The royal ball of Adolevit was held only a few times a year, and nobles travelled to great lengths to secure a spot at the event.
For provincial nobles, gaining entry to the ball almost guaranteed a meteoric rise in status. Meanwhile, high-ranking nobles attended the ball to forge connections, expand their networks, or secure business opportunities.
Moreover, today's ball was particularly significant, as it was being held to celebrate the birthday of Queen Hong Se-Ryu Adolevit. This made it even more prestigious, as most of Adolevit's high-ranking nobles were expected to attend.
Murmur, murmur…
Hundreds of nobles gathered in the ballroom, forming small groups and engaging in conversations.
As Hong Bi-Yeon stepped into the ballroom, she gulped nervously.
Bang!
As if to command everyone's attention, countless colorful lights shone on Hong Bi-Yeon the moment she made her entrance.
The hum of chatter abruptly ceased.
Hong Bi-Yeon ascended the platform in the ballroom, saying nothing as she silently made her way to the seat reserved exclusively for royalty.
At this moment, she was undoubtedly the most beautiful person in the room. The young noblewomen, who had adorned themselves with the most extravagant and glamorous outfits, felt ashamed and quietly shrank back.
Despite piling on elaborate accessories, they still couldn't compare to Hong Bi-Yeon, who was wearing the bare minimum of adornments yet appeared far more elegant.
Her silver gown trailed along the floor as she walked slowly, the magically enhanced fabric moving as if it were gently rippling in the wind.
Finally, as Hong Bi-Yeon took her seat at the royal dais, the lights dimmed, and the lively atmosphere of the ballroom returned to normal.
As nobles resumed their conversations, Hong Bi-Yeon took a moment to observe her seating position.
She was seated at the queen's right-hand side, in the second seat.
The first seat on the queen's right belonged to none other than Hong Bi-Yeon's biological mother, Hong Yi-El, a renowned magic professor from Stella Academy, famously nicknamed the 'Silver Thorn.'
Her complexion did not look good.
"You've arrived, my daughter."
Hong Bi-Yeon bowed her head slightly.
"Yes, Mother."
"My proud daughter. You're doing well. Today, I'm looking forward to seeing you shine brilliantly once again."
"… Of course."
Hong Yi-El was sweating slightly as she repeatedly reminded and encouraged Hong Bi-Yeon. She had not yet let go of her ambitions for her daughter's rise to power.
From a young age, Hong Yi-El had nurtured Hong Bi-Yeon's talent by force… feeding her flames, showering her with fire, and awakening her potential through harsh methods. To some, she might be considered the most ruthless of mothers. Yet, for some reason, Hong Bi-Yeon couldn't bring herself to resent her.
'She looks worse than the last time I saw her...'
Hong Yi-El had retired from all her teaching positions and left Stella Academy to return to the royal palace.
Originally, her role as a professor at Stella had been to keep a close eye on Hong Bi-Yeon and mold her into someone worthy of becoming a queen. However, as Baek Yu-Seol began to intervene, Hong Yi-El's influence gradually diminished.
Even though Hong Bi-Yeon was not developing exactly as her mother had envisioned, she was growing into a more remarkable and admirable queen-like figure. Content with this, Hong Yi-El had willingly stepped back and returned to the palace.
… Perhaps, she was quietly awaiting the inevitable approach of death.
Even though she had abandoned her talents and magic, Hong Yi-El would not live past the age of forty.
She could not overcome the curse. She lacked the qualifications to overcome it… and to inherit the throne.
Thus, Hong Yi-El wished, at the very least, for her daughter to live a long life…
And that was why she had been so harsh on her during her childhood.
Now, Hong Bi-Yeon understood everything. If it hadn't been for her mother, if her mother hadn't caused her such pain… there would be no Hong Bi-Yeon as she was today.
"Mother."
When Hong Bi-Yeon gently took Hong Yi-El's hand, her mother's eyes widened in surprise.
"You seem unwell... I brought a good medicine for you."
When Hong Bi-Yeon released her mother's hand and nodded, Hong Yi-El looked down at her palm. Resting there was a translucent, blue crystal sphere.
'This is my gift for receiving your invitation,' The orb, which Eisel had casually handed over as if it were nothing special, contained the remarkable power of the Blue Winter Moon.
