Florian was already exhausted.
The weight of his silk garments and jeweled crown seemed to drag on his shoulders as much as the expectations placed upon him.
And the worst part was—the ball hadn't even truly begun. This was still the opening ceremony, just the tedious introductions of the first few kingdoms.
He forced a polite smile as yet another family approached, his body moving on instinct—smile, nod, accept, repeat. 'God, I'm not even halfway through and I already want to crawl under a table.'
After Alexandria's kingdom, Sanctus Regnum, the next delegation stepped forward: the Cogsworth family of the Ingenium Realm.
They were precisely what Florian expected—stiff-backed, bespectacled nobles who looked like they spent more time bent over drafting tables than enjoying fresh air.
Known across the continent for their ingenuity and brilliance, they carried gifts that reflected their kingdom's pride.
