The Valtoria V of the Argentia Empire had four wives and nine children.

Or rather, he had them.

There were five princes and four princesses born among the four wives, a number that was more than sufficient to ignite a fierce competition for the imperial throne. Indeed, in the world of Luminor Academy, that power struggle is very much ongoing.

Of course, even with four wives, there would naturally be a main wife and a legitimate firstborn son, so normally, there wouldn't be any reason for the children to clash, regardless of how poorly the wives got along. The presence of the first wife, the main consort of Valtoria V, and the first prince, Philipson, had, until a few years ago, prevented any cracks from forming.

While there was some vetting to ensure that the heir wouldn’t be a tyrant, the qualifications required to become emperor were generally easy enough for any royal child to meet. And if several children passed the qualifications, it was customary to pass the throne to the first legitimate son, regardless of how well or poorly the others had performed.

Philipson barely passed the qualification exam, thus securing his right to the throne.

However, following the plot of the game, such a straightforward succession would be boring. Besides, if the succession went that way, it wouldn't allow Seraphine, the main heroine, to become empress.

Thus, Luminor Academy began with the assassination of the first prince, Philipson, and his mother, the first wife, during the first part of the story, setting off a fierce battle for the throne among the remaining royal heirs. With most of the royal children harboring their own ambitions, a full-scale power struggle was inevitable.

As a result, the remaining eight children—excluding the youngest princess, who was too young—were thrust into the succession battle, whether they wanted it or not. Among them, four were particularly sensitive to the competition: the second prince, the first princess, the third prince, and the third princess.

The third princess, Seraphine, was the main heroine of Luminor Academy and the only royal who wholeheartedly supported the protagonist.

But what about the other three royals who should have been involved in the competition?

Well, they just acted like they had no interest in the succession battle from the start, going about their lives as usual.

The second princess, Luscetia, the fourth prince, Mechart, and the fifth prince, Antonio.

These three characters were portrayed in the story as having no interest in the throne. To be precise, they were more content with living their lives as members of the royal family rather than competing for the throne.

Mechart, who spent his days indulging in a debauched lifestyle with noble ladies, was a prime example.

Despite being Seraphine's half-sister, Luscetia was only interested in living a lavish life.

And then there was Antonio, the youngest of the competitors, who was simply unmotivated when it came to the succession battle.

One of the main storylines of the game involved overcoming the obstacles posed by the other three competitors and making Seraphine the empress.

…So, why did I suddenly start explaining the family dynamics of the royal family and Seraphine?

Well, it's obviously to talk about today’s banquet's main character, Antonio.

In the original work, Antonio Robert Valtoria, the fifth prince, had little to no impact on the power struggle for the throne. Despite being a royal, he didn’t play a significant role in the story. Today, he was simply the host of the banquet, and I didn’t expect to have any special interaction with him.

But due to his absurd actions, I found myself unintentionally entangled with Antonio.

“I’ve been smitten since the moment I first saw you at the palace two years ago! Please, I beg you to promise your hand in marriage to me!”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

Both Ethan and I were left speechless, watching this absurd scene unfold.

Even Seraphine and Bolt, who had been talking a little distance away, seemed equally stunned as they stared at the scene in disbelief.

The other noble heirs who had been chatting nearby and the servants bustling around the banquet hall were all now silent, waiting for the response to Antonio’s sudden public confession.

…Just to clarify, I wasn’t the one being confessed to.

For a moment, I almost thought this unexpected confession was directed at me, but it was clear that Antonio’s gaze was fixed on the lady standing beside me.

Even now, hearing him say her name, I wondered if this was all just a bad dream.

“Please accept my feelings, Lady Agnes Elizabeth Blaze!”

“…What?”

…If this is a dream, it must be a nightmare.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

About an hour before Prince Antonio’s public confession to Agnes, the birthday banquet had been progressing relatively smoothly.

After Mechart approached me earlier, we hadn’t had any further confrontations. The banquet hall was spacious enough that it was unlikely we would cross paths again unless one of us intentionally sought out the other. Additionally, it felt like Mechart was deliberately avoiding me, which was fine by me.

We also took care to steer clear of his path, and it seemed he wasn’t eager to run into me again either.

Perhaps he now saw me as a bothersome woman, unlike the other noble ladies. If that were the reason, it was fortunate. It meant there was no longer any reason for Mechart to approach me.

No one wanted to get entangled with a character destined for ruin, after all.

“Thank you all for attending my birthday banquet today. Although I am still young, as a prince of the Argentia Empire…”

We listened to Prince Antonio’s speech, which was so clearly written by someone else, while Ethan and I quietly conversed on the side.

After some time, Agnes also made her way over to us.

“……”

“Oh, Miss Agnes. Have you finished greeting your friends?”

“…Yes.”

It was clear that after the banquet began in earnest, Seraphine became busy talking with other nobles, so Agnes slipped away.

