The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

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Chapter 68: Banquet of Blood (1)

The Great Chamber, third floor, western end room.

Arin couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the mirror, her face filled with nervous tension.

Her silver hair was neatly swept down, her skin powdered evenly to a snowy white, and her lips enhanced with lily petals to bring out their natural color.

It was evident that she had put extra effort into her appearance, different from usual, especially at such a young age of thirteen, a time of significant physical development and emerging interest in beauty.

Despite the annual banquets, she had never paid such attention to her makeup before.

It was as if she were trying hard to impress someone.

“How do I look, Ressimus? Do I look okay?”

“You look beautiful, Your Highness! You’re the most beautiful princess I’ve ever seen. You can stop now!”

“No, I want to look a little more!”

If she was going to keep looking, why did she even ask the question in the first place?

Several hours had passed with the same situation repeating, causing sighs of pity from Arin’s attendants, including Ressimus.

Naturally, this was the Imperial Palace where the imperial family resided.

Despite that, why was Ressimus by her side? It was simple.

It was because Arin, the princess, wanted it. Their relationship was strictly one of master and servant.

As long as Arin wished it, she could take Ressimus anywhere.

Initially, due to her commoner status, there were many within the palace who opposed her presence.

However, no father ever refused his youngest daughter’s earnest request.

With the emperor’s direct recognition and permission of their relationship, Ressimus had been able to continue living in the palace with the princess.

“It can become harmful if it’s too much, you know? Given sir Cyan’s temperament, he may not appreciate such extravagance.”

Arin princess exclaimed in surprise, “W-What are you saying! I’m not dressing up to impress Cyan!”

“You should come up with a better excuse, Your Highness! Especially after sending the invitation yourself.”

“N-No, I mean, well… It’s just that… I didn’t expect him to really come!”

Her face was already flushed with embarrassment, resembling that of a girl experiencing her first love.

“I just thought it was a pity that Cyan was staying at the academy even during the break… I wondered if he would ever experience such an event, that’s all…”

The excuse sounded good, but Ressimus didn’t buy it.

She had noticed Arin’s feelings for Cyan long ago.

Seeing the princess fidgeting like this alone was pitiful.

*Knock knock*

The sound of a knock came from the door. It was likely the guards in the corridor.

However, Arin continued to ignore them, focusing only on the mirror.

A maid approached the door to check.

“Princess Arin. Someone has come from Prince Louisnel!”

“Hmm?”

Her head snapped around for a moment.

She blinked her startled eyes, as if she thought she had misheard.

“Fr-From Prince Louisnel?”

“Yes! It seems to be one of the prince’s attendants. What shall we do?”

It was a strange and unfamiliar situation that had never occurred before.

The First Prince, who usually never paid attention, suddenly sending someone was unexpected.

Arin’s eyes were wide with surprise.

“P-Please let them in…!”

As she couldn’t simply dismiss the prince’s attendant, she decided to let them in for now.

The attendant, upon entering the room and seeing Arin, smiled brightly and spoke.

“Goodness, Princess Arin! You are so beautiful! It’s like seeing a young goddess!”

Anyone with a sense could tell it was flattery, and Arin was no exception.

“Uh, yeah. Thanks for the compliment… But what’s the matter?”

“I’ve come to deliver this!”

The attendant handed a small jewelry box to Arin on the table where she sat.

“Prince Louisnel wanted me to give this to you! He thinks it will suit you well, Princess Arin!”

“Prince Louisnel sent a gift?”

“Yes! Why don’t you open it first?”

Arin cautiously opened the golden jewelry box.

As everyone saw the gift inside, they couldn’t help but marvel.

“Wow…”

It was a magnificent pendant adorned with small jewels intricately arranged.

A central gem, whether ruby or garnet, in a vivid red color, captured everyone’s attention.

“It’s so beautiful… Can I really accept this?”

“Of course! It seems like the jewels have found their owner. Why don’t you try wearing it?”

Arin followed her suggestion and put on the pendant.

“How does it look?”

Everyone in the room showered her with praise.

“It suits you perfectly, Your Highness! Surely sir Cyan will admire it too!”

“I guess so! But wait a minute! I’m not trying to impress Cyan!”

Arin’s face flushed red once again.

The pendant she wore also glimmered with a red light.

* * *

Inside the Grand Hall, the largest space within the palace, numerous nobles gathered under the dozens of chandeliers to enjoy the banquet.

I decided to assess the people inside the hall first.

There were about 60 attendees in total.

The guard knights protecting them were about double that, around 120.

Including the attendants and other staff, there were around 300 people present.

Among them, around 10 members of Mist, including myself, had infiltrated.

The rest would be waiting around the palace.

I anticipated it, but it was still a difficult place to adapt to.

The pretenses of each individual were stretched to their limit, with forced smiles and hidden agendas.

It was an incredible art of concealment, comparable to Mist’s secrecy techniques.

