Back inside the banquet hall, the celebration finally began. Every person, guests or even those royal guests. Every single one of them savors the lively party inside that huge room of their own different ways.
Most of them are all lined up in the huge line of long table full of different cuisines. That includes Belfionne who couldn't decide what food to take together with his plate filled with a huge piece of roasted vampire boar. And Edle who's accompanying him, to keep him from going rampant with his excitement.
"Which one should I get?! This one? That one? Or that one?! Dammit, I can't choose! Edle, can you pick for me?!"
"Idiot, you can just go back if you feel like you want to try them all instead of trying so hard to choose one of them. Also, that piece is pretty huge. Are you sure you're not human?"
"You're the idiot. Of course I'm not a human, I'm a demi-human."
"Ah, you're right. I couldn't help but mistaken you to be a normal human. I mean there's nothing that resembles you being one of the demis."
"That's right. That's because my Mother is not a demi-human."
Belfionne took a glance at his Mother whose in the middle of a conversation between her and the other two queens.
"My normal human appearance comes from my Mother, but my power and instincts of a demi is definitely from my Father."
"Oh. Speaking of your Father, his hair and ears definitely resembles that of the demis."
"Obviously! He's a pure demi."
Edle took a quick glance from King Francis before going back to Belfionne.
"A pure demi...? Wait."
"Hm? What's wrong, Edle?"
"If he's a pure demi and your Mother is a human, put that together and the result would be you're a half demi and half human."
"That's right."
"Demi-human is like a combination of a beast and a human, right? If your Mother is a human and your Father is a beast, doesn't that mean you're also a pure demi-human?"
"W-whaaat?!"
"You just realized that?"
All the while, the time goes on as well as everyone inside the banquet hall. Each one of them have their own way of enjoying the celebration.
There are people who enjoys having a casual conversation as they chill in front of the round tables, some prefer to stay onto the corners of the banquet hall where they find themselves at ease as they were busy gossiping at each other privately. Others are clogged all over in the middle of the room, as they enjoy the celebration to the fullest.
Everyone has their own way of how to enjoy the entire celebration, but no matter what or how they spend that rare ocassion, there is only one thing that will remain the same. That is everyone is having fun.
That's what Edle sees.
That's also why he told himself:
"I guess I should have fun myself, too."
But so as the light candle that can easily be blown out by a whistling wind, Edle's thoughts completely vanished as he saw King Ordeus alone in the far side of the banquet hall. Staring at the window while he seemed to be thinking about something.
And then...
"Still, who would've thought that cute princess is your step-sister. This is truly unexpected! I guess I should come here more often to see her."
"I prefer not."
Edle replied with a dead tone.
"What is this? What is this? Are you scared that I might get your step-sister? There's no way you'd fall for your sister, right? I mean in a sense, that will sound weird, don't you think?"
"Dumbass. It's because it'll be a pain in the ass to take care of you when you go wild. That said, I always find it amazing how Belfiore can handle your wild nature and stupidity pretty easily."
"Hey, you secretly detest me, are you?"
"Well, I don't particularly like you, for sure."
"I knew it! I always knew you never treated me like a real friend! You damn traitor!"
"Yes, yes."
Belfionne's tantrum began and no one knows when it'll end. But Edle ignores his outrage as though he's used to it.
Belfionne's outburst continues until a hand gently grabbed his shoulder.
"Hey, calm down. I'm sure Edle doesn't mean it that way... I think."
Blood sprays out of Belfionne's nostrils as Atalante shows him an endearing little smile.
"Hey, you idiot brother!"
Belfionne felt like he got punched and suffered a critical damage. If not for Belfiore who supported his back, he would fall and the plate he's holding down on the ground.
"A-Atalante big-sis grabbed and smiled at me... I can die happy...!"
"You're so disgusting, Fionne!"
"I guess Atalante knows how to control Fionne herself."
Edle said so in amazement inside his head.
"Fionne sure is easy to charm. If only the wall in your heart is as easy to break as him..."
The elven princess flutters her brows and looked at Edle seductively. All in another attempt to make his heart skip a beat. But knowing that it was her aim, Edle kept himself composed by expressing a stern look on his face.
"N-now that you're giving me that kind of look, I can say that I'm grateful to have an unbreakable wall in my heart."
"Tch..."
Maddened, Atalante puffed her cheeks. Then she turned away and closed her eyes shut afterwards.
"But in all honesty, if you really want someone's heart to flutter. Instead of trying to bewitch them by doing some things you never tried doing before, I think it's best to just be yourself... I think."
"Eh?"
Atalante's puffed cheeks transformed into a dumbfounded face. She looked as though she was surprised to hear an advice coming from Edle, the guy who she tries to seduce just a minute ago.
"Sometimes just seeing that certain someone is enough to make you fall head over heels for them. Especially when her eyes meets yours, or when she gives you that sweet and kind smile. You can't help but fall inlove with her."
Those words that Edle spout comes from the image of a girl who is always inside his mind, and he couldn't help but feel elated and smile about it.
While he seems to be drowning in his thoughts, Atalante stares at him. For the longest time that they've known each other, this is the first time that she saw Edle's genuine smile and his jet black eyes that glitters more than the banquet hall's chandelier.
Even Atalante couldn't help but feel contented. But it only lasted for a bit as her content smile transforms into someone who gives a suspicious look.
"Eh... You sure look happy about it. Does your advice comes from experience? Especially the ending part."
"Yeah... I-I mean you're wrong! I-It's just an advice that came up from the book I read..."
"Do you really think I would believe you while you're shamelessly showing that bashful look at me?"
Atalante leaned forward and grinned mischievously.
"I-I'm not being bashful!"
Edle proceeded to slap his face with his left hand, as if he's trying to hide the obvious.
"Why are you trying to hide what you feel?"
"Huh?"
Edle tilts his head a little down left. He was confounded by Atalante's unexpected question.