Chapter 55: Everyone's Man (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 55: Everyone's Man (1)
While high society was still buzzing over the downfall of the Barco family, Rihanna Dmitry attended a social gathering for the first time in a long while.
"Oh my, you're here!"
"We've been waiting for you!"
At her arrival, the noble ladies of the Northeast, previously chatting in small clusters, immediately stood to welcome her with bright smiles.
The host of this gathering was Helena of the Melok family.
She had always been a staunch pro-Dmitry figure. As soon as the Barco family fell and Dmitry's prestige skyrocketed, she had hastily organized this event. It was a blatant display of power. To prove that the Northeast would henceforth revolve around Dmitry, even the most reclusive noblewomen had turned out in droves.
However, there were also new faces outside the usual circle.
Ladies who had previously favored the Barco family over Dmitry now welcomed Rihanna with plastered, sycophantic smiles.
"My, you seem to grow more beautiful by the day."
"Rihanna, I've prepared a special wine for you. Please consider it a token of my affection and enjoy it at your leisure."
Their intentions were transparent.
The fall of Barco had left them stranded. The noblewomen who had lost their backing were desperate to cling to Dmitry by any means necessary, which was why they had begged to attend this gathering. Pride was no longer a concern. They had visited Helena of the Melok family daily to build rapport, pleading for just one chance to meet Rihanna Dmitry.
Rihanna had been forewarned about this.
Though she didn't particularly enjoy such blatant sycophancy, she knew exactly how to play the game.
"Thank you."
She smiled warmly. As if it were only natural, she graciously accepted their hospitality and gifts.
There was a common misconception among the public. They believed Baron Romero's wealth alone had elevated the Dmitry family to its current position, but behind the scenes lay Rihanna Dmitry's quiet devotion. Rihanna had rallied the noblewomen of the Northeast to build her own sphere of influence. This was a political feat Baron Romero could never have achieved; the ladies who regularly associated with Rihanna formed the very core of the pro-Dmitry faction. Had she not set the stage in advance, Dmitry might have crumbled under the Barco family's interference before they ever established a foothold.
As the lady of Dmitry, she had subtly encouraged Helena to host this gathering, naturally demonstrating Dmitry's elevated status within this microcosm of high society.
"Thank you all for attending today. The reason we've gathered here isn't for any grand purpose, but simply because I believe that as neighbors living in the same region, we need time to understand and get to know one another. Of course, we haven't always looked in the same direction. However, now that circumstances have shifted, we must change to match our new reality."
Her words carried a sharp undertone. There was a thorn hidden in her polite speech.
Rihanna subtly jabbed at those who had sided with Barco, while simultaneously showing the magnanimity to accept them into the fold. With this, once the gathering concluded, these ladies would return to their respective families and urge them to stay on Dmitry's good side.
It was a subtle but monumental shift in power.
Rihanna knew from experience that inviting the pro-Barco ladies and offering them a path to cooperation would yield massive returns later. It was through Rihanna's quiet support that the Dmitry family had become the powerhouse of the Northeast. To outsiders, it might look like nothing more than a group of women chatting and laughing over tea, but this very gathering would solidify Dmitry's absolute dominance.
And so, they enjoyed their refreshments, chatting about trivial matters for quite some time.
As the ladies sipped their tea and exchanged pleasantries, their focus gradually shifted to a single topic of supreme interest.
"Rihanna, what do you think of our Veronica? I think she would make a wonderful match for Roman."
At Helena's words, the other ladies' expressions instantly stiffened.
Arranged marriages. They were incredibly common in the aristocratic world. But where did these arranged marriages truly begin?
Right here, in these tea parties.
Regardless of how the others reacted, Helena, having broached the subject first, quickly pressed her advantage.
"Roman is already twenty-five. For the sake of his bright future, he needs to find a wise wife and settle down soon. And though it's a bit embarrassing to praise my own daughter, I think our Veronica would suit Roman quite well. Or am I just overstepping? Hohoho."
Helena laughed, delicately covering her mouth.
The atmosphere grew strangely chilly.
Six years ago, Roman Dmitry had been a lukewarm prospect in the aristocratic world. The Dmitry family's wealth made him desirable, but the fact that he was the eldest son who wouldn't inherit the title held him back.
Back then, Helena had clearly stated: "Veronica is still too young to be a match for Roman. Let's think about it when she's a bit older."
Even she, a staunch pro-Dmitry supporter, had avoided an arranged marriage with Roman. Instead, she had subtly pushed for a marriage with the second son. Back then, no family had wanted Roman.
The same went for the other women in the room. Those who had shared Helena's past attitude now openly displayed their displeasure at her remarks.
"Oh, come now. Veronica and Roman? That seems a bit much. Didn't Veronica almost have an arranged marriage with the successor of another family not too long ago? Helena, I understand your ambition, but Roman is far out of her league."
It was one of the ladies who had once been severely scolded for badmouthing Roman in front of Rihanna. She had even asked if Rihanna wasn't upset by his behavior as "The Fool of Dmitry," yet now she was highly praising Roman's worth.
"Exactly. Rihanna, Roman's marriage requires careful consideration. It's best not to limit his options and let him meet various people instead. In that sense, please visit our estate sometime. Actually, I kept it quiet, but my daughter fell in love with Roman at first sight."
Another lady chimed in. She, too, had once recoiled at the mere mention of Roman. As if completely forgetting her past behavior, she readily offered up her precious daughter as Roman's spouse.
Chaos ensued.
