The Emperor's Secret Luna

Chapter 2: Banquet Preparation

“My precious daughter, are you feeling okay? How about your head? Is it still hurting?! Just tell your father anything and I will do it for you! Who cares if they are the imperial family? You don’t have to suffer any grievances as Father will support you no matter what!” Grand Duke Chantrea huffed.

Alvira went silent and just stared at the grand duke for a while.

Seeing that his daughter was still silent, the grand duke thought that she must still be in shock because of the accident. So, he looked lovingly at Alvira and said, “It’s alright. Father had already punished that arrogant princess for you! She will not dare again to bully you… Now that you are alright, everything is already fine. Take a good rest and if you need anything, you can call me anytime.”

“Esther, come in and take care of Alvira,” Grand Duke Chantrea called out.

The door was slowly pushed open and Esther went in. In her hands were some light foods for Alvira to feed on. She had been asleep for several weeks, so she must be feeling hungry right now.

“Yes, Your Grace.” Esther bowed her head toward the grand duke before he left the room.

When the door was closed, Esther hurriedly walked towards the bed and put the things down on the side table.

“Young lady, you are finally awake!” When Esther saw that Alvira had finally opened her eyes, her heart was filled with joy. “You scared this maidservant of yours. I was so afraid when I saw you faint in that forest! Fortunately, you are already fine! Or else, Grand Duke Chantrea would really cause havoc in the imperial palace!”

Alvira looked at her and asked, “Imperial Palace? Why?”

In Alvira’s memory, the last thing she remembered was she was on the forest hunt and, suddenly, the strap of her horse suddenly snapped which caused her to fall off the horse. After that, all she could remember was that something hit her head and she fell unconscious.

“Young Lady, it was Princess Octavia who plotted your accident. Someone saw her nearing your horse and Grand Duke Chantrea found some shreds of evidence of her crime. So, His Majesty had to punish her for causing you harm… I heard that she was locked up in her princess’ courtyard and was not allowed to have any interactions outside. Even Her Majesty was not allowed to visit the princess.”

Alvira nodded her head slowly. So, it was really her who caused her to fall. No wonder his father was so angry at the imperial family.

Just as she was thinking, she heard someone from the outside say, “Young Lady, Your Grace has sent over some medicines for you to take.”

“Go, open the door.” Alvira softly said as she laid down again on her bed. Her body was still aching slightly, probably because she had been lying down for several weeks.

Esther went back with her hands full of different kinds of medicinal pills. “Young Lady, your medicine is placed here. I will not disturb your rest further.”

Alvira just nodded her head and closed her eyes to rest. Esther slowly closed the curtains in the room to block the sunlight from disturbing her young lady’s sleep and went out.

Feeling the room had turned silent, Alvira opened her eyes again and stared at the ceiling deeply.

“Xavier?… Rebellion? Just what kind of dream was that?” Alvira murmured under her breath.

Emperor Vester, in her dream, was the current monarch of the Islomore Empire but he was older in age. So, if she could calculate the timeline, that scenario in her dream is in a future timeline.

But she doesn’t believe in prophetic dreams at all. And that Xavier. Just who is he? Among the royal princes she had heard, no one had mentioned a prince named Xavier.

Even though she was a noble lady, she had never been interested in the imperial family. Her father would always remind her not to get entangled with anyone from the palace. The Grand Duchy of Chantrea had always been neutral and never sided with anyone. For him, the imperial palace is the most dangerous place.

“But his face, especially his eyes. They looked familiar... Did I meet him in the past?”

***

The second morning, the news spread like wildfire in the Islomore Empire. In every corner of the empire, news of Lady Alvira waking up had caused a great commotion.

In the early summer, flowers bloomed in the backyard as the sun’s rays bathed the sky with its brightness. The soft breeze of the wind swayed the leaves gently as if they were dancing in a uniform manner.

A young female’s ink-black hair was left untouched as she wore a light blue outfit with clouds and geese embroidered, bringing out her slim and exquisite body.

