At that night...
The castle was shining with lights. Some parts of it were still broken, but it had almost restored all of its former glory.
Charles was standing in his room, getting ready. He was looking at his face in the mirror.
His handsome face was currently twisted in pain.
Even though Val had said no, he had tried asking his aunt about taking him back.
The answer was...
"I don't know anyone by that name."
His aunt had replied. It was a blatant lie, and both parties knew that. Yet he couldn't force her to acknowledge Val or take him in.
He was the crown prince, but he wasn't the king. If he caused trouble, then the king would remove him from the line of succession. If that happened, his pocket money would decrease, and he wouldn't be able to support Val anymore.
A knock brought Charles back to reality. Charles always put his clothes on his own, so he had told the maids not to come during that time.
"Who is it?" He asked, and a muffled voice came from behind the door.
"It's me, Euphie, Charles-nii."
"Ah, wait a minute."
Charles opened the door and welcomed Euphie inside. The girl entered with graceful movements, and looked at her cousin.
"Charles-nii, is Val-sama not coming?" She bluntly asked.
Charles made a troubled face at her question.
Princess Euphie II Zuan was young, but really beautiful. Long light pink hair, with eyes of the same colour, slender and petite body, along with a cute face.
Many nobles wanted her for their sons or heirs, but she had rejected them all.
Her father, Duke Bertold really doted on her, so he didn't make her marry against her will. In the current situation, only the king could order her to marry, but as the king loved her sisters, he didn't do that.
Euphie was still single for that reason. She was fifteen, a year younger than Charles and Val.
In the Zuan Kingdom, daughters of the noble houses usually married by sixteen, so Charles was worried about her.
He also felt wary of her.
After all, in her mind, there was only one boy. Val Traum. She couldn't withstand the idea of any other male marrying her.
Yes. She was Charles's rival in love. So Charles was desperately trying to make her fall in love with someone else, and if possible, marry that guy.
(Call it underhanded, but everything is fair in love and war!)
That was how he consoled himself.
However... He didn't know one thing.
(Charles-nii is making that face again. He probably is trying to marry me off. Kukuku, but that won't work!)
Yes. Euphie had already found out his true intentions. And she was well-aware of his 'forbidden' love, so she was also trying to make him marry a girl, or a boy.
It didn't really matter to either of them who their rivals married. They just wanted to clear their paths.
(Kukuku, that girl from Earl Maltor's family is here! I'll succeed this time!)
(Hahaha, that boy from Count Alfred's family is here! I'll make her fall in love with him this time!)
The maids who came in with Euphie shivered while looking at their ominous looking grins.
At the same time...
Sarah stood in front of a large mirror. Her long blonde hair was falling down her waist, her violet eyes were gazing at her perfectly curved figure. Even the members of the same gender acknowledged her beauty.
"Kukuku, I'll make Shadow Breaker fall for me this time! For sure!"
She hyped herself up with another declaration. This was her umpteenth declaration in the last few hours.
Honestly, she didn't understand why the hero had been avoiding her. She was from a duke house, she looked beautiful, and had a great personality (or she thought).
She was the perfect girl.
And yet! No matter how many she approached the hero, he'd avoid her.
He'd look past her, and make up an excuse to leave.
"Maybe he swings 'that' way?" She thought, but then denied the possibility.
The hero couldn't possibly be gay.
Yes, he wasn't indeed. However... Sarah didn't know.
She didn't know that the hero she was trying to woo was her own brother.
Indeed, the reason the hero was able to resist her charms was that he knew about her true character, and he was her step-brother.
"Sarah, come down! We'll be late otherwise!" Her mother, Duchess Margaret called out to her from downstairs.
"Coming!"
She said, then picked up the potion on the table in front of her.
"With this potion, I'll make him fall for me!"
Yes. She finally was going to use an underhanded way. As for how it would turn out, one could only imagine.
At the same time (Again)...
Val looked at himself in the reflection of the water in the bucket.
His sunken cheeks were slowly getting fatter. The bags under his eyes were gone. His silver hair was slowly turning black. His hands were looking well-trained and well-built, instead of his usual skeletal arms.
He sighed, and stood up.
"Priest Skill: [Mana Armour]"
It was a skill that was often used by priests or paladin. It created an armour made of mana, which could be touched, damaged and broken, just like the real thing.
However, Val was using it to create clothes.
Yes. Clothes. Clothes with really, absurdly high-defence. The fight with Jaldaboth had made him overly cautious. Another reason was that his regular 'hero' clothes weren't suitable for formal functions like this one.
Then he pulled out his old partner from under his bed. His white mask. And when he put it on, he wasn't Val Traum anymore. He was Shadow Breaker, the hero of the Zuan Kingdom.
Later that night...
The ballroom of the royal palace.
Usually, it would not be used unless it was a really big occasion.
Sarah entered the ballroom with her mother.
The King and Queen were already here, along with Charles and Euphie. Seeing her two cousins, Sarah frowned.
She didn't like them.
She didn't like how they cherished her good-for-nothing half-brother.
The two also scowled when they saw her. The relationships between these three cousins were almost falling apart, and though Val didn't know it, he was the reason.
"How good I feel to see you here, Sarah," Euphie said with sarcasm, baring her anger which she rarely showed.
"Hah. It seems you are as energetic as always, Euphie."
"At least better than a scheming bitch."
"Hahahaha, at least I'm not a slut like you."
Charles grimaced while watching their 'conversation'. He didn't personally like Sarah, but didn't show any hostility towards her either.
"And, Charles-nii, did you perhaps try to invite that bastard again?"
"Shut your mouth, you witch."
He didn't show hostility, unless the opposite party insulted Val.
Just as the three were about to grab each other's throat, the door opened again.
A silhouette entered. He was wearing a black tuxedo, perfect for an occasion like this. Though no one ever saw his face, they immediately recognized the person thanks to his mask.
Yes, Shadow Breaker was here.
For the past six years, whenever Shadow Breaker saved them, the palace would hold a ceremony like this the next day. And Shadow Breaker would always join.
They didn't even need to formally invite him, or advertise the whole thing. Though they didn't have any way of contacting him anyway.
With the guest of honour, the party finally started in full-swing.