Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Duke of the North Debuts in High Society (2)
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Ferris Grand Duchy.
A family that leads a massive trading company and wields tremendous influence in the southern regions of the Radain Holy Kingdom.
They say there's even a phrase: Bilheim in the North, Ferris in the South.
'But these two families have never even interacted before...'
I couldn't fathom why they were greeting me with such fanfare.
'Are they keeping me in check? Or is it purely out of goodwill?'
I had no idea which it was... but one thing was certain: I couldn't afford to make a fool of myself.
The nobles were watching.
My first impression among them would be shaped by this conversation with the Ferris Duke.
I needed to stay sharp and show everyone the manners and dignity befitting the Duke of the North.
I might be cosplaying as the cool Duke of the North, but I planned to handle at least the bare minimum of social duties.
Thanks to my father ruining all our political connections, if I messed up too, the Northern Territories could end up completely isolated—like North Korea.
"...Pleased to meet you, Ferris Duke. Thank you for your warm welcome."
"Oh? You know who I am?"
"Of course. There's even that saying: Bilheim in the North, Ferris in the South. Your reputation is well-known even in the North."
I subtly flattered him by using the phrase I'd just recalled.
"...Haha! Who would have thought you'd place a humble man like me alongside the great Bilheim family. What an honor!"
The slight pause made me nervous, but his reaction suggested I'd answered well enough.
Now it was time to get to the point.
"So, what brings you to me? If I may be so bold, we've had no prior dealings."
"Oh, come now! No particular motive."
The Ferris Duke flagged down a passing waiter and picked up one of the cocktail glasses from his tray.
"I simply wish to maintain good relations with the Duke of Bilheim, who will shine as the North's guardian in the days ahead. That's why I've extended my hand first."
"I see."
That was a relief.
The Ferris Duke was a heavyweight in high society.
There was no downside to building a good rapport with him.
"In that spirit, allow me to treat you to a drink..."
But then he pulled out a small glass vial filled with red liquid and began pouring it into the glass.
"What is that?"
"Ah, nothing much. You could call it a special cocktail I prepared just for you."
"...?"
"It's no big deal. Just mixed in some Noren wine."
"Noren?"
Noren... Oh, those red berries?
I'd seen them in a compendium. They were fairly common in other regions.
But Noren didn't grow in the Northern Territories.
To begin with, the damned cold meant few plants grew wild there at all.
"Here, Noren wine. Down it in one go."
Maybe it was my imagination, but the Ferris Duke's smile seemed overly bright as he handed me the glass.
I stared at the reddish liquid in the glass.
Mixing Noren into alcohol...?
No idea. I'd have to try it.
I glanced around subtly.
Poison...? Nah.
No way they'd assassinate me so openly in front of everyone.
But judging from the reactions around me, offering a glass laced with Noren clearly carried some significance.
The nobles were staring intently, as if whether I drank the Noren wine or not was a matter of national fate.
"What's wrong? Drink up."
The duke's urging only made me more anxious.
...Screw it. I'll drink.
No good would come from refusing and offending him.
"Then, with pleasure."
What could go wrong?
I brought the glass to my lips and downed it in one gulp.
And the moment the alcohol hit my mouth, it ignited.
An intense, burning sting wherever the liquid touched my mucous membranes.
Even dumping chili powder straight down my throat wouldn't be this stimulating.
The burn didn't stop in my mouth—it scorched its way down my esophagus, searing every path it took.
In other words—
"—Delicious."
Absolutely divine.
Who knew booze like this existed?
Back at the salon, I'd chugged alcohol like water.
At first, I was content with light drinks, but soon I sought stronger stuff, stronger kicks, trying every kind under the sun.
Eventually, I even mixed the harshest liquors and ingredients into a toxic brew no one else could touch.
—Dude, is this booze?! It's poison, you bastard...
That was the verdict from a drinking buddy who'd tasted it once and puked his guts out.
But no matter how intense the stimulus, you get used to it eventually.
In the end, I developed a kind of alcohol numbness—no strong or stimulating drink could satisfy me anymore.
Drinking became just a means to get drunk.
But Noren wine was different.
The first taste jolted even my dulled senses awake.
And with a month's abstinence fueling my craving—
"This stuff is incredible. Makes me want another."
I even muttered it aloud, forgetting everyone around me.
Stagger.
Huh?
Why was the room suddenly spinning?
Losing my balance, I instinctively swung my left arm—the one not holding the glass—
Thud—
Luckily, I managed to hook it onto something heavy and warm, steadying myself without falling.
The only minor issue? That heavy, warm something was the Ferris Duke's neck.
Still with my arm draped over his shoulder, I frantically spun my brain into overdrive.
