Crown Prince's Banquet (2)

Queen Seria strutted towards her son and showed a blooming smile on her face. "I'm glad you've come back safely, my son."

Ignis bowed his head to respect his Queen Mother, but there was no smile on his face. "Thank you for the warm greeting, Queen Mother."

Queen Seria's smile stiffed, then turned bitter. She realized the nonchalant attitude of her first son, and she also knew the cause of it.

Crown Prince Ignis had insisted his Queen Mother execute Prince Corvus in the name of justice for his sin because Corvus did a regicide by killing the King and Princess Serena, his beloved little sister.

Queen Seria also got pressure from other nobles to kill her second son because he was too dangerous and might harm other people inside the palace.

But how could a mother execute her own son for a sin that he couldn't control? Locking Corvus up there was the only way for him to live, free from the urban myth and slander surrounding him.

Queen Seria understood Ignis's anger and resentment towards her softness and bias, which created this lukewarm attitude between mother and son.

"My son, you are twenty-four years old now. It is time for you to find a woman of your choice. I've invited almost every young noblewomen from the age of eighteen up to thirty. Maybe you will fancy someone here."

Ignis scoffed as if he just heard something funny. "I will never marry until you kill that man."

Ignis said that in front of silent guests who listened to everything. Indeed, it was well known that Crown Prince Ignis hated his brother so much that he vowed to execute his brother when he became the new king.

However, because everyone also saw Prince Corvus as the cursed monster that would eat their children at night, they also took side with Prince Ignis.

It was only Queen Seria who insisted on holding the throne until Ignis swore he wouldn't kill his brother. "My son, you know that you should promise to let him live when you become the king. Or else, I will never hand you the throne."

"Whatever then, I don't need that throne anyway," Ignis scoffed and turned his head.

The guests were watching everything in silence, though they were actually taking sides with Prince Ignis. The Prince turned his back to observe the tense noble guests, especially the noblewomen.

All of them tensed up, trying their best to look presentable in front of Prince Ignis, but Ignis only looked at them with disgust, 'Detestable, I can't even smell anything other than their nauseating perfumes.'

"So, my son, do you fancy anyone here?" Queen Seria stepped to stand side by side with her son, "They are young and would gladly accept your invitation for a dance."

Prince Ignis truthfully didn't want to pick anyone. He had intended to fight his Queen Mother's pressure to marry by choosing the worst candidate in this banquet. But now, he didn't need to find the worst candidate because he knew that girl already.

"I can pick any girl in this banquet, right?" Ignis asked

"Of course, my son! As long as you pick any girl here, then you can take her as your partner for the whole banquet!" Queen Seria was excited when she heard that his son intended to take someone here.

She was grateful enough if Ignis took anyone. 'Even if it's just a small barony, I will take her! Because at this point, as long as Ignis married a woman, everything is acceptable."

Ignis swaggered past the young noblewomen whose eyes sparkled whenever Prince Ignis came to them and then dimmed when the Prince passed them. Prince Ignis ignored the Young Miss of Duchy Tierne, Young Countess of Lassand, and even the beautiful Cecilia of Merth Duchy.

Ignis was indifferent to all these women. Instead, he walked to one specific direction at the back of the banquet, where the maidservants gathered to prepare more snack for the nobles.

There was a young maid, probably less than twenty years old. She was busy wiping a wine glass and didn't seem to pay attention to the Crown prince nor the current tense atmosphere.

Ignis had a malicious smile plastered on his face, like a hunter that found its prey. He caught Anna by her wrist and pulled her to his embrace. "How dare you ignoring the Crown Prince, insolent girl."

***

Anna was busy wiping the wine glass, and she did it dexterously with the utmost care. Because these wine glasses were outrageously expensive. 'One glass costs six hundred Eyrs, one glass costs six hundred Eyrs!' Anna chanted in her head to warn herself.

Anna didn't want to replace these glasses with her hard-earned money, so she ignored everything when she wiped the wine glasses.

Until a strong hand suddenly caught her wrist and pulled her to his embrace. Anna dropped the wine glass. The sound of shattering glass alarmed everyone in the banquet. The man's following sentence was heard in everyone's ears. "How dare you ignoring the Crown Prince, insolent girl."

Everyone gasped at this scene. When Prince Ignis ignored all beautiful, noble ladies, they thought a wonderfully lovely lady had caught the Crown Prince's heart.

But the woman in his embrace right now was just a modest maid, she was not a world-shaking beauty, nor she was from a high ranked family.

She was just… a regular young maid.

Ignis smirked provocatively. He didn't care at the stares directed towards him and Anna. "What's wrong? Are you scared because I caught you red-handed in my room? I will make sure you will be punishment—"

'MY SIX HUNDRED EYRS! NOOOO!' Anna screamed hysterically inside her heart, staring at the shattered wine glass, just like her shattered piggy bank.