They were all trying hard to hold back their laughter, their cheeks trembling. Count Blava’s face turned bright red, and the flesh beneath his wide-open eyes twitched.
Pelarhar leaned toward Erdene and whispered.
“Your Majesty, you shouldn’t offer someone else to eat roasted wild boar at the table.”
“Why?”
Erdene looked at Pelarhar with interest.
She was so busy looking back and forth between the roasted wild boar piled on her plate and Count Blava’s flushed face that she didn’t even notice that Arkan was looking at her and Pelarhar with meaningful eyes.
Pelarhar, holding back his laughter, whispered again.
“It means to keep your mouth shut.”
“Aha.”
Roasted pheasant was almost always served at dinner, but it had to be eaten whole, and because it was small, forks and knives could not be used.
In other words, it had to be eaten with one’s hands, which was not a particularly pleasant sight.
That’s why those who ate roasted pheasant had to cover their eyes with an opaque cloth.
Because of the way they ate it, they could not talk while eating roasted pheasant.
Only then did Erdene understand the situation. The only difference between her and others was that she did not hold back her laughter.
The brows of Kensilom and the messengers of Etonhorn, who were looking at her with surprised expressions as she laughed out loud, furrowed in displeasure.
At that moment, Count Blava, who had been sulking all the time after being hit by Marquis Fiddler, twisted his lips and forced a smile.
“I heard that Your Majesty once only laughed when you cut off the enemy’s head on the battlefield. It’s not even a battlefield, but seeing you laughing makes me shiver.”
Erdene looked straight at Count Blava.
The people who had been murmuring also held their breath for a moment, and some pretended to wipe their mouths and hurriedly wiped away the cold sweat that had formed.
At that moment, the sound of a glass being set down and a loud, boisterous voice cut through the silence.
“Oh my, Count Blava! I thought you had a bigger belly than the last time I saw you. Did you hear that if you gain weight too suddenly, you are at higher risk of sudden death? Oh my, why does the blood flow to the heart stop when you gain weight? I was so scared when I heard that you stopped eating sweets. If you feel your flesh trembling, you should take care of yourself. I am telling you this because I am worried.”
As More Wickes softened her eyebrows with that gentle face, Count Blava’s face turned red and blue.
The moment he was about to get up from his seat, Pelarhar, and Arkan burst into laughter at the same time.
Then, laughter spread throughout the table.
Except for the person concerned and a few others... In particular, Arkan laughed cheerfully as if he had almost become a little embarrassed when he saw Pelarhar and Erdene whispering a little while ago.
“You ordered it?”
This time, Arkan leaned toward Erdene and whispered.
Erdene stared at Count Blava while drinking and replied as if nothing had happened.
“The selection is my plan. But I didn’t write the script.”
At that moment, Count Blava couldn’t stand it anymore and got up from his seat.
Everyone was startled by the sound of the chair being pushed back and looked at him.
A look of embarrassment crossed the Count’s face for a moment as if it had been intentional, but he just trembled and left it at that.
“How rude.”
Arkan’s cold voice flew through the atmosphere that had been filled with cold water.
“I made a few jokes while we were all having fun, so what is this, Count Blava?”
“A joke? Your Majesty, I have been insulted!”
“Insulted? Then what you said to my Queen was not a joke, but an insult, is that so?”
Count Blava’s lips were tightly shut.
As Arkan stood up, everyone sitting around the table followed suit.
Erdene also slowly stood up.
Arkan said,
“Considering that it was a place where people can easily make mistakes when drunk and also a place of joy, I tried to laugh off your rude remarks, but if you claim to have been insulted, then I too cannot help but say something about your impertinent words and actions. My queen is now a person of Vetor and has no relations with the empire, so why do you bring up the past? Are you, a foreigner, declaring that you will not treat the Queen of Vetor with dignity?”
“That...!”
“Does the King of Kensilom know that the envoys who have come on diplomatic duty are doing their utmost to test my patience? And Etonhorn?”
