One week ago.
The Duke of Senistia's estate.
Normally, a gentle and peaceful atmosphere always filled the air here.
The light footsteps of maids, the warm fragrance drifting from black tea—everything was orderly and serene.
Today, however, the atmosphere in the inner room was exceptionally bizarre.
“Do you even realize what you've done?”
“I'm sorry... Mother.”
The Duchess of Senistia was reprimanding Sushia.
Or rather, instead of a mere scolding, it was more like venting her exasperation at a failure to live up to expectations.
“I thought you had finally matured after working in the Evaluation Department recently. And what do I get?”
“Turns out you weren't growing up at all—you were just quietly charging up your power!”
“All just to cause an even bigger disaster this time?!”
Sushia had been a troublemaker since childhood.
Disasters big and small—she had caused nearly every single one of them.
Sending her to the Evaluation Department in the first place had been in the hope that she would interact more with society and temper her personality.
And judging by results...
she really did seem to have improved a bit.
Yet who would have thought that this time, she would go straight for the jackpot?
“I don't care.”
The Duchess turned her head away coldly.
Sushia instantly deflated.
“Please, just help your daughter this once. Really, just this once!”
“Mother... no, Mommy!”
“As the saying goes, youth is always reckless! Considering how young I still am, please help me out~ Mommy~”
The Duchess remained expressionless.
“Since you are so young, then take this as a proper lesson.”
When nobles hosted banquets, it was never just about simple eating and drinking.
There were countless unspoken intricacies.
Perhaps certain families had been growing restless lately.
—Have you forgotten our family's standing?
So, they would throw a grand banquet to flex their muscles.
Or perhaps it was to get closer to someone.
“That fellow seems a bit restless lately.”
“Should we use this opportunity to befriend him?”
Or maybe it was purely to ostracize an annoying person.
Invite everyone, leaving out only that single individual.
Then host the banquet with a smiling face.
By the time that person realized they were excluded, it would already be too late.
Noble banquets were, in and of themselves, complex political games.
Of course, there were also cases where banquets were held purely to celebrate birthdays or for casual entertainment.
Yet for the banquet hosted by the Duke of Senistia's estate this time, not a single proper justification could be found.
And precisely because of that, it was all the more suspicious.
The Duke of Senistia, who had always maintained strict neutrality, was suddenly throwing a banquet.
What on earth did he want to do?
No one knew.
That alone was enough to make all the power-hungry nobles completely unable to sit still.
Anyone with even the slightest interest in the empire's political landscape would find a way to attend in person and see what hidden motives lay behind this gathering.
Naturally.
The publicly announced reason was extremely simple:
“Let's all bake cookies together and have a fun day!”
As if anyone would believe that.
The nobles' minds had already spun out into wild overanalysis:
“Baking cookies? Is this a metaphor for roasting a certain anti-imperial faction?”
“Could it be that the Duke of Senistia has finally decided to pick a side?”
“I heard that in ancient languages, the word 'cookie' also carries the connotation of greed. Is the Duke finally about to bare his hidden fangs?”
Meanwhile, Sushia, the one who was genuinely preparing to bake cookies, was completely oblivious to all these twisted speculations.
She even felt that she was the biggest victim in all this.
However, the reason the guest count skyrocketed wasn't just because of the Duke of Senistia's prestige.
At this banquet, there was also an invisible central figure.
Li An Adolf.
Minister of the Imperial Evaluation Department.
At the same time, he was the youngest minister-level figure in the empire and one of the most valued young officials by the Emperor's side.
Those attempting to guess the Duke of Senistia's intentions would naturally come.
And those wishing to seize the opportunity to get in the good graces of this young rising star wouldn't pass up the chance either.
The Duke of Senistia's estate naturally had its own intelligence channels.
These rumors, of course, could not be hidden from the Duke.
“It can't be canceled now, right?” Sushia asked cautiously.
“Cancel?”
The Duchess sneered.
“Your reputation in aristocratic social circles isn't great to begin with. If you cancel the banquet now, do you ever expect to hold your head up high in society again?”
That was true.
Sushia had always held a reputation as a “troublesome young lady” in noble circles.
Still, relying on her ducal family background, she had more or less maintained a certain evaluation:
—She might be a bit mischievous, but she isn't bad at heart.
Yet if this banquet ended up turning into a laughingstock, in the future...
“Lady Sushia is attending too?”
“Then I'd better leave.”
“Her words?”
“How could you trust that?”
By then, she would truly become a laughingstock whom everyone avoided like the plague.
Therefore, no matter what, this banquet had to succeed.
Unfortunately, there was no way she could manage it all on her own.
She desperately needed the Duchess's help right now.
Too bad the Duchess had no intention of lifting a finger.
Right at that moment.
