Ch#53
The Banquet (7)
The next morning, a certain article was featured prominently in the headlines of the morning paper.
[Count Nimrud Attempts to Assassinate Young Lord Elbus Graham.]
It was an article regarding Count Nimrud’s misconduct from the very night before.
Since it wasn’t just any assassination attempt, but one targeting the third son of an Imperial Ducal House, the impact was bound to be immense.
It was shocking news that sent tremors throughout the entire kingdom, and the morning in the royal capital was more chaotic than ever before.
Tiria was no exception.
‘That was a close call.’
As she read through the article, she saw a paragraph stating that Elbus’s secret guards had narrowly managed to thwart the attempt.
Whoever they were, it was an achievement worthy of a reward at the national level.
‘They prevented what could have been the catalyst for war….’
Tiria’s eyes darkened.
It was a moment for her to reflect on how she had blindly assumed the war would remain confined to the West.
She needed to be more vigilant.
If the war were to spread here….
“Wife, what are you looking at so seriously so early in the morning?”
Could Elric end up in danger?
Tiria raised her head and looked at Elric as he entered the dining room.
The sight of him walking with a cane, his knee still seemingly bothersome, stirred a sense of unnecessary worry within her.
What would happen if the enemy forces ever penetrated as far as Wibin?
He, who couldn’t even run properly, would surely have his throat slit and die in an instant.
Thinking of such a future made her feel suffocated.
The sense of despair wrapping around her body was an added bonus.
Tiria suppressed her baseless anxiety and held out the newspaper to him.
“……I was reading the morning paper.”
When she showed him the front-page incident, his eyes widened in surprise.
Immediately after, he let out a sudden, hollow laugh.
“So this is how things turned out.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“Hmm, it’s nothing. It’s just that our relationship with the Nimruds isn’t exactly good. I wonder if I should call this a stroke of luck….”
Ah, was he worried about the incident with the Young Lord?
Thinking that way, the fact that Count Nimrud was the mastermind behind the assassination attempt felt like a relief in its own right.
Was it simply human nature to be selfish?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, Elric asked.
“So, what will happen to Count Nimrud?”
“There will likely be an intense investigation. Since he dared to touch the Graham family, he won’t get away unscathed. The Count’s execution will be unavoidable… and if things go a certain way, we might even see the forfeiture of the Nimrud family’s noble title.”
“Hmm, quite clean.”
Tiria tilted her head.
For some reason, his satisfied tone struck her as odd.
Perhaps noticing her gaze, Elric adjusted his expression and spoke.
“A, a great crisis has been averted, hasn’t it? Even setting aside personal feelings, it’s a happy occasion.”
“That is true.”
“More importantly, let’s get ready. We have to go to the banquet again today.”
Tiria brushed away the lingering suspicion and nodded.
The royal banquet was originally scheduled for a total of three days.
Regardless of the circumstances, attendance was mandatory, so they couldn’t use the incident as an excuse to skip.
The royal family wouldn’t view an absence favorably either.
Considering the political situation, this was an opportunity for the Crown to reclaim its weakened authority, so they might exert significant pressure.
The Portmans, having only recently joined the nobility, needed to be mindful of even these small details.
Their foundation was already weak; how exhausting would it be if they also drew the ire of the royal family?
“Ah, and one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“The people who helped me prepare yesterday will be assisting us throughout this banquet. Why don’t you use them today, Wife? Their skills are quite exceptional.”
Suddenly, the image of Elric from the previous day came to mind.
Whether it was because of her affection for him or something else, he always looked lovely to her, but his groomed appearance yesterday had been particularly pleasing to behold.
How much of that was thanks to those workers?
No, even if that wasn’t the case, it didn’t matter.
Tiria was simply glad that Elric was recommending something to her.
“I understand.”
By the time she had finished bathing and stepped out.
“Oh my, My Lady, you are so~ beautiful~!”
For some reason, an exceptionally tall woman—nearly as tall as Elric—wearing makeup that looked more like a mask was waiting for her, twisting her body shyly.
A slight sense of dread welled up, but Tiria suppressed it.
Since Elric had introduced them, she judged they couldn’t be suspicious people.
“……I leave it to you.”
As Tiria sat down and spoke, she had no way of knowing.
That the person in charge of her makeup was the saddest and most suspicious person in the world.
Danal, the former Wolyeong assassin now serving as Elric’s subordinate, swallowed his tears and asked himself:
‘How did my life end up like this?’
It was a truly tragic existence.
The strange woman who took charge of the grooming was indeed skilled.
Tiria let out a small exclamation of admiration.
‘An expert really is different.’
The styling was fundamentally not much different from the day before.
The navy dress, the braided updo, and the light makeup followed the same core elements, but the difference in detail was striking.
There was a meticulousness that couldn’t be defined in a single word.
It stirred a sense of unwarranted anticipation within Tiria.
