Chapter 655: Backup Plan

"I’m sorry, Your Majesty."

Ezra lowered his head before the Queen, his posture respectful and his voice calm.

"I will politely decline your offer."

He made his decision clear without adding any unnecessary explanation.

"Seriously?!"

Camilla Mayer’s eyes widened.

For a moment, the Head of the Nebula Royal Alchemist Branch looked as though she had misheard him.

The other three Heads of the Royal Alchemist Branches reacted in much the same way.

They exchanged baffled looks, yet none of them seemed able to find the right words to respond.

Who would have expected this?

The young child of House Ashenlocke, a Duke’s family, had just refused an opportunity to become a member of the Royal Family.

And the strangest part was his status.

Ezra was not a Mainline Noble.

Neither was he a Highline Noble by birth or through his parents’ rank.

He was merely a Lowline Noble, a boy whose standing within his own family had only recently been raised to Highline.

Even that change was a secret known to only a handful of people.

The Heads of the Royal Alchemist Branches, the Dukes, the Duchess of Derlis, and the Queen were among the few who knew about the reward he had received from the Duke of Ash.

Yet the same boy had now turned down the chance to join the Royal Family.

"Ezra Ashenlocke, perhaps you don’t understand."

The Head of the Genesis Royal Alchemist Branch spoke gently.

She studied the boy in front of her, her expression still carrying a trace of confusion.

"You might be worried about how the other members of the Royal Family would treat you as an outsider. However, once your adoption into the Royal Family is complete, the Duchess of Derlis herself will change your blood to that of the Royal Family. You will become a full member from that moment onward."

She explained the matter carefully, as though she believed Ezra’s refusal came from a misunderstanding.

After all, becoming a Prince was no small matter.

There were few opportunities for someone in his position to receive such an offer directly from the Queen.

"I will still have to decline."

Ezra gave the same answer.

His voice remained steady.

He did not raise his head or attempt to defend his decision with a lengthy explanation.

"Wow. Seriously?"

The Head of the Strom Royal Alchemist Branch stared at him in amazement.

"I don’t know if you’re being impulsive, stupid, or something else entirely, but I’m amazed."

He raised his right hand and placed it on the back of his head, scratching it as he continued to look at Ezra.

"Haha... Haha... Haha!"

The Head of the Hermetic Royal Alchemist Branch burst into laughter.

Unlike the others, however, his reaction seemed to carry more interest than disbelief.

"If it weren’t an unspoken rule that we shouldn’t peek into your mind, I would have checked what was going on inside that brain of yours."

His laughter lingered for a moment as he studied Ezra, seemingly curious about what kind of thoughts could make a boy refuse such an offer.

"Enough of the persuading."

Queen Althea spoke calmly.

She waved her right hand lazily towards the four Heads standing beside her, putting an end to their attempts to convince Ezra.

Then she turned her attention back to the boy.

"Ezra, is this your choice?"

Her expression became serious as she waited for his answer.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Ezra replied with the same calmness as before.

His head was still lowered.

Nothing in his voice suggested that he was struggling to make up his mind.

"Rise."

The Queen gave the order lightly.

Ezra raised his head and looked at her.

"Hmmm... This is quite sad and bad at the same time."

Queen Althea rested her right hand against her chin.

Her gaze lingered on Ezra as she considered the situation.

"I really want to support you a lot. But as the Queen of the Kingdom, I can’t show favour to anyone outside my children and family members. Even then, the favour I can show them is only in a tiny form."

She brought her left hand in front of Ezra and held up her index finger above her thumb, leaving only a small gap between them.

The gesture made her meaning clear.

Even her own family could receive only a limited amount of special treatment.

"It would cause a lot of unwanted trouble. So, I thought that with this, I could help you easily without anyone coming up with their own ideas about it."

She lowered her left hand and rested it against her cheek.

"Ahhhh..."

The Queen sighed lightly and closed her eyes for a moment.

"What am I supposed to do?"

Her voice carried a hint of helplessness, though she did not appear angry with Ezra for refusing.

"Then please just watch me as I grow."

Ezra’s answer was simple.

He did not make a grand declaration about how far he would go or boast about the person he might become in the future.

He merely asked the Queen to watch him as he grew.

Whether he eventually became someone important or ended up as someone insignificant, she could see the result for herself.

