Of course, he understands if she doesn't return for the birthday banquet. It's a bit sad, but it's probably just Gremory's own circumstances.
Closing the window, Chession looked at the wide design spread out on his desk. It was the design for a dress to be worn by the returning Gremory.
Every time he thought of Gremory, he studied clothing studies. He wanted to design a dress to give to her when she returned.
The unfolded design contained numerous cross-sections of the dress, designed by Chession himself. Thanks to numerous revisions with the help of experts, it finally looked presentable.
"I hope it's to your taste."
Chession smiled bitterly. He imagined Gremory dancing with him in this dress.
Invitations to his birthday banquet quickly spread throughout the empire, even reaching the Ortega ducal household.
***
After lunch, the Ortega siblings, who had been sprawled out on the sofa, received an invitation and began whispering among themselves.
"Wow, Catherine, he invited us too? I thought he was going to invite everyone but us."
“That’s amazing.”
Catherine gazed curiously at the invitation written in Isolene's handwriting. She's previously seen Isolene as nothing more than a venomous, venomous creature, but now, seeing her, she was a Saint. To personally invite someone who cursed her.
But, as expected, on the back of the neat invitation was a very Isolene-like phrase.
"Our maids have dug a bunch of holes in the backyard, so if you come and do something weird, I'll bury you in there."
"Are you just looking at us as idiots?"
Kenneth snatched the invitation away and gave a sharp annoyance.
"The truth."
"It used to be like that, but not anymore. You're rumored to be the epitome of aristocratic young ladies these days. They say you're both cultured and well-educated."
"So I guess I was only invited because I was the last resort."
"But that Grand Duke is also quite strange. When he loses his lover and goes into seclusion, he suddenly throws a birthday party. What?"
"Sometimes you can shake off your gloom with something you don't usually do. You do it often, too, right?"
Kenneth played with Catherine's hair, twirling it around his fingers. Feeling a little irritated, Catherine slapped the back of her brother's hand.
“Let go, it hurts.”
"Hey, but is it possible to properly prepare a banquet at the Grand Duke Ethel's residence?"
“I’ll figure it out.”
"They've never had a large banquet there before. Isn't it a mess?"
"I know."
Catherine pondered the book, her eyes wide. It was clear that no one in the Ethel Palace had ever prepared a banquet before; a complete mess. As the eldest daughter of the Shien family, Isolene might have some experience, but it would be difficult to prepare a perfect banquet with inexperienced servants.
“Brother.”
"Why?"
"Shall we help you prepare for the banquet?"
"What? Why us?"
"Just, I wanted to repay the favor here and there, and I thought it would be bad if the first banquet at the Grand Duke Ethel's residence seemed ridiculous."
Kenneth burst out laughing.
"Wow, my little sister, your heart has become as broad as the ocean. You even worry about other people's banquets."
"So, you don't want to go help?"
"Uh. We're already being ripped off by that family. Because of the strange contract Mori signed when she exorcised the witch from our house."
"It's being ripped off?"
"I sold the newly discovered mineral to that family for a pittance. And you want me to help with the banquet?"
"Oh, that? That mineral was originally cheap. We made it expensive for no reason by attaching various reasons to it."
“Ah, I can’t hear you.”
Kenneth rubbed the back of his hand, where he'd been hit earlier, and tried to ignore the situation. Catherine, who hated the sight, threw a cushion at him. Kenneth skillfully snatched it and used it as his pillow.
"So, are you going to go help me or not?"
"I have nothing to do, so I'll go and take a look."
"I'll send them a letter first."
Catherine went out of the room to write a letter. Kenneth was extremely annoyed by Catherine's enthusiasm.
'She is so diligent these days, so I think I should be diligent too.'
He just wanted to run around and play like he usually does, but Catherine kept making things for him to do, so he was really tired.
***
The reply arrived quickly.
[ Bring money when you come. ]
The message, written in Isolene's handwriting, was concise. Catherine, who had nothing left but money, smiled, grabbed a sack of gold coins, and boarded the carriage. Kenneth, with a drowsy expression, joined her.
