It was the day of the ceremony.
I didn't know what was going to happen today. To be honest, I wasn't even sure what I was supposed to expect. The fairies had been preparing for this day for quite some time, and judging by the noise coming from beyond the palace walls, the entire kingdom seemed to have awakened with a strange kind of excitement. Laughter drifted through the corridors. Servants hurried from one place to another. Somewhere outside, music was already playing, and every now and then, I could hear distant cheers rising from the city like waves.
Apparently, today was a big deal.
For me, however, there was one thing that mattered more than the ceremony itself.
The clothes.
I stared at the two outfits laid out before me.
They had been given to me earlier and told me to choose whichever one I preferred for the ceremony. The first was a dark combination of black and deep blue. It looked exactly like something a high-ranking noble would wear, with a long coat and intricate patterns woven into the fabric. It was elegant. Expensive. Probably appropriate.
But it wasn't really my style.
The second outfit was completely different.
White.
Almost entirely white.
The moment I looked at it, I felt something I couldn't quite explain. The design was simpler than the other one, but there was something about it. The pale fabric seemed to catch even the smallest amount of light in the room, giving the outfit a strange presence.
I reached out and touched the sleeve.
"What should I wear for today's ceremony?"
I already knew the answer.
I picked up the white attire.
"I guess this one."
I had originally wanted to wear the black one. It looked cooler, and honestly, it made me feel like I belonged among the higher-ups.
But there was something about the white one that kept drawing my attention.
Maybe I simply wanted to try something different.
Or maybe...
I didn't know.
Either way, I put it on.
The ceremony would eventually lead to a royal banquet. Every important noble and influential figure in the fairy kingdom would be there, along with the royal family and several other distinguished guests. Outside the palace, meanwhile, an entirely different celebration would be taking place for ordinary civilians.
So, while the nobles enjoyed their elegant little gathering, the rest of the kingdom would be celebrating in the streets.
I couldn't imagine how crowded it would become.
Probably chaotic.
Probably loud.
Probably fun.
I stood in front of the mirror for a moment before turning away.
There was still someone I wanted to meet.
"Bell..."
I murmured her name quietly.
"I need to talk to her."
With that, I left my room.
The moment I stepped outside, I noticed someone standing farther down the corridor.
Alysa.
She seemed to have been waiting for me.
When she heard my footsteps, she turned around. She was wearing a long brown dress that reached almost to the floor. Its shade was similar to the color of her hair, though the lighter tones made her look somewhat different from usual.
I smiled.
"You look beautiful in that dress."
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
Then her eyes moved toward my clothes.
She paused.
"Huh?"
She looked me up and down.
"White?"
I nodded.
"It suits you, though. You looked handsome before, but now..."
She looked away for a moment.
"...a little more."
I raised an eyebrow.
"So you admit I looked handsome before?"
"That's not what I said."
"It sounded like it."
"You're imagining things."
I laughed.
"Maybe."
A moment later, another door opened.
Gray stepped out.
He was dressed in blue attire with a long white coat hanging over his shoulders. He looked more formal than usual, though judging by his expression, he looked like someone who had been sentenced to death rather than invited to a royal celebration.
He glanced at us.
"You came a little late."
Then he looked toward the windows.
Outside, the sounds of celebration had only grown louder.
"I was a little distracted by the voices of the fairies."
He sighed.
"But let's go to the room where I'm going to be bored to death."
The moment he said that, both Gray and Alysa's expressions changed.
Their shoulders dropped.
Their faces became miserable.
I looked at them.
"...Don't be like that."
I tried to encourage them.
"We're sure to have fun."
Both of them slowly turned toward me.
Then they glared.
Gray spoke first.
"Oh?"
His expression was almost pitying.
"I don't know about us, but you sure are going to have fun."
I raised an eyebrow.
"What does that mean?"
Neither answered.
They simply turned around and began walking.
Gray muttered something under his breath.
"He's not in our situation. Ignore him."
Alysa nodded in agreement.
"Huh?"
I stared at their backs.
"Guys, don't be like that."
They ignored me.
I followed them anyway.
We made our way through the palace corridors toward the banquet hall where the nobles had begun gathering. The closer we got, the louder the distant conversations became. There was a strange pressure in the air. Even without seeing anyone, I could already feel the difference between this part of the palace and the rest.
This wasn't a place where ordinary people came to relax.
Every person inside would have a name.
A title.
A family.
An influence.
And probably a dozen hidden motives.
When we finally reached the entrance, we stopped.
I looked at the enormous doors before us.
Gray stared at them as though they were the gates of hell.
Alysa sighed.
"I wish I could go outside the palace instead of going in there."
Gray immediately nodded.
"Same."
I looked between them.
"Come on. It'll be fun."
Neither seemed convinced.
I thought for a moment.
"For Gray, you'll get to see more beautiful fairy women."
Gray's expression immediately hardened.
"I'm not interested."
I blinked.
That was new.
