The Second Round of the Noble's After-Dinner Toast
After the meal had completely ended and the drowsiness began to pour out, Veronica was rubbing her eyes with sleepy hands. Rebecca, the Grand Duchess, kindly wrapped an arm around her and carried the little girl out of the banquet hall first.
The spacious banquet hall was now empty except for the three of us: me, Karin, and the head butler, Shepherd.
With a polite smile, the butler approached the two of us.
“Lord Bale, Lady Karin. I hope the meal was to your liking. Please follow me this way.”
“Where are we going, Master Shepherd?” I asked.
Shepherd gave me a meaningful smile and pointed toward one of the doors with his hand.
“Her Grace has instructed me to prepare a separate place where the two of you can speak quietly with her. Just follow me.”
I shrugged and followed Shepherd. Karin walked behind me without a word.
We passed through the main hall and climbed the grand spiral staircase upward. We went past the second-floor public lounge and the guest room area on the third floor where Karin was staying. Finally, we reached the closed staircase guarded by the knights—the private quarters of the Grand Duchy on the fourth floor.
“...Wait a second, Master Shepherd.”
The moment I stepped onto the fourth-floor corridor, Karin, who had been silently following, called out to Shepherd in a startled voice.
She swept her eyes over the luxurious carpets and the firmly closed study doors, as if guarding a forbidden territory.
“This is a private space that only the Master and the bloodline of the Grand Duchy may enter. How can I, an outsider who has been assigned a room on the third floor, simply walk into the fourth floor?”
Shepherd, the veteran butler, smiled gently without any sign of panic.
“Haha, Lady Karin. I admire your strict adherence to rules. However, you need not worry about entering the fourth floor.”
“Why is that?”
“His Grace is certain to return from the capital soon. At that point, Lady Karin will most likely be staying on the fifth floor with the young lady.”
“...Eh?”
Karin’s eyes widened at Shepherd’s words. I, listening from the side, was also thinking ‘Huh?’ and paid closer attention.
“His Grace can refuse almost anything, but he cannot possibly deny a single request from the young lady. I overheard your pinky promise to her this afternoon.”
Shepherd smiled and winked at Karin.
“If the young lady asks His Grace to move Lord Bale’s room to the fifth floor, he will immediately clear out the best room on that floor without hesitation. Therefore, stepping into the fourth floor a little early is not a problem at all.”
Karin recalled the warm promise she had made to Veronica that afternoon. The thought of her strict expression melting instantly at the sight of the cute little lord rolling around on the floor in her room.
“...If that is the case, then I shall boldly step inside.”
Karin nodded in agreement. Shepherd led us into the reception room on the fourth floor.
Creak— the heavy door opened, revealing a marble table in the center that welcomed us.
And neatly arranged on top of it was something that looked delicious.
“Here we are. Please make yourselves comfortable.”
Following Shepherd’s guidance, I leaned back on the sofa. On the table sat a bottle of the finest Northern wine that sparkled with a deep red glow, three crystal glasses, and an array of tempting snacks: fresh cheese, dried fruits, and premium smoked sausage.
“Her Grace wishes to have a quiet conversation with the two of you after putting the young lady to sleep. She chose this wine with the exact taste that His Grace cherishes. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”
Shepherd expertly uncorked the wine bottle and poured a suitable amount into each of the three glasses, then bowed with perfect respect.
“Then I will take my leave. Enjoy your comfortable time.”
Once Shepherd closed the door, the only sounds left in the reception room were the crackling of the fireplace and our awkward breathing—only the two of us.
I stared at the wine glasses on the table. ‘Ah... so this is it.’
This situation. This atmosphere. The boisterous, full-feeling first dinner party was over. Anyone who was weak to alcohol or had to leave early had been sent home. The remaining members had moved to a quiet pub or private room to truly open up and share their feelings. ‘This is the classic second round.’
I thought it was a romance fantasy, but it was a soap opera.
