TMLOH 66

Chapter : 66

The “Crown Prince’s Childhood Friends Social Exchange Tea Party” held in the main hall of the Crown Prince’s palace was as extravagant as its name.

Since I was the host, I had arrived early, and I couldn’t stop myself from gasping in awe as I looked around the hall.

“Wow…”

The Crown Prince’s main hall was astonishingly high, grand, and vast—large enough to host any kind of state event without issue.

The hall was adorned with diamond decorations and fresh white and pale blue flowers that carried the refreshing brilliance of early summer.

They’re all real flowers…!

The crystal chandelier hanging overhead sparkled dazzlingly.

How much must that cost?

So this is what it looks like when royals, exempt from taxes, throw money around? No, wait—since they’re royals, they’re the ones collecting taxes.

Wow. This is how royals spend the taxes they’ve collected!

“Kek.”

Seeing this ostentatious display of wealth made me feel ashamed of my past dreams—things like swimming in a pile of gold coins or firing cash cannons to make it rain banknotes.

“From now on, my dream is tax exemption.”

Lesson learned.

Wealth wasn’t just about covering everything in gold!

Clenching both fists with determination at my new dream, I noticed the twins at the neighboring table giving me a strange look.

“House Halbern is already a founding family, so they’re tax-exempt by default.”

“…!”

No way.

“Then—then if I win first prize in the lottery, I won’t get taxed?”

“That’s a different kind of tax. You’d still get deducted.”

“Ugh.”

So much for that.

“Even if they don’t pay taxes, the Five Grand Dukes still have mandatory contributions and levies.”

“But there are plenty of benefits too. Businesses run by the Five Grand Dukes—up to three of them—are exempt from taxes if they’re under a certain scale.”

“Really? Should we start a business?”

Noel brightened instantly.

“Arrellellel, if you’re starting a business, do it with us.”

“If you’re going into business, it’s gotta be Sperom!”

The twins’ eyes gleamed like predators closing in on prey, and I was just about to start brainstorming potential business ideas when—

“Arellin!”

That familiar voice—Pession’s—rang across the hall.

Like a hound searching for its master, Pession entered the hall and went straight for Arellin.

“Arellin!”

His eyes were always fixed on the same person. Anyone standing nearby couldn’t help but notice how unwaveringly his gaze clung to just one figure.

“I missed you!”

He rushed up and clung to Arellin, and only then did he feel at ease.

The anxiety, restlessness, irritation, anger, weariness, and boredom—all of it melted away.

For Pession, the hardest part of the past week wasn’t his packed schedule.

It was not being able to see Arellin.

Life felt hollow, time dragged, and each day grew dull and colorless.

If he said that one week felt like a year, would people laugh at him?

“Pession, it’s not just the two of us here. People are watching.”

“What does that matter?”

“It matters a lot.”

Arellin frowned as she pulled herself free from his embrace. Pession’s heart sank.

“We haven’t seen each other in a week.”

“Has it been that long?”

“Didn’t you miss me?”

“…”

Arellin faltered.

So she really didn’t miss me.

He often felt the gap between their feelings at moments like this, and though it stung, he couldn’t show it. He couldn’t help the bitterness either.

“Did the preparations go well?”

“Yes. The twins helped me.”

“The twins… helped?”

Pession’s irritation flared ever so slightly.

“Yes. I was going to do it alone, but it just ended up that way.”

I wanted to be the one to help.

Pession swallowed his annoyance.

Now that he thought about it, the grinning twins standing smugly behind Arellin finally came into focus.

“Your Highness, what about us? Were we invisible?”

“Do you like Arellirin that much?”

Their eyes sparkled with the glee of finding something to tease him about, but Pession only cared about one thing.

“Step away from Arellin.”

“…?”

“You’re standing too close.”

The mischievous twins were always stuck to Arellin. They thought it was unfair, but at the same time, Pession’s sharp reaction was strangely new and baffling.

What’s this about? Noel, do you get it?

