Chapter 366: The Knight's Banquet (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 366: The Knight's Banquet (3)
I watched Delia without a word.
An unidentifiable aura emanated from her, a woman so beautiful I couldn't help but stare.
Of course, it wasn't the trace of a demon.
If anything, it was closer to divine power.
‘...Could it be?’
In that moment, something Baek Arin had told me flashed through my mind.
But I quickly shook my head.
Even if that information was true, the woman before me was far too unskilled to be a knight.
Her breathing, posture, and presence.
Everything about her was so clumsy that it would be more believable to say she was a noble lady who had learned swordsmanship for self-defense.
“You're Delia, right?”
“...Huh? Ah, yes!”
Delia, who had been staring at me blankly, seemed to snap back to her senses. She hurriedly fixed her bangs and straightened her dress.
Her flustered reaction was a little cute.
Compared to the anxiety of dealing with an eleven-year-old girl, this felt much more relaxing.
“Allow me to introduce myself properly.”
I bowed my head to Delia, who was dressed in a pure white gown.
“I am Kang Hyun-woo, a 2nd Grade Elementalist from the Gray Magic Tower. It is an honor to meet you again, my lady.”
I knelt on one knee and gently pressed my lips to the back of her hand.
It was a rather cringey way to greet someone, but just as they say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," this was proper etiquette in Europe.
Of course, a noblewoman wasn't obligated to accept a kiss on the hand.
If she didn't like the person, she was free to pull her hand away.
In return, however, she would earn a reputation for being ill-tempered.
“...I'm Delia.”
Rustle—
Delia lifted the hem of her dress with her fingertips and curtsied elegantly.
“Thank you for everything the other day. Thanks to you, Koby was able to recover without any issues.”
Her posture was nearly perfect, but I was puzzled by her firm refusal to give me her last name.
Unless there were some extraordinary circumstances, it was customary to share surnames in a setting like this.
‘...Could she be an illegitimate child?’
In high society, illegitimate children were considered a disgrace.
As such, they couldn't use their family name freely and faced many restrictions in their social lives.
If Delia was an illegitimate child, it would make sense that she wouldn't tell me her surname.
“...I'm sorry!”
“Hm?”
Just as I was lost in thought, Delia suddenly bowed her head deeply and apologized.
I was taken aback by her unexpected action.
But only for a moment. I calmly plucked a leaf from her hair.
A soft fragrance brushed past my nose.
“May I ask why you're doing this?”
Delia flinched.
To be honest, I had a vague idea.
“...You're not angry?”
“At you, Delia?”
Delia slowly nodded.
“...Even though I was indebted to you, I never contacted you about your dinner invitation.”
Delia cautiously raised her head and mumbled in a voice as quiet as a mouse.
Her golden eyes were trembling slightly.
Seeing that, I gave a faint smile.
“I'm not so petty as to get angry over something like that, so you don't have to worry. Besides, I didn't help you expecting anything in return.”
I meant it.
The reason I helped that street urchin, Koby, was because of the police officer who gave me a sense of déjà vu, reminding me of a past I'd rather not recall.
“Besides, you weren't the one indebted to me, the boy was, right? A man should know how to repay his own debts.”
“But...”
“If it really bothers you, would you do me one favor?”
At my words, Delia tilted her head.
“A favor... you say?”
“I'm not going to ask for anything strange, so don't worry. And if you feel burdened, you're free to refuse.”
That's what I said, but anyone in their right mind would know.
That in her current position, Delia couldn't possibly refuse my request.
As I expected, Delia shook her head firmly.
“No! Please, feel free to ask. If it's something I can do, I'll do my best to help.”
“Thank you.”
I felt a slight pang of guilt, as if I were tricking an innocent woman, but I wasn't planning to ask for anything problematic, so it should be fine.
“Um, so, about that favor...?”
“I'll tell you later.”
I smiled and shook my head.
It wasn't the right time yet.
*
After hiding the unconscious Heinz in the bushes, I led Delia to a bench in a corner of the garden.
It was a prime spot with a perfect view of the beautiful night sky.
I took a wine glass from my inventory and handed it to her.
“Would you care for a drink?”
“Ah...”
Delia hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.
Thankfully, she didn't seem uncomfortable with me.
I filled her glass with wine and offered her some cheese I had taken out earlier.
Delia's eyes widened as she took a bite of the cheese.
“Wow... this is so savory...!”
With the smooth wine and high-quality cheese, the slightly tense atmosphere softened considerably.
As expected, if you want to maintain a good mood with a woman, delicious food is a must.
“I'm glad you like it.”
For the record, it was cheese I had bought in a mountain village while passing through Iris and the Veilhaven Republic.