Esther opened the umbrella slowly, shielded Alvira from the direct sunlight, and said, “Young Lady’s health has yet to recover, and you must be careful not to catch a cold.”

Alvira shook her head. “I’m fine.” She continued to watch the roses in the garden sway gently against the wind. Some petals had flowed through the breeze, making it a peaceful scenery.

Esther watched by her side and felt somewhat peculiar in her heart. Her young lady’s complexion was fair and, seeing that she was small and petite, without even a smile on her face, she did not look cold or foolish but was somewhat indifferent.

Although her young lady was usually indifferent and calm, this kind of calmness in her was somewhat disturbing. It looked as if she had gained a unique air overnight and there was a sense of grace in the atmosphere.

Esther shook her head as if it could wipe the absurd thought from her mind. She smiled and looked towards Alvira, “Young lady, Your Grace has ordered you to go to the main hall for lunch. He said that the dressmakers from the Blossoms Clothing Pavilion are going to measure you for the banquet.”

After Alvira had her breakfast, she stood in the backyard looking at the garden in a trance.

“Banquet? Who sent the invitation?” Alvira softly said.

It is not common for Grand Duke Chantrea to accept any banquet invitations from the other nobles. The only banquet that they would always attend was either it was held by the Empress or the Emperor. Besides that, they would turn it down immediately. Alvira did not mind it either, as she was neither interested in going to such a crowded place.

If only it was not necessary for her to attend the banquets held in the imperial palace, she would rather stay in the residence than attend such an event.

As far as Alvira could remember, the imperial family hadn’t seemed to hold any banquets. So, whose banquet is it?

“Young Lady, His Grace did not receive any invitations,” Esther smiled, “The banquet is being held by Your Grace himself. He said that he would be hosting the event to celebrate your recovery!”

Alvira closed her eyes for a while and sighed. Her father must have really been worried about her. “Where is he right now?”

“His Grace is currently in his study.”

Alvira nodded before saying, “Let’s go to my father’s study.”

Coming out of the back garden, Alvira took Esther along to the main courtyard. Entering the study’s door, she saw her father flipping through a long list. He seemed to find there was not enough on the list and was ordering people beside him to add more.

“Father, you seem so busy. Did you have a good sleep last night?” Alvira walked towards the grand duke with a smile.

Seeing that his beloved daughter had come, Grand Duke Chantrea put the list to one side. He walked next to Alvira and looked at her intently. Seeing that she looked fine, his worries were satisfied. “It’s good that you are finally fine. You must pay attention to your health all the time.”

Alvira supported her father to sit down. She smiled and said, “Father, don’t worry. I am perfectly fine. Didn’t Doctor Leopold tell you that I have already recovered? You can put your heart at ease.”

Grand Duke Chantrea sighed and then said hatefully, “If it wasn’t for that envious Princess Octavia, you wouldn’t have suffered such injuries! Thinking about her, my heart feels suffocated!”

Seeing that her father had become angry, Alvira carried a cup of tea in front of him. “Father, didn’t you say that His Majesty had punished Princess Octavia already? Besides, it won’t be good for your health to keep that anger.”

“You are right. Let’s leave the past behind.” Grand Duke Chantrea picked up the tea that his daughter had delivered. Half of his anger dissipated.

“Father, what are those?” Alvira pointed at the lists on the table.

“Oh right, Father is preparing a banquet for you.” He smiled widely and took the list he had just been looking at, “Come and have a look. You can tell me whatever you want to add and we will change it according to your preferences.”

Sweeping a look across the list, Alvira felt her head aching. She had never been fond of gatherings at all. Alvira stopped reading the list, turning and speaking, “Father, isn’t it too tiresome to hold a banquet? You know that I’m not interested in those things.”

“I know but your birthday is about to come… Before, I allowed you not to host any banquet during your birthdays, but not this time around. You have nearly escaped death and we must celebrate your recovery. So, we must hold a grand banquet for you!” As a father, Grand Duke Chantrea could see that his daughter did not feel much happiness about the banquet. But since rumors are spreading outside about his daughter, he must use this chance to dispel that nonsense instantly.

