CH 51

Moving her lips up and down as if she was annoyed by her words being cut off, Firina opened her mouth mixed with scornful laughter.

“Yeah. Did you only find out now? Well, since you don’t have a good eye, that surely is possible.”

“No.”

“What?”

“I don’t think so.”

Smirk. Firina, who twisted her lips and laughed, gave a sarcastic remark as she gently moved her fan.

“Ah. Is that so? In this time’s victory banquet, those who’re participating aren’t only the familiar Northern people, though.”

As it was a large banquet, it was expected to have guests from the Kingdom’s other great territories as well.

“Well, will you be able to prepare a sophisticated banquet even without my help?”

This wasn’t just Firina’s pride.

‘Hmph! I’ve already been preparing it perfectly since I was at the Capital.’

As long as the Master of the Aslan Family returns, the power of influence of Count Zealot, who had been a proxy during those times, will inevitably decrease.

That’s why before the authority he had shrunk any further, he had to plant people in all places wherever he could plant.

Saying that she’ll help prepare for this time’s banquet, and Firina who meddled was also a part of that.

‘Since in preparing a banquet, it needs a lot of people.’

Among them, it wouldn’t be a problem to put in a few people, saying that they are experts in the Capital’s trends.

“I even brought a tea dessert master whose work is enjoyed by the royal family for this banquet.”

It was a person given by Her Majesty in order to plant people in the Aslan Family.

A Royal Family’s trend is the Kingdom’s trend.

Considering that it was the usual trend, starting from the Capital and arriving in the frontier city a few months later, it was an incredible thing to be able to present the Royal Family’s taste for the first time at a North’s banquet.

“A Royal Family supplier master?”

“I heard that such a master’s employment reservation for the Capital banquet alone has been delayed until next year, though.”

People around were also surprised and talked in whispers.

At the noisily speaking employees’ reaction, Firina became bolder and looked down on Beatty.

“You understand now? Well, no matter how this place falls behind the trend, if a sophisticated Capital noble like me gives help, a high-class banquet—”

“It’s okay.”

“What?”

Firina doubted her ears for a moment.

But she didn’t hear it wrong.

With a clear voice, Beatty said again clearly.

“Even if you don’t help, it’s okay.”

“Ha! You still don’t understand? The people I brought perfectly mastered the latest Capital trends. How amazing this is—”

“You don’t need to bring the Capital’s trend.”

At the second round of rejection, Firina bit her lips annoyed.

Beatty said confidently.

“Since I can just start a trend from here.”

“What?”

Ha! Firina snorted as if she had heard something absurd.

Despite the blatant ridicule, Beatty wasn’t discouraged at all.

‘As it happened to turn out well.’

Rather, a bright expression secretly came out on her face.

‘Since it’s no matter for me to prepare and use it at best, I was thinking about how to do it, but.’

Rustle.

At the unnecessary regret, Beatty looked back at the documents inside the bag that she had put in as she smiled confidently.

‘It’s perfect if I present this at the banquet!’

“Hohoho! Yeah, that’s an amazing idea.”

Firina burst into laughter in Beatty’s face.

‘As expected, a kid. She surely says that because she doesn’t know anything.’

Smirk.

Raising her lips to the fullest, Firina said as if looking down on Beatty.

“Although you’ll belatedly come and ask me to help you anyway…. Well, for about that much, the merciful me will understand.”

“….”

“I can’t wait to see you running to me just saying that you’d failed to recognize me.”

Laughing loudly, Firina left.

Beatty didn’t bother to answer.

‘What do you mean I failed to recognize you?’

The one who knows Aunt’s bottom better than anyone else was Beatty herself, though.

Carl suddenly asked Beatty, who clicked her tongue as she was looking calmly at Aunt’s exit.

“Want me to cut her?”

It was Carl who was extremely annoyed by Firina who kept on making a lame attempt in front of his younger sister. Although at first, he held back because Tail Fur seemed to want to take care of her in person, after that, he kept still because Tail Fur kept on blocking him, from having his hands touching the sheath, with an eye signal.

While Beatty shook her head fiercely because she can’t turn her brother into a relative murderer.

“….”

Ather alternately looked at Firina’s back and Beatty with eyes that had unknown meaning.

“Young Miss!”

“Ah, Johanna.”

Beatty faced and flinched at Johanna’s eyes which were filled with feelings of being touched.

“Heupp, our Young Miss. You sure are too kind. How….”

Beatty, who kept hearing praises, started to think inside.‘Who’s that?’. Pouring out all kinds of praises ‘The cutest, the prettiest, and is even kind-hearted, and…’ etc, Johanna barely spoke with difficulty only after calming down her emotion.

“Uh, but Young Miss….”

Johanna contemplated how she should say this.

“Thank you very much for already having affection and defending our North. Thank you, but actually….”

