WTSP - 38

The awards ceremony was set to take place by the palace’s Great Lake.

The lake was so vast and deep that its entirety couldn’t be captured in a single glance. It was said that during droughts, water could even be drawn from it for use—a testament to its sheer size.

Under the unusually strong sunlight of the day, the lake’s surface shimmered brilliantly. Thousands, no, millions of tiny ripples danced across the water like scattered crystals, reflecting dazzling light.

It was a peaceful, warm day—deceptively so, as if nothing out of the ordinary could happen.

Upon arriving near the lake, I made my way to the table where Elian and Raquelle were seated.

As the Meredith family held a relatively minor title, our designated table was tucked away in a corner.

Perhaps because of this, Raquelle wore an expression of dissatisfaction so pronounced it could be spotted from afar. But what could we do? The central seats with the best views had already been claimed by dukes and marquises.

“Did you catch a lot of game, you two?”

“Ophelia! We haven’t seen you in a while. What brings you here? Why aren’t you sitting at the Empress’ table?”

“I wanted to sit here. There are too many people over there. Besides, it’s not like I was officially assigned that seat—it’s just something everyone assumes.”

True enough. Nobody had explicitly told me to sit anywhere specific.

Elian shrugged indifferently, popping a piece of dessert into his mouth. His easygoing nature meant he didn’t harbor much resentment about the seating arrangement.

Raquelle, on the other hand, sat scowling visibly, clearly displeased.

“If any nobles see you sulking in the corner, they’ll gossip. Imagine the heir of the Meredith house sitting here all grumpy.”

“Come on, Raquelle. You’re acting like a moody teenager. Does it really matter whether you sit here or there? From here, you can still see His Majesty perfectly fine.”

“You two truly don’t understand anything. Especially you, Ophelia. Don’t you have any intention of bringing honor to our family as Empress? While we didn’t send you to marry His Majesty solely for the sake of the family, surely you could at least make some effort.”

I fought the urge to clamp Raquelle’s mouth shut.

If serving the Empire and elevating the family name was so important to him, why hadn’t he married the Emperor instead? Though I refrained from voicing such thoughts aloud, my expression betrayed my frustration.

Reading the blatant disdain in my eyes, Raquelle furrowed his brows and launched into another lecture.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not wrong. As Empress, you should—”

“All rise and pay respects to Serdelius Carlot, Emperor of the Empire!”

Perfect timing.

I inwardly cheered as I stood, turning my gaze toward the stage.

There was no way anyone could continue idle chatter now that the Emperor himself had arrived. Raquelle closed his mouth tightly, though his displeasure remained evident.

Every eye turned toward the embodiment of imperial authority—the man often likened to the sun itself. In the godless Carlot Empire, Emperor Serdel was practically worshipped as the sole deity.

‘Just look at him. He isn’t merely a creation of the gods; he is divine.’

No matter how many times I thought about it, I regretted not outsourcing his portrait illustration. Even if it cost a million won—or two million—I should’ve immortalized Serdelius’ appearance in art.

‘Though capturing those deep-set eyes in a painting might be impossible… I’d love to show people the real thing.’

Unaware of my musings, Serdel took his seat on the throne positioned at the center of the stage, surveying the gathered nobility below.

His demeanor was undeniably arrogant and authoritative, but somehow, it suited him perfectly. How could such overwhelming arrogance exude such raw magnetism?

The weight of his presence filled the hall, and his low, resonant voice echoed through the ceremony grounds.

“I extend my respect to all who participated in the hunting tournament that marks the beginning of the Empire’s Spring Festival. Your commitment to maintaining dignity while honing both body and mind reflects the qualities expected of true nobility. I encourage you to continue cultivating yourselves inside and out. Now, let us announce the winners.”

An official with long, white whiskers handed Serdel a sheet of paper bearing the names of the awardees.

That single sheet of paper likely cost more than a commoner family’s monthly livelihood.

Lost in idle thoughts, I rubbed my tired eyes. It had been an exhausting day, packed with events that left me mentally drained.

“What comes next is the male winner—Barian Feyroten, eldest son of the Feyroten viscount household.”

‘I wonder if Sir Rovair and Sir Harpin have found that underground lair yet.’

