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The Chaotic Banquet (1)

Author: Rainey Alta
last update publish date: 2026-10-26 22:32:24

Up on the upper balcony, a young man clad in luxurious attire stood casually. He was the eldest son of Barony Erdest, a family that had long remained loyal to the Emperor's faction.

Yet beneath that loyalty, he harbored a deep personal grudge. Aira Belladonna had once approached him to steal information, only to cast him aside to return into the arms of Derrick D'Arest.

"You told me you were only using her to help strengthen my standing in high society, but instead you—" he muttered, his fists
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  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    Their Final Chapter

    Ironically, Derrick knew Roselyn had no intention of hurting him. She was simply speaking the truth, and precisely because of that, her words cut deep."Does Kaleus..." Derrick swallowed what felt like shards of glass. "Does he make you laugh, Rose? You used to laugh so often. I can't remember the last time I heard it."Roselyn stared at him for a long time. Then, for the first time since the meeting began, the corners of her lips lifted slightly—a genuine smile, and that was precisely why it was so cruel."Every day," she answered simply.Just two words. Yet Derrick felt as though the entire sky had collapsed over his head. He lowered his head, his shoulders shaking silently, and for a few moments, the corridor was filled only with his ragged, stifled sobs.Meanwhile, behind a massive pillar in the dimly lit corner of the corridor, Kaelus stood leaning in silence. His ruby-red eyes narrowed sharply, never breaking his gaze from Derrick.Kaelus’s hand rested casually on the hilt of th

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    The Ashes of the Past

    The palace's western wing corridor was cloaked in a tense silence. The dim afternoon light pierced through the tall windows, casting long shadows that separated the space where Derrick and Roselyn stood.Golden dust motes drifted lazily within the beams of light, as if time itself refused to move forward. In the distance, the faint, dull hammering of workers repairing the banquet hall could still be heard, the lingering remnants of a blood-soaked night that had yet to be fully scrubbed from the palace walls.Derrick took a single step forward, but Roselyn instinctively checked the movement by raising her right hand. Her fingers trembled ever so slightly. Just a fraction, for a mere split second, before she forced them into a tight fist out of sight."Stay right there, Derrick. Your five minutes start from now."Derrick stopped in his tracks. A bitter, weary smile curved across his pale lips. "Even the distance between us now must be regulated so strictly, Rose?""You are the one who

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    The Price of a Crown

    The morning after the blood-soaked night, the banquet hall had been thoroughly cleaned. Yet, the scent of charcoal smoke and dried, coppery blood still clung thickly to every white marble pillar.Cedric knelt in the center of the room with heavy iron chains locked around both of his wrists. Surrounding him, high-ranking ministers and nobles lined up in a suffocating silence, awaiting the final verdict that would seal the empire's fate."Stand, Cedric," Kaelus commanded from the throne atop the main steps, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.Cedric looked up and flashed a cynical smirk. "Why? A prisoner is better off kneeling.""You will hear your sentence with your head held high, like a man, not like a beggar.""Amusing. Those are the exact words my father used to say right before executing someone."Cedric slowly pushed himself up with the help of two guard knights. His face was bruised, the corners of his lips split and crusted over, yet his gaze radiated a sudden clarity—as if t

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    The Empress’s Tears (2)

    Cedric propped himself up on his trembling hands and knees. Slowly, he forced his head up, staring at the figure standing before him.His eyes traced the silver hair and ruby-red eyes of Kaelus. His deathly pale face contorted, as if seeing the man clearly for the very first time in his life.“Silver hair... Red eyes...” Cedric whispered, trembling.“You’ve been looking at them since we were children, Cedric.”“I looked at them every single day, and every single day I hated him to the marrow of my bones!”“Why, truly? We could have lived as amicable relatives.”“My father constantly compared us. Always. And I... I always lost to a child he wouldn’t even acknowledge as his nephew before the elders.”Kaelus did not answer. Only his fingers twitched slightly against the hilt of his sword. Somewhere beneath the cold mask, an old memory stirred: two boys in a training yard, one praised, one ignored, and neither understanding why.Cedric turned his head slowly toward the grand doors, where

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    The Empress’s Tears (1)

    Panic outside the hall roared furiously, creating a wave of chaos that battered the marble walls. Yet, Empress Isabella’s shrill cry tore through all that noise, piercing the air with raw anguish.The woman thrashed wildly in Roselyn and Rieta’s embrace. Her silk gown was torn at the shoulder, and her silver hair, usually neatly pinned, was now wildly disheveled, damp with sweat and tears. The bruises on her wrists, half-hidden beneath her torn sleeves, flexed with every violent pull.“Let me go! Let me go over there!” Isabella shrieked hysterically, her fingers clawing frantically at empty air.“Your Majesty, it’s full of fighting out there! You can’t go!” Rieta cried out in panic, struggling to hold back the Empress’s desperate pulls. Her own arms were shaking from the effort, and she did not dare loosen her hold even for a heartbeat.“He’s going to be killed! They’re going to kill him right in front of my eyes!”“You’ll be killed before you even get close to him!”“Let them! Let m

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    The Chaotic Banquet (2)

    Roselyn's eyes caught a fragile figure slumped near the main stage. Empress Isabella, her gaze staring blankly through the marble floor now slick with blood."Come, My Lady. We must hurry.""Wait. We have to take the Empress!"“My Lady, that’s far too dangerous!”“She’s all alone over there, Eden!”Roselyn ran straight into the smoke without looking back. Her lungs burned and her gown snagged on splinters of charred tabletop, but her steps did not slow for an instant. She grabbed Isabella’s arm and pulled her to her feet.Isabella tried to take a step, but winced and nearly collapsed. Roselyn knelt, lifting the hem of the Empress’s gown, and her breath caught in her throat.Wrapped around Isabella’s pale ankles were cruel burn scars, the lingering marks of thick iron chains, remnants of three days of confinement at Cedric’s hands. The skin was blistered and peeling in places, and it still smelled faintly of scorched metal.“Your Majesty ... who did this?”Isabella merely shook her hea

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    A Piece of Memory

    No one greeted Roselyn as she left the room. There was only a silence that felt like an insult, making her misery complete.A few servants were called to drag her away, but Roselyn brushed their hands off.Step by step, holding onto the wall, she walked down the corridor with every joint in her bod

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    The Bruises of Betrayal

    Roselyn ran out without looking back. The night chill pierced her skin, shielded only by a thin gown, but it was nothing compared to the frantic hammering of her heart. It throbbed between anxiety and a strange sense of satisfaction for having just trampled on the Duke’s ego.The four-hour journey

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    The Forsaken Sanctity

    "Prove your love, Lady. Try serving me tonight."The voice was soft, yet it carried no melody—only the toll of a death knell.Roselyn remained motionless on the cold marble, letting her knees go numb. Her dignity as the sole daughter of Count Sirius had long been cast aside. All that remained was a

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    Warm Snow

    A stifling silence enveloped the balcony, broken only by the sound of Roselyn’s ragged, fractured breaths. Before her, Kaelus stood motionless, like an ice sculpture untouched by time.Roselyn lowered her head, trying to steady her racing heart. "Forgive me for forcing you to witness such a shamefu

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