Would Elric offer her a compliment like he did yesterday?
At the thought, her mood brightened even further.
“You’ve worked hard. I’ll tell the Head of the family that you were a great help.”
“There’s no need for that….”
“Nonsense. If work was done, one should receive the appropriate reward.”
The woman’s expression contorted strangely.
Tiria, who had been puzzled by the reaction, soon arrived at a plausible answer.
‘I heard that some nobles look down on people like them and often don’t pay a fair price.’
She must be relieved not to be treated that way.
Tiria stood up and said.
“Think nothing of it. It is only natural.”
“Haha….”
“Then, carry on with your work.”
When she stepped out of the mansion after saying that, Elric was waiting at the entrance.
The moment their eyes met, Elric’s eyes widened.
Tiria watched his reaction closely with faint hope.
Only then did she notice the slight trembling of his pupils and the veins bulging on the back of the hand gripping his cane.
She felt shy.
“……Their skills were quite good.”
Tiria approached him with quick steps and looked up at Elric.
Elric’s lips parted for a moment before he stammered.
“You are even more beautiful today.”
After saying it, he flinched, his body shuddering slightly.
Tiria felt her heart thumping erratically.
Happiness seemed to swell within her, gently poking at her thoughts.
“……You look dignified as well, Head of the family.”
She said, reaching out her hand.
Elric then gave her a still-clumsy escort.
In this moment, Tiria felt as though all her other worries were being erased from her mind.
Even if they just went to the banquet to kill time in a corner, what did it matter?
Even if it seemed they wouldn’t be able to form connections with other noble houses this year either, what of it?
It was enough that she could spend the entire day with him.
As they boarded the carriage, Tiria’s pinky finger was still hooked around the tip of Elric’s hand.
She was glad the carriage was narrow.
He couldn’t understand why he felt so flushed.
Elric felt as though all his senses were concentrated on Tiria’s pinky finger hooked around his own.
The finger was so thin it felt like it might snap if he bent it.
He became anxious that such a thing might actually happen, which was why he couldn’t bring himself to grip her hand firmly.
While he thought he looked like a fool, he couldn’t stop. Why was that?
It was likely because he had suddenly started to care about her more.
Elric kept glancing at Tiria as she looked out the window.
All he could see was her jawline, her earlobe, and the nape of her neck.
No, he could also catch a glimpse of her neatly arranged eyelashes.
It stimulated his nerves in a strange way.
Since her expression was hidden, his imagination began to run wild.
What kind of face did Tiria have right now as she looked out the window?
Was her expression stoically frozen as usual?
Most likely, yes.
And yet, he kept finding meaning in this hooked pinky finger.
Elric tried to imagine her looking embarrassed.
He didn’t even have time to feel self-loathing for his own murky behavior.
His racing mind was already exerting all its effort into making the imagination concrete.
However, he couldn’t quite picture it.
It was because Elric had never seen her make a different expression.
Since there was no example to follow, it was quite a predicament.
As his regret grew deeper, the carriage arrived at the Royal Castle.
“Let’s go.”
Only then did Tiria show her face.
The usual expressionless look was regrettable.
Hiding those feelings, he escorted her into the banquet hall, and in that moment—
“It’s noisy today.”
And why wouldn’t it be?
After such an incident with Count Nimrud just the day before.
And,
“Thank you all for your concern. But I’m alright. I’ve faced quite a few assassination attempts in this position, so I’m used to it.”
Because the party involved was showing his face in the banquet hall as if nothing had happened.
Elric felt like let out an exclamation of disbelief.
Elbus Graham.
He was a friend, but he certainly was no ordinary man.
‘I should just ignore him.’
In a public setting like this, everyone had their own role to play.
Elric had no desire to draw the attention of the kingdom’s nobility for no reason.
It was because he had already realized what kind of standing Elric Portman held in noble society.
Making the perception of the Portman family any worse would be a disservice to Tiria, who had protected this house alone.
“Let’s go over there.”
“Yes.”
Just as he was about to lead Tiria to the corner where they had spent time the previous day.
“Ah! There he is! Hey, Baron Portman!”
Elric froze.
His head turned stiffly toward the owner of the voice, Elbus.
With a bright smile that revealed his white teeth, Elbus shouted.
“That Baron Portman saved my life yesterday! The Baron stumbled and pushed me away, and in that moment, an assassin’s dagger happened to fly right where I had been standing!”
Has this guy lost his mind? While Elric’s thoughts were paralyzed, a soft voice came from beside him.
“……I believe you said you were going to the restroom.”
Tiria’s voice was quite stiff.
Elric didn’t have the confidence to look at her face.
Instead, or perhaps in exchange, he found a different kind of confidence.
“Come here, Baron!”
Elbus Graham.
If dying was his wish, Elric felt like he could help him out.
Of course. As a friend, he could at least do that much.
Waiting in the Wheat Field (Serial)