Suddenly, worry gnawed at me. Would they be able to rescue the hostages safely?

At least dozens of knights had gone. Surely, the empire’s finest wouldn’t falter so easily. After all, they were known as the premier royal knights of the Carlot Empire.

Speaking of which, was Theo receiving proper treatment? The harsh reality awaiting him felt unbearably cruel.

“The female winner is… interesting. Her Imperial Highness, Empress Ophelia Carlot.”

Still, he would be alright. With magical education provided by the palace and the love of his parents, Theo would grow up healthy.

I resolved to visit him occasionally, offering encouragement whenever possible.

Though I hadn’t known him for long, I couldn’t shake the feeling of concern for him.

Just then, lost in thought, I felt someone gently tap my arm. Glancing up, I saw Raquelle urging me impatiently.

“Ophelia, what are you doing?! Hurry and go up there. At this rate, it’ll take forever for you to reach the stage. You really should’ve stayed at the Empresses’ table.”

“Wow, our little sister did great! Did you hear that? Among all those participants, she came in first! Go on, hurry. His Majesty is waiting.”

While I’d been distracted, it seemed I’d missed most of the proceedings. Realizing everyone was staring at me, I widened my eyes and looked toward Serdel.

First place? Winner? Could it be?

Our eyes met, and Serdel smirked faintly.

“It seems the Empress underestimated her own abilities.”

From beneath the table, Raquelle jabbed my hand repeatedly, confirming I hadn’t misheard. Still stunned, I moved forward hesitantly.

A nagging suspicion crept into my mind. Had Serdel manipulated the results using his power?

‘How else could I, having hit only one deer, end up as the top scorer?’

Even as I ascended the stage, confusion lingered.

Finally facing Serdel, he gave me an enigmatic smile.

Receiving a rather hefty trophy from him, I muttered under my breath, barely audibly.

“You didn’t rig this, did you? I mean, I only hit one deer…”

“Are you implying I tampered with the results for your sake?”

“You didn’t?”

Serdel leaned down, whispering softly into my ear with an amused expression.

“For your information, the runner-up was Lady Gremit, who hit one rabbit.”

‘Who would’ve thought I’d win a trophy in something other than fencing? And in a fictional world, no less.’

Judging by his demeanor, he didn’t seem to be lying outright. Offering a silent nod, I descended from the stage with the trophy in hand.

The lukewarm applause from the nobility was almost comical. They clearly couldn’t believe that the frail Empress from the Meredith family had claimed first place.

Even I doubted myself. Who could blame them?

Returning to my seat amidst congratulations, I placed the trophy at the center of the table.

Examining it closer, I realized it was solid gold.

Truly, the Empire’s wealth knew no bounds. A forearm-sized trophy, entirely crafted from pure gold.

At that moment, Lena popped up behind me, letting out a small cheer. Beside her stood Theo.

“Your Highness! Congratulations! I never imagined you’d excel so much in archery!”

“Goodness, Lena… You keep startling me today. Ah, Theo’s here too. Still haven’t removed the mana control device?”

“No, it requires a stronger mage… They said it’ll be done tomorrow. Um, Sister—Empress! Congratulations.”

Theo, mimicking Lena, offered his own congratulatory words without fully understanding what he was celebrating.

His pure, innocent face melted my heart like ice under the spring sun. My chest swelled with warmth.

Gently stroking his flushed cheeks, I locked eyes with him and whispered a quiet thank-you.

“The physicians said you’re okay? You must’ve suffered from not eating properly for so long.”

In response to my concerned question, Theo blushed and began chattering excitedly.

“They said I’ll get better with consistent treatment. I need to stay in bed for a few days, but I wanted to see you sooner… Huh?”

Suddenly, Theo froze mid-sentence, as if something had short-circuited within him.

“Are you alright, Theo? Is something wrong?”

In an instant, his lively face turned ashen. His once-vibrant green eyes clouded over, darting around aimlessly. His hands and feet trembled uncontrollably, far worse than before.

My heart pounded wildly at this sudden change.

Shaking violently, Theo wrenched himself free from my grasp and bolted off somewhere.

“Theo!”

I instinctively sensed it. Something catastrophic was about to unfold.