On the top floor of the west tower of the Imperial Palace is a room that only the Seven Sages and the emperor himself were permitted to enter. It was called the Jade Hall. It had an octagonal shape, which was a little unusual for this country, and its ceiling had been extravagantly fitted with a glass pane.
In the center of the room stood a round table and eight chairs. One was for the emperor, and the other seven were for the sages. Only one of them was filled at the moment—by a woman looking up past the glass pane and into the night sky.
The loose waves of her silver hair hung at her back, and she wore a robe over a thin silken dress. She was the foremost prophet in the empire and one of the Seven Sages: the Stargazer Witch Mary Harvey.
By reading the stars in the night sky, she could tell the empire's future. But right now, the witch's ghostly pale blue eyes were narrowed.
"Ah, once again...no matter how many times I try, it doesn't work. Why can't I see it?"
The countless stars, glittering like silver sand in the sky, told Mary what lay in store for those important to the empire. And yet, there is one person's future she was finding it impossible to read.
That person was the grandson of Duke Crockford, the most influential man in the empire—the prince, Felix Arc Castina.
He'd inherited the empress's beauty, which had captivated many in elite society. In school, he consistently achieved excellent grades, and his skills in swordplay and horseback riding were first-rate. He was also familiar with the cultures and languages of other nations; in fact, he'd already achieved some success in diplomacy.
Everyone who knew him said he was sure to become a wise ruler, remembered for generations to come. Mary'd had the chance to see him herself several times during social occasions. He truly was a man of great caliber. It wasn't just a matter of his appearance, either—his manner and carriage were splendid as well.
Such an incredible person must surely have been born under the brightest of stars, and yet, for some reason, she couldn't see it.
Up above, she could see several portentous astral lights. They predicted a major event in the empire's near future. But their twinkling was still faint, and Mary couldn't foretell what they meant.
"...What is it that lies ahead?" she murmured.
There was nobody around to answer her.
The witch who could read the stars lowered her silver eyelashes and quietly breathed a somber sigh.