What? I Actually Reincarnated As Stepping Stone In Another World?

Unfortunately, before she could speak further, the throne room door swung open, and the guards stepped forward, respectfully announcing, "The Crown Princess of the Balka Empire, Princess Lucia, has entered the throne room!"

Soon, an extraordinarily beautiful girl with blonde hair in a side bun gracefully glided down the red carpet toward the throne room.

The nobles in attendance couldn't help but be captivated by her stunning beauty, immediately bowing their heads in deep respect as she passed.

"Greetings, Princess Lucia." Everyone saluted the girl simultaneously.

Hearing the reverent greetings from the Luvic nobles, Lucia smiled radiantly, pausing to acknowledge them with a charming nod.

With a bright expression on her face, she then proceeded back toward the throne.

Arthur, on the other hand, somehow noticed that Lucia hadn't been present earlier and had only arrived now.

With a slight nod and a smile on his handsome face, he observed the girl.

"This girl has truly blossomed into a stunning beauty." He complimented Lucia warmly, feeling delighted to see the transformation of the little girl he once knew.

Beside Arthur, Vivian also smiled, seeing her niece now a breathtaking beauty like her sister-in-law.

Although Vivian was against the engagement between Lucia and her beloved son, her reservations were based on the belief that her brother must be hiding something regarding this sudden engagement.

Thus, her disapproval did not stem from any hatred towards Lucia or a feeling that she didn't deserve her son.

Soon after, Lucia finally arrived in front of the throne and bowed her head respectfully to Emperor Alex.

"Greetings, father." She elegantly lifted the corners of her dress and saluted Emperor Alex, a beautiful smile adorning her lips. 𝚋𝚎ｄｎｏｖ𝚎𝚕．𝚌ｏｍ

Emperor Alex returned the smile and nodded in response.

"Welcome, my daughter." His greeting was filled with warmth and affection.

Having greeted her father, Lucia's eyes shifted to Arthur, and sheer delight illuminated her face.

"Young Master Arthur, we meet again." With a gentle smile, she inclined her head to greet Arthur, who was seated close to the throne.

In response, Arthur nodded and returned the greeting.

"It's been a long time, Princess Lucia," he replied formally and politely, adhering to the appropriate decorum for such a formal meeting.

Although they were familiar with each other, it had been ten years since they last met, so there was still a hint of awkwardness for Arthur.

Lucia chuckled, covering her small mouth in amusement at Arthur's formality.

However, Arthur was not embarrassed and responded with a casual expression, taking Lucia's joke lightly.

Later, Lucia turned her gaze to Vivian, offering a gentle salute to her aunt.

"Aunt Vivian, I'm glad you came to the palace," she said, greeting Vivian with respect and a warm smile.

"Indeed, I didn't expect my brother's little daughter to grow into such a beautiful and charming young woman," Vivian giggled, feeling more at ease now.

In the presence of her beautiful niece, Vivian managed to temporarily suppress her opposition to the engagement between Lucia and her beloved son.

She didn't want Lucia to misconstrue her disapproval of the engagement as a personal dislike of her.

After a few more greetings and salutations, Lucia ascended the stairs and took a seat next to her father, Emperor Balka, at a special place designated for a crown prince or princess to sit.

Emperor Alex, well aware that his younger sister would keep her disapproval unvoiced in front of Lucia, seized the moment to press on.

"As I stated earlier, my daughter will be betrothed to Arthur Asvold, the son of the Asvold family, and the official engagement banquet will take place in two days!" His commanding voice resounded through the living room, reaching the ears of all the Luvic nobles present and prompting them to bow their heads respectfully.

"Congratulations on the engagement of Princess Lucia and Young Lord Arthur Asvold!" The room erupted with enthusiastic congratulations, echoing through the throne room.

However, at the other end of the throne room, two people refrained from joining in the congratulatory salute: Vion and Celine.

Both remained silent, carrying a weight of emotions that set them apart from the others.

For Vion, this news was heartbreaking, especially since she had just fallen in love with Arthur, viewing him as a prince from a fairy tale.

His engagement announcement struck her deeply.

