the Pressure of the Banquet

“…….”

Was he… explicitly commanding me to grasp his outstretched hand?

The sheer gravity of the moment meant I possessed absolutely zero luxury to interpret his intentions carelessly. My counterparty was a supreme entity of the royal bloodline, and if I executed even the most microscopic misstep, the catastrophic fallout would be redirected entirely onto the shoulders of Mangeum Bank.

Still clutching my brother’s hand within my grasp, my mind was furiously mapping out a strategic blueprint to successfully navigate this crisis when the 18th Prince finally threw me a definitive lifeline.

“Is your physical form perhaps suffering from deep discomfort? Just why exactly do you refuse to align your gaze with mine?”

Detecting the subtle strand of absolute reprimand woven beneath his profoundly worried tone, I systematically, slowly raised my eyes. However, rather than locking directly onto his gaze, I targeted my focus with extreme precision around the baseline of his jaw before forcing the words past my lips.

“Every single member of this banking household would have enthusiastically marched to the main gates to personally offer their absolute devotion to the Grand Lord.”

“The text you speak is exceptionally pleasing to my ears.”

Given that I had engineered the statement with the sole tactical objective of soothing his royal ego, I deeply desired for him to remain content with the narrative. Provided, of course, that he refrained from pushing his boundary even a millimeter further.

Subtly lowering my gaze once more, the reality that the 18th Prince’s outstretched hand remained firmly anchored in the exact same coordinates hit my senses. Continuously feigning absolute ignorance to the blatant signal demanding that I submit my hand to his, I fiercely lowered my profile—prompting the Prince to press the matter further.

“We are finally reuniting after a prolonged separation as cherished companions, yet you continuously intent to evade my gaze in this manner?”

You… and me? Cherished companions?

Based on my flawless recollection of the original novel, the narrative tie binding the 18th Prince to Geum Seo-yul was absolutely an arrangement that failed to qualify under the baseline definition of friendship.

The 18th Prince and Geum Seo-yul had merely been entities who chanced upon one another by sheer coincidence in the past. To deconstruct the dynamic with absolute precision, the arrangement was strictly a one-sided fixation where the Prince stalked Geum Seo-yul from the shadows, secretly drinking in his form from afar.

According to the text, the two had barely exchanged a handful of actual sentences throughout their entire existence, making his current claim an absolute piece of unmitigated nonsense.

The desire to launch a fierce, logical counterargument surged violently within my chest, but the reality of his political status was an absolute wall.

Yes, he was a member of the imperial family wielding a magnitude of supreme authority that rendered me completely powerless.

Ultimately choosing to maintain my iron armor of absolute silence once again, the 18th Prince finally explicitly voiced the underlying motivation driving his outstretched hand.

“Would you grant me the supreme honor of allowing your form to guide my path inside?”

“…Brother.”

In absolute truth, the exact split-second his hand had initially materialized, I had already formulated a reasonably accurate hypothesis regarding this specific outcome.

Even so, I had calculated that if Geum Seo-yul aggressively feigned extreme physical frailty, the royal entity would simply let the matter slide. I had possessed absolutely zero foresight that he would deploy such a blatant, uncompromising assault.

No, scratch that—analyzing the current landscape from his perspective, this specific scenario likely materialized as a golden tactical opportunity for the 18th Prince to assert his claim.

If I committed a single error here, the reality that my fragile, sickly demeanor was a thoroughly engineered theatrical performance might be exposed to his brilliant intellect.

Ensuring my internal panic remained completely masked beneath a veneer of absolute serenity, I exerted the entirety of my acting capability to deliver a beautifully frail, breathless whisper to summon my eldest brother. Instantly capturing the cue, my brother launched a definitive counter-maneuver.

“At present, Yul-ah’s physical constitution is suffering from exceptionally severe instability. Given that the Grand Lord has endured a grueling, monumental journey to reach our estate, we refuse to allow his form to be burdened by a sickly child.”

“The matter is entirely negligible. Were it any other ordinary individual, the situation might differ, but manually supporting Master Seo-yul is an endeavor that demands absolutely zero effort from my person.”

I possessed absolutely zero logical comprehension as to why on earth he was aggressively insisting on physically supporting me even after receiving an explicit notification regarding my illness. Even in the face of a direct refusal from our estate, his absolute resolve to execute the escort was unwavering—leaving my brother with zero political leverage to continue blocking the advance.

Signaling to my brother that I was perfectly fine by tightly squeezing his fingers, I watched him reluctantly slide his palm forward, his thumb gently tracing the back of my hand in a silent, lingering display of protective hesitation before finally relinquishing his hold.

Ceding entirely to the absolute parameters of the situation, I extended my arm and rested my fingers securely within the 18th Prince’s palm.

The exact split-second our skin met, a low, deeply satisfied chuckle vibrated down from above my head.

“Your hands are truly spectacularly exquisite. And incredibly delicate.”

“…The Grand Lord flattery leaves me deeply humbled.”

I honestly possessed absolutely zero clue what on earth he expected me to do with these dramatic observations.

