Episode 267 Banquet with the Princess (3)
“There’s no such thing, so don’t make strange noises around you.”
Her tone was rough, but she wasn’t Celestia, who was unaware of her intention to cover up the viscount’s faults.
When things didn’t go the way he intended, Eight let go of the river.
“Making a mistake with a guest is something a noble should be strictly wary of. Furthermore, the fact that something happened at such a large banquet would go a long way and even bring shame upon us, who can be called guests here.”
When he spoke in such a way that everyone would listen, the nobles around him took an interest in it.
Even so, Ray’s appearance is quite conspicuous.
He was handsome before, but now, six years later, his face is radiant.
In addition, the banquet is coming to an end, so it is quite quiet.
There was a commotion, but there was no reason not to pay attention.
The nobles gathered one by one at the sight that looked interesting.
“What is going on?”
“From what I’ve heard, it looks like the viscount did something disrespectful.”
“Tsk tsk. Mistakes at banquets are hard to erase. Being a viscount is going to be pretty difficult.”
Each of them exchanges stories and observes the situation interestingly.
Among them was Viscount Gade.
The viscount, who had seen the figure of the saint from a distance, was gradually approaching Ray.
However, when he heard voices saying, “It was the viscount’s fault,” and “Did the guest make a mistake?”, his expression hardened.
He thought of this banquet as a great opportunity, so he felt his heart sink.
He approached quickly and greeted Ray.
“Meet the saint. What are you doing? If the viscount is rude…”
When I asked cautiously, Ray waved his hand without thinking.
“I slept well and ate well, but what an excuse. It’s nothing.”
Eight interrupted the conversation.
“You said you were late for the banquet because you were in trouble. It can be said that it is the viscount’s fault that something happened to the guest and he did not take care of it.”
Viscount Gade glanced at him once, then shook his head.
‘It’s definitely our fault for not paying attention to the guests.’
Although the Count’s self-restraint is quite blunt, he is not in a position to argue.
Viscount Gade came out in a low profile.
“I’m sorry. Please tell me what it is.”
When the opponent came out like this, it became difficult for Ray to deny that it was nothing.
However, to tell the truth, I am worried about the aftermath of the lady-in-waiting who guided me.
With her self-made personality, there was no way she would leave the girl alone.
He decided to dramatize a little something that had happened the other day.
“I entered the annex by mistake.”
He tried to make excuses, but the viscount’s expression hardened even more.
Viscount Gade sent people to most of the buildings in the mansion to find Ray.
If there is anything left, an old annex suitable for a coachman to stay.
The viscount asked just in case.
“…Are you staying in the old annex?”
“It was very old. Somehow it was late at night and there was only that old place around.”
“Sorry. I should have added a guide station…”
“It’s done. It’s in the past, so don’t worry about it.”
Celestia, who had been quietly listening to their conversation from the side, looked at it unexpectedly.
‘It wasn’t intentionally late.’
It’s nice to see him smiling to be considerate of the viscount even though he’s been harmed.
It occurred to her that maybe she had been obsessed with preconceived notions since last night and hadn’t seen him properly.
As Celestia’s expression relaxed little by little, Eight became impatient.
‘A rat-like bastard.’
The plan to make the conflict between the nasty bastard and Viscount Gade come to naught.
If you touch it more than this, you may end up incurring Celestia’s hatred.
He knew when to back off.
As Eight left without saying anything, Viscount Gade changed the subject to change the mood.
“Anyway, a lot has changed in the past few years. At first, I almost didn’t even recognize it.”
“Because a lot has happened in the meantime.”
A lot happened.
He lost mana while leaving the kingdom, and studied and blended herbs himself to improve his medical skills.
After that, he received a request from the adventurer’s guild, revived his sense of battle, and even learned to speak under Aira.
If it didn’t change, that would be really weird.
Celestia, who had been still, said.
“I look much better than when I was wearing a mask. Why have you covered your face all this time?”
At her words, Ray grunted as he ate the food.
“Because of those who judge people by their appearance. If you put on a mask, you ignore it, and if you take it off, you become friendly as if you were like that. How do you see that in front of your eyes?”
“Sir Seongjae…”
Viscount Gade looked at the princess worriedly at Ray’s sharp remark.
Celestia’s face, which had a lot of stabbed corners in her heart, turned red.
“I think you also have a problem with not being polite to the person you are meeting for the first time.”
‘Besides, you’re a candidate for my partner. I have no choice but to be more sensitive than others.’
Celestia, swallowing the gossip in her heart, drank wine to see if her throat was burning.
For some reason, he seemed to be quite similar to Iriel, so Ray smiled.
“That’s right. I’m sorry about yesterday.”
