Chapter 64

“Why bother my lord with such trivial matters?”

However, Duke Tilius chose to move on from that topic.

He didn’t linger on the senator, instead surveying the gathered crowd.

At that moment, the atmosphere had shifted from an earlier tension to something else entirely.

After the initial aggression, Duke Tilius tempered his imposing presence, lost in his own thoughts.

The discussion of “who deserves a bigger slice of the cake” morphed into “how to fairly divide the cake.”

What began as accusations toward Mozell turned into a debate about the imperial system.

Some quick-witted folks caught his drift and breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed this duke was a bit wary of the Church of Heavenly Justice and those high nobles in the Imperial Capital.

At the very least, he wasn’t keen on shredding all façades of civility.

Then, emboldened, someone in the crowd suggested, “Perhaps we can raise the perks for the one dividing the cake, let him take a hefty slice first, and he’ll feel satisfied enough to be fair afterwards.”

Duke Tilius shook his head, “You think greed has boundaries?”

“Once they take a huge piece, they’ll just be drooling over the next one, and by the end, they might even want to take leftovers home. That’s human nature.”

Upon hearing this, the speaker shamefully hung his head.

After a few guests hit a wall, the mood in the room dampened.

Yet, if you thought about it, Duke Tilius made some valid points.

Meanwhile, a perplexing question began to take root in many minds.

How could they achieve the most equitable distribution?

Clearly, no one was naïve enough to think they were just discussing cake dividing.

Of course, everyone present was a person of some stature, already benefiting from the situation, and their discussion was simply confined to their own ranks.

Silence fell over the crowd.

Noticing the hush, Duke Tilius suddenly wore a knowing smile: “Does anyone have a better answer to my earlier question?”

“Don’t feel too pressured; think of it as a light conversation over tea.”

“Also, if someone gives me a satisfactory answer, I’ll carve out the last half hour of my evening, initially meant for my study, to hear your ideas.”

This stirred up quite a reaction!

Upon realizing the deeper meaning behind his words, shock flickered in everyone’s eyes.

Clearly, Duke Tilius was extending an olive branch.

Unlike earlier, when he pressured them for secret pledges, this was about promoting capable talent! If someone could catch the duke’s eye, even if they couldn’t stand firm in Orlen City, it meant they’d gain entry into the social scene of the Imperial Capital! What a leap from this dead-end venue! Everyone had their own train of thought.

But recalling how the previous responses didn’t please him, uncertainty set back in.

After all, the issue of distribution had been a persistent headache for nations; how could it possibly be resolved so easily?

Just as the guests fell into contemplation, Bishop Mozer, who had been silent for a spell, suddenly spoke up.

“My lord, if we’re to discuss such matters publicly, I believe we should consider the opinion of a noble presence that we cannot overlook.”

Looking at Duke Tilius, he seemed to regain his composure.

A noble presence?

As those words echoed through the banquet hall, everyone found themselves puzzled.

If we’re talking about noble presence, who in the room could outshine Baylor Tilius? Sensing the crowd’s confusion, he didn’t linger, but rather looked towards a neglected corner.

Following his gaze, everyone spotted the tall figure standing beside Lady Tilius.

She wore a red dress, her face hidden behind a butterfly mask, radiating an icy coldness.

Moreover, upon seeing her, a faint sense of distaste and anxiety flickered in everyone’s hearts.

Who was she? Everyone felt bewildered.

Noticing this, Mozer raised his voice a notch, “Honorable Princess Ivyst, may I ask what your thoughts are regarding the duke’s earlier point?”

Ivyst?! Why is she at this banquet?!

Could it be that the royal family was also embroiled in the border tax issues?!

Upon hearing her name, many instinctively took a step back.

Clearly, they were no strangers to this infamous third princess.

Even if they hadn’t seen the mark on her face, merely recalling her misdeeds was enough for everyone to remember.

Instantly, the atmosphere grew chaotic.

All eyes unconsciously focused on the woman in the red dress, their glances mixed with fear and aversion.

At this point, things had seemingly spiraled out of control.

Shifting the blame.

This was Mozer’s plan upon discovering Ivyst’s hidden attendance at the banquet.

To divert the evening’s conflicts and attention onto that universally reviled third princess.

It was despicable but beyond his control.

