Poisoned Chalice (3)
Dyke’s waiting room.
Balberon Elphelan clicked his tongue while looking at Dyke who had collapsed and lost consciousness receiving simple treatment.
The man wearing aristocratic attire with plenty of volume here and there emphasizing the antique look had a slim and thin appearance unlike Dyke who inherited his blood.
He has a slight stubble at the end of his nose skinny cheeks and a somewhat haggard look. It is difficult to say that he is excellent as a warrior but he is a person who is somewhat capable of wit and eloquence.
Although it is difficult to say that he is a suitable head of the Elphelan family a prestigious martial arts family there is no doubt that he is a person who brought the Elphelan family back on track in a turbulent situation.
As a person born with political skills rather than combat I had no idea that Dyke would be beaten so horribly in this duel.
I had heard rumors about Ed Rosstaylor but I had no idea that Dyke would be defeated in a battle with such a difference in physique.
‘Princess Selaha must have been very disappointed… She went on such a rant… shit… ‘
Because the Elphelan family received so much merit from Princess Selaha they had to prove their worth every time they had an opportunity like this.
Whenever possible he mentions the name of the Elphelan family at imperial political meetings appoints key members of the family to important positions and offers several positions as apprentice knights in the Imperial Knights so that he can continue the name of a prestigious warrior family… For the Elphelan family their connection with Princess Selaha was truly the path to success.
Could this be because he has been unable to remain faithful to his feelings as a shaman due to his recent efforts to reach out to central power?
It is definitely good news that Dijk Elphelan who was not expected to be there is producing results as the number of talented players is decreasing as time goes by.
Just by being the top student in the 4th year combat club you will be able to live with that honor even after graduation.
Basically as long as there is an atmosphere of being recognized as a great talent just by graduating from Sylvania with excellent grades Dyke can become a worthy representative of the Elphelan family.
But is Dyke too overrated?
Seeing that heavy body shaking and barely breathing… Balberon sighed deeply.
‘Useless guy… I thought I had finally found an unexpected treasure… ‘
– Squeak
At that time someone opened the waiting room door and entered without permission.
Balberon who was already feeling uneasy frowned and looked in that direction. But soon the crumpled expression straightened up in an instant.
At the same time Balberon quickly ran out and knelt in front of the incoming person.
“Princess Se Selaha… !”
The one who entered Dyke’s waiting room escorted by guards was Selah the Princess of Frost who could be said to hold Balberon’s lifeline in her hands.
“I didn’t know you would come all the way here. If you had given me notice in advance I would have sent someone… !”
no. “I also had some other business to attend to so I stopped by.”
Princess Selaha clicked her tongue when she saw Dyke falling down while saying that.
Although it was only a glimpse Balberon felt his heart pounding just from the sight.
Disappointing Princess Selaha is a matter directly related to the rise and fall of the Elphelan family.
Even when Princess Selaha was not in existence in the first place the Elphelan family achieved success in its own way and cultivated its qualities as a warrior family but once a connection with central power was established breaking away from that privilege required a big decision.
When you don’t have it you manage to get by but once you get it you’re afraid of losing it.
And the one who stands at the center of that power is Princess Selaha.
Being tied to the central power certainly creates many restrictions but in any case it is clear that once Princess Selaha becomes emperor the Elphelan family will also rapidly emerge as a central family in the empire.
If he holds his line well until then Balberon Elphelan himself can become a great archduke who can envy Crepin in his prime.
“Princess Selaha. I’m sorry for not being able to keep what I said. We the Elphelan family have put in a lot of effort but… ”
“It’s an excuse. In the first place I didn’t know that Ed Ross Taylor would become strong that quickly. “Don’t bother making obvious questions and reprimands.”
Princess Selaha didn’t seem to be in as bad a mood as I thought.
Anyway I achieved my goal of showing off my influence in front of the public and Emperor Cloel.
Hearing words of praise from Ed Rothtaylor instead of Dyke Elphelan was different from the plan but the result was still good so it’s not a big deal.
However he is not lenient towards the mistakes of his subordinates.
