The day of my promised meeting with Duke Seraph was fast approaching.
The game that Elze, Shan, and Duke Seraph played was one of pushing each other away from the edge of a cliff. Elze prepared as best she could in the face of a game that would leave no room for compromise.
However, some things cannot be achieved with effort alone. From now on, all they can do is leave it up to heaven and hope that everything goes smoothly as planned. Among the plans Elze had made, there were also some that Elijah and Kalia had to take part in.
"Captain!"
“Lord Erzenes.”
Elze brightly welcomed the Master of Kalia, Epen, and Elijah who came to see her.
“Thank you for your hard work last time, Epen. It was thanks to the Kalias.”
The Kallias made a great contribution to finding Rabia. The Kalias, who were former members of the Assassins Guild, were skilled in tracking down their target, Rabia. If it weren't for them, Rabia might not have been found yet. Epen responded to Elze's compliment with a little embarrassment.
“No. Everyone was happy to be able to help the madam in her work.”
“Thank you for saying so. I hope you have a nice day today.”
As a warm atmosphere swept over Epen and Elze, Ivanna jumped in.
“Captain, Captain! Don’t you praise me? I’ve been a great help too.”
“Ivanna.”
Ivanna was immediately subdued by Rapine. Tarkun was laughing beside her, and then Ivanna pinched his arm. Anyway, Tarkun seemed to be doing it on purpose. Elze poked Tarkun and said.
“You stop harassing Ivanna. You’re not some brat who harasses a girl he’s interested in.”
“What!”
Tarkun jumped up and down, saying that was nonsense. Elze listened to his words with one ear and let it go, looking at Rapine.
“Please take care of me, Rapine. Today’s work is important... I hope Epen will listen to what Raphine says.”
Rapine and Epen nodded at Elze's request.
“Don’t worry, Captain.”
“I will follow Lors Rapine’s orders as if they were my madam’s.”
Elze smiled at the trustworthy answer. Elijah and Kalia said their last goodbyes to Elze and quietly disappeared.
After sending them off, Elze called her maids and began preparing to go out. Today, Elze dressed up several times more elaborately than usual as if she were attending an important banquet.
Overall, the attire was simple and not extravagant. However, the delicately braided hair was decorated with an expensive jewel pin, and the bracelet peeking out between the sleeves was also an expensive item with a diamond pendant.
The autumn wind was chilly, so the shawl she wore was made of high-quality wool, and was embroidered with thread of the same color. The subtly visible embroidery showed a dignified value without being flashy. At first glance, it seemed like she was dressed simply, but if Elze were to sell just the things she was wearing today, it would be worth a fortune.
Shan said a word as he looked at Elze's well-dressed appearance.
“There’s no need to go to such lengths to meet Duke Seraph.”
“I’m ready for battle.”
“Battle... ready?”
Shan asked back, not understanding the correlation between dressing up and being ready for battle. But Elze wasn't kind enough to tell him about the existence of women, so he just shrugged and let it go.
The time to meet Duke Seraph was after dark. After confirming that the sun was slowly setting, Elze and Shan departed from the Targayel mansion.
The meeting place with the Duke, Hapyrion, was a famous restaurant located in a busy area next to Plaza de Manuap. Although it did not have a long history and tradition like other restaurants in the capital, it was especially popular among young nobles for its unique and creative food.
Unlike other restaurants with a vertical organizational culture, Hapyrion's characteristic was that everyone, from the restaurant manager to the lowest-ranking errand boys, freely expressed their opinions and discussed the restaurant's operations.
And the owner of this quirky restaurant was Machangs Top.
“What business doesn’t Machangs do?”
Elze asked in shock after hearing a brief explanation in the carriage heading to Harpyrion. Shan thought about Elze's question for a moment and then said.
“Of course there are, but I can’t think of any right now.”
It seemed that Machangs was active in so many different areas that Shan couldn't even think of them.
She had known for a long time that the upper level would be large. However, since Elze was not involved in the operation of the upper level of Machangs, she had no idea that it would be this large.
It was natural that the company, which was launched to procure military supplies, would have a firm hold on the military industry, but Elze couldn't help but be surprised that all the stores that were considered famous in various industries were owned by Machangs.
In addition, since they had branches overseas, it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were influencing the entire Baluar Empire.