The bewildered envoys exchanged glances. Some of them were almost twice Arkan’s age.
There were those who had seen him when he was a Prince when he lost his brother and became a Crown Prince, and finally when he became a young King.
But none of them had ever seen Arkan this angry.
Arkan looked around the frozen crowd and said,
“If you are too drunk to stay, I will not blame you if you leave first. Not only the envoys of Kensilom and Etonhorn but also the lords. This is a place for fellowship, so enjoy your meal freely without being rude to each other.”
Arkan sat down again. The others followed suit, and the meal resumed.
Several of the envoys left while the servants were busy replenishing the food and taking away the empty plates.
There were already several empty seats at the end, so the empty seats were not very noticeable, but Erdene looked at the envoys who had left while pretending to drink and those who had stayed.
“Sophia.”
At Erdene’s call, Sophia cautiously got up and approached her. Erdene, who motioned for her to come closer, whispered in a voice too small to be heard by others.
“Even if nothing we’re worried about happens, it would be best to wait and see for now. Is Commander Wiziard still in the palace?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. He’ll probably be here all night.”
“Good. Have him place a few quick soldiers outside the central palace. Make sure they’re not noticed. And tell the guards in the corridor where the messengers stay to keep an eye out for anyone coming and going.”
“Understood.”
As Sophia hurriedly left, Arkan, who had been glancing around, asked,
“What did you talk about with Miss Fiddler?”
Erdene drank the liquor she had filled her glass with, her eyes widening.
“A conversation between women.”
Arkan opened his lips with a dumbfounded expression. At that moment, Pelarhar suddenly interjected and made a joke.
“I used to give advice to ladies a lot while traveling, Your Majesty.”
Erdene burst into laughter.
“I know the Duke is a talented person, but it’s a very secret story. It’s not even a worry.”
“Then, if you have any worries next time, please call me.”
“Of course.”
At that, Arkan’s lips suddenly moved a little.
“Why would you ask the Duke for advice when I’m here?”
Perhaps because he was conscious of the gaze of others, he spoke in an ambiguous tone that was neither formal nor informal.
Pelarhar laughed slyly.
“No one here can deny that Your Majesty is wise, but... Isn’t Your Majesty a difficult person to give advice to?”
“Nonsense. I listen to other people’s worries so well.”
Then Arkan suddenly turned around.
“Isn’t that right, Plat?”
Plat, who had been absentmindedly staring at the background noise of the banquet hall, suddenly opened his eyes in surprise.
While he missed the chance to quickly answer, Erdene said teasingly,
“I don’t think so.”
Arkan’s brow furrowed again.
Erdene and Pelarhar looked at his face, smiled mischievously, and clinked their glasses.
At that moment, bitterness passed over Pelarhar and Arkan’s faces, but Erdene didn’t notice it.
After the meal was settled, the people dispersed to enjoy desserts or chat while drinking.
Those who enjoyed smoking sat in the seats set aside for them on the balcony, enjoying the piano and smoking their pipes. After the meal, Erdene met Belen and confirmed the positions of the soldiers.
Belen, who didn’t know what had happened in the conference room during the day, was bewildered by the sudden change but faithfully followed orders.
“You said it was an assassination attempt?”
Belen was startled after hearing a brief explanation from Erdene.
As his voice grew louder, Erdene almost hit him like they used to in the Empire... but she showed patience by raising her fist.
“Keep your voice down.”
“Is that true, Your Majesty?”
“I don’t know. But among the guards they brought, there was definitely one who specialized in that kind of thing.”
“You mean the captain of the guard?”
“Speak sense. What talent would that dull, big guy have?”
“Then...”
Pelarhar leaned toward Erdene and whispered.
“Your Majesty, you shouldn’t offer someone else to eat roasted wild boar at the table.”
“Why?”
Erdene looked at Pelarhar with interest.
