Chapter 68
“As you know, pink diamonds are rare gemstones found only in the Kingdom of Zernon. For that reason, each one is engraved with a number and carefully managed.”
“Y-Yes, that’s right! The one I gave to Your Highness also has a number engraved on it!”
Engraving letters onto a diamond required special techniques and highly skilled craftsmen.
And since those craftsmen were strictly overseen by the Kingdom of Zernon, no other country or common person could ever imitate them.
That engraving alone was proof that the diamond was genuine.
“I don’t think this jewel is fake. It’s an exquisite piece, a true treasure that anyone would covet.”
“Th-Then why…?”
“That’s exactly the problem. Everyone covets it.”
Once again, silence fell over the hall.
Only Terhan seemed to enjoy that silence.
“When counterfeits flood the market, the value of the real thing plummets. Worse still… its worth as a diplomatic gift also declined, which placed the Kingdom of Zernon under heavy pressure. So then, here’s the question—how did the Kingdom of Zernon respond in such a situation?”
Terhan casually picked up a jewel that had been rolling idly across the floor.
“They confiscated every genuine stone that private individuals possessed.”
Then, with a small gesture, he signaled Maria to hold out her hand.
“They restricted the diamonds so they could only be traded as diplomatic gifts. And now, here’s the next question—if an individual is in possession of one of these diamonds… what does that mean?”
Terhan placed the jewel onto Maria’s trembling, sweat-soaked palm, then slowly folded her fingers over it, one by one, until she was forced to clutch it tightly.
“The answer is one of two things. Either it’s a fake—”
A jewel that might bring misfortune, discarded power, or meaningless greed. No one could tell what it truly was.
“—or it was stolen from the nation.”
The silence shattered instantly, replaced by shocked outcries that filled the hall.
“Th-That’s… That’s impossible! It can’t be, it can’t!”
Maria’s desperate scream rang out, her body shaking like a trembling aspen.
Ordinarily, her pitiful appearance would have drawn people rushing to her side. But now, everyone held back, keeping their distance, carefully watching Terhan instead.
Afraid that even a splash of filth might stain them—without realizing they were already soiled.
“Ah, of course, many of you may be hearing this for the first time. It was carried out in secret, known only to members of the royal family. So then, Lady Arena, let me ask again… how did you obtain a pink diamond?”
The answer was obvious.
“To think you’d resort to such a cheap trick. Predictable, even dull.”
Well, that was about the level of their schemes.
With a dry chuckle, Terhan turned away from Maria. Just then, the emperor’s attendant entered, bowing.
“Second Prince, His Majesty the Emperor summons you.”
“…Let’s go.”
As if nothing had happened, Terhan calmly followed the attendant out of the banquet hall.
All the curious gazes lingered on him, but no one dared to stop him.
“Ha… What a mess. It seems this was another ploy from the First Prince’s side after all.”
Hannah pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed softly.
“…But isn’t it possible that some individuals simply refused to hand over their diamonds?”
At Hannah’s words, Sonya tilted her head and turned to Milan with the question that had been nagging her.
“That would’ve been impossible. If the Kingdom of Zernon declared that the certificate of authenticity had been forged, then no matter how genuine the diamond was, its value would instantly collapse. So it would’ve been far better to sell it back to the kingdom at a proper price. After all, today’s situation was always a possibility.”
“Anyway, let’s not dwell on it. We worked so hard on this banquet—are we going to let it all be ruined like this? Who benefits from that?”
With a small clap of her hands and a bright smile, Hestia tried to lighten the mood.
Soon, Sonya and Hannah exchanged faint smiles of their own and got to work again.
Hannah quickly supported the frozen Maria and led her out of the hall, while Sonya brought out fresh desserts and wine.
“In honor of this special day, we present Gillian wine, personally prepared by the Second Prince.”
The mention of Gillian wine instantly revived the atmosphere of the hall.
The Gillian region lay in the far north of the empire, where snow fell year-round.
Because of its unique brewing and aging methods, only a limited quantity of wine could be produced, making it one of the most famous—and expensive—wines in the empire, fetching anywhere from dozens to hundreds of gold coins depending on the vintage.
“Please, enjoy.”
With a graceful bow, Hestia repeated the short speech Terhan had given earlier.
At the same time, the orchestra shifted its melody, further lifting the mood. The banquet began to buzz with life once more.
