Royal Palace Banquet Hall.
Nobles in lavish attire gathered in small groups, wine glasses in hand, their laughter and chatter rising and falling like waves.
His stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, glancing down at the tailored formalwear he’d commissioned specifically for this occasion.
The outfit he’d thought somewhat extravagant at first actually looked rather modest compared to what filled the room tonight.
Honestly, he couldn’t think of a single reason to want to stay in a place like this a second longer than necessary.
Back in his previous life, he’d dodged even company year-end parties whenever possible.
“His Blackstone?”
The attendant at the door checked the name on the invitation, then looked up to study His for a moment before stepping aside.
“Please, come in.”
His stepped into the banquet hall.
As he made his way through, he could feel numerous gazes landing on him.
Some curious, some appraising.
And others carrying undisguised contempt.
Not that he blamed them—in the minds of these royal capital nobles, the label of “the Blackstone Family’s Evil Young Master” left a far deeper impression than “a man who supplied weapons to the Kingdom Knights.”
His, however, didn’t pay it much mind.
He’d decided from the start that tonight was nothing more than going through the motions.
“Ladies and gentlemen!”
A booming voice rang out from the front of the hall.
A middle-aged man in ornate robes stood atop the dais, a rolled parchment in hand, reading aloud in a clear voice:
“To celebrate the triumphant return of the Kingdom Knights and to honor those who made outstanding contributions during this campaign, His Majesty the King has graciously hosted this banquet. We thank you all for coming.”
A wave of applause followed the host’s words.
“First, let us welcome the true hero of this campaign—the Vice Captain of the Kingdom Knights, the Sword Maiden of the Kingdom—Lady Ai Lin!”
His followed the crowd’s gaze toward the dais.
Ai Lin had changed into a deep blue evening gown tonight, its train sweeping the floor. Her silver hair was brushed neatly behind her back, with only a few loose strands falling by her ears—a softer look compared to her usual ponytail.
The deep blue gown made her pale skin appear even fairer, faintly luminous under the banquet hall’s lights. She looked like an elf stepping out of a winter night’s lake—cold, sharp, and utterly impossible to look away from.
His averted his gaze and quietly downed a glass of wine.
Honestly, the contrast between Ai Lin’s appearance tonight and her usual knight’s uniform was frankly unfair.
“Vice Captain Ai Lin led from the front during the Border Counteroffensive, personally commanding the recapture of three key strongholds. She played an irreplaceable role in maintaining stability along the border…”
Ai Lin listened to the host’s lengthy commendation with a completely expressionless face, her every movement beyond reproach—fully embodying her image as the Ice-Blade Maiden.
It was only when the host finished and the guests began applauding that Ai Lin’s gaze unconsciously swept across the crowd, accidentally meeting His’s eyes.
His raised a hand in greeting, but Ai Lin immediately looked away.
“Now, let us invite Young Master His of the Blackstone Family to the stage!”
The moment His’s name left the host’s mouth, whispers rippled through the crowd.
“I heard he supplied a bunch of weapons to the front lines?”
“Who knows—maybe the Duke provided them and just put them under his son’s name…”
“I also heard he’s engaged to Vice Captain Ai Lin!”
“Really? No way…”
Someone brought it up, and all eyes began darting between him and Ai Lin. This was the first time His had so directly experienced the burning gossip fever of the nobility.
His walked up to the stage with a composed expression, enduring the kingdom’s commendation with gritted teeth.
***
Once the banquet moved into the free mingling segment, His found a corner and leaned against a stone pillar, quietly drinking.
Dealing with these nobles wasn’t why he’d come, and with his family background, he had no need to engage in their hypocritical pleasantries.
Even so, he’d still had to field quite a few greetings. Most of the people who approached were interested in his Gray Crystal weapon business—potential commercial partners, in a sense—so His couldn’t complain much.
As he was wondering how much longer he’d have to wait before making a graceful exit, a familiar figure appeared in his line of sight.
The Sword Maiden of the Kingdom was currently surrounded by a group of nobles.
Several elegantly dressed ladies were chattering away at her without pause.
Ai Lin’s expression remained cold as ever, but His could tell—this woman had no idea how to handle this kind of situation.
Then again, how could someone who spent every waking hour in training grounds and battlefields have time to learn social graces?
His sighed, set down his glass, and walked over.
“Ai Lin.”
Ai Lin turned at the sound of her name, and something in her visibly relaxed when she saw him.
“Apologies for interrupting, ladies.”
His offered the noblewomen a polite smile.
“My fiancée and I haven’t seen each other in quite some time. I was hoping to borrow her for a moment, if you don’t mind?”
“Oh—of course, of course!”
The ladies chimed in unison and tactfully stepped aside.