“But just because I don’t reprimand doesn’t mean I’m not disappointed. “I feel really foolish for feeling satisfied after hearing your rant.”
“I’m sorry… Princess Selaha… “I was short-thinking!”
okay. I’m glad I’m aware of it. You were very short-thinking. And my belief in you was very short-lived.”
Princess Selaha’s cold eyes are the same as always.
If she becomes a subordinate and can no longer escape Princess Selaha will be merciless.
“This was not the expectation I had for the Elphelan family. “The expectations are really disappointing.”
“I really… “I have nothing to say.”
“For now let’s go back to the mansion and take care of ourselves. “Let’s talk about today’s incident later.”
“Oh I understand… !”
Balberon knelt down and spoke as if he was sorry.
When you look down at him his voice shaking as if he were embarrassed you look like an herbivore facing a wild beast.
That sight was so funny that Princess Selaha suppressed her laughter.
“I can’t believe the day will come when I will be praised by the hostile forces. “This is really funny.”
As Princess Selaha thought so she recalled the image of Ed Rosstaylor looking up to Princess Selaha in the middle of the sparring hall.
And the same thing happened just now when I was casually arranging my clothes with Lucy and Tanya on either side.
Then he looks at Balberon.
The sight of him rolling around on the floor and trembling is so pathetic that I wonder if such a person can be called an aristocrat of noble blood.
It is very compared to Ed Rothtaylor who says everything he has to say with a proud and noble expression even in front of the royal family.
Being a close associate is inherently supposed to have a taste for belittlement and flattery but… At the same time I must maintain my focus and perseverance.
‘He’s such a valuable talent for Fenia.’
A person who fell drastically reached the bottom and then came back up again. Therefore while he understands the nobility of high-ranking nobles he is also someone who has experienced the ugliness of human nature.
Since he is from Los Taylor he has basic political skills his combat skills are beyond compare and his personal connections seem to be excellent.
If you become politically hostile but can be persuaded to become an ally there is no other staff member like you.
Princess Selaha who has a deep understanding of life as a monarch knows it well.
In order to last a long time as a person who reigns the presence of skilled staff is essential.
If they were completely hostile and there was no room for appeasement they wouldn’t have even considered it but the situation is much different now that they are showing their support for Selaha in front of the public.
Of course Selaha is not an idiot. There is an underlying calculation that there must be some reason for Ed Rothtaylor to act like this.
However there is still too much room to judge.
Was it Ed Rothtaylor’s decision to support Selaha in this way or was it something he discussed with Fenia?
What kind of moves is he expecting from Princess Selaha? What are you trying to achieve in the end?
– ‘I don’t take such emotional reasons into consideration when making my own judgments. I don’t even think about political standing. There is only one basis for my judgment.’
– ‘Who is worthy of becoming emperor? I just judged that Princess Selaha was the right person for the position.’
haha.
Recalling her conversation with Ed Princess Selaha smiled bitterly.
What is certain is that the flattery felt quite good. Although I knew it was just empty words.
It’s funny in its own way to see incompetent people smiling brightly and breaking out in cold sweat unable to overcome their desperation and somehow praising Selaha.
However the words of praise uttered profoundly by those who hold their center of gravity like Ed Rothtaylor… Indeed its weight is different from the feather-light flattery of simple things.
There are people who maintain perseverance and loyalty even in the face of people who differ in lineage and authority.
Ed Rosstaylor does not break a drop of cold sweat even in front of Selaha who is born with royal blood and reigns over power.
‘want to have.’
The raised corners of the mouth are a sight that would give goosebumps to those who don’t know.
‘I want to bring that man to his knees and take him under my control… !’
The sparkling eyes look like an innocent child who has found a toy he really wants to get.
However the noble self-esteem deeply engraved inside is of a completely different level. Princess Selaha’s arrogant pride and her insidious desire for power are not comparable to those of an innocent child.
‘I hate to admit it but I think I’m in love…’ Ugh… ‘It’s fun it’s fun.’
It is infinitely distant and distorted from the romantic emotion called love. It may be closer to a desire to possess or monopolize.
