Episode:1 —The Banquet Before Midnight

The bells of De Rosa Palace rang seven times across the capital of Roseria.

Their echoes rolled through the silver-lit streets like a warning from the heavens themselves.

Winter had descended upon the empire early that year. Snow drifted endlessly from the dark skies, coating the marble bridges and towering cathedrals of the capital in pale frost. Yet despite the freezing winds, thousands gathered beyond the palace gates, hoping for a glimpse of the royal banquet that would take place before midnight.

The Winter Moon Banquet.

The grandest celebration in all of Roseria.

Inside De Rosa Palace, servants rushed desperately through endless corridors lined with golden mirrors and crimson banners embroidered with silver roses — the sacred symbol of the royal bloodline.

Every chandelier blazed with enchanted flames.

Every polished floor reflected the glow of magic.

Every noble family across the empire had arrived.

And yet…

The atmosphere inside the palace felt wrong.

Heavy.

Tense.

As though something terrible waited behind the beauty.

“The Silverfin has not arrived?”

The cold voice shattered the silence of the royal kitchens.

Every servant immediately lowered their heads.

Standing near the frost-covered windows was Crown Prince Rodderic Van Loren De Rosa.

The heir to the Roserian throne.

At twenty-three years old, Rodderic already carried the reputation of a ruler far more terrifying than his father, the emperor himself. His silver eyes were sharp enough to silence entire rooms, while his beauty only made him seem more dangerous.

Tonight, dressed entirely in black and silver royal garments, he looked less like a prince…

…and more like a weapon carved from moonlight.

“No, Your Highness,” the head chef whispered shakily. “Our hunters have failed to return from Lake Noctis.”

A faint crack echoed through the room.

Rodderic had tightened his grip around the crystal wine glass in his hand hard enough to fracture it.

Drops of crimson blood slid slowly across his pale fingers.

Nobody dared move.

Lake Noctis.

Even hearing its name was enough to fill ordinary men with fear.

The cursed lake rested beyond Roseria’s northern forests, hidden beneath endless black fog where countless fishermen had disappeared without explanation. People believed ancient spirits slept beneath its waters.

Others believed something far worse lived there.

And tonight—

the royal banquet depended upon a fish that could only be found within that cursed lake.

Silverfin.

Rare.

Beautiful.

Deadly to obtain.

Without it, the banquet would be incomplete.

And Roseria would be humiliated before every noble house and foreign empire gathered beneath De Rosa Palace’s roof.

Rodderic slowly set the cracked wine glass aside.

“Search again,” he ordered coldly.

“Your Highness, midnight approaches—”

“I said search again.”

The chef immediately bowed lower.

“Yes, Crown Prince.”

Rodderic turned away from the kitchens without another word, his black royal cloak sweeping across the marble floors behind him.

Servants hurried aside the moment he passed.

Nobody wished to meet the gaze of Roseria’s crown prince for too long.

Especially not tonight.

The grand ballroom of De Rosa Palace glittered like a dream.

Hundreds of nobles filled the chamber beneath floating crystal chandeliers while musicians played soft melodies upon enchanted violins. Golden masks, silk gloves, diamonds, and royal insignias shimmered beneath the candlelight.

But hidden beneath the elegance—

everyone was whispering.

“Have you heard?”

“They failed to retrieve the Silverfin.”

“The banquet may collapse before midnight.”

“How embarrassing for Roseria…”

Rodderic entered the ballroom quietly.

Yet the moment he appeared, silence spread instantly.

Nobles lowered their heads.

Some out of respect.

Others out of fear.

The crown prince ignored them all.

Until—

His footsteps stopped.

At the far end of the ballroom, near the frost-crystal windows overlooking the snowy capital, stood a man dressed in silver-black royal attire.

Tall.

Elegant.

Untouchable.

Prince Aurelian Vaelith De Ravaryn of the Velmoria Empire.

The moment their eyes met, the air itself seemed to freeze.

Aurelian’s light green eyes glimmered beneath the candlelight like sharpened emeralds, calm and unreadable. His dark ginger hair fell carelessly across his forehead, while the faint smirk upon his lips looked almost insulting.

Beautiful.

Dangerously so.

The nobles nearby quickly stepped away from him.

Not because he had spoken.

But because everyone in the ballroom knew the history between Roseria and Velmoria.

Two empires.

Two crown princes.

And a rivalry old enough to terrify kingdoms.

Aurelian slowly lifted his wine glass toward Rodderic.

Not respectfully.

Mockingly.

Rodderic’s expression remained emotionless.

But the tension between them spread through the ballroom like invisible fire.

Once—

years ago—

they had been inseparable.

Now, they barely spoke.

And whenever they did…

something disastrous followed.

“How nostalgic,” Aurelian suddenly murmured.

His voice was smooth and calm, yet somehow capable of cutting deeper than swords.

Rodderic approached slowly.

“What exactly is nostalgic?”

“The silence,” Aurelian replied lazily. “Your nobles look terrified tonight.”

Several nearby aristocrats immediately turned pale.

Rodderic stopped before him.

Close enough to hear each other’s breathing.

“You came a long way merely to criticize my empire?”

Aurelian tilted his head slightly.

“No.”

His smirk deepened.

“I came to witness whether Roseria truly deserves its reputation.”

The insult was subtle.

But deadly.

Several nobles quietly looked away.

Rodderic’s silver eyes sharpened dangerously.

Yet before either prince could continue—

the ballroom doors burst open.

A guard hurried inside, breathless.

“Your Highness!”

Every noble turned.

The guard immediately knelt before Rodderic.

“A fisherman has arrived from Lake Noctis.”

The entire ballroom erupted into whispers.

Rodderic’s gaze darkened instantly.

“And the Silverfin?”

The guard swallowed nervously.

“He claims to possess it.”

For the first time that evening—

the tension within the ballroom shifted.

Aurelian’s smirk disappeared slightly.

Interesting.

Rodderic immediately turned toward the palace entrance halls.

“Bring him inside.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As guards rushed away, nobles exploded into conversation once more.

“How is that possible?”

“Someone survived Lake Noctis?”

“A common fisherman?”

Rodderic said nothing.

But deep within his chest, something uneasy stirred.

Lake Noctis did not release people so easily.

Especially during winter.

Meanwhile—

far beyond the palace walls—

snowstorm winds howled violently against the capital streets.

A lone figure stood at the palace gates, soaked in freezing water and blood.

His dark cloak hung heavily from his shoulders while trembling fingers gripped a silver-scaled fish wrapped carefully in cloth.

The Silverfin.

Moonlight reflected against its shimmering scales.

Alive.

Beautiful.

Cursed.

Standing before him was the royal gatekeeper of De Rosa Palace.

Lord Nytheris.

Tall.

Cruel-faced.

Draped in black velvet embroidered with silver chains.

His eyes slowly narrowed as he stared at the exhausted fisherman.

Then—

his gaze shifted toward the Silverfin.

Greed flickered instantly across his face.

And hidden beneath the violent snowfall of Roseria…

fate quietly began to move.

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***