Chapter 321 – 32. Grand Banquet (1)
It was only for a moment that I was in pain, clutching my throbbing forehead. The Baron woke up with a sigh and immediately set out to solve the numerous problems. Fortunately, the reception room here is full of trustworthy people who can ease my troubles.
“Lord Peltier, even though the Le Verrier Battle Sisters are a formidable group, I can’t imagine what happened to Nurse Anais. Still, it seems to be true that fighting took place in the direction of the square, so you should go first.”
“Please leave it to me.”
“Chief Maid Annette, I will personally go and greet the royal court of the south gate, so please guard the mansion with the Chief Maid. A triumphal festival for the duel trial held in the East will be held soon, so you two will need to assist Oriane and Henrietta.”
“Yes, I will decorate it so beautifully that it will dazzle the matriarch’s eyes.”
“Finally, Chief Maid, please tell Leonard to entertain Temur and his party at the North Gate. It would be better if you sent Anais, but I don’t know what the situation is like there, so I think I’ll just have to ask her to explain our situation well first. As a bonus, Lord Peltier, if the chaos in the square is cleared up early, please let the nanny join you there.”
“I will do as you command. If something unexpected happens again, we will resolve it together with Madame Oriane, so please rest assured.”
Eventually, the old knight jumped up and grabbed her coat. Since she did not wear armor when carrying out simple police duties, she left without notice. Since I was already on my way back from the three lords’ villa, it seemed like I didn’t need any further guidance.
“Oh, and the head maid?”
“Yes?”
“I heard from Antoine yesterday that you two are in a serious relationship. I think it’s good for you to know, so I’m telling you now. “The fact is that he was injured a few hours ago while monitoring those who were lightly detained at the official residence in the city.”
The head maid, who was about to leave after him, turned pale. She asked again in a worried voice whether she was simply playing with fire. Considering that she was an employee of a prestigious ducal family, her inability to control her expression was a measure of how sincere she was.
“Ma, are you hurt a lot?”
“I understand it is not a minor injury. However, it is said that he has now passed the critical point and is recovering and that there will be no significant aftereffects. Henrietta went out earlier, and it will be a while before she returns, but if you wish, she may go and show her face for a moment.”
“I will, thank you so much for letting me know.”
Annette wiped her shocked chest, bowed and turned her back. She left the room with Marion, who also set out to carry out the instructions she had received. She was receiving deep comfort from her.
“Okay, so now you’re the only one left?”
In the now deserted room, a dancer with tan hair and pupils nodded. Ximena was wearing a tight-fitting garment that mimicked her tentacles, clearly exposing not only her areolas and nipples, but also her defined abdominal muscles and navel.
“Let’s go and talk first.”
Rom adjusted her collar and strode into the hallway beyond the wide open door. She must have liked the way the female followed me, so she slapped her buttocks with her open palm. I asked again, enjoying the rustling sound.
“What do you mean the nanny is dangerous?”
“As ordered, I was following the nuns and headed towards the villa of the three lords near the square. For some reason, the owner’s nanny was there, so everyone decided to take care of her first…”
“So you came to tell me, and the rest of you are attacking them?”
Himena kept shaking her head. The baron, who was momentarily stunned by her unexpected and excessive loyalty, raised her hand again with a bewildered expression.
Crack, clap!
Because her senses were blocked, I could barely feel her slight vibrations, so I slapped her buttocks several times to vent my anger. After glancing at her as she was, she secretly put both her hands around her navel like she was a criminal, and then she finally spoke out.
“I told you so many times. Don’t get hurt by overexerting yourself.”
“B-but the Baron’s nanny…”
“What happened to those bitches who tried to kill Françoise without knowing the favor he had given her?”
Although she said it as an accusation, she wasn’t actually reprimanding. Well, who would scold those who put their lives on the line for their families? The changed appearance of the nine dancers clearly pleased him. It simply contains the implication of being self-reliant in the future.
“Next time, do whatever you ask me to do better. Because I don’t want to see the things I care about get hurt.”
“Oh…”
Ximena, her face red, panicked, not knowing what to do. She coquettishly expressed her gratitude with the manner she had soon become accustomed to. She made a pretty heart shape on her lower belly where the uterus would be, and she purred.
“I’ll keep that in mind. I will engrave your sincere kindness deep in my heart and follow you faithfully in the future…”
“You ugly bitch, you act obediently and it sucks. I’ll play with it later, so I tell everyone to keep wearing that outfit until I say it’s okay.”
“Yes, I will.”
“But right now, I’m going to meet a messenger from the royal family, so my attire is a bit difficult. “I don’t want to ask you to change, but I don’t have time to do that, so I guess I’ll have to hide somewhere.”
The kingdom of Gaul is a country where there is discrimination based on social status and ethnicity. Naturally, simply accompanying a wandering woman as a companion could have been enough of an insult, and wearing an outfit that clearly revealed an obscene appearance, like now, could have been felt as an insult.