Celine, on the other hand, felt an inexplicable emptiness, grappling with a strange and unfamiliar feeling.

Seeing Arthur had evoked a sense of familiarity, akin to meeting her savior when she was a child.

Now, the announcement added to the complexity of her emotions, leaving her puzzled and conflicted.

"I hope all of you will be able to attend their engagement party." Emperor Alex looked back at the gathering, offering his parting words before mysteriously vanishing.

This departure left several individuals, including Arthur himself, lost in their own complicated thoughts and expressions.

...

"It's truly frustrating to be constantly denied," Arthur muttered inside his specially prepared room, gazing at the mirror with an annoyed expression.

Once again, he had tasted defeat in his encounters with Emperor Alex, causing him to question his own life for the first time.

"This man is incredibly difficult to contend with, and he has indirectly put pressure on me multiple times." Arthur sighed helplessly, feeling the weight of these challenges.

Despite his frustration, Arthur recognized that all of this was not merely due to talent but also derived from Emperor Alex's vast experience.

Take, for example, Emperor Alex, who traversed an incredibly perilous path in life to reach his current position.

One can only imagine the countless times his life and well-being were at risk, yet his ingenuity and talent allowed him to not only survive but ascend to the throne as an Emperor.

Naturally, his thoughts and plans were as vast and enigmatic as the ocean, leaving even Arthur struggling to fathom them.

The contrast between their life experiences was vast and challenging to equalize.

"Still, I am the one who understands the flow of this world, even if it may no longer be entirely accurate. I should be able to overcome him." Arthur's gaze sharpened once more, and a sense of calm washed over him.

It was still early in the game, and the ultimate winners and losers were yet to be determined.

Lost in contemplation, a faint light appeared on his shoulder, and Arthasia reappeared with a puzzled expression, looking at him.

"Master, is something troubling you?" Her concern and curiosity were evident on her pretty little face.

Hearing her question, Arthur strolled toward his bed and casually took a seat.

"It's okay, Arthasia." Arthur smiled gently, caressing her small head with his index finger.

"There is nothing to worry about," he reassured Arthasia gently.

Although Arthasia sensed that her master might be concealing something, she wisely refrained from probing further and simply nodded.

"Well, if you encounter any problems, please let me know, master!" She clenched her small palms in excitement.

Arthur chuckled, finding it amusing to converse with Arthasia.

"Sure, I'll rely on you in the future," Arthur playfully added.

Suddenly, as if recalling something, he couldn't resist asking curiously, "By the way, Arthasia, there's something I'd like to inquire about."

"What is it, master?" Arthasia tilted her head, looking at Arthur with curiosity.

"Why do I rarely see you anymore, Arthasia?" Arthur gazed deeply at Arthasia, his worries evident.

Ever since Arthasia had gifted him with such generosity, he noticed a decrease in her appearances, which left him feeling a little concerned that something might have happened to her.

Unable to contain his hesitance, he felt compelled to ask for an explanation.

Upon hearing Arthur's question, Arthasia was slightly taken aback, but then she nodded in understanding.

"Oh, if you're worried about that, please don't be, sir!" She offered a small smile before proceeding to explain.

"Since I gave you the gifts, the system room was automatically upgraded, and there are numerous tasks I must attend to, hence my reduced presence." Arthasia sighed helplessly after her explanation.

This made Arthasia quite troubled, as she had many tasks to do and clean up.

However, she also saw the positive side, knowing that this upgrade would bring numerous benefits to her master in the future.

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief, not pressing for further questions.

As long as Arthasia was fine, he felt at ease.

"Well, if you need anything, just let me know, okay?" Arthur said this with an excited smile.

Arthasia nodded gently, appearing a bit silly, and smiled as she realized she had heard this sentence somewhere before.

Soon, the two resumed their conversation casually, with Arthur playfully teasing Arthasia.

Unexpectedly, while they were joking around, a surprising knock echoed outside Arthur's door.

"Knock!"

Arthur was taken aback, putting a pause on the playful banter as he turned his curious gaze toward the door.

"Who is it?" he asked hesitantly, until a very familiar voice spoke from behind the door.

"Arthur, may I come in and see you?"