“Hmm…”
“Well, young people these days…”
At my remarks, the mood in the banquet hall shifted, albeit slightly. It seemed they quite liked how I declared my love openly rather than attempting to evade or deny it. As expected, confronting the situation head-on was the clear answer to the old-timers who often gave long speeches about the spirit of challenge and the youth of today.
“…”
However, it was only a small step forward, a meager achievement. The banquet hall was still filled with people who did not favor me. Apparently, the situation I was in wasn’t one that could be resolved with just a few words.
That was when an old man, small in stature with a wrinkled face but eyes shining brightly, quietly spoke from a corner of the dinner table. Despite his insignificant appearance, I couldn’t take my eyes off his every action. I felt short of breath, almost choking.
“Family Head, you may think it presumptuous, but I’d like to ask a question to the Heir to Estel. Could you please allow this old man to speak here?”
“…You may.”
When the Marquis of Castana nodded slightly in agreement, the old man looked directly at me.
Our eyes met, and his gaze was piercing, as if looking straight into my heart.
“Nice to meet you, Estel of Scavati. I’ve heard stories about you, but this is the first time I’ve seen you like this. I can only admire the fact that a noble person with a position equivalent to that of a duke took such a difficult step.”
To make things clear, ‘Scavati’ was one of the old names for the area where the Estel Duchy was located. As far as I knew, adding the name of a region before a family name was an old-fashioned etiquette from over a hundred years ago. I couldn’t even guess how old this man in front of me was.
However, since he greeted me with courtesy, I was obligated to show him respect in return. It was a natural courtesy for a noble to rule over others from birth. I bowed toward him in the court style.
“I thank you for your generosity, Castana of Faobhar. I gladly accept the hospitality of the elders.”
“Heh heh, I don’t know what to do with the Heir to Estel showing such respect to this insignificant old man.”
But the exchange ended there. The old man’s benevolent smile faded as he stiffened his face and asked me a question.
“Heir to Estel, if it is not rude, there is something I would like to ask. Will you permit me to commit this disrespect?”
“Tell me. I will listen to the opinions of the elders.”
“Thank you, Heir to Estel. Then let me ask you a question.”
Saying that, the old man opened his eyes again.
“Heir to Estel, as you well know, the relationship between the two families, Castana and Estel, has not been good since ancient times. It’s a shameful story to tell, but you are aware that this trend is so old and malignant that it has permeated deeply into the minds of our children for a thousand years. I can’t help but wonder about the relationship between you and Bianca, that child.”
The same red-eyed gaze as Bianca’s bore into me. I suddenly realized how similar their eyes were.
“Now, can the Heir to Estel enlighten this foolish old man about the cause and effect of you and Bianca loving each other enough to become betrothed?”
“…that…”
Certainly, the old man’s question was valid. I, too, thought that descendants of Estel and Castana falling in love was more unrealistic than a dog laying eggs.
However, that was already a question within the assumption. I hadn’t been idle during the journey to the Marquis of Castana. I had already crafted a perfect excuse for how Bianca and I fell in love.
“…fortunately, that’s a question I can answer. The answer is simple. Bianca and I…”
But at that moment, a voice echoed in my head. It wasn’t a whisper, but rather a transmission of thoughts through magic.
[Cain, I’ll be brief. You can’t lie. Never.]
“…What?”
I involuntarily glanced at Bianca.
She stood next to me, blinking innocently as if nothing had happened. However, the voice was unmistakable. Bianca had used her magic to give me advice.
‘I can’t lie?’
Come to think of it, I remembered hearing about something similar. It was said that archmages who reached a certain level could easily determine the authenticity of others’ words, although the principle remained unknown. If so, was this chubby old man actually a great mage who had reached the same level as Bianca?
‘…what should I do?’
I realized this situation was far more difficult than I had anticipated. I had to deceive everyone present here with only the truth, without mixing in any lies, against mages who wouldn’t be easily outwitted.
“…”
I gently closed my eyes. Upon reflection, the situation wasn’t entirely hopeless. Between Bianca and me, there was no point of contact. Whether I wanted it or not, I had a lot of history with her. From the chance encounter 10 years ago when I was young to the time I joined an expedition to defeat witches 10 years later, my life was dotted with difficult relations with Bianca.
So, what I had to do was simple, in a way. In the midst of this difficult relationship spanning over 20 years, I needed to extract an emotional connection that could convince them. I realized it was the only way to overcome the challenges before me.
“I…Bianca and I…”
What I had to say had been decided from the beginning.
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