Chapter 55
"Reiji, does this look strange? I've never worn makeup before..."
"—There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. However, please do not cast any sidelong glances at the banquet. Starting tomorrow, a mountain of engagement proposals will arrive."
"What? Even you, Reiji! Why do you have to say something like that?"
Lady Eva spoke bashfully, lacking her usual liveliness and looking somewhat self-conscious. The maids must have showered her with compliments.
The maid responsible for her makeup and dressing folded her arms proudly. She was practically a pro.
(No, seriously, I'd rather she not even direct her gaze my way, let alone give me a sidelong glance...)
The Slyries family's "eyes" were extraordinarily unusual.
Those scarlet eyes possessed a bewitching quality.
This was widely known among the high nobility, though apparently some lesser nobles were unaware of it. I had known thanks to 【All Creation】 even before the Count told me.
The Count possessed the "Magic Eye of Judgment," which allowed him to identify lies by channeling magic through his eyes.
Lady Eva possessed the "Magic Eye of Encouragement," which increased the fighting spirit of anyone she looked at when she channeled magic through her eyes.
Because Talent Jewels let anyone use magic, these special "Magic Eyes"—scarlet eyes—didn't attract much attention, but they could appear in the Slyries bloodline.
The Holy King must have made Count Slyries his "trusted blade" in part because of his "Magic Eye of Judgment." Conversely, that meant something like a "lie detector" could not be reproduced through a Talent—or was extremely difficult or rare.
Of course, I had heard that such Magic Eyes were exceedingly rare in the population as a whole—but even so, there was no doubt they could be incredibly useful depending on how they were used. I couldn't lie to the Count, after all...
Then my ears, strengthened by 【Enhanced Hearing】, picked up a commotion at the entrance.
The Count, who left at sunrise and never returned before sunset, had come home today just as Lady Eva finished getting dressed up.
As the maids and butlers all bowed in unison, I followed suit, and the Count walked over to Lady Eva.
"Eva. You should enjoy yourself tonight."
"...Yes."
That was all? Wasn't this where he was supposed to give her a little more praise? But not in a monotone, and not with wording that was too direct, either, okay?
"...Reiji-san, a moment."
Though he shouldn't have been able to see my expression while I was bowing, the Count called me over. I raised my head with a start, and he beckoned me toward the corner of the room—I could feel everyone watching our backs.
"...What is it?"
"...My daughter seems somewhat displeased. Did you do something?"
Wait, wait. Was this my fault?
"...No? I can't think of anything I've done."
"...Unfortunately, that does appear to be the truth."
Please don't use the "Magic Eye of Judgment" for that!
"...Then what, exactly, is wrong with my daughter?"
"...Who knows? It isn't included in a guard's duties."
"...Protecting my daughter's emotional well-being is also part of a guard's duties."
That was the first I'd heard of that. A guard's responsibilities covered far too much.
...Well, Lady Eva looked worried, so I decided to give him the answer.
"...Please compliment her properly."
"...Compliment her?"
"...Lady Eva is all dressed up and beautiful now, isn't she?"
The Count tilted his fair, handsome face.
"...Would you have me say something so obvious aloud?"
Was this paternal doting, genuine sincerity, or a joke? It was hard to tell.
"...Aren't you often told, Your Excellency, that you don't understand a woman's heart?"
"...I can tell whether someone is lying, so I've given people what they wanted many times."
The "Magic Eye of Judgment" was far too useful.
"...The 'things people want' are often intangible words, not tangible objects. Just trust me and compliment Lady Eva on how she looks dressed up."
"..."
Magic shone in his eyes. Yes. Please don't use the "Magic Eye of Judgment" for something like that.
"...I understand."
The Count, apparently convinced, spun on his heel and returned to Lady Eva. I couldn't determine whether his true nature was scatterbrained, cold-blooded, or that of a doting father—the answer to an ultimate three-way choice—but I thought it was unfair that every movement he made looked like a painting. If I were reincarnated, I'd want to be a handsome count. No, considering the hardships of being a guard, I wouldn't want that after all...
"Eva. The dress tailored for you serves only to set off your natural beauty, but it has made me appreciate that beauty anew. You are the pride of the Slyries family."
"A-ah, um, um..."
Lady Eva wasn't used to compliments and fumbled for words. She looked at me as if asking for help, so I nodded to her. Her cheeks reddened, and she turned to the Count and replied, "Thank you very much."
Yeah, yeah, that seemed to be going well—except that Lady Eva had asked me for help, which left the Count looking displeased with me.
For now, candidate number three, "doting father," was the strongest possibility.
The carriage that took Lady Eva to the banquet belonged to the Count's family. Apparently, each noble family kept one for such grand occasions, and the Slyries family's was draped in scarlet cloth symbolizing their "Magic Eyes." Its enormous wheels were made of brightly polished iron, while the golden ornament mounted on its roof depicted a crescent moon with two swords—the Slyries family crest.
Four magic lamps hung from it, casting a warm orange glow.
"Reiji, ride with me."
"...Yes."
The carriage was simple yet luxurious, and its striking appearance made me a little nervous; Lady Eva's words seemed to push me toward it.
Maxim-san handed me today's banquet attendee list and told me to look it over. Apparently, it was distributed on the day itself because some nobles didn't know until the very last minute whether they'd be able to attend. How inconsiderate. I'm a down-to-earth guard from the common folk, with nothing to do with high society!
Ten mounted escorts, including Maxim-san, surrounded the carriage. I opened a small window and looked outside. The streets, normally bustling with merchant carriages catering to nobles and wagons hauling cargo, were quiet today. Everyone knew that today was an important day for the nobility, so entry and exit had been restricted.
Apparently, events like this also involve providing relief to the people. Rather than simply handing out money, the system spreads it through purchases, such as commissioning large-scale construction projects and procuring huge quantities of supplies. Construction is one thing, but purchased supplies inevitably leave surpluses as well. Apparently, churches distribute those goods to orphanages and poor people.
(The Holy King's administration is surprisingly well-run... Even so, some people still don't have enough money, so demand for selling themselves into something akin to slavery hasn't diminished.)
One reason is that the country has an extreme gap between rich and poor. No amount of modest government charity could close it.
The nobles, a privileged class, claimed all the lucrative positions first, after which the merchants clinging to those nobles grew fabulously wealthy. People trying to rise by attaching themselves to nobles are almost never "fair and impartial," so they have no qualms about fleecing the poor.
(Lady Eva called it a "structural problem," and she was exactly right. But cracking down on slave traders alone wouldn't solve anything. Still, saying that would go beyond my duties as her guard, so I kept quiet.)