Several nobles around me began whispering quietly. Some wore expressions of surprise, while others smiled thinly with barely concealed sarcasm. Clearly, the presence of that girl on the stage was not something normal for a party like this.
"Who is she…? That's not Lady Charlotte."
"Shouldn't the crown prince's fiancée be the one standing there?"
The whispers spread quickly, becoming harder and harder to suppress.
Alfred stepped forward. The voice-enhancing artifact in the hall made his voice echo clearly, crushing every other sound into silence.
"Fellow students of the Kingdom of Celestra," he said calmly and confidently, "tonight is not merely a celebration of our acceptance into Orion Academy."
He paused, locking the entire hall's attention onto himself, then turned toward the girl beside him.
"This is also the night I wish to announce an important decision. About myself, about the kingdom… and about the future I wish to build."
I narrowed my eyes.
Just as I thought, I told myself. He's really going to do it.
Alfred reached out and pulled the girl slightly closer. A faint smile appeared on his face, but the girl herself looked clearly uncomfortable. Her shoulders were stiff, her fingers tightly interlocked, her gaze trembling under the scrutiny of hundreds of nobles.
"From today onward," he declared loudly, "I announce that the woman beside me—Alicia—is the only person I recognize as my partner."
The hall exploded into uproar.
Some nobles stood up without realizing it, while others stared at one another with wide eyes.
"Alicia will become my future empress," Alfred continued without hesitation. "And in the future, we will rule the Kingdom of Celestra together. She will be my queen. The only one."
Alicia flinched. Her face turned pale, her lips parted as if she wanted to speak, yet not a single word came out.
Before the uproar could turn into complete chaos—
"Your Highness."
A woman's voice cut sharply through the air.
A noblewoman stepped forward from the crowd. Her red-and-black gown was elegant yet striking, swaying with every step fueled by restrained emotion. Her golden hair was neatly styled, but her eyes trembled between fury and deep, aching pain.
Charlotte Seravelle.
Daughter of Duke Seravelle.
The official fiancée of the crown prince of the Kingdom of Celestra.
She stopped a few steps from the stage and stared at Alfred.
"I want to ask," she said, her voice restrained but clear. "What you just announced… is that a personal statement, or a decision made on behalf of the kingdom?"
Silence fell instantly.
Alfred met her gaze without flinching. His expression was calm—far too calm for a moment like this.
"It is my decision as the heir to the throne," he replied shortly.
Charlotte clenched her fists.
"Your decision," she repeated quietly. "Without considering the agreements, alliances, and promises already made?"
She glanced briefly at Alicia, then returned her gaze to Alfred.
"I am your lawful fiancée. The bond between House Seravelle and the royal family is not mere formality. It is the foundation of this kingdom."
Her voice began to tremble.
"I was raised to stand at your side. Trained from childhood to become a queen. Every step of my life—everything—was for the sake of standing beside you."
Alfred let out a slow breath.
"I know," he said. "And I do not deny your sacrifices."
"Then what is this?" Charlotte's voice rose.
She took a step closer.
"What makes that girl worthy of replacing me?" she demanded sharply. "What has she given to the kingdom?"
Alicia flinched, her body tensing.
Alfred straightened his posture.
"She was not born a noble," he said calmly but firmly. "But her pure heart, kindness, and gentleness are the reasons I want her to stand beside me and rule the Kingdom of Celestra together."
The whispers erupted again.
Charlotte fell silent. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes.
Several seconds passed in suffocating silence, as if the entire hall was holding its breath. Her gloved hands trembled, her nails digging into the red-and-black fabric of her gown until it wrinkled.
"Alfred…" her voice shook, barely audible. She took a step forward, then stopped, as if only now realizing how vast the distance between them had become. "Is this a joke?"
The prince looked at her, his expression unchanged—too calm.
"I'm not joking, Charlotte," Alfred replied. "I've thought this decision through carefully."
Those words were the trigger.
"NOT JOKING?" Charlotte shouted. The crystal lamps in the hall trembled, and several guests instinctively stepped back. "I've been your fiancée since childhood! I studied etiquette, politics, magic—everything—for the sake of standing beside you!" She struck her chest, her breathing ragged. "Every step of my life was decided for that single purpose!"
Several nobles exchanged glances as whispers spread again.
"I never denied your sacrifices," Alfred said coldly. "But sacrifice alone is not enough to lead a kingdom."
Charlotte let out a short laugh, broken and almost hysterical. "Then what is? Kindness?" Her eyes snapped toward Alicia. "Gentleness? Sweet little things fit for children's fairy tales?"
She pointed at Alfred with a trembling finger. "You cast me aside for a commoner girl and call that the future of the Kingdom of Celestra?"
"Enough, Charlotte," Alfred warned.
"NO!" she screamed. The emotions she had suppressed for so long finally exploded. "I am the daughter of Duke Seravelle! The blood, power, and support you've relied on all this time stand behind me! Do you think the kingdom will accept your insane decision just like that?"
Tears finally fell, streaking down her cheeks, yet the fury in her eyes refused to fade. "If you reject me tonight," she said hoarsely, "then you reject the entire life I have given to you."
The hall fell silent once more.
And in that silence, Charlotte's rage felt far more dangerous than her screams.
Alfred snorted softly, as if he had just heard something amusing. He lifted his chin slightly, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall before returning to Charlotte.
"The support I have stands behind you?" he repeated flatly, laced with mockery. "If that's true, then let me ask."
He turned to face the guests, his voice echoing clearly through the hall thanks to the artifact.
"Is there anyone here who wishes to stop my decision tonight?"
No one answered.
Some nobles lowered their heads, pretending to be busy with their glasses. Others averted their gazes, as if the curtains and crystal lights were far more interesting than the prince standing before them. Not a single person stepped forward. Not a single voice was raised.
The silence itself was the answer.
Alfred let out a small laugh, then turned back to Charlotte. A mocking smile spread across his face.
"Or do you truly believe," he continued softly, "that there is someone in this room who would stand at your side and oppose the sole heir to the throne?"
He smiled as he slowly folded his hands.
"Look around you, Charlotte. This is reality."
His smile widened, cold and satisfied.
"From the very beginning, you were never worthy of standing beside me—and I never wanted you there."
Charlotte clenched her hands even tighter. Her fingers pressed into her palms until blood seeped out and dripped onto the marble floor, yet she showed no reaction at all, as if the pain meant nothing.
She slowly raised her head. Her voice trembled, but this time it wasn't from tears—it was from something far more fragile.
"What am I lacking?" she asked. "What do I not have… that she does?"
She pointed at Alicia without hesitation. "Tell me, Alfred. What is it?"
Alfred didn't hesitate for even a moment.
"Weren't you listening?" he said coldly. "She has a pure heart."
He looked at Charlotte without emotion. "And I never liked you from the start."
A choked gasp came from several nobles.
"She's simple," Alfred continued. "Her kindness and sincerity… shine like a diamond."
For a moment, the hall was silent—then—
"HAHAHAHA!"
The loud laughter shattered the silence. Heads turned toward me all at once.
"Shines like a diamond?" I said as I walked forward, still chuckling. "Diamonds reflect light, idiot. They don't shine on their own."
I stopped a few meters in front of the podium.
All eyes were on me.
Alfred's face hardened instantly, his brows knitting in clear displeasure. Meanwhile, Charlotte looked at me with a mix of emotions—anger, pain, and also… curiosity, as if for the first time someone had said what she herself had never dared to voice.