Weeping Men: The Innocent Princess's Secret Delight - Chapter 2.1
Time flew by quickly, and it was the day of the banquet. A splendid banquet, no less magnificent than the imperial one, was held at the ducal townhouse.
The arriving guests could not close their mouths, gaping at the grandeur of the banquet hall.
While imperial banquets overwhelmed attendees with their splendor, the ducal banquet impressed people with the magnificently constructed building.
Even when tilting one’s head back, the ceiling was dizzyingly high, and through the crystal glass windows near the ceiling, the sunset light permeated entirely.
The clean walls, devoid of any decoration, shimmered softly in shades of crimson and yellow as they caught the sunset light.
Sunlight also shone on the statue of the first Duke placed on the landing, making him appear like a divine messenger descending from heaven with a halo.
The flowing music was solemn, and the wine served had been aged for over 100 years, exuding a deep aroma.
With no hostess, little was known about the style of banquets hosted by the ducal family. The nobles who had dressed up expecting it to be as lavish as the imperial banquets found themselves in an awkward situation.
It was a time when ladies were trying to cover their exposed skin with shawls.
“Look, there’s an imperial carriage outside!”
“It seems the Princess has arrived.”
At someone’s exclamation, many gazes turned towards the window.
Especially the eyes of young ladies around the Princess’s age, who had failed to grasp the dress code, were tinged with base expectations.
‘Someone who must have dressed much more extravagantly than us has arrived!’
It was the expectation of being able to blend in with someone even more excessive than themselves. Judith’s extravagance was that famous.
The golden carriage stopped in front of the main entrance. And from it, the Princess stepped out one foot at a time.
“……Haa.”
The young ladies’ expectations didn’t last even a few minutes. They let out sighs disguised as exclamations.
The Princess’s attire perfectly matched the banquet hall. A classic dress that achieved allure without exposure by wrapping the neck area with sheer silk, her light pink hair was tied up, and her only accessories were a tiara and large diamond earrings.
Despite the modest attire, she didn’t look shabby, thanks to her beauty, unrivaled in the empire.
‘You should have anticipated the atmosphere of the banquet hall.’
Judith inwardly admonished, seeing the young ladies in flashy dresses visible from the garden.
Meanwhile, a welcoming ceremony began to commemorate the arrival of the imperial person.
Clang!
The knights, lined up in two rows facing each other, simultaneously extended their arms to form an arch with their spears. Though dozens moved, it was as if a single person had moved, without even a hint of error.
Scattered exclamations erupted among the nobles who witnessed this sight.
‘The discipline is properly maintained.’
With this light assessment, Judith gracefully walked through the knights.
At the end of the path, in front of the main gate, stood a black-haired man. His silhouette was similar to Kaizen’s.
Although it wasn’t certain if it was Kaizen, just seeing a figure resembling him made her smile.
Though she didn’t want to part from him even for a moment, to maintain the image of a Princess who trusts family bonds and considerately cares for people, she had given Kaizen a day off the previous day. Under the pretext that it would be good to go ahead and help with preparations for the family event.
Because of this, Judith was experiencing Kaizen withdrawal symptoms. It was natural, as she hadn’t seen him for a whole day already.
She approached slowly. The man extended his hand to the Princess who had arrived at the main gate.
“Welcome, Your Highness. I am Froyzen Pentmian, the young duke of Pentmian.”
What? It wasn’t Kaizen.
“Thank you for inviting me, young duke.”
The excited emotions instantly subsided. Judith, barely maintaining her courtesy, smiled prettily and accepted his escort.
The young duke and Kaizen resembled each other so much that even strangers could tell they were brothers.
Black hair, dark eyes, and a neat face that looked cold.
The only difference was the atmosphere they exuded. The young duke always wore a smile, giving a gentle impression despite the cold features that seemed to run in the family.
In the past, he might have been a handsome man she’d have drooled over, wanting to make him cry at least once,
‘Where is Kaizen?’
But Judith, having already met her destined one, felt no excitement towards the young duke. She entered the banquet hall holding the young duke’s hand. As soon as the doors opened, she scanned the interior for Kaizen.
Their eyes met as soon as she found him. It seemed he had been watching Judith too.
Seeing the situation Kaizen was in, Judith almost frowned.
‘Why is he like that?’
Wasn’t the purpose of this banquet to celebrate the victory in the Northern War? Kaizen, who brought about the victory, should be the protagonist of this party.
Yet he was acting like a wallflower, while only the Duke was busily moving about. The Duke wasn’t taking care of his second son at all.
‘Tsk.’
Judith clicked her tongue inwardly.
‘It’s well-known that the Duke favors the eldest son, but this time it’s a bit too blatant.’
The fact that the victory banquet was only being held now clearly revealed Kaizen’s standing within the ducal family.
There had been much talk about how they didn’t even hold a welcome banquet when their son returned from the battlefield after three years, questioning if they no longer even acknowledged him as a child of the ducal family.
It wasn’t bad for the imperial family, as they could skim off some of the rewards meant for Kaizen and turn a blind eye to the ducal family’s share.
But seeing the first draft of the reparations agreement, the ducal family couldn’t just stand by anymore.
‘They’re quickly trying to take credit, afraid they might lose all the reparations to the imperial family if they keep standing back.’
It’s not surprising that nobles move according to their interests.
‘How annoying.’
Even knowing this, it wasn’t particularly pleasant. Clearly, it’s because Kaizen was the one being mistreated.
“Your Highness. Thank you for accepting our invitation. I hope this banquet will be one that serves you without any shortcomings.”
While Judith was thinking about Kaizen, the Duke came out to greet her.
Judith changed her smile to one of polite respect and accepted the greeting.
“I should be the one thanking you for the invitation, Your Grace. Your mansion is truly magnificent.”
“You flatter me.”
As they exchanged courtesies, the young duke who had escorted Judith also stepped forward. The Duke proudly presented him.
“This is my son, Froyzen Pentmian. He’s currently managing several businesses in preparation to inherit the title of Duke after me.”
“It was an honor to escort Your Highness, even if only briefly.”
Judith rolled her tongue inside her mouth.
‘Hmm.’
The young duke who came out to the door to escort the Princess, who came without a partner due to the Crown Prince’s absence. And now, he’s formally greeting her with his parents in the center of the banquet hall where all eyes are focused.
‘It seems the Duke is aiming for an imperial in-law position.’
The intention was obvious.
Judith, pretending not to notice, gracefully accepted the greeting.
“I believe this is the first time we’re formally greeting each other. I look forward to our acquaintance. I’m Judith, bearing the name of Charlrose.”
The young Duke of Pentmian is certainly the empire’s top bachelor. There would surely be benefits in treating him favorably and spreading subtle rumors about him being designated as a potential imperial son-in-law.
“But am I not able to greet Lord Kaizen Pentmian?”
However, that would mean her marriage prospects would be decided too early. It’s not like she can only marry someone from the empire.