No idea. Ciel, do you?

Maybe Harun knows? They glanced at the Muibisk table, only to see Harun keeping his distance, clearly unwilling to get involved in this scene.

“What’s with this feeling?”

“Exactly what I was thinking.”

While the twins busied themselves with their inner exploration of this newfound “unfairness,” Arellin glanced at Pession with a troubled look.

For some reason, he seemed more prickly than usual—like a hedgehog bristling with spikes.

“Pession, did you prepare well?”

“Of course!”

In truth, Pession hadn’t lifted a finger. Without seeing Arellin, he’d had no motivation at all. Fortunately, the palace staff had handled everything flawlessly, so he could still stand tall.

“You’ve been keeping up with your training, right?”

“Uh—ugh.”

“You didn’t skip, did you?”

“…I did train.”

So you didn’t.

Watching his eyes dart guiltily, Arellin could tell at once.

Pession laughed. Arellin had no talent for lying. The way she glanced nervously at him only lifted his mood.

Just knowing she cared about him—even that alone made him feel absurdly happy, though a part of him despised how easily his emotions swayed.

But still—happy was happy.

“Be ready after the tea party.”

“R—ready? For what?”

Arellin paled.

“I’m doomed.”

Watching her turn ashen, Pession beamed.

I’d just received a murder notice.

What on earth is he planning that I need to be “ready” for?

The thought was chilling.

I was supposed to greet the guests soon, but my mind was wandering through some far-off galaxy.

“Arellin, pull yourself together.”

“Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!”

Before the guests, Empress Azeni appeared first.

She was the true host of this tea party.

“You’ve all worked hard with the preparations. Enjoy yourselves fully today.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Bathed in gazes of admiration, respect, and awe, the empress gave a graceful smile.

“The guests have arrived.”

One by one, guests holding invitations began to file in.

“Thank you for inviting us, Your Majesty, Your Highness.”

They paid their respects to the real hosts—the empress and the crown prince—before taking their designated seats.

Once everyone had arrived, they would enjoy the tea and refreshments offered by the Empress Azeni and Crown Prince Pession.

That was the program for Part 1 of the tea party.

“Guests are entering.”

Nobles of all kinds filled the hall, bowing properly as they took their places.

Among them were people from specialized fields, the very geniuses Pession had accepted as his childhood companions.

“It’s been a while since I attended such a tea party.”

“What reason would a mage have to come to a tea party?”

There were renowned magicians from the Tower.

“Scholars rarely get called to these kinds of gatherings. Haha, but thanks to my disciple, I’m getting spoiled.”

“Indeed.”

There were famous scholars of the Golden Tower, and distinguished knights from many orders.

Even those without noble titles or ranks held such ability and reputation that they lost nothing in comparison.

Wow, wasn’t that man just in last week’s issue of the Albrecht Times?

I remembered glimpsing it in Mehen’s office—he subscribed to the paper.

That one published some paper, I think, and that one was hailed as some sort of genius… What were their names again?

I was straining to remember when—

Scrrrk.

The sound of chairs scraping filled the hall as knights everywhere suddenly stood up.

“Grandmaster Quayon!”

An imposing figure strode in, wearing the formal attire of the Muibisk dukedom. The knights, each from different orders, saluted him with crisp, reverent precision.

“It is an honor to meet you, my lord!”

It was the Duke of Muibisk, the head of the military house.

The one hailed as the pinnacle of the sword—the Grandmaster himself.

Radiating a powerful presence, the Duke smiled at the knights who gazed at him with eyes full of longing.

“Haha. I see many familiar faces gathered. But I’m just here as a guest, so you should all relax and enjoy yourselves.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Well then, let’s talk if the chance arises.”

Just receiving a word from him was enough to move some of the knights to tears, as if it were the greatest honor of their lives.

The duke, smiling kindly as if used to this, made his way to the seat of honor.

So that’s Harun’s father.

Our eyes met for the briefest moment.

“…?”