I remembered how he used to behave when we first met. Back then, he wouldn't have needed a second invitation to attend a gathering full of beautiful women.
But now?
He looked genuinely uninterested.
I narrowed my eyes.
Could it be...?
Had he found someone?
A partner?
I almost asked.
Before I could, a voice came from behind us.
"Ohh, my, my."
The voice was amused.
"Isn't that the Creator himself?"
We hadn't heard his footsteps.
That alone made me turn around.
A tall man stood several steps behind us. His hands were folded behind his back, and his posture was relaxed. He carried himself with the confidence of someone who had never needed to announce his authority because everyone around him already knew it.
Dark blue hair framed a handsome face, and there was something distinctly gentlemanly about his appearance.
He looked at us with mild surprise before smiling.
"This is our first time meeting, right?"
He gave a small bow.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Royan Villiom."
His eyes swept across us.
"Captain of the Royal Knights."
I froze for half a second.
Royal Knights?
So this man was the strongest military authority in the fairy kingdom?
I looked at him more carefully.
He didn't seem intimidating.
That was probably the intimidating part.
Strong people rarely needed to prove that they were strong.
Royan smiled.
"It is a pleasure to meet such honorable guests. But..."
His gaze moved toward the banquet hall.
"Why are you three standing outside?"
Silence.
We looked at one another.
There wasn't really a good answer.
I cleared my throat.
"We were about to go in."
Of course.
"We were just..."
I searched for an excuse.
Alysa suddenly spoke.
"Gathering courage to enter."
I slowly turned toward her.
Why would you say that?
There went our reputation.
Royan stared at her for a moment.
Then he laughed softly.
"I didn't think Creators lacked confidence."
His smile became warmer.
"But you are quite young."
He turned toward the doors.
"Come. Let's enter together."
Gray and Alysa immediately agreed.
I sighed and followed them.
"Oh, by the way."
I looked toward him.
"I'm Zaraf."
Royan glanced at me.
"You don't need to introduce yourselves."
A strange smile appeared on his face.
"I already know your names."
He paused.
"And a little about you."
I stared at him.
A little?
I wondered just how little that actually meant.
Before I could ask, Royan placed a hand against the enormous door.
It opened.
An immense radiance spilled from the banquet hall.
For a moment, I was blinded.
The interior was dazzling.
Crystal chandeliers floated beneath the high ceiling, illuminating the enormous hall with warm, golden light. Polished floors reflected the glow. Elegant decorations covered the walls, while nobles dressed in elaborate garments stood in groups, talking quietly among themselves.
It was exactly the kind of place nobles would love.
Beautiful.
Expensive.
And full of people pretending not to watch one another.
As we entered, I immediately felt dozens of gazes fall upon us.
Some nobles whispered.
Some openly stared.
Others smiled politely.
I ignored most of them.
There was no reason to remember their faces.
Most of them probably weren't important enough.
My gaze moved across the hall.
Then I noticed her.
A young girl stood among several men and older nobles.
I couldn't see her face clearly from where I stood, but the way everyone around her behaved made her importance obvious.
She wasn't simply another noble.
People were giving her space.
Watching her.
Waiting for her attention.
I looked away and moved toward the area reserved for the royal guests.
The king hadn't arrived yet.
So we waited.
The three of us eventually settled near the side of the hall.
Gray looked bored already.
Alysa looked like she wanted to escape.
I simply looked around.
There wasn't anyone particularly interesting.
At least, not yet.
Then a young noble approached us.
He looked around our age.
He stopped in front of us and gave a sharp smirk.
"You aren't paying attention to the other nobles."
His eyes narrowed.
"Not worth remembering, I guess?"
He stepped closer.
"But heed my words."
His voice became strangely confident.
"Remember my face."
He pointed toward himself.
"Because I will be the reason you three are defeated."
I stared at him.
For a moment, I wasn't sure whether he was serious.
Look at the confidence on this guy.
Gray stepped forward.
I immediately raised one hand.
Stop.
Gray stopped.
I looked back at the noble.
"Then..."
I smiled.
"We'll see."
I walked past him.
There was no reason to waste more time.
My attention had already been captured by something else.
A drink.
I had noticed it the moment we entered. The fairies had prepared all kinds of strange food and beverages for the ceremony.
I guess I liked trying new things.
I picked up a glass.
Gray noticed.
He smiled.
"That's a good habit."
Then his smile became suspicious.
"But every habit has bad effects."
I looked at him.
"Huh?"
What did that mean?
I was about to take a sip when a voice suddenly echoed across the hall.
"Pay attention."
The conversations died down.
"The King and Princess have arrived!"
I lowered the glass.
The enormous doors opened again.
This time, the hall fell completely silent.
The king entered first.
And beside him...
Bell.
My eyes immediately found her.
She looked beautiful.
More beautiful than I remembered.
But there was something else.
Something I couldn't explain.
She looked like someone carrying a weight that nobody else could see.
A title.
An expectation.
