Chapter 156 – Carol Siberia
After teasing Carol, a duel in name only, after a few hours of rest, it was time for dinner.
Upon entering the restaurant, all sorts of delicacies were waiting for us.
Even though it was a sudden dinner, the preparations were perfect.
Mother and Carol are at home, which means that they are taking a break after beating wild beasts on a very large scale, so these are the ingredients prepared to relieve the fatigue.
“Four spoons and three forks. Why are there five knives? I can’t believe it.”
“Knight, what is that drill? What are we fighting against?”
Wolf Dancer and Rudy, who came first, muttered quietly.
A table like this would be unfamiliar to the Wolf Dance, who was drinking coffee with a tin cup dented by a bonfire while blocking the sandstorm with a poncho, or to Rudy, who inherited all the knowledge and experience from his old personality, but still has no way of knowing how to write nobles.
I put on the dress I picked out from the closet, but my movements were very unsteady as the feeling of it was very uncomfortable.
It was obvious that the maid would have put it on.
“If you’re confused, just use the utensils you like. And Rudy, we don’t fight. That’s not a drill. It’s a tool used to cook rock crab, a specialty of the Siberian Territory.”
“Crab? Didn’t an ancient beast live near here?”
“So it’s very expensive. Only very skilled technicians can fish here.”
“Chief, is that delicious?”
“It melts easily. You can look forward to it.”
“Hehe. I’m looking forward to it! I like that.”
I wanted to teach Wolf Dance and Rudy some basic manners, but I stopped.
It’s too complicated to learn for a while, and it’s something you don’t even need to know.
If you really want to learn, it’s enough to learn slowly after everything is over.
Then the King of Fair Wheels, Elroy, and Jia appeared and I asked Jia.
“Jia, don’t you need to teach me?”
“Yes. I learned a little bit in the past.”
Even if he was the leader of the warriors, he thought that Jia, who had learned under Seda, the king of the Ratel Kingdom, would not be very dark-eyed, and his prediction was correct.
Jia naturally sat down in her seat.
It was the same with the King of the Wheel.
‘I don’t know much about imperial manners,’ she said, ‘but…’ And she sat down very skillfully.
Lute followed her and sat down without saying anything to her.
But unexpectedly, Elroy was standing in her place, staring at me.
Eloya, a savvy aristocrat is her head, and since she’s so diligent, she must be far better at manners than a badly educated guy like me.
‘Aha.’
I noticed the hidden meaning in her gaze.
“They all look good in their dresses. This is all thanks to my selection.”
“It would have been nice if you hadn’t even added an afterword. Well, let’s skip that much.”
Contrary to her complaints, Elroy sat down with a satisfied smile.
What I said was true.
All of them looked good in their dresses.
Elroy was beautiful in a deep-backed dress with a lemon color combination that went well with her pink hair.
The King of Fair Wheels wore a red dress that was nothing special, but because of that, her overwhelming beauty stood out even more.
Jia was cute with her tail wagging under her black dress.
Wolf Dancer and Rudy looked like silver-haired and white-haired twins in identical blue dresses.
Lute was also attractive as her blue hair and white dress gave off a dreamy feeling.
Although they are unique, they all have their own charm.
It’s a new idea, but I’ve been collecting these beauties from all over the place.
I’d probably be very resourceful even working as a collector.
The women took my compliments in their own way.
Jia silently waggled her tail wildly, and some struggled to stifle their laughter, like a wolf dance or a king of pharaohs.
I was thinking about how to rip those dresses to look even worse while watching them.
Something was wrong with my eyes.
Looking closely at the table, the identity of the sense of incongruity was quickly revealed.
“It’s kind of weird. Appetizer and main dish are served together. Drinks are all in one place, and there’s even dessert.”
“That’s it, Brother. My mother said she had some very secret things to share. I can’t help it because I’ve taken away all the attendants.”
“Carol.”
When I turned my head, Carol was approaching.
It wasn’t a dress like the school uniform she was wearing earlier, but she had changed into a noble lady’s attire.
