ISMFB 24

CHAPTER 24

Linaria, who had only been thinking about quietly leaving the banquet hall, suddenly found herself caught between Auguste and Maximilian.

Naturally, the standoff between the two men drew everyone’s attention.

“What’s going on?”

“Did Prince Brimstone and His Highness the Crown Prince just ask the same woman to dance?”

“That young lady is…”

The whispers of the guests turned into a chaotic murmur.

‘How did things end up like this?’

It was a completely unexpected situation.

In her previous life, Auguste would’ve died in battle, so a banquet like this wouldn’t have even happened.

Even putting aside the fact that she had changed the course of events, why was Maximilian acting this way?

Even when Linaria had been his fiancée, he had never asked her to dance first.

She stole a glance at him.

He looked displeased, making it impossible to guess his intentions.

‘Is he doing this to make things difficult for me?’

It was a plausible theory.

After all, Linaria was now in quite a bind.

“I didn’t know His Highness the Crown Prince was acquainted with my cousin. As far as I know, she hasn’t been involved in any social activities.”

Auguste smiled sweetly, deliberately emphasizing the word “cousin.”

But Maximilian wasn’t someone who would fall for such a shallow ploy.

“Now that’s unexpected—from you, of all people. Everyone here knows Brimstone and Obel are mortal enemies.”

Just as he said, no one was unaware of the rift between their houses since Linaria’s mother, the Lady of Brimstone, married Dante of House Obel.

“There’s no need for family feuds to carry over to the younger generation. I apologize, Your Highness, but I have much to discuss with my cousin, whom I haven’t seen in a long time. I hope you’ll understand.”

Linaria thought to herself:

To others, it might have looked like she was being courted by two popular men, but both of them were full of malice.

Auguste and Maximilian had one thing in common:

They had both been rejected by Linaria.

‘So this is how they repay a grudge. Now I’m the center of attention.’

As the two men continued their subtle power struggle, Linaria made up her mind.

‘If I have to choose, Auguste is the safer option—less scandal.’

They’d never even had a proper conversation before, but still, they were related by blood.

Better to dance with her cousin than the Crown Prince. Fewer stares that way.

‘I’d rather turn both of them down, but that would only cause more trouble. And add fuel to gossip. The safer choice is better.’

Linaria was about to use their blood relation as an excuse to choose Auguste—

—if only Maximilian hadn’t grabbed her wrist.

“The Lady and I are about to become quite close, so I’ll leave the touching family reunion for another time.”

His tone was indifferent, but his words were explosive.

Auguste was visibly taken aback.

Maximilian didn’t miss his chance and forcefully pulled Linaria away.

“What on earth are you thinking? Saying we’re going to be ‘quite close’?”

“The music’s starting.”

Maximilian should’ve been grateful they were still in the banquet hall.

Otherwise, she would’ve slapped him across the face.

Her hand tensed, but with so many watching, she had to hold back.

Now on the dance floor, she had no choice but to begin the first dance with him.

“At last, I get to see your face. I told you before, didn’t I? That we’d meet again.”

Linaria had all but forgotten that conversation.

But clearly, Maximilian had not.

“When did you even have time to meet with Prince Brimstone?”

He suddenly brought up Auguste, causing Linaria to give him a baffled look.

There were many young ladies who tried to catch Auguste’s attention.

With his good looks, gentle demeanor, and status as heir to a dukedom, it was no wonder he was popular.

And now, he was being praised as a war hero—his popularity had skyrocketed.

He was currently dancing with one of the many women who surrounded him.

Judging by the mood, it seemed he’d agreed to dance with all of them.

It was like they were waiting in line with tickets in hand.

‘The Tower Lord was wrong.’

It was Auguste who should’ve been wearing a “closed for business” sign.

“Don’t tell me you told that lie just because you wanted to talk about Prince Brimstone?”

“Lie? When did I lie?”

“You said we’re going to be ‘quite close.’ I’d hate to think Your Highness lacks enough education to understand what that means. I’d regret not bringing a dictionary.”

Pfft.

Maximilian chuckled, as if he’d just heard a good joke.

Did he want to be treated like an idiot?

“Let’s continue the conversation we didn’t finish last time. You said you didn’t like the gift. Then allow me to give you a proper one.”

“A ‘special relationship’ and an ‘unfinished conversation’…”

The two topics didn’t seem connected.

But judging by his persistent behavior, Linaria could guess what he meant by “gift.”

“My…”

Crunch–

“……!”

Linaria stomped on Maximilian’s foot.

