Chapter 157
After the accident, I had to recuperate in Ivan for another week and calm down.
I was wondering if I should spend the winter in Ivan, where it snows a lot.
After hearing the news, my grandfather sent me a specially modified carriage to Ivan so that I could lie down comfortably and travel to return to Lombardy.
A few months have passed since I returned to Lombardy from Ivan.
Winter passed and spring came while I regained my stamina and returned to my daily life.
In other words, it was the beginning of the social season.
And as if waiting, the Empress opened the door to a new season with a splendid and grand banquet.
All those who are struggling in the empire and social circles, including myself, are called in.
I took a glass of liquor from a passing servant.
"You’ve used all the best alcohol and food."
Even the Imperial banquets don’t usually go this far.
It was a part of how much the Empress cared about this banquet.
Normally, it was just the ’first banquet of the season hosted by the Empress’, but the purpose was obvious.
"She’s trying to promote Western tourism, which has been developed to some extent."
Then she can just promote it honestly.
By using a false title of ’Imperial Banquet’ to the end, you can still see what the Empress thoughts on ’the act of making money’.
"She’s a great person in many ways."
I’m serious about half of it.
The Empress gradually promoted the development of the West under various unfavorable conditions.
Triva trees, the main wood needed for construction, are far short, and the ones on the market are empty due to the Monak Top demanding a huge amount of money, and the relationship with the North has been strained.
In addition, angenas sells land to pay amercement for liability for landslides.
However, the Empress managed to develop the West.
Enough to start a tourism business.
I took a sip and looked at the people at the center of the banquet.
"It’s all thanks to Lord Lombardy’s hard work."
The Empress spoke in a slightly louder voice as if to listen to those who were paying attention to her.
"Hahaha, it’s the Imperial business, so I have to help!"
Viese laughed in a louder voice with his mouth as if hanging over from his ears.
"Of course, I didn’t forget Sussew’s help."
"I’m flattered, Empress."
When the Empress looked across from Viese and said, a stranger answered with a slight lift of glass in his hand.
"That person is Chanton Sussew."
He was exactly as he was rumored.
He was originally the head of an Imperial Knight of the Imperial Family.
The atmosphere felt from afar is quite different from other nobles.
He was a man with short hair that was easy to manage, a bitter eye, and a body that seemed to be ’big’, so he was still more suitable for an active duty Knight than the owner of a family.
It seems that I am not the only one who thinks so, but even now, people were not able to approach him as if there were rounds shields around the Lord of Sussew.
"It’s only Grandpa and Perez who have that much pressure in the Capital."
"You mean me?"
"Oh, my gosh!"
I stepped aside half a step at the sudden voice from the right.
As I looked at it, I could see Perez smiling, curving his eyes.
"Go ahead and play, Perez."
"I wanted to surprise you a little."
I can’t even get mad at him for being so honest.
"Hi, Tia."
"...Hi."
I’ve been distancing myself from Perez since the kiss incident in Ivan.
However, as he had already declared war, he was not concerned about such things.1
Of course, only in private.
Even now, Perez was holding his back and no longer approaching me when I was on guard.
Even though the eyes that still looked at me were full of subtle laughter.
What’s more depressing here is that Perez’s presence keeps my heart pounding.
I narrowed my eyes and glared at Perez.
"Again, that expression again!"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
Somehow I’m worried that I’m getting sly day by day.
I gave Perez a second look in the face, and asked, pointing to the Empress, Viese, and Lord Sussew at the tip of my chin.
"What do you think about that coalition?"
"Well."
The words were not very important, but Perez’s eyes looking at the Empress stood before he knew it.
I spoke with a lower voice.
"I heard the popularity of the Empress and the First Prince is increasing because of that combination. On top of that, Viese."
People still don’t know that Lombardy architecture hasn’t been paid for properly.
So it happened because in their eyes the alliance between Lombardy and Angenas seemed pretty solid.
In addition, Viese openly bragged that his personal money had been invested in the Empress’s Western business.
He didn’t even know he was putting his foot in a pretty trap. Like a fool.
"Tia, what about you? Now that Viese Lombardy has played a part in the West Development Project, wouldn’t you be in trouble?"
What do you think I am?
"How much money does the delivery business I’ve made for the family now?"
Lombardy Delivery was well established and steadily earning cash.
Clash Devon is screaming joyfully at the growing delivery business day by day.
In short, it was no exaggeration to say that the Lombardy Top, which had sales along with Lombardy’s delivery service, is making up for the money that Viese has wasted on the Western business.
Lombardy’s delivery service was already becoming a strong pillar supporting the family.
"The package hasn’t been delivered yet, it’s okay."
Some are loaded to shoot right next time.
