"Faust, why are you so delighted?"
A calm inquiry drifted over. Faust immediately looked toward Yu Xuemu, who was waiting outside the bedchamber.
Her crystal-clear eyes were like holy azure gems, reflecting iridescent hues; those magnificent pupils could almost be described as ornate.
The Princess stared intently at the Prince, as if the entire world contained only this one person.
"It's nothing, Royal Sister. I simply learned quite a bit just now, and I couldn't help but be a little excited."
Faust placed a hand to his forehead and sighed, giving the silver-haired princess a brief overview of the situation.
Back when they were rivals for the throne, Faust had maintained a certain basic distance. But now that the struggle for succession had ended, he could place complete trust in this high-minded sister of his.
Yu Xuemu stared at the curse-seal on Faust's arm and said slowly:
"A Fairy... I knew Father had contracted a Fairy, but I have never spoken with It. To be favored by a Fairy... Faust, I never imagined you possessed such talent."
Is this considered talent? Well... in this world, it certainly counts as an extraordinary one.
But Faust would not pin his hopes on the gifts of transcendent beings. Compared to a Fairy's contract, he cared more about things he could tangibly grasp.
Faust: "That may be so, but I have no idea what the Fairy's attitude is. It hasn't communicated with me yet. Compared to that, the throne of Qingxi is a better stage to display where my talents truly lie."
"Congratulations."
Upon hearing Faust's hint, the cold-mannered princess spoke indifferently. Her face beneath the veil still betrayed no emotion.
Seeing this, Faust lowered his gaze slightly and said tentatively:
"Ahem... Father's intention is for you to assist me."
The Prince looked at his sister. As the two royal heirs of the Kingdom of Qingxi, both Faust and Yu Xuemu had their own factions.
Faust's followers were mostly technocrats and professional military officers, while Yu Xuemu held the kingdom's only team of casters; she herself was the Chief Court Mage of Qingxi.
Faust certainly wanted to take control of the kingdom's casters, but he wasn't sure of his sister's stance.
"Hmm..."
The Princess stared unblinkingly at the man's profile, as if trying to etch this scene permanently into her pupils.
After a long while, Yu Xuemu took a deep breath and said:
"I have no objection."
"Eh?"
Yu Xuemu said indifferently: "You never hesitate to speculate about others with the worst intentions. Perhaps such a dark psychology is the nature of a King. However, I have no desire for the throne; you need not have any reservations in that regard."
Oh, is that so?
Based on his past observations, Faust actually did believe that Yu Xuemu was indifferent to fame and wealth, but until she admitted it herself, he couldn't be certain.
Now, the Prince finally felt at ease. With a wave of his hand, he declared:
"In that case, let it be at tonight's ball! I shall announce my indisputable status as Crown Prince to the entire capital!"
That night, the palace gates were thrown open, and the spacious avenue welcomed all manner of carriages and visitors.
After learning that Faust's status as Crown Prince had been established, numerous nobles of the Kingdom of Qingxi scrambled to attend the banquet—whether to express their loyalty or simply to make their faces known.
The entire palace became the venue for the festivities. Outside the magnificent hall was the dance floor; in the center floated a three-tiered circular banquet stage, where a champagne tower cascaded down.
Attendants pushed food carts, offering delicacies and fine wine to every guest, while court musicians played soft and beautiful melodies.
As the protagonist of the ball, Faust was surrounded by his confidants. Everyone toasted one another, ignoring Yu Xuemu—the one of true royal blood—standing to the side, as they showered the Prince with endless praise and flattery:
"Your Highness, congratulations!"
"As expected, you are the future of the Kingdom!"
"We never doubted your status, and surely His Majesty felt the same. Only Your Highness can lead the Kingdom to glory!"
"........."
Surrounded by praise, Faust raised his wine glass. He usually didn't drink much, but on such a joyous day, it would be a total buzzkill to remain completely dry.
The Prince, wearing a smile, spoke with a resonant voice:
"Without your support, I would not have achieved what I have today. But this is only the first step. We will not stop here; the Kingdom of Qingxi shall be great!"
"And this glory is something I shall never enjoy alone!"
His confidants also raised their glasses and cheered: "Long live Qingxi! Long live Your Highness!"
After boosting morale, most of his core followers began to enjoy the atmosphere of the banquet, while Faust leaned against a dining table, bathing in the cool night breeze.