Forcefully mastering the urge to aggressively wrench my hand free from his grip, I dropped my gaze to an even deeper angle, prompting the 18th Prince to release another soft laugh.

“And just when exactly do you intend to grant me the privilege of viewing your face?”

“An ordinary citizen lacks the authority to carelessly look upon an entity of your supreme nobility, Grand Lord.”

“You possess my absolute royal authorization. Furthermore, I shall extend this mandate to the entirety of the Director’s household—I desire for everyone to immediately cease bowing and raise their heads.”

Sensing my reluctance to instantly comply with his request, the 18th Prince smoothly redirected his authority toward my family. With a direct royal command actively targeting our household, continuing to maintain a lowered posture was absolutely the incorrect tactical choice.

Slowly elevating my neck, I allowed my eyes to meet the 18th Prince’s gaze.

And in that exact moment, a wave of genuine aesthetic admiration hit my chest.

“…….”

Wow. A second male lead truly is a second male lead for a reason.

He was absolutely not the dark-clad stranger from the tavern I had calculated him to be. However, the man staring down at my face possessed a level of breath-taking visual perfection that easily eclipsed that stranger. Unlike Namgung Hwi, whose aesthetic profile beautifully balanced a fierce masculine edge with a strikingly delicate, pretty-boy allure, the man before me broadcasted an unmitigated aura of sheer, unadulterated masculinity.

As I silently analyzed his features, a powerful wave of pure joy mixed with an unmistakable romantic flutter violently flooded the 18th Prince’s expression.

“How exactly do you find it?”

“…Pardon?”

Tossing out a question like ‘how do you find it’ without providing a single shred of contextual baseline was a recipe for zero comprehension.

Replicating the inquiry to signal my confusion, I watched as a subtle trace of profound disappointment seamlessly etched itself across the 18th Prince’s features while he thoroughly read my blank expression.

“You possess absolutely zero recollection of the past, do you?”

“…The Grand Lord must forgive my ignorance.”

In absolute truth, I possessed zero data regarding what specific childhood memory he was desperately clinging to. However, forgetting a historic interaction shared with a supreme aristocrat of the realm was undeniably a blunder that warranted a formal apology.

“There is absolutely nothing for you to apologize for, Seo-yul. The event transpired during our tender childhood years, making the act of recollection an exceptionally difficult endeavor. Come, let us cross the threshold immediately. We must ensure Master Seo-yul is granted absolute rest without delay.”

“Please allow our household to guide your path inside, Grand Lord.”

“Very well.”

Offering a firm nod of assent to my father’s formal invitation, the 18th Prince smoothly crossed the massive dark threshold of the inner gates. I had fully intended to weaponize any rapid acceleration in his walking pace as a perfect excuse to untangle myself from his escort, but the royal entity failed to display a single shred of such tactical vulnerability.

Because the 18th Prince meticulously calibrated his walking speed to match my artificially slow, fragile steps, the entire trailing procession of high officials and family members was forced to mathematically decelerate their movements in unison.

After a prolonged, agonizingly slow march through the sprawling estate grounds, we finally materialized before the grand pavilion where my father executed his daily administrative duties.

Suddenly, the 18th Prince delivered a sharp, intense squeeze to my hand before fixing his gaze onto my face, his features completely painted with a heavy mask of profound reluctance.

“Though my heart desires nothing more than to remain anchored to your side, a mountain of state affairs demands my immediate attention—meaning we must temporarily part ways at this juncture.”

“Yes, Grand Lord.”

That outcome was the precise, absolute target I had been desperately praying for. The moment the brief, compliant response slipped past my lips, the 18th Prince subtly swept his eyes across the surrounding perimeter before locking his gaze right back onto my form.

“Where exactly within the estate grounds are you currently lodging?”

“I am presently residing within the detached separate courtyard.”

The exact split-second the compliant answer left my mouth to address the man whose tone had dropped into an incredibly tender register, the 18th Prince’s expression violently froze solid.

“The… detached… courtyard?”

Muttering the syllables of the separate courtyard under his breath, his lips parted slightly as he desperately attempted to articulate a follow-up statement. However, absolutely zero sound managed to escape his throat.

Just what on earth was he attempting to convey to warrant this extreme, agonizing level of absolute hesitation?

Quietly maintaining my composure as I waited for his processing loop to conclude, a substantial amount of time trickled by before the 18th Prince successfully mastered his expression, his eyes melting into a deeply wistful, melancholic gaze.

“I see. The separate courtyard. The separate courtyard, indeed…”

“The detached separate courtyard commands the absolute finest scenic view within the entire estate, making it an exceptionally pristine sanctuary for uninterrupted rest.”

“…Ah, yes. The legendary aesthetic beauty of Mangeum Bank’s separate courtyard is a matter I comprehend with absolute clarity. Indeed… because its landscape is so spectacular, it was an environment that beautifully mirrored the exquisite nature of Master Seo-yul.”

Did he just use the past tense? ‘It was?’

The separate courtyard remained an absolute masterpiece of landscaping to this very second, and its accommodations lacked absolutely nothing required to sustain a luxurious lifestyle.