“You’re so rich. I envy you, I envy you...”
Shan raised his eyebrows at Elze's muttering in a slightly weary tone.
“It’s all yours too.”
“Anyway, what I mean is.”
“I’m just telling the truth.”
Elze glanced at Shan and then changed the subject.
“I might throw a punch if I see Duke Seraph. Should I stop him?”
The person who awakened Elze's violent nature, who had been living as a pacifist after the war, was Duke Seraph. Elze felt like she could easily beat Duke Seraph for three days and nights. Looking at Elze like that, Shan answered in embarrassment.
“Well, I’m not sure I can really stop you.”
It was the first time she had heard the word insecure come out of his mouth. When Elze looked at him in doubt, Shan smiled faintly and said.
“Because I might hit him first before that.”
Elze couldn't help but laugh along with Shan's words. While the two were chatting about such trivial things, they arrived at their destination before they knew it. As Elze and Shan got out of the carriage, a scuffle was taking place in front of the restaurant.
“Why not! Why can’t I get in!!”
“Sorry, we are closed today.”
A young, blue-eyed young man was running wild in front of the old manager. She guessed that Shan had rented out the entire restaurant that day and was unable to enter or leave, so he was causing a commotion. The man spoke to the old manager with a sharp voice.
“I! Today! I have to eat here!!”
Shan knew who that man was. He was the son of the Marquis of Geth, a member of the royal family, and an established noble family like Shan.
The Marquis of Geth was one of the key figures who followed Duke Seraph, and he heard that he had one daughter and one son. And the rumor that the son was a hopeless bastard was widespread in high society. Shan had seen the Marquis's son-in-law causing trouble at a previous banquet, so he remembered his face.
"...Ha."
Shan let out a sigh and made a slight noise. Then the manager left the man alone and quickly ran over to greet him.
“Are you here, Count?”
Unlike how he had treated the man, his attitude was extremely polite. The man turned his head with a loud noise, wondering who would dare to pass him by and greet him. Then he opened his eyes.
“...Count Targayel?”
There was no noble in the Baluar Empire who did not know Shan. Even if they had never seen his face, his copper-colored skin and purple eyes were rare, so they would recognize him immediately.
His face hardened when he saw Shan. The established aristocrats had a strong sense of pride in being aristocrats. Among them, those who were so proud that they almost seemed pathological had two things in common.
The first was that they worshiped and served the Seraph Duke as a god. The Duke Seraph was the noblest of nobles, possessing everything they most desired. To the established nobles, the Duke Seraph was no different from an idol.
The second was the dislike of Shan. Duke Wade approached Shan out of necessity, but he was an unusual case. Most people despised Shan, seeing him as a baseless, shallow man who had become a Count by luck after being a swordsman on the battlefield.
Marquis Geth was also one of those who were obsessed with the pride of the nobility and had disliked Shan from long ago. Naturally, his son could not like Shan either.
Still, Shan didn't know that he would show his hostility so openly. It seemed that the rumors of him being a total idiot were true. Shan's face hardened coldly, and the man greeted him with a loud cough.
“Ahem, ahem! It’s Adam from Geth.”
“This is Shan Cirxus of Targayel.”
Adam glanced back at Elze, listening to Shan's words. When Elze gave him a polite nod, a blush appeared on his face.
“...”
Shan, who was watching the scene, felt extremely uncomfortable. Anyway, the problem was that Duke Seraph and these crazy guys didn't think it was a big deal to flirt with married women. Even that guy Adam blushed when he saw Elze just now.
Shan doesn't know about anything else, but the custom of Baluar, which looked down on married people having mistresses, was disgusting. As Shan was gritting his teeth, Adam looked Shan up and down and asked.
“What’s going on?”
It was a question with the nuance of, 'Why are you here?' Shan answered with his eyes slightly narrowed.
“I have a promise.”
“I see. I heard that Harpyrion is closed today. I’m sorry, but I think you picked the wrong day. I apologize to the person who made the appointment.”
There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone. He even turned his gaze to Elze and committed the rudeness of staring at her. It was like a young, blue-eyed boy who was openly fighting and pounced on her. It was an unspeakable thing for Shan. Shan took a step forward and blocked Adam’s gaze.
“It can’t be helped.”
Because Adam was short, Shan looked down at him. Shan looked down and continued.
