Chapter 83 – 083. New Little Duke (2)
“Isn’t that the man who was interrogated as a criminal in the public trial at that time?”
“What? That man then?”
“Hey, you didn’t attend the public trial that day, so you don’t know her face? That person is the ‘Serpent of Mercury’, known as the Black Witch’s subordinate.”
“Snakes of Mercury? What kind of nickname is that?”
“That silver-white haired man fooled the nobles, including Count Orba, with words in the courtroom. That’s why it was given this name. It means ‘a snake with silver poison’. He was slim and weak, and the way he spoke was as cunning as a snake.”
Standing on the prisoner’s podium, his gaze when he said, ‘If you decide that Erwin is evil, then you are also evil,’ made the nobleman frown.
“But did the Duke invite such a person to a banquet to celebrate the inauguration of a new minor duke?”
“So you don’t know the English language. What the heck was the connection, to the extent that Prince Alex, who became the new little duke this time, took off his feet and testified to help the author himself?”
“How could such a lowly person who was no different from a sinner… Isn’t it time for the Duke of Armitas to collapse?”
“I don’t know. Couldn’t that person have used some kind of trick to pick up and eat even the bean curd that was dripping onto the duke’s house?”
“Well, a commoner who has nothing is the lover of a black witch? He is a man who earns a living by relying on the reputation of a high-ranking magician. You are a pitiful person.”
“Sounds like he has nothing to own, let alone a house, and is living a life sitting in a witch’s mansion. It’s a witch’s pet snake. Isn’t that a really vulgar nickname? As a fellow man, it is true that he is a very embarrassing man.”
“Tsk tsk, if that’s the case, the duke’s family is really out of date. I’m worried that the duke will be able to lead the family well.”
“Can we not step in and help? Even if others don’t know, you and I have a record of supporting Armitas from both sides of our aristocratic faction, so you won’t be able to ignore our opinion.”
“Is it? Ughhh.”
“Under…”
She judged the duke’s family according to their own standards, and Erin’s face was filled with excitement when she heard the gossips of nobles talking nonsense about Eun-hyeon.
Eventually, as she was about to move her steps toward them, she stopped her sudden movement by grabbing her Erin’s arm.
“Ignore it.”
“You want me to stay still after hearing this? Those people still can’t see the great side of you…”
Erin, who has always humbled herself and lacked confidence in such a public place, poured out words to Eun-hyeon in a state where her emotions were unusually intense, but she was surprised by the expression of Illyana who was walking next to Eun-hyeon. Because of that, Erin couldn’t continue her words.
Illyana, who had also been listening to the nobles’ whispers, glared at them with her fierce eyes, and the nobles trembled, stopped the conversation, and turned their heads away hastily.
“Tsk. Let’s go.”
Illyana, who clicked her tongue slightly, winked at her and pulled Eunhyun’s arm across her arm, accelerating her steps.
When Illyana, who had thought she would show her nobles an example on her behalf, did nothing but hurried her steps, Erin looked even more incomprehensible.
Although she thinks of Eun-hyeon a lot, she knows that Illyana also thinks of Eun-hyeon a lot, but not a little.
She openly revealed that Eun-hyeon was her lover, but her behavior of putting up with it was even more incomprehensible.
“You don’t have to waste your emotions on something like that. It’s just the chatter of things that Illyana’s eyes can’t even deduce. I don’t take it to heart at all.”
“But…”
The nobles have no idea what kind of person Eunhyeon is.
Known to the outside world, he was just Illyana’s lover, an insignificant man with her prestige on his back.
Erin was saved by Eun-hyeon and she knew what a great person Eun-hyeon was, so it was only questionable that he was not showing any reaction even though he was receiving such a disgraceful evaluation from the public.
“It’s a bit embarrassing to say this now, but you have a bit of a pervert in this way.”
Just like Erin, Illyana, who had a confused expression on her face, let out a sigh as she looked at her Eun Hyun.
“Are you a pervert?”
When Erin asked back at her incomprehensible explanation, Illyana shook her head and she gave Erin her explanation.
“He is a horse. He’s a strange guy who feels most at ease when others look down on him and ignore him.”
