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Chapter 30
A Warm Family Dinner
The royal dining hall was filled with warm golden light.
Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their crystals reflecting the glow of hundreds of candles placed around the room.
The long royal table was decorated with silver plates, elegant cutlery, and beautifully prepared dishes.
Roasted lamb.
Honey-glazed vegetables.
Fresh bread still steaming from the oven.
For the royal family of the Aurelius Empire, dinner was normally a formal affair.
But tonight…
The atmosphere felt relaxed.
Almost cheerful.
Prince Alex sat at the table with a small smile as he looked around.
Across from him sat his older brother, Prince Aldric.
Beside him was his younger sister, Princess Aurelia.
At the head of the table sat the Emperor.
And next to him sat the Empress, watching everyone with gentle eyes.
Alex picked up his cup of wine and leaned back slightly.
It feels… peaceful.
His sister suddenly spoke excitedly.
"Brother Alex!"
Alex looked up.
"Yes?"
Aurelia leaned forward with sparkling eyes.
"I heard something amazing today!"
Alex chuckled.
"Oh?"
"What rumor did you hear this time?"
She pointed at him dramatically.
"That beauty shop in the capital!"
"Silver Bloom!"
Alex nearly choked on his drink.
"Oh…"
"That shop."
His brother Aldric laughed.
"You mean the one where noble ladies were fighting over skin cream?"
The princess nodded eagerly.
"Yes!"
"I heard two noblewomen nearly pulled each other's hair!"
Alex rubbed his forehead.
"That sounds… exaggerated."
The Empress smiled softly.
"Actually…"
"It might not be."
Everyone looked at her.
She turned toward Alex with a knowing expression.
"That shop belongs to you, doesn't it?"
Alex raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright."
"You caught me."
Lilia gasped dramatically.
"You're serious?!"
Adrian leaned back in his chair, staring at Alex.
"You started a beauty business?"
Alex shrugged.
"Well…"
"It sounded interesting."
His brother laughed loudly.
"Interesting?"
"You turned the capital upside down!"
The Emperor, who had been quietly eating until now, slowly looked at Alex.
"I heard about the shop as well."
His voice was calm but curious.
"Reports say it became extremely popular today."
Alex nodded.
"The grand opening was successful."
The Empress smiled proudly.
"I'm glad."
After all…
She looked at the others and said playfully,
"I invested the initial funds."
Lilia's eyes widened.
"Mother funded it?!"
Alex laughed.
"Yes."
"If mother didn't support the idea, the shop wouldn't exist."
The Empress chuckled softly.
"I simply believed in my son."
Adrian shook his head.
"So the Empress secretly invested in a beauty company."
"That might be the strangest royal investment in history."
The Emperor suddenly smiled slightly.
"Strange perhaps…"
"But profitable."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
The Emperor looked directly at him.
"The ministers reported something interesting today."
"The shop made an enormous amount of gold in a single afternoon."
Lilia clapped excitedly.
"That means brother Alex is rich now!"
Alex smirked.
"I was already rich."
His sister pouted.
"You know what I mean."
The Empress laughed gently.
"Still, Alex."
"You did something impressive."
"Building a successful business in only two months is not easy."
Alex shrugged.
"I had help."
Aurelia tilted her head.
"From who?"
Alex smiled mysteriously.
"From smart people."
Aldric pointed his fork at Alex.
"That sounds suspicious."
The Emperor chuckled quietly.
"Regardless…"
"You showed initiative."
He paused before continuing.
"That is something I approve of."
Alex nodded respectfully.
"I'm glad to hear that."
Dinner continued with laughter and casual conversation.
Servants quietly replaced empty plates with dessert.
For every time since Alex arrived in this world…
The royal family dinner felt warm.
Comfortable.
Almost normal.
Then the Empress suddenly remembered something.
"Oh!"
Everyone looked at her.
"My sister sent a letter earlier today."
Alex tilted his head.
"Oh?"
She smiled warmly.
"My nephew's birthday celebration will be held soon."
