Alice the Evil – [ダークファンタジー異世界]

Tonight is the 22nd of June in the year 756, and the current time is 22:30  or 10:30 PM.

Tonight is a very special night because a grand event is taking place. The event is happening in the Igrasian Empire, specifically in the western part of the Igrasian Empire and right in the heart of Princess Ivy's territory.

It's a celebration to mark the engagement of Princess Ivy and Prince Ryan, the son of Duke Joseph. The party is being held inside Princess Ivy's palace, and it's adorned with luxurious and elegant decorations.

Anyone who sees the decorations at the party would immediately recognize that the host is of very high nobility, possibly even royal. Princess Ivy's palace shines brightly even though it's night time.

From the sky, anyone would know that Princess Ivy's palace is the center of the city because it shines much brighter than any other location in the city. Despite the residents using magical fuel for their lamps, they still have limited lighting.

Of course, when hosting such a grand event, security is a top priority to ensure there are no disruptions during the celebration. The outer parts of Princess Ivy's palace are crowded with citizens lining up.

Princess Ivy is known for her skill in winning the hearts and support of the people, as she has been studying this for years. She doesn't want only the nobility or herself to enjoy the celebration of her engagement to Prince Ryan; she wants the entire populace to feel the joy.

These citizens aren't dancing inside the party or entering Princess Ivy's palace, but they are waiting their turn to receive a bag of wheat, along with meat. For commoners, meat is a luxurious food because it's expensive and in very limited supply.

But tonight, they will eat the meat distributed by Princess Ivy. It's not just the nobility who are delighted with this party; the entire population is thrilled because they are receiving both wheat and meat.

A good leader is deeply loved and respected by their people, and that's what Princess Ivy has learned.

In a lavish room right now, many nobles are gathered, their gazes fixed in one direction: Princess Ivy and Prince Ryan.

The interior of the room is truly opulent, with every magical light in the room adorned with gold. The room is quite spacious, serving as the nobles' dance floor, and it's adorned with numerous decorations.

There are some paintings by famous artists that are centuries old, and the floor emits a unique sound when walked upon. It's probably magic, but only the palace architects know the material of the floor.

Princess Ivy and Prince Ryan appear to be arm in arm like a couple with a very close bond. They both gaze warmly at each other while smiling.

Not to forget, Princess Ivy displays a very friendly expression towards all the guests, smiling at each one of them.

Princess Ivy is currently wearing a long blue gown that drapes elegantly on the floor. She's also adorned with luxurious jewelry and has beautifully done makeup. It's safe to say that Princess Ivy's appearance tonight is close to perfection.

Her straight reddish-brown hair, thin lips, pointed nose, and yellow gem-like eyes make her exceptionally charming. Princess Ivy's skin appears fair and smooth, perhaps even softer than cotton. Anyone present at this party would undoubtedly be captivated by Princess Ivy's appearance tonight, even to the point of enchanting women.

On the other hand, Prince Ryan also looks incredibly handsome tonight. He's wearing a specially tailored suit that seems to emphasize his high nobility. He has a very strong and ideal physique, coupled with his dark brown hair.

A handsome and cool guy, that's the nickname given by noblewomen to Prince Ryan tonight.

Some women even feel quite envious of Princess Ivy because she could secure such a handsome partner. Almost the gaze of every woman at the party is fixed on Prince Ryan.

It's not just their appearance; the fragrances they both wear also smell very enticing.

After the nobles have danced for a while, it's now time for the stars of the evening to dance. The nobles gather at the edge of the room, creating space for Princess Ivy and Prince Ryan to dance.

The nobles can be heard whispering about Princess Ivy and Prince Ryan, and Princess Ivy can even overhear their conversations.

"Princess Ivy looks truly beautiful tonight."

"She does seem like the right fit to be the future leader of the Igrasian Empire."

"Ah, I'm so jealous! Prince Ryan is incredibly lucky to have Princess Ivy, darn it!"

"Do you know? Princess Ivy has prepared a lot of wheat and meat tonight."

"Really!? What's all the wheat and meat for?"

"To distribute to the citizens."

"Seriously!? Princess Ivy is truly kind!"

"Princess Ivy looks like an angel tonight."

"Not just us, but the entire city's population is celebrating this party!"