Why the sudden dizziness?
Oh, right. I'd been on the wagon.
After over a month of strict detox, my purified brain couldn't handle even a little alcohol and briefly shut down.
My tongue and stomach endured the Noren flavor, but my brain tapped out.
So in my panic to avoid a humiliating fall, I'd grabbed the nearest thing to hold on.
And ended up as the rude bastard draping an arm over the duke from the get-go.
Now that I knew the cause... what next?
How to salvage this crisis?
The damage was done—everyone had seen it.
How to play it off...
...Ah, fuck it. No clue.
"Ah, my apologies, Ferris Duke. Sorry for getting so chummy all of a sudden."
I spoke as casually as possible, as if there was nothing wrong with it at all.
Arm still on his shoulder.
Pulling it away now would admit I'd screwed up.
No choice but to brazen it out.
"But this Noren-laced booze... it's phenomenal. The moment I tasted it, I was hooked. That's the only way to put it."
"Y-Yes?"
"Any... more left? Leftover Noren, maybe?"
"!"
The Ferris Duke froze in shock at my outrageous behavior, staring at me like 'What the hell are you?' while I kept my arm around him.
But I couldn't back down. Had to push through.
"That's why, Your Excellency. When you gifted me this fine liquor yourself, an irresistible surge of camaraderie welled up from the depths of my heart..."
Praying it would work, I recited my prepared lines.
"...leading me to express my own brand of friendship and intimacy like this."
"I-Is that so."
"With that in mind, I'd like to continue our good relations going forward. Would that be alright?"
It's just because I want to be buddies.
You get me, right? You'll understand?
"Uh, y-yeah. Sure... Of course."
"I truly appreciate your generosity."
Finally, I slowly, naturally withdrew my arm from his shoulder,
then wrapped my left arm around my waist in a polite bow.
"..."
I checked reactions after my all-out performance.
The Ferris Duke stared blankly, mouth agape in a daze.
The nobles' reactions weren't much different.
...I'm screwed.
My high society debut was a flop.
They'd forever remember the lunatic Duke of the North trying to throw an arm around someone right off the bat.
Time to bail.
"Well then, if you'll excuse me. The booze after so long is hitting me."
I threw out a lame excuse and bolted from the hall at a brisk pace.
How to deal with the aftermath...
The moment Duke of the North Robertus Bilheim entered the hall, the nobles who saw him inwardly marveled.
A towering height well over 190 cm, with the sturdy build typical of Northerners.
His sharp yet somewhat somber eyes exuded a unique charm.
Unlike his predecessor Palthion, who was little more than a barbarian, Robertus embodied both strength and elegance—a true gentleman.
Even the sleek black suit he wore accentuated that duality.
Robertus ignored the admiring gazes and strode confidently to the center of the hall.
A novice's debut in high society at just twenty-one.
Yet his bold steps and leisurely scan of the room showed no trace of tension or anxiety.
The very picture of a sovereign's procession.
The nobles felt slightly intimidated by his charisma, while subtly revising their assessments upward due to his intriguing allure.
"Well, well! If it isn't the famous Duke Robertus Bilheim himself!"
But the moment the Ferris Duke spoke to him, the atmosphere shifted.
Rumors had already spread through the hall that Ferris planned to publicly offer Robertus the Noren wine.
What would happen next?
The seemingly smooth conversation between them took a new turn with Robertus's words:
"There's even that saying: Bilheim in the North, Ferris in the South."
Both were grand dukes in title, but their influence was worlds apart.
No matter the holy sword's choice or the pope's backing, Robertus was still a greenhorn less than a month into his dukedom.
Ferris, meanwhile, was a titan who'd solidified his position over decades.
Yet Robertus had publicly equated them as equals.
An unexpected ambush from Robertus.
Ferris flinched for a moment, but
"...Haha! Who would have thought you'd place a humble man like me alongside the great Bilheim family."
true to his veteran status, he brushed it off smoothly.
And so the conversation continued.
"Here, Noren wine. Down it in one go."
The words everyone had awaited from the Ferris Duke finally spilled forth.
How would Robertus react?
Would he balk in embarrassment?
Or rage at the audacity of such an insult?
"Then, with pleasure."
Defying all expectations, Robertus Bilheim chose to drink the Noren wine.
As he downed it in one go, some guessed he was stubbornly persisting out of pride, others that this bumpkin from the North simply didn't know what it signified.
Either way, the outcome would be the same.
The new Duke of the North would vomit and wail in the most humiliating spectacle imaginable before the high nobles,
becoming the talk of noble society forever, tarnishing his honor irreparably.
That was everyone's prediction—which made Robertus's words after downing the drink all the more shocking.
"—Delicious."