He was currently at the peak of his success. Very good, I suppose the next script involves me working diligently to show off my skills!
Heehee, I must dominate the world!
In his excitement, Faust couldn't help but have a few extra glasses before turning his gaze toward the plaza dance floor.
Today's ball was a consort selection event held by the King for the Prince. There was no shortage of various beauties: glamorous and sexy mature women, pure daughters of nobility with long black hair, and sweet, cute "loli" types with youthful faces and large chests...
To win the favor of Prince Charming, both the daughters of wealthy merchants and the ladies of the nobility in the capital had appeared in full dress, creating a stunningly beautiful scenery.
Despite being like a medieval world of swords and sorcery, the civilization of this world possessed unimaginable prosperity and splendor. How should he put it... even the worlds in fairy tales were only about this level.
However, Faust felt this was excellent. If it were truly as crude and barbaric as the real Middle Ages, he, as a modern person, really wouldn't be able to stand it.
"Do you have a preferred candidate?"
Yu Xuemu moved with graceful steps to Faust's side. Seeing her brother's gaze fixed on the female guests, she inquired:
"Or are you still planning to act like a monkey in heat, riding those girls and acting willfully?"
Faust had grown accustomed to Yu Xuemu's sharp words. He raised an eyebrow and smiled:
"If it's just for a partner to spend a spring night with, they are all quite good. I imagine it would be a rather wonderful evening. But as for a wife... I should have better options."
Although this world had no restrictions on monogamy—and it wouldn't be a problem for a prince to marry five or six concubines—Faust viewed marriage as a precious political resource.
The Kingdom of Qingxi was, after all, a small country that had only been independent for a few decades. Even with his meticulous efforts, he had only barely managed to make the capital wealthy so as not to be looked down upon by foreigners; the overall national strength remained weak.
Therefore, Faust was more inclined toward marrying a princess from a foreign country, ideally to secure a reliable ally for the Kingdom of Qingxi.
Faust said dismissively:
"None of the domestic powers are worth my alliance through marriage. Since I plan to pursue centralizing power later, how could I possibly compromise with the domestic high nobility?"
In other words, things without "united front value" were not worth his extra effort!
Yu Xuemu realized:
"So that's it. Is that why you broke off the engagement with the daughter of Count Roselin's family?"
Faust raised an eyebrow at that and said:
"Oh, you mean Viviana. Indeed."
The Prince previously had a fiancée, but truth be told, he was very resistant to this marriage arranged by his "precious foster father"—resistant in every sense of the word.
So, Faust had no choice but to use a small trick to break the engagement.
"Come to think of it, what I did back then was a bit unethical. But it doesn't matter; she's easy to handle anyway."
"As for tonight, I'll just find some fun and relax."
Though he didn't want to get married, the Prince was by no means an ascetic. On the contrary, his strong desires were known to everyone.
There were even rumors in the capital that the reason there were so many female nobles among the Prince's supporters was that he had conquered them with his overwhelming masculine charm, causing the noble ladies of the capital to submit completely and remain devoted.
Faust had to clarify: this was not a rumor.
After all, since I'm already a Prince, could I possibly mistreat myself? I should eat what I can.
Just as Faust's gaze was weaving through the blossoming beauties to make a choice, the palace clock struck. Accompanied by the melodious tolling, a sudden commotion broke out at the palace gates.
Dong, dong—
"What happened?"
The Prince pushed through the crowd and looked toward the source of the disturbance.
He saw an incredibly luxurious carriage parked before the palace gates. The carriage, drawn by four unicorns, was a meticulously carved work of art. Made of white marble and oak, every line and every relief was lifelike.
This kind of extremely extravagant carriage would be considered luxurious even at an imperial royal gathering, let alone in the backwaters of the Kingdom of Qingxi.
Qingxi is not this opulent; could this be a foreign friend?
That would be reasonable.
After the reforms in the Kingdom of Qingxi and the opening of a train line, the capital could barely be considered "international." The scenery of Qingxi was very beautiful, and Faust had adapted to local conditions by vigorously developing the tourism industry; consequently, large numbers of foreign nobles came to Qingxi for vacation.
Although this ball was to select a partner for the Prince, foreigners coming to watch or even participate were welcome... rather, that was for the best.
For the Kingdom of Qingxi, any kingdom had the value of becoming an ally.
Clack—
The carriage door opened slowly, and then, a young girl leaped lightly from the carriage.
