Ever since Prince Philip lost his official position as heir, the matter of the prince's consort had hung unresolved. Now that his former Crown Princess candidate had been publicly discarded, the court naturally understood—the prince must choose anew.
For a time, the entire capital buzzed like a disturbed beehive.
Every minister was busy preparing.
Every family with an unmarried daughter seemed to catch fire overnight.
After all, if one's daughter were chosen… She would evolve from a snake to a Dragon, rise above thousands, and perhaps—if fate favored her—become the future Empress of the nation.
The emperor's decree was clear: all unmarried young ladies of appropriate standing were to attend the garden banquet.
Naturally, this included Zora.
Upon hearing the news, the corners of Zora's lips curled, her eyes narrowing with amusement.
A banquet to choose a princess? And I—abandoned by the prince—am invited to stand and watch?
Did the emperor wish to ridicule her?
Or did he simply think she'd obediently play the role of discarded fiancée, watching her former betrothed select another woman?
How laughable.
"Master, are you really going to attend the banquet?" Black asked, cheeks bulging with snacks, eyes sparkling with gossip-loving excitement.
Zora lifted her cup of tea, her expression serene and elegant.
"Since the imperial decree commands attendance," she said with a soft smile, "how could I refuse?"
"But won't people mock you?" Black's face wrinkled like a steamed bun. "That prince is so hateful. I don't want to watch people laugh at you!"
Zora set her cup down lightly, the corners of her mouth curling with a hint of wicked delight.
"If they want to laugh," she said, "then Luna's situation will be far more entertaining than mine."
Yes—Zora was "discarded."
Everyone knew that.
From the moment she was judged a waste, she was destined to lose her claim on the prince.
But Luna?
She stole her sister's fiancé, flaunted it, and then was abandoned—publicly, brutally.
If ridicule fell tonight… it would fall on both sisters.
Black and White, the furballs exchanged looks, their furry faces glowing with anticipation.
"Master, are you… Really going to show your true appearance tonight?" White then asked, trembling with excitement.
Zora's eyes gleamed like stars.
"It's time," she said lightly. "Zora… everything you endured before, all the humiliation, all the injustice—I will reclaim for you."
While Zora was calm and even amused, Luna had spent the past days wishing she could sink into the earth and never return.
Since the disgrace at Origin Medical Hall, she had become the city's laughingstock.
The moment she left her door, whispers and pointing fingers followed her.
Her father, once proud of his brilliant daughter, now looked at her with disappointment.
The suitors who had lined up outside their home…
Gone.
Vanished like smoke.
She knew this banquet spelled her doom.
To attend meant exposing her ruined face once more.
To skip it meant defying imperial orders.
Either way, humiliation awaited her.
She lay curled on her bed, trembling and biting her lip until it bled.
Why did things become like this?
Three Days Later — The Night of the Imperial Banquet
Carriages lined up before the palace gates, each one carrying a daughter dressed in her finest wear and wearing high-quality jewelry.
Inside the General's mansion, however, the atmosphere was icy cold.
General Helius paced back and forth, his face dark and heavy.
If it were up to him, he truly wished he could avoid tonight entirely.
When Zora was abolished as the Crown Princess, he had reluctantly accepted it. At least, he thought, Luna could replace her and maintain their family's connection to the royal line.
But instead…
The prince had humiliated Luna publicly—mercilessly, shamelessly, and without regard for her dignity.
Worse still, in Helius's view, this humiliation was not wholly unjust.
What Luna had done…
The schemes, the seduction, the shameless disregard for propriety…
She had brought disgrace upon herself.
Now?
Saying the prince no longer wanted her was already putting it kindly. After such a scandal, which respectable family would still dare take her in?
The more he thought about it, the colder his impression of Prince Philip grew. So blinded by desire that he forgot his status. And in the end, he dragged my family through the mud.
"Father… c-can I not go?" Luna whispered, her voice trembling, her entire body curled in shame.
Her face was still disfigured, the scars red and raw—even the veil could not hide them completely.
If she appeared at the banquet tonight… She would become the center of mockery.
The humiliation might kill her before anything else did.
