Lindbergh (1)

The banquet venue was certainly narrow.

That did not mean the absolute floor area was small. It was small compared to other lords' castles. After all, it was a mansion, not a castle.

Unlike a typical lord's castle with a dedicated banquet hall, this place simply used the mansion itself as the venue. As long as a room in the two-story mansion was not explicitly off-limits, the guests were free to use it as they pleased.

In truth, there were not that many people one could really call guests. There were hardly any other noble domains nearby worth the name, so aside from the ducal house's vassals who administered the territory and a few of the highest-ranking officials from the colonial governor's office, all the other invited guests were academy students.

Aside from every student's attire being unified in their school uniforms, I saw no especially awkward sights. To begin with, children from baronial or knightly families had not even been invited. The children of families at least at the comital rank would be accustomed to social circles.

In that sense, our group could be called unusual in several ways.

Only three of us were accustomed to social circles.

Charlotte, as a princess, seemed to be fairly well known in her home country's social circles, and Jake, as a ducal heir, had also made quite a name for himself in various circles. Among his friends he had a frivolous image, but within the domain he was famous for being tight-lipped and taciturn... or so they said. At least, that was how the game portrayed him.

And the remaining one, Lottie, was accustomed to social circles in a slightly different sense. Jake always kept her at his side.

And the rest—

"Uh, is it okay for us to drink stuff like alcohol too?"

Claire came up beside me and asked cautiously.

Where Claire's gaze was directed, the children of Noble Class B were chatting away with champagne glasses in hand. Judging by their slightly flushed faces, they had apparently already had at least one glass. Still, I did not see any who were noticeably drunk.

"Only thirty years ago, people our age were treated as adults. As far as banquets are concerned, a light drink does not count as a major flaw."

"Really...?"

Claire's expression was startled.

It was not as if she had never attended a banquet. But normally she would have accompanied her parents, the Baron and Baroness of Grace, and at a younger age than now. She probably never even dreamed of drinking.

"Claire."

I stopped Claire as she headed toward the table lined with champagne glasses, her expression full of curiosity.

"If you wish to drink, please do so in moderation."

I spoke with a serious expression.

"Huh? Ah, uh...."

"Do you understand? 'In moderation.' The moment you feel even slightly lightheaded, you must not drink carelessly beyond that."

"Okay...."

When I repeated the warning with a serious expression, Claire answered with a somewhat dazed look.

In the original story, Claire had been a heavy drinker.

That said, being able to drink a lot did not mean she got less drunk. Claire as a character was the type who lost her mind but never collapsed, causing all manner of mayhem.

Looking at the present Claire, you would absolutely never imagine it, but in the original story... she was a character who had already endured countless things no child should have to experience from a young age.

"Leo."

Just in case, I called Leo over.

"If Claire tries to drink more than one glass, you must absolutely stop her."

"Got it."

Fortunately, as the model of a straight-laced young man, Leo was not the type to drink even if it was 'permitted.' He nodded seriously at my words and stuck close behind Claire.

"You're not planning to drink?"

Watching me, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Alice asked. Her face was tinged with amusement.

"Are you not planning to drink, Alice?"

"I... well, not yet."

That made sense. Alice might have been the imperial princess, but she was not that accustomed to these kinds of places. She had always figured that time spent attending such events was better spent studying if she wanted to beat me.

Probably her not drinking was also because she did not know how well she could handle alcohol. Knowing Alice's personality, she would undoubtedly obtain some alcohol later, try it little by little alone in her room, research her personal limit, and then drink exactly that much in front of others.

"A wise decision."

Charlotte spoke after hearing Alice.

"To be honest, even if you do drink, it is not purely an enjoyable beverage."

"That's unexpected."

Alice replied to Charlotte's remark as if provoking her.

"Belbur is one of the places where wine originated. Even that champagne was named after a region in Belbur. And yet a person from Belbur can't drink?"

"...... Alice, can you eat something like eel jelly?"

"Eel... what?"

At Charlotte's somewhat random counter, Alice asked back.

"There is something like a jelly made by congealing eel oil and eel meat at once."

"Why would anyone eat that?"

Alice asked back with an incredulous expression at my explanation. I knew, right. If you have eels, the thought should be to clean them and grill them; who would think to boil and congeal them that way instead?

"It is a proud traditional dish of the Aetherna Empire."

It was not exactly a traditional dish, but it was true that it was an imperial dish.