With a Korean author writing this romance fantasy, it was pleasantly surprising and interesting that such a familiar camaraderie culture for drinking parties even existed in this elegant Grand Ducal residence.
Soon, the Grand Duchess Rebecca would appear in comfortable attire after putting her daughter to sleep. And Karin, who was on high alert. The three adult men and women—me, her, and the Duchess—would gather in this reception room, drink wine, and share some deep and honest conversation.
‘The wife made such a place herself. She’s surprisingly bold.’
The warm heat from the fireplace filled the room, and the sweet scent of the red wine tickled my nose.
I quietly lifted my glass and waited peacefully for the late-night Northern gathering to begin.
* * *
Creak. The door of the fourth-floor reception room opened cautiously, and Rebecca entered with light steps, having safely put Veronica to sleep.
The wife was wearing comfortable loungewear, and her face was full of a gentle, pleasant smile.
“I’m sorry for making you wait. Veronica was unusually fussy today, so it took a bit longer. Here, both of you have empty glasses. Allow me to pour for you.”
Rebecca took the wine bottle herself and approached. Karin and I hurriedly half-rose from our seats and supported the glasses with both hands.
Splash— the sparkling red liquid filled the crystal glasses, marking the official start of the adults’ second round of drinking.
“Ah... indeed... these days, every single day is filled with happy things like dreams come true.”
Rebecca lightly sipped her own glass, covered her slightly flushed cheeks with her fingers, and spoke in a soft voice.
“His Grace has returned safely... and Lord Bale, the savior of His Grace’s life, and Lady Karin, our wonderful teacher who guides our Veronica. We are all living under the same roof.”
The wife’s eyes sparkled with sincere joy.
“Actually, since I came here as a bride to the Arteta family... there hasn’t been anyone to truly vent my feelings to.”
Rebecca touched the rim of her wine glass with her fingers and gave a nostalgic smile.
“When I attend social gatherings, everyone treats me with masks because of my status as the Grand Duchess. Even in my maiden days, I had to maintain all the proper etiquette. But now, in this private space, having friends of similar age makes me so happy.”
The wife looked back and forth between me and Karin and smiled brightly.
“Of course, His Grace loves me deeply, but... since he is responsible for the entire North, he is often away on official duties, and sometimes it is impossible to remove the feeling of being a master from me. That is why I sometimes feel lonely.”
“......”
“......”
Even without exchanging a single word, Karin and I understood the same thought at this moment.
‘Of course, I understand how the wife feels about her husband, the Master. But...’
‘The wife is an unattainably high status for us two. But...’
The wife called us comfortable friends of similar age, but in reality, we were just a commoner soldier and a commoner knight who had rolled in the dirt.
How could we sit here comfortably drinking wine like friends while our legs were crossed in front of the Grand Duchess who could turn our necks into soup with a single glance?
But Karin and I both thought the same thing internally and applied the same mental tackle, yet we said nothing out loud.
Even though the gap in status was as vast as heaven and earth, the wife’s kind and warm sincerity was enough to completely reach the depths of our hearts.
“We are honored to have such a wonderful person as you, my lady.”
“Thank you for thinking so highly of us, my lady.”
Simultaneously, Karin and I raised our glasses in a respectful toast. Rebecca, her mood at its peak, smiled brightly and clinked her glass against ours.
Clink— the warm and cozy atmosphere filled the reception room.
But neither Karin nor I could fully feel the warmth of the reception room because we both carried the same heavy feeling.
“...Um, my lady.”
“Yes, Lady Karin. What is it? Did the snacks not suit your taste?”
“No, the snacks are wonderful, but...”
Karin twisted her body restlessly on the chair next to mine, clearly uncomfortable.
Since this afternoon, Karin’s firm shoulder had kept bumping into mine.
“This chair where Lady Bale and I are sitting together. Even if I look at it closely... Isn’t this a one-person chair originally made? It feels too narrow for two adult men and women to sit side by side.”
