novelraw Chapter 346: Playmates - Nangharang
Chapter 346: Playmates - Nangharang
Rev followed Eric across the palace grounds.
When there was no formal reception, Rev assumed it would take some time to arrange an audience with the king.
However, either due to some effort on Eric’s part or sheer luck, the date was set almost immediately. Nevertheless, only a limited number of attendants were allowed, and as the Captain of the Guard, Rev was the sole companion permitted.
[Achievement: First Entrance to the Royal Palace - Become Stronger in the Palace.]
The prince’s footsteps echoed sharply against the floor, while Rev focused intently on his role as a bodyguard. The Offrontis Royal Palace was unlike any other palace he had seen, and the unfamiliar structure demanded his full attention.
To start, the palace wasn’t particularly tall, even though height in royal architecture often symbolized the monarch’s authority.
At most, there were a few three-story pavilions. Instead of reaching for the sky, the palace sprawled outward extensively. Traversing from one end to the other could take half a day on foot.
Furthermore, the palace was densely packed with square rooms. The hallways were far more numerous, so much so that very few rooms shared walls.
The arrangement resembled a chessboard.
Some rooms were large enough to house an entire battalion, while others were so small that a single person could barely fit inside. Most doors were sliding panels, and the intersecting hallways, paired with rooms of varying sizes, created a labyrinthine layout that could easily induce dizziness.
Of course, that dizziness was only felt by newcomers unfamiliar with the palace.
Objectively, the Offrontis Royal Palace struck a harmonious balance between openness and enclosure.
Many of the square spaces that should have been rooms were instead left open, allowing the sky above or the lower floors below to be visible.
The corridor Rev was passing through was one such area.
A moment ago, it had been a closed hallway, but it had now transformed into a gallery with railings.
Below, a beautifully landscaped garden spread out, a delightful sight for any passerby.
A garden beneath the main floor—how unusual.
This architectural marvel was possible because the Offrontis Royal Palace was elevated. Not in the sense that it was floating, of course!
Rather, the first floor had few walls and many pillars, creating the illusion that the palace hovered above the ground.
It was likely designed this way due to the climate—elevating the structure helped combat the dampness of the soil.
The result was that the ground level, the so-called “zero floor,” was essentially an open space.
Not quite a basement, yet not considered the first floor of the palace either.
Locally, it was called Nangharang.
The term nang had two meanings. It could refer to a langrang—servants’ quarters—or to an indoor corridor.
The term nangharang combined these meanings, evolving into a unique word in Offrontis.
It literally meant “corridor beneath a corridor,” but it also carried connotations of being a servants’ domain. Rev frowned at the arrogance embedded in the term.
The room Rev had been assigned was on the first floor and even had a terrace overlooking the nangharang. The entire palace was designed so that the nangharang was visible from the rooms and hallways above.
What bothered Rev most was that he could see the maids, servants, and soldiers bustling about below.
Not only could their work, chatter, and daily lives be observed, but the distance was such that one could issue commands with a raised voice.
"You there! Stop idling and bring me a glass of water!"
The distance was neither too far nor too close—just enough to require those below to crane their necks while granting those above a voyeuristic sense of superiority and control.
Rev, realizing the dynamics at play, chose not to summon servants but instead went downstairs himself to fetch a towel or similar items, observing the manners expected of a commoner.
No other kingdom treated commoners in such a degrading way.
The soldiers and maids living below were perplexed but begrudgingly smiled at Rev’s behavior.
They were too accustomed to the structural subjugation inherent in the Offrontis Royal Palace.
It was then that a servant’s loud voice shattered Rev’s musings.
“From the Kingdom of Conrad, Prince Eric de Yeriel, the third in line to the throne, has arrived!”
After what felt like an eternity of walking, they finally reached their destination.
The Isadora family’s quarters were located in the southwestern part of the palace, far from the guest accommodations.
Technically, a short carriage ride through the nangharang could have solved the issue, but Prince Eric insisted on walking.
He was clearly conscious of how others perceived him, regardless of whether they noticed or not.
The door opened.
With a soft creak, the massive sliding door glided open, almost as if enchanted, allowing Eric and Rev to step inside before closing silently behind them.
[Achievement: Meet the King 5/6.]
One of the goals of their visit to the Aisel Kingdom was now complete. Rev, crediting Lean’s assistance for the ease of success, scanned his surroundings.
The king sat on the throne, with the queen seated gracefully half a step below him.
In addition to them, the royal family members—including Prince Vivian de Isadora, Lady Aria Isadora, and Prince Oscar de Isadora—were all present. The star of today’s event, Princess Erica, sat demurely, awaiting the man who would become her husband. Eric hesitated mid-step.
Regardless of what Eric felt for her, it was of no concern to Rev, who, having achieved his objective, shifted his focus to observing other details.
The arrangement of the attendees was peculiar. The crimson wooden throne resembled a multi-tiered platform or a grand staircase.
King Alexander de Isadora sat at the highest point, while other members of the royal family were arranged below him, with half or full steps of separation indicating their rank and importance.
Rev spotted a surprising figure among them.
Gilbert Forte—the Swordmaster’s son and infamous scoundrel of the Bellita Kingdom—was present, looking uncharacteristically subdued.
“Oh, right. He sought asylum with Lady Iina Isadora.”
Lean had mentioned that Gilbert hadn’t intervened when Princess Chloe kissed him. Not that it mattered in the grand scheme.
