Chapter 71
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 71
The long, tedious round of pleasantries was finally over.
I'd finished introducing myself to all the key figures attending the banquet. Just talking to them had left my brain feeling fried—an exhaustion on par with dodging and deflecting a hundred bullets.
"Well done, Luka. Enjoy yourself from here on out."
Heilas said this as he stepped away from my side.
"Phew."
Worn out, I leaned against the wall to catch my breath.
My throat was parched from all the talking. When I raised my hand, a servant offered me a tray of drinks.
Nothing but alcohol.
I hesitated before picking up a glass. It was my first time drinking. Then again, a glass or two wouldn't get me drunk.
I brought the glass to my lips—and immediately frowned.
"Ugh."
My senses were sharp enough that the smell of alcohol hit my nose with piercing intensity. The more I thought about it, the less I understood why people drank this stuff. The liquid on my tongue tasted foul.
I merely wetted my lips and turned my gaze toward the terrace.
How is Martina Diva of La Vie en Rose here?
Jin Gau was a renowned figure in the Empire. From his youth right up to the present day, he had served as a research institute director for over a century. His career was impressive enough to command even Heilas's respect.
Martina Diva isn't a noble.
Using the Watcher's eyes, I checked Martina Diva's background. Her age was... older than I'd expected, and she'd been born in the absolute gutters of the Lower District.
I suppose a powerful figure like Jin Gau could bring someone from the Lower District to a noble banquet.
It made sense, in a way. Jin Gau in particular struck me as the type who didn't give a damn what others thought.
The fact that people put up with his eccentricities means he has the ability to back it up.
Lost in thought, I habitually tilted my glass again.
"Mmh."
I grimaced. Alcohol really did taste awful.
I looked away. The Imperial Guard Cadets who'd accepted my invitation were clustered in small groups. Like the nobles they were, they melted effortlessly into the banquet. Unlike me, they didn't look the least bit uncomfortable.
"Luka."
One of my fellow cadets approached. Glancing at Giselle in her dress across the room, he leaned in and whispered.
"Does Giselle have a fiancé or a boyfriend?"
"...I don't know."
"Come on, you're family. Don't play dumb."
"She probably doesn't have a boyfriend. Her temper's terrible."
"That doesn't matter. A noble lady with a good personality is about as rare as a young master who isn't a playboy. Introduce me so I can say hello."
He nudged my arm with his elbow. I felt a little annoyed, but there was no real reason not to introduce him.
So I walked over to Giselle with my classmate in tow.
"Giselle, this is—"
I introduced him. Face expressionless, Giselle glanced between me and the cadet and offered only the briefest of greetings.
"Pardon me, but if we could speak for a moment—"
My classmate tried to keep the conversation alive.
"My apologies. I'm rather busy at the moment."
Giselle spoke coldly and walked off. It was frosty enough to make me—the one who'd introduced them—feel awkward.
"I told you she had a bad temper, didn't I?"
I said, watching Giselle vanish into the crowd.
"Eh, that's par for the course."
My classmate laughed cheerfully despite the rejection. Within moments he'd struck up a conversation with another noble lady and was going strong.
Everyone's having a good time.
It seemed I was one of the few who couldn't.
I watched the flow of the banquet like an outsider.
Is this the noble society I have to mingle in for the rest of my life?
How many banquets would Lucaus Custoria have to attend to become someone like them? I honestly had no idea.
I wanted to become a true member of the Custoria family. But the wall of my origins loomed high. It wasn't about others' contempt or discrimination.
The problem lay within me. Lavish banquets and feasts felt endlessly uncomfortable—while the little corner where I hung around with Gabriel and Gilda felt far more at ease. Even if it meant eating spoiled food and nursing an upset stomach the next day.
My mindset wouldn't change overnight. It might never change at all.
If I have to endure this discomfort every single time there's an event like this...
Just imagining it was torture.
I had an aptitude for the Imperial Guard, not for being a noble.
