* * *
“Irritating.”
I knew he was handsome, but seeing guest after guest gasp in admiration was starting to annoy me.
Why, though? Wasn’t this the plan all along?
For people to be shocked and spread rumors about how the subject of such dreadful gossip turned out to be a stunning beauty with a tragic appearance, benefitting us in the end?
Before I saw Hernan in person, I was like the accidental celebrity of the social scene.
Maybe I felt like he was stealing that role from me?
No, that didn’t quite fit.
After the last guest was ushered into the banquet hall, I glanced over at Hernan.
“…?”
Hernan, looking as smooth as ever, gave me a questioning look.
Nothing.
I concluded that my unnecessary worries were probably just me being anxious that he might do something unexpected.
“Thank you all for coming.”
With the banquet doors closed, I smiled brightly and stood in front of the guests, feeling the eyes of fifteen pairs of nobles on me.
You should be looking ahead, not at me.
Casually, I stepped on Hernan’s foot under the table.
I applied quite a bit of pressure, but he remained unbothered, smiling and introducing himself to the guests.
“Pleased to meet you all. I haven’t had the chance to show my face due to circumstances. I’m Hernan Velon Yudenet.”
As Hernan smiled at the guests, scattered coughs filled the room.
His grin, glowing in the sunlight streaming in from the windows, was annoyingly dazzling.
If he’s going to be handsome, he should just be handsome.
If he’s going to be pretty, he should just be pretty.
Hernan satisfied both tastes, making it impossible for anyone to look away from his face.
“Since you’ve come such a long way, I hope you enjoy the meal.”
Today’s event would proceed in three stages: stage one, lunch; stage two, a simple outdoor sport in the garden; and stage three, a tea party.
Sometimes, dinner is added as a fourth stage, but…
“Hosting a dinner for people I barely know at my castle? Lunch is enough.”
Thanks to Hernan’s firm stance, there would be no dinner.
If the host enjoyed entertaining, they might add a simple dance with wine and finger foods after dinner.
However, with fewer guests, it wouldn’t be the formal kind of ball where couples dance in the middle like in aristocratic romance movies.
In such cases, a host might hire musicians or have musically talented guests provide accompaniment while others dance or sing.
It’s more of a relaxed atmosphere where older guests often perform a song or two after some drinks.
But Hernan wasn’t one for hosting guests.
This was his first time, so the invitation had already specified that there would be no dinner and that guests should prepare their own way to return home.
Since even coming from the southern regions took me a long time, the distance from the capital, the Imperial City, would typically take more than a day by carriage.
In any case, no lodging, no dinner—just lunch and tea, and then off you go.
Normally, such rude behavior would provoke complaints, but the host was a grand duke.
Even though Hernan was young, his position was second only to the royal family.
Even the vice-chairman of the Senate couldn’t easily criticize someone of his standing.
“Hm… Very well, let’s discuss the details as we go along.”
The Duchess Velesa, who was practically hosting this event, covered her mouth with her fan as she gave Hernan a slow, scrutinizing look from head to toe, before signaling for the food to be served.
Although her behavior was bold for a guest, it felt so natural that no one could criticize her.
Besides, she wasn’t in a position to be reprimanded.
“Yes, for the first dish, we’ve prepared something light to stimulate your appetite.”
In modern fine dining, a server or even the chef might come out to explain the dishes, but in this informal setting, it was up to the host—or rather, me—to handle the explanations.
The chef wasn’t a noble and had no reason to step out.
“This is a palate cleanser made with snow strawberries.”
The snow strawberry cleanser was an alcohol-free version of the cordial I had drunk that infamous day.
It had a natural sweetness and tartness that refreshed the palate, earning praise from all around.
“It’s delicious. It tastes different from what I’ve had elsewhere!”
Grateful for the compliment, I smiled warmly and shifted the credit to Hernan.
“Thank you. The addition of fallenberry juice gives it that extra clean finish. The grand duke insisted we serve this northern specialty made from snow strawberries.”
“I see! Honestly, I’d love to have another.”
At my gesture, a servant refilled her glass, prompting others to follow suit.
“I’d like some more as well.”
“Oh, me too.”
“Me, three!”
The eight-year-old child who had followed his aunt was lifting his empty glass high, pleading for more, making me smile.
It wasn’t the fake business smile I often used, but a genuine one.
“…….”
Maybe it was because I rarely laughed without any ulterior motives, but I caught Hernan staring at me intently, as if there was something on my face.
I whispered in a voice too soft for the guests to hear.
“What are you looking at?”
My lips curved gently, making it impossible for anyone to notice that I was speaking.
“Oh, do you know ventriloquism too?”
“Stop talking nonsense and focus ahead.”
Seated directly across from Madam Velesa, the most distinguished guest, I maintained a calm composure.
I disliked sitting face-to-face with that old lady—it made me uneasy.
“I’m just amazed. I didn’t think you could smile like that.”
By now, the meal was nearing its end, and as the final dessert—a sherbet made from snow strawberries—was served, another round of exclamations filled the room.
The sherbet, accompanied by a rich cream made from reindeer milk, perfectly balanced tart and sweet flavors.
I had specifically curated the course from dishes that left my eyes wide open when I tasted them, so it wasn’t surprising that the guests were thoroughly impressed.
“Thank you for a truly delightful time.”
“The food was so good that I’d love to meet the chef.”
Maybe it was because we were receiving such rare praise, but the chef, who had been standing alongside the servants, repeatedly bowed his head, coughing to hide his tears.
I could understand why… the previous Grand Duke had a reputation as a tyrant, and his son had the palate of someone who’d gladly eat dog food.
After successfully hosting today’s guests and being showered with compliments, the chef looked like he could die happy right now.
“Well, now that we’ve filled our stomachs, shall we take a leisurely walk?”
The second part of the social gathering. I had planned for an outdoor activity…
“Oh, how warm it is! Despite the snow, it doesn’t feel cold at all.”
It was a walk along the trail behind the castle, observing wildflowers and birds.
In other regions, during such gatherings, they often play a game similar to golf on estates with large lawns.
Even older ladies could participate, as the game involved getting the ball into the hole with the fewest strokes.
‘But here, all we have is snow, so that’s impossible.’
In areas with lakes, they might go boating.
In the southern regions, they sometimes make sand pits and wrestle.
It might sound strange, but it’s similar to modern wrestling.
‘Loving physical contests seems to be a universal culture.’
Typically, young men would compete while the ladies cheered or placed bets. As for me… I had never participated.
The reason was simple: I didn’t want to.
Even though I was technically a minor noble, I was the host, and if I didn’t want to do something, I simply didn’t do it.
The same went for when I attended other social gatherings.
Whether in the modern world or here, I always had a convenient excuse: I wore glasses, and without them, I couldn’t see anything.
It wasn’t practical to wrestle while wearing glasses, so I naturally avoided it.
Though my eyesight wasn’t that bad, it saved me from the slippery, sticky wrestling oils, so it worked in my favor.
In any case, wrestling was out of the question here in the north, so I dismissed it without a second thought.
‘But… if we did, Hernan would probably win.’
I kind of wanted to see him struggling in the slippery oil.
As I glanced at Hernan, bundled up in thick winter gear as we headed toward the trail, he looked over at me with a bright smile.
* * *
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Wow
Cute