of Faust as the heir was confirmed, many Nobles of the Qingxi Kingdom rushed to the feast. Some came to show loyalty, while others just wanted to show their faces.
The entire palace became the venue for the party. Outside the golden hall was the dance floor. A three-tiered circular banquet table floated in the center. A champagne tower poured down from it.
Attendants pushed food carts and handed fine food and wine to every guest. Court musicians played soft and beautiful music.
As the protagonist of the ball, Faust was surrounded by his close associates. Everyone toasted each other. They ignored Youshewude, who stood to the side as a member of the royal bloodline. They showered the Prince with endless praise and flattery.
"Your Highness, congratulations."
"As expected, you are the future of the kingdom!"
"We never doubted your status. I am sure His Majesty felt the same. Only you can lead the kingdom to glory!"
"..."
Surrounded by praise, Faust raised his wine glass. He usually did not drink much, but it would be a shame to stay sober on such a happy day.
The Prince smiled. He spoke with a firm voice.
"I would not have achieved my current success without your support. However, this is only the first step. We will not stop here. The Qingxi Kingdom shall be great!"
"And I will never enjoy this glory alone!"
His hearties also raised their glasses and shouted, "Long live Qingxi for myriads of years! Long live Your Highness!"
After boosting their morale, most of his followers began to enjoy the party. Faust leaned against a table and enjoyed the cool night breeze.
He was currently very successful. Good. Next, he would work hard and show his skills.
'Hehe, I must dominate the world!'
In his excitement, Faust drank a few more glasses. He then looked toward the dance floor in the plaza.
The ball today was a selection ceremony held by the King for the Prince. There was no shortage of beauties. There were sexy mature women, pure young ladies with long black hair, and sweet girls with cute faces.
To win the favor of the Prince, wealthy daughters and Noble ladies from the capital attended in their best clothes. They created a very beautiful sight.
Although it was like a medieval world of swords and magic, the civilization of this world had an unimaginable level of prosperity. It was just like a world from a fairy tale.
Faust felt this was very good. If it was as rough and barbaric as the actual Middle Ages, he could not have stood it as a modern person.
"Do you have a favorite candidate?"
Youshewude walked gracefully to the side of Faust. She saw him looking at the female guests and asked a question.
"Or do you still plan to act like a monkey in heat and do whatever you want with those girls?"
Faust was already used to the sharp words of Youshewude. He raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"If they are just partners for a night, they are all quite good. I am sure the night would be wonderful. But for a wife... I should have a better choice."
Although this world did not have a one-wife limit, a Prince could easily marry five or six concubines.
However, in the eyes of Faust, marriage was a precious political resource.
The Qingxi Kingdom was a small country that had only been independent for a few decades. Even with his hard work, only the capital was wealthy. It was not enough to be looked down upon by foreigners, but the overall national strength was still weak.
Therefore, Faust preferred to marry a Princess from another country. It would be best if he could trade for a reliable ally for the Qingxi Kingdom.
Faust said with contempt, "No faction in this country is worth a marriage alliance. I intend to centralize power later. Why would I compromise with the local Noble factions?"
In other words, things without value were not worth his effort!
Youshewude suddenly understood.
"I see. Is that why you broke the engagement with the daughter of Count Roselin?"
Faust raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, you mean Vivianna. That is correct."
The Prince previously had a fiancée. To be honest, he was very resistant to the marriage arranged by his expensive foster father. He resisted it in every way possible.
So, Faust used a small trick to cancel the engagement.
"Speaking of which, I did not act very honorably back then. But it does not matter. She is easy to handle anyway."
"As for tonight, I will just find some fun and relax."
Although he did not want to marry, the Prince was not a monk. On the contrary, his strong desires were known to everyone.
There were even rumors in the capital. People said the reason why there were so many female Nobles among his supporters was that he conquered them with his overwhelming male charm. They said the Noble women were completely submissive to him.
Faust had to clarify. This was not a rumor.
'Since I am a Prince, why should I mistreat myself? I should eat when it is time to eat.'
As the gaze of Faust moved through the beautiful flowers to make a choice, the palace clock struck. Along with the sound of the bell, a commotion suddenly came from the palace gate.
Thud. Thud.
"What happened?"
The Prince pushed through the crowd and looked at the source of the noise.
A very luxurious carriage stopped in front of the palace gate. The carriage was pulled by four unicorns. It was a masterpiece of art. It was made of white marble and oak. Every line and carving was lifelike.