When they arrived at the Grand Duke Ethel's residence, it was bustling with preparations for the banquet.
Isolene greeted the Ortega siblings with a gentle expression.
"You're here? Nice to meet you."
“Me? Or the money?”
"Are things not going well at the Grand Duke's residence these days?"
"The expenses are a bit high."
While Isolene received the bag of gold coins and examined its contents, Kenneth glanced at the knights standing there dumbly and said.
"Lady Sien, do you know how to arrange security during the banquet?"
"No, the Grand Duke's security is usually very tight, so I didn't think any special arrangements were needed for the banquet."
"I heard that intruders come in every day. There was an intruder at the last tea party, too."
"If an intruder comes in, we can catch them."
Isolene, accustomed to intruders, didn't understand what was wrong. The memories of growing up peacefully at Count Sien's mansion, free from fear of intruders, had long since faded.
Kenneth sighed. He thought they'd take care of it, but when he actually arrived and saw the scene, he knew it wasn't normal. Security reassignments were standard during the banquet.
"Well, that's right. Still, redeployment of guards is essential. May I speak with the Knight Commander?"
"Yes, please. If you go towards the west wing, you will meet the manager."
After Kenneth left to have a deep conversation with the Knight Commander of Ethel, Isolene took Catherine and headed towards the bookshelf.
Catherine headed first to the back of the banquet hall. Just as important as the interior was the back of the banquet hall. It was where countless men and women held secret meetings.
"It's good to have a lot of places to hide in a place like this, so increase the structures a bit to prevent them from doing anything. But what are those holes for? Are you going to plant some landscaping trees?"
Catherine asked, looking at the numerous pits.
"I wrote it on the invitation. My maids have dug a bunch of holes in the backyard, and any guests who misbehave will be buried there."
"...Are you serious?"
"I hope no one gets buried."
"What are those ropes lying around?"
"To tie it up and bury it.”
"..."
Catherine's eyes filled with confusion. She couldn't tell if she was joking or being serious.
But Isolene was quite serious.
"This is the way our housemaids do things; please respect it."
“Who’s in charge?”
"Her."
Isolene pointed with her finger at a small maid who was passing by in the distance. The black-haired maid was running around the room, teaching the other maids.
How to throw a lasso.
"Everyone understands, right? If an uninvited guest comes in, just tie them up first like this!"
The maids were busy practicing throwing nooses in the open space.
"...Aren't you preparing for war?"
“The banquet is ready.”
Isolene chuckled. Even Isolene knew something was off about the preparations for this banquet. However, she simply respected the witch's methods. Since this was a banquet where a witch who had returned home might be the main character, shouldn't her methods be included?
"Uh, yeah, can I take a look inside the banquet hall?"
“Well.”
Catherine, sensing foreboding, opened the door to the massive banquet hall. She was startled by the sight of the uselessly flashy decorations.
"That's why we don't have enough money. Silver is enough for these inconspicuous wall decorations. Who would decorate something like this with gold?"
"We."
"What the heck is that? Are those curtain decorations all diamonds? You could have just decorated them with silver thread, but you just hung a bunch of diamonds on them?"
"Because that one is prettier."
"Sigh. Since you already bought it, I can't exchange it for silver. And you prepared the cutlery in silver, right?"
"That's all gold too."
"What?"
Catherine's mouth dropped open. Silver cutlery was customarily used to check for poison in food, but even that was gold.
"Look, Isolene, it's not good to just prepare extravagantly. If you prepare like this, you'll only hear people say that it's too flashy and unsophisticated."
"But we like gold and hate silver."
"Oh, then are you going to decorate all the places over there with gold?"
Catherine pointed to a large, unadorned space.
"That's right, what can I do?"
"You say you don't have any money? Are you planning to end this banquet by being out on the streets?"
"It's okay, the money will come again someday."
"When Gremory returns, she'll make us a bunch of black magic stones," Isolene said leisurely, omitting further explanation.
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