Even someone like Baek Yu-Seol couldn't create something like this. Though he had inherited the power of Blue Winter Moon, he couldn't fully utilize its potential.
But Eisel, who had embraced the blessing of Blue Winter Moon more completely and was a genius in cold attribute magic, could accomplish it.
She had labored for days to create this, though she went to great lengths to ensure no one would discover her effort. She had acted as though she made it casually.
This gift from Eisel… was the finest elixir the Adolevit royal family would pay a fortune to obtain.
With this elixir, her mother's weakening condition could be eased, potentially extending her life span.
"You… Where on earth did you…?"
Hong Yi-El immediately recognized its value and looked at her daughter with wide eyes. Hong Bi-Yeon, her face stiff, only nodded in response.
But her mother couldn't bring herself to accept it so easily.
"No. This is something you must take."
"… Mother?"
"I won't last much longer anyway. What's more important is that you take this and live longer, long enough to inherit the throne…"
"Mother."
Hong Bi-Yeon interrupted her mother's words.
It was a gesture of defiance… a kind of rudeness she had never once shown in her entire life. The realization made her heart sink.
Had she ever, even once, defied her mother until now?
But she didn't let her fear show. Instead, she softly grasped her mother's hand and whispered in a quiet, firm voice.
"…Mother. I'm fine."
"W-What…?"
A gentle warmth radiated from Hong Bi-Yeon's fingertips as she held her mother's hand.
For the Adolevit family, cursed to have flames that always burned fiercely and uncontrollably, this warmth was an extraordinary and rare sensation.
The moment Hong Yi-El felt that warmth, she immediately realized what it meant about Hong Bi-Yeon's condition.
"My daughter… could it be…?"
As Hong Bi-Yeon confidently nodded with a smile, Hong Yi-El clutched her mouth with trembling hands, her entire body shaking.
"My God… how is this possible…?"
Her daughter had overcome the curse on her own, without inheriting the throne.
It was an unprecedented feat in the thousand-year history of Adolevit.
Tears welled up in Hong Yi-El's eyes, rendering her speechless. It was a moment she had waited for her entire life:
For her daughter to break free from the accursed chains of Adolevit's curse.
She had done everything in her power to place her daughter on the throne, believing it to be the only way for her to escape the curse. Yet, she had resigned herself to the fact that she would die before witnessing that outcome.
Her death would have been filled with regret, not knowing what had become of her daughter.
But now…
"…I can die without any regrets."
Even if God were to strike her down this very moment, Hong Yi-El was ready to embrace death without hesitation.
Even if eternal damnation awaited her in the afterlife, as long as her daughter could continue living in this world, she would endure it all without complaint.
Hong Bi-Yeon wanted to tell her mother not to say such defeatist things, but the words wouldn't come out.
It felt too disrespectful to reprimand her mother for expressing such sentiments. Doing so would wound her pride, and Hong Bi-Yeon couldn't bring herself to do that.
As Hong Bi-Yeon hesitated, unsure of what to say, a sudden bang echoed through the hall.
A spotlight illuminated a specific area, drawing all attention toward it… just as it had when Hong Bi-Yeon made her entrance.
'…Hong Si-Hwa.'
Princess Hong Si-Hwa, dressed in a bright red gown as vivid as blood, walked onto the platform with her signature alluring smile and took the seat right next to the Queen's.
Though two seats separated her from Hong Bi-Yeon, everyone in the ballroom knew the truth.
The two princesses were locked in a fierce, almost deadly competition to inherit the throne.
… However, the majority believed that Hong Si-Hwa would become the next queen.
The nobles weren't fools. They knew that public opinion favored Hong Si-Hwa, and they assumed that Princess Hong Bi-Yeon was well aware of this.
Surely, Hong Bi-Yeon must have come thoroughly prepared.
Perhaps by leveraging the royal privilege to invite five prominent figures to the ball, she might have brought along some heavyweights to her side.
'I heard Princess Hong Bi-Yeon has close ties with the Alterisha Department in the Alchemy Castle.'
'She could bring Professor Alterisha herself…"'
'Or perhaps the 'Golden Alchemist,' Halsecoden. Just one word from him could shake the entire field of magical studies.'