Right as I was beginning to furiously sift through the archives of my memory to verify if a critical plot point had slipped past my radar due to his strange choice of past-tense phrasing, the 18th Prince finally completely released his grip on my hand.

“In that case, I shall take my leave to initiate a highly confidential discourse alongside the Director and the Young Lord.”

“Of course. We shall await your command, 18th Pr—Grand Lord.”

Despite having spent the morning drilling an absolute rule into my brain to exercise extreme caution, the internal shorthand from my thoughts had accidentally slipped past my lips.

I immediately tacked the title ‘Grand Lord’ onto the end of the sentence with absolute speed to forcefully overwrite the blunder. Fortunately, because my fragile, sickly act had been so thoroughly convincing, the 18th Prince appeared entirely unbothered by the sudden stutter in my speech, completely brushing the anomaly aside.

“I shall personally seek out your separate courtyard at a later juncture to ensure we can share a quiet cup of tea together.”

“It would be my absolute honor.”

“However, before that transpires…”

Before that transpires?

Did he genuinely harbor an endless reservoir of follow-up statements? His verbal output manifested zero signs of slowing down.

Anxiously bracing myself to receive his next words, the statement that cascaded from his lips caused my jaw to tightly lock in absolute irritation.

“I desire nothing more than to witness Master Seo-yul dressed in the absolute height of magnificent elegance during the grand banquet scheduled for this evening.”

“…….”

“Though, in absolute reality, your current attire suits your form beautifully as well.”

If my current attire suited my form beautifully, I desperately wished he would simply lock his focus onto my present appearance and permanently cease his demands.

The sheer audacity of his command—demanding that I spend my afternoon aggressively decorating my person solely for his visual entertainment—nearly caused the corners of my eyes to flare upwards in pure rage. Forcefully projecting a mask of serene compliance, I lowered my head into a deep bow, prompting the 18th Prince to finally address my father and brother.

“Let us cross the threshold immediately, gentlemen. We harbor an immense volume of critical data to dissect.”

Receiving my compliant silence, the 18th Prince officially marched past the heavy wooden doors of the pavilion, flanked by my father and eldest brother.

Maintaining my formal posture of absolute respect, I quietly waited until the heavy thud of the closing doors resonated through the courtyard before slowly straightening my spine to thoroughly analyze my surroundings.

“…….”

As I had highly calculated, choosing to maintain my bowing posture for a few extra moments was the absolute correct tactical move.

Furthermore, it was nothing short of a miracle that I had successfully managed to swallow the stream of profanities circulating in my mind upon hearing his banquet mandate.

The reality that the 18th Prince’s personal retainers were actively executing a comprehensive surveillance sweep over every single individual associated with Mangeum Bank—including my own form—was an entirely uncalculated variable. Imperial soldiers who had originally been framing the royal carriage had seamlessly detached from the main column, quietly filtering into the ranks of our estate guards to take up strategic monitoring positions across the pavilion perimeter.

Staring back at the completely emotionless, analytical gazes directed toward my position, I swept a wave of cold sweat from my chest before swiftly vacating the courtyard alongside my mother and sister.

“Huu.”

“My precious youngest, are you experiencing physical pain somewhere?”

“Yul-ah, you must return to your quarters to claim absolute rest immediately.”

Although I had successfully synchronized my theatrical strategy with my eldest brother ahead of schedule, I had completely failed to brief the remaining members of my family regarding the scheme.

Subtly scanning the immediate perimeter to verify with absolute precision that we were entirely clear of imperial eyes, I leaned my upper body significantly closer to the two women. Cupping a hand over my mouth to muffle the audio, my mother and sister immediately tilted their ears toward my lips.

Adopting a highly mischievous, playful smirk, I broke the truth to them.

“My physical health is perfectly intact, Mother, Sister. I merely calculated that lowering my profile was the absolute correct tactical move, so I deployed an engineered performance of illness to navigate the interaction.”

“Are you genuinely telling the truth, Yul-ah?”

“If your form is truly suffering, you possess absolute freedom to vocalize your pain to this mother.”

Staring into the eyes of the two women, who were visibly struggling to completely banish their deep maternal concern, a wide, confident grin broke across my features.

“If you find yourselves harboring a single shred of doubt regarding my words, you are more than welcome to cross-examine my brother later this evening. He will explicitly confirm that the two of us had fully synchronized our scripts before the vanguard even touched down.”

“Even if that is the absolute reality, exercising caution remains our top priority. Hurry back to your chambers to rest. I shall personally dispatch the estate physician to your courtyard to execute a comprehensive diagnosis.”

“Understood, Mother.”

If a professional medical examiner aggressively investigated my pulse, the reality that my physical weakness was an absolute theatrical fabrication would be permanently exposed. However, the physician operating under my mother’s direct command was an individual who possessed an iron clad reputation for absolute discretion.

Provided I delivered a reasonably accurate explanation of the political stakes ahead of schedule, the medical master would seamlessly align his diagnosis with my narrative. Bidding a formal farewell to the two women, I spun on my heel and took decisive strides toward the absolute sanctuary of my separate courtyard.