A stout middle aged man with a menacing moustache entered the hall with strong and steady steps. Beside him, half a step behind, was a gorgeous young woman; unlike the man, her footsteps were lithe and soft.

The duo steadily walked through the great chamber, leaving behind brief glowing footsteps.

The chattering picked up after the Belfords placed themselves at the central main table. The arrival of the Rumins had little effect on them. But suddenly, it started to quiet down. Moments later- absolute silence ensued in the huge hall. Almost everyone looked at the father daughter duo- either with eyes wide open, or a frown.

‘Did they mix it up?’

The two newcomers were heading to the only empty main table of the room, the one on the princess’s side. Weren’t they supposed to go to the left?

Both the prince and the king looking at the scene below frowned. The prince looked to his right. “Go.”

Eric nodded before rushing down the stairways and catching up with the Southern Marquess.

“Greetings, uncle Rumins.” He blocked their paths and greeted him with a bow. “Greetings, miss Lily.”

“Greetings.” The man scowled. “Didn’t your father teach you that it’s disgraceful to block someone on their paths?”

“I-“

“Oh, yes. What can your depraved father even teach you?”

‘Depraved?’ The word echoed in every one of the evesdropper’s ears. They glanced at the head of the Bradley house, whose nerves began to show.

Eric’s face flinched, but he forced a smile nevertheless. “I just wanted to say that the long journey from the South might have made you tired- which caused you to head to the wrong table.”

“Oh, really?” Marquess Rumins looked ahead, at the completely unoccupied main table and then to his left to the big table on the left. He then looked up, scanning through everyone sitting underneath the shade of the Edgarwood tree, before finally turning back to the young man in front of him.

“Whose side does that belong to?” He pointed at the blank main table just ahead of him.

“It belongs to the third princess.” Eric pointed at the table where the Bradleys and Ironcrosses sat at. “The one you-“

“I am on the right path then.” Marquess Pat Rumins walked past the shocked young man. Lily followed her father.

The whole crowd gasped. Only the ones from the Ironcross were nonchalant while the members of the Bradley house were incensed.

Both the crown prince and the king scowled, fists clenched under the table. Eric returned back, bowed again before sitting down.

Crown prince looked at his sister. She had a content smile on her face- a scene that prompted him to click his tongue- breaching the Royal etiquette.

Evelyn looked to her left and gave him a thumbs up. Her main table was not barren anymore.

Maria inferred something from her cousin’s interactions with him. She composed herself.

“Did you do it?” She asked. Her face was anything unlike the teasing and carefree one she had before.

His only response was a smile.

She squinted. “The price must have been hefty. What did you promise?”

He slowly took his lips to her right ear. She did not avoid it- she was genuinely curious. What could make a Marquess turn sides- that too from the stronger side to the weaker one?

He whispered, “A royal lady.”

She abruptly moved away from him. “You!” She shouted in a whispering voice. “You… you should not make jokes like that.”

Again, his response was just a smile.

“You…” she frowned. “You are not kidding, are you?”

“Nope.” He turned back ahead.

“Who?” She could not restrain her curiosity.

Once again, he took his mouth to her right ear. This time, even she leaned her ear towards him. She somewhat like his breath tickling her sensitive ear.

Her face flushed. ‘What are you even thinking?!’

“I can not guarantee-” He whispered, “that it won’t be you.”

Her heart stopped beating for a moment, her body froze as he moved away. Seeing the teasing smile on his face, she calmed down.

“Hmph!” She snorted. “Don’t tell me if you don’t want to.” She again looked at the crowd below, with her mood all ruined.

Adrian followed and looked down as well.

Nothing major happened for another half an hour. Until-

“The first heir of the Denver family has arrived!”

Evelyn straightened her back, the smile on her face grew wider. Another Marquess of her faction joined; the momentum would belong to her from now on.

A young man stepped into the extravagant room. Unlike the other Marquess and Dukes, the head himself did not attend the event. He sent his eldest son, the first heir of the house, instead.

The din, again, eventually died down and produced a silent atmosphere. The young man kept walking straight- without any signs of turning left, or right- where he should have been going.

Evelyn’s heart clasped as she knitted her brows. She bit her lips hard. Had that boy lost his sense of direction? Or… no, no, no. She shook her head before looking at Adrian. Adrian was putting on that same carefree face. Maybe, everything was fine. She looked back down.

But that young man did not stop and finally reached the middle large table. He took out a chair and sat down. He did not dare to face the representatives of the Academy, his head was down- eyes were on the surface of the table.

Evelyn’s fingers almost dug into her palms. She looked at Adrian, her mind was completely clouded.

Adrian casually looked at her. “What? Consider yourself lucky that he is sitting at the centre, not at the right. We stole from them; they have the same right to steal from us.”

“But-“

“They are closely linked to the Academy? The Academy is not the holy place you think it is. I am sure the tower masters came to a truce; hence, he sat at the centre.”

“But we lost our most trusted aides.” She looked down, tears almost escaped her eyes. “Getting betrayed- I just… I just can’t get used to it.”

Her mother beside was indifferent while the prince smirked at her misfortune before looking down.

Not even two minutes passed before the voice of the announcer again echoed throughout the room.

“The Silva family has arrived!”