Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: #4 Guest (4)
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Somehow, the mouths of the imperial supply officers had to be shut.
It was obvious that they couldn’t act rashly in a situation burdened with such a critical task.
For starters, there were eyes watching.
They couldn’t interrogate him in front of Armin and Disa’s supply officers, nor could they do so in front of the estate staff.
The key was to create a situation where they could be alone, away from prying eyes.
And the first person who needed to be dealt with to achieve that was right there.
“Tiria Portman. It’s an honor to meet the heroes of the west.”
It was Tiria.
She was so impeccably polite that she not only addressed the supply officers as heroes but also gathered all the estate staff at the entrance to welcome them.
Even her brief bow exuded elegance amid the tension.
“Family Head, could you introduce them to us?”
“Ah, of course.”
She just had to avoid looking awkward.
Elric stood beside Tiria and spoke to the supply officers.
“This is my lady wife, the one who truly manages this estate. Lady, these gentlemen are…”
Trying not to sound awkward only made it more awkward—a natural human flaw. Elric was no exception.
Pretending to be calm led him to overact, smiling excessively as he spoke.
Elric’s hand rested on Tiria’s waist.
He was calling her “lady wife.”
Elric didn’t realize it, but those elements stirred deep surprise and excitement within Tiria.
Right then, a scarecrow-thin man raised the corner of his mouth and stepped forward first with a greeting.
“Ahem, I’m the supply officer from Armin.”
His gaze raked Tiria from head to toe.
In that moment, Elric felt rage surging within him.
Was it because Polo had already frayed his nerves? Even such minor actions grated on him intensely.
“For the lady wife to step forward in negotiations…”
Armin’s supply officer looked down at Elric with a condescending stare.
Elric felt a vein bulging on his forehead as he replied.
“Haha, I’m hopeless at this sort of thing, you see. I’m relying on my lady wife’s wisdom.”
“I suppose…”
Armin’s supply officer smirked crookedly.
That was the moment.
“Then let’s head inside! We can’t stand at the entrance forever!”
Polo spoke up urgently.
From his perspective, it was an attempt to save Armin’s supply officer—and it worked brilliantly.
At least, it prevented Elric from exploding right then and there.
“Yes, this way, please.”
Tiria led the supply officers into the estate.
The servants had already taken their luggage, and they were heading to the dining hall.
This was a problem for Elric.
‘I need to create an opening…!’
With that ticking time bomb of a mouth right there, if they sat down for a meal, there’d be no chance to silence it.
The plan had been to approach him while unpacking luggage and showing rooms, but Tiria’s thoroughness had thrown that off.
It was a moment when her competence suddenly felt like a curse.
“I’ve heard that meals on the train are rather tough and unappetizing. So I’ve selected some fresh dishes separately— I hope they suit your tastes.”
“We appreciate the hospitality.”
Tiria entertained the guests with her characteristic poise, showing no awkwardness in the role.
The meal was a full course.
That meant at least an hour of conversation here.
“Now, shall we… start with the meal?”
Elric tossed out the topic, desperately hoping they’d focus on eating, but it didn’t go as he wished.
Once again, Armin’s supply officer jumped in.
His mouth was so loose it practically fluttered about.
“But this is quite a quiet town, isn’t it? Don’t you find it stifling living in a place like this?”
“This is the town where I was born and raised, so I don’t feel that way. Rural areas have their own charm.”
“Hmm, is that so? From what I’ve heard, that Family Head over there…”
As the arrow turned back to him, Elric felt his reason wavering.
His ten years of wandering were like his reverse scale.
Doubts arose about this man’s intentions for bringing it up, especially in front of Tiria.
“All I’d heard was that the lady wife had been holding down the estate alone, so I was quite surprised to see the Family Head here.”
“…It hasn’t been long.”
“I suppose that’s why I hadn’t heard.”
His sly smile was unmistakable.
It was provocation.
Elric’s grip tightened instinctively.
Crunch—
The knife in his hand bent.
That was the moment.
“…Broadening one’s horizons by experiencing the wide world is important.”
Tiria’s hand touched Elric’s thigh.
Elric flinched, his body trembling.
His gaze turned to her.
Tiria stared at Armin’s supply officer with an expressionless face.
“We exchanged letters even while apart. The Family Head didn’t neglect external studies for the territory’s development. I’ve focused on internal affairs, while he’s handled the outside matters.”
