The territory of Duke Sadie was in the northern region of the Bancent Empire , but since the Empire itself was not located in the far north, the autumn in the northern region was not particularly cold.

The Duke’s castle was a very large and spacious place with over 600 bedrooms. The marble corridors stretched out, giving a refreshing feeling, and ornate hand woven rugs, which were difficult to acquire from the Eastern Empire were laid on the floor. Expensive chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, and beautiful scenes from mythical stories were preserved as murals on the walls.

As a prestigious family, portraits of the first Duke and his descendants were lined up in the corridor, creating an imposing atmosphere just by walking past them.

Upon entering the reception room, the representatives of the three families were seated.

First, let’s skip who Marlene, Marquis Huppert’s daughter, was.

Next was Renav, the eldest son of Viscount Touchet.

He had neatly combed blond hair, a narrow forehead, and sharp features. He was not only perfect in appearance but also trusted within the palace for his flawless handling of affairs.

Lastly, there was Count Enoch Blois, who owned over 100,000 acres of land and had accumulated tremendous wealth recently through investments in copper mines.

Enoch was lucky to become wealthy, but he wasn’t particularly intelligent. His repeated attempts to flirt with Marlene failed, making him appear ridiculous.

“If you don’t mind, would you like to go for a walk with me?”

“I don’t really feel like walking.”

“Well then, shall we sit here together?”

“I don’t want to.”

“If you don’t want to walk or sit, what should we do?”

When Enoch awkwardly shifted his buttocks, Marlene wrapped her head with her hands and moved away from her seat.

“Ugh, why am I always surrounded by inadequate people?”

Avoiding Enoch, who was sulking, Marlene quickly ran toward Emily and her husband, who were entering the reception room.

“Hello, Emily! Greetings, Marquis Starr.”

Marlene greeted Killian very politely . When she recalled his fierce demeanor at the Gallery Molinu, her back involuntarily bent.

“I am Marlene Huppert, a friend of Emily’s. I’m not sure if you remember me.”

Finally, Killian also recognized Marlene and greeted her.

“I heard that you are Emily’s only friend. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh… Did Emily say that?”

Marlene looked at Emily as if she was surprised.

“Haha, did I say that you were my only friend? I must have lost my mind.”

“There’s no need to feel embarrassed… I already know everything sweetie.”

Marlene chuckled and led them through the crowd. The first person she introduced was Renav.

“Say hello, Viscount Touchet . This person is Lord Starr, and the person next to him is Lady Starr, who is also my friend, Emily.”

“Ah… Yes, nice to meet you.”

Renav forced himself to exchange greetings with Killian. Being in the presence of someone from a commoner and mafia background was not to his liking.

“And this person is Viscount Renav, Marquis Touchet’s eldest son.”

After Marlene’s introduction, Killian also greeted him and said, “I am acquainted with Marquis Touchet.”

“Are you talking about my father?”

Renav unconsciously frowned. Knowing that his father had connections with the mafia was a blow to his self-esteem.

Sensing that atmosphere keenly, Marlene was worried that Renav might behave rudely.

‘What if his head flies off on his way back home tonight?’ [T/n: I think she’s afraid Killian will have someone who upsets him killed]

Marlene quickly finished her greetings for the sake of peace and called Count Enoch Blois.

Fortunately, Enoch did not show any hostility towards Killian like Renav did.

“It’s an honor to meet you like this. I have visited Delina House a few times, but I suppose you don’t remember.”

Killian shrugged.

“I don’t go to clubs often.”

“Then please remember my face today. Can I greet you first when we meet next time?”

“Yes, you may.”

Although Killian was not familiar with such social events, Enoch, who was friendly and accommodating, did not make him uncomfortable.

“By the way, the two of you really suit each other, just as the rumors say.”

Enoch said so, approaching subtly next to Marlene.

“Don’t Lady Huppert and I also look like a painting?”

Marilyn let out a deep sigh as if she had pulled it from her lower abdomen.

“I’m really going crazy.”

There was no escape here or there. Marlene had no choice but to escort them out of the reception room.

“Let’s end the greetings here.  Marquis, and Emily, the butler says he’ll show you the inside of the castle, so let’s go together.”

Having some free time, they received guidance from the butler and toured the inside of the castle.

“Marlene, when did you become involved with Count Blois?”

Emily whispered quietly to Marlene from behind.

“Emily, can’t you tell just by looking? The Count has one-sidedly fallen for me.”

Marlene swept her arm as if she felt chills.  He was both 35 years old and 12 years old at the same time,  he was foolish in his behavior, which wasn’t to her liking

“I didn’t know he was that old because he looks so young.”