However, if Gilbert had been sent to the central church, it could have caused problems for the next iteration of Lena.
Hence, Lean had subtly intervened. By informing his cousin Prince Vivian beforehand, Chloe was made to shoulder the blame, enabling Gilbert to be recognized as a victim and seek asylum here.
Yet despite this, Gilbert looked gaunt. Perhaps even he, a man devoid of scruples, was experiencing some form of guilt.
Rev was about to dismiss the thought when...
“Lena!”
“Leo!”
At the Bakery
Clouds of flour puffed into the air, with Lena’s entire body covered in dough. The scent of mold from the cramped room lingered.
The image of her back, standing against the sunset, staring blankly at the central church, still remained vivid.
Rev had never seen Gilbert Forte in person before.
Up until now, he had only seen the man through Lean’s eyes and remembered him from those memories.
Because of that, he had momentarily forgotten—Just how much he despised him.
A surge of raw, unresolved emotion boiled up inside him.
"Revenge, just once. Yes, I’ve already exacted revenge on him."
"But it wasn’t me who did it."
Rev gritted his teeth, mentally tearing Gilbert Forte apart. In his imagination, he grabbed the man’s head, forcing both hands into his mouth and ripping his jaw apart.
But even that wasn’t enough to satisfy him.
Lean had killed him with such cold detachment. If it had been Rev—if he had been the one…
Rev turned his head away.
If he kept looking, he might just lose control and act on his feelings.
His gaze shifted, landing on the person sitting next to Gilbert: Princess Iina Isadora, the king’s sister and Gilbert’s mother.
Rev had seen her before—a rare sight, a woman wearing glasses.
Yet, despite the glasses, she still squinted, her expression dry and parched… as she stared at him.
Unconsciously, Rev glanced behind him.
“?”
There was no one there.
It seemed that the nearsighted woman had confused him with Prince Eric. Then, suddenly, a realization struck him.
"That woman’s eye color… I’ve seen it somewhere before."
A dry, autumn-leaf brown, tinged with a murky gray. As he focused on her eyes, he noticed speckled bubbles forming in her irises, like a storm brewing in her gaze.
“Pardon the interruption, Prince Eric, but shouldn’t you introduce your companion?”
Lost in his thoughts, Rev snapped back to reality as he felt the weight of everyone’s attention shift to him.
How long had he been lost in his thoughts?
By now, Prince Eric was seated in front of Princess Erica de Isadora, conversing warmly with her mother, Aria Isadora, the king’s consort.
Rev had completely missed whatever had transpired in between. And the one who had disrupted the moment by drawing attention to him was none other than Prince Vivian de Isadora.
Vivian’s gaze was locked on Rev, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
Finally, Eric introduced him.
“I’ve been careless. This is Sir Rev. He has safely escorted me here.”
“Yes, I was already informed. In fact, my cousin Lean de Yeriel contacted me about him. Father, this is the very knight I mentioned before.”
“Hmm… but he looks far too young.”
The king and Prince Vivian showed little interest in Eric, despite this being the first formal meeting between the groom-to-be and the bride’s family.
But their indifference was understandable—the factions within the Isadora royal family were already sharply divided.
The faction led by Consort Aria Isadora and Prince Oscar de Isadora, aligned with the Kyrgyz ducal house, was seen as a malignant force within the Isadora family, one to be excluded at all costs. Princess Erica, in turn, was treated as little more than a pawn of that faction, a looming shadow over the royal family.
The Kyrgyz house had used her to extend an offer of alliance to the Yeriel royal family.
For the Isadora royal family, which had maintained friendly relations with Yeriel by sending Princess Ainass (Lean and Lerialia’s mother) into marriage, this was an unwelcome and shocking turn of events.
Especially now, on the brink of war with the Bellita Kingdom. Worse yet, the Yeriel family seemed inclined to accept the overtures.
And so, the one sent as a match was Eric de Yeriel.
It was no wonder he was not received warmly.
The only relief was that the first heir, Crown Prince Lean, had not come himself. Yet even this sparked the king’s anxiety—that the incident might hinder Vivian’s chances at succession.
The only silver lining was that Lean de Yeriel had been actively maintaining correspondence with Prince Vivian, strengthening their relationship.
"To think that Lean would send such a scrawny knight… Should I reach out to my youngest sister to ask what her son is planning?"
King Alexander grumbled internally, his thoughts drifting to his sister Ainass de Yeriel, who had married long ago. Meanwhile, Prince Vivian, brimming with confidence, spoke cheerfully.
“My cousin warned me not to judge this knight by appearances. Surprisingly, he is the only one capable of standing against Count Herman Forte.”
This was the man who had foreseen the strange actions of Princess Chloe de Tatalia and had informed them in advance.
Prince Vivian trusted Lean implicitly—even if Lean claimed to turn rust into gold coins, he would believe it.
Vivian declared, “This knight will join the war and support me.”
At the mention of her husband’s name, Princess Iina Isadora looked at Rev with even more desperate eyes.
Meanwhile, Prince Eric seemed completely entranced by Princess Erica, oblivious to everything else.
Rev, overwhelmed by the torrent of information, felt a fleeting sense of dizziness.
A faint, very faint thread of fate seemed to tug at him, as though demanding something from him—Something that contradicted his belief that his task here was already done.
Rev realized it, faintly but undeniably.