Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 337

Chapter 337

Just as the atmosphere was reaching its peak, a servant approached the Archduke and whispered something in his ear. Judging by the mention of a report, it seemed to be work-related. The Archduke nodded slightly and addressed the hall, saying,

“I must excuse myself for a moment. Please, everyone, enjoy the banquet.”

As soon as he left, the music that had stopped began to play again. Those who had been standing around soon dispersed, and the hall quickly returned to its initial lively atmosphere. Fortunately, no one came to talk to us or approach us. I had expected many people to approach us, since we were supposedly the main attraction of today’s banquet and nobles from a foreign country, but so far, everyone was just sizing each other up. Taking advantage of the lull, we naturally moved to a secluded spot. Only then did the tension leave my body.

“Ugh, that was nerve-wracking.”

“There’s a lot to be nervous about.”

“But I don’t know anything about noble culture. We jumped straight into the real thing without any practice, so of course I’m nervous.”

“I wasn’t nervous at all.”

“Right. You were really good at talking. You even made up a fake name on the spot.”

“That’s the seasoned skill that comes from over a thousand times the experience.”

As expected of someone who’s practically a lizard, he holds grudges for so long. Dealing with him, still clinging to the thousandfold thing, made me click my tongue. Still, I had to admit it this time. I would have been in real trouble without him. Even if I had made a mistake, I could have somehow smoothed it over, but I didn’t want to give the Archduke even the slightest reason to doubt us. We needed to be as careful as possible, and it would have been ridiculous to be caught off guard by a careless mistake.

Of course, we couldn’t relax yet, as the banquet was still in full swing. I could feel the gazes of those watching us, the stares from all directions prickling my skin. It wasn’t pleasant to feel like an exhibit, but it was a little amusing to see people hurriedly avert their eyes whenever I looked back. There were quite a few people who stopped abruptly as they tried to approach.

“It feels like we’re playing ‘Red Light, Green Light’.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a game.”

“You say things I don’t understand sometimes.”

Muttering with a bewildered expression, Lapis brought the wine glass he was holding to his lips. He steadily emptied the glass, and it was soon almost empty. Next to him, As was emptying his glass at a similar pace. I watched them for a moment before glancing down. The glass I was holding was not much different from when I first received it, with almost all the wine still left.

“If you’re not going to drink that, give it to me.”

Lapis reached out, thinking that I was hesitating whether to drink it or not. I handed him the glass without hesitation.

“You two are good drinkers. I don’t really like this because it tastes kind of strange. It’s not wine, so what is it?”

“It’s fruit wine. It’s made from a fruit called Beril. It’s an expensive wine, but its unique aroma makes it an acquired taste. I guess it doesn’t suit you.”

“Hmm, I liked the wine Troel made much better.”

“…Are you crazy? Hey, don’t say things like that out loud. What are you even comparing it to?”

“Is, is that so?”

“Are you even asking? Troel’s special brew is divine wine. It’s a spiritual elixir that makes you feel the ultimate taste even if you have no sense of taste. Even the gods are desperate to get their hands on it. How dare you compare it to Beril wine? More importantly, did that guy give you wine? Damn it, he told me to get lost when I asked.”

“You shouldn’t call your godfather ‘that guy.’ That’s why he didn’t give it to you.”

“Shut up.”

He ground his teeth with a resentful expression, clearly quite upset. It seemed that a thoughtless remark from me had caused an unexpected stir in his heart. I hoped he wasn’t going through a late rebellious phase. He was already arrogant enough, and if he got any worse, it would be a disaster. I didn’t want to imagine such a thing, so I hoped he would restrain himself. More than that, I hoped As wouldn’t take after him. It was the most important time for his emotional development, but the adult who was supposed to set an example was that thing(?), so I was very worried. Anxious, I turned around, and As met my eyes and smiled brightly as he ate a cookie. Seeing his pure smile, I felt relieved.

“Anyway, Beril wine… They’re serving this at the banquet. It’s a fitting wine for today’s theme. Well, Ifrit would have to come to know if this is Vinol or not.”