“Um... may I ask you something?”
I popped a piece of cheese into my mouth and nodded.
“How did you come to be here, Hyun-woo?”
Her face was filled with curiosity.
It was a reasonable question.
Logically, tonight's party was not an event a foreigner from the East could attend.
“I was invited by Duke Winchester.”
“Grandfather...?”
She mumbled it in a very small voice, but not so quiet that I couldn't hear.
Thanks to that, my suspicion about her identity was solidifying into certainty.
“And what brings you here, Delia?”
“Ah, I was also... grandfa—”
In that instant, Delia quickly shut her mouth.
She glanced at me, cleared her throat, and carefully moved her lips.
“...I was also invited by Duke Winchester.”
“I see.”
I nodded nonchalantly, pretending I didn't know a thing.
“But I don't think I saw you in the banquet hall. Where were you?”
“Ah, well... you see...”
Delia trailed off.
Her embarrassment was written all over her face. The way she kept fidgeting with her fingers was even a little cute.
“...To be honest, I'm not used to places like that, and people kept talking to me even when I was just standing in a corner... so I ended up leaving midway through.”
“So you've been in the garden ever since?”
Delia nodded silently.
I had a pretty good idea of what had happened.
She must have slipped out of the banquet hall to spend time in the garden, only to have the bad luck of running into a drunk Heinz Reike.
“Do you plan on staying out here?”
“...Yes.”
“There's a lot of delicious food in the banquet hall. Isn't it a bit of a shame?”
I felt just as suffocated among the nobles, but it seemed a waste to stay in the garden the whole time.
As this was a gathering of high-ranking nobles privy to the secret of Avalon, the quality of the food served was incredible.
“That's true, but... strange men keep talking to me...”
“Then why don't you stay by my side?”
“...Huh?”
Indeed, there were quite a few young noblemen at the banquet.
And Delia was, by anyone's standards, the most striking young lady there.
It was only natural that their gazes and attention would be drawn to her.
“It's a bit strange to say it myself, but I'm also in a position that draws quite a bit of attention. Perhaps I can divert some of the interest focused on you?”
I was also bothered by the nobles' gazes, which felt like they were appraising an object.
But if there was any consolation, it wasn't unbearable.
“You won't be too uncomfortable if you're with me.”
“...”
It wasn't something I, who had just fled the banquet hall myself, should be saying, but I shamelessly extended my hand to Delia.
After a moment of silence, she finally took my hand.
In that instant, a strange atmosphere settled between us.
Delia's hand was small and soft.
But it was dotted with calluses.
They were the marks of long, hard training, which made me like her even more.
“Shall we?”
I began to escort her toward the banquet hall.
We crossed the garden in a silence that made my fingertips tingle.
It wasn't a bad feeling at all.
Delia seemed to feel the same way; when I glanced at her, her face was flushed red.
But the mood didn't last long.
“There you are.”
An uninvited guest.
I looked at the man standing in the middle of the garden.
He was the kind of person who would have made me scowl if I hadn't immediately controlled my expression upon seeing him.
“...Uncle Leonar?”
“Delia, you're here too?”
The one approaching us with a sly grin was Count Planciticia—Sir Tristan—who had been beaten by Sir Gawain and forced to leave the banquet hall.
“Hmm... Did I, by any chance, interrupt a private moment?”
“I-It's a misunderstanding!!”
At Sir Tristan's teasing joke, Delia hastily let go of my hand.
I looked down at my right hand, now lonely, recalling the warmth that had just left it.
“Delia, isn't that a bit cruel? You've hurt young Hyun-woo's feelings.”
Sir Tristan gave me a meaningful smile.
His expression was full of mischief, unbecoming of a high-ranking noble.
“H-Hyun-woo... I didn't pull my hand away because I dislike you, it's just...”
“I know.”
I smiled and patted Delia's shoulder.
“My, my. I feel bad for interrupting such a nice time.”
“Not at all. We just happened to meet in the garden and were exchanging pleasantries.”
Sir Tristan was still grinning from ear to ear.
Despite the saying that you can't spit on a smiling face, there was something unsettling about him.
“Delia? Sorry, but may I borrow your lover for a moment? There's something I need to discuss with him.”
“L-Lover...?!”
At Sir Tristan's words, Delia's face turned as red as a ripe persimmon.
I placed a hand on her shoulder and channeled my Vajra Qi into her.
“...Huh?”
Just like that, her complexion returned to normal.
“What a coincidence. I also had something to discuss with you, Count.”
It goes without saying, but I hadn't fled to the garden without a plan.
I had followed the two people who had vanished from the banquet hall.
“...Is that so?”
To be precise, I had followed Sir Tristan, who bore the trace of a demon.