I calmed my startled heart and stood once again in front of the grand entrance to the banquet hall.
Of all the many people here, I never expected to run into those two — that father and daughter.
One of the maids chuckled and spoke to me again.
“Are you ready this time?”
“Yes. I apologize.”
“…Apologize?”
Ah.
Oh no.
It seems I’ve grown so used to lowering myself in front of others that I ended up speaking politely even to a maid.
Today really doesn’t seem to be my day.
“I am Ruan Serkatia. I will enter now.”
“W-What?”
“Excuse me?”
The two maids, who had just been laughing so cheerfully, suddenly froze.
Their expressions stiffened — no, more than that, they were utterly terrified.
As expected.
My heart feels even heavier than I thought it would.
Just hearing my name got that kind of reaction.
I don’t have the courage to meet the eyes of the people waiting beyond this door.
‘Let’s just grit my teeth and take the blows…’
The two maids, fidgeting anxiously with their heads lowered, pushed open the grand door with trembling hands.
“Y-Young Master of House Serkatia… L-L-Ruan…! Ruan Serkatia is entering!”
The royal palace’s grand banquet hall, which had been filled with lively chatter and noise, fell into absolute silence.
At the sound of my name, every single person inside stopped speaking — and all their eyes turned to me.
Slowly, step by step, I walked forward.
Someone murmured in a small voice.
“The greatest disgrace of Velodenit…”
That whisper was the spark — and soon, whispers and harsh words about me spread from every corner of the hall.
“So it’s true he’s been released….”
“He never even showed his face until now.”
“Of course not. What nerve would he have to sit among us?”
“He probably only showed up because attendance at the Imperial New Year’s social gathering is mandatory.”
“But what’s the point if he can’t even use divine power?”
This grand banquet features a very special event — the Celestial Measurement Ceremony.
It’s the first time that young heirs and ladies making their debut at the Imperial New Year’s formal gathering reveal themselves.
In front of everyone, they must stand before the Celestial Measurement Stone and have their Sanctuary measured.
Not a single person is exempt.
The Imperial family needs to keep track of the divine power levels of the nobles under their rule, and each house is required to report their children’s capabilities.
In the end, this banquet is a way to determine which house has produced heirs with exceptional divine power.
The strength of those powers would shape future alliances and relationships between noble families.
But the Celestial Measurement Stone doesn’t measure divine power itself — it measures the size of the Sanctuary, the vessel that holds that power.
And since my connection to the Sanctuary of the Holy Sword Constellation, Carvelios, was severed.
There was nothing for me to measure.
It was only natural, then, that they saw me as a useless person — someone with no value whatsoever.
Anyway, at times like this, the best thing to do is slip into a corner and avoid everyone’s attention.
I was heading toward a conveniently empty table when someone stepped in front of me.
“It’s been a while, Ruan.”
Cedric greeted me with a meaningful smile.
“…..”
“Have you been well?”
Of all the things to say in this situation, did he really have to go with small talk?
“Oh, wait — I guess not. You were in prison, after all.”
This guy…Is he just here to take jabs at me?
But more than that…I don’t remember him being the type to approach me so boldly.
The Cedric I remember was always lacking in confidence — his face more often stiff than smiling.
“Everyone, please — let’s not glare at him with such cold eyes. I ask you to offer warm encouragement and comfort to this poor soul who must now start a new life.”
Cedric suddenly turned around and delivered a short but dramatic speech.
Then, without hesitation, he grabbed a wine glass from a passing maid’s tray and raised it high.…???
What… the hell…?
What happened over the past six years for him to change this much?
And as if those shallow words would actually.
“Hmmm… Well, if Sir Cedric says so…”
Wait.
Someone was actually agreeing with him?
“Yeah. He doesn’t even have divine power anymore — it’s not like he can pull off any of those vicious deeds now.”
“I don’t like him, but… if it’s Sir Cedric asking…”
And just like that, people all around the hall began raising their wine glasses, following Cedric’s lead.
What cracked me up the most, though, was their attitude — it was so obvious they didn’t want to do it, but they were only going along because Cedric suggested it.