“…But really, where on earth did he get the money for all this wine?”
As the hall gradually regained its original vibrancy, Hestia glanced around and then asked Milan once again, for perhaps the umpteenth time.
It was only natural to wonder—she was not unaware of the Second Prince’s financial situation.
But as always, Milan’s reply was the same.
“His Highness never told me—”
“If you’re going to say he hasn’t told you either, then I’ve heard enough.”
“But truly, I don’t know. Haha. Well then, excuse me.”
With an awkward laugh, Milan slipped away too. Hestia shot daggers at his retreating back, then scanned the bustling hall.
“Perhaps I should look around and see if there’s anything I can help with.”
Sonya was already darting from place to place, keeping everything running smoothly. With Terhan absent, Hestia decided she might as well lend a hand.
The light from hundreds of chandeliers shattered into dazzling fragments across the hall. Noblemen and women exchanged glances and took partners for a dance. Young ladies’ dresses swayed gracefully as they moved. Crystal glasses clinked with a clear ring. Refined laughter filled the air.
Amidst that lively throng of hundreds, Hestia suddenly found herself overwhelmed by a wave of loneliness and emptiness. She stopped in her tracks.
In the past, whenever she attended such banquets, Elenia and Linus had always been by her side.
“Hestia! Do you know how hard I worked to get this dress? Tonight, I’m definitely getting asked for an after-dance!”
Elenia had always been invested in Hestia’s appearance. If Hestia received even one dance request, Elenia would be overjoyed, hopping with excitement.
And Hestia, seeing that, had gladly accepted every request that came her way.
“Hestia. I’ve invited only the most suitable young lords to this banquet. Take a good look around.”
Knowing Hestia disliked noisy, crowded events, Linus would sometimes host small gatherings just for her sake. He never said so outright, but she knew it was his way of showing consideration.
Even at the grand banquets they couldn’t avoid attending, Elenia and Linus had always remained by her side.
Because they knew Hestia hated being left alone among strangers, they had always made sure she wasn’t.
“…”
And so, Hestia had never truly experienced what it was like to be alone in such a crowd.
She turned her head, staring quietly at her reflection in the window.
A lonely woman, standing all by herself.
She raised a hand and brushed her jeweled dress lightly.
Ha. What am I even doing here?
A bitter smile crossed her lips as she shook her head.
Yes. Terhan. That man had bewitched her somehow.
Why had she made such an offer to him?
Why was she helping him?
When she couldn’t even take care of herself?
Why was it that whenever she saw him—
Clack!
Suddenly, her vision tilted.
Something pulled her in, and then she was wrapped in warmth—solid, strong, and familiar.
The noise of the hall vanished, muffled into a distant hum as though blocked by a single pane of glass.
A gentle breeze brushed against her skin—it was a terrace.
“Hestia.”
That familiar voice. That familiar scent. That familiar touch.
At that call, Hestia slowly lifted her head.
His dark indigo hair resembled the night sky itself. And in that darkness, his golden eyes shone like stars—beautiful, luminous.
“I begged you, didn’t I? To stay… right where you were.”
His golden irises trembled faintly.
There was anger in them, yes, but also longing, sorrow, and a deep, aching tenderness.
They were nothing like Linus’s eyes. No longer could she even pretend they resembled his.
And yet, in those eyes, Hestia found something achingly familiar.
“…Ah. I see. It was you.”
It had been him, all along.
“Theo.”
When she finally spoke his name, Terhan’s expression shifted subtly.
After a brief exchange with the emperor, Terhan hurried back to the banquet hall, anxiously searching for Hestia. And when he finally spotted her—standing alone amid the crowded hall…
He couldn’t even blink.
Her solitary figure looked like a fragment of the past, pasted into the present. He feared that if she blinked, she might vanish like a mirage.
That she might dissolve like smoke, leaving him behind.
That all of his memories of her, every piece of his longing, might prove to be nothing but lies.
Fear gripped him, suffocating and immense. His breath quickened, and his steps toward her quickened with it.
He had to reach her.
He had to stand by her side.
He wanted to hold on to her fragile self, to let her lean on him.
To tell her she wasn’t alone. That someone still remembered her. That her life hadn’t been meaningless.
He desperately wanted her to know.
The closer he drew, the harder his heart pounded. He reached out his hand toward her.
And finally—
“Hestia.”
He caught her.
