Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: The Usefulness of a Treacherous Subject
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"Now, please relax. What we have to do isn't that difficult. The official business is simply to go inside, congratulate Marquis Boern on his birthday, present the gift, enjoy the party appropriately, and then return."
Power struggles, deals between noble factions, negotiations, and so on... For a simple social party with no special purpose, just for networking or showing one's face, there's no need to be so tense, and there isn't much to do.
Moreover, the Valdrian family is a prestigious house with a history of over 500 years dating back to the Unified Empire era, a giant among noble factions. No fool would openly antagonize or harass their heir, Cedron, and given the family's well-known traditions, minor mistakes would likely be overlooked.
"So, please relax. Senior... I mean, Young Master."
"Th-that's right. I should."
'This is strange. There's no reason to be this excessively tense... He's a tough guy who even engaged in a battle of nerves with the Princess herself and has eaten soldier's rations on actual battlefields. I don't understand. Is there something awkward about the Boern family?'
No matter how much he thought about it, there was no need for Cedron to be so nervous and flustered, but since there were no other clues for now, it remained a mystery.
While conversing, they arrived at the mansion entrance, underwent identity verification by the Boern family's guards, and entered. Alighting from the carriage, they looked at the mansion where the party was being held.
Numerous torches and candles illuminated the darkness, alongside lavish dishes and drinks prepared. A band played music, and in several spots, small-scale circus acts and magicians performed to entertain the guests.
In this manner, even before the main event—Marquis Boern's birthday celebration—had begun, many nobles were already enjoying the party.
'It's still the same even after 500 years. No, compared to what we did in Benofis, this is shabby, but it still qualifies as a party.'
Compared to the party scenes etched in his memory from 500 years ago, this was far too humble. However, as a grand noble's party hosted by a marquis's family, its scale and splendor were among the top in the Empire.
It was just that Beonald's party, the one he compared it to, was on another level, insane in its own right.
"I had no idea the Valdrian family would grace us with their presence. Thank you for coming, Sir Cedron. I am the head butler, Anthol."
"Ah, not at all. I should be the one thanking you for the invitation."
Meanwhile, Beonald and Cedron headed inside the mansion, where an elderly butler greeted them, exchanging simple pleasantries.
The fact that the head butler himself came indicated they were receiving treatment befitting a grand noble house.
'They are nobles from different factions... but they aren't hostile to each other, after all.'
In fact, this Marquis Boern family was in a position suppressed by the Kmel family from the same faction, so Beonald thought it would be beneficial to treat the Valdrian family well for future gains.
Preventing the formation of outright hostility and having other families fight among themselves for one's own benefit were basic formulas naturally learned when managing a noble house.
"But who is the gentleman beside you?"
"This is Beonald, assisting me today. I'm not sure if you know him, but..."
"Oh! The heir of the Kmel family, the one who fought Sir Lloyd to a standstill! There's no one in the capital who doesn't know that name! This is another wonderful guest beyond expectations. Hehe, I also watched that fierce battle, Lord Beonald."
Despite clearly stating he was here in an "assisting" capacity, the head butler's attitude, beaming with delight unlike when addressing Cedron, already began to irritate Cedron.
No, any noble would find this part displeasing.
And while most would be at a loss on how to respond, Beonald was smiling.
'That's it. Yes, exactly~ This is how it should be.'
This wasn't joy from being treated favorably.
It was like admiration in a game of Go or chess upon seeing the opponent's move; he had seen through the head butler's play.
This head butler was deliberately making an excessive fuss, overly favoring Beonald to drive a wedge between him and Cedron.
A minor move, hoping Cedron would be displeased and a small crack would form. A trivial but clever play, so Beonald responded with pleasure.
"Thank you for recognizing me. However, I am an uninvited guest today and have come to assist Sir Cedron, so I will simply accept the greeting. Shall we go in, Young Master?"
"...Understood."
'Should I teach him how to wear a mask first? This level of prodding is everyday stuff, you know.'
Seeing Cedron's openly displeased expression, Beonald felt a bit sorry for him but headed towards the party venue with him.
Regarding birthday gifts, for a grand noble of this stature, they weren't received individually; they were already being processed through a separate channel via servants and knights. So, all they had to do was participate in the party and celebration events.
"The head butler's behavior earlier was exactly as I explained. As you've experienced firsthand, this social arena of nobles is a place where such insidious power plays are fundamental. Understood, Young Master?"
"Ugh... This really doesn't suit my constitution. More than that, you... seem quite accustomed to it."
"Thanks to my mediocre bloodline, I had to learn to be observant quickly. Anyway, no one is good at it from the start, so hang in there, Young Master. First, practice smiling no matter what people say. Mastering a masked expression right away might be too much."
"I, I'll try my best."
Having tasted the bitterness of high society from the start, Cedron listened to Beonald's advice and tried to relax his facial muscles.
Once inside, as expected, there wasn't much to connect with the Valdrian family within the Boern family's network, and with no power struggles or matters to be wary of, they spent most of the time exchanging simple greetings.
"Actually... more greetings came my way. My apologies, Young Master."
Noblewomen, of course, and nobles from various families invited him to chat and drink, throwing hints, but Beonald, knowing his place, declined them all.