This kind of carriage would be considered luxurious even at an Imperial royal gathering. It was even more out of place in a remote area like the Qingxi Kingdom.
Qingxi was not this wealthy. Was this a foreign friend?
That would make sense.
After the reforms in the Qingxi Kingdom and the opening of a train line, the capital was somewhat international. The scenery of the Qingxi Kingdom was very beautiful. Faust had developed the tourism industry. Therefore, many foreign Nobles came to Qingxi for vacation.
Although this ball was to choose a partner for the Prince, foreigners were welcome to join the fun. In fact, that was for the best.
To the Qingxi Kingdom, any kingdom had the value of becoming an ally.
Click.
The door opened slowly. Then, a young girl jumped lightly out of the carriage.
The first thing people saw was her pure golden hair. It was like shards of the sun. It was pure without any impurities. It draped over her back and shoulders.
The girl looked up. She had a very delicate and soft face. Her long light-colored eyelashes covered her slightly lowered eyes. Her dark purple eyes were clear and deep.
Her dress was outlined with gold and white lines. It was simple yet magnificent. One sleeve was wide and the other was narrow. The asymmetrical design looked very stylish. Her white shawl had patterns embroidered with gold thread.
The black lining of her dress was filled out by her full chest. There were no wrinkles at all.
A light blue belt wrapped around her thin waist. Her round, long, and incredibly straight legs were wrapped in over-the-knee socks.
'Wow, she is beautiful.'
Even Faust, who was used to seeing beauties, was stunned. He stared at the girl who looked like a painting. He could not look away for a long time.
As for the others at the party, they began to whisper to each other.
"Who is she?"
"What a beautiful person..."
"Does our Qingxi have someone like this?"
"Is she a foreign Princess?"
"..."
The girl who suddenly appeared took away all the attention. At the center of everyone's gaze, the girl pressed her lips together. She pressed her hands together in front of her chest.
Her violet eyes blinked. She seemed to be waiting for something.
No one went to talk to her. Everyone knew that any beautiful girl attending this party in her best clothes had only one goal.
That was to get the favor of the Prince.
The protagonist of the ball was currently staring blankly at that beautiful figure.
He wanted to hear her voice. He wanted to look at her face. He wanted to touch her skin. From the first moment he saw the mysterious girl, a strong desire surged in the chest of the Prince.
His past knowledge seemed to be burned away by a hot fire. Only an incomparable passion remained.
"Faust... you..."
Youshewude noticed the heavy breathing of her brother. Her beautiful eyebrows wrinkled slightly.
"Sister, I really like this one."
Faust pressed his hand against his chest and smiled. He then walked quickly to the front of the mysterious girl.
As he looked closer, he found that her beauty was even more amazing than he thought. Her face was tilted up slightly. The moonlight flowed over her nose. She was like a poem.
However... the Prince felt this face was familiar. It was as if he had seen her somewhere before.
But Faust could not remember where he had seen her.
'Forget it... perhaps beautiful things are always similar.'
"Your Highness?"
While Faust was in a daze, the mysterious girl tilted her head. She called out to him softly.
The Prince snapped out of his thoughts. He showed a perfect smile.
"I am sorry. Your beauty is truly distracting. May I have the honor of dancing with you?"
He was born with a handsome face that could make women dream. This was not a boast. The image of Faust was the perfect definition of a Prince Charming.
"It would be my pleasure."
The golden-haired girl opened her eyes wide after hearing the invitation. She showed a shy and happy smile. She placed her hand in the palm of the man.
Under the jealous eyes of the other women, the two of them held each other closely and began to dance on the floor.
"How should I address you?"
Faust smelled the scent of her golden hair and asked for the name of the mysterious girl.
"Hmm..."
However, she just smiled and shook her head. She did not speak.
'Does she not want to say her name? Is there a secret, or is her identity sensitive?'
Faust continued to test her.
"Did you just arrive in Qingxi recently?"
To the surprise of the Prince, the girl shook her head.
"I am a person of Qingxi."
"Oh?"
Faust shook his head and smiled. "I have never seen you in the capital. How could a girl as beautiful as you be unknown?"
"That is not true. You are exaggerating!"
The mysterious girl was happy to hear the praise. She bit her lower lip and explained softly.
"I was never allowed to go out before. Today... today is the first time. I sneaked out. I came to see you, Your Highness."
The girl raised her white chin. Her purple eyes shone brightly. Anyone could see the love she felt for him.
Although it was normal for people to fall in love with Faust at first sight, the intuition of the Prince told him it was not that simple. This mysterious girl was likely not such a shallow person.