The first thing to enter everyone's sight was a head of pure golden hair, like fragments of the sun—a purity without a single impurity, draped over her back and shoulders.
The girl tilted up an extremely exquisite and soft face. Her light-colored long eyelashes covered her slightly lowered eyelids; her dark violet eyes were crystal clear, magnificent, and deep.
Her formal gown was outlined with lines of radiant gold and pure white—a base that was both simple yet magnificent. One sleeve was wide while the other was cinched; the asymmetrical design appeared even more stylish. The white shawl had patterns embroidered with gold thread.
The black lining of the bodice was stretched tight by her towering fullness, leaving not a single wrinkle.
A light blue belt encircled her slender waist, while her rounded, slender, and incredibly straight legs were wrapped in over-the-knee stockings.
Hey, she's really beautiful.
Even Faust, who was used to seeing beauties daily, couldn't help but be dazed at this moment. He stared wide-eyed at the girl, who looked like a painting, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
As for the others at the banquet, they began whispering and discussing:
"Who is she?"
"What a beautiful creature..."
"Do we have someone like this in Qingxi?"
"Could she be a foreign princess?"
"........."
The girl who suddenly appeared stole all the attention. Being at the center of everyone's gaze, she pursed her cherry-colored lips, her hands clasped together against her full chest.
Her violet eyes blinked repeatedly, appearing as if she were anticipating something.
No one went to talk to her. Everyone knew that at this banquet, any beautiful girl in full dress would have only one purpose.
That was to win the Prince's favor.
And the protagonist of the ball was currently staring blankly at that beautiful silhouette.
Wanting to hear her voice, wanting to gaze at her face, wanting to touch her skin... From the first moment he saw the mysterious girl, such an intense longing surged within the Prince's chest.
Past logic seemed completely incinerated by a scorching fire; only an unparalleled passion roared.
"Faust... you..."
Yu Xuemu noticed her brother's slightly heavy breathing, and her beautiful brows furrowed slightly.
"Royal Sister, I truly like this one."
Faust pressed a hand to his chest, smiled, and then quickly approached the mysterious girl.
Observing her closely, he found the girl's beauty to be even more stunning than he had thought. Her exquisite face tilted up slightly, and the moonlight flowed across her pretty nose, appearing like a poem or a painting.
However... the Prince felt as if this face was somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
But Faust racked his brains and couldn't think of where he had seen her.
Forget it... perhaps beautiful things are always similar.
"Your Highness?"
Just as Faust was dazed, the mysterious girl tilted her head and called out softly.
The Prince then snapped out of his thoughts, revealed an impeccable smile, and said:
"My apologies, your beauty is truly distracting. May I have the honor of inviting you for a dance?"
He was born with a good appearance that could make women dream—not at all a self-boast; Faust's image was the perfect interpretation of the phrase "Prince Charming."
"It would be my pleasure."
Upon hearing the invitation, the golden-haired girl's eyes immediately widened, and she revealed a shy yet happy smile, placing her slender hand—encased in a fingerless glove—into the man's palm.
Thus, under the regretful and jealous gazes of the noble ladies, the two of them pressed their bodies close and began to dance gracefully on the floor.
"How should I address you?"
While inhaling the fragrance drifting from her golden tresses, Faust inquired about the mysterious girl's name.
"Mm-mm..."
However, the other party simply kept smiling and shook her head, remaining silent.
She's unwilling to say her name? Does she have some unspeakable secret, or is her identity sensitive?
Faust continued to probe:
"Did you just recently arrive in Qingxi?"
To the Prince's slight surprise, the girl shook her head and denied:
"I am a person of Qingxi."
"Eh?"
Faust shook his head and laughed: "I have never seen you in the capital. If there were a girl as beautiful as you, how could you be unknown?!"
"That's not true; you're exaggerating too much!"
The mysterious girl, hearing such praise, happily squinted her eyes. Her teeth lightly bit her lower lip as she explained softly:
"I was never allowed to go out before. Today... today is the first time; I sneaked out. Just to meet you, Your Highness."
The girl tilted up her snowy-white, pretty chin. Those magnificent violet eyes were shining brightly; anyone could see the deep affection she held.
Although given Faust's charm, it was perfectly normal to be loved at first sight, the Prince's intuition faintly told him it wasn't that simple. This mysterious girl shouldn't be such a shallow person.