The underground dining hall of the castle was packed with servants who had suddenly lost their duties.

 

It was because an order had been issued to hastily conclude the two-day-long banquet by the end of today.

 

They had thought that if things ended so abruptly, the royal family would be unable to avoid an unsavory scandal, but who would have guessed?

 

After finishing her conversation with Marex, Renata returned to the banquet hall only to find that the Jade Ric she had been looking for was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the prince who had arrived first had already caused a commotion.

 

Taking advantage of the already ruined atmosphere, he seemed to decide to go all out. He brought in some mysterious people and filled half the banquet hall with thick smoke.

 

In other words, he had turned part of the hall into a secretive atmosphere similar to the salons the prince favored.

 

On top of that, he provided several masks that covered more than half the face and explained unique rules.

 

If one wanted a social conversation, wear a rose-decorated mask. 

 

For topics related to art and cultural patronage, freesia. For business and trade, bluebell, and so on.

 

When Renata asked, with a hint of scolding, whether His Majesty had permitted this and what he was thinking by lowering the dignity of a gathering attended by high nobles, Theodore answered like this,

 

“These people didn’t set aside time out of loyalty to the royal family, but to look after their own interests. Most of them will stay in their seats even if I drag them through the mud to achieve their goals.”

 

“Since time is short, I simply laid out a board so they can reveal their true colors right away. When anonymity is guaranteed, humans become a little bolder than you might imagine.”

 

And how did the nobles react?

 

Those who supported the crown prince or those who maintained a lofty attitude had already expressed their displeasure and left.

 

However, the majority showed a reluctant but sympathetic attitude toward the prince, revealing their honest side: they would take whatever benefits they could get first.

 

With only such people remaining, the inside of the banquet hall began to fill not with superficial pleasantries but with concrete, extremely personal, and secretive conversations.

 

As a result, it naturally became difficult for non-nobles to enter the hall, leading to the current situation.

 

Starting with those tasked with disposing of surplus ingredients and expensive liquor that could not be brought into the hall, a drinking party broke out.

 

“This kind of gathering is a first for me!”

 

“Well, since we work in different places, it’s rare for us to run into each other like this.”

 

Since the crown prince mainly stayed in the detached palace, the servants attending to Karlheinz and Theodore, respectively, did not have many opportunities to interact.

 

And they had deliberately not created such moments, for the very reason that…

 

“Hmm, I suppose if those idle people over there put in just a little effort, they could make time whenever they wanted.”

 

“You know how it is. Thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince devoting himself to work day and night, we’re also busy as a result.”

 

It was because quite a few of those under the crown prince would provoke others as if they themselves were members of the royal family.

 

“Haha! Yes, and now that His Highness the Crown Prince has caused a huge incident, you’ll be even busier, right?”

 

“No, actually. Thanks to His Highness receiving a house arrest order, things should be relaxed for a while. Hey, congratulations!”

 

And when Renata heard the news that they had created a place of harmony, she came late to mediate.

 

She couldn’t understand why they were engaging in such pointless power struggles, but considering it their own way of relieving stress, she looked around.

 

While checking if Jaderic might be there by any chance, a maid in charge of cleaning the prince’s office spotted Renata and suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs.

 

“Ah, she’s here! She’s here! Our reliable pillar, our savior!”

 

“Why are you so late? Come over here quickly!”

 

“No, I’m fine…”

 

Unfortunately, the heavily intoxicated people didn’t listen to her at all and thrust glasses at her, urging her to drink.

 

‘I should have listened to His Highness and gone back early to rest.’

 

Renata smiled silently and tried to slip away, but a glass filled to the brim with liquor was already placed in her hand.

 

“I’m sorry, but I’m not good with alcohol…”

 

“It shows. I guess the people over there have modest drinking capacity and skills?”

 

Seeing Renata politely decline, a servant from the crown prince’s side sneered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

 

“Our advisor doesn’t have the same kind of circumstances as those advisors over there, so she doesn’t touch alcohol!”