“I have reserved the entire Harpyrion.”
"...Yes?"
Adam blinked blankly. But Adam's surprise didn't end there.
A four-wheeled carriage drawn by four white horses stopped elegantly in front of the Harpyrion Restaurant. The carriage was painted in deep blue and had a large gold drawing of an angel holding a cross, the symbol of the Seraph family.
A neatly dressed coachman got out of the carriage, unfolded the folding steps, readjusted his attire, and knocked lightly on the carriage door.
The door opened and a dazzling blond-haired man stepped out of the carriage. Wearing a tailored coat, a top hat, and white gloves on his hands, the man looked at Shan. Shan nodded and greeted him.
"Your Excellency."
“Count Targayel.”
The nobleman who answered was Duke Seraph. Duke Seraph, who had been smiling brightly when he saw Elze standing next to Shan, stopped. He had found Adam.
“...?”
Duke Seraph frowned slightly at the unexpected figure. Adam, who had been absent-minded, bowed with his back bent at a right angle with a pale face.
“Oh, oh, Your Excellency! I didn’t know Your Excellency had an appointment with the Count...!”
A cold sweat ran down Adam's forehead as he remembered that he had just laughed at Shan's promise.
Duke Seraph tilted his head slightly and looked at Adam. Duke Seraph stared at him blankly and then let out a soft exclamation.
“Ahh... This is Marquis of Geth.”
Adam was very excited when the Duke Seraph recognized him. He nodded enthusiastically and said,
“Yes! This is Adam from Geth! It is a great honor to have the opportunity to meet you in person and hear your words!!”
Adam looked at Duke Seraph with sparkling eyes, but sadly Duke Seraph’s expression was cold. Although he was smiling on the surface, Elze and Shan could tell that his eyes were cold.
Duke Seraph was a perfectionist. He pathologically hated any flaws in his plans. Adam's appearance was unexpected, and it was enough to irritate Duke Seraph.
Anyway, Elze and Shan were quietly watching. If they just stayed still, the Duke Seraph would take care of removing the annoying leech, so there was no need to step forward. That was until the sparks flew to Elze, who was just standing there quietly.
“It’s been a while, Ma’am. It’s been so long since we last met, and I haven’t had a chance to greet you.”
Elze, who had been watching blankly, reacted belatedly to the arrow that suddenly came back to her.
“Ah, yes... I’m also late in greeting you, Your Excellency."
Despite Elze's halfhearted answer, Duke Seraph smiled brightly.
“You look more beautiful than the last time I saw you. The bracelet suits you well.”
It seemed that he had just seen the bracelet that was hidden by the sleeve. Elze unconsciously touched her wrist and asked in a trembling voice.
“When did you see that again?”
She asked and then regretted it. It was extremely presumptuous of her to speak to a Duke. If there were only three of them, then it might be understandable, but it was not something she should say in front of Adam watching.
Of course, Duke Seraph was not one to care about such things. He answered with a very happy expression.
“I always pay a lot of attention to Madam.”
Duke Seraph's eyes folded into crescent moons. He added with a faint smile.
“And besides that... even other little details.”
Elze tried to control her expression. She felt that she had to show at least a little courtesy since Adam was watching her. She was thinking about what to say to Duke Seraph, but something no one expected happened. Adam suddenly got angry and interrupted.
“Countess Targayel! Why do you say so?”
Elze, Shan, and even Duke Seraph looked at Adam with bewildered eyes. Adam spoke to Elze in a somewhat agitated tone.
“No matter how close you to His Excellency, I think it was a bit rude of you to do so.”
“...”
Shan silently rummaged through the inside of his coat. Elze noticed that he was looking for the gloves he had put in his inside pocket, so she quickly grabbed Shan’s arm and whispered.
“What are you doing!”
Shan said in an angry voice to Elze, who was holding his back.
“Then you want me to stay still?”
He looked like he wanted to take out his gloves and slap Adam right away. Elze added urgently in a small voice.
“It was my mistake.”
“...”
Shan furrowed his brows, and Elze tightened her grip on Shan’s arm. Adam was annoying, but Elze had made a mistake anyway. Elze didn’t want Shan to challenge him to a duel because of something like this.
