Several hours later, a carriage bearing the Douglas crest came to a stop before the Carter residence.
The garden lanterns illuminated the stone pathways and white marble columns, while the fragrance of blooming night flowers drifted through the air.
The front door slowly opened.
Emily appeared in the doorway.
She wore a delicate ivory dress adorned with subtle lace that shimmered beneath the lantern light. Her chestnut hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and although traces of the past few days' tears still lingered in her eyes, she had regained part of the quiet composure that defined her.
Lusian stepped down from the carriage.
For a brief moment, he stood still.
"Hello, Emily."
She lowered her gaze slightly, absently fidgeting with the fingers of her gloves.
"...Does this dress look strange on me?"
Lusian smiled.
"No."
He looked at her for a few seconds before adding,
"You look beautiful."
A faint blush spread across Emily's cheeks.
"Thank you..."
A brief silence followed.
"How have you been these past few days?" Lusian asked.
Emily's smile faded slightly.
"Better... I think. I still miss Manuel so much, but... I don't think he'd want me to spend the rest of my life crying."
Lusian nodded quietly.
"I'm sure he'd be proud to see you moving forward."
Emily took a deep breath before offering him a small smile.
"Thank you for coming to pick me up."
Lusian extended his hand.
She accepted it without hesitation.
The two climbed into the carriage, which slowly made its way toward the royal palace.
During the journey, they barely spoke.
It wasn't an uncomfortable silence.
It was the silence of two people who no longer felt the need to fill every moment with words.
The palace's grand ballroom shimmered beneath hundreds of crystal chandeliers.
The orchestra's music blended with the murmur of dozens of conversations as nobles from across the kingdom exchanged greetings, smiles, and carefully crafted pleasantries.
When Lusian and Emily stepped through the ballroom doors, countless eyes turned toward them.
Some watched the Douglas heir with curiosity.
Others looked at Emily, wondering how she had found the strength to attend a banquet only days after her brother's death.
And more than a few regarded the couple with open envy.
Clarisse Stanley was the first to approach.
The moment Emily saw her, she smiled sincerely for the first time that evening.
The two young women embraced in silence.
No words were necessary.
Afterward, Clarisse greeted Lusian with a respectful bow.
"Lord Lusian."
"Lady Stanley."
The three of them walked toward a small group of young nobles chatting near the tall windows, while throughout the ballroom more than one pair of eyes began following their every move.
From the opposite side of the hall, Lusian spotted Elizabeth.
She wore an elegant sky-blue gown that shimmered beneath the chandeliers.
She was speaking naturally with a man whose imposing presence immediately stood out.
Marcus Valentine.
The Jackal.
Lusian recognized him instantly.
In the game, that man had commanded the Twelfth Legion during the invasion of the kingdom—a ruthless strategist and one of the Ferrussi Empire's most dangerous generals.
For a brief instant, their gazes met.
Marcus glanced at him only briefly before resuming his conversation, but that single moment was enough for both men to silently evaluate one another.
Lusian looked away.
This wasn't the time.
Not far away, Prince Leopoldo made another attempt.
He bowed gracefully before Isabella Armett and extended his hand.
"Lady Isabella, would you honor me with this dance?"
It was the third time he had asked.
Isabella didn't even look at his outstretched hand.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness, but I have no desire to dance tonight."
The prince kept smiling.
Though now it looked forced.
Around them, several nobles pretended not to have witnessed the rejection.
Leopoldo slowly lowered his hand.
Then he noticed something.
Isabella was no longer paying attention to him.
Instead, her eyes discreetly followed a young man who had just entered with a beautiful young woman.
Leopoldo studied the stranger.
Black hair.
Douglas ducal dress uniform.
Calm bearing.
The surrounding nobles clearly recognized him.
"Who is that young man?" he quietly asked one of the nearby nobles.
"The heir of House Douglas, Lusian Douglas The Mondring, Your Highness."
The prince's eyes gleamed with interest.
The Douglas heir?
He recalled his sister's words.
The most powerful family in the kingdom.
He looked back at Isabella.
She was still discreetly watching Lusian.
A faint smile curved the prince's lips.
"Interesting..."
If that young man had caught the attention of such a proud lady...
Perhaps he was worth meeting.
After all...
