As the party continued with dancing and laughter, Lunis felt a sudden urge to use the bathroom. He approached Tiuro, seeking guidance.

“Tiuro, do you know where the nearest bathroom is?” asked Lunis in a hurried tone.

Tiuro, distracted by the music and the festive atmosphere, indicated a direction with a casual gesture, but inadvertently pointed in the wrong direction. Lunis thanked him and continued forward, confident in his instructions, but soon realized that he was lost in the castle's corridors.

“Oh no, Oh no–!”

“How am I supposed to go back now!?”

While wandering the halls, Lunis saw the buffet and some servers acting suspiciously, handling the drinks. He hid in a corner, trying to hear what they were saying.

“What are they doing with the wine?”

It was too muffled for Lunis to hear even a single word.

“What a shitty position–! I cannot hear anything…!"

“…We… quickly… put… poison… cup… monarch… ”

Lunis is surprised by what he had heard, a possible attempt to poison the king. The knight thought of a way to avoid this situation and leave the buffet.

Suddenly, as he moved, Lunis bumped into a box next to him, drawing the attention of the suspicious men.

"Who's there!?"

"...Damn it… "

Lunis then decides to reveal himself and try to pretend he doesn't understand.

“Sorry for coming in here, I ended up getting lost from my colleagues.”

"How it is?!"

“Well, I’m going now–”

"Wait a second!"

Lunis remained in the same place. One of the men asked him to turn around, and he did. The men were now hooded and armed with daggers.

“Listen– I don’t want any trouble. Just let me out.”

“You’re not going anywhere!”

With no time to think, Lunis would have to face them, but there was no weapon or sharp utensil close to him to use, so the disciple would have to fight unarmed, relying only on his hand-to-hand combat skills.

“Well… I didn’t want it to be like this–!”

Lunis remains on guard when one of the executioners decides to attack him with his dagger; however, he receives a Counterattack to his face, leaving him disoriented due to the impact. The other appears behind Lunis, with a feint. Lunis remains motionless for a moment, but then turns back and glares menacingly, and the executioner on his back retreats.

Lunis is surrounded, with one in front and one behind. The knight had to be cautious, as any wrong move could cause his death.

Both decide to attack at the same time to leave him without a reaction, however, Lunis dodges to the ground, stretching his legs forming a 180° angle. The enforcers are surprised at the way he avoided his feint.

Lunis uses acrobatic movements, and with quick and precise movements, he managed to knock them out and tied them to a nearby pillar.

"What..?"

Lunis quickly noticed that there was only one tray and the wine was half empty.

"It cannot be-! Has the first batch already been sent!?”

With the attackers neutralized, Lunis tried to return to the hall as quickly as possible, following the path he had taken.

Meanwhile, the vision turns to Raeligh and your family.

Raeligh, with a weight on his chest, wanted to talk to his wife about a crucial matter, but found himself unable to find the right words to begin with. As he wrestled with his own dilemmas, waiters arrived with glasses of expensive wine, ready to serve the monarch and guests.

One of the waiters directed the glass to the monarch. Voros received it and announced about the quality of the wine he served, and then toasted with the people. Everything was ready for Voros to drink the poisoned wine.

"Hang on-!"

Luckily, Lunis arrived in time and acted quickly, throwing a fork perfectly into the glass, catching the attention of everyone in the room. He was detained by the guards, but explained that the wine was poisoned.

"How dare you-! Throw a sharp object towards his majesty!”

Faulhault walks towards Lunis, who remains detained on the ground.

“I hope you have a very good reason to explain what you did.”, said Faulhault, certainly irritated by the embarrassment his disciple caused.

"Majesty! The wine-! It’s poisoned” Lunis tried to explain while being pressured by the guards.

“Poisoned!? Don’t talk nonsense, brat!”

A nobleman dared to taste the wine first and soon began to feel ill, confirming Lunis's suspicions.

“The boy speaks the truth! The wine is poisoned!” – said Voros.

Soon, the nobles dropped their cups on the floor in panic.

The hall fell silent as King Voros rose from his throne, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with piercing intensity. He raised his hand to get everyone's attention and began to speak in a firm and authoritative voice:

"My noble subjects, it is with regret that I must interrupt our celebration tonight. The joy we share is now eclipsed by an ominous shadow that hangs over our court."