Besides, Shan was someone who might 'accidentally' cut off Adam's head in a duel. After the duel, she could see the future where he would be irreversibly at odds with Marquis Geth. Elze locked eyes with Shan and called his name softly.
“Shan...!”
Shan was angry, but he still listened to Elze's words. Shan put his arms down obediently, with a displeased expression on his face.
But there was someone else who was angry besides Shan. It was Duke Seraph. He looked quite upset after having interrupted his conversation with Elze, whom he had not seen in a long time.
However, Adam seemed unaware that Duke Seraph was angry, as he kept a poker face with a bright smile on his face. On the contrary, Adam looked at Duke Seraph with a very proud face. It was pitiful to see his eyes hoping that he would praise his actions.
Duke Seraph looked at Adam with a soft sigh.
“Oh, oh, oh...”
Adam stood at attention, waiting for Duke Seraph to speak. The Duke smiled and said,
“Madam and I were having a conversation.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“Have you ever considered that what you just did might be seen as rude?”
“Yes... Yes?”
Adam looked dumbfounded, embarrassed.
“Of course, I know you didn’t mean it in a bad way. You just stood up for me.”
Duke Seraph lowered his eyes slightly. His long eyelashes cast shadows around his eyes, and his well-shaped lips let out a pitiful sound.
“But it’s true that the method was a little bit wrong...”
Adam was nodding his head before he knew it. Duke Seraph said with a faint smile.
“So shouldn’t you apologize to Madam?”
“...You are right. I was short-sighted, Your Excellency.”
Adam, who immediately agreed as if he was possessed by something, turned to Elze and Shan and bowed his head in apology.
“I'm sorry.”
The series of events that instantly changed Adam's mistake into an apology was incredibly smooth. Elze was inwardly impressed.
Duke Seraph had perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Shr had always wondered how he could lead the nobles with such a sensitive and prickly personality. But today, she thinks she knows why. He was not the first or second person to use the right mix of carrots and sticks to get people to move.
As Elze was about to answer Adam's apology, Shan gently grabbed her hand. It was a signal that there was no need to answer. Duke Seraph smiled prettily and spoke to Adam.
“I would like you to keep my meeting with Count and Lady Targayel a secret today. I will tell you myself when the time is right.”
“Of course, Your Excellency!”
“Very well. I will meet you next time with the Marquis of Geth..”
“Yes, I understand! It was truly an honor to meet you today.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Duke Seraph, who had finished his conversation with Adam in a dignified manner, turned to Shan. Shan tactfully matched his pace.
“Your Excellency, please go inside.”
“Oh, I have made you stand for too long, Madam.”
The question was asked by Shan, but the person the Duke was answering was Elze. That wasn't surprising at all. Duke Seraph smiled and spoke to Elze.
“Shall we come in, Ma’am?”
“...”
Elze, who didn't want to get involved any further, followed the manager's instructions and hurried into the restaurant.
After letting Elze in first, Duke Seraph also stepped into the restaurant and suddenly turned around.
“Ah... and.”
After confirming once again that Elze had disappeared, Duke Seraph’s face, smiling brightly just a moment ago, became expressionless. Adam, unable to adapt to the sudden change, acted awkwardly.
“Your Excellently?”
Duke Seraph spoke to Adam with eyes like those of a lowly wretch.
“Please fix the bad habit of meddling wherever you go.”
Then, she disappeared into the restaurant. Adam gaped in a daze at the words he had clearly heard but couldn't believe.
The Duke had been kind just a moment ago. Adam had no doubt that he had done something to score points with the Duke Seraph today. While Adam was trying to think back on his mistake, an ominous voice called his name.
“Adam Geth.”
Adam looked in surprise at the sound of the voice. There was Count Targayel, looking at him calmly. Shan slowly opened his mouth.
“The insult I committed against my wife today...”
The corners of his mouth slowly twisted upward.
“I will remember it and not forget it.”
“No, what the...!”
Shan said that and went into the restaurant. Adam tried to chase after him, but the restaurant security guards who had been keeping a close eye on the situation politely stopped him.
As usual, he was too concerned about Duke Seraph inside the restaurant to push away the guards. In the end, he could only stare at the Harpyrion Restaurant from afar.
“..."
Adam couldn't shake the feeling that he had done something terrible. But it was too late to fix it. Adam stared at the Harpyrion Restaurant for a while, not knowing what to do, and then he staggered away.