I felt like screaming right there. If I did, the nobles would surely gossip that I'd lost my mind.
"Yeeeee-hawwwwww! I feel like I can flyyyy!"
My eyes went wide. Someone was actually putting my fantasy into practice.
"Director Jin! N-No!"
Jin Gau's assistant shrieked in horror.
Jin Gau stood atop the terrace railing, flapping his arms. Pretending he had wings, he leapt straight off the fourth floor.
Crash!
The sound was deafening. Below the terrace was a marble floor. Then again, he had a full-body prosthetic, so he'd probably be fine.
"That man's at it again."
"He always does that when he's drunk."
The nobles paid it no mind, clearly used to Jin Gau's antics.
Extraordinary.
He was certainly a man of distinct character—a rare breed in the Empire.
"Hey, guest of honor."
Taking advantage of the commotion, Ilay strolled up to me.
"What do you mean, guest of honor?"
"Don't be so sour, crack a smile. Do you have any idea how many women tried to approach you and then chickened out? I counted at least five."
A sharply dressed Ilay gestured with his eyes toward a cluster of noble ladies. Standing beside me, he handed his empty glass to a servant and grabbed a fresh one.
Sharing the space with Ilay finally put me a little more at ease.
"Ilay, do you know Director Jin Gau? I didn't think the Empire had people like that."
I asked out of genuine curiosity.
"Of course I do. Director Jin is one of the foremost authorities on Arcane research."
I studied his expression. His face was bright, shining with admiration.
"If you've got something to ask that eccentric, you should go over there."
"Ha, too late for today. Chances to meet him are rare, and even when you do, he's hard to talk to. He gets drunk and passes out in no time."
The Kartika family was quite prominent. Yet even their scion seemed to struggle to get an audience with Jin Gau.
"I guess once your ability is recognized, even that kind of free-spirited attitude gets a pass."
I felt a flicker of envy toward Jin Gau. In the Empire's noble society—so drowning in solemnity—he didn't care about anyone's opinion.
"Director Jin is special. Did you know? He's even allowed to travel to and from Bellato."
I didn't bother hiding my surprise.
"To Bellato?"
"Even if they're a potential enemy state, travel has to keep going. This is the era of the three nations, after all. If two of them strike a technology agreement, the third one gets left in the dust. And it's not just civilian exchange—plenty of people cross back and forth in secret. Especially in Border City..."
I'd heard the name Border City before. It was the Bellato city Lillian had wanted to visit.
Ilay let his words trail off. The music in the hall shifted to a slower tempo—a melody familiar even to my ears. It was the very piece I'd heard ad nauseam during the "Basics of Social Events" class back at Cracia Academy.
"Time to dance, guest of honor. Go find yourself a pretty lady."
Ilay said, then peeled away. He approached a suitable woman, bowed politely, and began to dance.
Not everyone joined in. Plenty of people stood along the edges of the hall, like me.
Click, click.
I heard footsteps approaching through the music.
Giselle.
She glanced around before coming to stand beside me.
"Luka, you can't just stand there staring. You're supposed to be dancing."
Giselle said sharply.
"I'm terrible at dancing. I'll just end up stepping on my partner's feet."
A lie. With my reflexes, I could match a partner's rhythm in a dance I'd never even learned.
"People will think it strange if the guest of honor doesn't dance. It's a breach of etiquette, too."
She had a point.
"So?"
I asked, staring blankly at her. Giselle avoided my eyes and parted her lips.
"If you really don't have a partner..."
Before she could finish, a sharp, intoxicating scent drifted in from a distance. Giselle stopped and looked past her own shoulder.
A mature woman, wreathed in that fragrance, was walking toward the two of us, swaying her slender waist.
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
Martina Diva.
She stopped right in front of me. As if on cue, the music paused for a brief moment.
"It seems the guest of honor is without a dancing partner. Would I do, young master? My own partner was just carried off after tumbling from the terrace."
