The Emperor's Banquet

 The scenery was so beautiful, the cheers sounded, the voices echoed. That's an appropriate picture for this cold night. The many guests who arrived made the Imperial Hall full of Princes and Princesses from various Kingdoms around the world.

 How does the interaction of each representative of the Kingdom add to the business impression that is so pronounced. If one could say, the banquet this time added opportunity for Kingdoms that were predicted to collapse.

"It smells like a business." Said a girl who was drinking juice from her glass.

Laughter rang out after the girl said.

"Isn't that what they aim for? Do business like maniacs." The boy said while leaning his back against one of the pillars.

The girl's amber eyes glanced sideways. "It seems that we are that close, huh? To the extent you keep sticking to me and not doing your job."

He turned around and took a sip of his juice. His fingers moved to lower his glass onto a tray that was on a nearby table.

"If I say we are that close, you also can't do anything right?"

He smiled after seeing the flat face of the girl beside him. "I can't interfere with your memory recovery, Princess Elie."

Elie sighed, she didn't know what else to say to serve this boy beside her.

My social energy is drained. She thought while massaging the nape of her neck.

 At the same time, there was the sound of a sword tapping on the floor. The attention of the guests was diverted and looked toward the source of the sound coming from the Imperial throne.

 The Princes and Princesses of various Kingdoms were awed by their Emperor's majesty. Seeing how majestic the Emperor was with his robes that were identical to the Empire's was amazing.

"Good evening, and warm greetings to the Princes and Princesses of the 22 Kingdoms who have attended and participated in the event I have prepared." The Emperor said with a loud voice.

Then his hand holding the sword raised high in the air, then he said.

"With this sword, I, Emperor Carlex declare the fight to see the future of potential winners!" His screams echoed across the room.

 The cheers rang out after the announcement from Emperor Carlex. Of course, this invited a lot of enthusiasm from all the Kingdom representatives who came.

Looks like I'll be retraining with an old hobby. Elie smiled inwardly.

 The Princes and Princesses of the Kingdom began to mingle again, discussing what had been discussed before. But a girl's attention is fixated on an object that is moving back and forth not far from her eye's reach.

 While the others were discussing it nearby, even inviting her to the conversation. The Crown Princess of the Qavec Kingdom paid no attention to the crowd that just surrounded her. Her amber eyes kept following the stature of a little girl who was glancing around every corner of the hall.

"Her dress does not match the theme announced by the Emperor," Elie muttered while sipping her juice.

Elie felt that there was something strange about the little girl, no one even accompanied her.

"Who brought her?" Again Elie sipped her juice while watching the little girl who was looking around.

In her current position, it was very difficult for Elie to get out of the circle of Princes and Princesses who were surrounding her.

Elie sighed softly, "My ears hurt hearing their boasts." Elie's voice was swallowed up by the sounds around her.

 She has no idea if it was just her feelings or what, but Elie felt that the people who approached her were just trying to get her attention. Even so, her eyes didn't break from following the small steps of the girl who was just pacing back and forth.

"At this rate, she'll crash into something," said Elie feeling uneasy.

 Just as she thought about it, not long after the little girl's back hit a stone on which there was a large urn. The girl's body staggered after bumping into something behind her without looking.

 Unable to contain her shock after witnessing that, Elie quickly ran over with her high heels and placed the glass of juice in her hand onto a tray brought by one of the maids.

"Watch out!" Elie screamed as she jumped up so her hands could catch the little girl's body.

 After successfully capturing the little girl's body she pulled into her arms. There was a fairly loud crash between the body and the hall tiles. And the jar on the stone fell and made a very filtering sound. Elie winced as the bits from the fallen jar hit her arm and around her neck. Elie's body curled up, with her arms that held the little girl's body in her arms.

Elie winced, feeling her left arm hit the floor quite hard.

Is this little girl all right? Elie's lips twitched as she glanced at the state of the girl in her arms.

 As she blocked the girl's body from being hit by the splinters. Inside the hall, loud noises began to be heard which must have been caused by a accident that had happened nearby.

"Elie!" A boy's voice screamed from the stairs.

The sound of footsteps reached Elie's ears. The boy's body split apart a bunch of people that were blocking his path.

 His blue eyes caught sight of Elie's condition as she was curled up on the floor, hugging the body of someone he didn't know. Looking at the boy who started to lower his head near Elie's body, they could see a worried look in that boy's eyes.

"It turns out that Prince Zavei can also put on that kind of expression huh?" Said one of the Princesses.

"You are right, Princess Anette."

Suddenly the Princes and Princesses flinched as Zavei's body turned towards them with an intimidating look.

