Chapter 58: Everyone's Man (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 58: Everyone's Man (4)
Before long, it was time for the party to begin.
Roman looked completely different from how he had during the day.
All afternoon, he had been covered in dust from working the mines, spending every spare moment training with Chris right up until the event. Yet, when he finally stepped into the venue, he was impeccably groomed and dressed in flawless formal attire. It was the entrance everyone had been waiting for. As Roman walked into the hall, the chatter died down, and the guests collectively held their breath.
"Young Master Roman Dmitry is entering."
Roman.
He looked around the room, offering polite greetings to the guests.
There was no trace of his usual coldness. Since this party was hosted in his honor, Roman knew exactly how the guest of honor was expected to behave.
Seeing this shift in his demeanor, the noble daughters who had been turned away earlier that day immediately seized the opportunity.
"Lord Roman, why did you leave so quickly earlier today? I wanted to chat with you a bit before the party."
"I had just finished working, and I looked far too disheveled to present myself to you. I hope you can understand that I only wished to show you my best side, even if just a little."
"Ah, so that was why."
Perhaps thrilled by his smooth answer, the ladies began to giggle at every word Roman spoke.
Their intentions were glaringly obvious. They were desperately trying to establish a connection with him, and before long, Roman was completely surrounded by a wall of women.
Among them, Sylvia's presence was the most aggressive.
"You truly are as remarkable as the rumors say. For the successor of a noble family to work alongside the miners himself... My father always tells me that we must live with humility and a constant desire to learn, but I've found it difficult to put into practice the way you have, Lord Roman. If I were to have someone like you as my spouse, wouldn't I be able to change for the better just by watching and learning from my lifelong partner?"
It was a blatant advance.
Although the surrounding women glared at her with fierce rivalry, Sylvia didn't care in the least.
She was beautiful. She knew her own looks all too well, and experience had taught her that when she made the first move, men usually lost their minds. It wasn't a bad strategy. Had it been anyone other than Roman—a man who hadn't even wavered before Flora Lawrence, the greatest beauty of the Northeast—it certainly would have worked.
"Thank you for the generous praise."
Just that much.
Roman cut the conversation short with a polite, impenetrable smile. While he graciously answered the barrage of questions coming from all sides, he never allowed the distance between them to cross the strict boundary of mere acquaintances.
Some time passed.
After being badgered by the women for quite a while, Roman slipped out of the bustling hall to catch his breath.
It was then that a familiar voice spoke from behind him.
"You're quite the actor, aren't you?"
The owner of the voice stepped closer. Looking down, Roman saw a familiar face looking up at him.
It was none other than Flora Lawrence.
Instantly, his previous warmth vanished. Since they were in a secluded spot where no one was watching, Roman dropped his polite facade and replied coldly, "It was a necessary action."
"How unexpected. I thought you didn't care about interpersonal relationships."
"Normally, I wouldn't. However, this party was hosted by the Lawrence family for my sake, and my parents and their guests are watching. That means, regardless of my usual behavior, a minimum level of courtesy is required here. Besides, to call it unexpected... I was no different when we first met."
When he first met Flora, Roman had dressed in formal attire. Believing that the smell of blood on his body would be disrespectful to her, he had even sprayed a strong perfume before going out to meet her.
Roman was that kind of person. He might seem to act with utter disregard for others, but when the situation demanded it, he displayed impeccable manners.
Flora sighed softly. "Now that I think about it, you're right. In fact, I was the one who lacked manners."
In her memory, Roman was a man of clear boundaries. He had maintained his manners to the bitter end while they were engaged in a political marriage. It was only after she broke off the engagement and made meddlesome, crossing remarks that his attitude had turned to ice. Thinking back, it had been entirely her fault. Roman had tried to maintain a proper boundary, just as he was doing at the party now, but she had trampled over it and ruined their relationship.
A consistent man.
That was why she was even more curious. Just what kind of life had Roman lived to forge such unwavering standards?
"But why are you working with the miners? Others think it's part of your successor training, but as far as I know, no such training exists. The blacksmith's forge would be one thing, but there's no reason for Baron Dmitry to send his son into the mines."
Flora's question hung in the air.
Normally, he wouldn't have bothered to answer. However, remembering how she had conducted herself on the battlefield, Roman felt inclined to share his thoughts with her just this once.
"How do you think Lawrence rose to its current position?"
"...Pardon?"
"People often think Lawrence prospered because of the crops grown on its fertile land, but the reality is different. Lawrence is a family that succeeded through commerce. They knew how to utilize the crops they possessed, and by selling or bartering them, they built the Lawrence of today. I heard that Viscount Lawrence's younger brother also utilized that talent to become a successful merchant in the Capital."
She blinked in surprise.
The roots of Lawrence. Few people accurately grasped that history. In fact, until recently, even Flora had believed that fertile land was all there was to her family's wealth.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I believe the forge, and by extension, the iron mine, is the foundation of Dmitry. If not for the miners who go out to the iron mine every day, covered in dust to extract iron ore, Dmitry would never have achieved its current success. That is why I wanted to fully understand the land of Dmitry. Setting aside the question of whether I inherit this territory or not, I believe this is the duty of anyone who bears the name of Dmitry. If a time comes when I must face a crisis alongside the people of Dmitry, I am certain that the time spent in the mines—which others might not understand—will be of great help in understanding and empathizing with them."