The fire Helena had lit spread rapidly. Every lady at the gathering eagerly expressed her desire for Roman. This greed wasn't limited to those with daughters; those without brought up their nieces and cousins just to claim a connection to him.
It was a truly amusing sight.
Due to the Barco incident, Roman's prestige had skyrocketed. It was only natural. By defeating Homeros, Roman had proven his potential as a 4-Star Swordsman. This guaranteed a smooth and successful future, and if he were to inherit the Dmitry family as well, there would be no better son-in-law in the kingdom.
In an instant, he had transformed from a lukewarm prospect into everyone's man. Just a short while ago, his broken engagement with the Lawrence family had been seen as a major blemish, but now, in light of his overwhelming potential, no one cared about such a minor flaw.
If anything, they thought it was a stroke of luck that Lawrence had failed to snatch him up.
Clink.
"I'm glad to hear you all think so highly of my son."
Rihanna gently set down her teacup. The current atmosphere wasn't bad. However, she had no intention of using her son for political gain.
"Roman recently went through a great ordeal. He was promised to the Lawrence family, but they had to call off the engagement for unfortunate reasons. At the time, I thought to myself: let us not inflict the same pain on Roman, who has already suffered enough from a broken heart. Therefore, speaking to me of arranged marriages is meaningless. I want Roman to meet someone he truly loves, and who loves him in return. That is all I wish for in Roman's spouse."
She drew a clear line. There would be no arranged marriage.
The problem was that her statement only fueled the ladies' competitive spirits.
‘In other words, regardless of status, whoever wins Roman's heart first gets him?’
Everyone's man.
The expressions of the noblewomen shifted ominously as their greed for Roman intensified.
* * *
After the war ended, Flora shut herself in her room.
Fortunately, Lawrence had escaped the brink of ruin, but the events she had witnessed on the battlefield had left her in deep shock.
‘To survive in this world, one needs power.’
Lawrence versus Barco. In truth, it was a battle Lawrence had lost.
Lawrence had lacked the strength to handle either the Flare prepared by Barco or Homeros. Although the knowledge she had gleaned from books suggested they would have a good chance of winning if they held out until winter, there was little Lawrence could actually do when faced with harsh reality.
The helplessness she felt then was indescribable. Watching the enemy swarm like ants, Flora had felt her mind completely break down.
But Roman was different. The power of a single individual had crushed Barco and snatched victory from a battle that seemed utterly lost.
‘Just how can someone become that strong?’
It was astonishing. And she wasn't just referring to his personal martial prowess.
Roman had shown the audacity to strike Barco's rear with only a handful of troops, and even upon hearing the name of Homeros, the 49th ranker, he had declared he would face him himself. It was a truly marvelous display of courage. It was the absolute confidence of the strong, and in that moment, Roman had appeared in a completely different light.
Once, she had dreamed of an ideal partner. That imaginary figure, brimming with confidence in everything he did, had begun to overlap with Roman at some point.
She vigorously shook her head.
"No, that's not it."
She disliked Roman as a person. She refused to believe that someone so incredibly selfish, who only cared about his own self-interest, could be her ideal type.
However, she did feel a slight desire to know more about him. How he could be so strong. What kind of person Roman truly was.
The problem was that their relationship had already been permanently severed with the broken engagement, and Flora had no excuse to meet Roman again.
‘For now, let's focus on my own reality.’
She shifted her gaze back to her books. She, too, wanted to become strong. Like Roman. She desired the power to solve problems in any situation. That was why she had remained shut in her room even after the war ended, surrounded by mountains of stacked books.
Books were not a perfect solution. But at the very least, she wanted to alleviate the suffocating feeling of being trapped in a maze.
After several days passed like this, she stepped outside to get some fresh air and spotted an unexpected visitor.
"Flora, it's been a while!"
"Silvia...?"
It was a familiar face. A woman with flowing, sky-blue hair and the features of a classic beauty. It was her younger cousin, Silvia.
‘What is she doing here?’
It was surprising. Silvia's father was Viscount Lawrence's younger brother. Having yielded the title of Viscount to his older brother, he had settled down in the Capital as a merchant. Perhaps because she had spent her childhood in the Capital, Silvia utterly detested coming down to the rural estate of Lawrence. Although she possessed a pretty appearance, having inherited the Lawrence bloodline just like Flora, her irritable and picky personality had earned her the nickname, "The Witch of Lawrence."
For someone like her to appear in Lawrence...
Knowing how much Silvia hated the estate, Flora couldn't help but find her sudden appearance shocking.
"What brings you to Lawrence? And..."
Flora scanned her from head to toe. She looked stunning. Seeing her dressed in a gorgeous gown, it didn't seem like she had visited for any ordinary reason.
"What's with that outfit?"
"What do you mean, 'what brings me here'? I heard they're throwing a grand party for the eldest son of the Dmitry family. Uncle contacted me and said that a beauty like me should grace the event, so I rushed over immediately. But tell me, Flora. Is Roman Dmitry really that amazing and handsome? Everyone is singing his praises so much that I'm dying of curiosity!"
Silvia gushed excitedly. Watching her act coy as if showing off her looks, Flora felt her mood sour slightly.
"...A party for Dmitry's eldest son?"
This was no minor news. It was something she, of all people, should have known about. If even Silvia had traveled all the way from the Capital for it, Flora herself should have been busy preparing for the party by now.
And yet...
‘Why am I only hearing about this now?’
The Dmitry party. Flora had known absolutely nothing about it.