Chapter 91 - enjoining banquet with luna
I quietly followed Luna.
As I watched her walk ahead of me, her silver hair gently swayed with each step.
For a moment, I couldn’t help but think...
She really was beautiful.
And an amazing person.
Luna seemed to notice that I wasn’t paying attention to the banquet at all.
Instead, I was simply following behind her.
The thought made her feel slightly embarrassed.
Still, she maintained her usual calm expression and continued walking through the banquet hall.
After a while, she spotted a girl standing alone with no one beside her.
Without hesitation, Luna walked toward her.
Naturally, I followed.
"Hello, Cecilia."
"It’s been a while."
The girl looked up.
The moment she saw Luna, her eyes lit up.
"Hello, Princess Luna."
"It really has been a while."
Luna smiled softly.
"Just call me Luna."
"We’re friends, aren’t we?"
Cecilia smiled.
"Alright..."
"Luna."
Then she noticed me standing behind Luna.
Curiously, she turned toward me.
Luna introduced me first.
"This is Gray."
Cecilia nodded politely.
"Hello."
"I’m Cecilia—"
Before she could finish introducing herself, another voice called from behind her.
"Cecilia."
"Are you here?"
"Come, I’ll introduce you to someone."
Cecilia immediately turned around.
"I’m here, Master."
"I was just talking with Princess... Luna."
Her master smiled apologetically.
"Oh."
"Then I won’t disturb—"
However, the moment her gaze moved past Cecilia and landed on me...
She froze.
I immediately recognized her as well.
"Hello, Aunt Evelyn."
"It’s been a while."
A warm smile immediately appeared on Evelyn’s face.
"Oh, little Gray."
"You’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you."
"Where’s your mother?"
I scratched my head.
"Mom went with the Empress."
"My sister went with Elena."
"So I ended up following Luna."
Cecilia looked back and forth between us in surprise.
"Master..."
"You know him?"
Evelyn chuckled.
"Of course I do."
She smiled before introducing us properly.
"Gray."
"This is my disciple, Cecilia."
"She is the Holy Church’s Saintess."
Then she looked toward Cecilia.
"And Cecilia..."
"This is Gray Starlight."
"The son of Seraphina Starlight."
I extended my hand toward her.
"It’s nice to meet you, Saintess."
Cecilia was visibly surprised.
She had already guessed I wasn’t an ordinary noble if I was accompanying Luna.
But hearing that I was the heir of the Starlight Family still caught her off guard.
She quickly composed herself before accepting my handshake.
"It’s nice to meet you as well."
"I’ve heard many stories about Lady Seraphina."
"I really admire her."
The moment I heard someone praising Mom...
My mood instantly improved.
People could praise me all they wanted.
But hearing someone sincerely admire Mom...
That made me far happier.
A genuine smile appeared on my face as we finished the handshake.
Nearby, Luna quietly watched everything.
She noticed how naturally Gray greeted Evelyn.
And when Seraphina’s name was mentioned...
The smile on his face became noticeably brighter.
Evelyn smiled before asking,
"So, Gray."
"What are you doing with Luna?"
"Did the two of you become friends?"
I was about to answer.
"We’re... something like friends."
Luna answered first.
Evelyn tilted her head.
"What do you mean, ’something like’?"
Luna replied calmly,
"We’re engaged."
"The announcement will be made today."
A bright smile immediately appeared on Evelyn’s face.
"Oh!"
"Congratulations."
"You two suit each other very well."
"In appearance..."
"In status..."
"And in talent."
She looked toward me.
"I’m sure little Gray is quite the genius."
I became slightly embarrassed.
"Thank you for the compliment."
Luna also looked a little shy.
"Thank you."
Cecilia quietly watched the two of us.
She already knew Luna was a kind person.
Now, after meeting Gray for herself...
She hoped he would continue treating Luna well.
The atmosphere around us gradually became warm and cheerful.
We chatted for a while.
Evelyn even shared a few funny stories from when I was younger.
Afterward, she picked up a glass of champagne and took a sip.
Meanwhile, I looked around the banquet hall.
Since many young nobles were attending...
There had to be fruit juice somewhere.
After searching for a moment, I finally found it.
I picked up three glasses before returning.
I handed one to Luna.
Another to Cecilia.
Then kept one for myself.
The three of us continued chatting while drinking our juice.
After chatting for a while, we eventually parted ways.
Aunt Evelyn and Cecilia went off to greet other guests, while Luna and I continued walking through the banquet hall.
After a short silence, I glanced at Luna.
"Have you known Cecilia for a long time?"
Luna nodded.
"Since we were children."
I nodded thoughtfully.
"She seems like a very hardworking person."
"When I talked to her, I could tell she takes her responsibilities very seriously."
Then I pointed at myself.
"Unlike me."
"I prefer lazing around whenever I get the chance."
Luna couldn’t help laughing.