“Well, if that’s the case…”
Of course, Baron Ardennes, contrary to the national trend, is not ashamed of the dancers he has. In a series of contexts, what he was reluctant about was not skin color but clothing.
Himena, who had been fiddling with some part of her highly elastic costume, showed off her surprisingly changed outfit to her owner after a while. As before, it was disguised as a tight-fitting garment made of a silky fiber material, this time it was a thick winter clothing texture in a neutral color.
“That must be Lucien’s work, right?”
“That’s right.”
“She’s so consistent…”
“They said they are researching the implementation of more diverse materials so that we don’t have to wear other clothes. Currently, there are only two things: camouflage clothes for stealth and everyday clothes for everyday use.”
Rom guessed that they were ultimately trying to put all kinds of things together, starting with maids’ costumes. Needless to say, a female who always wears strange tentacles was the favorite occultist in the region.
“Anyway, that would be fine. “Stand quietly, one step behind, like a folding screen.”
It was a conversation we had just left the mansion. Since I was in a hurry at 1 o’clock, I had to speed up my pace after going outside. As a skilled assassin, Ximena chased after him with a brisk pace, and before long he was able to reach her south gate.
And so soon a checkpoint.
For some reason, when the place where many accidents occurred today came into view, the Baron held the back of his neck without realizing it. The palace encyclopedia said that the captain of the royal guard was looking for him, so he thought he was visiting with a small group, but it turned out that the fierce purple Knights of Calais were fully armed and lined up.
“Look over there, it’s Baron Ardennes!”
“Waaah! Supreme loyal subject!”
“Hero of Limousin! Lumiere’s invincible knight! The guardian god of Gaul!”
Those on horseback deliberately made the sound of their hooves. Those who did not have thunderous shouts and chanted Rom’s nickname. The voice was so powerful that it made the hair stand on end. Meanwhile, the person who caused this enthusiasm bit his lip as if he was embarrassed.
‘Damn, this isn’t a good time…’
I got the feeling just by hearing it. Ximena, who was dumbfounded, seemed to be struggling to maintain her composure, but she was not herself. Rom took a step forward with caution befitting his handsome appearance and came face to face with two men on horses in the distance.
“Sorry for being late, Your Excellency the Royal Palace.”
“Oh, what kind of unpleasant words between us.”
“I am ashamed to show my true self to the person who conveys His Majesty’s words.”
“Hehe, how can a great man who will never be seen again in the history of this country show such humility?”
He was, of course, the handsome man with his studious face and decent physique. He was a court official who served as the king’s representative, with elegance flowing through his entire body. It was something that the Baron couldn’t help but be nervous about, as he was somewhat endearing to the man who appeared whenever he thought it was forgettable.
“It’s difficult to accept.”
“Let’s say hello formally. “This is Captain Richard, who leads the Calais Knights of Lumière.”
The identity of the knight with flashing eyes and an unusual prayer even at a glance under the layers of armor was none other than Richard Calais, the commander of the royal guard. Although he had heard of his reputation, it was his first time having such a full-fledged introduction and conversation.
“Richard Callejo, it is a pleasure to meet the renowned Baron of Ardennes in person.”
“I am truly honored to have an audience with the noble sword that protects His Majesty the Wise King.”
Huge figures, people whose presence could never be ignored not only in the central political world but also in Gallia as a whole, grinned.
“By the way, Baron Ardennes?”
“I’m sure you can guess why we came here, right?”
Ximena, who had fallen behind Rom, thought she was just an attendant and didn’t even pay attention to him. All he could do was snicker darkly as he watched the Baron react to the unexpected situation with a slight cold sweat.
“Why did you refuse the title of Duke?”
“Your Majesty was very sorry.”
“You said it anyway. So please give us both good luck…”
“It is impossible for a subject to shame the king. Make sure you pay what you deserve. He said that and told me to persuade him to approve the title this time.”
Thanks to this, it served as an opportunity to have a strange misunderstanding between each other.
‘As expected, there is no way the Royal Guard can be moved by something like this. After the duel trial in the East, the power our side gained grew beyond imagination, and I became worried. I guess this is an intention to test how I can perform by repeatedly using the title of duke as bait?’
‘With all the plagues going on inside and outside the country, this man is the only one who can help His Majesty. It won’t be easy since they are born without greed and only view loyalty as a reward, but you must drive the wedge. Director Richard will help us a lot.’
‘Ah, I know. If we at least have one invincible ball in the north, His Majesty Alphonse will no longer have to worry about the challenges of the petty abandoned prince or the princess. I will do my best to assist you, so you can somehow achieve your goal.’
Well, it happens every time.
‘I guess I’ll have no choice but to humble myself and decline this somehow.’
‘Tonight, the Baron becomes a Duke.’
‘Don’t just become it, it must happen!’