General Helius's face darkened further. "The imperial decree cannot be defied. Do you want to lose your head?"
His words struck like ice water.
Luna lowered her gaze, despair swallowing her whole. She had no choice—she would be paraded before the entire capital like a walking joke.
Jasmine's heart clenched painfully at her daughter's misery.
"What is the use in scolding her?" she said softly. "Luna has suffered enough."
But Helius's anger only deepened.
"If she had not schemed so desperately to cling to the prince—if she had known restraint—would we be in this situation now?"
He slammed his palm onto the wooden table.
"I have roamed the battlefield for decades. I have slain enemies without number. The House of Phoenix once commanded respect—but now? Because of the two daughters of this family, I cannot show my face!"
Jasmine paled instantly.
Although she wanted to defend her daughter, she dared not challenge her husband at such a time.
"Father, don't be angry."
A clear, firm voice then broke the tension, interrupting them.
Icarus stepped forward, face full of youthful determination. "At the royal hunting competition, I will restore our family's honor."
Helius's eyes softened slightly.
Compared to his daughters, Icarus had never disappointed him.
At fourteen, the boy had already reached the middle phase of the Earth Stage—a prodigy far exceeding his siblings.
As long as he shines in the hunt… this shame will wash away.
"Good child," Helius said, patting his son's shoulder proudly. "You are the sensible one in this family."
Icarus grinned broadly before glancing around the hall.
"But… Father, what about Elder Sister Zora? Will she be entering the palace with us?"
The moment her name was spoken, Helius's face frosted over. "Absolutely not."
His tone was ice-cold.
"We will go ahead first. Prepare a separate horse carriage chair for her—she can enter alone later."
"Understood," Icarus nodded. "I will arrange it immediately."
When word reached Zora that the General's household would depart without her, she only smirked.
There was no disappointment.
No surprise.
No sadness.
General Helius had disliked her since childhood; this treatment was nothing new.
Moreover, she had no desire to travel with them.
In her eyes, they were not her family.
Not anymore.
Not ever again.
Tonight's banquet would mark the beginning of a new path—for Zora, and for everyone who had underestimated her.
Zora stepped out of her residence with unhurried grace, her every movement calm yet naturally commanding. Today, she wore no veil, no disguise—only her true appearance, the kind of breathtaking beauty that could silence a street full of people.
As she crossed the courtyard of the General's Estate, the servants who caught sight of her froze mid-step.
Their eyes widened.
Their jaws dropped.
Shock swept across their faces like a gust of cold wind.
"Who… who is that girl?"
"She came out of Second Miss's courtyard… could she be a guest?"
"No, I just saw her exit from Sun Pavilion. Don't tell me… that's First Miss?"
"Impossible! Second Miss is a blind waste… how could she look like that? That must be the divine doctor from Origin Medical Hall! She must have visited the first miss to take a look at her condition."
A tide of confused murmuring spread through the estate. No one dared approach her to ask, yet no one could look away.
Her beauty was refined yet cold, like moonlight on snow—stunning enough to make hearts tremble, intimidating enough to silence insults.
But as soon as she reached the main gate, her steps paused.
Her gaze landed on the horse carriage chair the General's Estate prepared for her.
A single, empty horse carriage chair.
No bearers.
No attendants.
Not even a token servant waiting nearby.
They hadn't forgotten her—they had deliberately abandoned her.
A thin, icy smile curved across her lips.
How predictable.
"They really don't want you to attend the Imperial Banquet," Little Black growled, his fur fluffing with anger. "Master, should we go grab a few bearers and force them to carry you?"
Before Zora could reply, rhythmic footsteps echoed from the distance.
A grand, ornate horse carriage chair approached—the type only high-ranking nobles could afford. Its lacquered panels gleamed; golden tassels swayed in the wind; the refined aura around it was unmistakably different from the General's Estate's pathetic offering.
Zora didn't need to guess twice.
Someone important was arriving.
And indeed—
"Young lady, it seems you cannot enter the palace this way," a mellow, warm voice drifted out from the luxurious horse carriage. "Why don't you… accompany me instead?"
The horse carriage curtains lifted.
"Ugh… this guy again..." Zora could only let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head.