There was no need for him to promise anything beyond that.

Queen Althea Aethelmont looked at him quietly.

For a short while, neither of them spoke.

The sounds of the party continued around them, but the Queen’s attention remained on the young Ashenlocke.

"I wish you luck, then, young child of Ash."

She smiled warmly.

"Gosh, I want you as a son. So Bad."

The Queen clicked her tongue and took a step away from Ezra.

"Enjoy the party."

Her tone had returned to its usual calmness.

"Let’s go."

Queen Althea waved her right hand softly before glancing at the four Heads of the Royal Alchemist Branches standing beside her.

The four of them nodded.

Ezra lowered his head as they began to leave.

He remained in place while the Queen and the Heads walked past him, giving them room to continue on their way.

Once Camilla Mayer had passed him, their presence seemed to disappear from his senses.

He could no longer sense them.

"I thought the Queen was the one who spoke that time?"

A nearby nobleman asked with a confused expression.

He watched the group leave, apparently unsure of what he had just witnessed.

"It’s your first time seeing it, but that’s how the Queen and the King move around, with the Heads of the Royal Alchemist Branches guiding them."

Another nobleman answered calmly. Unlike his companion, he did not appear surprised.

"Ah... There he is."

A loud voice rang through the hall.

Amplified by a microphone, it carried across the gathering and drew the attention of the people nearby.

The sound came from the area where the Golden Matching Order Band stood, their members preparing to play the music for the Last Dance Core.

"Ezra Ashenlocke!"

The voice called his name.

Ezra had only just returned to the sight of the people inside the hall when he turned towards the source of the call.

"Professor Liliana."

He muttered her name as he looked at the professor.

Professor Liliana Galehart stood near the band with a pleased smile on her face.

She seemed satisfied to have finally found the person she had been waiting for.

From the beginning, she had kept the Last Dance Core from starting.

Instead, she had told the people about an amazing idea she wanted to use to add something special to the final dance.

Now, the last piece of her plan was standing right in front of her.

"Please come, Ezra Ashenlocke."

Professor Liliana raised her right hand and beckoned him with her index finger, signaling for him to approach.

Ezra looked at her for a moment.

He could already tell that whatever involved this woman was unlikely to be simple.

Still, he went towards her.

She was a professor, after all.

As Ezra began walking across the hall, the people around him started whispering to one another.

Some leaned towards their companions, while others turned their heads to follow his movements.

"Oh, Ezra Ashenlocke has been found!"

"That’s amazing!"

"Finally, we can get this Last Dance Core started."

"But do you believe what Liliana said is true?"

"We’ll just have to see."

Their voices mixed with the remaining sounds of the gathering.

Several people watched Ezra with open curiosity, eager to discover what Professor Liliana had planned for the final dance.

Ezra paid little attention to their whispers.

He continued walking until he reached the professor.

Once he arrived, he lowered his head in greeting.

Professor Liliana did not waste any time.

"You will be assisting Selena in leading the Last Dance Core. Do you think you can handle that?"

She pointed towards Selena, who was seated elegantly beside the piano.

Another seat had been prepared next to hers.

The arrangement made the professor’s intention clear.

Ezra and Selena were expected to play a duet for the dance.

"Professor..."

Ezra was about to speak when Liliana moved behind him.

"No speaking."

She placed her hands on his shoulders and began guiding him towards the prepared seat.

Ezra had barely managed to start his sentence before she cut him off.

He could only let himself be pushed forward as the professor continued with her plan.

"I know you’re new to the piano, but it’s not as though you can’t play it. Besides, you’re good at thinking on your feet, so good luck!"

Liliana pushed him a little farther, then gave him a thumbs-up.

Her confidence in him was plain to see.

Whether Ezra shared that confidence was another matter entirely.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get the Last Dance Core rolling!"

Professor Liliana Galehart announced with a bright smile.

"Wooooaahhhh!!"

The crowd erupted into cheers.

Voices rose throughout the hall as the people welcomed the start of the final dance.

Their excitement filled the space, and attention shifted towards the piano where Selena sat waiting.

Liliana watched the reaction with a pleased smile before taking her leave.

Her backup plan was in place.

Backup plan: Check.

She thought to herself in her mind.

Bonus Chapter for Magic Castle