'Or maybe someone from the Pung Empire…'
'Hmm…'
There wasn't a single noble present who didn't know that this year's Hong Bi-Yeon was different from last year's.
Since enrolling at Stella Academy, she had tirelessly built connections, many of which included influential individuals. Nobles had heard enough whispers about her rising network.
Who might she have brought today?
Everyone watched Hong Bi-Yeon's seat with a mix of tension and curiosity.
Those invited by the royals were granted the privilege of sitting at a special round table on the platform. The high-profile guests invited by Hong Si-Hwa were already seated.
'… They're late.'
Meanwhile, two of Hong Bi-Yeon's invitees had already arrived. One was indeed Alterisha, as many had predicted. The other was Black Matale, a descendant of the Pirate King who had recently been instrumental in driving Adolevit's GDP growth.
Alterisha looked nervous ad she glanced around and finally fixed her gaze somewhere specific.
Following her line of sight, everyone's attention turned in that direction.
"…What's this?"
"Is that Baek Yu-Seol?"
"And next to him…"
"Just commoners, aren't they?"
"And that one… isn't she…?"
"… The child of the traitor, Morph."
As Baek Yu-Seol, Flame, and Eisel made their entrance, the ballroom erupted into a flurry of murmurs. While Baek Yu-Seol's appearance was somewhat expected, given his recent rise in prominence, the presence of Flame and Eisel was far more surprising.
They had no significant influence to speak of.
Though Flame was rumored to be a genius with the potential to become the next Class 9 Grand Mage, that was a future yet unrealized.
In a world filled with countless prodigies who failed to surpass the wall of the Class 9 threshold, the difference between possessing the potential for such greatness and actually achieving it was as vast as heaven and earth.
And Eisel?
To bring her here was madness. Everyone knew her father had once caused significant damage to Adolevit's military, nearly destabilizing the entire nation. Surely Princess Hong Bi-Yeon was aware of that.
"…The princess must have lost her mind."
"Indeed. How else could she have brought commoners and the child of a traitor to this event?"
"Well, it works in our favor. This just solidifies Princess Hong Si-Hwa's claim to the throne."
"Ridiculous. People were saying recently that Princess Hong Bi-Yeon's rise was almost terrifying. Was that all a lie? If she's resorting to bringing commoners, how desperate must she be?"
The nobles whispered among themselves, their words dripping with scorn. Though they were careful not to let Hong Bi-Yeon hear.
Of course, even if she couldn't hear their exact words, Hong Bi-Yeon was fully aware of the contempt directed at her.
'It doesn't matter.'
She had expected this. She remained unfazed.
As Flame took her seat in the special section, she simply smiled brightly, showing no signs of discomfort. Eisel, on the other hand, had a slightly stiff expression, but she didn't appear overly stressed.
Both of them had grown accustomed to being criticized, having built a tolerance to such treatment.
As the nobles' murmurs grew louder, filling the ballroom with disdainful chatter, suddenly—
"Silence."
Boom.
A suffocating pressure descended upon the room as if the very air had collapsed. Instantly, all the nobles fell silent.
"Filthy noise greets me the moment I arrive."
The sound of heels clicking on the floor echoed first, followed by a sudden bang! as a spotlight turned on, illuminating the figure of a woman.
This time, it wasn't dozens of lights shining upon her.
Instead, every other light in the ballroom went dark, leaving only a single spotlight to follow her.
It was the Queen, Hong Se-Ryu.
Her expression twisted in disapproval, clearly displeased with the atmosphere in the room.
"This pointless use of excessive lighting is growing tiresome."
With those words, she openly mocked Adolevit's long-standing traditions and formalities, before taking her seat at the center of the dais.
With a simple snap of her fingers, the musicians who had been waiting on the stage began playing in unison.
In an instant, the gossip and criticism were replaced by the cheerful sound of music, filling the ballroom.
Despite it being her birthday, the Queen gave no celebratory speech or remarks.
It wasn't because she had nothing to say… it was because she had no interest in engaging with those she deemed foul-mouthed.
And perhaps, as she was nearing retirement, she simply wished for her final moments to pass quietly.
As the music started, nobles began pairing up one by one, gathering in the center of the ballroom to dance.