Had she raised her relationship level with the hero just a little more, she might have stuck by him instead of coming to me. The fact that she came to me suggested that things hadn’t gone well on that front.

The incident with Natalie probably still made things awkward between Agnes and the hero’s party.

Given that after graduating from the academy, she would spend several years with the hero’s party to defeat the Demon King, this was not a good sign.

‘Though, due to the issues with the Elizabeth family, she’ll join the hero’s party eventually, whether she likes it or not.’

It would be better if she could join the party on good terms. If their relationship was too awkward, it could hinder their coordination in actual combat.

Of course, getting too close could also lead to Agnes falling for the hero, so maintaining a proper distance was important. She was a friend who required a lot of careful attention.

“What are you drinking? Alcohol?”

“Oh, yes. It’s just a light cocktail.”

“…Light? Really?”

“If you don’t mind me saying, Miss Agnes, I think it would be best if you didn’t drink. Just a gut feeling, but I think you might be the type who can’t handle alcohol well.”

“…I know that.”

Surprisingly, Agnes didn’t try to be stubborn and readily admitted that she couldn’t handle alcohol well.

She probably became more cautious about drinking after the incident with Natalie. She might have even secretly tried drinking alone, away from others' eyes.

Unlike Natalie, Agnes had the advantage of a good memory, which allowed her to recall everything she did while drunk.

The winter break was long, so if she had experienced getting drunk at some point, she probably wouldn’t have considered drinking at a formal event like this.

“Lady Blaze, I hear you’re taking several classes with Lily this semester.”

“…Lily? Oh, you mean Lillis? Yes, I understand.”

“Could you let me know how Lily is doing in class? I’m taking two classes with her, but both involve physical activity rather than theory. I’m curious about how she’s doing in lecture-based classes.”

“…She’s just normal. She listens attentively, takes notes diligently, and sometimes dozes off a bit during the Monday afternoon lectures.”

“That’s probably because she has a magic swordsmanship class in the morning. Lily’s skill with the dagger has been improving lately. She’s getting good enough that I can occasionally spar with her. Of course, I’m still giving her some handicaps, but…”

“…Tell me more. How is she in the magic swordsmanship class?”

“…Do we really need to have this conversation with me right here?”

For some reason, the two seemed to get along well enough, continuing their conversation without much awkwardness. Although the topic seemed rather one-sided.

It made sense for Ethan, who had liked me since we were young, but I wasn’t sure why Agnes suddenly had an interest in my personal life.

Perhaps she was still grateful for my help in contracting her first spirit, the fire spirit.

Up until that point, I thought the banquet for Prince Antonio’s birthday would end with just some light socializing. But then, a significant event unfolded, one that turned the entire hall upside down.

“Oh, there you are. I’ve finally found you, my mademoiselle.”

“…Huh?”

“…Excuse me?”

“……”

As Ethan, Agnes, and I were talking, Prince Antonio suddenly appeared before us.

Ethan, who was already on guard due to the earlier incident with Mechart, immediately showed signs of wariness, but he maintained the proper etiquette towards a prince.

…If I suddenly lashed out and cursed to his face like I did with Mechart, the atmosphere would turn hostile again.

“Greetings, Prince Antonio. I am Lillis Blackwood Rosewood, eldest daughter of the Rosewood family.”

“…Ethan Richard Blackwood, eldest son of the Duke Blackwood family, and Lillis’s fiancé.”

To avoid drawing attention to my lower status as the daughter of a baron, Ethan quickly followed up my introduction with his own.

I appreciated his subtle thoughtfulness as I tried to figure out how to deal with Antonio. However, contrary to his usual demeanor, Antonio didn’t react negatively to our introductions.

“Ah, yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lillis. Lord Ethan.”

“Oh, yes, the pleasure is mine…”

“…Likewise, Prince Antonio.”

“But… I haven’t heard the name of this beautiful young lady here…”

“…?!”

“…?!”

Both Ethan and I were shocked when Antonio referred to Agnes as “this beautiful young lady,” and we turned to look at her.

Of course, the most surprised was Agnes herself, who had just been addressed by Antonio.

“…Me?”

“Yes, my mademoiselle.”

“…Agnes Elizabeth Blaze… is my name…”

“Oh, how could even your name be so beautiful?!”

…It’s just an ordinary name.

I almost mistook Antonio for a different character, given how different he was from his portrayal in the original story.

The hairstyle and eye color confirmed it was indeed Antonio, but…

As I frantically tried to figure out what had gone wrong, Antonio continued his “confession” to Agnes.

“I’ve been smitten since the moment I first saw you at the palace two years ago! Please, I beg you to promise your hand in marriage to me!”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“Please accept my feelings, Lady Agnes Elizabeth Blaze!”

And so, the story circles back to the beginning.