Chapter 420: Distinguished Guests (1)

"In that case, I’ll return to my children, Your Highness," Gustav said with a small smile.

"Very well. And thank you, Marquis Gustav." Elina returned his smile as she placed the token in her pocket.

With that token, the Montclair family officially became her supporters.

It was truly wonderful and exciting news. She was now one step ahead of her siblings in the battle for the throne.

"You’re welcome."

After exchanging a few more words with Elina and Rafine, Gustav turned around and walked away.

Watching him leave, Rafine looked at Elina with a slight smile.

"Elina, your luck is incredible. Even Marquis Gustav gave you his family token directly. It looks like you’ll win the battle for the throne."

Although her voice sounded calm, there was unmistakable excitement in it.

If Elina won the battle for the throne, it would greatly benefit the Austin family.

After all, in this succession struggle, the four dukes had chosen different candidates.

For whoever emerged victorious, their family would stand close to the new ruler and gain the power to pressure other noble families.

The Austin family had a long-standing conflict with the Malvain family.

However, because His Majesty the Emperor forbade open conflict and civil war, they had no choice but to obey.

If Elina won, the restriction could be formally lifted. And with palace backing, the Austin family could pressure the Malvain family and demand compensation for past incidents.

Upon hearing the praise, Elina did not show the arrogance or pride that others might.

She remained calm and relaxed, as if Gustav’s support did not bring her much joy at all.

"Thank you for the praise. But we must not be arrogant just yet. My brothers are not fools. They must have also gained support from other Marquis families," she said calmly.

Her gaze shifted to Aldric, Cedric, and Adalen in the distance. They were surrounded by the heads of noble families from various ranks.

Elina could even see several Marquises among them.

Because of that, she couldn’t let her guard down, especially since her brother had always warned her about it.

Rafine admired her even more. "You’re right, Elina. I’m sorry."

"It’s okay." Elina waved her right hand. "Then, let’s also greet the guests from outside the region. Establishing good relations with them will greatly benefit me in the battle for the throne."

Rafine did not refuse. A moment later, the two of them walked toward the guests from outside the region who were attending the party.

***

"Gustav has supported Elina? Damn..."

On the second floor of the hall, Roswell watched Gustav leave Elina’s side with a look of hatred.

According to the plan, the token should have fallen into the hands of his nephew, Cedric.

But because of his sister’s stupidity, the token had instead gone to Elina.

It was the same as handing their opponent a piece of gold they had been guarding for free.

Although Roswell had tried to let it go, seeing Gustav give the token to Elina with his own eyes still stung.

He quickly calmed himself and whispered,

’It’s fine. Losing one Marquis won’t make Cedric lose the battle for the throne. There are still other opportunities.’

His eyes flashed with a chilling coldness. His gaze locked onto a young woman with an indifferent expression, surrounded by young nobles.

She was none other than Margaretta Ashvale—the illegitimate daughter of the Ashvale Duke family.

"Prime Minister, sorry to bother you," a voice came from behind. "His Majesty the Emperor requests your presence immediately to begin the event."

Roswell turned around and saw a servant bowing toward him.

"Alright. Let’s go."

***

"Father, where have you been?" A middle-aged man looked at Gustav with concern.

Two women beside him, both in their thirties, shared the same worried expression.

"I just met Eliza and Princess Elina," Gustav replied casually.

"Eliza and... Princess Elina?"

The three of them were surprised and exchanged glances.

"Where is Eliza, Father? I want to see her," one of the women said longingly.

They were Gustav’s children, which meant they were the siblings of Eliza’s late mother.

It had been a long time since they last saw the little girl, and they missed her dearly.

"Don’t worry about Eliza. The little girl is fine. You can see her later, but first, I need to tell you something important." Gustav’s expression turned serious.

The three of them immediately straightened up, waiting for their father’s next words.

"Just now, I gave the Montclair family token to Princess Elina. You know what that means, don’t you?"

The moment he said that, the three of them froze. Of course, they understood what he meant.

Giving the Montclair family token to Elina meant only one thing—they were supporting her in the battle for the throne.

However, a moment later, their expressions returned to calm. Their father was still alive and healthy. All family decisions were still in his hands.

And they always supported whatever decisions he made, whether they looked good or bad to others.

"Father, I will not oppose or criticize your decision. But can you tell us clearly why you chose to support her?"

The two women also looked at him curiously. To them, the other two candidates—Aldric and Cedric—seemed far more promising than Elina.

"Regarding that, there are actually many considerations," Gustav said, taking a deep breath. "But there is one thing that stands out. Compared to the other three candidates, I see that Princess Elina has a special aura the others do not. It’s the aura of a leader—like the Emperor."

His voice was deep and heavy, as if he were revealing something he had kept to himself for a long time.

As a former prime minister, his judgment was never wrong.

Not everyone possessed the aura of an emperor. Only the chosen ones had it—one of them was Ragan.

During the previous battle for the throne, he had made a bet with the former emperor.

At that time, the battle had reached its climax, leaving only Ragan and the first prince as the final contenders.

The former emperor bet that his first son would win. But Gustav didn’t agree. He chose Ragan and placed his bet on him.

In the end, he was completely right. Ragan won, and Gustav won the bet.

Even though he was getting older, his insight had not weakened—if anything, it had grown sharper.

His three children fell silent and gave a small nod, as if they finally understood what he meant.

"I understand, Father. We believe in you," the man said earnestly.

At that moment, a loud voice echoed from the front of the hall.

"The king of the Kingdom of Serothia is entering the hall!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately stopped their conversations.

They turned toward the source of the voice and saw a middle-aged man walking in, accompanied by three men in dark red armor at his sides.

The man looked handsome in his brown robe. He held the royal scepter in his right hand, and a golden crown adorned with three beautiful crystals rested on his head.

Elina stared at the king in astonishment.

"The King of Serothia came in person? How incredible," she murmured.