The game that Elze, Shan, and Duke Seraph played was one of pushing each other away from the edge of a cliff. Elze prepared as best she could in the face of a game that would leave no room for compromise.
However, some things cannot be achieved with effort alone. From now on, all they can do is leave it up to heaven and hope that everything goes smoothly as planned. Among the plans Elze had made, there were also some that Elijah and Kalia had to take part in.
"Captain!"
“Lord Erzenes.”
Elze brightly welcomed the Master of Kalia, Epen, and Elijah who came to see her.
“Thank you for your hard work last time, Epen. It was thanks to the Kalias.”
The Kallias made a great contribution to finding Rabia. The Kalias, who were former members of the Assassins Guild, were skilled in tracking down their target, Rabia. If it weren't for them, Rabia might not have been found yet. Epen responded to Elze's compliment with a little embarrassment.
“No. Everyone was happy to be able to help the madam in her work.”
“Thank you for saying so. I hope you have a nice day today.”
As a warm atmosphere swept over Epen and Elze, Ivanna jumped in.
“Captain, Captain! Don’t you praise me? I’ve been a great help too.”
“Ivanna.”
Ivanna was immediately subdued by Rapine. Tarkun was laughing beside her, and then Ivanna pinched his arm. Anyway, Tarkun seemed to be doing it on purpose. Elze poked Tarkun and said.
“You stop harassing Ivanna. You’re not some brat who harasses a girl he’s interested in.”
“What!”
Tarkun jumped up and down, saying that was nonsense. Elze listened to his words with one ear and let it go, looking at Rapine.
“Please take care of me, Rapine. Today’s work is important... I hope Epen will listen to what Raphine says.”
Rapine and Epen nodded at Elze's request.
“Don’t worry, Captain.”
“I will follow Lors Rapine’s orders as if they were my madam’s.”
Elze smiled at the trustworthy answer. Elijah and Kalia said their last goodbyes to Elze and quietly disappeared.
After sending them off, Elze called her maids and began preparing to go out. Today, Elze dressed up several times more elaborately than usual as if she were attending an important banquet.
Overall, the attire was simple and not extravagant. However, the delicately braided hair was decorated with an expensive jewel pin, and the bracelet peeking out between the sleeves was also an expensive item with a diamond pendant.
The autumn wind was chilly, so the shawl she wore was made of high-quality wool, and was embroidered with thread of the same color. The subtly visible embroidery showed a dignified value without being flashy. At first glance, it seemed like she was dressed simply, but if Elze were to sell just the things she was wearing today, it would be worth a fortune.
Shan said a word as he looked at Elze's well-dressed appearance.
“There’s no need to go to such lengths to meet Duke Seraph.”
“I’m ready for battle.”
“Battle... ready?”
Shan asked back, not understanding the correlation between dressing up and being ready for battle. But Elze wasn't kind enough to tell him about the existence of women, so he just shrugged and let it go.
The time to meet Duke Seraph was after dark. After confirming that the sun was slowly setting, Elze and Shan departed from the Targayel mansion.
The meeting place with the Duke, Hapyrion, was a famous restaurant located in a busy area next to Plaza de Manuap. Although it did not have a long history and tradition like other restaurants in the capital, it was especially popular among young nobles for its unique and creative food.
Unlike other restaurants with a vertical organizational culture, Hapyrion's characteristic was that everyone, from the restaurant manager to the lowest-ranking errand boys, freely expressed their opinions and discussed the restaurant's operations.
And the owner of this quirky restaurant was Machangs Top.
“What business doesn’t Machangs do?”
Elze asked in shock after hearing a brief explanation in the carriage heading to Harpyrion. Shan thought about Elze's question for a moment and then said.
“Of course there are, but I can’t think of any right now.”
It seemed that Machangs was active in so many different areas that Shan couldn't even think of them.
She had known for a long time that the upper level would be large. However, since Elze was not involved in the operation of the upper level of Machangs, she had no idea that it would be this large.
It was natural that the company, which was launched to procure military supplies, would have a firm hold on the military industry, but Elze couldn't help but be surprised that all the stores that were considered famous in various industries were owned by Machangs.
In addition, since they had branches overseas, it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were influencing the entire Baluar Empire.
“You’re so rich. I envy you, I envy you...”
