Chapter 14
Chapter 14
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Elena
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The day of the adulthood ceremony.
Elena arrived at the banquet hall early.
Eye-catching ornate decorations.
Beautiful music that delighted the ears.
Aromas from various dishes stimulating the nose.
Everything was being prepared one by one in the banquet hall.
Everything except the most important guest.
"Elena."
"Sister!"
Elena hugged Alensia.
"You'll wrinkle your dress."
"Who cares? It's not like anyone's going to..."
Alensia blocked Elena's mouth with her finger.
"Don't talk like that. A noble must have dignity. You can't show weakness, even in unfavorable situations. Keep your back straight. Put strength in your eyes."
As she spoke, she corrected Elena's posture.
"Like you, Sister?"
"..."
Alensia Vampires.
The second daughter of the Duke's family.
Second in line for the ducal succession.
Alensia was always compared to her older sister Benia.
The more she was, the stronger she became.
She straightened her posture and put strength in her eyes.
She infused dignity into her voice.
Words like cold, aloof, ruthless followed, but she didn't care.
She had no time to be swayed by rumors.
She had to move forward.
Defeat Benia and become the Duke,
restore the glory of the Vampire Duke Family.
Just like her father, she was prepared to devote her life to the family.
For that, she could change her personality as much as needed.
"Sister, try this. It's really delicious."
Elena, having regained her confidence, said as she took a bite of dessert.
"Shall I try some?"
As they were enjoying the dessert, two men entered the banquet hall.
"Brother! Grandfather!"
Elena set her plate on the table and ran to the entrance.
Alensia also prepared to greet the guests.
She put strength into her softly curved eyes.
She turned her smiling lips into a firm line.
Only after full preparation did she walk to the entrance.
"Brother! Grandfather!"
The moment we entered the banquet hall,
Elena came running.
"Elena, you're an adult now too..."
"Not yet! The ceremony hasn't ended!"
Elena hugged me again.
I patted her back too.
After the sibling greeting,
Elena clung to Grandfather.
"Grandfather!"
"Yes, yes. Has my granddaughter been well?"
Thud. Thud.
I turned my head at the sound of footsteps.
There stood Alensia.
Her blue hair suited the white dress perfectly.
Her pale face and red lips were in harmony.
Even with her stern expression, she was beautiful.
"It's been a while, Elwin."
"It's been a while, Lady Alensia."
Bang! Bang!
"You rascal! How long will you keep using formal speech? You're going to marry soon, so treat her like family!"
"Ah... well..."
I should have made it clear back then.
I missed the timing, and now I hadn't told them about the broken engagement.
As I pondered how to explain,
Alensia spoke first.
"Be at ease, Elwin."
"Pardon?"
What was this now?
We're no longer engaged since the breakup.
Then titles take precedence.
Alensia was the lofty daughter of the Duke's family.
I was the heir of a much lower viscounty.
And even that position was precarious.
"I said, be at ease."
"Ah... yes."
The conversation between us cut off.
Using honorifics felt awkward with Grandfather watching,
but I couldn't switch to casual speech either.
Once again, our wordless eye contact continued.
It ended only when Grandfather intervened.
"Hahaha!! Our Alensia truly has a big heart!"
"Grandfather!"
My casual speech was a problem,
but Grandfather's words were an even bigger issue.
Yet Alensia responded as if accustomed to it.
"Thank you, Grandfather Campbell."
"Uhahaha!! When you marry, have lots of kids. I beg you! Hahaha!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Grandfather laughed heartily and patted Alensia's back.
"No! Grandfather! Stop..."
I barely stopped Grandfather.
Elena, with a surprised look, hurriedly guided Grandfather inside.
"My apologies, Lady Alensia."
"It's fine. Not the first time."
"Not the first...? Please accept my apologies on his behalf."
"Enough."
Alensia straightened her dress and stepped outside.
As she passed by, her straight nose and clear skin came close.
Thump.
My heart, which I hadn't even noticed before, beat strongly.
During the four years at the Vampire Duke Family.
I wanted to leave.
The noble infighting didn't suit me.
I wanted to get away from the cold Alensia too.
But perhaps feelings had grown during that time.