There was no better way to remind everyone of the Empire's superiority than by overshadowing the heir of the kingdom's most influential house.
He calmly adjusted the collar of his uniform and walked toward him.
Amid the luxurious atmosphere, fragrant with flowers and heavy with tension, Prince Leopoldo Ferrussi Fabrini approached the group where Lusian, Emily, and Clarisse were talking.
His smile was flawless.
But his eyes examined Emily as though she already belonged to him.
He bowed elegantly.
"My lady, it would be an honor if you granted me this dance."
Emily offered a graceful curtsy.
"Thank you for the invitation, Your Highness, but I must decline."
"May I ask why?"
Emily hesitated for a moment.
Then she gently took Lusian's arm.
"I came here with my fiancé."
The gesture caused several nearby conversations to fall silent.
Leopoldo slowly turned toward Lusian.
He looked him over from head to toe.
"So you're the young Douglas."
Lusian bowed politely.
"Lusian Douglas The Mondring."
"Interesting."
The prince smiled.
"I didn't expect such a distinguished lady to prefer a provincial noble over a prince of the Empire."
Emily frowned slightly.
"Your Highness..."
But Lusian spoke first.
"The heart doesn't care about titles."
Leopoldo let out a quiet laugh.
"That's because you're still young."
"In the Empire, we're taught that rank always comes before feelings."
Lusian met his gaze.
"Perhaps that's the difference between our countries."
"Here, no one is forced to choose out of obligation."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Leopoldo stepped closer.
"Do you know who you're speaking to?"
"I do."
"Then you should show an Imperial Prince the respect he deserves."
Lusian smiled calmly.
"And you should remember that you're in the Kingdom of Carpathia."
"Here, your title earns you the respect due to a guest."
"Nothing more."
Whispers spread through the ballroom.
Leopoldo's expression hardened.
Never before had a foreign noble answered him that way.
"Boy..."
"You have no idea what happens to those who challenge the Ferrussi Empire."
"I do."
Lusian didn't move an inch.
"But I also know what happens to those who insult the nobles of the kingdom that welcomes them into its own home."
The ballroom fell almost completely silent.
Then a young woman suddenly pushed her way between them.
"Move!"
Without much ceremony, she shoved the prince aside and planted herself in front of Lusian.
"Brat! So, you're finally recovered?"
Lusian stared at her for a moment.
Then he couldn't help smiling.
"Kara..."
"I never thought a dress existed that could convince you to attend a banquet."
Kara looked down at her dress and clicked her tongue.
"Don't even mention it. My mother made me wear it."
Clarisse chuckled softly.
Emily smiled as well for the first time since the conversation had begun.
"What are you doing here?" Lusian asked.
"Looking for you."
"Tomorrow."
"At the Amphitheater of the God Dynamus."
"We're finally having our match."
"Impossible."
"I'm leaving tomorrow for the Cymopelia Forest expedition."
Kara's eyes widened.
"What?"
"They're letting you go, but not me?"
"That's completely unfair!"
While the two argued as naturally as ever, Leopoldo stood frozen.
No one...
Absolutely no one...
Seemed to remember he was still standing there.
A vein bulged on his forehead.
"Are you all going to keep ignoring me?"
At that moment, Andrew arrived.
His voice was firm but composed.
"That's enough."
Everyone turned toward the Crown Prince.
Andrew looked first at Leopoldo.
"Your Highness, I apologize for the misunderstanding."
Then he turned to Lusian.
"And you... try to watch your words."
"We don't need a diplomatic incident tonight."
Lusian gave a slight bow.
"As long as our guests remember where they are, there won't be any problems."
Andrew let out a quiet sigh.
He knew both of them far too well.
If he left them alone...
This argument would turn into a disaster.
He turned toward Leopoldo.
"Your Highness, allow me to show you the rest of the ballroom."
The Imperial Prince looked at Lusian for a few more seconds.
Then he smiled.
But it was no longer a courteous smile.
It was the smile of someone who had just found an enemy.
"With pleasure."
Andrew led him toward the opposite end of the ballroom.
As they walked away, Marcus Valentine cast one last glance at Lusian.
He had not intervened once.
He had simply observed.
The royal concubine, Alessia Ferrussi, had a duty she secretly despised: restraining the impulses of her younger brother, Prince Leopoldo.