“… Why?”
Erin’s expression looking at Eunhyeon contained the gaze of ‘What kind of bizarre tendencies do you have?’
“That makes it easier to stab the opponent in the back.”
“Huh… ?”
“Usually, there are many people in high positions, such as aristocrats and sophomores, who think they are noble and the smartest in the world. Because he is above the heads of many people, he thinks he is in a position to control them. He doesn’t even think that there’s someone on top of him.”
“You’re the one controlling it overhead?”
“No way. The more people like that, the more they think they’re the smartest person in the world. So don’t be careless. And the more insignificant and insignificant the opponent is, the more vigilant and less vigilant it becomes.”
“So… You say you feel comfortable whenever people ignore you?”
“It’s not comfortable… The tone is a bit like that. Can’t we just think it’s convenient because it makes things easier?”
Erin was able to make a decision by looking at Eunhyun’s bitter smile.
“You are really strange…”
“That’s too much. It’s not like I like it and put up with it.”
[But doesn’t she still stick to that method?]
‘I’ve been living like this. You can’t help it. Oh, I never blame the goddess, so don’t be sorry.’
These days, when Belldandy comes up with a topic like this, he always puts on an apologetic expression to himself, so Eunhyeon blocked the goddess’ words beforehand.
[The child said that even though another path was suggested, the path was still the same.]
Instead of feeling sorry now, it was Belldandy who was smiling bitterly.
How can Eun-hyeon, who has lived this way for a long time, change her ways and habits now?
“Duke Armitas, you are entering!”
At the call of the attendant, all the nobles present at the banquet opened the door, followed by Abros, followed by Alex, Eleanor’s brother and sister, and the mother of the two, Runes Armitas, Avros’ second wife, four figures appeared. .
There were no figures of Ashton and his mother in it.
Avros stood on the podium in the center and opened his mouth while examining the faces of the nobles attending the banquet.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the many people who attended this event to congratulate Alex, who has been appointed as the new minor duke of the Armitas family. Since this banquet is for none other than Alex, I will leave the speech to the protagonist, my son. Alex.”
“Yes.”
Responding to Avros’ call, Alex appeared in front of many people standing on the podium where his father stepped back and moved away.
“I would like to first express my gratitude to all the distinguished guests who attended this event for my congratulations.”
Alex’s words follow after the words of thanks.
“Recently, there have been three riotous incidents in the Kingdom of Fernias.”
Erin noticed that two of the cases were directly related to Erin, the embezzlement of the baron of Hersha and the serial attack of the Pernin nobles.
Then what was the other case?
It was curious, but thinking now was not the time to ask it, she continued to focus on Alex’s speech.
“I think this is a very confusing time. During that time of confusion, I thought a lot about being appointed as a minor duke and receiving a position of great responsibility, and after much consideration, I got this position. There are still many things I am lacking, but I will work hard to show you an image worthy of being the heir to the ducal family, so please give me lots of help and guidance.”
At the end of the courteous and formal speech, applause erupted from the various nobles.
“Then, I hope you all enjoy this banquet.”
After greetings and ending the speech with a small bow, the banquet, which had been suspended for a while, resumed.
“Awesome…”
“Amazing?”
“Huh. Until now, I didn’t realize it well, but I thought that Alex-sama really was a person of a very high status.”
The man named Alex, who had been seen from Erin’s point of view, had only the sentiment of a ‘friend of a friend’.
Occasionally, his actions, such as visiting Iliana’s mansion with Eleanor or approaching Eun-hyeon in a friendly manner, which he had just met, were largely due to his adaptation to his non-aristocratic side.
However, Alex’s appearance at the banquet today was quite different from usual.
Seeing the serious expression on her face, carrying a sense of responsibility and duty, Erin remembered what Eunhyun had said before.
– Nobility is a very heavy position where you have to take responsibility for the lives of many people. People’s lives can be dictated by a single choice, and in some cases, a country can be ruined when people at the center of a country make a single wrong choice.
“Is that kind of person the ‘noble’ that Hyun-i said?”
“At least better than the others. That guy.”
