Banquet Preparations

The conversation continued with topics far removed from the purpose of recruiting Burnell into the Empire.

“I also heard that you acquired Dandolo Trading Company. Is it Hestia Trading Company now?”

“That’s right. What is it like within the Empire?”

“It’s a state of emergency. Pascal Trading Company and Dandolo—now called Hestia, right? Those two have both tilted toward the Far East.”

It was as I had heard.

“As for Hestia Trading Company, it seems to be winding things up and establishing its headquarters in the Far East, so there shouldn’t be much trouble. But Pascal Trading Company must be a serious concern. They might even issue a corrective order restricting its exchanges with the Far East.”

Stefan had mentioned this beforehand and said he could handle it himself.

Ferda casually floated Stefan’s strategy and asked for her opinion.

“What would you think of having Pascal Trading Company handle the itinerant sale of magical engineering goods?”

“Oh my, if you were to make such a move……”

Olivia thought hard, her expression serious.

Her blue eyes were more vibrant than when she smiled.

“They wouldn’t be able to lay a hand on it easily within the Empire either. They would have to watch the Far East’s reaction. Was that President Pascal’s idea?”

“It was the next president’s idea.”

“I see.”

She smiled faintly.

“It is a fairly good situation, but you need to be careful, Regent. Have you heard the recent rumors?”

“The ones saying that I’m smuggling refugees away.”

“Yes, they’re utterly detestable.”

Olivia twisted her lovely features.

“What do they think that makes you, after you cared for them throughout that long winter?”

“Exactly.”

“Even if you sent the refugees back, what do they think they’d do after returning? Of course they’d exploit and bleed their own subjects dry! Once they’ve stuffed their granaries full in autumn, they toss them aside like pets! There’s a limit to treating people as marks.”

It was a remarkably passionate reaction over someone else’s affair.

It was typical of someone trying to win support among the common people.

“The administrator told me that I need someone within the Empire who can lend me their strength.”

“In that regard, I’m afraid I can’t offer you any direct help.”

Olivia looked apologetic.

She thought intently for a moment before asking Ferda,

“Come to think of it, Hestia still lacks an elite class, doesn’t it?”

The elite class referred not only to nobles, but also to people in upper-ranking professions such as scholars, merchants, artisans, and priests.

People who were called masters in various places had come, but they were little more than odd-job workers, making it difficult to call them the elite.

“On the merchant side, Stefan is forming a guild, while Bernard, the president of Escolleia, is linking scholars to the Far East exploration project and receiving recommendations for scholars who are interested.”

“With scholars and merchants, you could say that seventy percent is already filled.”

“The problem is priests.”

From the outset, Ferda, who possessed the makings of a black magician, had been incompatible with priests.

Moreover, he hated Alte’s hypocrisy: emphasizing benevolence and mercy while showing no mercy to heretics.

‘And yet we need priests.’

Most of the people in this town were from the Empire, and most of them were followers of Alte.

With the Far East, where monsters poured forth, lying just ahead, they desperately needed someone to serve as a spiritual pillar.

“As it happens, I may be able to help. I’ll look into finding someone from the Alte faith. Since this is a land where many different people come together, I’ll look among the moderates.”

“I’d be grateful if you would lend your influence.”

“What are you saying? Isn’t this a path toward the common goal we’re pursuing?”

Olivia smiled brightly.

“Since the subject of Alte has come up, have you considered holding a banquet at Waldrova Castle?”

“A banquet……?”

Olivia formed a stand with both hands and rested her head on them.

Her smile was radiant.

“The Alte faithful will soon be preparing their Beginning-of-Spring Festival. The nobles will be doing the same. This is the time to hold banquets and spread the joy of spring.”

“Is that so?”

“So I think it would be good for you to arrange a Beginning-of-Spring Festival for the young people of the Empire. Rather than limiting it to the Empire, it would also be good to get acquainted with those who will lead the southern and northern regions. Don’t you agree?”

“I think the purpose and effects would be good, but……”

Ferda asked her about what was troubling him.

“Do you think they’ll attend my banquet?”

Banquets were the most important events for nobles.

Because they were so important, everyone tried to hold a Beginning-of-Spring Festival.

Being able to host one meant that one had enough influence to extend one’s reach.

In other words, this was also a power struggle.

Ferda currently had nothing but a ‘wretched’ network of connections.

“Why wouldn’t they?”

Olivia smiled with her eyes.

“I’ll be coming.”

She had decided to make herself the bait.

The declaration that the flower of the Empire, outstanding in birth, conduct, and appearance, would be attending was enough to draw the attention of young people everywhere.

If men from the upper echelons of power gathered, women would naturally gather as well. One person would draw another, and soon a great many people would flock there.

‘A banquet…….’

Annoyance came before excitement or anticipation.

Was he really being told to mingle with these bright-green youngsters at his age?

Even as he thought that, Ferda realized that his physical body was still young and green himself.

“I understand.”

“Will you do it?”

Olivia blinked.

She looked as though she had not expected that answer.

“Is there a problem?”