 

The people on the prince’s side immediately counterattacked without yielding an inch, and a full-fledged contest of strength began.

 

‘There’s no way the people who used to foam at the mouth, cursing His Highness, suddenly developed loyalty.’

 

They had probably united against a common enemy.

 

This was no place of unity; it was a battlefield where they stabbed each other with their three-inch tongues.

 

“Um, excuse me for interrupting, but I have business with Chief Advisor Claubalt. If he’s not here…”

 

“That’s right, Advisor! Let’s have the other side bring their superiors too!”

 

“Exactly! How can we not bring our leaders?”

 

Renata had no idea why she was supposedly their leader, and she didn’t want to get involved in this trivial gathering, but the mention of bringing the target made her interested.

 

If she sat here appropriately and waited, they would bring him themselves. 

 

Wasn’t that good?

 

She wanted it, they wanted it, everyone’s wishes fulfilled. Not bad at all!

 

“Um… shall we?”

 

🦋

 

“So! That’s why I called you like this. I’m sorry, but I really wanted to say this.”

 

“It’s fine. Our job is largely to coordinate and assist our superiors’ schedules, and on a smaller scale, to manage the surroundings so no scandals arise…”

 

“That’s true, but I feel sorry for Advisor Jaderic.”

 

“As expected, only Miss Renata understands. Ha…”

 

Sadly, both leaders were extremely weak to alcohol.

 

They had been repeating the same process, apologizing for what they said thirty minutes ago, then sighing that it was okay, showing sympathy, becoming depressed, for about five times.

 

In truth, Renata had not intended to get this helplessly drunk at all.

 

She had tried hard to avoid it by not emptying her glass completely, secretly spitting into empty glasses, or pouring it on the floor, but the result was this.

 

People working within the royal family’s living quarters were basically selected under strict standards, so they were not only competent but also sharp and perceptive.

 

In a place composed only of such people, it was natural that Renata’s clumsy tricks were quickly seen through.

 

Moreover, the fact that she was still in her dress was one of the reasons for her failure.

 

Her outfit tightened her waist so much that it barely allowed her to breathe, so she had hardly eaten any food.

 

She already had a weak tolerance for alcohol, yet she had drunk more than her limit on an empty stomach…

 

“Advisor Renata, you seem quite drunk. Wouldn’t it be better if you went back now…”

 

Udet, the crown prince’s junior advisor sitting next to Jaderic, cleared the glass in front of her and spoke.

 

“Yes… No! I still have work left!”

 

Renata answered in a heavily slurred voice, then suddenly shook her head vigorously from side to side.

 

Then she abruptly stood up from her seat and grabbed Jaderic’s face, who was sitting across from her, with both hands.

 

“Cheer up, Jaderic! I’ll cheer you on!”

 

Renata brightly encouraged him with a cheerful yet slurred pronunciation.

 

“Let’s do our best in our respective positions, okay? Don’t come this way. It’s because I feel sorry for Miss Renata, I…”

 

Jaderic responded by withdrawing his previous offer, and thanks to them, the original purpose of this gathering, which had been forgotten for a while, surfaced again.

 

Wasn’t this supposed to be a place of harmony for smooth work cooperation?

 

Perhaps thinking they couldn’t keep fighting when the advisors were uniting like this, conversations seeking reconciliation or truce began to flow from various places.

 

“By the way, Jaderic, is it okay for you to stay here?”

 

“Yes, His Highness has stepped away for a moment…”

 

Listening to Jaderic’s words with one ear, she smiled brightly at the result before her eyes.

 

‘Wow, it was absorbed!’

 

Renata, swaying as she stepped back, sat down unsteadily, reached into the pouch tied to her leg, and grasped the glass bottle Marex had given her.

 

Then she transferred the successfully collected energy into the bottle.

 

‘Seeing how easily I can handle it, it must be mana…! Now I need to hurry back to Lord Marex…’