Roman's voice was firm.
As he asserted his beliefs as if they were an absolute, undeniable necessity, Flora was momentarily left speechless.
"...Ah."
"I've lingered too long. I must be going."
With that, the conversation ended.
Roman Dmitry turned and walked away without a single hint of lingering attachment.
Watching his retreating figure, Flora felt as if she had been struck hard on the back of the head. Truly, every time she met Roman, he plunged her into a deep abyss of thought.
Recently, people had begun calling Roman Dmitry "everyone's man." His old reputation as the Fool of Dmitry had sunk deep beneath the surface, replaced by a man everyone looked up to with desire and respect.
If she were in Roman's shoes, would she have been able to work in the mines with such a grounded mindset while being showered with praise from all sides?
No, I wouldn't have.
That was human nature. Sweet, flattering words would melt one's brain, and no matter how diligent a person had been, they would eventually start enjoying the present. Especially for someone like Roman, who was currently the object of everyone's affection. Even if he accepted the advances of those women and lived a decadent life, people wouldn't have held it against him.
Yet, Roman was different.
He was neither drunk on victory nor content to simply enjoy the present. As soon as the war ended, he had picked up a pickaxe and headed straight for the mines. While others were busy celebrating, the hero of the war silently mined iron ore, covered in grime and dust.
Just what kind of mindset did one need to possess to act like that? Although Flora hadn't exactly wasted her time, facing Roman made her feel deeply ashamed of herself.
He is an incredible man.
She respected him. She wanted to emulate him. Setting aside whether he was a selfish person or not, Roman himself perfectly aligned with her ideals.
Suddenly, Flora recalled what her father had said to her.
"...From now on, live for your own dreams. I will not repeat the mistake of dragging your worth down to the ground, and I am ready to support you in whatever you wish to do."
Viscount Lawrence wanted her to live not as the Flower of Lawrence, but as Flora Lawrence. His promise to support her in anything now completely filled her mind.
What is my dream?
No matter how much she thought about it, she didn't have a clear answer. But one thing was certain: watching Roman's path had sparked a fierce desire within her.
I want to become strong. So that other forces can never covet Lawrence's territory again. Instead of entrusting Lawrence's safety to others, I want to become strong myself and overcome those dangers. That is the goal I desire.
She made up her mind.
A firm dream. Her mind, which had been wandering aimlessly even after the war ended, finally cleared, and everything fell perfectly into place.
Flora turned and left. There was no longer any reason for her to remain at the party.
The existence of Roman Dmitry was no longer a reason to hold her back.
A few days later.
As it would later become widely known, Flora left Lawrence and headed for the Capital. The sheltered flower of the greenhouse—the Flower of Lawrence—was finally stepping out of the greenhouse and into the real world.
* * *
Time passed.
Two weeks later.
Around the time the downfall of the Barco family had become common knowledge, a guest visited the blacksmith's forge of Dmitry.
"Hendrick! Hendrick!"
"What is it?"
"What do you mean, 'what is it'? I stopped by to have a drink with you."
A man of small stature grinned broadly as he looked at Hendrick, who was stepping out of the sweltering forge with an irritated expression. At the sight of the bottle in the man's hand, however, Hendrick's mouth watered.
Since it happened to be lunchtime, Hendrick quickly cleared off the tools and scrap metal from a wide tree stump that could serve as a makeshift table.
"As expected, you're the only one who truly understands me, Jacob."
"Right?"
The man's name was Jacob. As the overseer of the mines, he poured a generous drink into Hendrick's cup and took a deep swig straight from the bottle himself.
"Ah, that hits the spot."
"How is work today?"
"Same as always. There's no end in sight to this damn iron mine, no matter how much we dig. It's because we've only developed the entrance of the mountain so far. Even if the Dmitry family spends hundreds of years mining generation after generation, the vein of this iron mine will never run dry. Yes, indeed. My life as a lifelong miner guarantees it."
Hendrick and Jacob.
The two pillars of Dmitry often shared moments like this. In the midst of handling grueling work day after day, taking a brief break to share a drink was like a welcome rain during a severe drought.
After they had drunk a fair amount, Hendrick set his cup down and asked in a low voice, "By the way, how is Roman Dmitry doing? About two weeks ago, there was a lot of talk about him working in the iron mine, but things have quieted down lately. Has he finally quit?"
"Ah, Roman?"
Jacob chuckled. Taking another swig of his drink, he wiped his mouth and said with a deeply amused expression, "Don't even get me started. Far from quitting, he hasn't missed a single day of work. At first, everyone was wary of him because they didn't know what he was up to, but now? I doubt there's a single miner down there who dislikes him."
"Really?"
Hendrick's eyes widened in genuine shock.
Miners possessed just as much stubborn pride as blacksmiths. Yet, those rough, single-minded men actually liked Roman?
"Just what on earth happened in the iron mine?"
Over the past two weeks, a great deal had indeed happened in Dmitry's iron mine.