However Princess Selaha roughly sums it up violently defines it as love and throws it away. This is because it is not very important what the emotion is.
I wonder if there really is a person in the world who can break that twisted self-esteem. At least her butler Dest had long since concluded that such a person could not exist in this empire.
It is a noble rose that blooms on a cliff. The only person in this empire for whom she bows her head and cries out in regret is Emperor Cloel. It seemed obvious that it had been that way and that it would always be that way.
At least that was the case in Dest’s eyes.
A man named Ed Rosstaylor is someone who can be of great help if he can be appeased.
He is flawless in his political skills judgment combat skills personal connections and future prospects.
However there is one part that Princess Selaha who is not very interested in the ways of thinking of those below her fails to catch.
Ed Rothtaylor is a poisoned chalice.
Balberon Elphelan was looking at Princess Selaha who was smiling secretly without even looking at himself.
he… He was quietly looking up at Princess Selaha with a meaningful face.
*There was no more blood left on Yenica Palover’s face.
Yenica who went to Ed’s waiting room out of curiosity almost fainted when she saw Ortega and Sayla arguing with Belle Maia there.
The sight of Ed Rothtaylor sitting on a soft sofa with a puzzled expression on his face is a bonus.
“We can fully understand the pride of users. Still we have deep pride in the fact that we have been ranching our entire lives. We want to cook this meat ourselves which we raised with our own hands… ! Please think of it as the humble pride of those below you and give us permission! Never disappoint! This man Orte cannot bend here!”
I was already starting to get a headache from hearing Orte’s shouts overflowing with his unique spirit and passion.
Bel Maia who was facing the brunt of Orte’s heat looked quite troubled.
“Oh no. No matter what you can’t enter Master Ed’s residence… .! never! It’s not possible!
Has Belle Maia ever spoken so firmly to someone?
Even when expressing her intention to refuse Belle Maia always uses all kinds of indirect speech techniques and does not try to offend the other person’s feelings. This appearance of hers was quite extreme for someone like her.
This never happens when she has to show a solemn appearance as the head maid at Ofilis Hall but she often ends up in a difficult situation because she is involved in the work with Ed.
It’s embarrassing but you have to do what you have to do anyway.
Jenica almost burst into tears at Belle’s outburst.
I can’t just sit still like this. Yenica rushed into her waiting room and screamed as if she wanted to show off.
“Oh mom! dad! Oh when did you get here? You can’t come in here without permission! Ed… “No that’s rude to Master Ed!”
“Uh huh?! Yenica! Where did you go? “Even if we keep looking we don’t know where it is so we came first!”
“Oh mom… ! “What did you do when you didn’t stop me Dad?”
“You’re stopping me… ? I’m not doing anything bad so why… ?”
Yenika looked astonished and ran in quickly grabbing her parents’ arms and dragging them away.
“Ed… No Master Ed I’m sorry! I couldn’t tell you in advance so the situation ended up like this… Anyway I’ll explain the details later! No I won’t! … No I will do it for you! Explanation… I’ll do it… ? Please give me a chance to explain? “Well whatever!”
If you try to force yourself to use an honorific that you don’t normally use your speech will inevitably become more complicated.
But that’s not important right now. Jenica had to do whatever it took to get her parents out of this room.
“What’s so urgent Yenika? I don’t have anything urgent to do so I can take my time. “Your parents are also valuable guests to me.”
However Ed calmed down Yenika as if there was no need to rush.
It seems strange that everyone is behaving like this.
At that point Yenika realized.
Yenika did not give Ed any explanation about the context..!
No beyond the line of not explaining… She had been making vague excuses saying that she didn’t want to worry Ed so she told everyone at her house.
Yes. I still remember the day I was kicked out of Ofilis Hall.
When Ed asked if he was okay Yenika said that it was okay because he understood at home and that he had somehow managed to pay for his tuition by borrowing money.
Eventually everyone decided to understand the truth about living together and living a wild life so I also remember Ed saying that he didn’t have to worry about it.
Yenica didn’t bother to tell Ed the details of the situation because she didn’t want him to worry about her.