"Your cousin is turning sixteen."
Aurelia clapped happily.
"That means a party!"
The Empress nodded.
"It will take place in the Eastern Province."
Alex paused slightly.
Eastern Province.
That place was extremely important.
In the original game Chronicles of the Ruined Empire, the Eastern Province played a major role in upcoming events.
Alex smiled calmly.
"I'll attend the party."
His mother looked pleased.
"That would make your aunt very happy."
Adrian nodded.
"It's also a good chance to travel."
Aurelia grinned mischievously.
"Bring me souvenirs!"
Alex laughed.
"I'll see what I can do."
The Emperor finished his wine and stood up.
"Well then."
"I hope you enjoy the celebration."
Dinner slowly came to an end.
The royal family said their goodnights and left the dining hall.
---
Later That Night
A carriage moved slowly through the streets of the capital.
Inside the carriage, Alex sat comfortably against the soft seat.
Beside him sat Selena, holding several documents.
She looked slightly worried.
"So you're really leaving for the Eastern Province?"
Alex nodded.
"Yes."
Selena sighed.
"That was sudden."
Alex handed her a stack of papers.
"These are instructions for the business."
Selena quickly looked through them.
Her eyes widened.
"You already planned the expansion?"
Alex smiled.
"Of course."
"Expand Silver Bloom into two more districts."
"Hire additional staff."
"And increase production."
Selena nodded seriously.
"I'll manage everything."
Then she looked at him carefully.
"…Be safe on your journey."
Alex nodded calmly.
"I will."
The carriage continued moving through the moonlit streets.
After a moment of silence, Alex leaned back slightly.
Then he spoke quietly.
"System."
A blue screen appeared in front of him.
Yes, Host.
Alex crossed his arms.
"Open system window."
The interface expanded.
Several new notifications appeared.
---
System Update Complete
New functions unlocked.
Skill Fusion System
Territory Influence System
Hidden Quest Detection
---
Alex's eyes gleamed slightly.
"Oh…"
"That's interesting."
Another notification appeared.
---
Warning
A major story event will soon occur in the Eastern Province.
---
Alex smiled faintly.
"I know."
"That's exactly why I'm going there."
Outside the carriage window, the capital slowly faded into the distance.
Ahead…
The road toward the Eastern Province awaited.
Somewhere in the Eastern Province
In a quiet village far from the capital, evening slowly settled over the countryside.
Inside a small wooden house, a dim oil lamp flickered.
A young boy sat on a chair.
His face was bruised.
His clothes covered in dust.
Clearly…
He had just been beaten.
Beside him sat a young girl with long red-and-white hair.
Her eyes looked slightly red, as if she had been crying earlier.
She held a small bowl of water carefully.
"Drink slowly…"
Her voice was soft and worried.
The boy nodded weakly.
He drank quietly.
The girl sighed sadly.
"I told you not to fight them."
"They're older than you."
"They always gang up on you."
The boy forced a small smile.
"They were bullying that little kid."
"I couldn't just ignore it."
The girl gently pressed a cloth against his bruise.
"You're hopeless…"
But her voice was warm.
The boy chuckled slightly.
"You still helped me."
She pouted.
"You're my brother."
"Of course I did."
For a moment…
The room felt peaceful.
Despite their poor home.
Despite the bruises.
Despite everything.
They quietly drank water together.
Then suddenly—
The boy froze.
His eyes slowly moved toward the wooden gate outside their house.
The girl blinked.
"What's wrong?"
The boy slowly stood up.
His heart suddenly began racing.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
A strange feeling filled his chest.
Like something important was approaching.
Like destiny itself was moving closer.
He stared toward the distant road beyond the gate.
"…Why…"
he whispered softly.
"…Why do I feel like something big is coming?"
The girl looked confused.
"What are you talking about?"
But the boy kept staring at the road.
Far away…
A carriage carrying Prince Alex was traveling toward the Eastern Province.
And without knowing why—
The boy's instincts screamed.
Something…
Was about to change.