“His looks aren’t bad, but you can’t fall for it. If you talk to him for just a minute, you’ll realize he’s an idiot.”

The butler cleared his throat and continued the explanation when the two kept whispering back and forth behind him. 

“This is the room that has been used as the Duchess’s bedroom for generations. It’s been  empty for years.”

The butler said so and looked at Emily stealthily. 

His eyes seemed to say, ‘This room originally belonged to Lady Starr.’

As this atmosphere continued, Killian was overcome with a strange feeling that he could not pin down.

Killian wished he could stop the uninteresting castle tour now, have a meal, fulfill his schedule, and return comfortably to his house where he could sleep.

However, the castle tour took another hour after that, before they finally met Duke Sadie at the dinner table.

***

To impress the Duke, Renav Touchet was the first to make a flattering remark.

“It’s a great honor to be invited when Your Grace is not known for social activities. Both the territory and the castle are dignified and in line with Your Grace’s reputation.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Enoch also wanted to say something in the meantime.

“The castle is so vast and magnificent. Your Grace must feel lonely all by yourself. Come to think of it, don’t most people your age have children already?”

At Enoch’s bombshell remark, the people at the table turned into ice instantly. Somewhere, the sound of a spoon hitting a plate could be heard.

“Count Blois!”

Renav glared at Enoch, who had ruined the atmosphere in an instant.

But clueless Enoch could only wonder why people were staring at him.

“Why are you looking at me like that? The potato soup tastes bad when it gets cold, so please eat it quickly.”

While watching Enoch enjoy the soup, Marlene quietly whispered to Emily beside her.

“Look. Didn’t I say that person seems to have some issues with their brain function?”

“That’s true.”

Emily quietly offered her condolences to the future Mrs. Blois.

Then, as the course dishes were served, the meal resumed in some way or another.

Renav pondered how he could carry on the lively conversation to the now silent dining table. As far as he knew, the way to get close to someone was to gossip about someone they disliked together.

Recalling the rumors he had heard, Renav decided to join forces with Charles and badmouth Killian.

“By the way, I didn’t expect Marquis Starr to be invited like this. To be honest, isn’t he from a different background from us?”

Renav knew of Killian’s mafia status, but so what? Strictly speaking, Killian, a commoner by birth, was no different from an impurity at this gathering.

Renav, a talented person favored by the Imperial Palace, was not afraid of Killian because he had an aspiration to one day nip the mafia in the bud.

However, Enoch once again interjected without any sense of the situation, disrupting Renav’s plan to humiliate Killian.

“Renav, how can a smart person like you not know that? It’s obvious.”

Renav’s face sank as he wondered what that person would say next.

“Count Blois, hold on a moment…”

“Isn’t Lady Starr the Duke’s former fiancée?”

With that remark, somewhere, the sound of a spoon hitting the floor could be heard.

“Your Grace must have wanted to see Lady Star and find out who she married, so you invited both of them, right?”

Everyone at the dining table, except Enoch, tightly closed their eyes. In particular, Emily wondered if she could faint naturally and escape from this situation.

Meanwhile, Enoch’s chatter continued unabated.

“Come to think of it, then we’re just extras here.”

Renav looked down at the steak on his plate. Should he pick it up and stuff it into that person’s mouth?

Meanwhile, Charles and Killian, the protagonists of the turmoil, maintained silence.

In particular, Killian thought that perhaps Count Blois was a highly sophisticated strategist pretending to be immature.

‘Or maybe he’s on my side?’

Well, if that’s the case, I appreciate it. Killian sliced the steak with a lighter heart.

In the midst of this situation, only Renav struggled desperately to fix the atmosphere that was so broken that it seemed irreparable.

Finally, when dessert time came, Renav once again brought up a new topic.

“Ahem, how about we all enjoy horseback riding together tomorrow?”

As horseback riding was a hobby enjoyed by the nobility, Renav thought that Killian, a commoner by birth, would not be able to ride properly.

Despite the twists and turns, he still had the determination to impress Duke Sadie, so Renav intended to extinguish Killian’s spirit.

“I especially want to have a race with Marquis Starr.”

“That sounds fun! Count me in for the race too!”

Due to Enoch’s continuous and unabashed interference, Renav’s patience was wearing thin.

“Sigh, if you insist.”

Renav had no energy left to respond. While everyone else seemed indifferent, Enoch, the only one with a bright smile, turned to Marlene, who was sitting across from him, and spoke.

“I have three horses that I ride.”

Marlene responded with a smile.

“What a waste of words.”

***

Translator note: I love how Enoch is so stupid Killain thinks he might be a genius. ~Mae

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