“Huh? Ifrit?”

“It’s just a folktale.”

“A folktale?”

Lapis nodded at my question.

“Once upon a time, there was a village called Vinol. The villagers worshiped Ifrit, the King of Fire, but they failed to recognize the envoy he sent and brutally killed him. Greatly angered by this, Ifrit melted the entire village.”

“Whoa.”

“After that, the ruined land was considered cursed and left abandoned for many years. That is, until a lost merchant accidentally wandered in one day. And the merchant discovered a gem mine there. A huge gem mine was formed in the area due to Ifrit’s power. So the merchant became rich.”

“…So?”

“That’s it.”

What kind of conclusion is that? I stared at him in disbelief, but Lapis just shrugged. He tells me I say incomprehensible things, but I don’t know who’s really saying them.

“What interesting stories are you sharing? If you don’t mind, we’d like to join you.”

At that moment, an unfamiliar voice broke into our conversation. I turned to see a group of men and women dressed in fancy clothes standing with flushed faces. They looked familiar, and I realized they were the group that had been hesitating whenever I turned to look. While I was talking to Lapis and not paying attention, they must have decided to strike up a conversation.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Rak, the second son of the Miolan County.”

“I’m Idif, the third daughter of the Rabon Marquis.”

“I am…”

Starting with one person, self-introductions began to pour out as if in competition. Then, other groups that had been elsewhere also began to join in. The men mainly flocked to our side, while the women gathered around As. This soon led to the natural formation of two groups. Of course, there was no room for our opinions in this process. The crowd surged in like a wave, and As was quickly buried within it.

When I came to my senses, only Lapis and I were surrounded by a group of men. I looked towards As with a bewildered heart, but all I could see were women. Since dresses are voluminous, it was hard to even find a shadow in that crowd.

“Um…”

“Yes, my lady. Please speak.”

“…No, nothing.”

Seeing their faces full of anticipation, I couldn’t bring myself to speak. The men’s expressions became even more pleased, thinking that I was shy.

“I was surprised that a banquet was suddenly held at this time, but I never expected to meet such beautiful ladies. I would have really regretted not coming.”

“I heard you’re from the Albato Kingdom. One of my family’s retainers is from there. I’ve heard it’s a very beautiful country.”

“I also had a friend who was from the Albato Kingdom during my studies. It was a country I always wanted to visit.”

They kept talking without stopping, even though I didn’t show any particular reaction. Their repeated mention of the Albato Kingdom showed their persistent determination to somehow find a common topic. As someone who had never lived in the Albato Kingdom, let alone even known of its existence until today, I couldn’t help but feel dismayed at that moment.

While I was fidgeting, unable to give a proper answer, Lapis simply kept drinking his wine in silence. The sight of the deep red liquid in the transparent glass being swallowed into his mouth continued at a very slow pace. Then, the men who had been talking one-sidedly gradually fell silent. Everyone stared at him, as if mesmerized. When Lapis put down his glass and smiled languidly, gasps of breath escaped from all directions.

“Oh dear, I’ve already finished it.”

The eyes of the men, who had been blankly staring, suddenly sharpened at his regretful murmur. With everyone focused on him, Lapis held up his empty glass.

“This is really delicious. I’d like to drink more, but is there anyone who would bring me some?”

What followed was a scene of madness.

“I, I will… !”

“No, I’ll go!”

“What are you saying? It’s me! I’ll bring it!”

“Please wait! This is for me!”

The crowd scattered. The sight of them reaching out to the servants holding trays and running towards them was like a horde of zombies.

“…”

I felt like I had experienced all the bizarre things I would ever encounter in my life all at once. I didn’t need to look in a mirror to know that my expression was completely sour. As I was about to give him a look that said, “Are you crazy?”, Lapis had already wiped away his smile and returned to his indifferent expression. “Too easy. Dealing with these immature brats is a piece of cake.” I wondered if it was my imagination, but I even sensed a long-standing weariness on his face as he muttered. I don’t know what kind of life this guy has lived. As I stared at him awkwardly, he waved his hand at me.