[You seem quite busy. Is there someone you’re looking for?]

“I’m not looking for anyone in particular; there are just many people I need to observe.”

[Are you bothered by what that doll said?]

If I’m not bothered, then it’s a lie.

I don’t think Kellen intentionally lied to me.

Luna Rainriver’s assassination.

Trying to eliminate her amidst so many people watching?

Is the First Prince already preparing for war with the Garam Kingdom?

This is definitely something unprecedented.

Was it attempted and failed before, or is it a new attempt in this life due to changes in the situation?

There are still many questions.

I should probably confirm a little more…

“You shouldn’t have such a grim expression at the banquet.”

At the familiar voice behind me, I immediately turned my head.

Flowing crimson waves of hair.

She was adorned in a fit crimson silk dress, accentuating her slender waist and ample bosom, portraying an alluring maturity that was quite evident.

“The dress suits you well, Instructor Silica,” I complimented her with a smile.

“You seem quite ominous. Handle your gaze carefully. Otherwise, you’ll be misunderstood,” she remarked skillfully, swirling the wine glass in her hand and savoring its taste naturally.

[Ha…!]

Kaeram let out a hollow laugh, seemingly uncomfortable with her presence.

The leader, however, smiled as if to show off Kaeram’s discomfort.

Silica Nigriti.

She was both an academic instructor at the Royal Academy and the head of Mist.

However, she held another title that had yet to be revealed – she was the daughter of the Nigriti Viscount, a renowned scholarly lineage within the empire.

While being part of the aristocracy, most of its members were dedicated scholars, recognized as prestigious knowledge holders across the continent.

Essentially, she was a noblewoman but had chosen to attend the gathering under the guise of a guest like me.

In essence, she was the most comfortable person in this gathering for me.

However, there was no time for idle chatter, like other nobles.

Turning my gaze away, I whispered quietly to her.

“Time is short, so I’ll get straight to the point.”

“…?”

‘This purification operation, I need it delayed a little.’

‘Why?’

Though the telepathy was somewhat abrupt, the leader responded without hesitation.

‘The First Prince’s side is attempting to assassinate Luna Rainriver.’

“…!?”

Her pupils trembled ever so slightly.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Probability-wise, it’s fifty-fifty. I also have no definitive evidence yet, so I want to investigate further. Until then, please delay the purification operation.’

The leader responded without a moment’s hesitation.

‘Alright. But I can’t delay it too much. You have only one hour from now. If you don’t provide an answer by then, it’ll be troublesome. Can you manage?’

‘That’s enough.’

‘Don’t push yourself too hard, Cyan. If you’re really uneasy, we can postpone the purification operation altogether.’

‘We can’t afford that. Even for your sake, shouldn’t Drenian be eliminated today?’

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘The engagement ceremony with Drenian Nepelis is coming up soon, isn’t it?”

Her forehead noticeably creased with surprise.

“Where did you hear that?”

“Shouldn’t a disciple know their mentor’s future?”

I shrugged with a nonchalant smile.

“Then, I’ll see you in a little while, Instructor Silica.”

As I hastened to leave the spot, I could feel the fiery gaze of the leader.

I’ll probably hear about this later.

Well, that’s a problem for later; I’ll deal with it later.

As I left the hall and headed towards the corridor, Brian greeted me.

“Where’s Nana?”

“She’s in the guest room. She promised not to leave, so she should be fine.”

I hope she keeps her word.

“What did you see?”

“There was nothing suspicious. Apart from the hall where I was waiting, I didn’t detect any unusual movement or life.”

With so many eyes here, they wouldn’t go around declaring, “I’m going to kill someone,” right?

“To be honest, I still can’t believe it. An attempted assassination within the royal family… we saw her yesterday….”

“Lower your voice. Many ears are listening.”

Brian quickly covered my mouth.

“For now, I’ll look around. If something happens, send a signal immediately. Try to keep it subtle.”

“Yes. Underst…”

-Step by step

From around the corner of the corridor, I heard unfamiliar footsteps.

At that, Brian and I immediately ceased our conversation.

Light but solid footsteps.

They didn’t seem aristocratic but rather like a maid hurrying along.

We waited quietly for the owner of the footsteps to pass by.

“……!”

As soon as she saw the guardian knight accompanying the well-dressed noble, the maid quickly bowed her head without even looking at our faces.

Judging by her attire not being that of a palace maid, she seemed to be someone’s personal maid.

As we silently waited for her to pass, the maid suddenly took a step back, halting in front of us once again.

For about two seconds, we stared directly into each other’s eyes, as if drawn by a familiar aura.

Then, almost as if we had silently agreed, we blinked simultaneously.

“You… M-Master?”

It felt like my already complex thoughts were getting even more tangled.

Why is she here in the palace, of all places?

My only personal maid, with the same brazen gaze as two years ago.

It was Emily.

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