The hours leading up to the banquet were some of the most nerve-wracking of his life. No matter what, he needed to be prepared. He needed to be on his toes if he wanted to begin repairing 'Kim Dokja's' reputation.
A whole team of maids had been assigned to help him prepare for the banquet. After washing his whole body thoroughly (yes, his whole body) the maids spent at least an hour applying makeup powders and fragrances to his body before moving on to dress him.
In the end the servants made a custom suit for him, made up of a white bishop sleeve shirt with a dark blue corset wrapped tightly around his chest. He also wore black shoes, dark blue pants to match his corset, a silver brooch in the shape of a star fastened over his heart, white gloves, and a dark blue coat that is draped over his shoulders held by a silver cord.
Looking in the mirror, he couldn't recognize himself. Was this really him? Maybe it was the charm of 'Kim Dokja' the character leaking out, or perhaps the maids applied some type of beautifying magic to him?
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Before he departed, the duchess herself came by Dokja's room to check up on him and apologize for forcing him to go to the banquet of the man he seemed to resent.
Smiling awkwardly, Dokja tried reassuring her, "Don't worry about me, I'll be sure to take good care of myself, Mother". It was strange, he hadn't referred to anyone as 'Mother' for the last few decades of his life, and now he has a complete strangers as his parents. Not only that, but it really did seem like his family cared about him, it been so long since Dokja could say he'd experienced familial love…
Kim Dokja shook his head. No, that's not the important thing here, there was no need to linger on those thoughts right now. The duchess's apology was just another reminder of his poor reputation and the urgency that he needed to repair it with.
Kim Namwoon spoke out from behind him, bringing him back to the present.
"We should get going now we'll be late at this rate,"
Dokja couldn't help but smirk at his little brother. The only reason he was so eager to go was because he wanted a chance to meet with Lee Jihye, a young knight being personally trained by the Crown Prince himself. Namwoon had also shown signs of wanting to train under the Crown Prince himself but had no opportunity to do so because of the strained relationship Kim Dokja had with him.
Noticing his brother's smirk, Namwoon glared at him.
"Shut up hyung, not a word."
Dokja just ruffled his hair, making him screech as he waved the offending hand away while he tried to fix it.
"AUUGGhhh, don't you know how long it took me to style my hair like that!"
Dokja chuckled a little before stepping inside the carriage.
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Even before the carriage had stopped, Dokja spotted the royal palace in the distance, and to call it stunning would be an understatement. The carriage transitioned from stone paths to smooth brick road as it arrived in front of the manor, each brick laid perfectly. Rolling past the towering golden gates whose bars were shaped into the Seoul Empire's Crest, they were greeted with a fountain that streamed out steady arches of water. Surrounding it were other carriages rolling in or stationed, with many aristocrats flooding out.
Actually stepping into the castle was a whole other story.
"Lords Kim Dokja and Kim Namwoon of Underworld Duchy have arrived!" an announcer yelled out, following the initial trumpet fanfare.
Immediately the people around them started staring at him and and whispering.
"Oh my, I had assumed Duke Hades' eldest son wouldn't be attending."
"Yeah, it's pretty unexpected to see him here."
"I was informed that he nearly drowned."
"I thought that was just a rumor?"
"What will His Highness say if he recognizes him here?"
When surrounded by needless rumors and gossip about himself, Dokja had usually resorted to hiding himself away from the world, trying his best to blend into the background, but it looked like he wouldn't have such a choice. So instead, he took a big breath and grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter. Looking over his shoulder, Kim Namwoon already disappeared, in pursuit of Lee Jihye no doubt.
Moving through the room to get to a more secluded part of the palace, a voice called out to him over the gossiping.
"You actually came, huh?"
Turning to face the speaker, he was greeted by Han Sooyoung, crossing her arms.
She was dressed in an off-the-shoulder, deep purple gown with lots of crystals. Elbow-length gloves matched the gown, and even though she wasn't wearing a corset, he could still see the curve of her waist. Within her crossed arms Dokja spotted a fan peaking out, and to top it off she was wearing a little, dark purple cap on one side of her head. Finally, she sported a necklace with several gems.
" My oh my, I almost thought you were a princess instead of a witch for a second there Han Sooyoung, how impressive" Dokja teased. She could only tsk at him, wanting to slap him over the head but refrained.
"Cut the crap, are you really going to do it?" Dokja stared at her seriously before responding.
"Yes."
She was about to say something when the sound of trumpets rang throughout the ballroom once more. All the murmuring in the room stopped as everyone turned to face the main palace's entrance.
"His royal highness the second prince and her majesty the queen have arrived!"
The queen and the second prince, Yoo Junhyun, entered the room, both adorn with impeccable attires befitting of that of the imperial family. They were far more beautiful than anyone else in attendance. As soon as their entrance was announced, all the guests present bowed down.
Lifting his head to take a closer look at them, Dokja spotted the second prince's golden eyes, which were characteristic only within the royal family, were shining with rage for some reason.
Wait, but where's the crown prince? It's his birthday banquet, isn't it?
