「Princess, what are you doing out of the blue?」
Kato the butler knight jumps in between us with blood drained on his face.
This old silver-haired gentleman’s hardship will continue until he dies. Only then will he be peaceful.
「That was a good greeting, Eleonora…..」
Hearing me, Eleonora showed a triumphant look with her burning armor.
There was no explanation for the sudden attack. Even if the princess knight doesn’t say anything, just by looking at her face, you can easily tell what she’s thinking. Right now, she’s probably thinking, “That’s better than being slashed”.
It looks like I have become so close with the princess knight that I already feel bad about it.
I think it’s already too late for regret.
「He-hero-sama, I’m sorry. The princess was so behaved recently that I thought she had been cured so I let my guard down! This Kato will engrave it in my heart forever.」
From Kato-san’s upright posture, he bowed his head at a very sharp angle. It should be around 75 degrees.
Overwhelmed by the softness of his body, which doesn’t seem to be of an old man, I immediately decided to forgive the princess knight’s rudeness.
「You don’t have to do that, Kato-san. In the first place, it was not the first time the princess knight had done this.」
Normally, this would result in an outrageous diplomatic problem but thinking about it, I’ve also beaten Eleonora to pulp when we were still enemies.
It can be said that I can’t blame her for attacking me every time we encounter each other.
「Oh, you didn’t hit back or even complain. I guess it’s only natural for a man who was crowned to be king to be so generous.」
「Eleonora, will you please stop it?」
Eleonora’s father, Duke Emehart, rebuked her from behind.
The girl’s father was angry with her and the princess looked displeased.
「My apologies, your excellency, my daughter is spoiled. She doesn’t seem to like the fact that you got married.」
「What! What are you saying, father? Why are you talking as if I’m a jealous woman? I and the hero are sworn rivals!」
Since when have we become sworn rivals?
「Hahahaha, you’re a stubborn one. Father knows you well.」
「Father doesn’t understand me at all!」
The father and daughter, who were both very beautiful, were playing with each other, totally ignoring me. The shrewd Duke Emehart, a good man, has zero dignity in front of her no-good daughter and is now acting like a bully father.
The butler, Kato-san, would occasionally interject to lighten up the mood.
Me and Herman, the guardian knight, just watched with a nonchalant look on our faces.
I’d like to stop this cheap home drama of the Am-main house and have dinner already but as guests, I can’t bring myself to say it.
We had no choice but to keep drinking tea until our mouths were ashy. The maid, who was as silent as a piece of an antique figurine, brewed us as many refills as she could.
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—Scene Change—
-0-
Finally, it’s time for dinner and we are ushered into the dining room of the Lanct Castle.
Now, show me what a millionaire’s dinner looks like.
Arched marble columns line the magnificent hall, supported by the heavy black oak balustrades of the ceiling.
Cream-colored walls, carved with vertical grooves, are lined with protruding candlesticks, which continue to shine brightly and brilliantly, almost as bright as daytime.
There is a saying that civilization is a light that is passed down from generation to generation.
If so, the dazzlingly beautiful and gorgeous castle of Duke Lanct is the most elegant light of civilization in the world.
I cursed in my heart because it was so uncomfortable to eat in such a spacious dining hall.
I was overwhelmed by the splendor that even the royal castle of Silesie couldn’t match. How much time and money were spent to create and maintain this luxury?
Moreover, there is no need to show off. Even the precious mahogany table, the white porcelain plates, silver candlesticks, and tableware lined up on it are all very natural.
Only a countryman would be surprised by the twinkling lights of convenience in the middle of the night. Duke Lanct and his daughter, who lead a life full of splendor, are the sophisticated urban people of this world.
In the large hall are I, Herman, Oracle, Kaara, and the father and daughter of the duke family. It’s a meal of six and it doesn’t feel lonely because there are a lot of maids and butlers around.
I sigh when I see the scarlet eagle emblem of the house of Lanct displayed above the mantle of the recessed fireplace at the end of the hall.
Every time I come here, I’ll try to absorb as much as much culture of Lanct as possible.
I can’t imitate such a luxurious way of using money after all.