She was so busy looking back and forth between the roasted wild boar piled on her plate and Count Blava’s flushed face that she didn’t even notice that Arkan was looking at her and Pelarhar with meaningful eyes.
Pelarhar, holding back his laughter, whispered again.
“It means to keep your mouth shut.”
“Aha.”
Roasted pheasant was almost always served at dinner, but it had to be eaten whole, and because it was small, forks and knives could not be used.
In other words, it had to be eaten with one’s hands, which was not a particularly pleasant sight.
That’s why those who ate roasted pheasant had to cover their eyes with an opaque cloth.
Because of the way they ate it, they could not talk while eating roasted pheasant.
Only then did Erdene understand the situation. The only difference between her and others was that she did not hold back her laughter.
The brows of Kensilom and the messengers of Etonhorn, who were looking at her with surprised expressions as she laughed out loud, furrowed in displeasure.
At that moment, Count Blava, who had been sulking all the time after being hit by Marquis Fiddler, twisted his lips and forced a smile.
“I heard that Your Majesty once only laughed when you cut off the enemy’s head on the battlefield. It’s not even a battlefield, but seeing you laughing makes me shiver.”
Erdene looked straight at Count Blava.
The people who had been murmuring also held their breath for a moment, and some pretended to wipe their mouths and hurriedly wiped away the cold sweat that had formed.
At that moment, the sound of a glass being set down and a loud, boisterous voice cut through the silence.
“Oh my, Count Blava! I thought you had a bigger belly than the last time I saw you. Did you hear that if you gain weight too suddenly, you are at higher risk of sudden death? Oh my, why does the blood flow to the heart stop when you gain weight? I was so scared when I heard that you stopped eating sweets. If you feel your flesh trembling, you should take care of yourself. I am telling you this because I am worried.”
As More Wickes softened her eyebrows with that gentle face, Count Blava’s face turned red and blue.
The moment he was about to get up from his seat, Pelarhar, and Arkan burst into laughter at the same time.
Then, laughter spread throughout the table.
Except for the person concerned and a few others... In particular, Arkan laughed cheerfully as if he had almost become a little embarrassed when he saw Pelarhar and Erdene whispering a little while ago.
“You ordered it?”
This time, Arkan leaned toward Erdene and whispered.
Erdene stared at Count Blava while drinking and replied as if nothing had happened.
“The selection is my plan. But I didn’t write the script.”
At that moment, Count Blava couldn’t stand it anymore and got up from his seat.
Everyone was startled by the sound of the chair being pushed back and looked at him.
A look of embarrassment crossed the Count’s face for a moment as if it had been intentional, but he just trembled and left it at that.
“How rude.”
Arkan’s cold voice flew through the atmosphere that had been filled with cold water.
“I made a few jokes while we were all having fun, so what is this, Count Blava?”
“A joke? Your Majesty, I have been insulted!”
“Insulted? Then what you said to my Queen was not a joke, but an insult, is that so?”
Count Blava’s lips were tightly shut.
As Arkan stood up, everyone sitting around the table followed suit.
Erdene also slowly stood up.
Arkan said,
“Considering that it was a place where people can easily make mistakes when drunk and also a place of joy, I tried to laugh off your rude remarks, but if you claim to have been insulted, then I too cannot help but say something about your impertinent words and actions. My queen is now a person of Vetor and has no relations with the empire, so why do you bring up the past? Are you, a foreigner, declaring that you will not treat the Queen of Vetor with dignity?”
“That...!”
“Does the King of Kensilom know that the envoys who have come on diplomatic duty are doing their utmost to test my patience? And Etonhorn?”
The bewildered envoys exchanged glances. Some of them were almost twice Arkan’s age.
There were those who had seen him when he was a Prince when he lost his brother and became a Crown Prince, and finally when he became a young King.
But none of them had ever seen Arkan this angry.
Arkan looked around the frozen crowd and said,
“If you are too drunk to stay, I will not blame you if you leave first. Not only the envoys of Kensilom and Etonhorn but also the lords. This is a place for fellowship, so enjoy your meal freely without being rude to each other.”