“What's all the noise about?”
A voice drifted over.
Short gray hair and a neatly trimmed gray beard.
Though he was past fifty, his back remained straight and tall. Just standing there, he exuded the dignity befitting a grand noble of the empire.
The Duke of Senistia walked in.
Unlike his strict wife, he had always doted on this daughter.
Looking at Sushia now, his eyes held an extra hint of indulgence.
“Daddy!”
Sushia instantly looked as if she had spotted her savior.
The Duchess let out a helpless sigh.
Here it comes.
This man was about to clean up their daughter's mess again.
“I heard you're hosting a banquet?”
The Duke smiled.
“Letting everyone have a lively gathering isn't a bad thing either.”
“I knew Daddy would understand me!”
“However...”
The Duke changed the subject.
“Didn't you take things a bit too far this time?”
Sushia smiled awkwardly.
“Not really, I think...”
“I just casually invited them, and then everyone said they'd come.”
“Some agreed, some refused.”
“As a result... in the end, they're all coming.”
“...”
The Duke fell silent for a moment.
“Who is attending?”
Sushia began recalling the guest list.
There were many names on it.
Yet she remembered every single one clearly.
“First is my superior, Li An Adolf.”
“The young man to whom you owe a favor?”
The Duke's eyes lit up slightly.
“I've always wanted to meet him. This is a fine opportunity.”
“Next is Count Teheng.”
“Oh.”
The Duke nodded.
“He is a respectable knight. Establishing a connection with him through this chance wouldn't be bad either.”
Count Teheng commanded the Violet Knights, was an upright man, and enjoyed an exceptional reputation in imperial knight circles.
“There's also Viscount Yorick.”
“Him?”
The Duke pondered for a moment.
“Although his noble rank isn't particularly high, his influence in the imperial core is far stronger than that of many nobles.”
“It seems quite a few prominent figures are attending this time.”
The smile on the Duke's face grew broader.
“And Marquis Habal.”
“My old friend!”
The Duke immediately laughed.
“He certainly won't be an issue; he'll even take the initiative to help make the banquet livelier.”
At this point, Sushia breathed a slight sigh of relief.
At least so far, her father didn't seem to have much of an adverse reaction.
However, the next sentence...
made the entire room fall instantly silent.
“Also...”
Sushia swallowed hard.
“His Highness Crown Prince Kane has also decided to attend.”
The Duke froze.
“...”
After a brief silence.
“Heh heh.”
The Duke let out a slow laugh.
“It seems we truly must prepare meticulously this time.”
Unconsciously, he gripped the back of the chair with increasing force.
His knuckles turned slightly white.
“With only one week left, time is indeed a bit tight.”
Inviting the Crown Prince of the empire to a private banquet was a completely different matter from inviting ordinary nobles.
The first thing to consider was security.
If the Crown Prince were assassinated at the banquet...
Regardless of whether the Duke had anything to do with it, dodging responsibility would be nearly impossible.
Not to mention, this was the empire.
Or if the Crown Prince ate the food at the banquet, and an issue with the food caused direct food poisoning...
That would equally be a catastrophic disaster.
Guest routes, guard deployments, banquet ingredients, kitchen management...
Every single aspect had to be foolproof.
The Duke couldn't help but sigh.
However, risks and rewards always went hand in hand.
Being able to establish a relationship with the future Emperor was an enormous boon in itself.
What was more, as long as the Crown Prince had a good time at the banquet, the Senistia family's prestige would rise accordingly.
“Very well.”
The Duke smiled once more.
“This will be a very successful banquet.”
Sushia murmured softly:
“Um...”
“There is one more thing.”
“Her Highness the Second Princess, Serena, is also coming.”
Crack.
A subtle snapping sound came from the armrest of the chair.
Sushia quietly looked away.
The Duchess quietly looked away as well.
The smile on the Duke's face gradually stiffened.
“Her Highness Serena...”
He took a deep breath.
“That particular Highness is not easy to please.”
The phrase “not easy to please” contained far too many implications.
Difficult.
Troublesome.
High standards.
And...
Extremely dangerous.
A certain noble lady who had just debuted in social circles once accidentally stepped on the hem of Serena's dress.
As a result, starting from that day, all sorts of rumors about her circulated wildly in aristocratic circles.
Claims of crude behavior at evening banquets.
Claims of terrible cruelty toward pets.
Claims of improper etiquette and speech.
What was even more terrifying...
was that those rumors weren't entirely fabricated.
And that young lady never appeared in noble social venues ever again.
The Duke's expression grew solemn.
Serena was just that kind of person.
If a single flaw appeared at the banquet—subpar food quality, improper servant arrangements, lack of thorough hospitality, or even just an issue with a minor detail...
she could seize upon that weakness.