So from Ed’s perspective… I can’t help but think that Yenika’s adoptive parents are very generous people who understand all of Yenika’s life.
In fact Ortega Sayla is relatively open and generous… Even if you tell the truth they won’t understand. Ed must have felt the same way as soon as he saw the two people. This is because these two people have a very honest impression and have honest values.
However the problem is not with that part.
Word spreads! To my hometown! After graduating Yenika goes to her hometown where she has to go for the rest of her life. Just hearing it will pour out a ton of embarrassing rumors that will heat up her face.
For Jenika who is at a sensitive age and can send goosebumps down her spine just by holding hands with someone of the opposite sex having such an embarrassing rumor spread widely in her hometown is not only painful but torture… !
The obscene remarks of the old village women are more spicy than you can imagine… ! Every word she said was so shocking to Yenika who was like pure white drawing paper that there were times when I had to cover my ears. She felt an unimaginable fear of the unknown to the point where her nose bled.
This time the person who will be criticized will not be a young person living in the city but Yenika herself… !
Hell is coming. Pulan the hometown of the heart that felt warm just by imagining it is transformed into a living hell burning with hot sulfur fire… ! That’s it… It must be stopped… !
However even though it brings tears to my eyes it is all Yenika’s own fault… !
“Eh ed… ! No Master Ed… ! There are some things I haven’t talked about yet and I may or may not think it would be a good idea to take the time to talk about those things in detail later so for now rather than rushing to meet my parents I’ll take some time. Doesn’t it seem a bit like having that kind of attitude is necessary or maybe it’s not? Am I right? Is that right? “Isn’t it true?”
“Yenika. Why do you crash while organizing your thoughts alone? It’s true that nothing has changed since I was young! Whenever I was in trouble or lied I would always talk a lot of gibberish like this. Isn’t that right honey?”
yes. haha! Our Yenika is really bad at telling a lie! “As a parent I’m actually worried!”
Ortega laughed heartily and patted Yenica’s head.
“Oh look at him getting hot. “Why is your face so blushing again?”
“Now that I think about it you already knew everything so why are you so embarrassed because you have something else to hide? Yenika too… Look out of shape in front of Master Ed… ”
Sayla continued talking like that… I trailed off as if something suddenly occurred to me.
What on earth does Yenika have to hide from her parents?
However if you just look at Yenika who is blocking Ed’s path with her arms outstretched and out of breath… A strange possibility arose in her head.
With cheeks as red as blush and pupils that tremble mercilessly he blocks Ed with his small body with both hands outstretched but what on earth does that mean?
However there is a truth that Yenica can hide from Ortega and Sayla… It was just decided.
“Honey… ”
huh? Sayla? What’s happening all of a sudden? “Does your stomach hurt?”
Ortega who was no different from a dull person in this regard asked Sayla with a cheerful look on his face.
As soon as they enter Aken Island they see Ziggs and ask him what he thinks of Yenika. This couple is so filled with romance for a son-in-law.
Thanks to that I was going crazy wondering who the man with whom Yenika had a strange current was since last vacation.
However at this point the senses that have developed over the decades of raising Yenika are screaming.
Yenica’s face was completely blushing and was blocking Ed’s way.
While Yenika is blocking Ed Belle approaches Ed and quietly whispers something in his ear covering her mouth with her palm.
Ed’s expression suddenly hardened and his pupils seemed to have slightly dilated… There is no sign of much embarrassment.
But Seila couldn’t help but ask.
Sayla calmly recalled the conversation between Orte and Jenica last vacation.
that… Master Ed. I saw you sparring earlier… Could it be that… also… Are you good at shooting a bow? I see… ”
yes… ? yes… . what… . Just take a shot… ”
– ‘Are you a bit of a shooter? My dream was to have a drink with my son-in-law and shoot some targets… . No it’s still too early to drink.’
– ‘fury… I’m good at shooting a bow… ‘
Sayla’s expression hardened for a moment when she remembered the conversation between Yenica and Orté last vacation.
And it became like a stone statue unable to even move.