Naturally, young male nobles ascended the platform, making their way toward the royals and the guests who had been invited by them.
The majority of the male nobles gathered in front of Hong Si-Hwa's seat.
"Princess, would you do me the honor of a dance?"
"No, please dance with me…"
They were members of the faction supporting Princess Hong Si-Hwa.
However, for some reason, Hong Si-Hwa simply sat in her seat, smiling serenely, refusing to dance with anyone.
'She danced so enthusiastically last year…'
Hong Bi-Yeon found it strange but didn't have time to dwell on it.
That was because the next largest group of male nobles had gathered in front of her seat.
Though they were not affiliated with any particular faction, they were purely drawn to Hong Bi-Yeon's beauty, like bees to a flower.
She wanted to dance with Baek Yu-Seol, but that wasn't an option.
To sway the few neutral nobles to her side, she needed to form connections with them first.
"Lady, may I have this dance?"
"Wh-what? Me? Are you asking me?"
Even Alterisha had a fair number of nobles approaching her. As a key figure in the economic and social landscape of Aether World, her influence was immense.
Being young and beautiful on top of that, she naturally attracted men from various factions who sought her favor.
Meanwhile, Flame and Eisel exchanged sly grins as they observed the scene.
"Wanna dance with me?"
"Sounds fun!"
Both of them were stunningly beautiful, captivating enough to draw any man's attention, yet no noble dared approach them.
The fear of public judgment held them back. Dancing with the child of the traitor Morph would undoubtedly draw scrutiny and criticism from other nobles.
Knowing this, Flame and Eisel laughed playfully and headed to the center of the ballroom together.
Judgment? Who cares about such things?
They had known from the beginning that attending this event would invite criticism.
With confidence, Flame and Eisel strode through the ballroom, mingling with the nobles without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Baek Yu-Seol found himself in an unexpected predicament, unable to move.
"Hello, Baek Yu-Seol,"
As Hong Bi-Yeon left to dance with another noble, Princess Hong Si-Hwa rose from her seat and approached him.
Extending her hand, she said.
"How about it? Would you dance with me?"
The ballroom erupted into a frenzy once again.
Typically, it was customary for a gentleman to be the one to invite a lady to dance. It was a matter of basic manners and common sense.
For a lady to extend the invitation herself was unusual. But for Princess Hong Si-Hwa to do so? That was even more shocking.
'Princess Hong Si-Hwa asked Baek Yu-Seol to dance?'
'Well, it makes sense. Baek Yu-Seol holds the position of Honorary Grand Mage…'
'It's clear… she's trying to take him from Princess Hong Bi-Yeon's side.'
Baek Yu-Seol wasn't oblivious to the implications of this gesture. He could easily predict what everyone was thinking.
Yet, he took Hong Si-Hwa's hand and stood up.
"Of course, Princess."
'He… he really took her hand!'
'Baek Yu-Seol must understand the significance of this. There's no way he doesn't.'
'What could his intentions be?'
The nobles buzzed with speculation about Baek Yu-Seol's actions.
However, in reality, Baek Yu-Seol wasn't thinking much about it.
Alterisha, Flame, and Eisel - all potential dance partners - had already left to do their own thing, and Hong Bi-Yeon was also unavailable.
Grabbing any random lady on the street to ask for a dance would have been awkward, so Baek Yu-Seol had remained seated. But now that a lady had come to him first and asked to dance, why bother refusing?
'But why is everyone making such a fuss?'
He couldn't understand why dancing once was causing such a commotion, but Baek Yu-Seol didn't particularly care.
"Phew, I'm glad you didn't refuse," Hong Si-Hwa said with a chuckle, leading him to the center of the ballroom.
As they moved, she cast a sly glance toward Hong Bi-Yeon.
Hong Bi-Yeon's face was flushed with anger, but with her current dance partner occupying her, she was unable to intervene. There was nothing she could do but watch.
'Baek Yu-Seol…'
At that moment, Baek Yu-Seol felt a chill run down his spine, an unsettling sensation that sharpened his senses.
'What was that? A dark mage?'
Instinctively, he activated his Sentient Spec to assess the situation.
…But of course, there was no trace of a dark mage in the ballroom.