"Do you think it's fun to watch people in pain?" Zavei grits his teeth.

His blue eyes stared intently at the people in front of him.

"Nothing funny, so disperse!" He said emphatically.

After that, Zavei helped Elie to sit up from her position because the girl started to feel pain from the splinters hitting her skin.

Elie grabbed Zavei's wrist. "Zavei, please check this girl."

 Elie held the little girl's body on her thighs. While Zavei saw that the girl was saved by Elie, but at the same time, Zavei turned to Elie who just had a confused look.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" She felt something strange.

 When his lips were just about to explain to Elie. The two siblings turned their heads simultaneously to the whispering voices beside them. Unexpectedly, a mature man clad in Imperial robes and a long golden sword walked over to the two siblings.

"The Emperor." Zavei mumbled.

 Elie glanced briefly at Zavei's face, then her face turned back to the man who was called the Emperor. Spontaneously, Elie lowered her head after realizing that she was facing the rulers of the entire Kingdom.

"Glorious sunshine, Hail to Emperor Carlex the holder of gold," Elie said as she blocked the face of the little girl in her lap.

Carlex glared at the girl whose face was being covered by Elie's hand.

"Do you still want to hide, Nevi?"

Meanwhile, the girl in question gasped after hearing the Emperor's bass voice.

"Can Uncle not put on a fierce face like that?" Asked the girl named Nevi as she peeked from between Elie's fingers.

 Elie who heard the word "Uncle" felt confused. Elie's amber eyes took a small glance at Carlex's face, which turned out he had been watching her all along

"Looks like we should talk in the room, Crown Princess Qavec."

Elie could feel a lot of gazes directed at her, even whispers began to be heard carrying her name.

What is this again? Her mind felt messed up.

 But the previously complicated feeling slowly faded away as a hand gripped her arm, and someone held her fingers. Elie saw Zavei who was calming herself down and also a little girl named Nevi who was holding her fingers.

At least I'm not alone. Thought Elie feeling relieved.

 𝓥𝓲𝓮𝓓𝓻𝓪

 Feeling a different air from before, a girl walked down the long hallway with two people in front of her, and two people on her right and left.

Where am I being taken? The girl thought while holding the hand of a little girl.

 Little touches were felt on the back of her hand, her face was turned downwards where a girl was waving her hand as a sign of approaching her. The gray haired girl brought her right ear close to the little girl's lips, even though she had to bend over.

"Are you afraid that Uncle Demon is going to be angry with you?"

A confused expression appeared on Elie's face who was following Emperor Carlex's footsteps with his guards.

"Why do you call the Emperor Uncle Demon?"

After hearing the question from Big Sis beside her, Nevi made a sullen face.

"When Uncle is angry, horns will come out of his head."

Nevi practiced her two forefingers which formed a horn on her forehead.

"Jushh like that!!" She seemed to be having fun playing it.

Elie held back her laughter when she saw Nevi's face holding back her annoyance.

"Stop talking nonsense, Nevi." Carlex's deep voice startled the two girls.

Nevi again waved her hand so that Elie would come closer. "Justify what I said, Beautiful Sister."

"Enough is enough, or I will tell Clovis if you don't want to comply."

Suddenly Elie was shocked by Nevi's face, which looked like she was holding back tears after hearing the Emperor's words.

"Don't cry." Elie held Nevi's hand to calm her down.

 Nevi took off her shoes, this little girl wanted to throw her shoes towards Carlex's back. But before she could throw it, a hand stopped her.

Nevi looked to her side and saw Elie shaking her head.

"Is Nevi going to hurt the Emperor?" Elie said while taking Nevi's shoes from the girl's hand.

 Nevi sucked her lips, her tears had been stopped in her eyelids. "Uncle is such a devil! No wonder Big Brother Clovis never wants to come back!" She screamed whining.

 Elie didn't expect that she would hear such words from a little girl she had just met just a moment before. But what gripped her even more was the Emperor who turned his body towards Nevi. Elie felt a threat from Carlex's gaze that was directed at Nevi.

Elie's hand reached out to block Nevi's view. "I'm sorry if I broke the rules, but I can't keep quiet when I see a child who is fragile."

Elie lowered her head after Carlex glanced at her face.

"Hurry up and take them to my room."

After saying that, Emperor Carlex continued walking, left Elie and Nevi who were crying.

"Crown Princess Qavec, Please forgive our impudence."

 Elie's whole body stiffened after her feet no longer touched the floor. It is certain that now the girl is being carried by one of the bodyguards who was ordered by the Emperor to take her and Nevi to the Emperor's room.

Oh no, am I going to die as a teenager this time? Elie cursed herself.