Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Worries and Schemes
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The Bednicker main estate, the fourth day of the social gathering.
Even the most joyous of festivals begins to lose its fervor after four straight days.
The social gathering was no exception; the crowds that had once filled the hall had thinned considerably.
It was only natural.
Attending such an event was no small feat.
To maintain one's dignity, one could not wear the same outfit twice, and one's appearance had to be immaculate at all times.
A single thoughtless word could spread in unpredictable ways, so even during casual conversation, one had to mind their words and actions—not an easy task.
I'd heard that many noblewomen fell ill from exhaustion after the first day.
However, the frail Lucia had surprisingly managed to attend every day for all four days.
There was a sad reason for this.
She didn't have enough dresses or jewelry to worry about her attire, nor had she spoken at length with anyone during the gathering.
To be blunt, she hadn't held a conversation with anyone for more than a minute.
"...Haaah."
Lucia stepped out into the garden and let out a long sigh.
She had been quite busy for four days, yet she had achieved nothing.
For one, the Grand Master Teachers, her primary targets at the gathering, had hardly been in attendance.
The Sword Master Teacher Ruan was so fond of was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the Law and Arts Master Teachers had made an appearance.
Neither of them even acknowledged her.
The Law Master Teacher, in particular, had looked at her with an expression that said he didn't even want to speak to her, leaving her with a deep sense of humiliation.
As she sat there blankly, breathing out puffs of white air, a heavy voice came from her right.
"It is cold. You should head back inside."
"......"
White hair and a mustache, wrinkles that symbolized the twilight of his life, and a robust physique that contradicted it all.
Whenever Keian stood beside her, Lucia felt as if she were being escorted by a retired old knight.
"Keian, have I told you how grateful I am?"
"You have, several times."
"Still, I'll say it again. Thank you."
Keian gave a slight bow, his expression ambiguous.
Watching him, Lucia fell silent.
Keian, the Iron-Blooded Collector.
No. The *former* Collector, I suppose. At any rate.
Receiving help from this man was astonishing.
It was so surprising that it was the sole topic of conversation at every table on the first day of the gathering. At first, even Lucia thought Keian had made some kind of mistake.
But that wasn't the case.
When she asked for his reason, his reply was...
That it was merely flattery to get on Ruan's good side.
The statement made Lucia's heart sink.
Could something have happened while she was away from the estate?
What if the Council of Elders saw no potential in Ruan and had ordered a collection...
Then Ruan, at the estate right now, would be—
"There was nothing for you to worry about, my lady."
Keian firmly dismissed Lucia's dreadful imagination.
He didn't say anything more, but he did drop a hint about something else.
—That Ruan was on his way to the main estate.
And on the orders of the Iron-Blooded Duke himself, to receive his second Blessing Ceremony!
For Lucia, the news was nothing short of ecstatic.
'Could the Family Head have changed his mind about my son?'
She couldn't be sure.
Lucia considered herself a good judge of character, but she still didn't understand the Iron-Blooded Duke.
Not even after bearing his child.
But one thing she knew for certain.
The Head of the Bednicker Family—the Iron-Blooded Duke—was utterly indifferent to anyone who didn't pique his interest.
To personally summon Ruan and order a second Blessing Ceremony for him...
It meant he felt at least a minimal amount of interest in the boy, and that fact alone meant the worst had been averted.
Lucia's spirits lifted at the thought of seeing her son after so long, and at the main estate no less.
Even though she hadn't achieved her initial goals at the gathering, it didn't matter much.
Gaining the approval of the Iron-Blooded Duke was far more important than catching the eye of any other riffraff.
And yet.
"......"
A day passed, then two.
Lucia sighed and asked Keian, who now stood by her side even when she wasn't attending the gathering.
"How long does it normally take to get from the mountains to the Bednicker main estate?"
"About a week."
"...A week."
Lucia muttered.
"You said it's already been half a month since the Fang Knights left the main estate."
"That is correct."
That meant they were already several days behind schedule.
Seeing the worry on Lucia's face, Keian spoke.
"Try not to worry too much. The Jewel Mountains are a forbidden zone of the Empire, so they must proceed with caution."
"......"
"Fortunately, the accompanying knights are experts. They may have taken a slight detour, but it would have been to choose a safer path."
She understood what Keian was saying.
Still, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease.
The second Blessing Ceremony was to be held on December 31st—the last day of the year.
Considering the preparations, he would need to arrive at the main estate at least a day before, or two days to be safe.
If he failed to do so, not only would a golden opportunity be lost, but he could also face reprimand from the family.
Any excuse would be seen as just that—an excuse.
'Today is December 26th.'
If Ruan didn't arrive within the next four days, his spot in the Blessing Ceremony would go to the next in line.
'No.'
In truth, she didn't care about the Blessing Ceremony.
Her son wouldn't understand, but one could live a perfectly normal life without receiving a Blessing.
'Ruan, are you safe?'
All Lucia wanted was for her only son to be safe.
* * *
The Bednicker main estate.
In one of the many guest rooms, a particularly dark chamber.
Though it was broad daylight, the curtains were drawn, yet the room's gloom seemed to stem from more than just the lack of light.
"You will be the one to participate in this Blessing Ceremony."
The Garshia Family.
One of the branch families of the Bednickers.
So said Regan, the head of the family.
"This may be your chance to receive the Bednicker name as well."
It was exceedingly rare for a branch family to regain the main family's name, but the Bednickers were an exception.
This family operated on a strict meritocracy.
Prove your worth, and even the impossible would be permitted.
However, Hariba Garshia, listening intently to his father, couldn't help but ask.
"Isn't the final spot in this Blessing Ceremony meant for Ruan Bednicker?"
It hadn't been officially announced, but it was already common knowledge within the estate.
"That spot was originally yours."
Regan said in a calm voice.
This, too, was not untrue.
The last person scheduled to participate in this Blessing Ceremony had originally been Hariba, the eldest son of the Garshia family.
That decision had been overturned in an instant.
By a single word from the one person who could—the Iron-Blooded Duke.
In the Bednicker family, the Iron-Blooded Duke was the only one who stood above family law.
Even so, this latest order had sparked negative rumors about the Family Head for the first time in a while...
That the Iron-Blooded Duke's obsession with his bloodline had manifested in a poor way.
After all, who was Ruan Bednicker?
An incompetent who had failed to receive a single Blessing.
The culprit behind all sorts of incidents that made one shudder just to hear about them.
And finally, the madman who had sold off the family's treasured sword.
Giving such a scoundrel another chance?
No one dared to voice their complaints openly, but no one understood the decision.
"And Ruan Bednicker will not reach the main estate by the deadline."
Regan continued, stroking his mustache.
"Have you made arrangements?"
"Not exactly. There is no way to deceive the Iron-Blooded Duke in this family... I merely caught wind of a plan."
Hariba fell silent.
Regan was an opportunist.
And a characteristic of opportunists is that they are never satisfied with a single lifeline, no matter how strong it may seem.
Furthermore, if they had a reason, they could be as cruel as necessary, to whatever extent.
Hariba knew Regan's tendencies.
Did he only know them?
"That doesn't seem to be enough."
Hariba possessed a nature far crueler than his own father's.
"What is?"
"Simply ensuring he doesn't arrive by the deadline. That guarantee is not enough."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"We must make certain. Create a situation where even if Ruan is alive, or arrives at the main estate on time, he will be unable to participate."
Regan stared into his son's eyes for a moment before speaking.
"How."
"Ruan Bednicker's birth mother is at the main estate right now, is she not?"
"She is."
"Let's kill her."