Alvira noticed the frown on her father’s face as she lightly smiled, “You must have heard about the rumors outside.”

For his father to host such a grand banquet, something must have triggered him to do so. And just recently, there were rumors spreading that her face had been deeply scarred. The injury she had in the forest hunt was on her head. Since it was said that she was heavily wounded, some people speculated that her face had a huge scar and no medicine could heal it.

For a young lady who had not yet been married, it would be such a huge thing if their face were disfigured. Not to mention Alvira, who was one of the most influential noble ladies in the entire empire. It would be a disgrace if her face got injured.

“You heard them too?” Grand Duke Chantrea’s expression was slightly ugly. “That bunch of nonsense! How dare they say that my daughter’s face had been disfigured?! That you have become ugly and would refuse to leave the residence because of embarrassment?! Don’t worry, Father will definitely find those people responsible for spreading such rumors! And even though you have a scar, that won't make you less gorgeous!”

Grand Duke Chantrea sighed as he glanced at his daughter. In his eyes, his daughter was perfect. Even with her shortcoming of being indifferent and lack of interest in anything, he doesn’t mind them one bit. How could he bear to let his daughter suffer any kind of grievance? He had promised his late wife to protect their child from anything!

“Father, don’t think too much about it.” Alvira took a sip of the tea before changing the topic, “About the banquet, can we reduce the scale of it? I don’t want it to be too crowded.”

When he heard this, Grand Duke Chantrea smiled. “Of course, it is your banquet, so anything will go according to your liking. Father will make the necessary arrangements!”

“Thank you father,” Alvira said with a smile, “I’ll go back to my courtyard to meet the dress-maker. Have a good day.”

Grand Duke Chantrea nodded his head and Alvira returned to her own courtyard. Looking at the furnishings in the room that was all for her own comfort, her lips curled. Her father had really doted on her since she was very young.

Everything in her room screamed wealth and was crafted accordingly to her preferences. From her bed to the pillows, from the dress cabinets to the shoe cabinets, even the tiling on her floor was all customized for her.

***

Time passed by quickly as the whole Grand Duchy was busy in preparation for their young lady’s birthday banquet. It was held on the twentieth of the month, which was days away from the autumn season.

Just the night before the birthday banquet, Grand Duke Chantrea called Alvira over to his study.

“The birthday banquet will be held tomorrow. Although I don’t want to see anyone from the imperial family, it is a must for us to welcome them… I am not certain who will come but Prince Isaac has sent a reply that he will attend. Don’t worry, all you need to do is greet them and Father will handle the rest.” Grand Duke Chantrea did not want his daughter to get associated with any of the princes, most especially the 1st prince.

Although Prince Isaac looked amiable and honest, Grand Duke Chantrea knew that his military power was something he coveted the most. For a prince who was in line for the throne, the Grand Duchy of Chantrea was a huge power that would surely increase their chances of being the next emperor of the empire.

“Alright,” Alvira nodded.

“One more thing, stay far away from Prince Isaac. I know you are a clever child, so you could find an excuse if he tried to get close to you.” Grand Duke Chantrea warned Alvira.

“How’s the progress in choosing the crown prince?” Alvira asked casually.

About the matters in court, Grand Duke Chantrea would not keep anything from his daughter. For him, Alvira must know the situation in the court clearly to avoid being in a mishap. He would often discuss things with her and listen to her thoughts and opinions. After all, she would inherit the Grand Duchy someday.

Grand Duke Chantrea sighed depressingly, “It’s getting intense. The 1st Prince and 2nd Prince’s factions were getting extreme. Both princes had received support from different noble houses but they lacked military support.”

The 2nd Prince was the son of the Noble Consort and was equally talented and smart as the 1st prince. And so, even if the 1st prince was the legitimate son of the empress, the emperor did not give him the crown prince title.

Now that both parties have gained equal footing in court, they would need the support of the Grand Duchy of Chantrea to tip off that balance. Whoever gets the military power of Grand Duke Chantrea would be the winner of this battle.