Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

Essen Castle Hall

The grand chandeliers and golden candlesticks adorned the hall, complemented by a grand piano. The banquet was splendid, featuring a variety of delicacies: bread and pickled ham, fresh cheese, cooked herring, apricot pie, roast duck, and spinach chowder. The banquet at Essen Castle was a display of luxury, filled with foods that most commoners could never hope to see in their lifetime. Preparing an overabundance of food and drink was a common way for the royal family to showcase their authority.

Servants and maids began assisting with the meal as those of lower rank started to enter the hall. Most of these were landless nobles or those who had retired from managing their estates. Nobles busy with estate management often declined invitations to the royal palace, regardless of the occasion. However, those eager to break into high society made it a point to attend this rare royal banquet.

“What’s going on? A grand banquet all of a sudden?”

“Indeed. There hasn’t been a palace banquet since the emperor fell ill.”

“Could it be that the emperor has recovered…?”

“Don’t say such things!”

The emperor had been bedridden for a long time. Many nobles who were once close to the emperor had long turned their backs on the royal family, which was now reduced to two grown daughters. The idea of the emperor miraculously recovering now was something most nobles found terrifying.

“Surely not… right?”

People looked at the empty throne, hoping their fears would not come true. Those who had entered the hall gathered in small groups, conversing. Every now and then, fanfares would play as the next noble entered. Arriving too early was considered gauche, but arriving too late, behind someone of higher status, was also improper. Noble banquets were, in essence, a fierce game of social maneuvering.

“Count List is here! He recently hosted a grand hunting tournament.”

“The one talking to Count List is Marquis Papen, who’s also mentioned as a candidate for the throne!”

“Ah, but Marquis Schiller is more likely. He recently knighted that famous Platinum Knight.”

“Sir Dominic? The Witch Slayer?”

“Yes, exactly!”

“Oh my, really?”

As the number of attendees increased, the fanfares got drowned out by the noise in the hall. As a result, the gossips didn’t immediately notice the young lady who joined their conversation.

“That’s right, miss! He’s now known as Dominic Schiller. Sir Dominic is famous for his swordsmanship, but there’s another reason he’s the talk of society!”

He grew excited, relishing the chance to lead the conversation. Those around him leaned in to listen closely.

“Sir Dominic is reputed to be as handsome as he is skilled. His looks have caused quite a stir across the empire!”

“Oh my.”

The young lady covered her mouth with a silk-gloved hand, laughing. Her sapphire eyes sparkled through her cat-like, curving eyes. Although she covered the lower part of her face with a small fan, it was evident that she was a beauty.

The gossip swallowed hard and asked, as his mind raced to identify such a stunning lady.

“And which family do you belong to, miss…?”

“Oh, me? It’s not very important. I’m just an uninvited guest attending in place of my father, who received an invitation.”

The gossip initially assumed that the young lady was from some obscure family, thirsty for a taste of high society, and had pestered her father for an invitation. To him, this was a great opportunity to impress someone from a weaker household.

“Oh! My apologies. I should have introduced myself first to such a beautiful lady. I am Paolo Amguier, the eldest son of the Amguier family.”

Paolo knelt and kissed the silk glove of the young lady, who smiled with her eyes and gently withdrew her hand.

“My name is Vivian Dux,” she said reluctantly.

“Vivian… Dux!”

Paolo was so shocked he quickly pulled out a handkerchief and vigorously wiped the glove he had kissed.

“I apologize. I didn’t realize you were the Duke’s daughter…”

“It’s fine, Sir Paolo.”

Vivian removed her glove and handed it to him.

“Please, take this as a gift.”

Vivian Dux. The only daughter of Duke Dux, one of the most powerful figures in the entire empire. If the noble faction won the succession struggle, the duke was a prime candidate for the next emperor.

Paolo, realizing his mistake, quickly accepted the glove and excused himself.

“That was a close call. I almost lost my head.”

Duke Dux was known not only for his power but also for being an overly doting father and husband. Vivian sighed softly. Many nobles had approached her, drawn by her beauty, but fled the moment they heard “Dux.”

“I came here without Father’s knowledge, hoping for some fun. This is boring.”

At that moment, a grand fanfare filled the hall. Most notable figures had already entered, so the extended fanfare indicated the arrival of the main event.

The herald announced loudly,

“Princess Charlotte Albrecht and Princess Friederike Albrecht are entering!”