Mozer knew the reputation “the Sinful Princess” bore and what fierce ruthlessness she possessed.

But did she truly dare?

After angering Sixth Saint Roland, would she actually kill a regional bishop of the Church of Heavenly Justice in public?

Just for exposing her identity in broad daylight?

If she truly did that, it wouldn’t merely be killing one person; it’d be declaring war against the Church and the high nobility.

At that point, nobody could save her.

Even with her formidable strength, in this world, it wasn’t enough to do as she pleased.

Even gods couldn’t achieve such.

It was a pity, though, that Bishop Mozer underestimated how cruel this insane woman could be when pushed to extremes.

And how terrifying she truly was.

Upon hearing Mozer’s abrupt words, Ivyst shot him a glacial glare.

With a wave of overwhelming killing intent, even being a Fourth Stage Transcendent, he felt as if he plunged into an ice cave.

Feeling the emotions swirling in those blood-red irises, a surge of primal fear crept up on Mozer.

He stood rooted, his legs trembling.

No way!

She, she really looks like she’d kill someone!

Mozer instinctively thought.

Just then, unexpectedly, a voice cut through the tension.

“Your Highness, I’d also like to hear your views.”

To everyone’s surprise, even Mozer couldn’t believe, it was Duke Tilius who spoke up.

He held his wine glass, giving a calm smile towards the silent Ivyst.

“Uncle Tilius, you…”

Staring at Duke Tilius, who was inexplicably throwing her into the hot seat, Ivyst was momentarily stunned.

She didn’t understand.

From the start, he was indifferent towards her, yet now he’s making her the center of attention.

Even if he genuinely didn’t approve of her, why go to such lengths?

In that moment, feeling the mixed gazes from everyone in the room, an intense rage and anxiety welled up within her.

This feeling of being treated as an anomaly, observed by others, had been a deep-seated wound since childhood.

Through all the years, she had experienced similar scenes far too many times.

Every single time left her feeling isolated and helpless.

As if the entire world had abandoned her.

Ivyst clenched her fists, her nails digging painfully into her palm.

Dammit.

She was on the verge of losing control over her desire to annihilate everything.

Just then, a sudden noise of shattering glass broke the tense atmosphere entirely.

Everyone instinctively looked over.

In the crowd, a boy in a crow mask stood out, gripping a broken wine bottle, commanding everyone’s attention.

Clearly, he had just smashed the bottle against a nearby pillar, making that sound.

“Oops, my hand slipped.”

The boy said with a grin.

You’re saying you accidentally picked up a wine bottle from the table and smashed it against the pillar during such a tense moment? Who’d believe that!?

Not sure what he was attempting, but evidently, this was a foolish move.

It was unfortunate he was oblivious to everyone’s current thoughts.

He slowly approached and casually grabbed a cup of juice from the table, gently swirling it.

It was just a cup of juice, yet this guy managed to make it look like red wine.

“Mr. Duke, it seems you were just discussing something interesting. May I, as an outsider, join in for a cheerful discussion?”

The boy asked curiously.

Upon hearing him, Duke Tilius raised an eyebrow.

Surprisingly, he didn’t detect the same nervousness or dread from this youth as from the others around him.

As if his status hadn’t even registered.

Interesting.

“Sure,” Duke Tilius glanced at him, “But right now, I’m asking about the princess—”

“Why bother my lord with such trivial matters?”

The boy interrupted the duke’s words.

This clearly laid out his stance.

Duke Tilius paused for a second, then slowly narrowed his eyes.

He turned directly to face this mysterious youth.

“Alright then, tell me, what kind of distribution method do you think allows everyone to enjoy cake fairly?”

Duke Tilius was curious.

What kind of response could this person give, standing up to pull attention away from the third princess in this situation?

If it was just for show, then—

At this moment, all eyes in the room were fixed on the boy.

However, the invisible pressure seemed to have no impact on him.

The boy in the crow mask shrugged: “Simple, anyone can distribute the cake.”

“Anyone can distribute it?”

Duke Tilius’s voice turned icy.

This answer didn’t satisfy him.

At this moment, he clearly saw this youth as a mere attention seeker.

A flicker of anger rose within him.

But before he could show it, the boy spoke again.

“Yeah, anyone can divide the cake.”

“But they must allow others to choose first; only the last piece left is theirs.”