Murmurs spread throughout the hall as the guests turned to pay attention to the king's words.

"I have received credible intelligence that there is a traitor among us, a traitor plotting in the shadows to undermine the security and stability of our kingdom."

A murmur of dismay echoed through the hall as those present absorbed the king's words with shock and concern.

"Know that I will not rest until this traitor is identified and punished according to the law. In the meantime, I ask all of you to remain vigilant and watch for signs of betrayal of our kingdom."

“And you traitor–!”

Grace's heart flutters in surprise, making her startle slightly.

“I want you to know if what you are doing is really worth it, as my soldiers, knights and royal guard will increase their constant patrols of this castle… Watching every suspicious movement.”

The king paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd once more before concluding with unwavering determination:

"Together, we will ensure the safety and prosperity of Aleonia. May this night serve as a reminder that our unity is our greatest strength. May peace prevail over betrayal and intrigue. This celebration is over. Good evening, everyone." "

The hall was dispersed, with nobles leaving, others talking about what had happened in the past. Lunis, who was adjusting his clothes, received the unexpected attention of the monarch Voros.

“Lunis Argento, disciple of Faulhault.”

“Y-Yes, sir,” Lunis immediately kneeled in reverence.

“I come to thank you for your previous boldness and bravery, there are few who would do something like you did.”

“I-I feel honored by your words, Your Majesty.”

“I recognize that you honor with your surname, son.”

“It is exactly like your father was.”

“My father? Did you know my father, Your Majesty?”

“Well! Who does not remember Lucio Argento, our most competent Sergeant? May he rest in peace, like our notable heroes.”

The monarch puts his left hand on Lunis' shoulder and resumes his speech:

“I admire your efforts on the battlefield. I believe that if you continue like this, you will be as good as, or even better than, what you were before.”

Lunis' eyes shone with the motivating words of his Majesty.

“If you wish, I can arrange a place in the royal guard of our palace. What do you think?”

“I—I! I will think about it calmly, your majesty!”

“Haha—! Well, think about it. Until next time, Little Argento.”

The monarch, impressed by Lunis's bravery in protecting him, offered him a possible position in the palace's royal guard, with significant benefits. Lunis gratefully accepted the offer, but asked for time to consider.

As the nobles gathered in small groups to discuss what had just happened, Lunis felt a light hand land on his shoulder. He turned to see, it was the maiden who was in the spotlight just a while ago, with a curious and admiring look.

"Why a fork, of all utensils, Lunis?" she asked, with a intrigued smile.

Lunis smiled back, a little awkwardly. "It was an instinctive reaction, my lady. I simply acted the moment I realized the danger."

She nodded, still smiling. "I was surprised when you suddenly screamed. But, I must say, you shocked the entire hall."

Before Lunis could respond, the maiden's parents approached, grateful expressions on their faces. His father, a man of distinguished appearance, spoke in a solemn and respectful voice.

"Sir Lunis, we want to express our sincere gratitude for your quick action tonight. Your actions saved the monarch's life, and we are eternally grateful."

The maiden's mother nodded, adding, "Yes, indeed, you are a hero tonight."

Lunis was a little embarrassed by the compliments, but he humbly thanked them. Before parting, the young lady leaned close to him and whispered his name: "My name is Arinisia, of the house Nostruvitch."

With a farewell wave, Arinisia walked away, leaving Lunis alone with his thoughts and a racing heart from the unexpected encounter.

…

Meanwhile, Princess Grace, furious at the revelation of the poisoning, returned to her room.

"Damn it-! Damn it-! Damn it-! Damn it-!"

“You shitty little knight–! It ruined my plan–!”

Grace tossed and turned in her room, destroying vases and fragile things in her frustration. Soon, she looks at a rag doll that was on her desk.

She picks up the rag doll and stares at it.

“So that means you dared to get in my way…”

“Well…” – Grace takes a sharp knife in her left hand.

She throws the doll behind her, and throws her knife, hitting the rag doll's head.

“…”

“My next target… will be you…!”

“Lunis.”

The ragdoll symbolized Lunis, who had become a target in her mind, and she was determined to find a way to eliminate him.