Chapter 651: The Queen Arrives

“I don’t understand what you mean by all this, Vera.”

Prince Daniel Aethelmont stood up, still trying to make sense of the words Vera had been throwing at him.

His expression showed confusion, but there was also a faint panic in his eyes.

He had expected Ezra to be the problem tonight.

He had planned to challenge the boy, make him look bad in front of the guests, and convince Vera that staying close to Ezra was a mistake.

Instead, the conversation had taken a turn he had not expected.

“You keep saying something about stunts and traitors. I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

Daniel looked around the Grand Royal Hall as he spoke.

His gaze passed over the guests who had gathered to watch the commotion.

Some appeared confused, while others were clearly interested in the conversation.

He seemed to be asking them whether they understood what Vera meant.

Nobody gave him an answer.

The silence did little to help him.

If anything, it made him more aware that he was standing in front of a crowd with no clear idea of what to say next.

But inside his mind, a different question had already appeared.

Wait… How did they know…

The thought came so suddenly that his expression almost changed with it.

He had not expected anyone to know about the payment.

He certainly had not expected Ezra to bring it up so plainly, as though the matter wasn’t something significant knowing of.

Daniel tried to keep his face composed.

“About the pay.”

Vera answered casually, her arms still folded across her chest.

Her dull black eyes remained fixed on the Second Prince.

Daniel’s confusion did little to interest her, and she showed no sign of feeling the need to explain herself.

Those two words were all she offered.

Daniel’s eyes widened.

His mind had barely begun to process her answer when Vera spoke again.

“How did she complete my thought?”

Her tone remained flat.

For a moment, Daniel could only stare at her.

He had not said those words aloud.

The question had existed only in his mind, yet Vera had answered it before he could even finish thinking about it.

His foot shifted backwards.

Then he took another step.

His eyes remained locked on hers, searching for some sign that might help him understand what was happening.

“Wait… Wait.”

Daniel shook his head.

His confusion only grew.

“Those rumors… They’re a lie, right? Hahaha… Hahaha… There’s no way you can see the future, right?”

He muttered the words in disbelief.

The laughter that followed sounded forced.

It was an attempt to dismiss the situation, to convince himself that Vera could not possibly know what he was thinking.

Perhaps she had guessed.

Perhaps she had simply noticed something in his expression.

There had to be another explanation.

Yet his feet continued to move backwards, and his eyes refused to leave her face.

“You’re too easy to read, Prince Two.”

Vera spoke calmly.

She began walking towards him, her arms still folded.

Her steps were slow and measured, and she made no effort to rush.

The space between them grew smaller.

Daniel stopped moving backwards, but his body remained tense. He had already taken several steps away from her, and now he seemed uncertain whether he should continue retreating or stand his ground.

For some reason, the sight of Vera approaching him brought back a memory.

He remembered the first time he had spoken to her.

It had been an ordinary moment to him until Vera suddenly dropped her glass of fruit drink onto the floor.

The cup had struck the ground and shattered, leaving the drink spread across the surface.

Daniel had been caught off guard.

He had not understood why she had done it.

Her action had been so sudden that he had barely managed to react before the glass broke.

He still remembered the fear that had passed through him at that moment.

Now, standing in front of her again, he felt something similar.

It was not simply the way she looked at him.

It was the fact that she seemed to know things she should not have known, while remaining so calm that he could not tell what she would do next.

“I don’t know what came into your mind, making you think you could take a path like this and not expect any consequences.”

Vera spoke softly.

However, there was nothing gentle about the expression Daniel saw on her face.

She stopped a short distance away from him, her arms remaining folded, and her black eyes showing little warmth.

Daniel did not move.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Vera continued.

“Honestly, it must be glorious having an overrated brain like yours. I’m sure your fellow brain-dead followers all think the same way you do.”

She turned her gaze towards Daniel’s companions.

The insult had not been directed at the Prince alone.

Fifth Prince Tristin Aethelmont, Barry Dewinter, Jemima Dewinter, Felix Ashenlocke, Basil Evermont, the other three aides of the Second Prince, and the young Nobles and Non-Nobles who had been seated at Tristin’s table before the commotion began were all caught in her glance.

