Soon, the Imperial Banquet continued as if nothing had happened. The Empress gently raised her hand and smiled.
"In order to ease the tense atmosphere, let the young ladies perform their talents one by one. Music, dance, poetry—anything is welcome."
Her words were calm, yet everyone understood the meaning behind them.
This was the real beginning of the prince selection.
At the banquet seating, Zora sat leisurely, tasting the delicate royal desserts. Palace servants moved gracefully between the tables, presenting exquisite dishes one after another.
Not far from her, the two little furry beasts were practically glowing with excitement the moment they saw the endless food.
Their eyes widened.
Their mouths watered.
Their little heads nodded nonstop.
They looked as if they had been injected with boundless energy.
Zora chuckled softly. Seeing that she was in a good mood, she simply waved her hand casually.
"Don't run too far."
The two little fellows immediately scattered joyfully.
Prince Kael sat beside her, watching this scene with an amused smile on his lips.
"You really aren't worried at all?" he asked lightly.
Zora raised an eyebrow, picked up a grape, and placed it into her mouth before replying calmly.
"What do you think of General Helius's position?"
Prince Kael didn't hesitate. "Unshakable."
He understood instantly what she meant.
General Helius had spent his entire life galloping across battlefields, protecting the borders of the Empire. The empire's current peace rested heavily on his shoulders.
So even if Emperor Alexander was displeased, he would never truly punish General Helius harshly—at most, a symbolic reprimand.
And Zora, no matter how distant she was from her father, was still his daughter. Her life was never truly in danger.
"You've calculated everything well," Prince Kael remarked with a faint smile. "But someone is bound to suffer."
He tilted his chin slightly.
Zora followed his gaze.
Not far away, Luna stood surrounded by several noble ladies. Though their faces were filled with polite smiles, their words were sharp and filled with mockery. Even from across the garden, the cold sarcasm could be clearly heard.
Zora's eyes darkened slightly.
"Do you sympathize with her?" she asked calmly.
She didn't actually think Luna was pitiful. At most, she was only tasting humiliation for the first time.
Yet Zora herself had lived in this kind of environment for more than fifteen years.
Cold looks.
Sharp ridicule.
Endless neglect.
Even now, with her reputation in ruins, Luna still had the backing of the General's Residence.
But back then, who had ever defended her?
Compared to her former life, Luna's suffering was nothing.
Prince Kael shook his head slowly. "I don't like her."
Zora was briefly stunned.
Then he added softly, seriously: "But I feel sorry for you."
That sentence landed unexpectedly heavy.
When Prince Kael had confirmed Zora's identity, he had also thoroughly investigated her past. Only then did he realize how cruel her former life had been.
It was difficult to imagine that the woman so calm and commanding today had once lived like that.
If it were him…
He would have been far more ruthless.
For the first time, Zora caught a rare trace of genuine seriousness in Prince Kael's eyes. Her heart stirred slightly, but she said nothing and simply turned back to watch the stage performances.
A brief silence passed.
Then Prince Kael asked lazily, "Darling, are those grapes tasty?"
Zora glanced down.
Without realizing it, she had already cleaned out half of the fruit plate.
"They're… not bad," she replied calmly.
With a slight smile, Prince Kael pushed the entire fruit plate closer to her.
"Then eat more."
Zora glanced at him suspiciously but didn't refuse.
Truthfully…
The grapes really did taste excellent.
Just as she was about to take another one, a sharp, irritated voice suddenly cut through the air.
"Zora, what are you doing?!"
Icarus strode toward her at once. His youthful face was filled with anger and disgust, as if her very existence was an eyesore.
When Icarus first saw Zora earlier that night, he had indeed been shocked.
But after thinking about it, all the humiliation his sister had suffered these past days—All of it had come from this woman!
If not for Zora, how could Luna possibly fall to such a miserable state in public?
This thought made the hatred in Icarus's heart surge even stronger.
This woman truly made him feel disgusted from the depths of his soul!
"What tricks could I possibly be playing with you?" Zora sneered coldly.