I took another sip, talking leisurely.
Then, I met Lord Sussew, who was looking at me from afar.
It was so intense that I couldn’t ignore it.
"...is he coming this way?"
Lord Sussew was slowly walking towards Perez and me.
Naturally, many people’s eyes have shifted to us along with Lord Sussew.
I quickly moved a step further to widen the distance with Perez.
Lord Sussew approached Perez first with a heavy voice.
"Hello, Your Highness Second Prince. I haven’t seen you in a long time."
It was a normal greeting.
He was originally a knight commander in the Imperial Family, so it was not strange that he already knew Perez.
The problem was the attitude of Lord Sussew.
It was too confident and strangely annoying to say that he was treating the Prince.
There was no breach of etiquette, but it was certainly intended.
"...It’s been a long time. Lord Sussew."
Perez replied, looking straight at the Lord Sussew, in a stiff voice.
And at that moment, I suddenly began to feel as if the temperature around me had dropped by a few degrees.
The reason was Perez and Lord Sussew standing face to face.
It was a war of nerves between Perez, the Aura master, and Chanton Sussew, the former Imperial Knights Commander.
I looked around.
The nobles were buzzing.
Not just a few people saw Perez and Lord Sussew with very curious eyes.
Perhaps at the end of today’s banquet, it was visible that this would go viral and stir up society.
And I checked on the Empress.
"Huh."
The Empress smiled triumphantly and looked very proudly at Chanton Sussew, who was fighting Perez.
Now, with this single act alone, it was clear that the stock price of Sussew had risen sharply in the Empress’s head.
Just by approaching and greeting in front of people, Chanton Sussew succeeded in clearly instilling the impression that he was a person who was at odds with Perez.
I smiled quietly inside as I watched Perez and Chanton Sussew, who were still fighting a tight race.
’Perez, you’re really smart.’
I quietly got out of the place where people’s eyes were focused and took a step toward the stairs on the second floor.
"Hello, sir."
"Here you are, Lady Florentia."
As promised in advance, Clerivan was there waiting for me.
Clerivan politely escorted me and we walked through the banquet hall as ordinary guests.
Then some of the nobles who looked at us at first soon lost interest and returned to their conversations.
After I checked it, I asked in a low voice.
"What did people say?"
Clerivan attended today’s banquet, talking to a lot of people and gathering little information.
"Lady Florentia’s guess was right. Instead of the hard-to-supply Triva tree, the building was built using wood available in the southern jungle of Sussew."
"So Angenas owes a lot to Sussew."
"It also matches Bate’s information. It is to the Sussew family that Angenas sold the western manor to pay the amercement."
"It’s a situation in which Angenas is completely tied to Sussew."
To my question, Clerivan greeted the nobleman passing by with a grin on his face.
"Perhaps it’s a complacency to pay back with the money they’ll earn from tourism in the West."
"Are the nobles interested in Western tourism?"
"Most of them. It’s nobles who have so much money and nothing to do. Anything that can save their boredom is welcome."
I stopped walking looking at Clerivan.
And I said with a smile.
"It’s about time, isn’t it?"
Clerivan smiled a little wickedly and replied.
"Yes, Lady Florentia."
Clerivan, who has been pushing for this in person, looked like he couldn’t stand it because he was itching.
Maybe I have a similar face.
Leaning against the railing on the second floor, I looked down the first floor, and I could see the nobles crowded on the first floor.
They looked like fish trapped in my fishing grounds.
With very, very rich fish.
I said with a nod to Clerivan.
"Then shall we move in earnest, sir?"
It was the last okay sign.
* * *
After going to the Empress’s banquet.
I’ve taken action, too.
The first was to call Avinox to the Lombardy mansion.
This was because Avinox was acting as the official deputy Lord of Luman when Lord of Luman returned to the East.
But formally, it was an ordinary social invitation.
So I chose the appointment time as a good time to have a leisurely cup of tea, from breakfast to lunch.
It was time for me to sit in my drawing-room and organize in my head what I was going to ask Avinox today.
Knock! Knock
I heard the butler’s voice along with a knock.
"Here comes Sir Avinox Luman, Lady."
"Come on in."
I said that and got up to greet Avinox.
The door opened and Avinox walked in.
By the way.
"Hello, Lady Florentia."
Wow, it’s so bright!
I almost covered my eyes with my hands without realizing it.
Whenever I saw Avinox, I thought he was ’like the sun’ because of its bright platinum blonde, subtle eye color, and unique bright personality.+
Today Avinox was even more brilliant.
"Thank you for calling."
I saw it.
A perfectly groomed Avinox has a halo that I can only see when I see an artist.
And at the same time, I realized.
That Avinox would never have dressed up like this for me from head to toe.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel