Chapter 93
I didn’t know how to talk to her at first, so I answered as soon as I could and pretended to open my pouch.
Then another awkward silence pa.s.sed by. Oh gosh.
Certainly, there was a huge difference between knowing the content in your head and actually saying it.
If I didn’t know the end of this game, I would probably run out of the audience early in the middle of the first half or get confused like a supporting role commonly described in each such scene.
I didn’t know that in the common games of my previous life, the things that used to be described were such scary creatures.
“……Especially when the troll came out, I was so nervous that it was going to go wrong.”
I didn’t know what was more surprising after spending a few days with monsters in the frost forest and meeting the dragon, the one at the top, but the monsters jumping around the stadium today were different from what I’d encountered so far.
Even though it was ferocious, it felt so different from those who were reminiscent of wild animals in many ways.
Maybe that was why I was glad.
“I understand, but you don’t have to worry too much. The year Izek won in the past was much scarier.”
“Oh…”
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that it’s getting easier.”
I see. So this was what getting easier meant.
It was doubtful whether half of the candidates who played today were alive.
I was starting to get confused whether the humans here were weird or just me.
Anyway, the situation still looked awkward, but I was grateful for the calmness.
I could feel her glancing at me through the mirror while smiling and pretending to apply the rough alongside.
She seemed to be hesitating.
Was she doubting that I threw up again? I didn’t know if she paid attention now, but…
“Is there anything else going on?”
Sure enough.
“Ah… nothing that big of a deal…”
“……Oh, so it’s nothing.”
Taking back her sudden question, Ellenia shook her head as if she were regretting right away, and no longer said anything or looked at me.
So I, too, kept quiet until she left first with her pouch.
* * *
Dinner was hosted by Omerta Castle after the match.
It was nothing new because this was just as I had remembered, but Cesare staying at the duke’s quarters made me so annoyed.
I didn’t know why, but I felt like I was being invaded.
Would it have been a little different if Izek was here with me?
Suddenly, I wanted him to be here, but the candidates, who had made it till the second half, would have been resting as if they were dead at Angvan by now.
It was ironic that Cesare was here and Izek was in the palace.
“Oh, Ruby.”
While returning to the dinner table with a smile, I almost paused while sitting down.
Oh my G.o.d. What kind of funny combination is this?
Let’s say that the fact that Cesare is giving me a loving smile is absolutely abominable. I’ve been sitting next to him for a while.
But for what reason is Duke Omerta sitting right in front of him?
To make matters worse, why is Alfonso here?
What are my father-in-law, brother, and ex-fiance who has become an international joke doing together?
Alfonso showed his embarra.s.sment to me as if asking for understanding. I smiled. So that’s what it means.
“Oh, my. You look surprised. I had something to say to the Duke, which somehow turned out to be this way.”
Aha, is that so?
He now happened to be sitting face to face with my brother and drinking with him.
I was confused whether he had good luck or was just bright from the beginning.
“It must have been your first time watching this match. How do you feel?”
I wondered what they really wanted.
Not only Alfonso but also my father-in-law.
Even if he’s Cesare, was it just me who thought this combination was very bizarre?
“It’s more amazing than I imagined. Everyone… I just didn’t know what to do because I was scared.”
“You don’t have to worry about my son. If he were such a loser, where would your Holy Father have sent his precious daughter?”
“Oh no, I’m not doubting my father’s perspective, but honestly, I was a little worried about my brother-in-law.”
Cesare responded well when my father-in-law said it was worth it.
Then, Alfonso started laughing.
Are you guys drunk enough to go crazy? I don’t know what they are up to, but I don’t want to be swept away.
I should answer the least and not say unnecessary stuff.
So I pretended to laugh awkwardly and picked up a warm b.u.t.ter roll in the bread basket.
Then, as soon as Cesare talked to me, I took a big bite.
“By the way, Ruby, you must be nervous because you are the mistress of such a great castle.”
“…Uhn.”
“That’s a big compliment, Your Grace. It is shabby compared to the grandeur of the southern n.o.bility. Come to think of it, isn’t Rembrandt’s Vishelier Castle famous for its unique style?”