Since childhood, Icarus had never once stood on her side. No matter how clearly she explained herself, he had always believed Luna without a second thought. Not only that—he had deliberately helped her get hurt more than once.
If Luna was vicious, then Icarus was blindly stupid.
Icarus's expression darkened instantly. He bit down hard and said through clenched teeth, "You made my sister suffer like this today—I will never forgive you!"
As he finished speaking, he suddenly grabbed the wine cup from the table and flung it straight at Zora's face!
The killing intent in that motion was unmistakable.
Zora's eyes flashed coldly. Just as she was about to make her move, someone was faster than her.
With a soft whoosh, Prince Kael's folding fan snapped open in midair—The splash of wine was cleanly blocked!
Not a single drop touched Zora.
Icarus stared in shock at Prince Kael. His heart trembled violently.
What kind of relationship existed between these two?
Why would Prince Kael protect Zora so openly?
Before Icarus could even recover from his shock—
Splash!
A sudden cold sensation drenched his entire head.
Zora had calmly lifted an entire jug of wine and poured it straight down over him.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Wine streamed down from his hair, slid along his face, soaked his robes, and splattered onto the marble floor.
The once handsome, dignified young master of the general's household was instantly turned into a drenched mess, completely humiliated.
Icarus stood frozen in place, staring at her in disbelief.
All these years, he had bullied Zora at will.
She had never once dared to fight back.
Yet now—
Everything was different.
A playful smile curved at the corner of Zora's lips. She leaned closer to Icarus's ear and whispered softly—
"Before, I let you walk all over me."
"Now…"
"I won't let you go anymore."
Her voice was gentle, even seductive—But the chill hidden beneath it made Icarus's scalp go numb.
"I… I won't let you go either!" he forced himself to shout, suppressing the fear crawling up his spine. "Even if you aren't blind anymore, you're still trash! You're still useless!"
Zora straightened, smiling calmly as if she hadn't heard a thing.
"I'll be waiting."
That single sentence carried absolute provocation.
Icarus snorted coldly and turned away.
In his heart, he was already plotting—Once tonight's banquet ended, he would make sure Zora paid the price.
Watching his retreating back, Prince Kael chuckled lightly.
"You've offended the entire General's Residence now. If you return, that place will be a dragon's den and a tiger's lair."
Zora's gaze turned cold. "Since I stepped out tonight, I never planned to return."
Even if she revealed her strength to General Helius, he would never truly look at her differently. That man had long since lost any right to be called her father.
The smile on Prince Kael's lips deepened slightly.
"If you truly have nowhere to go… my residence is always open to you."
Zora rolled her eyes.
This man really seized every chance to flirt.
Just then, the last performance ended. The Empress smiled warmly and turned toward Philip.
"So, my son, do you see any young lady you favor tonight?"
Tonight was not only for choosing a princess consort—Philip could also pick several concubines.
Crown Prince Philip smiled freely and raised his hand.
"If there is a girl I like," he said leisurely, "I will name her directly."
The instant Philip raised his hand, the entire royal garden fell into a strange hush.
Hundreds of eyes locked onto him at once—some filled with anticipation, some with calculation, and others with thinly veiled ambition.
The young noblewomen sat straighter without realizing it, their backs stiff with hope, their fingers tightening around silk sleeves and jade cups. Every breath they took felt unbearably heavy, as if the air itself had thickened with expectation.
Even Luna could not stop herself from holding her breath.
Though her heart was already bruised and battered, a desperate sliver of hope still lingered within her chest. Philip had once sworn affection to her, had once whispered gentle words in her ear. Tonight, she clung to those memories as if they were the last straw keeping her from drowning.
"If he still remembers me… even a little…"
Her fingers trembled beneath her sleeves.
Philip slowly lifted his arm.
His gaze swept across the sea of women, but not a single one of them was reflected in his eyes. His pupils moved past silk gowns, past painted brows, past carefully practiced smiles—until his eyes stopped.
Firmly.
Unwaveringly.
On one figure.
"I choose…" His voice was deep, echoing clearly through the royal garden. "Her."
His finger lifted and pointed forward.
At Zora.