Everyone watched as the pair danced in the center of the hall with great interest.
As the only daughter of a noble household, Wendy was taught many things when she was young, and among those was dancing. She was a very good dancer. But, even she was amazed at how good William was when it came to dancing.
William, who had been trained by Feyright, not only excelled in singing, but dancing as well. The bard made sure that William would be able to dance properly even if he was dancing with princesses and queens.
"I didn't expect that you would also be good at dancing," Wendy commented as the two danced on the dance floor.
William held her waist firmly as he guided Wendy to do a twirl. He then smiled and stared at Wendy in the eyes which made the young lady's heart beat wildly inside her chest.
"I'm a Jack of all trades," William said with pride. He then playfully lowered his head to whisper something in her ears. "There are plenty more things that I can do that you don't know about."
"Like what?" Wendy whispered back. William's confidence was starting to rub off onto her and she was feeling bolder with each passing second.
"This and that," William replied.
There was no way that William could tell her that he could be whatever he wanted to be. If not for the fact that his powers were sealed, there was a high chance he would have become the Head Prefect of the Magic Division, instead of Est.
Although the two were just whispering at each other, those who were watching thought of their actions as a sign of intimacy. Lawrence gave Joaquin a side-long glance before shifting his gaze towards his granddaughter.
Rebecca wasn't looking at the two. Instead, she had focused her attention on controlling the snowflake in the palm of her hand. The Old Fox of Griffith sighed in his heart as he shook his head helplessly.
'At least their marriage agreement is not officially void,' Lawrence thought. 'Many things can happen in three years. Maybe I can help the two get closer during that span of time.'
William and Wendy danced happily until the song came to a close.
After the two made a curtsy at each other, a round of applause reverberated in the hall. Wendy's face immediately turned red because she had completely forgotten that they were inside the palace and not the academy.
William, seeing his partner's reaction, came to the rescue and guided Wendy towards the tables where his Knight Order was stationed.
The banquet was held in order to honor him and his subordinates, so it was perfectly normal to have Wendy join his table because she, too, was an official member of his Knight Order.
William's plan was simple, Wendy sat on his right, while Priscilla sat on his left. With two beautiful ladies at his side, it would deter other girls from approaching him.
The boys looked at William with jealousy, while the girls looked at Wendy and Priscilla with envy.
Mordred, who was seated among the Western Faction, was laughing internally. He was thinking that his father, James, would be over the moon if he saw how popular his grandson was.
'Still, you're far too naive, Will, if you think that the two girls beside you will be able to prevent others from making their move,' Mordred thought. 'You're a hot potato right now and everyone wants to form a connection with you. I bet the old geezers are going to send their daughters and granddaughters over to try to honey trap you. The only question is, will you bite?'
Mordred looked at the winecup in his hand and smiled. This was why his father moved to the farthest edge of the Western Regions. He didn't like mingling with the nobles of the Hellan Kingdom and only dealt with his old acquaintances like Lawrence.
While everyone's eyes were still focused on William, the butler made an announcement and everyone in the room stood to welcome their King.
Noah wore majestic attire worthy of his rank. Three boys trailed behind him. They were the three princes of the Hellan Kingdom. The oldest prince was nineteen years old. The second prince was sixteen and the third prince was only nine. Just like their father, they had all inherited his good looks and many of the noble ladies looked at them with admiration.
Of course, among the three princes, it was the Crown Prince that garnered the most attention.
Lionel Arthur Vi Hellan, the Crown Prince of the Hellan Kingdom, was the object of affection for most noble ladies in the kingdom. As the Crown Prince, he would be the future king when his father retired from the throne.
Naturally, such a position of power was irresistible to the noble households, and all of them wanted one of their daughters to become the lucky girl that would catch the prince's attention.
The second prince, Rufus Patrick Vi Hellan, was younger than him by three years. However, the second prince was a bit special. Just like Rebecca, Rufus was also hailed as a rare genius. As a prince of a kingdom, all the necessary resources were given to him in order to ensure his growth.
He was a genius Battle Mage that had been trained exclusively by the kingdom's Grand Archmage, Emrys. There were even rumors that after his coming of age ceremony, the title of Crown Prince would be switched to him. Although these rumors were unfounded, the King himself didn't put a stop to these rumors.
It was as if Noah was still thinking of who, between the first and second prince, would be worthy of becoming his successor.
The last Prince, Ernest Louis Vi Hellan, shared his father's name. The young prince was born with Grade S Talent in Magic, and had been under the personal care of the Dean of the Hellan Royal Academy, Simon.
Perhaps due to him being the youngest, the Queen spoiled him more than his older brothers. Ernest was a young scholar and his craving for knowledge was well known to the King and his ministers.
Simon even proposed that when Ernest reached the age of twelve, he should be sent to the most prestigious academy in the Central Continent, which was the Saint Hestia Academy where the geniuses of the world gathered.
The Dean was hoping that his pupil could be away from the conflict between the First and Second Prince as they subtly battled for the throne in the shadows.
Noah gazed at his subjects with a smile. He then raised his hand and asked everyone to sit down and enjoy the banquet.
At the corner of the banquet hall, Est stared at the King as well as the three princes by his side. His face was as calm as a still lake, but inside his heart, faint ripples started to move across the water.
Ian and Isaac looked at their Young Master with worried faces, but none of them moved to comfort him.
"Don't worry,' Est said without turning his head to look at his two royal retainers. "I'm fine. This is nothing."
Yes. This was nothing.
Est told himself repeatedly as he lowered his gaze to look at the floor. He was afraid that if he looked any longer at the smiling Crown Prince, the emotions inside his heart would come to the surface, and that would not be a good thing.
-----
"It looks like your crush is here, Rufus," Lionel said with a smile. "The musicians are going to start playing any moment. Why don't you ask her for a dance?"
The way he acted was like a kind older brother who really cared for his younger brother's well being, but Rufus knew better. It was all just an act in order to taunt him.
Lionel knew that Rufus had a big crush on Rebecca because she was the genius "Ice Princess" that had a Perfect Grade Talent. A lady that his younger brother had admired for many years, but didn't dare to talk to.
"If you don't make your move then shall I make mine?" Lionel asked. "She's very beautiful and suits my taste perfectly. Who knows? She might also be my future Queen when I feel like it."
Rufus calmly looked at his older brother with a smile. "There's a reason why Sir Lawrence didn't join your Faction. It's because he knows that you are a snake. Do you really believe that he'll allow his beloved granddaughter to fall into your hands? Keep dreaming, Big Brother of mine."
"So, are you going to dance with her or not? You say so many things and yet, you can't answer a simple question."
"..."
Lionel snorted. He knew that Rebecca was Rufus' weakness. As long as he used her in an argument, Rufus would never win against him.
Ernest just sat at the side with his head lowered. He had no intention of joining his brothers' conversation, and the two didn't intend for him to be caught in their quarrel. Although Lionel and Rufus didn't get along with each other, they still treated their youngest brother in a civil manner.
The Youngest Prince then suddenly felt a warm gaze looking at him. He slowly raised his head to look at the corner of the room. There he saw Est who was looking at him with a kind smile.
Ernest returned his smile briefly before once again lowering his head. Happy memories of his childhood emerged inside his mind as he recalled all the times that he and Est had played with each other in secret in the garden behind the Royal Palace.