Although she is gorgeous and beautiful, it was a bit over her size for her.
“Are you all crying now?”
“Oh, I didn’t cry before!”
“Yes, yes. Okay. Anyway, it’s a dress I remember seeing somewhere. Is it my imagination?”
“… I’m not mistaken. This dress was her mother’s favorite piece of her childhood. Maybe her brother wore it sometimes when he was little?”
“Right.”
As she nodded, Carol gave her a very confident look.
It’s a look that makes me want to envy something.
“Why?”
“Why? My mother passed on this precious dress to me.”
“Yeah, that’s great.”
“And you were the first to let me know that you were going to have a secret. Isn’t that proof that I’m the person you trust the most?”
“Hmm…”
Carol speaks with her chest stretched out.
I looked at my brother who spoke proudly with a subtle expression.
Perhaps the secret talk is about me and the emperor.
In fact, it’s something only Carol doesn’t know.
Come to think of it, Carol hadn’t even heard a basic introduction to who the women in front of her were.
“Carol, that’s…”
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Then her mother entered her restaurant.
For some reason, she seemed to be wearing a lot of energy and dressing up.
Selling just one of those dangling ornaments could feed a middle-class family for a year.
It comes as a gift from here and there, but my mother didn’t have time to decorate it, so it was just dust.
“I didn’t wait long, did I?”
When I asked the girls for their understanding, my mother, who had been watching, frowned.
“Jun, pay respect to the King of Fair Wheels according to your position. It’s a personal colleague relationship, but it’s an overly rude attitude.”
“Ah, co-workers can talk about each other, but don’t be too firm. It’s just uncomfortable with each other. Did you forget that you asked your mother to keep her voice down?”
“Whoa, what happened over the past ten years has made you so shameless that you were innocent. … You’re not saying you’ve even talked to the Earl of Greypoint, right?”
Mother sighed and looked at me and Elroy.
‘I heard that Earl Greypoint is upright and polite in everything…’ Was his gaze.
“Rather than talking, I’ll call you Elroy… Evil!”
“…”
While I was talking playfully, I was startled by an electric current that flowed from somewhere, and my mother put her hand on her head.
I looked behind her and saw Elroy glaring at me like he was going to kill me, and Carol, her complexion turning blue.
“Pae, the king of charades? The king of the enemy country?”
“Carol, you understand why I said it’s a secret story? The conversations we had here must be kept secret. Only the people involved deserve to be remembered.”
“…I’ll keep that in mind, mother.”
“I’ll tell you one more time, starting with the story you haven’t heard. Listen straight and remember.”
“Ho, did the secret have something to do with you?”
“Of course. I’ll tell you first. From now until the end of this, we must protect your brother with all our might. Above all else, above me, of course.”
At her mother’s words, Carol lifted her bowed head.
She exclaimed as if bewildered.
“Such… Mother is the owner of the family and the Grand Duke of Siberia! She is the rightful ruler of all the vassals and people of the territory…”
“Yeah. I’m telling you to value your brother more than me. At least until this is over.”
“Why…”
“Because all the people of the empire and even the survival of the human species could be in your brother’s hands.”
“Such nonsense… Absurd, Mother!”
“As you say, it may be nothing but a hypocrisy. But if there is even the slightest chance of that happening, those who inherit our aristocratic blood must protect your brother, even at the cost of their own lives. If you are not prepared for that, I will tell you this story. I can’t give it to you. Go back to your room.”
Carol shuddered as her mother sent her stern glance.
You wouldn’t have known that things would turn out like this when you proudly talked to me.
Carol glared at me, overcome by her inexplicable inferiority complex.
To her, I would be her nasty brother who suddenly appears and usurps her own place.
How much more should you help me, even at the cost of your own life?
With only the responsibility of being a noble?
No matter what, you can’t do that.
But…
“I will. If that is my duty…”
Carol said that, keeping her personal feelings in the corner of her heart.
She nodded.
Excellent.
Looking at her, I twitched one of her lips.