Shan raised his eyebrows at Elze's muttering in a slightly weary tone.
“It’s all yours too.”
“Anyway, what I mean is.”
“I’m just telling the truth.”
Elze glanced at Shan and then changed the subject.
“I might throw a punch if I see Duke Seraph. Should I stop him?”
The person who awakened Elze's violent nature, who had been living as a pacifist after the war, was Duke Seraph. Elze felt like she could easily beat Duke Seraph for three days and nights. Looking at Elze like that, Shan answered in embarrassment.
“Well, I’m not sure I can really stop you.”
It was the first time she had heard the word insecure come out of his mouth. When Elze looked at him in doubt, Shan smiled faintly and said.
“Because I might hit him first before that.”
Elze couldn't help but laugh along with Shan's words. While the two were chatting about such trivial things, they arrived at their destination before they knew it. As Elze and Shan got out of the carriage, a scuffle was taking place in front of the restaurant.
“Why not! Why can’t I get in!!”
“Sorry, we are closed today.”
A young, blue-eyed young man was running wild in front of the old manager. She guessed that Shan had rented out the entire restaurant that day and was unable to enter or leave, so he was causing a commotion. The man spoke to the old manager with a sharp voice.
“I! Today! I have to eat here!!”
Shan knew who that man was. He was the son of the Marquis of Geth, a member of the royal family, and an established noble family like Shan.
The Marquis of Geth was one of the key figures who followed Duke Seraph, and he heard that he had one daughter and one son. And the rumor that the son was a hopeless bastard was widespread in high society. Shan had seen the Marquis's son-in-law causing trouble at a previous banquet, so he remembered his face.
"...Ha."
Shan let out a sigh and made a slight noise. Then the manager left the man alone and quickly ran over to greet him.
“Are you here, Count?”
Unlike how he had treated the man, his attitude was extremely polite. The man turned his head with a loud noise, wondering who would dare to pass him by and greet him. Then he opened his eyes.
“...Count Targayel?”
There was no noble in the Baluar Empire who did not know Shan. Even if they had never seen his face, his copper-colored skin and purple eyes were rare, so they would recognize him immediately.
His face hardened when he saw Shan. The established aristocrats had a strong sense of pride in being aristocrats. Among them, those who were so proud that they almost seemed pathological had two things in common.
The first was that they worshiped and served the Seraph Duke as a god. The Duke Seraph was the noblest of nobles, possessing everything they most desired. To the established nobles, the Duke Seraph was no different from an idol.
The second was the dislike of Shan. Duke Wade approached Shan out of necessity, but he was an unusual case. Most people despised Shan, seeing him as a baseless, shallow man who had become a Count by luck after being a swordsman on the battlefield.
Marquis Geth was also one of those who were obsessed with the pride of the nobility and had disliked Shan from long ago. Naturally, his son could not like Shan either.
Still, Shan didn't know that he would show his hostility so openly. It seemed that the rumors of him being a total idiot were true. Shan's face hardened coldly, and the man greeted him with a loud cough.
“Ahem, ahem! It’s Adam from Geth.”
“This is Shan Cirxus of Targayel.”
Adam glanced back at Elze, listening to Shan's words. When Elze gave him a polite nod, a blush appeared on his face.
“...”
Shan, who was watching the scene, felt extremely uncomfortable. Anyway, the problem was that Duke Seraph and these crazy guys didn't think it was a big deal to flirt with married women. Even that guy Adam blushed when he saw Elze just now.
Shan doesn't know about anything else, but the custom of Baluar, which looked down on married people having mistresses, was disgusting. As Shan was gritting his teeth, Adam looked Shan up and down and asked.
“What’s going on?”
It was a question with the nuance of, 'Why are you here?' Shan answered with his eyes slightly narrowed.
“I have a promise.”
“I see. I heard that Harpyrion is closed today. I’m sorry, but I think you picked the wrong day. I apologize to the person who made the appointment.”
There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone. He even turned his gaze to Elze and committed the rudeness of staring at her. It was like a young, blue-eyed boy who was openly fighting and pounced on her. It was an unspeakable thing for Shan. Shan took a step forward and blocked Adam’s gaze.
“It can’t be helped.”
Because Adam was short, Shan looked down at him. Shan looked down and continued.