His tilted his head toward Ai Lin, signaling her to follow.
Ai Lin didn’t hesitate for even a moment, immediately falling in step behind him.
The two crossed the room, heading toward the corridor off the side of the banquet hall.
Inside the hall, many eyes followed them, whispers swelling like tides in their wake.
His could already imagine what tomorrow’s tea parties among the royal capital’s noblewomen would discuss.
Whatever. Let them talk.
Away from the noise, the atmosphere between them grew somewhat delicate.
“Um… thank you.”
Ai Lin spoke after a long silence.
“No need to thank me. Though I have to say—I never imagined the mighty Sword Maiden of the Kingdom would be reduced to silence by a few old ladies.”
“…”
“So, has the Demon Race really shown no signs of movement at all?”
Seeing Ai Lin’s head droop slightly, His quickly shifted the subject.
“Yeah. After we recaptured the strongholds, the demons just vanished, like they’d suddenly disappeared. Not even a small-scale skirmish.”
“Don’t you find that strange?”
“You think so too?”
Ai Lin looked up at His, her ice-blue eyes carrying a hint of seriousness.
“I know Gray Crystal weapons had a big impact on them, but their offensive was so fierce before. Now they’ve suddenly gone quiet. Either they’re preparing something bigger, or something’s changed internally.”
“Captain Leonard said the same thing.”
Ai Lin said in a soft voice.
“But the knights are still reorganizing right now, so we don’t have the manpower to scout things out just yet.”
“Don’t worry too much.”
His switched to a lighter tone.
“Whatever the Demon Race is up to, if you need anything, just come to me directly.”
“Mm…”
Ai Lin hummed in response, her gaze drifting to the window.
Moonlight spilled across her profile, silver strands of hair stirring gently in the night breeze.
His suddenly noticed her hands. They were the hands of a warrior—her fingertips and the web between thumb and index finger covered in fine calluses and small scars.
Only someone who’d held a sword for years would bear marks like those.
Even dressed in an evening gown, those marks silently proclaimed that this woman’s true place was the battlefield—not social gatherings filled with clinking glasses and empty pleasantries.
“Why are you staring at my hands?”
Ai Lin’s voice pulled His back to reality.
“Nothing, just…”
“Just what?”
“It’s just that I think hands like these shouldn’t be holding a wine glass.”
Ai Lin blinked in surprise.
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said.”
His shrugged with a smile.
“You were born to hold a sword, not to be dragged to banquets and forced to fake smiles at a bunch of strangers.”
The moment those words left his mouth, even His froze.
Damn it!
It had to be his recent close contact with Ai Lin that made him say something so careless.
“Uh… I didn’t mean it like that—”
“You’re right.”
“?”
“I really do hate these kinds of occasions.”
Ai Lin looked at her own hands.
“For as long as I can remember, the only thing I ever wanted to do was train with a sword. Because only when I’m holding a blade do I feel like I’m truly myself.
But then, my father, hoping to curry favor with Duke Blackstone, initiated the marriage proposal. And just like that, I became your fiancée.
When I first moved to the capital, everyone looked at me like I was…”
Ai Lin trailed off, but His already understood what she meant.
He knew that feeling well.
Once you’re shackled by a label, no matter how hard you try, all anyone ever sees is that label.
Take Ai Lin—despite earning the second-highest position in the Kingdom Knights through sheer swordsmanship, in the eyes of most nobles, she was still just someone clinging to Duke Blackstone’s influence.
The title “Sword Maiden of the Kingdom” hadn’t brought her much respect at all.
She’d done nothing wrong, and yet simply because of a marriage contract with someone she’d never even known, people could freely dismiss her worth.
“The way of the sword is your own path in life. It shouldn’t be tainted by any of this.”
His stepped closer, speaking in a gentle, reassuring tone.
“You… what did you say?”
Ai Lin looked at him, something in her eyes seeming to shatter.
“You really are… different…”
“Hm?”
“I used to hear all sorts of things about you.
Profligate, arrogant, utterly useless. Honestly, when I thought about my betrothed being someone like that, I genuinely couldn’t accept it.”
His said nothing.
He knew perfectly well what he’d been like before awakening his past-life memories.
If anything, Ai Lin hadn’t misunderstood him at all.
“But… the you I see now is completely different from that image. You—”
“Well… those were just rumors, after all…”
“Yeah… just rumors.”
The two stood quietly in the corridor, the atmosphere growing somewhat awkward.
“Anyway… I’m heading back tomorrow.”
His took the initiative to break the silence.
“So soon?”
“Yeah… There’s still a lot of work waiting for me back home.”
“Alright, then I’ll see you off tomorrow morning.”
“Ah… sure.”