HDBMTD 19

HDBMTD | Chapter 19

Posted by Ruby, Released on July 15, 2025

Chapter 19 “Beacons for Each Other”

It had been nine days since Aria entered into the contract with Nocturne.

That day, the delegation led by Prince Lucien del Sol of Elysia arrived.

Gasps and whispers rippled among the palace staff at the prince’s arrival.

“Wow, that’s him…!”

“The rumors weren’t exaggerated!”

“Photos didn’t do him justice!”

Lucien, with the royal family’s signature golden hair and golden eyes, was as dazzling as the rumors claimed.

He was also the man who, as a child, once harbored a crush on Princess Ariadna.

The diplomatic meeting was held in the imperial palace’s central conference room. Sunlight poured through the domed glass ceiling, casting golden hues over the oval table.

Padva welcomed Prince Lucien warmly. Though clearly exhausted from his long journey, Lucien responded with polite formality—until he greeted Aria. Then, a spark of life returned to his eyes.

“An honor to see such a noble figure of the Empire.”

Lucien looked like he had much to say, but the setting limited their exchange. He only whispered:

“I’ll see you at the banquet.”

Once introductions were complete, the first item was raised.

“Let’s discuss the joint monster defense system agreement.”

“Yes, both nations agree in principle, but the terms still need adjustment…”

A spirited debate erupted among the representatives and experts. It was clearly a matter of national importance—but Aria paid no attention.

Once a candidate for the throne, she now held no real power or speaking rights. And speaking rights always follow power like a loyal pet.

She wasn’t even sure why Padva had summoned her to this meeting.

Instead of the topics at hand, Aria focused on Nocturne, who was present in his role as military commander.

So, he came after all.

He had disappeared for two days. Tita, unaware of the contract, was furious when she heard how he stormed off during their date.

Aria had felt more anxious than angry. To gain Nocturne’s trust, she had let him hold the original contract—which clearly stated daily dates. He must have altered that clause somehow.

I was worried he might never return… Good.

Aria smiled faintly. Even though Nocturne had broken the contract, her schedule had accounted for a potential “runaway” anyway—no harm done.

Moreover…

His emotions are stronger now.

His feelings were visibly clearer—an indication that his mental defenses had weakened.

And the conditions for breaking down those defenses were: trust, physical contact, and time.

They hadn’t had time or physical contact during his two-day absence. So why the improvement?

Did he… think about me while we were apart?

It wasn’t physically possible, but mentally? Certainly. Aria flushed and lowered her head.

Maybe being apart made him think about her more. Breaking the contract likely made her presence even harder to ignore.

At this rate, I might not even need the full fifteen days.

She guessed she’d be able to access his deeper consciousness within three days. Even the melancholy from their last encounter began to fade.

“Let’s move on to the next item.”

While Aria watched Nocturne’s profile, the defense treaty between Ramsar and Elysia was finalized.

Padva, while explaining the next agenda, glanced between Aria and Nocturne to gauge the subtle tension. Lucien and the other dignitaries also looked their way before forcing themselves to focus again.

“Since the war ended, the Empire has made tremendous strides in medicine. While Cambiata was our enemy, their medical advancements—if used for good—could save countless lives. Elysia, as a key ally, has also claimed a stake in this intellectual property. Prince Lucien, you previously declined for ethical reasons… but recently you visited our imperial hospital. What did you think?”

“It was remarkable. Patients who would have once faced irreversible disability were healing… dreaming of life after discharge. They all spoke highly of Your Highness.”

“So does that mean Elysia may agree to a medical cooperation pact?”

“I’m open to consideration. But we must never forget the victims who suffered under the experiments that birthed this technology…”

Once again, a highly significant topic was under discussion. But Aria continued to focus on Nocturne’s face.

The only thing helping her endure this meeting was the anticipation of dancing with him at the evening banquet.

Nocturne clearly knew she was watching him—but he never once looked back at her. Was he really… paying attention to the discussion? Medical topics had nothing to do with him.

“…So, I’d like to hear Her Highness’s opinion.”

Whose opinion?