When he apologized, Celestia also bowed her head.
“…I’m sorry too. It’s embarrassing as a member of the royal family to judge people only by their appearance.”
“In life, people can make a mistake or two.”
Now Celestia’s gaze at Ray was more relaxed than before.
As we talked, he didn’t seem like a villain, and above all, he didn’t show any intention to satisfy his power or possessive desire by looking at himself.
Also, if the other person speaks to you easily, you will also talk to him easily.
Conversation naturally took place comfortably.
It was a fresh shock for the princess, who had never met someone like him before.
Ray slowly got to the point.
“So why did the Viscount even check the village to find me?”
The thing to come has finally come.
Viscount Gade looked at Princess Celestia and lowered his head.
Celestia said calmly to him.
“To put it bluntly, it is to convey the marriage message ordered by His Majesty the King.”
“To whom?”
“…to you.”
At Celestia’s words, Ray jumped up.
“Are you saying we have to get married without the parties’ intentions?”
“I didn’t come here to hold a wedding ceremony, I just wanted to tell you about the wedding. Until such a drastic interpretation…”
She blushed as she spoke.
It was quite difficult to speak on the subject of marriage with one’s own mouth.
Of course, Ray didn’t know.
Like a knight who made a mistake while playing Go, he begged him to back down.
“I have no intention of getting married yet. Don’t you hate a arranged marriage with someone you don’t even have your heart on?”
“…”
From her point of view, she didn’t particularly hate it.
First of all, he was so handsome that you wouldn’t consider him human.
In addition, he had the strength to single-handedly destroy a large army and the mindset to cover up the faults of others.
When I imagined him accepting it silently without saying a word while living in the old annex, I thought for a moment that he was manly.
Hana: ‘I’m fine with a arranged marriage.’ The same prideless words did not come out of my mouth.
She nodded hard.
“…Right…”
“Look at that. If we don’t have any feelings for each other, what kind of marriage is this? Give it to the king’s uncle. I have no desire to marry.”
As he said that, Viscount Gade interrupted.
The viscount aims to rise in status by acting as a bridge between the princess and the saint.
So, I felt the need to mend this relationship that was on the brink of collapse.
“Come on, don’t be in too much of a hurry, enjoy the banquet and talk. You don’t have to give the answer now, do you?”
Viscount Gade made up his mind and pushed his back.
“I know you have had a difficult life. So how about enjoying delicious food and listening to good music for now?”
Ray was taken aback by his words.
Certainly the food is delicious and pleasing to the ear.
Also, how long has it been since you slept all day in a proper bed?
‘It wouldn’t be bad to spend one more day.’
Ray’s thoughts changed slightly loosely.
“Shall we?”
When his mind moved, his body naturally followed him.
Eating good food and drinking a sip of fragrant wine, there was no paradise.
Eventually he decided to stay at the viscount’s house for one more night.
* * *
The viscount’s annex bedroom.
Five or six of his children, including Eight, were sitting at a table.
A man with a good physique punched the table with his fist.
Koo-!
“I don’t know where such a parasitic brother came from.”
“Be careful with your words. Didn’t you say he was a saint?”
“joy! I’ve already left the Holy Land, but the saint is a saint of some kind of bastard. Now I am just a commoner.”
“Don’t people around you seem to think so?”
“Looks like you’re thinking about where Congo will fall. I don’t want to give Princess Celestia to something like that.”
Eight nodded at his words.
“I think so too. So, I came up with a method… would you like to hear it?”
He looked around, his eyes shining brightly.
He always comes up with vicious numbers when the time comes.
As the people sitting around the table nodded, Eight opened his mouth.
“He will probably show up at the banquet tomorrow too. It’s only natural that he’s targeting Princess Celestia.”
I was misunderstanding Ray quite a bit.
“You’re aiming for that time and poisoning yourself with alcohol.”
poisoning of the saint.
At those heavy words, those sitting around the table trembled.
If he did something wrong, he might be interrogated by the kingdom.
“Ha, but how? Only a saint will not die if he is poisoned by alcohol.”
“I have one precious poison. It’s poison that is easily blown away by the wind, so just blowing it away with simple wind magic should be enough to reach the saint’s cup.”
The eyes of the crowd were focused on Eight, the only 2nd Circle mage.
Certainly, if it was done with magic, there would be less fear of being discovered, and since Eight was so confident, there wouldn’t be any remnants of poison left.
Eight laughed evilly.
“I do the execution. You guys, catch the wind well so you don’t get caught.”
There is no one who will object to taking on a difficult role.
It is a job that can remove the saint who was already a thorn in the eye.
A smile spread across their lips.
“If that’s the case, leave it to me.”
“I will make sure you never find out.”