"You may all raise." the second prince remarked after he and his mother walked and sat at their thrones. Figures that the young princess wasn't here either, with how close the novel described her to being with the Crown Prince.
"Thank you all for attending my brother birthday, His highness the Crown Prince."
But where is he now, and why isn't he here?
Dokja felt a headache coming on. It wasn't that hard to believe that a bastard like him wouldn't care to attend his how birthday banquet. But after all the emotional preparation he'd endured to be able to make it here without have a nervous breakdown, he was damn well going to make sure he saw the Crown Prince, one way or another.
"Unfortunately, the Crown Prince was unable to attend this celebration for the following reason-"
"How bold of you to say that, brother..."
A deep, velvety voice suddenly spoke, stopping the second prince in his tracks.
On top of the stairs stood a strong figure, staring impassively at the second prince and queen.
Yoo Joonghyuk: The crown prince of the Seoul empire, the main character in TSFTC, the rival and enemy of 'Kim Dokja', and most importantly, the one fated to kill him.
Dokja retracted his statement from earlier. While the two royalties who arrived were gorgeous. Yoo Joonghyuk is the true symbol of the Seoul empire. He was everything that one would expect a protagonist to be. Even from the ground floor, one could see his prominent muscles as he laid a hand on the stair railing. With perfectly tanned skin, a chiseled jaw and a face painted by the gods themselves, Yoo Joonghyuk was truly blessed by the universe.
With the prince's unexpected entrance, the room burst into gossip and whispers again as he descended the steps. But Prince Joonghyuk's stare remained fixed on the queen and looking closely one could see the irritation flashing across her face.
"Oh, my God!"
"WHAT THE HELL IS HIS HIGHNESS HOLDING?"
"DON'T TELL ME THAT'S…?!"
Ah, right, as described in the novel, just before the banquet the Crown Prince had relentlessly tortured a subject before beheading him, with the severed head's face still contorted in pain. Looking closer, Prince Yoo Joonghyuk's clothing were covered in blood, a detail Dokja had previously missed, too preoccupied with admiring his face.
Dokja felt nauseous. This was the fate that awaited him if he failed.
"Hey, you okay?" Han Sooyoung asked him, as soon as she noticed his face going pale.
"Fine", he uttered, barely able to force the words out before inhaling deeply. Han Sooyoung quickly brought him a glass of water from a nearby waiter. Once Yoo Joonghyuk was standing in front of the thrones, he tossed the severed head towards the queen and his brother, letting it roll to the foot of the thrones.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" the queen demanded, her pupils shaking in rage. The Crown Prince glanced at her calmly, though his eyes gave away just a hint of amusement.
"Whatever do you mean? Am I not allowed to attend my own birthday banquet?" The queen continued yelling at the crown prince, her voice increasingly outraged.
"HOW DARE YOU! AS THE CROWN PRINCE HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING SO HORRIBLE! ", the queen seemed as if she was struggling to speak for a second, "A-AND IN AN OCCASION LIKE THIS!"
"It's my birthday feast, am I not entitled do I want? he asked.
"Where's Mia? She should be here, I know she wouldn't want to miss this celebration," he continued, frowning as he looked around .
"When we told her you were most likely no going to attend, she decided she didn't need to either."
Prince Joonghyuk glared at the queen.
"Why exactly would you assume that I wouldn't attend? Are you saying I'm not invited to my own banquet?" The atmosphere instantly turned frigid. Being the target of the prince's glare, the queen appeared terrified.
"Of course not! But even so, it's much better that she didn't attend, do you really want her to bear witness to your atrocious actions!?"
"You mean this?", the prince gestured to the head on the ground. When the queen didn't respond, he continued.
"You only sent the invitation two days ago, so I left some political affairs unresolved to rush here." he said. Seeing the annoyance on the queen's face, he continued.
"I would've already been here yesterday, but that guy foolishly tried to stop me. I simply gave him an adequate punishment; he would've been sentenced to death for attacking me anyway." As he finished speaking, the prince drew his sword from its scabbard and plunged it into the severed head
"AHHHHH!!"
"OH MY GOD!!!"
This was too much for Dokja to witness, the true cruelty that Yoo Joonghyuk of capable of displaying. If he was willing to go that far for a mere inconvenience, then how far would he go when it came to Kim Dokja? Even if the novel's 'Kim Dokja' had his life ended with a swift stab to the heart, if Dokja made enough decisions to diverge the plot in the wrong way, a much worse fate could await him. Dokja could feel the blood draining from his face as his hands started shaking. It wasn't just him, the entire room was terrified, waiting with baited breath for what the prince would do next. With how easily enchanted everyone was with his looks, it was easy to forget that the crown prince was still feared throughout the empire for his ruthlessness.
Yoo Joonghyuk extracted his sword from the poor fellow's head before turning around and walking away.
"Well then, please feel free to continue the banquet, I'll be taking my leave now" he said while not looking back. The whole room let out a relieved sigh.
"W-well, are you still gonna go through with your plan?" Sooyoung asked, her voice shaking.
"…I'm not sure anymore."