“For Ruan.”
Cedric’s toast was calm and steady.
“For Ruan!!”
“For Ruan!”
“For Ruan!”
The entire hall echoed with his words.…Unbelievable…I couldn’t get used to the fact that everyone was following Cedric’s lead so easily.
Stunned, I glanced over at him — only to find him already looking at me.
That faint smile on his face spoke volumes.
It radiated confidence — the assurance of someone who had clearly changed and grown.
But more than that, there was arrogance.
A quiet, unmistakable condescension.
Even the way he used the words “new life” carried a certain undertone.
It felt like he was mocking me — mocking the fact that my connection to my Sanctuary had been severed, leaving me powerless.
In the six years that had passed, the gap between us had grown as vast as the distance between the sky and the earth — and Cedric seemed to be enjoying it, as if it were some kind of game.
As frustrating as it was, there was nothing I could do here.
If I caused a scene, it would only confirm what everyone already believed — that even with Cedric graciously trying to help me, I was still nothing more than a hopeless, irredeemable disgrace.
And if I revealed my true feelings here, things would get unbearably messy.
After a while, the tense atmosphere began to thaw, and the hall gradually returned to the lively, noisy state it had been in before my arrival.
Phew.
Suppressing the cold sweat trickling down my back, I tried to slip into the crowd and disappear into some quiet corner.
But of course.
“Ruan. No matter how ashamed you feel, you should at least say thank you.”
Cedric just wouldn’t let go.
His intentions were obvious by now — so painfully clear.
Please, I thought.
Just let it go already.
“…Thank you.”
Keeping my response short, I quickly slipped away from Cedric and made my way to the farthest, most isolated corner of the banquet hall.
Behind me, Cedric watched with that same sly smile — but I could tell beneath it, he was practically glowing with satisfaction.
“Six years ago, I was always overshadowed by him — never once getting the attention I deserved… But now… Now… Ahahaha… Ahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!”
The inferiority complex he’d carried for so long had finally flipped.
Without even fully realizing it, he had publicly humiliated me — but why should that matter to him?
From his perspective, I would never dare stand up to him again.
Not now.
Not ever.
After all, in this world, it wasn’t being born noble that made you worthy — it was being chosen by a Constellation that elevated you to nobility.
But my connection to the Holy Sword Constellation, Carvelios had been severed.
And without that connection — without a Sanctuary — I couldn’t wield divine power.
A noble without divine power?
Could someone like that even be called a noble?
To everyone here, I was nothing more than a hollow title — a powerless, insignificant figure no different from a commoner… or perhaps even lower than that.
“Ahahaha… Ahahahaha…! HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Even though Cedric knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t stop the ridiculous laughter that kept slipping out.
It wasn’t as if Ruan had ever really wronged him.
The reason for his scorn was entirely personal.
As a child, Ruan had monopolized the love and attention of the entire empire.
But now?
Now there was nothing left to worry about.
Everything Ruan once had — everything he had been destined for — was as good as Cedric’s now.
Even the position of the emperor’s son-in-law, which had once seemed within Ruan’s grasp, would naturally fall to Cedric.
Just thinking about it set his heart racing with anticipation.
Forcing down the laughter threatening to spill over, Cedric composed his face and returned to his conversation partner — Lady Elena.
“Apologies, my lady. I couldn’t simply pass by without greeting an old friend I hadn’t seen in so long.”
But Elena’s gaze remained fixed on Ruan, unmoving.
“Ah… I suppose this must be the first time you’ve seen him. It has been six years, after all…”
Before Cedric could finish his sentence, Elena began walking away — her eyes still locked on Ruan.
“…My lady? My lady, wait—!”
With no choice but to follow Elena as she marched forward, Cedric hurried after her and grabbed her arm to stop her.
“My lady, what exactly are you planning to do? I understand my old friend may have made mistakes in the past, but this is a public event — surely it wouldn’t be proper to.”
“Let go.”
Elena’s voice was calm, but sharp.
She had been trying to keep her temper in check, just as her father had advised — but Cedric’s constant interference was pushing her patience to its limit.
“…What?”