It was a lie.
But it was undoubtedly a response worthy of her.
Deflecting the rudeness without a hint of discourtesy or aggression was a social skill Elric couldn’t match.
Suddenly, Elric felt ashamed.
What if he hadn’t held back his anger here?
Not only would the deal fall through, but hiding his identity as Kasha—the original goal—would fail too.
Even setting aside how his emotions had been rattled by anxiety and impatience, such behavior wouldn’t benefit Weibin.
Reflection stirred within Elric.
Meanwhile, Polo stepped in.
“Wh-what meaning does the past hold now! Seeing the two of you so harmonious makes even me feel good! You make a fine pair!”
Tiria’s fingertips trembled.
“…Thank you for the kind words.”
As she briefly bowed her head in thanks, Polo inwardly sighed in relief.
‘K, Kasha doesn’t seem too displeased either…’
Had the situation been resolved?
Polo shot a glare full of anger at Armin’s supply officer.
What was with this guy who couldn’t keep quiet even when silence would’ve been half a victory? His inability to discern situations, true to a man obsessed with women, made Polo’s nape itch with frustration.
Armin’s supply officer muttered.
“Tch, no fun.”
‘Shut up!’
Polo screamed inwardly.
What neither Armin’s supply officer, distracted by Tiria, nor Disa’s, focused on the meal, noticed—Polo saw clearly.
In that instant, Elric had quickly hidden it, but the knife in his hand had been precisely folded in half, rendered useless.
It was a grip that sent chills down the spine.
-Your mouth is awfully loose. Shame. If we’d met on the battlefield, I’d have twisted your neck off.
Why did those words surface now?
No, Polo knew.
If that mouth slipped again, either he or Armin’s supply officer—one of them would have their neck snapped like that knife.
Polo trembled in fear.
*
The meal concluded without further incident afterward.
Specific trade negotiations would begin after rest, and Elric had returned to the office with Tiria in the meantime.
He’d originally planned to seek out Polo immediately, but she had called him.
“Family Head.”
Tiria said.
“You held back well.”
She gazed out the window.
Elric’s head hung low.
He’d managed to endure with her help, but Armin’s supply officer’s behavior still churned in his gut.
He couldn’t even understand why he was this furious.
“…That man insulted you. Are you all right?”
Of all things, that question burst out.
Tiria’s gaze turned to Elric.
He met her eyes.
“I know it’s wrong for someone here to negotiate to insult the seller like that. He was discourteous. If you wish, I can drive him out of this territory.”
He was a foreign supply officer anyway.
If fallout needed consideration, Elric could enlist Elbus Graham’s help to deal with him.
Elric chafed at her having to endure the insult.
No, more precisely.
‘Have you been putting up with this until now?’
Thinking of how much more she must have endured alone in the year since his father’s death brought a surge of guilt.
It was ridiculous how inserting his own emotions was needed to fully immerse in the situation.
The anger wasn’t purely for her—it was layered with fury at his own failings—which made holding it back all the harder.
That was the moment.
“If it passes without issue, that’s fine. But considering it could sow discord, shouldn’t we exclude even the smallest possibility?”
Tiria approached as she spoke.
Her hand extended to cover the back of Elric’s, which gripped the cane.
“I don’t think you’re unaware, but just in case, allow me this impertinence.”
Her hand was so slender and soft it seemed it would snap with a flick.
Yet to Elric, it felt remarkably firm.
“A noble’s words and actions must carry weight. Each one bears the burden of the entire territory.”
In that moment, Elric realized.
How steadfast she was, how rational.
And how deserving of praise.
“I cannot let personal offense harm the territory. At least, a leader mustn’t.”
Knowing how to set aside oneself for others was undoubtedly remarkable.
Likely, even if such incidents arose in the future, she’d propose suppressing her emotions just as she had today.
Elric couldn’t do the same.
He couldn’t become like her, and so his thoughts inevitably branched the same way.
Strength entered Tiria’s hand.
She looked straight at him and said.
“But thank you for caring. That’s enough for me.”
Her expressionless face made the words seem clichéd.
Yet hearing them, seeing her eyes, a thorny thought caught in his mind.
‘If I…’
Leave again, would she have to endure like this forever?
The idea pierced painfully, planting an emotion in Elric’s heart that he couldn’t yet name.