"Long live Princess Ivy!"

"If only I were Prince Ryan! I'm jealous!"

"If there were a choice for the future emperor, I'd choose Princess Ivy!"

"Yes! I agree!"

That's the brief conversation among the noble gentlemen at the party. As for the noblewomen, they discuss as follows,

"Prince Ryan looks so handsome tonight!"

"Kyaaaa, he's incredibly handsome!!"

"In my opinion, he's even more handsome than Prince Philip."

"If only I were born into high nobility."

"Even Princess Ivy looks very beautiful."

"How can Prince Ryan be so handsome?"

Certainly, there's nothing but praise in the conversations of the nobles, as they wouldn't dare speak ill of Princess Ivy and Prince Ryan in their presence, as their lives would be at risk if they did.

Once they reach the center of the room, Princess Ivy and Prince Ryan perform a beautiful dance. Every move they make appears graceful and elegant as if they were a pair of professionals in dance.

Of course, they are accompanied by music at a normal pace, played by a special orchestra hired by Prince Ryan. Their feet also appear very agile as they dance.

The gazes of Princess Ivy and Prince Ryan meet, and they both smile at each other.

"You're amazing at dancing, darling."

"Hahaha, no - you're more amazing, darling."

They both dance with high confidence, even leaving the nobles in awe. Earlier, Princess Ivy had been learning to dance for the past few years, so she's quite skilled in it.

Princess Ivy's hair also sways as they dance, and they have to be careful due to her wearing a long gown; it's a challenge for both of them.

The gaze of all the guests is focused solely on Princess Ivy and Prince Ryan, who are dancing.

After a while, Prince Ryan and Princess Ivy reach the climax of their dance, eventually ending with a rather beautiful pose. The pose makes it appear as if Prince Ryan is catching Princess Ivy, who is about to fall.

The applause then resounds clearly in the room after the star of the evening has finished dancing. In short, the celebration event for Princess Ivy and Prince Ryan's engagement concludes at 10:50 PM.

Currently, Prince Ryan and Princess Ivy are seen shaking hands with the guests who have attended the event, and the guests line up to shake hands with them both.

"May you two get married soon!"

"Thank you."

"Congratulations on your engagement!"

"Thank you."

"Hey Ivy, I can't believe you're engaged already, considering you were such a tomboy at the academy, haha."

"Shhhh... Don't let anyone know about my time at the academy!"

"Congratulations on your engagement!"

"Thank you."

Every guest, including the nobles and Ivy's academy friends, shakes hands with Princess Ivy and Prince Ryan to offer their congratulations.

15 minutes pass, and it seems the guests have left the palace of Princess Ivy. Currently, only Princess Ivy, Prince Ryan, and many maids are starting to tidy up and clean the room.

"Darling, I'll excuse myself to my room now,"

Princess Ivy requests permission from Prince Ryan, who is currently in front of her.

"Alright, Darling, I'd like to go somewhere too," Prince Ryan responds while smiling.

Afterward, Princess Ivy enters a special room that is her private chamber. Instantly, her incredibly beautiful and graceful expression changes significantly.

"Welcome, Ivy-sama,"

A woman who appears to be holding a report greets Princess Ivy while bowing her head. She has a fairly attractive appearance, with wavy shoulder-length hair, blue eyes, and beautifully shaped lips.

She is Ellie, Princess Ivy's secretary.

Ivy's expression appears to be smiling widely, akin to a psychopath who has achieved her goal. She then sits on a throne-like chair in the room.

"Congratulations on your engagement, Ivy-sama."

"No, hahaha, it seems my plan to gain Duke Joseph's support is going very smoothly."

"Yes, all your plans will proceed as you hope, Ivy-sama."

"Well then... What is this?"

Princess Ivy is extremely surprised because she senses very powerful magic from afar. Princess Ivy can sense strong magic from a great distance, although this ability is only useful in certain situations.

"What's wrong, Ivy-sama?"

Ellie asks with both curiosity and concern, as she observes Princess Ivy's shocked expression.

Not long after, three individuals emerge from the shadows, who are Princess Ivy's guards.

"We're going to the rooftop now. Prepare your report on the rooftop because we will discuss it there," Ivy says rather urgently.

Ivy then immediately walks out of the room.