“I have reserved the entire Harpyrion.”
"...Yes?"
Adam blinked blankly. But Adam's surprise didn't end there.
A four-wheeled carriage drawn by four white horses stopped elegantly in front of the Harpyrion Restaurant. The carriage was painted in deep blue and had a large gold drawing of an angel holding a cross, the symbol of the Seraph family.
A neatly dressed coachman got out of the carriage, unfolded the folding steps, readjusted his attire, and knocked lightly on the carriage door.
The door opened and a dazzling blond-haired man stepped out of the carriage. Wearing a tailored coat, a top hat, and white gloves on his hands, the man looked at Shan. Shan nodded and greeted him.
"Your Excellency."
“Count Targayel.”
The nobleman who answered was Duke Seraph. Duke Seraph, who had been smiling brightly when he saw Elze standing next to Shan, stopped. He had found Adam.
“...?”
Duke Seraph frowned slightly at the unexpected figure. Adam, who had been absent-minded, bowed with his back bent at a right angle with a pale face.
“Oh, oh, Your Excellency! I didn’t know Your Excellency had an appointment with the Count...!”
A cold sweat ran down Adam's forehead as he remembered that he had just laughed at Shan's promise.
Duke Seraph tilted his head slightly and looked at Adam. Duke Seraph stared at him blankly and then let out a soft exclamation.
“Ahh... This is Marquis of Geth.”
Adam was very excited when the Duke Seraph recognized him. He nodded enthusiastically and said,
“Yes! This is Adam from Geth! It is a great honor to have the opportunity to meet you in person and hear your words!!”
Adam looked at Duke Seraph with sparkling eyes, but sadly Duke Seraph’s expression was cold. Although he was smiling on the surface, Elze and Shan could tell that his eyes were cold.
Duke Seraph was a perfectionist. He pathologically hated any flaws in his plans. Adam's appearance was unexpected, and it was enough to irritate Duke Seraph.
Anyway, Elze and Shan were quietly watching. If they just stayed still, the Duke Seraph would take care of removing the annoying leech, so there was no need to step forward. That was until the sparks flew to Elze, who was just standing there quietly.
“It’s been a while, Ma’am. It’s been so long since we last met, and I haven’t had a chance to greet you.”
Elze, who had been watching blankly, reacted belatedly to the arrow that suddenly came back to her.
“Ah, yes... I’m also late in greeting you, Your Excellency."
Despite Elze's halfhearted answer, Duke Seraph smiled brightly.
“You look more beautiful than the last time I saw you. The bracelet suits you well.”
It seemed that he had just seen the bracelet that was hidden by the sleeve. Elze unconsciously touched her wrist and asked in a trembling voice.
“When did you see that again?”
She asked and then regretted it. It was extremely presumptuous of her to speak to a Duke. If there were only three of them, then it might be understandable, but it was not something she should say in front of Adam watching.
Of course, Duke Seraph was not one to care about such things. He answered with a very happy expression.
“I always pay a lot of attention to Madam.”
Duke Seraph's eyes folded into crescent moons. He added with a faint smile.
“And besides that... even other little details.”
Elze tried to control her expression. She felt that she had to show at least a little courtesy since Adam was watching her. She was thinking about what to say to Duke Seraph, but something no one expected happened. Adam suddenly got angry and interrupted.
“Countess Targayel! Why do you say so?”
Elze, Shan, and even Duke Seraph looked at Adam with bewildered eyes. Adam spoke to Elze in a somewhat agitated tone.
“No matter how close you to His Excellency, I think it was a bit rude of you to do so.”
“...”
Shan silently rummaged through the inside of his coat. Elze noticed that he was looking for the gloves he had put in his inside pocket, so she quickly grabbed Shan’s arm and whispered.
“What are you doing!”
Shan said in an angry voice to Elze, who was holding his back.
“Then you want me to stay still?”
He looked like he wanted to take out his gloves and slap Adam right away. Elze added urgently in a small voice.
“It was my mistake.”
“...”
Shan furrowed his brows, and Elze tightened her grip on Shan’s arm. Adam was annoying, but Elze had made a mistake anyway. Elze didn’t want Shan to challenge him to a duel because of something like this.
Besides, Shan was someone who might 'accidentally' cut off Adam's head in a duel. After the duel, she could see the future where he would be irreversibly at odds with Marquis Geth. Elze locked eyes with Shan and called his name softly.