Aria blinked, then noticed every gaze in the room had turned to her. She flinched and turned toward the speaker.

Lucien—his golden eyes glowing—was smiling at her.

The golden sun was Ramsar’s imperial symbol, but whenever she looked into Lucien’s eyes, Aria wondered if it should be ceded to Elysia instead.

Soon to be crowned Elysia’s next sun, Lucien asked:

“What are your thoughts, Your Highness, on a medical cooperation agreement between Elysia and the Empire?”

Though smiling, Aria sensed he was closely reading her cues.

Why is he asking me?

Did he still think of her as the war’s chief commander?

But she was no longer the emperor’s proxy. If anything, she was like a wounded soldier, discarded from the battlefield. No—that wasn’t a metaphor.

One thing was clear: someone about to escape the palace shouldn’t be making high-stakes decisions.

Not that she cared about this policy anyway.

She thought about how to politely say, “Do whatever you want,” in a way that would still sound dignified. As she pondered, her eyes met Nocturne’s for the first time since the meeting began.

She stopped thinking and spoke:

“Cooperation between our two nations would be immensely valuable. Prince Padva’s progressive approach and Prince Lucien’s cautious stance both hold merit. If both parties find mutual understanding, the outcome will surely be fruitful. I believe consulting the respective experts of each nation will be the wisest path forward.”

Hm. That was quite graceful.

That evening, a celebratory banquet was held

—to commemorate the successful treaty between Elysia and Ramsar.

It was a small event, intended to honor Prince Lucien. Only those directly involved in the talks were invited. Still, with each party’s escorts and psychic guards, it totaled nearly 80 attendees.

“His Highness Prince Padva Din Dairose and Her Highness Princess Ariadna Rafon Dairose are entering!”

As Aria appeared at the second-floor entrance, the hall stirred.

“Oh my god, am I dreaming?”

“P-Princess Ariadna?”

“She came to the banquet too!”

Those who hadn’t seen her at the conference stared wide-eyed. At the same time, Aria felt a stinging pressure on her skin.

Damn it…

As soon as she entered, multiple people used psychic resonance on her. It was a sensation she wouldn’t have noticed back when she was still a true S-class.

So they know I lost my powers.

Before the accident, nobles rarely used their psychic abilities on her—she would’ve noticed immediately, and retaliated with false data. It wasn’t worth the risk.

Now, this change meant her power loss had leaked.

Everyone Padva had hired had signed NDAs, but no one could stop outsiders’ psychic escorts from probing the palace maids. It was almost inevitable.

Thankfully, none of them have seen through my defenses.

The lesser psychics who probed Aria were only receiving fabricated mental information—the illusion she had carefully implanted:

“A princess who lost her power in an accident and is now a normie, but continues supporting the prince with unwavering faith during recovery.”

— My god, the rumors were true… she really did lose her powers!

— Dear heavens.

— The princess is alive! She’s alive!

— Why is she wearing a veil? Wait… her left ear…

The aristocratic social scene was full of psychics. Even non-psychics brought psychic guards to events like this. Information was power in high society.

But no one here could read Aria’s true thoughts—while she could read nearly everyone’s.

When she was near firelight, her power temporarily returned to A-rank. That helped.

With her senses overwhelmed by incoming thoughts, Aria briefly closed her eyes and took a breath.

Everyone was thinking about her. Watching her.

It felt like coming home.

“What a joyous occasion!”

Padva’s voice sliced through the crowd’s thoughts. Wrapping an arm around Aria’s shoulder, he addressed the room:

“Today celebrates the bond between Ramsar and Elysia. But more than that, I’m deeply moved that my beloved sister—long confined to her sickbed—has recovered enough to attend a formal gathering.”

He raised her hand high. The crowd burst into applause.

“Peace and prosperity to glorious Ramsar!”

“Long live Her Highness the Princess!”

After gauging Padva’s reaction, the guests finally allowed themselves to cheer Aria’s recovery.

Those two phrases—“peace and prosperity to Ramsar,” and “long live the princess”—had echoed endlessly during the war. People now chanted them like polite clichés.