"Well, you're the most spectacularly risen superstar recently, so I understand... I'd like to say, but... the unfamiliar atmosphere and having too much to think about are still overwhelming. The battlefield... is truly straightforward, you know. Sometimes, I also wish I could just relax at home and do as I'm told. Our family's image is already like that too. Phew~"
"Yet, you seem to have a reason for trying to maintain noble dignity."
"That... can you keep it a secret?"
"I have nowhere to tell."
"...Look over there."
Cedron cautiously pointed somewhere. There was the chair where the party's host, Marquis Boern, would sit, though he wasn't present yet. Shifting his gaze slightly to the right, the daughters of the Boern family were seen engaged in conversation.
The moment he saw that, Beonald instantly grasped in one go why this distant descendant nephew was acting this way.
'Aha! I see.'
"...Did you figure it out?"
"Yes. It wasn't a problem at all."
"Not a problem at all?! It is for me! ...Ahem!"
Cedron blushed and snapped. His attitude made Beonald even more certain, while he barely held back a smile from rising at the sight of his cute descendant nephew.
Yes, this cute descendant nephew had fallen for one of Marquis Boern's daughters.
"So, which one exactly is it? There are several gathered, so I can't tell."
"I can't... say."
"You've already revealed it; if you tell me in detail, I might be able to help."
"That's why I can't tell you even more. This is... my own battle. Ahem!"
'...He really takes after his ancestor. Kerwel, that mad dog who ran wild, came to me for advice when he fell for a woman, and I was quite surprised back then.'
Thinking briefly about Kerwel, the founder and ancestor of the Valdrian family, Beonald watched Cedron's lovesickness with fondness but fell into contemplation over whether to help or not.
Pure love was heartwarming to see, but their statuses were both noble. Moreover, Cedron was the promising heir expected to become the next family head of the Valdrian family, so he couldn't help but calculate.
'The match isn't bad at all, is it? Perfectly fits "befriend distant enemies, fight close ones." It could serve as a means to check the Kmel family. Plus, the Boern family is a legitimate imperial house, so politically they'd align well. Even considering a formal marriage alliance...!'
Running the calculations, it wasn't a bad marriage alliance at all, so Beonald decided to go all out for this cute descendant nephew's love.
500 years ago, he had arranged and overseen the marriage alliance for Kerwel, the Valdrian family's ancestor, so reminiscing about those memories, he spoke to Cedron, who was hesitantly watching from afar.
"Then you shouldn't just stand here; you need to move."
"Ah, no... I..."
"Love is another kind of war! Let's start by gathering information first. Ah, if you're embarrassed, I'll go get the information and come back. I can handle it alone."
Seeing this shy descendant nephew not stepping forward, Beonald willingly volunteered to be the love scout, but Cedron urgently grabbed him as he was about to head towards the ladies.
"You can't do that!"
"Why not? First, we need to know what she likes and what kind of person she is, right? Of course, I also need to know which lady it is that you admire from within that group..."
"What if she falls for you instead? Have you forgotten you're the capital's superstar right now?"
'...I'm currently the protagonist of a tragic romance novel with the Princess... How did we suddenly switch to another love story?'
To Beonald, it was an absurd statement, but from Cedron's perspective, he feared the daughter of the Boern family he admired might genuinely fall for Beonald, who was overwhelmingly superior in everything except bloodline and martial prowess.
"...Eh, what kind of family is the Boern family? If they have deep legitimacy, a half-breed like me wouldn't even get a glance. You need a house like the Valdrian family, with its history, tradition, and actual power, for a marriage alliance to proceed."
"Romance between men and women is different. Didn't you even manage to charm the iron-walled Princess herself?"
'...I didn't charm her; she was the one who acted friendly! Well, in reality, if a man and woman stick close, people make a fuss as if a child might come out, so...'
Thinking about how the Emperor and others actually caused a commotion over that, his concern became somewhat understandable.
Instead, teasing his descendant nephew was quite enjoyable, so he was content. While they were enjoying the party, suddenly, the loud shout of a mansion guard echoed.
"Attention to all guests participating in the party! Guests from the Imperial Family of the Great Calleum Empire have arrived to congratulate Marquis Boern on his birthday! They will enter shortly, so please prepare to observe proper etiquette!"
'...Ah, right. It's a grand noble's birthday, so the Imperial Family should come too.'
As guests among guests, making such a fanfare wasn't unreasonable. Beonald and Cedron also quickly moved to join the line receiving the imperial family members.
Shortly after, imperial knights escorting the carriages entered first, followed by the imperial family members processing in. The guards stationed at the mansion entrance collectively announced their entry once more.
"His Highness the Third Imperial Prince of the Calleum Empire! Prince Yursil Calleum graces us with his presence!"
"His Highness the Fifth Imperial Prince of the Calleum Empire! Prince Eyorn Calleum graces us with his presence!"
"His Highness the Seventh Imperial Prince of the Calleum Empire! Prince Ayak Calleum graces us with his presence!"
The guards called out each prince's name, announcing their entry.
Though they were all princes, they were all grown men over thirty. Perhaps due to having different mothers, each boasted appearances and personalities that made it hard to believe they were brothers.
To see what kind of sons the Emperor had raised, Beonald began observing them and making judgments.