As the banquet progressed, the topics of conversation among the nobility kept changing.
And the most mentioned question was—who is the brightest presence in the Frost Crystal Kingdom right now?
For this, all the nobles would give a common answer—
Princess Philia!
She is recognized as the most beautiful woman in the entire Frost Crystal Kingdom.
According to the rumors among people, she has skin as fair as snow and features as exquisite as a work of art carefully crafted by the finest craftsman, with eyes always brimming with wisdom and gentleness.
A head of light blonde hair, as dazzling as sunlight, streaming like a golden waterfall with a charming sheen as she walked through the castle corridors.
When she was born, there was a bright meteor in the sky, and the court astrologer predicted that this girl would bring extraordinary destiny to the kingdom.
And she exhibited intelligence far beyond ordinary from a young age.
Court etiquette, history, philosophy, art... she excelled in all aspects.
Additionally, like her mother, Philia had an exceptionally high talent for magic, becoming the youngest middle-tier mage in the history of the Frost Crystal royal family four years ago.
Of course, part of this is because Philia is the first descendant in the Frost Crystal royal family with magical abilities...
The Frost Crystal royal family has always produced powerful warriors, each generation boasting legendary figures capable of slaying dragons, never possessing talent for magic.
Moreover, her personality is impeccable, always a synonym for kindness and gentleness.
No matter how one looks at it, she is a perfect princess.
Even the noble ladies, who are usually adept at jealousy, admired her, wishing they could be like her.
Philia was the dream girl in the hearts of countless noble offspring of the Frost Crystal Kingdom.
But, for some reasons, they never dared to imagine being favored by her in the past.
After mentioning this, they talked about a person, a once-famous young man in the Royal City.
Because there was once such a young man, who was always regarded as the future husband of Princess Philia, their relationship was excellent, leaving no room for outsiders.
That former second son of Duke Silver Wing, known for his high artistic talent, becoming the white moonlight in countless noblewomen's hearts, but later disappeared from the public eye due to a certain scandal—[Broken-winged White Dove].
For the Silver Wing family, which is known for producing powerful knights, a weak descendant was the greatest shame.
And the current Duke Silver Wing, Adrian Albert, that legendary strong man with the sharp eyes like an eagle, ultimately fathered a gentle and pure son as weak as a white dove.
This matter was already a disgrace, not to mention that the young man now voluntarily broke his own wings and went to the monastery to become an ascetic.
This led to the scoffing title having even more contemptuous description added—[Broken-winged White Dove].
More than three months have passed since that incident, and everyone has realized— the White Dove has flown away and will not return.
No matter how close he once was to the future princess, this has become a thing of the past.
And this rekindled hope in some who had given up, feeling that perhaps they could have a chance now.
This is also why so many young nobles were attracted to the princess's coming-of-age ball.
They shouldn't have appeared on such an occasion but begged their elders to bring them along.
What if she takes a liking to me?
Love at first sight isn't impossible!
If nothing else, at least make myself known. This content belongs to noveⅼfire.net
However, sometimes aspirations are grand, but reality is harsh.
At this moment, despite it being a ball, no young noble had the courage to approach her, let alone invite her to dance.
When it came to facing Philia, they suddenly lost their courage, each hesitating as they felt inferior.
The King, due to ill health, did not attend this important ball, and Philia's mother was absent due to being busy with vital research for the Witch Association.
Thus, from the start of the banquet, after smiling and conversing with a few elders, Philia remained alone, standing quietly by the edge of the dance floor.
Philia quietly watched the men and women in the dance floor, observing them as they twirled, embraced, and affectionately brushed against each other, with a slight arc to her lips but no ripple in her eyes.
No one noticed how cold and aloof Philia's gaze was when she looked at them—as if she were looking at a group of lifeless dolls.
"..."
Normally, the ball would start in the evening and continue past midnight, but Philia, not fond of that rhythm, moved the starting time to dinner.
Now, with the night approaching, most of the waltz had been played, and the ball was nearing its end.
"This boring game is finally coming to an end..."
Philia thought, shaking her head slightly while maintaining a graceful posture—like a doll.
Suddenly, a peculiar stir emerged in the banquet, breaking the elegant atmosphere.
"Who is arriving so late...what?"
"Wait, that is!?"
Initially, Philia paid no heed.
Commotions and surprises were common in banquets and would soon pass.
Unusual behavior in a ball would be disdained as it lacked elegance, decency, and did not fit the noble demeanor.
But this time was different, the commotion did not dissipate under the audience's gaze but rather spread and grew larger!
"...Huh?"
Philia finally noticed something was amiss and turned her head towards the source of the commotion—the banquet hall doors.
!!!
In an instant, Philia's calm eyes widened slightly.
She saw a striking white figure.
There appeared a figure that should not have been there.
A tall and upright white-haired boy with a graceful yet gentle aura.
"...White Dove!?"
"Herbert!?"
"Isn't he at the monastery?"
"He..."
The tranquility of the ball was thoroughly shattered, and the entirety of the venue was filled with exclamations of surprise and doubt.
They were surprised, some even horrified as they watched the suddenly appearing figure.
Why did he come back?
Why return at this moment?
And at this moment, amid the noisy tumult, the boy and girl looked at each other.
Finally...
Their eyes met.
The White Dove who had broken his own wings looked at the beautiful girl surrounded by the crowd, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help rising.
"Philia."
Herbert looked at his long-lost "dearest friend" and couldn't help whispering.
"It's truly been a long time..."