“Haaa… It seems persuading her will take some time. I apologize for showing you such a disgraceful scene. Since I let my youngest daughter do whatever she wanted while raising her, she has grown up to be quite headstrong…”
“…”
The Northern Archduke sighed heavily, shaking his head.
I was left speechless.
‘By anyone’s standards, she’s a rational and kind-hearted daughter.’
I had been worried because the Empress had frightened me so much.
But the real concern wasn’t Princess Merilda, it was her guardians.
Princess Merilda, despite being the same age as Charlotte and Julia, was so mature that it was hard to believe.
In contrast, her guardians seemed even more immature.
How did such a capable young lady grow up under such guardians?
It’s truly amazing.
“Was Lady Merilda always like this?”
“Hah. No, she wasn’t like this when she was young. She was the kind of child who did exactly as she was told as long as we showered her with love and attention… But at some point, she started begging us to stop treating her specially! Whatever she learned at the academy, she keeps talking about the well-being of the people…! Merilda! The people would be happy to know you live a life of luxury and ease!!!”
The Northern Archduke, seemingly unable to control his emotions, almost wailed in despair.
I roughly understood the situation.
Logically, the Lady’s words made sense a hundred times over, but… logic doesn’t apply to this fortress city.
‘Even a brief glance makes it clear. Lady Merilda is like an idol here.’
That’s because Merilda holds a position far beyond that of a mere Northern Archduke’s daughter in Ester.
She’s not just adored by the Archduke and her nine brothers.
The entire city reveres and adores her, like an idol.
Have you ever seen fans criticize an idol for eating good food and wearing nice clothes?
Have you ever seen fans begrudge spending money on an idol?
No, you haven’t. Ester is a city full of fans who worship Merilda like an idol.
Therefore, when it comes to her safety, they are extremely sensitive.
Even though Ester has been known as a remarkably safe city for the past 100 years with no casualties, the fact that there’s even a 0.1% chance Merilda might get hurt is something her fanatical followers simply cannot tolerate.
‘In this city, the way to care for the people is by living luxuriously and fleeing from danger…’
No one wants their favorite idol to jump into danger and join them in the struggle.
Only if the idol is in a safe place, relaxing and at ease, can the people focus on fighting monsters.
This city is truly bizarre. How can an entire city function like one giant fanbase?
“Of course, even if we end up canceling the escort mission, you will still receive the commission fee. So don’t worry too much.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. We’ll carry out the mission somehow.”
“Hehe. Does the Count have a special method to persuade my daughter?”
“I can’t guarantee success, but I think it’s worth a try.”
“Go ahead and give it a shot! Whatever method you use, just make sure it doesn’t involve shock therapy! I forbid any tactics like deceiving, frightening, or threatening Merilda! Even if I forgive you, the people won’t. They could turn into a mob and harm you, so be especially cautious.”
“…Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”
I gulped and nodded.
Anywhere else, the mention of a mob would have sounded like a joke, but in Ester, it seemed like a real possibility. Luckily, the method of persuasion I plan to use won’t involve anything shocking, so I should be fine.
“Just leave it to me.”
Let’s go. Time to persuade the young lady who grew up way too fast.
***
“What is this, Charlotte…?”
“There’s so much food!!!”
Thud.
Charlotte and Julia’s jaws dropped as they entered the banquet hall.
Before them lay countless large dishes, filled to the brim with colorful foods.
Charlotte and Julia couldn’t help but salivate at the sight.
‘This is the Northern Archduke’s castle! He’s an even higher rank than the Count, which means he’s way a very high-ranked person. I have to be careful not to lose my composure here…’
They had been drilled on proper etiquette relentlessly at the mansion.
Aslan had tried to avoid these lessons as much as possible, but ever since the Empress’s visit, even Aslan could no longer postpone them.
That’s what Charlotte and Julia learned from the maids.
Never go ahead alone.
Charlotte and Julia had learned that you must never walk ahead of others.
Always walk with your companions, following slightly behind them.
And also… what else…?
As Julia was recalling all the rules of etiquette in her head…
“So much meat…!”
“Charlotte!”
With a loud clatter, Charlotte dashed forward on her own and grabbed a dish.
Julia’s mind went blank, and all the etiquette she had memorized flew out of her head.
“No, Charlotte, you can’t do that! They said it’s rude to stand up during a meal!”
“Hmm? Did they say that?”
Charlotte tilted her head, looking confused.
Julia slapped her forehead in frustration.
She hadn’t paid any attention during the etiquette lessons!
“It’s fine, Julia. You can stand up and get food too.”
“Huh? But…”
“This is a buffet. You can take as much food as you want and eat as much as you like.”
“Oh…!”
Charlotte and Julia’s eyes widened.