Their father, the Emperor, had entrusted her with that responsibility as coldly as one hands over a weapon before a war.
She was to keep the most arrogant and impulsive son of House Ferrussi under control.
But Leopoldo was impossible to tame.
He considered himself superior to everyone—even to his own fate.
One moment of carelessness had been enough for his pride to escape the bounds of protocol and provoke one of the most dangerous people in the kingdom.
In the throne room, Grand Duchess Sofía Douglas The Mondring stood like a statue carved from ice.
"I appreciate your apology on your brother's behalf," she said calmly, addressing Alessia, "but he would do well to learn our customs as soon as possible. Otherwise... no one will be able to guarantee his safety."
Alessia lowered her head.
"I understand, Your Grace. I will personally make sure he learns this kingdom's etiquette."
Sofía gave a slight nod before leaving without another word.
Only after Larryet's massive figure disappeared beyond the doors did the room become breathable again.
Meanwhile, Andrew escorted Leopoldo onto one of the palace balconies.
"I advise you to leave Lusian Douglas alone," he said calmly.
"It's not worth it."
Leopoldo laughed dismissively.
"And why should I?"
"In the Empire, an insolent fool like him would have been executed for speaking to a prince that way."
Andrew rested his arms on the stone railing.
"Perhaps."
"But things work differently here."
Leopoldo frowned.
"And how exactly is that different?"
Andrew looked at him for several seconds before answering.
"In every way."
He paused briefly.
"The Grand Duchess isn't powerful because of her title."
"She's the kingdom's Supreme Beast Tamer."
"She commands three Magical Beasts capable of wiping out an army."
"Even our own generals prefer not to face her."
For the first time, confidence began to crack within Leopoldo.
Andrew offered a faint smile.
"And you just threatened the one person for whom she'd throw all that composure away."
The prince stood motionless.
"If you had tried to lay a hand on her son a few minutes ago, that lion would've killed you before anyone could intervene."
Silence settled over the balcony.
That night, Lusian retired to the chambers assigned to the Douglas family.
Once he was certain no one was watching, he slipped through the hidden passage concealed behind the marble wall.
On the other side, the soft glow of candlelight bathed the room in warmth.
Elizabeth was already waiting for him.
She wore a simple dark-blue dress, far more modest than the one she'd worn to the banquet, and her golden hair flowed freely over her shoulders.
The moment she saw him, her face lit up with a smile.
"It was amusing watching you toy with that fool," she said with a laugh.
"I never imagined anyone would dare treat an Imperial Prince like that."
Lusian closed the hidden door before walking toward her.
"I didn't find it amusing watching him approach you."
Elizabeth tilted her head slightly.
"Are you jealous?"
Lusian didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
Her smile faded.
He took another step closer.
"Very."
Elizabeth felt her heartbeat quicken.
"Then..."
"Now you know how I felt when I saw you arrive at the banquet with Emily."
Lusian smiled sheepishly.
"I suppose I deserved that."
"You absolutely did."
Elizabeth crossed her arms with feigned annoyance, though she couldn't hold back her laughter.
Lusian laughed as well.
The tension from the banquet slowly melted away.
Without realizing it, they had closed the distance until they stood face to face.
Elizabeth looked up at him.
"We shouldn't be here."
"If we're discovered..."
"I know."
"My mother will kill us."
A small smile appeared on Lusian's lips.
"Probably."
She let out a nervous laugh.
"Then... why do you keep getting closer?"
Lusian gently brushed a loose strand of golden hair away from her face.
"I..."
"I simply can't help it."
Elizabeth felt a knot tighten in her chest.
She slowly closed her eyes.
She didn't step away.
She merely whispered,
"You're an idiot..."
"I know."
Lusian lowered his head slightly and kissed her with a tenderness that made the rest of the world disappear.
For a few precious moments, there was no Empire.
No demonic cult.
No war.
No burdens waiting for them.
There was only that stolen kiss.
Only the warmth they shared and the frantic beating of two hearts that, despite knowing the consequences, chose to forget them for just a little while.
When they finally pulled apart, Elizabeth rested her forehead against Lusian's chest and released a long sigh.
"We shouldn't be doing this..."
Lusian gently stroked her hair.
"I know."