A responsibility.
Something was binding her.
The entire hall bowed.
We did the same.
When Bell raised her head, her eyes immediately found mine.
For a moment, she simply stared.
Then she smiled.
A genuine smile.
I could tell.
It wasn't the polite smile she had probably given dozens of nobles tonight.
It was the same Bell I remembered.
I raised my hand slightly and waved.
She smiled a little more.
After the king took his place on the throne, Bell moved away from his side.
And started walking toward us.
Gray glanced at me with a smirk.
Alysa quietly said,
"Good luck."
I looked at both of them.
They're annoying.
Before Bell could reach us, however, someone stepped between us.
A man.
He greeted Bell.
She responded politely.
They exchanged a few words.
Something about their conversation felt strange.
Awkward.
I couldn't hear everything, but Bell didn't seem particularly comfortable.
Then she pointed toward us.
The man turned.
I recognized him.
Zeon.
Why him?
Why were they coming toward us together?
Bell finally reached us.
I bowed slightly.
Gray and Alysa followed.
"Nice to meet you three."
Her voice was calm.
Formal.
"How have you been during the past three days?"
I blinked.
So formal?
Was it because her brother was nearby?
Or because the entire hall was watching?
Before I could answer, Bell gestured toward the man beside her.
"I guess you have already met him."
She paused.
Then she smiled faintly.
"But let me introduce him properly."
Her eyes moved toward him.
"He is Zeon."
She took a small breath.
"My fiancé."
...
The world stopped.
At least, it felt like it had.
I stared at her.
My brain refused to process the sentence.
Fiancé?
I looked at Zeon.
Then Bell.
Then Zeon again.
"...What?"
My voice came out quieter than I expected.
Bell froze.
For the first time since approaching us, her expression changed.
It looked like she had just remembered something important.
Something she had forgotten to tell me.
She lowered her gaze.
"He is..."
Her voice became softer.
"My fiancé."
She hesitated.
Fiancé.
So I hadn't heard her incorrectly.
I didn't remember Bell ever telling me about this.
Not once.
Yet here I was.
Standing in the middle of a royal banquet.
With her fiancé standing right beside her.
I had a question.
A very important one.
But this wasn't the place to ask it.
Not with hundreds of eyes watching.
So I forced a smile.
"Ha... ha."
I laughed awkwardly.
"Nice."
Silence.
"So..."
Nothing.
Gray didn't speak.
Alysa didn't speak.
Bell didn't speak.
Even Zeon remained quiet.
The silence became so uncomfortable that I started wondering whether I could simply disappear.
Then a young woman approached us.
She had apparently been watching the situation.
She leaned toward me.
Very close.
"I guess you're Zaraf?"
I instinctively leaned backward.
"Huh?"
I looked at her.
"Who are you, lady?"
She smiled.
It was a beautiful smile.
But there was something strange about it.
Bell immediately spoke.
"Stop teasing them, sis."
The woman straightened.
Bell moved beside her.
"She is my uncle's daughter."
Bell introduced her.
"Her name is Nashira Veshtaria."
I stared at her.
Wait.
The name struck something in my memory.
The second princess.
The one those lunatics had talked about.
Nashira?
I looked at her again.
She didn't look like the kind of person they had described.
At least, not at first glance.
She was beautiful, elegant, and perfectly composed.
But then I noticed her eyes.
She was looking directly at me.
Still smiling.
Yet the smile didn't reach her eyes.
It was empty.
A smile meant for nobles.
A smile meant for ceremonies.
A smile meant for people she had no reason to care about.
Interesting.
Then she spoke.
"You must be Alysa, Gray, and Zaraf, right?"
I paused.
I recognized that tone.
Formal.
Carefully chosen.
Almost as if we had never met.
But she was the one who had registered our names for the tournament.
I bowed slightly.
"It's nice to meet you, Second Princess."
I looked at her.
"I am almost lost for words after seeing your beauty."
I added a little more emphasis than necessary.
Maybe too much.
Bell narrowed her eyes.
I noticed.
Yeah.
That was for hiding the fiancé from me.
My revenge.
Nashira's eyes widened slightly.
Then her smile became a little more genuine.
"Oh?"
Her voice carried amusement.
"Quite the sweet boy you are."
I glanced toward Gray.
He was already looking at me.
He leaned closer and whispered,
"Don't play both sides, bro."
I frowned.
"Both sides?"
What was he talking about?
Before I could argue, the entire hall became quiet again.
The king had raised his glass.
Every noble turned toward him.
I lifted mine as well.
But my eyes remained on the drink.
The drink I had been trying to taste since entering the hall.
The king began speaking.
Everyone listened.
Everyone except me.
I stared at the liquid inside my glass.
For some reason...
I had a strange feeling about it.
And I couldn't explain why.
Still, I raised it toward my lips.
Just one sip.
That was all I wanted.
After everything else that had happened tonight, surely one simple drink couldn't cause any trouble.
Right?