And bite down hard.
The banquet's difficulty level instantly jumped up another notch.
“Alright...”
The Duke rubbed the bridge of his nose exhaustedly.
“Sushia, before you do something like this in the future, at least ask us first.”
“Do you understand?”
“...”
Sushia kept her head down.
“Actually...”
“It's not over yet.”
The Duke slowly raised his head.
“What?”
“Her Highness the Third Princess, Elizabeth, will also attend.”
“...”
“And Count Deval, Marquis Sahanin...”
The Duke slowly turned around.
“My dear.”
“Yes?”
“Bring the rattan cane to my study.”
The Duchess revealed a satisfied smile.
“I've been waiting for you to say that for a long time.”
That legendary rattan cane, which hadn't seen use in ages...
was about to make its grand return to the world.
The day of the banquet.
“Thirty percent is destiny, seventy percent hard work, you have to fight to win~”
Inside the carriage, Li An hummed a little tune.
After becoming a fifth-rank official, the official carriage he was assigned was quite luxurious.
The seats were made of premium leather, soft and comfortable to sit on.
The wheels were specially crafted as well, making the ride so smooth there was barely any bumpiness.
Most importantly, Li An held a large sack of ingredients in his arms.
Flour.
Eggs.
Butter.
All of them were meticulously handpicked by him.
“Just you wait, Sushia.”
Li An looked at the ingredients in his arms, the corners of his mouth curving upward slightly.
“Today, I'll show you what a real cookie looks like.”
He was overflowing with confidence.
No matter who his opponent was.
In this contest, there was zero chance he would lose.
The carriage rolled slowly forward.
Soon, the Duke of Senistia's estate appeared in the distance.
Such an elite noble estate was practically a scenic landmark in its own right.
Li An was admiring the scenery outside the window when his brows gradually furrowed.
“...”
Something seemed... not quite right.
Sushia had clearly said before that it was merely a “small tea party.”
Yet wasn't the number of carriages he saw along the road a bit excessive?
And their numbers were only increasing.
That carriage over there bore a raven crest.
The crest of Marquis Habal's house.
That one had an owl crest.
Count Teheng's family carriage.
And there was the carriage bearing a spade crest.
Viscount Yorick.
“...”
Li An fell silent.
And that wasn't all.
Carriage after carriage rolled past.
As far as the eye could see, it was practically nothing but luxury carriages.
Li An finally sensed the impending crisis.
“Turn around!!!”
The coachman was startled.
“Huh?”
“Turn around immediately!!!”
Run!
If he didn't run now, when would he?
“Um... Lord Li An,” the old coachman said helplessly.
“The knights ahead have blocked the road.”
“What?”
Li An snapped his head toward the window.
Sure enough.
A group of knights clad in ornate armor stood neatly blocking the way ahead of the carriage.
Embroidered uniformly on their pauldrons was a silver falcon spreading its wings.
The Silver Wing Knights.
The direct knight order under the Duke of Senistia.
“...”
Li An's heart began pounding wildly.
Why?
Why were the Silver Wing Knights intercepting his carriage?
He clearly hadn't done anything.
Yet seeing fully armed knights approach, an ordinary person would still instinctively tense up.
One of the knights stepped forward.
“Lord Li An Adolf.”
“May we ask you to step out of the carriage?”
The tone was extremely polite.
Yet the invisible oppressive pressure was something Li An couldn't ignore at all.
Helpless, Li An had no choice but to step down from the carriage.
“What in the world is going on?”
Even though he was terrified inside, he still strived to keep himself composed.
It was fine.
He was an invited guest.
He hadn't done anything wrong.
What was there to fear?
Right at that moment.
From behind the knights walked a woman dressed in a gorgeous formal gown.
She had a pretty face, her hair meticulously styled into braids, and her makeup was far more exquisite than usual.
Li An blinked in surprise.
“...Sushia?”
The Sushia before his eyes was completely different from usual.
Her heavy, practically “fully armed” makeup made her look even more imposing than the knights themselves.
Right after that—
Clank!
The knights of the Silver Wing Knights suddenly dropped to one knee in unison.
The movement was so synchronized it was shocking.
Li An froze.
The next moment, Sushia rushed straight over and grabbed both of Li An's hands.
“Minister...”
Her eyes were slightly red, her voice carrying a tearful sob.
“Please, I beg of you, help me...”
“I really can't hold out much longer...”
Li An: “...”
Immediately after.
The Silver Wing Knights behind her bowed their heads together.
“Please help us!”
“Please help us!”
One shout after another echoed out.
Li An was completely flabbergasted.
Looking at the sea of kneeling knights before him, then back at the utterly despairing Sushia, only a single question remained in his mind.
—Just how badly did this woman screw things up?!
Rate on N.U.