"Oh?"
"I heard from your sister that you’re very lazy."
I immediately waved my hand in protest.
"Hey, don’t listen to her."
"She looks like a diligent older sister on the outside..."
"But on the inside, she’s just a lazy glutton who wants to eat everything."
Luna smiled softly.
"Can you tell me an interesting story about the two of you?"
I thought for a moment before grinning.
"When I was eight, she tricked me into going shopping."
"Back then, I had barely even left the mansion."
"She made it sound like some incredible adventure."
Luna listened quietly as I continued.
"At first, I really enjoyed it."
"We bought barbecue, walked around the city, and looked at all sorts of interesting places."
"But then..."
I let out a dramatic sigh.
"She dragged me into a clothing store."
"My nightmare began."
Luna tilted her head curiously.
"What happened?"
I looked at her with a pained expression.
"She made me try on more than a hundred different outfits."
"It took several hours."
"The worst part..."
"Even the shop owner joined her."
"That day..."
"I truly understood the horror of shopping with Amy."
I finished dramatically.
Luna covered her mouth as she laughed.
"It sounds like you had a lot of fun with your sister."
I immediately protested.
"Fun?"
"That wasn’t fun."
"It was pure torture."
"I became nothing more than a living clothes hanger."
"I even complained to Mom afterward..."
"And instead of helping me..."
"She joined Amy and bullied me too."
Luna’s laughter gradually subsided.
Then she looked at me with a gentle expression.
"You really love your older sister, don’t you?"
I instinctively opened my mouth to deny it.
But when I saw the sincerity in Luna’s eyes...
I quietly closed it again.
After a brief silence...
I nodded.
"...Yeah."
A warm smile appeared on Luna’s face.
"I thought so."
The two of us continued walking side by side through the banquet hall.
For some reason...
The atmosphere between us had become much more relaxed than before.
After that a noble man soon approached us.
He stopped in front of Luna and gave a respectful bow.
"Hello, Princess Luna."
"It is an honor to make your acquaintance."
"I am the patriarch of the Blackwood Family."
Luna returned the greeting with the proper dignity expected from an imperial princess.
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Lord Blackwood."
While the two of them exchanged greetings, I quietly stood beside Luna.
However...
The moment I heard the name Blackwood, I felt a sense of familiarity.
Blackwood...
I searched through my memories for a moment.
Then suddenly, I understood.
Selena Blackwood.
The woman from the Blackwood Family who had protected me and helped train me.
So that was why the name felt familiar.
After their brief conversation, Lord Blackwood’s attention turned toward me.
"And who might you be?"
Before I could answer, Luna introduced me.
"He is Gray."
"The heir of the Starlight Family."
I nodded politely.
"It’s nice to meet you."
Then, after a brief hesitation, I asked,
"Are you related to Selena Blackwood?"
For a moment, Lord Blackwood looked surprised.
Clearly, he hadn’t expected me to mention that name.
However, he quickly recovered and nodded.
"Yes."
"She is a member of my family."
A smile naturally appeared on my face.
"That’s good to hear."
"She used to protect me and helped train me."
Hearing my words, Lord Blackwood carefully observed my expression.
He had expected arrogance or excessive pride after hearing that I was the heir of the Starlight Family.
Instead...
My tone was simply genuine.
I wasn’t trying to show off my connection to Selena.
I was simply grateful for what she had done for me.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Then it is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Gray."
After that, he turned slightly and gestured toward the young man standing beside him.
"This is my son, Lucas Blackwood."
The boy, who looked around my age, had black hair and striking purple eyes.
He gave me a polite nod.
"It’s nice to meet you."
"Likewise."
After a brief exchange, Lord Blackwood and Lucas left to greet other guests.
Once they were gone, Luna and I continued walking through the banquet hall.
After a while, Luna moved slightly closer and spoke quietly.
"You said this was your first time attending a banquet like this."
"But you handled that situation very well."
I smiled.
"Of course."
"I can’t let down my family name during a situation like that."
I looked around the banquet hall.
"Normally, I don’t really care about these things."
"I would rather spend my time relaxing or doing something I enjoy."
"But when it comes to my family..."
"My attitude changes."
"I’ll never be careless when representing them."
Luna quietly listened before giving a small nod.
"I see."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
At that moment, a familiar voice called out.
"Gray."
I turned around.
Amy was standing there with Elena beside her.
For some reason...
Amy’s usual expressionless face had a small smile on it.
She had been watching Luna and me from a distance.
She had seen how naturally we interacted and how I managed to navigate the banquet despite claiming I disliked these situations.
Elena smiled toward Luna.
"Mother asked us to come find you."
Amy crossed her arms before adding with a mischievous grin,
"Actually..."
"The Empress and Mom both told us to bring you back."
"Because the Empress is about to announce the engagement."
Her smile widened.
"Looks like it’s finally time."