Instead of giving an answer, Ilya simply stared at the Marquis. A coy look soon appeared on her countenance, her smile cold but fragile.
Marquis Benedict mirrored her expression as he leaned back on the seat. The two were silent for a while. The Chief Justice and the Judges, on the other hand, were watching Ilya and the Marquis on pins and needles. They didn't know where to linger their gazes.
"Lady Gertrude, or should I call you, Lady Bismarck? Which do you prefer?" Marquis Benedict broke the silence, first to break away from the staredown.
He searched for Leahmir Dantallion among the crowd and gave her a nod. After the short felicities, Dantalion immediately approached the Marquis.
"I apologize for the belated greeting, Marquis Benedict. How can I be of service to you?" Dantalion said as she bowed her head.
"Do you reckon that Lady Gertrude can attend a banquet that will run from day to night?"
Dantalion diverted her eyes towards Ilya and scanned her from head to toe.
No matter how one would look at her, Ilya wasn't in the state to move around. Her skin that was already pale looked worse, almost as if it was chalkish. Her lips were flaky dry. Though they were alive, her eyes still had a hint of crimson in their corners.
'Even without checking her vitals, I know that she still needs a lot of rest. Perhaps, at most a month? Least will be a week.' Dantalion thought as she sighed.
Thereafter, she faced Marquis Benedict and shook her head.
"As her physician, I will advise against forcing her to participate in any sort of celebration. The noise and the lighting will be a great source of stress for Lady Gertrude. Not to mention, the interactions she will have to partake in will number more than a hundred."
"I see." The Marquis replied with a smile on his face, "You can go back to what you're doing."
"Then, I'll leave you to the Lady's graces, My Lord."
Dantalion hurriedly took her place on the other side of the bed, joining the physicians in analyzing Ilya's condition.
Before the Marquis could take a breath, Ilya decided to give her reply.
"Marquis Benedict, why are you making me choose among the three?"
The man hummed as he thought of a proper rejoinder. As opposed to how simple it sounded, the question's essence was complicated.
Among the prerequisites of being an heir, the most important was a certificate of completion from one of the myriads of institutions within the Etheros Empire. A majority of them were focused on academics and public service, the rest were reserved for training individuals for the sake of strengthening the national defense.
Some institutions only accepted individuals of Noble lineage, some also accepted commoners. Of course, there was a handful that solely accommodated commoners.
However, five institutions -- the Beispielhaft League -- were a cut above the others. Collectively, the aforementioned five institutions had produced graduates whose names were mentioned at least once in the Empire's history books.
Because of that, the Monarchy and the Parliament made sure that those institutions did not lack funding.
From the exemplary professors and instructors to the most premium of facilities, the students didn't have to worry about anything. They simply had to do their part and show commendable performance and results.
The most notable aspect of these five institutions was their curriculum that combined academics, public service, and national defense. It goes without saying that getting admitted to one of the five would warrant a preparation that began from childhood.
The earliest that an aspiring student could apply was at the age of sixteen. Until they hadn't hit the age of twenty on the first month of classes, they could retake the examinations.
Unfortunately, the Beispielhaft League only accepted a maximum of 1000 students out of hundreds of thousands of takers per year.
That being said, Marquis Benedict didn't expect Ilya to be interested in entering the League. In actuality, she didn't have to try hard in getting her certificate of completion. It was only a matter of formality. Besides, there were other prerequisites that she had to fulfill.
"What do you think is the reason, Lady Gertrude?" The Marquis asked as he crossed his legs.
"I was wondering, you see, if you think I'm incapable of such a feat."
"What feat?"
Ilya erased the smile off of her face, narrowing her gaze on the Maquis as she responded, "Entering the League."
Upon hearing her response, Marquis Benedict couldn't help himself from taking a sharp breath. From a brief scoff, he began laughing. Ilya dismissed his show of mirth and paid attention to what the doctors were doing to her.
The Marquis ceased from laughing in less than no time. He acted as if he was wiping the faux tears on his cheeks with the back of his hand.
"I think you're mistaken, Lady Gertrude. I am not underestimating your abilities by any means."
"Is that how my statement sounded?" llya inquired, tilting her head to the side, "I was expecting more understanding from the Prime Minister."
Ilya hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand and bowed her head.
"I apologize. I got confused for a moment. It seems that my father's death has taken a toll on me that I have mistaken you for him."
Ilya's sentiment might have been heart-rending to listen to, and that's exactly how the people inside the room felt. That's aside from the few who took her statement differently.
Marquis Herkel Benedict was a twenty-six year old man whose appearance was envied by men and coveted by women. His eyes were almost golden by virtue of how bright its brown hue was. His tall nose and sharp jawline, partnered with his thin lips, accentuated the manliness of his features.
Similar to Vatar Halkias, his height was a towering 190 centimeters. Coupled with his sturdy build -- riddled with rock-hard muscles from two decades of constant training -- he looked intimidating even if he wasn't doing anything.
Having said that, Marquis Benedict didn't share any similar features with the late Duke Brahm Gertrude.
Ilya herself knew that her excuse was crude. However, an uncanny smile reappeared on her countenance as she watched the amusement on the Marquis' face slowly fade.