“Hmm? Sayla? Why is that? If you’re in a hurry to the bathroom wouldn’t it be better to excuse yourself and go now? It’s not good to hold back just because you’re embarrassed! Kahahaha! Were you a little embarrassed? But we’re past that age now… ! Haha!”
Sayla who was standing quietly next to Orte with no sign of notice looked as if she was watching a meteorite hit the Earth.
The open mouth showed no sign of closing.
*“Sales definitely increase significantly during the festival period. “How about using this opportunity to be more diverse in your grocery purchases?”
well. Changing your purchasing policy based on a temporary increase in sales is not a wise decision. “Secretary Rienna needs to have a more macroscopic perspective.”
“Oh shit… Yes.”
Lortel who looked at Lienna and took a sip of the tea she had brought along with the documents put down his robe hat and looked out the window for a moment.
The excitement of the festival spread evenly to the living quarters and Aken Island was filled with more people than usual.
It’s good to be immersed in the excitement of these festivals but wasting away such a good opportunity to make money is disqualifying a merchant.
Elte Trading also made a lot of profit by distributing various special purchase products and receiving more orders than usual. However the festival is only just beginning so we are looking forward to the future.
Princess Selaha is said to be on Aken Island so Lortel who maintains a symbiotic relationship on the surface needs to go get her face stamped at least once.
And on the academic side Vice Principal Rachel has actively requested that the number of orders be increased. Recently as we have become friendly with the student council it seems that the academic affairs headquarters is also trying to increase the relationship further.
In fact if there are cold times in the relationship between groups there are also warm times. Since the increase in order volume is directly related to sales it is not a bad thing for Lortel.
“Hmm… ”
“Why are you doing this? “Representative of Lortel?”
no. just… Recently Vice Principal Rachel is in charge of most of the work in the academic affairs headquarters. Principal Obel rarely appears at official events. “Last time Dune did something the person who personally came to negotiate the wise man’s oath was Vice Principal Rachel I guess?”
“Principal Obel is a very busy person.”
“Yes but.”
Lortel who was reading the academic request documents rested his chin and thought for a moment.
“Why is it that a person who was so active in practical work that even when the Ofilis building was destroyed went around and raised funds he hasn’t been showing his face like this lately…? ”
“Do you smell something strange?”
“Well maybe I’m attaching too much meaning to trivial things. Still it’s something worth pointing out. “The internal trends within the university are quite important information for us as well.”
With that said Lortel signed the requested document and pushed it among the completed documents.
Then he glanced over the remaining documents and eventually stretched out.
“Uuuuuuuuuuu… I came out early in the morning to review it and it ended up going well. “The rest are regular business reporting documents right?”
yes. “The noteworthy issues have almost been completed and now only the items that require routine review remain.”
“Still I can’t do it half-heartedly… I’m a bit tired after sitting for so long. “It’s not urgent so I need to warm up a bit.”
Lortel went to the window sat down on the window sill bent his arms this way and that and relaxed his sore body.
And with the cool wind blowing from behind I looked up at the spire of Haksak-dong in the distance and the road leading toward the North Forest behind it.
“What are you going to do Senior Ed? The sparring should have been over by now. “Well you’re probably doing some work around the camp fire as always.”
Then as always he smiled like a fox and told Secretary Rienna to pack up the remaining documents.
“I will handle the rest of the documents at the villa. “It’s not urgent so you can just deliver the payment by tomorrow morning.”
“Then I’ll have someone send the documents to your home.”
no. It’s not much but I’ll take it myself. “Wasting manpower is a no-no.”
Lortel hummed wondering what felt so good and gathered up the remaining payment documents.
Then she tidied up her appearance by pulling on the end of her robe as if shaking it off then suddenly looked in the mirror and put on a hairpin with a blue rose on it. It was Lortel’s favorite accessory.
And then holding the documents in his arms he leaves the commercial building.
As Lortel works hard and comes home from work the usual insidious and dark-hearted businessman is not visible. Rather it seems as if his steps are light.
Secretary Rienna is now somewhat accustomed to that feeling of disparity.
After seeing Lortel off Rienna also got ready to leave work.
Secretary Lienna also happens to be… I felt like having some fun at the festival.