Arkan sat down again. The others followed suit, and the meal resumed.
Several of the envoys left while the servants were busy replenishing the food and taking away the empty plates.
There were already several empty seats at the end, so the empty seats were not very noticeable, but Erdene looked at the envoys who had left while pretending to drink and those who had stayed.
“Sophia.”
At Erdene’s call, Sophia cautiously got up and approached her. Erdene, who motioned for her to come closer, whispered in a voice too small to be heard by others.
“Even if nothing we’re worried about happens, it would be best to wait and see for now. Is Commander Wiziard still in the palace?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. He’ll probably be here all night.”
“Good. Have him place a few quick soldiers outside the central palace. Make sure they’re not noticed. And tell the guards in the corridor where the messengers stay to keep an eye out for anyone coming and going.”
“Understood.”
As Sophia hurriedly left, Arkan, who had been glancing around, asked,
“What did you talk about with Miss Fiddler?”
Erdene drank the liquor she had filled her glass with, her eyes widening.
“A conversation between women.”
Arkan opened his lips with a dumbfounded expression. At that moment, Pelarhar suddenly interjected and made a joke.
“I used to give advice to ladies a lot while traveling, Your Majesty.”
Erdene burst into laughter.
“I know the Duke is a talented person, but it’s a very secret story. It’s not even a worry.”
“Then, if you have any worries next time, please call me.”
“Of course.”
At that, Arkan’s lips suddenly moved a little.
“Why would you ask the Duke for advice when I’m here?”
Perhaps because he was conscious of the gaze of others, he spoke in an ambiguous tone that was neither formal nor informal.
Pelarhar laughed slyly.
“No one here can deny that Your Majesty is wise, but... Isn’t Your Majesty a difficult person to give advice to?”
“Nonsense. I listen to other people’s worries so well.”
Then Arkan suddenly turned around.
“Isn’t that right, Plat?”
Plat, who had been absentmindedly staring at the background noise of the banquet hall, suddenly opened his eyes in surprise.
While he missed the chance to quickly answer, Erdene said teasingly,
“I don’t think so.”
Arkan’s brow furrowed again.
Erdene and Pelarhar looked at his face, smiled mischievously, and clinked their glasses.
At that moment, bitterness passed over Pelarhar and Arkan’s faces, but Erdene didn’t notice it.
***
After the meal was settled, the people dispersed to enjoy desserts or chat while drinking.
Those who enjoyed smoking sat in the seats set aside for them on the balcony, enjoying the piano and smoking their pipes. After the meal, Erdene met Belen and confirmed the positions of the soldiers.
Belen, who didn’t know what had happened in the conference room during the day, was bewildered by the sudden change but faithfully followed orders.
“You said it was an assassination attempt?”
Belen was startled after hearing a brief explanation from Erdene.
As his voice grew louder, Erdene almost hit him like they used to in the Empire... but she showed patience by raising her fist.
“Keep your voice down.”
“Is that true, Your Majesty?”
“I don’t know. But among the guards they brought, there was definitely one who specialized in that kind of thing.”
“You mean the captain of the guard?”
“Speak sense. What talent would that dull, big guy have?”
“Then...”
Said Erdene.
“There was a man with brown hair and a rather small build among the guards. He had a burn scar next to his right ear. Judging from his hands, he wasn’t someone who wielded a greatsword. He didn’t have the muscles to handle a blunt weapon smoothly. However, his legs were sturdy. I could tell he was used to sneaking into buildings or climbing the outer walls of watchtowers.”
“There was a man with brown hair and a rather small build among the guards. He had a burn scar next to his right ear. Judging from his hands, he wasn’t someone who wielded a greatsword. He didn’t have the muscles to handle a blunt weapon smoothly. However, his legs were sturdy. I could tell he was used to sneaking into buildings or climbing the outer walls of watchtowers.”
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