143 – The Imperial Ball – (4)

“That’s why.”

How long has it been since you were trapped in the storm of the Riantour sisters?

After the commotion was over, Seira asked as she was hugging me.

By the way, Millia was in the middle of wiping out the knights over there, as if she was upset at the end of the scuffle. The last time at the barracks of the Guard, as well as here, the lower ranks had a lot of trouble.

“Why is Fried-kun here?”

“Are you talking about me? As you can see, isn’t it guarding the banquet hall?”

“No, no matter how you think about it, it’s strange. Like a ball, isn’t it an event that, if you’re Fried-kun, is going crazy?”

“What do you see me as?”

Seira narrowed her eyes at my words.

“Isn’t Her Majesty the Empress in the banquet hall?”

“Isn’t that right?”

“Then there is no reason for Fried-kun to leave. Rather, it’s a board where you have to cling to your side and chat.”

“It’s a joke. It is an escort to the end.”

After correcting it, Seira puffed out her cheeks in displeasure.

Actually, her question is valid. It’s like a guy whose name is Guardian Guard is just a gatekeeper in front of the banquet hall.

But what can I do? She said it was for the authority of the imperial family, but I had to give it up for a day or so.

“It’s strange. There must be something.”

Seira continued to mutter and stare into my eyes, but I didn’t say anything.

Finally, as if she gave up, she got off my lap and took a few steps behind her.

But Seira couldn’t stand it and started talking to me again.

“Ah, Mr. Fried.”

“Yes.”

“See over there?”

Seira pointed at a point across the banquet hall with her mischievous eyes.

As she turned her gaze there, there was a feast of carriages coming in line.

It looks classy even if you look at it. It seemed to be the carriage of an aristocratic family attending a ball.

“Isn’t that just a wagon?”

“Yes. Just wagon I mean, look at that coat of arms on the carriage.”

“Huh?”

As Seira said, I narrowed my forehead and looked at the sentence. A shield-shaped crest with a snake drawn on it caught my eye.

I think I’ve seen her somewhere, but I’m not sure.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You don’t know what? It’s the coat of arms of the Duke of Rustitel.”

“Rustitzel…… ?”

“One of the duchy of the empire. From what I’ve heard, it sounds like they’re hoarding a lot of money these days.”

“Hmm.”

“Wouldn’t I become rich if I caught and ate that young food?”

Seira muttered such nonsense before placing her hand on my shoulder.

“By the way, Mr. Fried. According to rumors, the eldest son over there is quite troubled.”

“Problem…… You mean?”

“Yes. For example… ….”

Before Seira could finish her words, the carriage door opened and a black-haired man with his head up stepped out. He seemed to have just turned 20 at most, and a single white flower was in the pocket of his suit.

I opened my eyes wide as I watched closely.

It was because the man’s dark blue eyes overflowed with indescribable frivolity.

What was even more shocking was that more than ten maids followed him. Even the ladies-in-waiting all had their hair bowed deeply and were holding a handkerchief.

“I can’t believe that guy… ….”

“Yes. That fledgling is Rusticel’s legitimate son, Darren Rusticel.”

Darren Ruth Titzel looked at the banquet hall, brushed his hair, and smiled mischievously.

Then he looked back and muttered something, and at his words, one of the maids brought out a towel.

What followed was even more spectacle, as Darren pulled her handmaid by the waist and began to massage her buttocks. And that too, in the middle of the imperial palace, where countless gazes gather.

“That’s not a f*cking idiot.”

“Yes. It is said that if there is Fried-kun in the capital, there is Darren outside.”

“… ….”

When I shot Seira, she smiled and raised her hands.

No matter how true it may be, it is extremely undesirable to be scolded for something you have never done.

“So what about that bastard? Are you really targeting him?”

“Are you crazy? I am also a woman who has eyes for men. Just because she’s in a hurry doesn’t mean she can’t do anything about it.”

Seira shuddered at her joke, and then she suddenly spoke her serious expression.

“Surprisingly, that little boy is Her Majesty’s most likely marriage partner. That’s what I want to say.”

“…… What the f*ck?”

A reflexive curse came out.

She quickly turned her head to see Darren Ruth Titzel. Still like King Uija, he leads dozens of ladies-in-waiting and walks to the banquet hall.

That son of a b*tch is courting Lynchia?

“No, no, no matter how much Lyncia did to that bastard… ….”

“Yes. I can’t give you my heart But what can I do? In a situation where the imperial family is unable to fulfill its duties, like now, it needs a strong shield, right? And Rusticel has the power to provide this.”

