After the Duel between the Carlos family and the Barrett family, the scheming and intrigue of the aristocratic banquet resumed as normal.
Duels between smaller families continued one after another.
Even the Austin family engaged in a so-called "friendly match" with a certain viscount's family.
Unfortunately for the viscount, he personally took the field and was beaten soundly by Ren's Elemental HERO, leaving in disgrace.
That said, compared to the status-shaking match between the Carlos and Barrett families, all the later duels were mere small skirmishes.
When the Seth siblings arrived later and heard that the much-maligned Villy Barrett had provoked Aisha only to be hit with a thirty-hit Berserker Soul, they both praised her in unison.
Of course, the only nobles who openly dared to praise that match were the two from a ducal house, whose status outranked the marquis.
As for Aisha Carlos, she seemed to have been completely latched onto by the twelve-year-old princess.
"Hey, hey, hey, Aisha, how can I summon Duel Monsters as cute as yours?"
Now seeing Aisha as her guide, Nova had finally developed an interest in Dueling—provided she could also summon cute monsters.
"Your Highness, you're so cute, you'll definitely be able to."
With the little princess clinging to her arm and peppering her with questions, Aisha could only answer with slightly flattering words.
It wasn't as if she only wanted to summon Kuriboh and Mokey Mokey. If possible, who wouldn't want to summon a monster that was both cool and powerful?
"Then until I manage to summon one, you have to stay with me, Aisha."
"Eh… until you summon one? Then, Nova, when do you plan to summon a monster?"
The princess pressed a finger to her chin and thought for a moment.
"Soonest? Tonight~"
"If it's tonight, I can keep you company."
Aisha secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Latest? Next year! Hehehe~"
"Please make it sooner!"
If the royal family wanted to, they could easily find excuses to keep Aisha here for a whole year.
Unaware of the danger her words carried, Nova was still just an innocent little girl—but Miles had no desire to deal with such a role.
"I need time to mentally prepare, and with so many people here, I get nervous."
"Uh… so you mean?"
"Come to my room… tonight you can sleep with me."
"This…"
The pace was far too self-willed; clearly, the princess was the type born into power and spoiled by her family, which had made her headstrong.
Still, compared to Villy Barrett, the princess was at least an adorable little girl—her small acts of willfulness weren't so unpleasant.
Glancing at her wristwatch, Alice lightly pushed Aisha's shoulder, a teasing smile like she was selling off her sister.
"The banquet's almost over anyway—tonight I'll loan my sister to Your Highness. You girls get along well, okay~"
"Sis!"
Before Aisha could agree, she was pushed forward by her sister, casting a helpless glance back at Alice.
"What's the big deal?" Alice whispered in her ear.
"She's not a prince—what are you afraid she'll do? Worst case, if she did do something, it'd practically be a royal marriage alliance!"
That "do something" tied to "marriage alliance" didn't sound decent at all.
The little princess was only twelve!
"Just think of it as fulfilling her wish. She has Spirit Eyes but can't duel because of childhood trauma—so pitiful… Look at me, even if I wanted to duel, without Spirit Eyes, there's nothing I could do. So sad…"
If anyone in the world could talk Aisha into something, Alice was second to none.
Not only did she use the princess's wish as leverage, but she ended with the self-pity card about her own lack of Spirit Eyes—leaving Aisha no room to refuse.
"Fine, sis, I get it. Don't be sad."
"Hehe, then go with Her Highness. I'll head back to the residence on my own. Have a nice evening~"
With a smile, Alice 'sent off' Aisha for the Carlos family's future, then, without another word, slipped away without staying for the banquet's close.
After the third princess departed, First Prince Homar Kaiser soon declared the welcoming banquet concluded.
The king himself never appeared throughout the banquet. It seemed the aging monarch was already planning to gradually transfer authority to the first prince in the coming years.
The palace banquet ended, but many taverns in the royal capital still glowed with light.
After all, in such a banquet of scheming nobles, few could truly eat or drink their fill.
Many would pair up in twos or threes after dispersing, heading straight to a tavern for a more relaxed drink.
The royal capital's night market was one of its special features—its true bustle lasting well into the second half of the night.
"Damn it, I can't believe this happened to me!"
In a remote alley, with no one to meet and no one to invite, Villy Barrett drank alone.
Today was the unluckiest day of his life—never had he been so humiliated.
To lose to a little girl from the Carlos barony, and to have the forced engagement annulled by a duel wager…
With both pride and face lost, Villy drowned his sorrows in liquor.
"Old man, another drink!"
"Sir, you've already had a lot. Why not call it a night?"
The honest, kindly tavern owner hurried over to dissuade him.
An elderly man with white hair and beard, running the tavern alone in retirement, didn't know what had happened to Villy. However, after so many years in business, he had his principles.
If Villy kept drinking like this, alone, he'd drink himself to death in the tavern.
For the customer's safety, the owner couldn't just let him go on.
But the old man could never have guessed that his kindness would bring disaster upon himself.
"You dare lecture me, too?!"
As if finding an outlet for all his pent-up anger, the enraged Villy Barrett smashed the glass in his hand down on the owner's head.
Crash—!
The piercing shatter of glass rang through the empty, aged tavern.
Blood flowed, and with the old man collapsing unconscious, the scene was nothing short of tragic.
...
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