Chapter 111 – Duke Elgy’s Suggestion (2)
Viscount Roteschu settled onto a plush sofa and contentedly sipped his tea.
He was truly blessed. A splendid mansion, numerous servants, a n.o.ble status, his hometown that he could return to at any time, two reliable children, good health, and a successful slave that put him up here. How wonderful!
Now there were only three things left he that he wanted: his wife’s health to improve so they could enjoy their happiness together, his son to marry a woman from a good family, and his daughter to marry a man from a good family.
He had high hopes for his two children, especially Rivetti. Alan had no talent at all, and these days he spent too much time pampering a slave-born baby. Alan was not so stupid that he would jeopardize the family name, but he didn’t make it any better either.
But he wasn’t like his beautiful and smart sister, Rivetti. With Viscount Roteschu’s support, she could climb up high on the social ladder.
“Rivetti! Rivetti!”
He was in high spirits and called out to her in a sing-song voice. The butler who served him his tea answered.
“Lady Rivetti is out with her new friends.”
“Friends?”
“They are all people from great families.”
Viscount Roteschu gave a wide grin at the butler’s reply.
“She has a nice personality, too. She gets along well with anyone!”
“Of course.”
The deacon agreed enthusiastically. Viscount Roteschu himself nodded in satisfaction, but as soon as he saw his son feeding his baby in a chaise lounge, his mood immediately turned sour.
“Tell him to feed himself! Why are you messing with that bottle?”
“How can a baby feed himself?”
“He should be able to do it in nine months!”
“…In ten months.”
Viscount Roteschu clicked his tongue.
“It’s not the time to take care of a slave child, you idiot. Your sister is going to make her societal debut this year. Do you realize how important this is?”
“Time goes by so fast…”
“Don’t just sit at home looking after a baby! Go socialize with other n.o.ble families!”
Viscount Roteschu was so worked up over his son that he even started to shout. This wasn’t the first time it happened, and the butler calmly poured another cup of tea while the viscount continued to yell at his son.
“Why don’t you interact with other young men so someone can escort your sister to her debutante!”
“She wouldn’t like whoever I choose. Rivetti says I have strange tastes, Father. She’s supposed to choose her own partner anyway.”
Viscount Roteschu drank his hot cup of tea in anger. At the same time, the baby burst into tears. After quickly putting down the baby bottle, Alan skillfully calmed the baby. The sight furthered the Viscount’s anger, and made him feel as if he was about to explode. It was true that the baby was their own blood and had to be taken care of, but Viscount Roteschu could not understand why his son was so fond of a child that he couldn’t even show in front of others.
It was then.
“Kyaaaag!”
There was an excited squeal from the hallway and the sound of footsteps quickly approaching. Viscount Roteschu set down the teacup and looked at the door as it opened.
His lovely daughter Rivetti burst inside the room. She must have had a good time with her friends, and his pleasant mood returned again.
“Come here, sweetheart. You’ll catch a cold. Butler, get her a blanket.”
“Yes, master.”
The butler glanced at a servant, who quickly left the room to run the errand. Rivetti ran up to her father.
“Did something good happen, Rivetti?”
He was ready to praise her even if it was nothing special, and he spoke to her with a smile.
“Yes!”
But Rivetti’s next words completely dashed his hopeful expectations.
“Father, I will get to meet Her Majesty the Empress!”
Viscount Roteschu’s face immediately turned to stone.
“Who will you get to meet?”
“The Empress!”
Rivetti face was of open glee and she stamped her foot in excitement. She had longed to see the Empress ever since she was in Rimwell.
“Good for you.”
Viscount Roteschu grabbed the bottle and tossed at his ignorant son’s forehead.
“Father?”
Rivetti was wide-eyed from her father’s strange behavior. Viscount Roteschu suddenly rose from his armchair as if he were in a mad panic.
“Where are you going?”
“To the palace. And Rivetti?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll talk about this later. Don’t do anything else today, understand?”