The nobles parted to either side, clearing the center of the hall. The princesses, symbols of the Albrecht family, with their striking golden hair, entered with contrasting dignities—one proud and the other gentle. Following them were Hans Brante, the regent’s aide, and a pair of young people, a boy and a girl.

“Who’s that boy?” Vivian watched the unfamiliar gray-haired boy with curiosity from behind her fan. While she recognized Princess Friederike and her female guard, the boy was a mystery even to her sharp mind.

For the attending nobles, the entry of only the princesses was a relief. The emperor did not appear, indicating he was still bedridden. Taking his place, Princess Charlotte stepped onto the podium and addressed the gathering.

“Thank you all for attending. I am Charlotte Albrecht, hosting this banquet in place of my father. Today’s banquet is to celebrate the return of my sister, Princess Friederike, to the royal palace. Please, eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves.”

Friederike stood and offered a slight bow in greeting.

Friederike’s rigid expression betrayed her nerves.

“Princess, take a deep breath, deep breaths,” Sylvia whispered, sticking close behind her to calm her down.

“And here we have Sylvia Forzia, who has been assisting the second princess since childhood. And this is a royal aide who helps my sister and me, Binaeril Dalheim.”

“Dalheim?”

“Doesn’t sound like he’s from the Empire.”

The name Dalheim was unfamiliar to the nobles. Understandably so, as it was a family name from Ruben, on the other side of the continent.

“Sir Binaeril was recently made a baronet. I ask all attendees to treat him with the respect his new rank deserves.”

Murmurs and whispers spread through the crowd.

This sudden announcement by the regent was out of character for her. Although granting a baronetcy was within her authority as the emperor’s regent, the timing was conspicuous.

‘This is clearly a display of loyalty to the royalist faction.’

Many in the audience thought so.

Unbeknownst to himself, Binaeril Dalheim had now become a significant figure in the eyes of many of the empire’s nobles.

“Let the banquet begin,” Princess Charlotte declared confidently.

The two princesses sat in their designated places, engaging with the nobles who approached them.

“Sylvia, take Binaeril around and introduce him to the others,” Friederike requested, noticing Binaeril standing idly.

“But Princess, someone should stay by your side…”

“It’s alright, Sylvia.”

“Very well!”

Someone stepped forward as Sylvia hesitated.

“May I take charge of guiding Sir Binaeril, Princess?”

“Um…”

Not recognizing the speaker immediately, Friederike turned to Sylvia, who whispered in her ear.

“She is Lady Vivian Dux, from the Dux ducal family, Princess.”

“Dux?”

It was surprising. Her father was a prominent figure in the noble faction.

“Well… I suppose that’s fine.”

“Then I’ll take him!”

Vivian Dux grabbed Binaeril’s hand and led him into the grand hall.

“My father detests these large gatherings. He never understands how lonely it can be for his daughter…”

Vivian chattered nonstop, holding Binaeril’s hand. Unable to get a word in, Binaeril listened to her talk for over five minutes.

By this point, he suspected she had chosen him simply because he appeared idle and in need of a companion.

“Ah, I see.”

‘Who is this person?’ Binaeril asked Veritas while nodding along to her conversation.

-Vivian Dux. The only daughter of Duke Dux.

Duke Dux was the lord who ruled a vast region in the southern part of the empire. He was highly respected, and the taxes collected from the fertile southern granaries were comparable to the imperial taxes.

-He’s also considered the closest person to the current emperor.

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Nothing, never mind.”

It was Vivian who was surprised by Binaeril’s questioning.

‘But why is she sticking to me?’

-You should ask her directly.

Binaeril didn’t hesitate.

“Excuse me, Lady Vivian. Isn’t your father competing with the princesses for the throne? Why are you approaching me?”

“…Hmm. I don’t recall revealing that much.”

She covered her mouth with a fan, seemingly a habit of hers.

“Sir Binaeril Dalheim? You’re not from the empire, are you?”

“I’ve never left the empire. In fact, I’ve barely left my estate. But where are you from?”

His origins were from Elfenbine, but this was the imperial capital, a place where magic was often regarded as a sinister curse. Binaeril disclosed his homeland.

“I’m from Ruben.”

“Oh my, from the eastern edge. I sensed it when I first saw you, the unique scent of a wanderer.”

‘Is there such a smell?’

“I’ve encountered a few wanderers at the Dux estate. I quite like that scent.”

Vivian Dux reached out and gently touched Binaeril’s earlobe with her finger.

“The scent of the wind that doesn’t stay in one place.”

Binaeril, startled by her sudden touch, took a step back. He was somewhat conservative when it came to such intimate gestures.