“Shan...!”
Shan was angry, but he still listened to Elze's words. Shan put his arms down obediently, with a displeased expression on his face.
But there was someone else who was angry besides Shan. It was Duke Seraph. He looked quite upset after having interrupted his conversation with Elze, whom he had not seen in a long time.
However, Adam seemed unaware that Duke Seraph was angry, as he kept a poker face with a bright smile on his face. On the contrary, Adam looked at Duke Seraph with a very proud face. It was pitiful to see his eyes hoping that he would praise his actions.
Duke Seraph looked at Adam with a soft sigh.
“Oh, oh, oh...”
Adam stood at attention, waiting for Duke Seraph to speak. The Duke smiled and said,
“Madam and I were having a conversation.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“Have you ever considered that what you just did might be seen as rude?”
“Yes... Yes?”
Adam looked dumbfounded, embarrassed.
“Of course, I know you didn’t mean it in a bad way. You just stood up for me.”
Duke Seraph lowered his eyes slightly. His long eyelashes cast shadows around his eyes, and his well-shaped lips let out a pitiful sound.
“But it’s true that the method was a little bit wrong...”
Adam was nodding his head before he knew it. Duke Seraph said with a faint smile.
“So shouldn’t you apologize to Madam?”
“...You are right. I was short-sighted, Your Excellency.”
Adam, who immediately agreed as if he was possessed by something, turned to Elze and Shan and bowed his head in apology.
“I'm sorry.”
The series of events that instantly changed Adam's mistake into an apology was incredibly smooth. Elze was inwardly impressed.
Duke Seraph had perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Shr had always wondered how he could lead the nobles with such a sensitive and prickly personality. But today, she thinks she knows why. He was not the first or second person to use the right mix of carrots and sticks to get people to move.
As Elze was about to answer Adam's apology, Shan gently grabbed her hand. It was a signal that there was no need to answer. Duke Seraph smiled prettily and spoke to Adam.
“I would like you to keep my meeting with Count and Lady Targayel a secret today. I will tell you myself when the time is right.”
“Of course, Your Excellency!”
“Very well. I will meet you next time with the Marquis of Geth..”
“Yes, I understand! It was truly an honor to meet you today.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Duke Seraph, who had finished his conversation with Adam in a dignified manner, turned to Shan. Shan tactfully matched his pace.
“Your Excellency, please go inside.”
“Oh, I have made you stand for too long, Madam.”
The question was asked by Shan, but the person the Duke was answering was Elze. That wasn't surprising at all. Duke Seraph smiled and spoke to Elze.
“Shall we come in, Ma’am?”
“...”
Elze, who didn't want to get involved any further, followed the manager's instructions and hurried into the restaurant.
After letting Elze in first, Duke Seraph also stepped into the restaurant and suddenly turned around.
“Ah... and.”
After confirming once again that Elze had disappeared, Duke Seraph’s face, smiling brightly just a moment ago, became expressionless. Adam, unable to adapt to the sudden change, acted awkwardly.
“Your Excellently?”
Duke Seraph spoke to Adam with eyes like those of a lowly wretch.
“Please fix the bad habit of meddling wherever you go.”
Then, she disappeared into the restaurant. Adam gaped in a daze at the words he had clearly heard but couldn't believe.
The Duke had been kind just a moment ago. Adam had no doubt that he had done something to score points with the Duke Seraph today. While Adam was trying to think back on his mistake, an ominous voice called his name.
“Adam Geth.”
Adam looked in surprise at the sound of the voice. There was Count Targayel, looking at him calmly. Shan slowly opened his mouth.
“The insult I committed against my wife today...”
The corners of his mouth slowly twisted upward.
“I will remember it and not forget it.”
“No, what the...!”
Shan said that and went into the restaurant. Adam tried to chase after him, but the restaurant security guards who had been keeping a close eye on the situation politely stopped him.
As usual, he was too concerned about Duke Seraph inside the restaurant to push away the guards. In the end, he could only stare at the Harpyrion Restaurant from afar.
“..."
Adam couldn't shake the feeling that he had done something terrible. But it was too late to fix it. Adam stared at the Harpyrion Restaurant for a while, not knowing what to do, and then he staggered away.
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