After Carol was seated, the dinner began.
Mother spoke at length, but this was not actually a meeting.
The course of action and plans were mostly decided in the drawing room.
This place was more like telling a story to Carol, who wasn’t in the parlor, getting her to prepare, and getting to know what kind of characters my women were.
After the brief explanation, her mother’s questions continued to pour in.
“I see, then did you meet her son south of Daejeon and swear allegiance?”
“I didn’t just swear allegiance, I gave him my soul. My guns, my honor and my life belong to the princess.”
“What did you see about my son that made you make such a crucial decision?
“I won’t tell you because the princess doesn’t want to, but I know about his past that even you, my ex-mother, don’t know about. My relationship with him is deep, and the princess is someone who knows honor.”
“Yeah, it seems like you’ve been bothered by my slapping your son. I know you really mean it for him.”
“Um…Well, more than that…”
‘It’s polite even if it’s a wolf dance. Like the mother who came out with a lot of makeup, she is almost at the level of an interviewer.’
Mother did not strictly examine the status, wealth, or place of origin of the women.
Because there is enough money and power on this side.
What my mother evaluates is their character, humanity, and relationship with me.
It’s better to follow the family name.
Is understanding human nature something that can be solved in one sitting?
I put up with it at first, but after two hours, I can’t listen to it anymore.
Unexpectedly, the women were also very nervous, and it looked like they were having a lot of trouble.
“Stop it. What are you interrogating? It’s already past nine. I’ll put everything I ate on top.”
“What do you mean? Son. I just want to find out what kind of people your colleagues are…”
“It’s only for a moment. How is this different from what you crave? Let me rest now. It would be funny if I collapsed from exhaustion before fighting the emperor.”
“…”
At my words, my mother looked around.
Elo, Lute, and the King of Wheels were sitting upright, but Giana, Rudi, and Wolf Dancer, who were not used to a formal conversation, looked quite tired.
There is no guarantee that even the three of them who look fine will do so in their hearts.
Mental exhaustion cannot be ignored.
Then, as she realized that she had been talking to her for hours, her mother blushed in embarrassment.
“Hmm, uhm… I’m sorry. I’ll stop reading…”
“No, Your Highness the Grand Duke. It was a wonderful dinner. Thank you for inviting me to dinner today…”
‘What a great dinner. I bet he didn’t even know how the food tasted.’
However, even at times like this, it was the woman named Elroy who did not lose her formal attitude.
Thanks to her skillful mediation, the interrogation under the guise of her meal went smoothly.
Is the person who is the Grand Duke of Siberia and the owner of one of the most prestigious families in the empire also her mother?
Her mother’s nagging is hard for any child to bear.
I sighed and asked my mother.
“Then, I’d like to ask you one question before you go to rest. Did you send the letter? That’s probably why you came to the restaurant a little late.”
“Yes. Actually, if I send it within today, there won’t be a big difference in time, but I still want to hurry a little bit. I sent it before dinner.”
The mother, as befits the second highest in the Empire, was qualified to communicate directly to the Emperor.
Even if it’s a line that has nothing to use unless it’s very urgent.
Since the recipient is not an ordinary person, the letter will be delivered by manpower, not by carriage or railroad.
By wizards who only specialized in going to and from the Siberian territory and the ecliptic.
“It will work. Lord Zadonis has fallen and the war situation is in a slump, so the emperor will need me too.”
“When will the answer come back?”
“It will take two days at the earliest. In the meantime, keep your mind and body at their peak. The fate of the empire’s people is at stake in this decisive battle.”
“Whether the reply comes in two days or five minutes. Don’t worry, we’ll always be in top shape.”
“Really, it’s a liquidation runoff.”
Leaving behind the smiling mother, and having a final conversation this time, I went out into the hallway with the women to go back to our respective rooms.
Then Carol came over here.
She went out a little earlier and was waiting on purpose?
“Uh… Earl of Greypoint?”
“…? What happened?”
Unexpectedly, it was Elroy who Carol spoke to.