“......!!”
‘That’s what I said! I was thinking the exact same thing!’
The sofa in this reception room was definitely soft and luxurious, but its size was clearly for one person to comfortably lean back. Yet the wife deliberately left the wide sofa opposite empty and forced Karin and me into this narrow one-person chair.
With my bulky body taking up a seat, Karin was perched on the armrest like a precarious hanging cat.
Our bodies were pressed so closely together that we could feel each other’s body heat and breath.
At Karin’s sharp observation, the wife’s face, which had been smiling brightly until a moment ago, instantly hardened.
“Ah! I-I mean... ah, ahahaha! It-it’s narrow?”
The wife, clearly flustered, avoided my gaze and waved her hands.
“Ah, well... maybe it’s because of the table size and the chair’s proportions... y-you know, the golden ratio? Yes, the golden ratio! It was specially made to match the aesthetic proportion, so that’s why it felt narrow! Haha, art really is mysterious, isn’t it?”
‘What golden ratio? Frozen golden ratio, wife...’
I looked at the wife, sweating cold sweat with a ridiculous excuse, and felt bewildered.
‘What on earth is she thinking...’
Clearly, the lie she had just told was obvious to anyone looking.
* * *
In Rebecca’s head, there was nothing but a completely different scheme and pink delusions.
‘What did I just say... What is the golden ratio...!’
The erotic and secret romance novel she had read earlier while doing paperwork.
‘The knight with the rough scars strongly pulled her waist...’
The male and female protagonists in that novel overlapped with the current sight of Bale and Karin sitting so close to each other. Both were commoners with similar ages.
‘Where is there a more perfect pair than this! I absolutely have to connect these two!’
To tie the two young men and women who had rolled into this lonely, quiet Grand Duchy, Rebecca deliberately placed the narrow chair to induce skinship, acting as a matchmaker.
And the wife’s grand and lecherous delusion chained to itself.
‘While putting Veronica to sleep, I secretly placed that book on Karin’s bed. Hehe.’
Rebecca had secretly delivered the problematic novel— the high-level book with explicit erotic illustrations— to Karin’s room.
Of course, it was a book she had read to gain knowledge for her husband, but in the end, it was just a novel. She desperately needed an objective third-party perspective and evaluation on the impossible-looking acrobatic positions and stimulating descriptions.
After persuading the only same-sex friend of similar age, Karin, to read that book, Rebecca planned to casually ask her later in private and exchange that secret talk.
‘Once Lady Karin reads that book, she won’t be able to ignore Lord Bale sitting so close to her right now! Ohoho!’
But the wine party, filled with the wife’s lecherous intent, unfortunately did not go as Rebecca had expected.
“Here, here! Today’s wine is one that His Grace specially cherishes... um, very delicious... cognac? No, it’s wine...”
As the drinking session lengthened and the atmosphere grew mellow, Rebecca’s pronunciation began to twist slightly.
The elegant palate of the Grand Duchess, who didn’t usually enjoy alcohol, was far too weak to handle this high-alcohol-content premium Northern wine.
And the target, Karin, was the same.
“Khhh... my lady, this drink... it’s truly sweet... sweet... sweet...”
Although she was a monster capable of competing with the empire’s strongest swordsman, she ironically had only chick-level alcohol metabolism.
“Here, have another glass, Lady Karin! Oh hong hong hong!”
“Th-thank you... my lady!”
Both the hostess who had set up the matchmaking and the guest who had become the target gulped down their wine, and soon their eyes lost focus.
And finally.
Thud, thump.
“Um... my lord...”
“Young lady... I will protect you... kuul...”
The wife leaned her cheek on the table and fell asleep. Karin leaned against the chair’s backrest and passed out without a care in the world.
“...Hah.”
In the reception room, the only sounds left were the crackling of the fireplace and the regular breathing of the two women.
I downed the remaining wine in my glass in one breath and let out a deep sigh.