“I’ll take care of things here, so go to that one over there.”

“That one?”

“That one.”

I quickly realized who he was referring to. I could see someone pacing back and forth on the garden side beyond the banquet hall balcony. They were trying to hide their appearance as much as possible with a hood and cloak, but they couldn’t fool my eyes. It was Deron.

‘If he’s here…’

The chaos in my head subsided. I looked up, and Lapis gave me a look that said to hurry up and go. Just then, men clutching wine glasses in both hands were starting to return one by one. Now was the perfect time to slip away unnoticed.

“Are you going to be okay alone?”

“Worry about yourself. You’re just going to stand there stiffly anyway. You’re more of a hindrance.”

“…What are you up to?”

Lapis wouldn’t be happy to deal with them unless he was out of his mind. Normally, he would have clung to me like a leech, either because he didn’t want to do it alone or to mess with me. He wouldn’t send me away like this. In fact, he looked very annoyed.

“Just because. There are a few things I need to confirm.”

“What kind of confirmation?”

“It’s nothing much. The results will be out soon anyway, but I can’t stand just waiting.”

I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but I couldn’t help it since he said so. Maybe it was connected to the incomprehensible folktale he had mentioned earlier. He waved his hand again, and this time I didn’t hesitate either. It was already a torment to be in this place, so there was no reason to refuse the opportunity to leave. There were no eyes watching me, and there was no one in sight on the way to my destination. I took advantage of the opportunity to move quickly and then nimbly descended into the garden through the balcony. More precisely, to where Deron was hiding.

“Deron.”

“… !”

Deron, who was crouching down and surveying the banquet hall, seemed startled when I suddenly appeared. I called out in a small voice as he tried to run away, and he flinched and turned around. However, contrary to my expectation that he would be happy to see me, he showed even more signs of wariness. I couldn’t feel his gaze because of the hood, but I could sense a faint chill along with a faint murderous intent. As I was bewildered by the unexpected hostility, an even more absurd question followed.

“Who are you?”

“Excuse me?”

“How do you know me?”

What, could it be that he doesn’t recognize me? I began to understand the situation, but an answer didn’t come out right away. He was the one hiding his appearance, but I was the one who was openly revealing myself, and I never imagined that I would receive such a question. He reacted to the name, so it was clear that he was Deron himself, and it didn’t seem like he had hurt his head or eyes. In the end, there was only one reason why he wouldn’t recognize me…

“Um, it’s me, Deron.”

“How am I supposed to know if you say it like that…”

He trailed off slowly, his tone unpleasant. It seemed that he had finally realized that my appearance was familiar. I waited patiently as he stared intently for a long time, and he soon hurriedly pulled back the hood he was wearing. His exposed face was unusually blank.

“Oh… El-nim?”

“Do you recognize me now?”

I laughed in dismay, and Deron’s eyes widened even more. He was expressing shock with his whole body, and soon asked with a sullen face.

“…Why are you dressed like that?”

Sorry I’m dressed like this!

Damn it, so he didn’t recognize me because of the cross-dressing. The fact that he openly targeted a part that was already a big blow was even more shocking. I wished he would pretend not to know, and if possible, not pay any attention at all, but it seemed that I had expected too much. I had received a lot of help from his indifferent personality, which didn’t care about others, but this time my heart ached. He even rubbed salt in the wound, not to mention digging it up.

“No, I don’t mean to say it doesn’t suit you. It’s just that it suits you too well, which is the problem.”

“Oh, is that so.”

“Yes, there’s so little sense of incongruity that I just thought you were a woman. It’s even more perfect with makeup. If you keep doing that, no one will see you as a man.”

“…I understand, so please shut your mouth.”

“But I haven’t said what I really need to say yet.”

“What you really need to say?”

“It would be more appropriate to call it a mission report. That guy is here. I’m talking about a guy named Caribdis.”

His voice that followed was very serious. It was commendable that he changed the subject, but he didn’t seem to realize that he had missed the point. I stared at his increasingly serious face and sighed deeply.