"......."

At Charlotte's words, Alice could not offer any retort.

*

That did not mean every dish in the empire was something utterly inedible.

No, honestly, even foods like eel jelly or plain toast were, fundamentally, made for human consumption and were certainly edible enough. The problem was that they tasted bad.

Most of them were dishes created in unfavorable circumstances to somehow make use of (what they considered) strange ingredients, so while eating them could indeed cause some... uh, issues, they were not lethal foods.

However, such foods were usually the fare of the poor lower classes, and the dishes for the nobles gathered at this banquet were completely different things.

"Lady Crowfield."

Even though she was a count's daughter who had been formally invited, not someone who had gotten in through Jake's connections, Mia Crowfield could not mingle happily with the others.

In truth, even at the academy, she was a child with few people one could call friends. She was the sort who would not initiate conversation unless approached first.

She did carry the title of a count's daughter, but after the incident in which the Count of Crowfield was murdered, there were not all that many people who deliberately approached her.

Those who did hold ducal titles could approach without much concern for such matters, but those children were usually equally kind to the other noble sons and daughters.

"Are you enjoying—"

About to ask "the banquet?" I looked at the two biscuits, one in each of Mia Crowfield's hands, and shut my mouth.

Apparently, she was enjoying the banquet in her own way.

Whether she sensed my gaze or not, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Mia Crowfield could neither put down what she was eating nor stuff it all into her mouth at once, and fidgeted restlessly.

Without a word, I walked over nearby, picked up a biscuit, and put it in my mouth.

"Soft and delicious."

Then I voiced my impression. I meant it when I said it was delicious. Putting one in my mouth was to give Mia Crowfield time to finish chewing what was in hers.

"Y-y-y-yes."

Mia Crowfield barely managed to chew and swallow her biscuit within the time I bought her, and answered me. Unfortunately, there was still a biscuit in each of her hands.

"It seems you have not often come to places like this."

"R-right?"

Why was her answer a question?

Was I still that frightening to her?

Well... I supposed even if I swapped our ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠situations and thought about it, it would not be easy to sort out those feelings. No matter what kind of evil her father was committing behind the scenes, at least to Mia Crowfield he was a good father... Of course, considering everything he did behind the scenes, whether he was truly a 'good' father was questionable, but he must have treated her kindly to her face.

If that father had been murdered, and the killer was standing right in front of her, well.

Mia Crowfield was only fifteen.

Since pushing the conversation further for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no reason seemed like it would only increase her wariness, I simply shrugged and was about to withdraw. As a former loner myself, I knew that loners generally did not much like people who paid them unnecessary attention. Simply letting them spend time at their own pace was actually more helpful for improving the relationship.

"Um, excuse me."

But just as I was about to slip away with that thought, Mia Crowfield stopped me.

Verbally, of course. Her hands were still full of biscuits. Though I supposed even if they were empty, she would not have grabbed me by the hand.

When I turned back, Mia Crowfield was wearing a startled expression. Evidently, she was surprised at herself for stopping me.

"That...."

Mia Crowfield rolled her eyes this way and that with a complicated expression that was hard to describe, then,

"Is Her Highness enjoying yourself here?"

she asked.

"......."

I turned my gaze.

Far away, Claire and Leo were arguing about something. Charlotte and Alice were sniping at each other, and Sophia had at some point inserted herself between the two of them. Jake was, as ever, making advances on Lottie.

Even though they stood among students all wearing the same uniforms, those figures came through to my eyes as vividly as if they were the only part of a black-and-white photograph that was in color.

"Yes, I am enjoying myself."

"I-is that so?"

And then the conversation died.

Mia Crowfield seemed to have something she wanted to say, but she did not seem to know how to continue the conversation, opening and closing her mouth several times.

"If both of you are enjoying yourselves here, then I am simply glad."

Then, one person cut in through the brief lull in our conversation.

He was a man with broad, squared shoulders, skin tanned by the sun like Jake's, and a golden mustache whose ends were curled up like in a painting.

His overall air resembled Jake's, but perhaps because of his dignified presence, there was no thuggish aura about him.

"Your Imperial Highness."

The man bowed politely toward me.

"And the Lady of House Crowfield."

Then he bowed once more toward Mia Crowfield.

"Duke of Lindbergh."

When I returned the greeting, Mia Crowfield's mouth fell slightly open.