“I said, let go of me.”
When he still didn’t release her, Elena took a deep breath and — with remarkable restraint — gently pried his hand off her arm.
Without sparing him another glance, she resumed walking toward Ruan.
The other young nobles around them watched the scene unfold with great interest.
“Well, well…”
“She doesn’t seem like an easy one, does she?”
“Those thorns look pretty sharp.”
“Try to bend her the wrong way, and you’ll definitely get pricked.”
The lighthearted teasing buzzed around him, but Cedric’s face had gone stiff.
He had been so sure of the positive atmosphere surrounding him — but now he felt an uncomfortable chill prickling at the back of his neck.
For the first time that evening, doubt crept into his expression.
Had he… made a mistake?
“Ah—w-wait! My lady, let’s go together!”
Elena didn’t even bother responding.
Whether Cedric followed or not didn’t matter to her in the slightest.
There was only one thing on her mind.
Was this man, Ruan, truly a Sage… or not?
That was the only question she cared about.
At last, Elena stopped in front of the table where Ruan was seated.
Ruan, who had been trying to stay out of sight, slowly looked up at the woman who had suddenly approached him — his expression guarded and tense.
And Cedric… found this scene incredibly unpleasant.
It made no sense.
They had clearly never met before.
And yet here Elena was — giving all her attention to a man with no future, a man shrouded in disgrace — while completely ignoring him, the rising star of their generation.
But Ruan wasn’t comfortable with this situation either.
He had been so sure there was no reason anyone could possibly suspect the truth,that he was, in fact, a Sage.
But now…He realized there was something he’d overlooked.
It was the voice.
When they’d briefly crossed paths at the entrance before the banquet, Ruan had spoken just one word — but now he was starting to panic.
Could she really have figured it out just from that?
Elena’s cool, indifferent gaze lingered on Ruan for a moment.
Then, with the practiced grace of noble etiquette, she offered a formal greeting.
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Elena Glacia, daughter of the Count of Glacia.”
Now that she had addressed him so publicly — in front of so many watching eyes, there was no avoiding this encounter.
Ruan forced his voice lower, trying to mask any traces of familiarity.
“I am Ruan Serkatia, son of the Duke of Serkatia.”
Elena focused intently, her sharp ears tuned to every nuance of his voice.
Not even the slightest detail escaped her.
“…It’s similar. Almost identical…”
But similarity alone wasn’t enough.
To be absolutely sure — to confirm that this man was indeed the Sage — she needed something undeniable.
A piece of proof that no one could refute.
Before she could press further, Cedric finally cut in, unable to bear being ignored any longer.
“Do you two… perhaps know each other from before?”
“There’s no way,”
Elena answered smoothly.
“This is our first meeting… isn’t it?”
Ruan, caught off guard, stumbled over his words.
“Y-yes… It’s my first time meeting the young lady as well.”
Even with their denials, Cedric couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling creeping up on him.
“Ruan… are you sure about that?”
“Of course. I was locked away for six years — I hadn’t set foot outside during all that time.”
“…That’s true.”
“So there was no way for me to meet anyone.”
As Ruan carefully laid out his alibi, Elena suddenly cut in with an unexpected remark.
“By the way… you’ve been moving quite a lot of carts lately, haven’t you?”
“…Ah… well, that’s because so many people from the territory have been gathering lately and,”
“Ugh…..,”
Damn it.
Feeling relieved, thinking he was finally slipping off the suspicion of being the Sage, Ruan answered without thinking.
“…Ah? Carts? The territory’s people? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
Cedric, completely clueless, frowned in confusion.
“Carts? Territory people? What’s this about?”
But Elena only smiled — a bright, cheerful smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes — and turned back to Ruan, her voice light and teasing.
“Yes, Ruan. What is this about?”
Ruan’s entire body tensed up.
He could feel the noose tightening around him.
Elena watched him with an elegant, amused expression… and then, without warning, stepped in close.
So close that her breath brushed against his ear.
Then she whispered, her voice soft and deadly.
“Why don’t you tell me, hmm? What exactly did you mean by that… Sage?”