Now, I didn't want to part from Alensia.
I wanted to stay together longer.
"Lady Alensia."
Alensia stopped and turned her head.
Beautiful face, even on second look.
Thump.
My mind raced.
I couldn't say I wanted to stay together, so I needed another excuse.
And my brain delivered.
I found a reason instantly.
"You may not know, but there's a banquet at Frontier today. All the retainers will attend. Could you grace the event with your presence, Lady Alensia?"
I regretted it immediately after speaking.
The cold Alensia wouldn't accept such a request.
It was too hasty.
I hadn't considered her personality.
I hurriedly added,
"No, if you're busy..."
"Understood."
"Yes?"
"I'll grace the event."
Alensia brushed past me again.
This time toward the inside.
She went to Grandfather and Elena,
and talked. Smiling.
'Smiling?'
When I first met Alensia,
she smiled a lot back then.
She smiled at me.
As time passed,
her smiles disappeared.
I thought she didn't smile at anyone.
She was the ruthless Alensia.
'She can smile like that?'
Maybe she just didn't smile at me.
She smiled easily for others?
My chest ached for no reason.
As they conversed,
the start time of the adulthood ceremony approached.
The closer it got, the darker Elena's expression became.
On adulthood ceremony day, parents give blessings and gifts.
The same for guests.
Especially for nobles, it's a show of power.
Connections were a key measure of influence.
'If only I had wide connections.'
I couldn't invite just anyone, but family guests counted.
The family's power was one's own power.
The problem was I had almost no connections either.
The only one here was...
Alensia.
'But Elena has no guests either?'
Elena was a student at the Gray Mage Tower.
I knew a bit from my time there; they had grades and classes.
So there should be classmates.
If even they weren't coming...
'No way?'
Elena clasped her hands and glanced at the entrance.
I placed my hand on my sister's shoulder.
I felt her flinch and tremble.
"Elena. Don't worry. I'm here."
I deliberately laughed loudly and made noise.
I piled up food and ate heartily.
So what if it violated noble etiquette?
The banquet hall needed to buzz.
Of course, Alensia's sharp gaze stung as she watched.
Time kept passing,
and the ceremony time drew even nearer.
The good thing was Elena had calmed down.
Even if it was resignation beyond anxiety and worry.
Then, the banquet hall entrance grew noisy.
Moments later, the door opened.
The banquet manager entered.
"The Frontier Viscount enters!"
"Father?"
"Dad?"
An unexpected person.
He was always patrolling the territory to fend off monsters.
In six years, I'd seen his face only a few times.
We'd barely talked.
He'd even skipped my own adulthood ceremony as heir.
Elena ran joyfully into Father's arms, her worries gone.
Though I was there, and Grandfather too,
it seemed neither gave the reassurance Father did.
After Father and Elena parted,
I bowed my head.
"It's been a while, Father."
"Indeed."
Cold.
As expected, cold.
Father greeted Alensia and Grandfather, then took a seat inside.
Elena stuck closely to her cold father.
'What's so good about such a cold man?'
On the other hand, I understood Elena's feelings.
Cold or not, he was Father.
Unlike me, who had entered Elwin's body midway.
Just one father coming made Elena happy.
She wasn't anxious anymore.
As the situation settled, I went to Hans, who had come with Father.
Hans had been watching me the whole time.
"Hans."
"Heir!"
Elwin's guard knight.
I had spent two years with Hans.
Until entering the Vampire Duke Family.
"It must have been tough."
"No, sir. I learned much following the Viscount."
"I see. Then back to being my..."
Guard knight? Retainer? Friend?
As I pondered the right word, Hans spoke.
"That's why I'm here. The Viscount sent me to you, Heir."
"What!? Really!?"
How many letters had I sent requesting Hans?
I thought they were ignored as refusals.
But...
'Father. Maybe he's warm at heart?'
Click.
Hans saluted.
"Heir, will you give me the chance to guard you again?"
"Of course. Looking forward to working with you."
At that moment,
the banquet hall door opened again.
A boy who hadn't even had his adulthood ceremony entered.
"Jeffrey Callas, eldest son of the Callas Viscount family, enters!"