Their reactions varied.

Some stared at Vera with their mouths slightly open.

Others looked at Daniel, perhaps wondering whether he would respond to the insult.

A few managed to keep their expressions calm, although the surprise in their eyes was still visible.

Nobody seemed eager to speak.

After all, Vera had just insulted the Prince’s followers in front of a hall full of guests.

And she had done it without raising her voice.

Vera looked back at Daniel.

She moved her head slightly, her expression composed, and placed her right hand against her chin.

There was something almost thoughtful about the gesture.

She appeared to be considering the people she had just insulted, as though she had reached a conclusion that required no further explanation.

“I guess birds of the same feather flock together.”

She said it simply.

And that was all.

Vera lowered her hand and turned away.

Her steps remained unhurried as she walked back towards Ezra, leaving Daniel to deal with the words she had thrown at him.

She did not wait for a reply.

She did not look back to see whether the Prince was offended.

She had said what she wanted to say. As far as she was concerned, there was no reason to remain there any longer.

Daniel continued watching her.

His heart beat faster, and his thoughts began to race.

Why?

Why?

Why?

He could not understand it.

He had approached Vera because he wanted her to see him as someone who cared about her. He had wanted to present himself as the person who would protect her from Ezra.

Yet she had treated his concern as an insult and made him look foolish in front of everyone.

This should have been my time.

His gaze followed Vera as she returned to Ezra.

I couldn’t let him take her hand.

He had been right to challenge Ezra.

At least, that was what he wanted to believe.

Yes…

I was right.

That maggot.

Daniel’s eyes shifted towards Ezra.

The boy stood there with his usual plain expression.

He did not appear to have anything better to do than remain in the middle of the situation, and he showed no sign of being impressed by what had happened.

That sight only made Daniel angrier.

It’s because of him!

He screamed inside his mind.

It’s because of him that she’s speaking to me like this!

His fingers curled into fists.

The embarrassment he had felt moments ago began to turn into anger.

Instead of accepting that Vera had rejected his attempt to win her attention, he placed the blame on the person standing beside her.

I can never let her go.

His breathing grew heavier.

I can never let him have her.

The thought became more forceful with every passing second.

Vera is mine!

“MAGGOOOTT!!!”

Daniel’s shout burst through the Grand Royal Hall.

Several guests flinched at the sudden roar.

Others turned towards him, their attention drawn away from Vera and Ezra.

Daniel’s face had twisted with anger.

The restraint he had tried to maintain was gone.

His gaze fixed on Ezra, and the Cognis within him began to stir.

As a Meister Alchemist, Daniel possessed a powerful Cognis presence.

He was no ordinary young Noble, and the pressure that began to gather around him made it clear that he was preparing to act.

The air around the Prince seemed to grow tense.

His shoulders stiffened, and his hands clenched as he focused his attention on one person.

Ezra Ashenlocke.

Daniel was about to release his Cognis presence towards the boy.

He no longer seemed concerned about the guests watching him, the ceremony he had interrupted, or the fact that he was a Prince of Britannia.

The moment stretched only briefly.

“That’s enough for the theatre arts.”

A familiar voice echoed softly through the hall.

The words came from nearby, calm and unhurried.

They cut through the commotion without the speaker needing to raise her voice.

Before many of the guests could even turn towards the sound, Prince Daniel fell.

His body dropped to the floor, and the Cognis pressure gathering around him vanished.

The movement had been so sudden that the people standing nearby barely had time to react.

One moment, the Second Prince had been shouting at Ezra.

The next, he was lying unconscious on the floor.

Nobody seemed to understand what had happened.

Ezra looked down at the fallen Prince.

His black eyes remained plain.

I didn’t see anything happen.

He had been watching Daniel only a moment ago.

Yet he had not seen the action that caused the Prince to collapse.

A Senior Royal Guard stood nearby, but the man was not standing where Daniel had been moments earlier.

“Take Prince Tw—”

The Senior Royal Guard began speaking calmly, but he quickly paused and cleared his throat.

“Cough! Cough!”

After adjusting his throat, he continued in the same composed manner.

“Take Prince Daniel Aethelmont back to his residence.”