“I was prepared to persuade you because I thought you would consider this some pointless endeavor, so should I say I’m a little deflated?”

She knows me well.

He would have said that if Isabella had not cautioned him first.

“Since you’ve agreed, I’ll take that as a yes. You don’t have a party planner, do you?”

“No.”

“I’ll have one sent from the Empire this time. You’ll be holding banquets like this often from now on, so it would be best to hire a team in advance.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

Olivia was knowledgeable and highly capable, befitting someone who served as the hostess of the Empire.

‘If she had been the Third Prince rather than a princess, she might have surpassed her other brothers.’

She, too, had been dealt a cruel fate.

That was what Ferda thought.

“Do you know the dances currently in fashion in the Empire?”

Ferda’s body flinched.

“It’s called the ‘Moonlight Step.’”

“I don’t.”

“That’s a problem. If the host of a banquet falls behind the latest fashion, people will make fun of him, you know? They say the Regent of Waldrova has no interest in the world.”

“……”

“Oh my, you don’t know that either? I thought nobles naturally learned it in their families……”

Should I just scrap the banquet?

Olivia pretended to think for a moment, then rose from her seat and held out her hand to Ferda.

“Come.”

“……What is it?”

“You have to stand up to dance, don’t you? Come on, get up.”

He knew they needed to practice, but he had not realized she meant to start right away.

“Don’t you want to dance wonderfully with the Grand Duke of Waldrova?”

Waldrova.

The first banquet he would attend together with his fiancée.

Imagining that scene, Ferda’s lips moved before he had time to think.

“I do.”

“Right? Then wouldn’t every second be precious? Wouldn’t it be more perfect if someone who knows dance well—and is a woman who understands women well—taught you?”

Ferda felt strangely persuaded by those words.

But unable to take the bait at once, he instinctively looked at Ruri.

For some reason, she was quiet.

Was she intending to overlook it because she had accepted a bribe?

‘No matter how easy she is to tempt with food, she isn’t the sort to be that permissive.’

She clearly had an ulterior motive.

Ferda sighed.

In any case, putting it off was unavoidable.

“All right.”

They set that matter aside and decided to practice dancing.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen His Highness in her polymorphed form…… How large is her build? At least, His Highness is a woman, right?”

“Her build……”

Ferda looked at Olivia.

She was the only available standard of comparison.

“A little shorter than Your Highness.”

“Then there shouldn’t be any problem with me teaching you.”

Olivia’s hand slipped between Ferda’s fingers.

The already-close distance narrowed further.

“Now, hold hands like this…… Imagine the music is playing. Da-ra-ra-ran, da-ran. Yes, tap your foot lightly here, then to the left……”

He learned to dance under her instruction.

Ferda moved his body exactly as she instructed with all his might, and when her humming came to an end, her assessment was this:

“Hmm…… You’re very clumsy at dancing.”

She was putting it kindly; he was a hopelessly awkward dancer.

Olivia could not hide her bewilderment.

She had assumed that his usual gravitas concealed extraordinary dancing ability as well.

But dancing was a matter of using one’s body.

And using his body was what Ferda was worst at.

“You’re awfully quiet.”

“……What can I say? I was exiled because of this useless body.”

“Useless? But you’re so fine-looking……”

Her trailing voice carried a seductive note.

“Let’s just get the feel of the light waltz and the Moonlight Step. For now, we’ll just practice the hold.”

“Do I have to keep dancing?”

“Of course. I pride myself on being very good at teaching others. Regent, you’ve wounded my pride. You don’t know how high the price is for wounding a woman’s pride, do you? You’ll be dancing all day.”

He didn’t know, nor did he want to.

She had dragged him into this on a whim and was now being this unreasonable.

“I’ll help you master it in a day, so follow me.”

“Does that mean you’ll be staying until tomorrow?”

“Yes. Is that a problem?”

“Won’t rumors spread if you stay in a strange man’s house as an unmarried woman, before you’re an Imperial Princess?”

“A strange man? You already belong to someone, don’t you, Regent?”

“There’s a saying that you shouldn’t tie your shoelaces in front of a melon patch.”

“You worry too much. I have more than enough pretext.”

“What pretext?”

“Hand Marquis Burnell over to me.”

Olivia sprang that on him.

“No.”

“Yes. Then we’ll have quite a long discussion about this matter, won’t we? The Imperial Princess will continue with marathon meetings. Since you’ll have nothing to do during that time, let’s learn to dance—for Lord Waldrova’s sake.”

Could that really work?

Though he was half doubtful, Olivia moved before allowing him to make such a judgment.

In the end, he went along with dancing practice at her pace.

For all his complaints, Ferda also wanted to dance well.

To do that, he needed help from someone knowledgeable about trends and dancing.

Olivia’s gaze was fixed on Ferda.

She kept smiling the entire time she taught him to dance.

As if every moment of it were enjoyable.

As if every moment of it were enjoyable.

As if every moment of it were enjoyable.

As if every moment of it were enjoyable.

As if every moment of it were enjoyable.