Actually, it’s true that we’re behind the trend! The other area bastards always tease us, saying that we’re unsophisticated.

Well, although if we throw them to the mountain range for a day, the backbiting and so on of those weak bastards who’ll whine won’t even tickle.

How can she say this beautifully to the innocent and delicate Young Miss without getting her hurt and losing affection for the North?

While Johanna was contemplating, Beatty figured out her hesitant heart and, tok tok, patted the back of Johanna’s hand.

“Don’t worry.”

“Yes?”

“Since I’ll really set the trend from the North.”

Rustle rustle.

Speaking with confidence, Beatty looked through the inside of the acorn bag and took something out.

‘In truth, when the proposal was opposed, it was a thing I’d prepared for persuading, though.’

Unexpectedly, at the meeting, let alone needing to persuade, it was approved almost unanimously, and not having any time to take it out, it was preserved intact.

“Johanna.”

Ssk.

Taking out something like a large ball of string and holding it, Beatty opened her mouth as her black eyes sparkled.

“Do you deal with ropes well?”

***

“How long has it been since we had a banquet at the Duke’s Castle?”

“It finally feels real, that the long war is over.”

As he passed through people who were chirping with joy at the large banquet which was held after a long time, Count Muscat took a look around.

‘Hm. It sure is big, however-’

Should he say that there was a lack of novelty in his eyes, which he has seen his own territory adjoining the Capital?

Although the antique Duke’s Castle was incredible, the important thing at the banquet is whether it serves a new experience that has not been experienced before or not.

‘There is no way for the Northern people to have such sophistication.’

As he did lose favor in the Aslan Family’s eyes, he did step far away because he was scared, however, there was no expectation at all for this time’s banquet.

‘Even so, I’ll have to say a few words saying that it’s a wonderful banquet, but it might be a bit of a backbreaker to come up with something to compliment.’

In Count Muscat’s eyes, who was heading to the banquet hall without any expectations like that, he saw a unique decoration string hanging at the entrance of the banquet hall.

“Hmm? That’s….”

When he narrowed his eyes and looked at it, he could see the identity of the decoration.

“Rope?”

Unlike lace which is woven with an existing thread, the decoration tassel which was woven and knotted with thick ropes was hung on the entrance curtain.

“This is a decoration that I’ve seen for the first time, though….”

When the ropes that are used on the battlefield were mixed with everyday life’s banquet hall decoration materials, they gave a fancy strange impression as if they were rough.

“Huh? Here too?”

Entering the banquet hall, Count Muscat looked curious as he looked at the walls and dinner tables which were decorated in the style he encountered for the first time.

He wasn’t the only one with that expression.

Looking at the people who were looking around the banquet hall here and there with an interested look, the Northern Family people, who had got together, put on a smugly smile

“Huhuhu. You other area bastards. Turns out your eyes are wide open.”

“My, my. They must be surprised. As this was made by whom.”

“That’s right. This is the Ma… what was it?”

“Huft. Musik. ‘Macrame’!”

“Yeah. Right. Macrame. To think it’s a style where I can feel both dignity and beauty at the same time!”

“It can only be because it’s simply the decoration that fits our North perfectly.”

Those who were enjoying the position of ‘Trendsetter’ for the first time as they shrugged happily, all shouted in unison.

“It’s also all thanks to our Young Miss!”

***

A few days ago.

Attending the banquet preparation meeting, Beatty took out the samples she had prepared.

“This is the new banquet decoration I’m proposing, it’s called Macrame.”

“Macrame?”

“Have you heard of it?”

In front of the people who were buzzing at the unfamiliar name, Beatty herself lifted up a small rope and explained.

“Doing the way of weaving a knot differently like this, and making a pattern.”

“Ooh. If it’s a rope knot, I surely also know it well.”

“Me too, how strongly I tied up the prisoners I had caught in days gone by, was to the point that the prisoners who ran away came to me again and asked me to please release them because it couldn’t even be cut with a knife.”

“Humans, bragging.”

Most of the vassals who had the experience of participating in the war, each showed off who, who, was better at tying ropes.

Looking at the people who were that familiar with dealing ropes, Beatty continued with a confident voice.

“I’m sure everyone knows how to tie rope.”

“Of course!”

“That is surely also the result of the Northern people here struggling because of protecting the border.”

The vassals’ mouths were melting wide open at the cute Young Miss’ flattery.

“And such characteristics of the North are what we’re going to infuse into the banquet hall as well.”

“To the banquet hall?”

“Yes. If we decorate the banquet hall with decorations using this rope knot, the people who come in can also feel the cheerful spirit of the North, right?”

“Cheerful spirit, you say.”

Those who liked the expression ‘describing them’ nodded happily.

“This decoration alone will completely change the view of the banquet!”

Beatty was confident.

‘Since that’s something that’ll soon happen.’