Martina offered herself as my partner. I glanced at Giselle, silently asking permission.
"How fortunate. I was just about to find you a suitable partner. I'm glad one turned up in time, Brother Lucaus."
Giselle said dryly and walked away. I rubbed the back of my neck, watching her go.
I feel bad for Giselle, but... I need to talk to Martina now.
Martina clearly wanted to talk to me as well. After all, we'd crossed paths in a wildly unexpected place.
"When I heard who the guest of honor was, I couldn't believe it. You're a much bigger deal than I imagined, young master. Quite the surprise."
Martina said, extending her hand. I took it and stepped into the crowd of dancers.
The music swelled once more.
We danced. Her lead was remarkably deft. I simply let my body follow her.
"How did you get into this banquet hall? No—more importantly, what's your relationship with Director Jin?"
Martina wore a knowing smile.
"No need to interrogate me. I'll tell you everything. The Diva of La Vie en Rose has always served as the lover of some influential figure in the Empire. It's one of the hidden qualifications of the title—to be the mistress of an Imperial power player. There's even a legend that the first Diva was the Emperor's own mistress. It's literally just a legend, so who knows if it's true."
I felt like I finally understood where La Vie en Rose's confidence came from—and why they'd dared to attack me even after learning I was a noble.
La Vie en Rose builds collusive ties with Imperial nobles through honey traps.
There were probably plenty of high-ranking nobles' lovers within their ranks—not just women, but men too.
Among the nobles who operated in the Lower District, the high-ranking ones were practically nonexistent. Anyone greedy enough to meddle in the Lower District's affairs was either from a minor house or of low standing.
If you have connections to real power, you don't need to fear petty nobles. And incidents in the Lower District are easy enough to bury.
I found myself warming a little to the La Vie en Rose gang. In their own way, they were trying to overturn a rigid power structure. Some might despise their methods—but I wasn't one of them.
If you have an exceptional weapon, you use every bit of it.
Just as I possessed a superior instinct for aggression and combat senses beyond most others, Martina had her own particular talent.
"Since I've answered your questions, young master, shouldn't you satisfy my curiosity in return?"
"If it's something I can answer," I murmured.
Martina spun on one toe. Her dress was completely backless. My gaze followed the firm, smooth line of her back until it landed on the pale curve of her neck.
Gabriel rolled around with a woman this attractive?
Hmm—but I also caught glimpses of Martina's true self now and then. Remembering that made my blood run cold.
Come to think of it, Gabriel must have decent intuition too.
For a young man to feel physically repulsed by Martina, he'd have to be able to see the old woman trapped inside her. That took sharp perception.
"Why is a big shot like the son of the Imperial Guard Captain prowling around the Lower District? Some unhealthy hobby?"
"Martina Diva..."
I thought for a moment before answering.
"...Satisfying your curiosity wouldn't be hard. But once you hear the answer, you'll no longer belong to this world. Even Director Jin won't be able to protect you. And I can't guarantee La Vie en Rose survives either. You're as wise as your years suggest—surely you understand what I'm saying?"
The wrinkles around Martina's lips deepened and trembled. The image of the old woman briefly surfaced.
It was simply fascinating. No matter how beautifully she adorned her exterior, her true self kept leaking through.
Because I'd looked with the Watcher's eyes, I knew Martina's exact age. It was quite... no, considerably advanced. Even more than Gabriel had guessed.
Step.
Mid-dance, Martina stepped on my foot and bore down. I stumbled slightly before recovering my footing.
"It isn't nice to tease a lady, young master. But I understand you perfectly, so don't worry. The survival of La Vie en Rose is always my top priority."
Before long, the dance came to an end. Martina released my hand and stepped back with graceful strides.
Watching her walk away, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
It sounded absurd, but just now... I'd thought Martina and Heilas resembled each other.
Soon enough, I understood why. Martina and Heilas were both people who would do absolutely anything for their respective gang and family. They'd gladly sacrifice their own single lives without a second thought.