“… ….”

I saw the wagon that Darren was riding in.

The symbol of the Rusticel family, a shield with a snake on it.

What the imperial family needs is also a strong shield.

In addition, individuals cannot use their strength in this macroscopic current. Even if you are the emperor.

“Damn it.”

A strange feeling of uneasiness swept over his whole body.

Saira added as if driving a wedge into her teeth.

“By the way, there are several other dukes, Youngshik, who are around the same age as His Majesty. From what I’ve met in person, all of these guys are bad, if not to the extent of Rustichel. What…… Even if the quality is good, it must be rather bad news for Fried.”

“… ….”

Now that I’ve heard this far, I can’t stay still.

I just turned my back.

“Where are you going? Mr. Fried?”

I heard Seira’s playful voice, but she ignored it.

I kept walking.

The destination was, of course, the banquet hall.

*

Colorful lighting.

Likewise, nobles dressed in fancy clothes.

A seat of honor that only the best among them can sit on.

Sitting on top of it, Lynxia Err let out a small sigh of hers, unnoticed by those around her.

“Your Majesty. Seeing how strong she was…….”

“Do you remember? This is Count Nineheart, who attended the banquet two years ago. Your Majesty’s beauty is increasing day by day…….”

“Looking at His Majesty’s majestic figure, the future of the great empire…….”

Beside her, high-ranking aristocrats were bowing down and expressing courtesy, but Lynxia only responded with a greeting.

“Huh.”

It’s this guy and that guy, and he won’t leave it alone.

Lynxia, in her anger, dipped the meat with a fork and brought it to her mouth.

After putting her food in her mouth and mumbling for a long time, Lynxia became strangely shy. It was because dozens of hundreds of eyes were watching her as she chewed the meat.

She lowered her head slyly, her face reddening.

“…… It’s the worst.”

When did you feel this way again?

Thinking back, it was also that time. When attending a meeting of the Senate and facing a sharp gaze.

As Lynxia thought about that, her hands trembled.

“Freed.”

Called his name.

During the Senate Council, the Director General, and the Duke’s Meeting, in the end, he was able to stand upright because of Fried.

Rentia’s current Lyncia went beyond trusting Freed, and was dependent on him to a degree close to a kind of obsession.

I muttered in a low voice that someone would listen to me in the end.

“I miss you.”

That moment.

A shadow fell in front of Lynthia.

“…… Huh?”

Lin Xia raised her head, and there stood a well-dressed handsome boy with a bright smile on his eyes.

He put his hand to his chest and bent his back.

Then he opened his mouth. A beautiful voice echoed through the banquet hall.

“Meet the rightful Emperor of the Millennium Empire. Nice to see you. I am Darren of the Imperial Shield, Duke of Rusticel.”

“…… Ah.”

Only then did she come to her senses, and Lin Xia hurriedly raised her face.

Then she cleared her throat, and then she gave out a voice.

“Oh, welcome. Rusticel English. Is the lord in good health?”

“Yes. All thanks to the eternal blessings of the Empire.”

With that, Darren Ruth Titzel pulled out an embroidered handkerchief from his breast pocket and held it out.

“Would you like to write?”

At first, she tilted her head, not knowing what she was talking about, but Lin Xia soon grasped his intentions.

He hurriedly stuffed the meat in, leaving his mouth full of sauce.

“Oh no, that’s…… !”

Lin Xia hurriedly took her handkerchief and wiped her mouth.

And then, raising her face flushed with shame, Ruth Titzel knelt down to Lynxia with that polite smile on her face.

“Your Majesty, may I sit next to you?”

“…… Mmm.”

At those words, Lynthia pondered for a while and looked around, and at the right time, the administrators of the empire, including the magistrate Coreld, met eyes.

And their reactions all ended in nodding their heads vigorously.

In the end, Lyncia nodded.

“…… Uh, do that.”

“Thank you for your last name.”

Darren was so happy for Lyncia’s words that he always had a wide smile on his face.

*

I strode across the garden.

From noble mtl dot com

“I’m going crazy.”

As I headed toward the main entrance of the banquet hall, I turned around and walked around the building.

As soon as I heard Seira’s story, I excitedly set out for the banquet hall, but I couldn’t bear to go inside.

No matter how much Darren is the human scum of the world, there was nothing more stupid than me breaking into the banquet hall.

Hasn’t Korald been so trustworthy? Besides, I wasn’t so stupid that I couldn’t calculate a profit or loss.

“Haaa.”

But.