He pointed towards the place where Daniel’s personal Royal servants and Royal guards were standing.

The Royal guards quickly understood the order.

They moved to collect the unconscious Prince, while the surrounding guests began to turn their attention towards the person who had just arrived.

The Senior Royal Guard who appeared to have been the one who knocked Daniel unconscious was not beside the Prince.

Instead, he stood at the side of a woman surrounded by an escort.

The present Heads of the Royal Alchemist Branches accompanied her, along with Senior Royal Servants, several Ministers attending the event, and the Vice Headmaster of the Royal Academy, Elder Godwin Fraser.

Their arrival had gone unnoticed by many of the guests until the Prince fell.

Now, the people in the hall finally understood who had spoken.

The Royal Announcer stepped forward.

“Her Majesty, the Queen, makes her presence!”

His voice rang through the Grand Royal Hall.

Every person in the hall lowered their heads.

The guests who had been watching Daniel’s outburst bowed at once.

Even those who had been caught up in the whispers and confusion followed the others, leaving the hall quiet beneath the announcement.

The Queen of Britannia had arrived.

“Rise.”

Queen Althea spoke with a warm smile.

The people raised their heads.

Her expression was pleasant, and she looked over the gathered guests before turning her attention towards the Duke of Bergwyn.

“I didn’t expect you to finally come down, Your Highness.”

The Duke of Bergwyn spoke calmly.

Queen Althea gave a small response.

“Ehnn… A child of mine was throwing an unruly tantrum, and you expect me to stay quiet about it?”

She looked towards Daniel, who was being attended to by his guards.

A faint trace of displeasure appeared on her face.

The Princes and Princesses present knew that look very well.

They had seen it enough times to recognize the meaning behind it, and a slight nervousness could be seen in their expressions.

Some kept their eyes lowered, while others tried to maintain their composure.

None of them seemed eager to draw the Queen’s attention.

Queen Althea then turned towards the guests.

“I’m sorry for the disruption, my People of High-Status, and everyone in this hall. Also, Vice Headmaster of the Royal Academy.”

She offered an apology for the commotion.

“It’s fine, Your Highness.”

Duchess Vivian Derlis replied lightly as she walked closer to the Queen.

By then, Prince Daniel’s personal Royal Guards had already lifted him and begun carrying him away with his Royal servants.

The rest of Daniel’s group found it awkward to remain after the incident.

One after another, they began to leave.

Even Prince Tristin Aethelmont departed as quickly as he could.

He seemed to have no desire to stay and become involved in any further trouble.

Only Felix Ashenlocke and Basil Evermont remained.

Duchess Vivian watched the others leave before speaking again.

“It was fun watching children play around for a while. I laughed a bit, you know.”

She spoke calmly, with a light smile.

To her, the entire commotion seemed to have been little more than an amusing show.

She had watched the Prince lose his temper, seen Vera and even Ezra double insult him, and witnessed the sudden end of his outburst.

Now, she appeared content to make a casual remark about it.

Vera narrowed her eyes on the leader of the Duke House of Derlis.

“Duchess Vivian Derlis, we weren’t playing around, though.”

“Don’t speak again, Vera.”

Duke Valentine Ashenlocke’s voice sounded from in front of her.

He had begun making his way towards the gathering, but he had not yet completely reached the place where everyone had assembled.

Vera had barely any time to respond.

Her feet suddenly left the floor.

“Urgh.”

The sound escaped her mouth.

She already knew who was responsible.

Her body had been lifted into the air, and she had lost control of her movements.

She could not push herself back down or move away from the force holding her.

Instead, she was carried through the air as easily as an object caught by the wind.

Her body drifted in one direction.

Towards the Duke of Ash.

Vera looked faintly annoyed, but she could do little about it.

Duke Valentine had already lifted her into the air before she could argue.

The surrounding guests watched the scene unfold.

The commotion that had begun with Prince Daniel’s challenge had now ended with the Queen’s arrival, an unconscious Prince being carried away, and the Duke of Ash taking control of his daughter before she could say anything else.

The Last Dance Core had yet to begin.

And the Grand Royal Hall had already seen more than enough trouble for one closing evening.