“It’s my first time at a banquet. I must’ve been nervous.”

Of course, she did it on purpose.

“What did you just say?”

Still grinding her heel into his foot, Linaria asked expressionlessly.

As if she hadn’t just stepped on someone else’s toes.

Maximilian should’ve been thankful to her.

Because she was exercising extreme restraint by not choking him for trying to say things like “my wife,” “marriage,” or “Crown Princess.”

‘That conversation should’ve ended with the Emperor and my father. Why is he bringing it up again?’

Because he loved her?

A ridiculous thought.

This was a man who killed his own father because he wasn’t charming enough, who ruined lives without a second thought.

She continued pressing her foot into him, wishing his skin would tear and fester, when—

Boom!

A loud explosion shook the hall like an earthquake.

Startled, the orchestra stopped playing. The nobles on the dance floor froze awkwardly.

Maximilian, still having his foot stepped on, scowled in displeasure.

The Empress leaned in to whisper something to the Emperor.

“Do not stop the music.”

The Emperor’s command came as the Empress straightened her back and faced forward again.

“This applies from now on. No matter what happens, the music must not stop. If this happens again, I’ll personally behead the one responsible.”

It was a harsh punishment.

But as the Emperor and the contractor of the Divine Beast of Light, no one dared object. Only a soft murmur rippled through the crowd.

Boom!

Another explosion, louder than before.

Then—

“Your Majesty! There’s unidentified smoke rising near the Empress’s palace! We haven’t located the intruder, but it’s clear a hostile force has infiltrated the palace!”

A royal knight rushed in with a report.

It was an ominous situation.

“Could this be a terrorist attack?”

“Is it revenge from the foreigners?”

“Are they planning to massacre everyone in the hall…?!”

Fear crept in, and people began to scream quietly.

Wipe them all out at once.

That was, ironically, a tactic Auguste had used on the battlefield.

So someone’s guess now sounded frighteningly plausible.

Panic spread rapidly.

But still, the orchestra kept playing.

They couldn’t stop even if they wanted to. Death felt inevitable either way. The elegant 3/4 melody continued.

Meanwhile, the Emperor slipped away with the Empress.

Her safety clearly mattered more than anyone else’s.

“Out of the way, move!”

“Ow! Don’t step on me!”

The Emperor fleeing with only the Empress.

Nobles shouting and pushing to escape first.

Combined with the music still playing, it felt like a scene from a dark comedy.

“If too many people try to leave at once, it’s even more dangerous! Please remain calm!”

The one who stepped up to restore order was none other than Auguste. No one had asked him to—he volunteered.

And as things grew chaotic, Maximilian shielded Linaria with his body.

They had bumped into each other due to the crowd.

Tap.

But she pushed him away.

“If you want to play the gentleman, do it with someone else.”

Trying to imitate his famously romantic father?

Linaria recoiled in disgust and quickly distanced herself from Maximilian.

Though Auguste and the royal knights had taken the lead, it wasn’t enough to control the crowd.

Thanks to that, Linaria blended in easily with other young ladies dressed like her, slipping away from Maximilian’s grasp.

As soon as she was free, she took off her glove and threw it on the ground.

“Disgusting.”

If she could, she would’ve torn off the skin he touched.

Instead, she could only hope that the glove would be trampled into unrecognizable shreds.

Naturally slipping out, the first thing Linaria did was check to see if she was being followed.

‘Good thing I know the palace layout inside and out.’

Thanks to that, reaching the place where Kaas was being held wasn’t difficult.

The problem was: where would Kaas be right now?

‘If he’s used this opportunity to try escaping again, then he hasn’t given up on life yet. If not…’

Then he’d already broken, becoming Maximilian’s loyal dog.

Linaria moved cautiously. The first place she headed was the likely escape route Kaas would’ve taken.

And before long—

Huff, huff.

She heard a man’s ragged breathing.

Turning her head, she saw golden hair glowing like gathered moonlight.

His appearance was messy, but it didn’t dim his looks.

Bent over and staggering forward, he looked unsteady.

But Linaria didn’t care.

He was escaping.

He still hated Maximilian.

‘That’s enough.’

Linaria finally grabbed his trembling shoulder.

Her fair, bare hands were now dirty, but she didn’t mind.

“Escaping alone is hard, isn’t it?”

Startled, he looked up.

“I told you, didn’t I? I’d get you out of here.”

Since entering the palace, Linaria hadn’t smiled once—but now she did, backlit by moonlight.

“When I make a promise, I always keep it.”

It was a smile more radiant than the moon itself.