New Year’s Eve finally arrived. Snow continued to fall without any sign of stopping, making the sky above dark and cloudy.
However, the people of the capital city did not care at all. They were already accustomed to such conditions.
After all, it was winter. New Year’s Eve was usually marked by a quiet atmosphere outside.
Normally, people spent their time praying, relaxing at home, or doing various indoor activities.
The streets were supposed to be quiet, with only a few people around. But this time, a habit that had lasted for years had completely changed.
The usually silent capital city was now bustling with activity. Streetlights shone brightly, accompanied by rows of pine trees neatly arranged along the sidewalks.
Among the branches, colorful lights flashed in turn.
The view was so beautiful that it immediately caught everyone’s attention.
"Decorating with pine trees turns out to be this good. If I had known, I would have put some in my house," a man said in amazement.
The woman beside him, his wife, nodded with a smile.
"You’re right. How about we use them as decorations in our house next year?" she suggested.
"That’s a great idea!" The man’s eyes lit up as he nodded without hesitation.
And it wasn’t just them. Everyone in the city square, as well as at several places where Nolan had placed statues, shared the same thought.
At that moment, everyone—children and adults alike—gathered enthusiastically.
They eagerly awaited the New Year’s Eve festivities that Nolan had mentioned before.
"Wow! It’s really crowded!"
Near the crowd, Eliza stared in amazement at the scene before her.
Colorful lights decorated every pine tree, children ran around with bright smiles, and countless lively sights made Eliza even more excited.
Beside her, Seira giggled and affectionately ruffled Eliza’s hair.
"Do you like the view?"
Eliza turned to her enthusiastically. "I love it, Sister Seira! The crowd here is incredible. Last year’s New Year’s Eve wasn’t like this at all."
Thinking back, last New Year’s Eve had been very boring. At most, she had only shared dinner with her father and her other siblings.
"Pfft! Don’t worry—this is just the beginning. Later, I’ll show you something spectacular. Just wait," Seira said with a mysterious smile.
Eliza’s eyes sparkled. She didn’t know what Seira meant, but it was sure to be something amazing.
"Nolan, did you and Seira prepare that dragon statue?" Isabella asked hesitantly.
She stared at the enormous statue with awe and admiration. It looked like a real dragon, ready to destroy everything around it.
Nolan, carrying Eira in his arms, gave a small nod.
"Yes, it was Sister Seira and me. Do you think anyone else could have come up with such a brilliant idea?" He rolled his eyes.
"Master, when I grow up, can I be as big as that statue?" Eira asked, her eyes burning with excitement.
For some reason, just looking at the statue ignited a fierce fighting spirit within her.
She wanted to be as big as the dragon and become someone her master could be proud of.
Nolan chuckled and gently patted her head.
"Never mind being as big as that dragon—you’ll be as big as the imperial palace. Don’t worry, I guarantee it," he said confidently.
The dragon statue was modeled after the white dragon.
That dragon had left a deep impression on his mind, so he decided to sculpt the statue in its image.
"Woah! I can’t wait!" Eira exclaimed excitedly, clenching her small fists.
She could already imagine how amazing it would be.
"Well then, let’s go see them," Nolan said.
Seira, Isabella, and Eliza nodded slightly. Led by Nolan, they walked toward the crowd.
The people in the square quickly noticed their presence and hurriedly bowed their heads.
"Welcome, Prince Nolan and Princess Seira," they greeted respectfully.
Seira smiled and replied, "Thank you. Raise your heads."
They obeyed and were shocked to see Isabella and Eliza with them.
When they were about to bow again, Isabella raised her right hand.
"No need to be so formal. We came to enjoy New Year’s Eve, so just treat us like ordinary people," she said softly.
Her words touched many hearts. In the minds of some, members of the imperial family were arrogant, selfish, and hungry for respect.
However, Isabella’s humble attitude shattered that assumption.
If Nolan knew what they were thinking, he would surely burst out laughing.
Before being appointed as one of the emperor’s concubines, his mother had been an ordinary person.
Like him, she disliked excessive respect from others, including common people.
The crowd quickly made way for the four of them.
Ten soldiers in silver armor stood around the statue. Not far from them, three Great Mages stood guard, ready in case anything bad happened on this New Year’s Eve.
Of course, their deployment was not limited to the dragon statue in the square but extended to other locations where statues had been placed.
It could be said that the palace was being extremely cautious to ensure that no unexpected incidents occurred.
There was still an hour left before the new year arrived. During that time, Nolan, Seira, Isabella, and even Eliza interacted with the people.
Nolan and Seira did not forget their true goal—to restore public trust in the palace.
"Your Highness, I heard that you’re close to one of the Blue Moon Trading House executives. Is that true?" a young man with glasses asked curiously.
"Huh? How did you know?" Nolan asked, clearly surprised.
"Hehehe... I heard about your achievements in the eastern region, Your Highness. They say you helped the Austin family out of their predicament with the support of the Blue Moon Trading House. Since then, there have been many rumors about your relationship with one of their executives," he explained politely.
"Oh, I heard that too! You’re amazing, Your Highness! Being able to overcome the Austin family’s crisis really shows your capability," another person said admiringly.
The other young men nodded in agreement, looking at Nolan with appreciation.
Meanwhile, Nolan himself did not expect the rumors to have spread to the public.
’Did someone deliberately spread them? But who?’
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find an answer.
Even so, a few names came to mind as suspicious, and he planned to investigate them later.
Nolan took a deep breath and prepared to answer when a group of young women suddenly pushed the young men aside.
One of them grabbed Nolan’s hand tightly and said enthusiastically, "Your Highness, please take a picture with me!"
As soon as those words were spoken, the other women refused to be outdone.
"Your Highness, me too! Please take a photo with me!"
"Your Highness, you’re so handsome! Kyaa! I want to have your child!"
"Your Highness, I—"
They pushed and jostled each other, as if none of them wanted to lose.
Nolan: "..."