System's POV

“Is there something wrong, Your Highness?” Lucan asked Prince Aurelion after noticing the latter looking at the entrance several times, as if impatiently waiting for someone to arrive.

“No, Lucan,” Prince Aurelion replied. “There’s simply a guest I’m expecting to see, but she has yet to arrive.”

After hearing the word “she,” the corner of Lucan’s lips rose, and he gave the Prince of the Dragonkin a faint smile.

“She must be really important to you, Your Highness, if you’re acting like this,” Lucan commented. “Is she perhaps a beauty?”

“Yes,” Prince Aurelion answered. “I find her very pleasing to the eye.”

Given their position, Lucan and Prince Aurelion were often surrounded by beautiful ladies, so their resistance to beauty had grown quite strong.

In fact, only one woman lingered inside Lucan’s head for many years. It was none other than the Princess of Chandrea, who was also referred to as their Saintess.

When the King of Artem conquered Chandrea, she had been forced to marry him for the sake of her people.

Of course, there was no love involved. At most, the King of Artem was captivated by her beauty and nothing else.

Unfortunately, he had other plans for her.

After she gave birth to a child, the King didn’t hesitate to sacrifice her in a ritual, allowing him to advance his rank, hoping to reach the Celestial Realm.

For a hundred years, the sacrificial princess suffered every decade—until Zion Leventis brought her torment to an end.

This was also why the King of Artem hated Zion more than anyone else in the world.

If it weren’t for the young man’s meddling, he might have already become a Celestial, which was his lifelong dream.

Just as Lucan entertained the thoughts of the Chandrean Princess whom he had one-sided feelings for…

The faint murmurs in the surroundings caught his ear.

He then glanced at the Dragonkin Prince, who had already left his side and was quickly walking towards the entrance.

There, he saw three ladies enter—at least, that was what he saw at first.

Then, he saw her. The fourth lady emerged from behind, and at the sight of her face, Lucan momentarily forgot how to breathe.

‘Queen Miriamele!’ Lucan nearly cried out, startled by the young lady who looked like the Chandrean Princess that their king had married.

But as he looked closer, realization dawned on him.

It was impossible for the Chandrean Princess to be here since she was still held captive in the inner palace of the Artemian Royal Palace.

The young lady’s features had similarities with the one he knew, but they were not the same.

It was not only Lucan who stared at the young lady with eyes wide in shock.

The rest of his entourage, who were also ministers of their kingdom, had the same thought as he did and came to the same realization.

“You sure made me wait long enough, Princess,” Princess Aurelion greeted Zia, ignoring Princess Xynalia, Princess Laventia, and their Aunt, Ristella, who had come to the banquet with her.

“I greet His Highness,” Zia replied with a curtsy, making the Prince and the people in the party look at her with gentle gazes.

“Come, sit with me.” Prince Aurelion reached out, about to hold her hand, when the young lady hid behind Ristella, whose smile had turned rather stiff at the moment.

“Your Highness, my niece has not attended any parties because of her shy nature,” replied Ristella, who instantaneously made up an excuse that fit Zia’s cover story. “She’s not very fond of interacting with unfamiliar people, and being away from her family makes her feel anxious.”

“Oh, my apologies,” Prince Aurelion said. “Then would you ladies care to join me at my table? I am currently entertaining our guests of honor.”

Prince Aurelion then made a gesture for the succubus royal family to follow him, which they obliged without resistance—they had already expected this to happen.

“Come sit here, Zia,” Prince Aurelion said firmly after reaching the table.

He then gave the Princess Xynalia, Princess Laventia, and Ristella the “I’m not taking no for an answer, gaze,” which made the three reluctantly give way to the Prince’s show of authority.

Zia had given them advance warning that this was the most probable scenario, so the three succubi were ready for it.

The look of hesitation on their faces was deliberate, knowing it would look suspicious if they didn’t show any form of resistance.

As Zia sat beside Prince Aurelion, almost all the gazes at the banquet locked in her direction.

This made the delicate young lady shudder, which gave Prince Aurelion the strong urge to protect her for life.

Because of this, he glared at the other guests, forcing them to look away.

They understood what he was implying. Still, they couldn’t stop themselves from giving the beautiful lady subtle glances as they ate, drank, and chatted with each other.

“I almost thought you were no longer planning to show up today,” Prince Aurelion said. “What took you so long?”

Instead of answering, Zia lowered her head, looking like the shy girl she was supposed to be.

At that moment, Lucan decided to take the opportunity to cough lightly, reminding Prince Aurelion that he and his entourage were also sharing the table with him.

A flash of irritation appeared inside the depths of the Dragonkin Prince’s eyes, but they disappeared just as quickly.

“Zia, these are our special guests from the world of Artem.” Prince Aurelion reluctantly introduced the apple of his eye to his guest. “His name is Sir Lucan. He is the commander of the Artemian Army. Sir Lucan, this young lady here is Princess Zia of the Velmoria Kingdom.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, My Lady,” Lucan said kindly.

“I-It’s a pleasure to also meet you, Sir Lucan,” Zia replied. “I have heard things about the Artemians from my sisters.”

“Oh? And what did they say?” Lucan asked back, feeling genuinely curious about what the succubus princesses thought of him.

“They said that your army is very strong,” Zia answered.

This made Lucan chuckle. “Yes. Our army is very strong. Does Princess Zia wish to take a look for herself?”

Prince Aurelion didn’t like the fact that Zia was talking to Lucan instead of him, so he immediately interjected in the conversation.

“Zia, while we might be forming a temporary alliance with the Artemians, you shouldn’t accept their invitation to visit their camp just to sate your curiosity,” Prince Aurelion said, which made Lucan frown.

The Dragonkin Prince then shifted his attention to Lucan, smiling at the Artemian Commander, who was starting to make a move on his future wife.

Lucan chuckled because he understood what the Prince was thinking, so he backed down.

At least on the surface.

There was one thing the Artemian had noticed while talking to Zia, and that was the faint presence she unknowingly exuded—one exclusive to the Chandrean Royal Family.

Lucan then glanced at one of the ministers that accompanied him and gave the latter a gesture, as if asking him to try something.

The minister, who was already feeling suspicious, nodded in understanding.

Half a minute later, his face turned solemn, glancing back at Lucan and nodding his head once.

‘Impossible!’ Lucan thought. ‘How can the bloodline of the Chandrean Royal family belong to a succubus race?!’

Although he looked calm on the surface, a raging storm was brewing inside of his chest.

Lucan then made eye contact with another one of his ministers who had the ability to see through disguises.

A few seconds later, the minister shook his head, telling Lucan that the princess wasn’t using any form of disguise.

While all of this was happening, Zapar smoothly mingled with the guests in the party, making casual talk while glancing in Zia’s direction from time to time.

He had noticed that the people from the Artemian Race had used some kind of appraisal ability against Zia, making him smile faintly.

‘Looks like this is going to be interesting,’ Zapar thought as he continued to spread his presence in the party, while observing the Artemian Commander and the Dragonkin Prince whom they would have to defeat in future battles.

‘It’s a shame they aren’t women,’ Zapar thought. ‘I guess I’ll just do what I can to snare the women who have a close relationship with them.’

The night was still young, and he believed that as long as Zia was in the party, some sort of conflict was bound to happen.

But whether this conflict would be big or small, Zapar was more than happy to help fan the flames. With his instigation, he believed this party would become a very memorable one for everyone invited.

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