A buffet?
They found it fascinating.
At the mansion, food was served in fixed portions, and if they wanted more, they had to bother the maids. It was troublesome and made them feel guilty.
But here, they could take and eat as much as they wanted!
Buffets are the best!
Looking up at Aslan for permission, they both silently pleaded.
Aslan nodded, and the two girls eagerly scampered off to get more food.
“They’re such adorable children. The Count seems quite similar to me in some ways. When there are no children around, he’s cold and calculating, but when it comes to kids, he becomes endlessly soft. Did I see that wrong?”
“No, you’re exactly right. We’re the same kind, though to different degrees…”
I’m not so impaired that I can’t make reasonable choices.
However, as the Northern Archduke approached with a friendly demeanor, Aslan immediately drew a line.
“Haha. It might just be a difference between biological children and adopted ones. When does the Count plan to pass on the Vermont name to his children?”
“Well, I think it’s still quite early. It will probably be around the time the children become adults.”
“Hmm.”
Is it set that adoption will happen when they reach adulthood?
It wouldn’t be good to push it too early. It will take time for the children to accept the Count as a father, so waiting with patience might not be a bad idea.
Despite Aslan Vermont’s image in the rumors as someone with dubious intentions, it seems he might be quite reliable, just as Vanessa said.
As the Northern Archduke patted Aslan’s shoulder with a satisfied smile, Aslan’s mind was working on something different.
‘No, wait. Did I answer incorrectly? I could give the Vermont name along with the engagement. The marriage ceremony can be after they come of age, but engagement can happen before that.’
He was considering something slightly different.
However, having gained the Northern Archduke’s trust was a win in itself.
Aslan decided not to dwell too deeply on it.
“Mister! There’s so much meat! Lamb, goat, duck…! It’s all so varied and there’s so much of it!”
“Aslan, Aslan! There are so many fruits I’ve never seen before! You should come and try them too!”
“Alright. You two go ahead and eat first.”
Soon enough, Charlotte and Julia returned, bubbling with excitement.
Their plates were piled high with various dishes.
As they sat down, Charlotte and Julia couldn’t hide their excitement and eagerly picked up their forks.
“Let’s eat well…!”
They started shoveling the different types of meat into their mouths.
Table manners?
Eating gracefully?
They had completely forgotten all of that.
In any case, the others at the banquet weren’t maintaining much decorum either.
They were freely chatting and enjoying their food and drinks.
Given the frequent battles in the North, strict military discipline applied during wartime, but otherwise, the culture was more relaxed about formalities.
As Charlotte and Julia were busy sampling the food…
“Ugh… Why is all the food so cold…?”
“It all tastes the same… It’s all equally salty and heavily spiced…”
Their expressions became unreadable.
The food was cold! Tough!
Had it been left out for too long?
This never happened at the Vermont mansion!
Moreover, the taste of all the different types of meat was similar.
The meat was heavily salted and spiced, cooked until all the juices were gone.
It was so tough they could barely eat it, and the overwhelming spice made their tongues numb.
The steaks at the Vermont mansion were much more tender and flavorful!
‘The maids at the mansion must be amazing cooks!’
Until now, they had thought all nobles enjoyed such delicious meals.
But even the Archduke ate such tasteless food?
They were greatly shocked, and their appetite had completely disappeared.
Of course, the food was only inferior compared to what they had at the Vermont mansion.
Nevertheless, since it was still meat, they didn’t show their displeasure outwardly and forced themselves to eat.
‘Hehe. It was a good decision to replace the incompetent chef and promote the skilled maids. It seems they’ve become accustomed to the mansion’s cuisine, so this food doesn’t satisfy them.’
Aslan watched the children struggling to eat, his lips curling into a sly smile.
Just a few months ago, these kids thought hard bread and thin soup were delicacies.
To think they now find meat unappetizing!
He couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride.
“By the way, when is Merilda coming out?”
“Oh, I believe she is still in the garden…”
“Hmm. Is she not even coming to the banquet? I wonder how long she intends to keep this up…”
Throb.
As the Northern Archduke pressed his throbbing temples, Aslan, who was slicing meat next to him, spoke up.
“Princess Merilda is on her way.”
“…?”
The Northern Archduke tilted his head at Aslan’s confident tone.
How could Aslan know that Merilda was on her way when he had been in the banquet hall the entire time?
“Sorry for the delay.”
At that moment, the banquet hall doors burst open, revealing a masked guard, followed closely by Merilda.
“Yuria, let’s go together…”
“…!?”
But Merilda’s face was strange.
Doesn’t it look like… the face of a girl in love?
The Northern Archduke’s eyebrows furrowed deeply at the sight of his daughter’s girlish expression, one he had never seen before.