Elroy was also surprised, and her eyes widened.
To her, her Carol bowed her waist.
“It’s such an honor to meet you like this!”
“Um… Do you know me?”
“Yes! The Count is the second person I admire in the world. He was a young man my age, rose to the position of commander and even subdued an ancient beast. He often said that the Count was a great man.”
“His Highness? Thank you for that. Thank you for respecting me, Carol.”
Elroy also quietly smiled, as if she didn’t hate the compliments.
“It’s not just rumors. The Count has come forward for the people of the Empire like this. You’ve come this far, willingly giving up your position and stable life. The Count is a nobler noble than rumors!”
“It’s overrated, Carol. I just did what I had to do.”
“You’re really cool…! By the way, can I ask you a favor…?”
“If I can do anything, I’ll gladly do it. What is it?”
“May I ask for an autograph later?”
“Put. Sure. I’ll sign it anytime.”
“I did it…!!”
Carol’s eyes sparkled with childlike delight.
She looked at him and laughed silently as she saw Carol looking this way.
It seems I have a business this time.
“Brother.”
“Huh?”
“What you just said… Is it really all true?”
Unlike her moments before, Carol looked quite uneasy.
As soon as the conversation with Elroy was over, her mood suddenly changed as if she had just woken up from a dream.
I was shocked because the conversations in the restaurant were only things that overturned common sense so far.
She tried to keep her composure as before, but that didn’t stop her fingertips from trembling.
“Really everything is true. Can’t you believe it?”
“Yeah… Honestly, it’s hard to believe. Poisonous air, the identity of the emperor… There were only stories that I couldn’t believe easily. But…”
“But?”
“Your brother is my mother’s son. He is the son of the person I respect the most in the world.
“Then you can trust me, Carol.”
“Is it so.”
Carol listened to me and nodded her head as if she was determined to do something.
She let out a deep breath and lifted her head and met her eyes with mine.
“Then I will help you. I will protect the territory so that you can fight in peace. If I have to, I will give my life.”
“To life?”
“Because that’s my duty. Because I’m also my mother’s daughter. I’m from the Siberian family. … And even if we don’t share blood, we’re brother and sister. Right? It’s natural for a younger brother to help his older brother.”
Carol said that and bowed her head in greeting.
She then ran after her and ran down the hallway to her own room, feeling ashamed.
Elroy said as I looked at her sister’s back.
“You’re a cute little brother.”
“Yes. This is what being a younger brother is like. It’s a strange feeling.”
“When Shin Eunseo hears it, she gets angry, Princess.”
“Of course hanging out with Eunseo is the worst. But it’s a bit different from that.”
I shrugged my shoulders to the wolf dance and finally made my decision.
It is an answer to a question that has been bothering me for a long time.
“I can’t. I don’t want to leave even the slightest chance that Carol will get hurt or die.”
“I understand your heart. So what are you going to do?”
“I’ll have to cast an enhancement spell. By all means.”
“By any means…?”
Elroy tilted her head.
“Yes. Even if you cheat.”
“Hmm… It may be unavoidable for your safety, but…”
“Thank you for saying that. I think so too. So take care of me, Elroy.”
“…What?”
“You mean Carol. Don’t you think she trusts you quite a bit? You can call her for an autograph, ask for tea and she’ll be in the room. No doubt about it…”
As she spoke meaningfully, she took a step back, as if Elroy was wary.
You know what I mean.
She said, shaking her head firmly.
“Sir, I don’t like it. He said he admired me. He didn’t want to betray him.”
– Right!
“Ah…”
When I snap my fingers, Elroy’s eyes go blank.
The women just shook their heads without saying anything, probably expecting things to turn out this way.
“I’ll only trust you. Please take good care of me, Elroy.”
“Umm…♡ Chuu-up, chug…”
I put her finger in her mouth and spoke softly to her. Elroy, stimulated by her sense of taste, moved her tongue and licked her finger, even in an unconscious state.
There was not even a shred of will to be found in her amber eyes.