“Come to think of it, Hyun-i doesn’t show that pretentious side to people from the duke’s family.”
“It’s a pretense. Call it a sales skill.”
“He is weak to really nice people. Bad guys don’t get stabbed in the back of their conscience even if they just stab them in the back, but they find it hard to stab good people in the back.”
“Noisy.”
When Illyana giggled and sarcastically stood next to her, Eunhyun glanced at Illyana as if she was offended.
Knowing that this was an act she was trying hard to hide, which is rare for her Eun-hyeon, Illyana just laughed under her breath as if it was funny.
“Eunhyeon.”
“Hmm?”
Eun-hyeon, who was quietly savoring the taste of champagne at the woman’s voice calling her, began to frown.
“Your father is waiting for you.”
In an instant, the interior of the banquet hall was enveloped in silence at the courteous attitude of Eleanor, who personally visited Eun-hyeon and conveyed Avros’ intentions.
“This human…”
In an instant, Eun-hyeon, who noticed Abros’s intentions, gritted her teeth.
Illyana also noticed that the situation was going well and began to laugh, and Erin looked at the reaction of the two and made an expression that she didn’t know what was going on.
“All right.”
“Let me guide you.”
When Eleanor politely took the three of them out of the banquet hall, the interior of the banquet hall became noisy again.
“Did you see it? Princess Eleanor’s polite attitude?”
“Look, I see, why the hell do you treat a commoner with such respect?”
A woman from a family that is no different from the second-in-command in this country would personally come and greet her politely. Moreover, she had not just found Illyana, but a man named Eunhyeon.
“If…”
“Are you thinking about that too?”
“You too?”
It was the moment when the seeds of doubt began to sprout among the aristocrats, thinking that maybe Eun-hyeon was a much greater person than he expected.
◆ ◆ ◆
“You have done something very useless.”
Avros laughed at Eun-hyeon with a satisfied face, probably liking Eun-hyeon’s attitude of expressing that he didn’t like it with his face and body.
“Just that you made that expression makes me feel good enough.”
To see him proudly feeding the world taffy and showing a satisfied expression on his face, Eunhyeon was rather taken aback.
In front of many aristocrats, the organizer of the banquet, Avros, had his daughter serve Eun-hyeon politely. .
By now, the aristocrats who watched the scene would become interested in Eun-hyeon, who was trusted by the duchy, and at the same time, would naturally take a wary attitude towards Eun-hyeon.
For Eun-hyeon, who usually sticks to the method of making her look down on herself and inducing her carelessness, Abros’ sudden behavior will not act as a good factor at all.
“You made up your mind to reveal your identity in the first place, wasn’t it?”
“There are stages, too. I didn’t want to voluntarily buy a useless boundary.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“It doesn’t look apologetic at all.”
“Well, as a result, not only the Black Witch, but also the surrounding nobles were informed that I was behind you. Don’t you think good is good? Let it pass in moderation.”
“Puff.”
“… No way?”
Eunhyeon glared at Eleanor, who burst into laughter with a fierce expression.
Isn’t it the same as the line Eunhyeon gave to Eleanor’s angry expression when she asked for Viscount Berman’s treatment?
Eun-hyeon was immediately able to figure out whose intention this was coming from.
“I’m going to take revenge like this now, is this it?”
“Huh, I don’t know what you mean?”
After a few seconds of glaring at Eleanor, who was desperately pretending, Eun-hyeon sighed and made a look that she couldn’t help it.
“Yes. I lost. I never thought it would end like this.”
“A compliment, I’ll accept it gratefully.”
Abros, who had an expression that he had seen something rare, opened his mouth while staring at Eunhyun with a serious face.
“Then let’s get to the point.”
“Ah…”
As Avros stared at Erin, she let out a small moan as well and met Avros’s gaze.
“This is my first time introducing myself like this. The head of the Armitas duke family is called Abros Armitas. He is also the father of your brother and the man who ruined the family.”
“Eh, my name is Erin Hersha. Duke… Sir.”
“Do you resent me?”
It was a short question from Avros, but Erin couldn’t answer right away.