I couldn’t help it that I couldn’t understand it emotionally even if I judged it rationally.

In the end, I crouched down against the banquet hall wall. He groaned softly while holding his head.

“What am I doing, what the hell?”

As soon as I heard about Lynthia’s marriage from Korold, it felt like my brain cells stiffened.

Normal accidents do not return.

It was pitiful to see myself trembling over such a fact after I had grown old.

In the end, I couldn’t figure out what I wanted.

“… ….”

Now that it’s like this, it’s better to just turn off your attention and focus on your work.

Having judged that, I walked aimlessly with the purpose of patrolling.

In the meantime, thanks to the long line of hills, I found a window nestled at a slightly lower height.

You should be able to look inside the banquet hall through that window.

“Mmm.”

I had no intention of taking a peek. Because I wasn’t going to care what happened in the banquet hall.

But contrary to my promise, my steps naturally headed toward the window.

The moment he reluctantly walks up to the window and puts his foot on his chin.

“… ….”

The familiar back of the head had its face buried in the window between the pillars.

The guy in the official military uniform seemed to be peeping inside the banquet hall, but he was so focused he didn’t even notice that I was right next to him.

“This is absurd.”

Your discipline is completely gone.

I grabbed the nape of the back of his head as it was.

“Yaya. Are you negligent?”

“Geugegegeew!”

A small-sized soldier who was dragged out and hung in front of me.

Of course it was Korra.

As soon as she was spotted by me, she screamed in embarrassment as she hid her face.

“My, put it down! Your feet can’t touch the ground!”

“What kind of puppy are you?”

Corra immediately tried to run away as he calmly landed on the ground.

Of course, the little scruff of her neck was caught in my hand once more, and this time it hung like a ripe fruit, and her shoulders trembled and tears began to flow.

“Huh, huh. Garbage…… !”

“… ….”

I felt sorry for nothing, so I put it down on the ground and asked what was going on.

“What are you doing here again? Shouldn’t we be on patrol?”

“…… That, that’s how it is.”

Corra answered in a hushed, crawling voice.

“Well, I’m just curious. It’s a party that you can only see once in your life…… It’s also a scene I’ve seen a lot in books since I was young…… I want to take a look at how it feels…….”

The last sentence was barely audible, drowned out by Cora’s panting breath.

Cora finished her vomit and bowed her head.

Well, Cora, if she was a woman of her age, she might have a crush on her husband for things like that. It might not be the case for a girl from a noble family like Millia, but from the point of view of Cora, a commoner, the Imperial Ball would be a completely different world.

I sorted out her words.

“To summarize…… , You mean she simply wanted to see the ball?”

“…… That’s right. And now it’s not my working hours, it’s not my work hours. So, as for the wage cut…….”

“I don’t really intend to do that.”

It’s Yuriad who decides that in the first place.

I looked at Cora, crossing her arms.

Cora, who was saddened by her low self-esteem, was ready to ram her head into the ground, as if she was afraid that an evil spirit would fall on her.

After thinking for a while, I opened my mouth.

“Hey.”

“I’m sorry!”

“No, I don’t mean to blame you.”

I tugged at Cora by her ponytail helm.

With a cheerful thump, Cora’s helmet came off. Then her brown hair flowed down to her shoulders.

“You said you were curious about the prom, right?”

“Yeah, by the way…… ?”

“Then would you like to go in?”

I pointed to the banquet hall in the back with my thumb.

“…… Yes?”

Cora tilted her head with a bewildered sound, but then she understood what I was saying and opened her eyes.

“What, what? Are you going to go in there?”

“Yes. If you roughly disguise yourself as a noble from the outskirts, no one will recognize you.”

“Ha, but it’s a serious crime for a commoner to enter a place like that. If you happen to hear…….”

“At that time, I will be responsible for everything. You do not have to worry.”

Well, on the day you get caught, you just need to show off the epaulet of the national guard like a secret agent.

Lyncia will solve it somehow.

“Yeah, but… ….”

“It’s frustrating, really. Just follow me.”

I grabbed Cora by the arm as she squirmed.

He screamed and twisted his body, but he didn’t have the strength to break away from my brutal grip.

“Me, me! My heart is still ready!”

“You go in and do such useless things.”

I replied curtly and dragged Cora along.

Capture her heart at the same time.

Yes. Right now, I’m just tuning in to Korra’s rhythm.

It was absolutely not like he cared about Lyncia or anything like that.

So no matter what she does, she never gets involved.

Because that was the promise I made with Korold.

“I don’t get involved, …… Maybe.”

I reflected once more.