My father-in-law intervened again on behalf of me, who couldn’t answer properly because I was chewing.
As a result, Alfonso humbly shook his head with a smiling face.
“What unique style? It’s an ancient style that’s already out of fashion, so there’s no other hideous thing. Why is it that traditional style is so hard to cope with?”
“That’s unfortunate.”
While these n.o.bles were chatting among themselves, I chewed and swallowed hard, picking up another b.u.t.ter roll and tearing it in half.
And after applying plenty of b.u.t.ter to the fragrant bread, I pushed it into my mouth.
This is hard. Don’t talk to me, don’t talk to me.
“But I thought Enzo would accompany you on this journey, but unfortunately, he must have been busy.”
Would Alfonso be able to guess how much Cesare is grinding his teeth at the fact that Enzo was sitting in the seat of the Pope of Romagna?
Of course, Cesare responded leisurely as the world’s strongest with his shamelessness.
“Unexpectedly, my brother and I got along well. It’s not that he couldn’t come. My father barely stopped him from making a fuss.”
“Huh, why?
“You know enough to understand, don’t you? If he had been here, he would have messed around everywhere and gotten thrown into the middle of the stadium.”
“Hahaha, I guess he’s still energetic.”
They were happy with each other.
I agreed with that argument to some extent, but at least Enzo was not a multi-personality psycho who conspired or played pretend all the time like Cesare.
What kind of trick was this? I swallowed a silent swear word, chewed the other half of the b.u.t.ter roll, and this time I picked up white round bread.
“It would’ve been nice if he could’ve come. Right, Ruby?
“Yes.”
At times like this, I felt very grateful for these large amounts of food.
The soft and light bread was filled with sour yellow cream.
As I took a few sips of wine and immediately took a bite of the new bread, the three pairs of eyes gradually focused on me.
Even Cesare began to look at me as if seeing something very strange.
“Ruby, you…You must have been really hungry.”
“Yes, she does seem so…”
“Oh, right. I think I wasn’t able to eat properly because I was nervous.”
“Don’t just eat bread, eat something else. We won’t touch it.”
That’s very sweet of you, father-in-law.
I just don’t want to talk to you guys, so I don’t empty my mouth.
While laughing again, I pretended to smile awkwardly and pulled up a plate of pie filled with crushed potatoes and ground meat.
It was a northern pie that was eaten with only a spoon, without cutting it with a knife.
It was a dish that I couldn’t dare to cook until recently because of the huge size. Was it Shepherd’s pie?
My dejected father-in-law was about to ask me a question, but when he saw me scooping a big bite of the great pie containing the spirit of the North, he immediately turned the arrow to my brother.
Whew.
“I’m worried whether the northern food suits you.”
“Don’t worry, eating is my hobby. Have you ever visited the South?
“A lot of times when I was young. Luckily, I visited during the Christmas season…”
I didn’t know if I was crazy or if everyone else was crazy, but have fun with them as much as you want.
Everyone was always doing that except for me.
* * *
“Princess?”
At the careful sound of the call, Ellenia turned her eyes back to the front.
She felt tired from entertaining foreign amba.s.sadors, what idiots.
“I’m sorry. Please keep talking.”
“My my, there’s nothing much. The princess is overflowing with dignity as I’ves heard.”
“You must have heard a lot about me.”
“Oh, please don’t be offended. Princess Omerta’s beauty is so well-known that even the royal family of Dorias wanted to see her in person someday.”
Ellenia stared at the lines of Dorias amba.s.sador, who smiled humbly for a moment.
She wasn’t particularly offended. She just thought if that was actually the case.
She was at the age of getting married.
If they didn’t notice at all, that would rather be surprising.
It had also been roughly known that Dorias’ royalty had long been anxious to reach out to Britannia.
However, it was a little surprising for them when the Omerta family and the Borgian family were so active in making an alliance.
Would it be possible for them to make a move if the marriage got dissolved, or if they could have met before? It was an adventure for the royal family of Dorias, who was currently in a cold relationship with Romagna.
Perhaps her father leaked some secrets to that side.