Chapter 53: The Banquet (7)

Chapter 53: The Banquet (7)

PR: Ford 53 & Alive Sigh



The next day, the morning papers had a sensational headline.

[Count Nimrud Attempts Assassination on Elvus Grayman]

It was about Count Nimruds fight the day before.

And this was no ordinary assassination, but an attempt on the life of the third son of an imperial duke.

It was shocking news that shook the entire country, and the morning in the royal court was more chaotic than ever.

Tyria thought no differently.

This could have been bad.

She skimmed through the article and saw a paragraph about how Elvus armed escort had narrowly thwarted the attempt.

Whoever did this deserved a kingdom-wide reward.

For preventing what could have become a war

Tyrias eyes narrowed.

She realized that she had been lulled into a false sense of security that the war would remain confined to the west.

She should be wary.

If the war were to spread this far

Milady, what are you reading that makes you so gravely this morning?

Elric might be in danger.

Tyria lifted her head and looked at Elric, who had just entered the dining room.

His knee was still bothering him, and the way he was carrying his cane gave her cause for concern.

What would happen if enemy forces reached Yubin?

Unable to run, he would be decapitated in an instant.

Her breath caught in her throat at the thought of such a future.

The feeling of hopelessness that enveloped her was a bonus.

Tyria swallowed down her unnecessary anxiety and held out the newspaper to him.

I was just reading the morning paper.

His eyes widened as she showed him the headline on the front page.

Immediately afterward, he chuckled softly.

I guess this is just how things worked out.

What do you mean?

Uh, its nothing, its just that our relationship with the Count is a bit bad, and so I said that this is a good thing

Ah, he was worried about what had happened with the Young Master.

Thinking about it, she was suddenly glad that Count Nimrud was the mastermind behind the assassination attempt.

Humans were such selfish creatures after all.

As she was thinking, Elric asked.

So what will happen to Count Nimrud?

There will probably be an intense investigation. Hes not going to get off scot-free. After all, he did try to mess with the Graymans. The Counts death is inevitable hopefully, well see the forfeiture of the noble title from the Nimruds as a whole.

Hmm, neat.

Tyria tilted her head.

For some reason, she couldnt help but feel pleased.

Elric seemed to notice the change in her emotions and straightened his expression.

Well, a great crisis has been averted, right? Im glad even beyond our personal feelings about the matter.

I suppose so.

But, lets get ready. Were going to the banquet again tonight.

Tyria nodded, shaking off any lingering doubts.

The royal banquet was scheduled for three days.

No matter what, attendance was mandatory during that time, so she couldnt use the current events as an excuse.

It wouldnt look good for the royal family either.

Given their political position, they would probably be tempted to use this as an excuse to reassert their weakened authority.

As a newcomer to the aristocracy, the Portmans needed to be careful about these details.

It would be hard enough to be on the shaky ground of their nobility without the royal eye on them.

Oh, and by the way.

Yes?

The same people who helped me with my makeup yesterday are helping me again today. I suggest you try them tonight. They are quite skilled.

Suddenly, the unexpected benefit from the day before popped into her head.

His casual clothes had made him look ugly in every way, but there was something very pleasing about the way hed made up his face the day before.

She wondered if he had a stake in the workers?

No, it wouldnt even matter if he did.



They were so thin that it looked like they would fall off if he bent his hand.

He was terrified that it would happen, and that was why he couldnt fully hold her hand.

He felt so silly, but he couldnt go any further.

Maybe it was because she was suddenly starting to be in his thoughts more.

Elric watched Tyria as she stared out the window.

All he could see was her jawline, her earlobes, and the nape of her neck.

He caught a glimpse of her eyelashes, too.

That struck a nerve in him.

Her expression was obscured, yet his imagination was running wild.

He wondered what Tyria looked like now, as she was looking out the window.

Would her expression be as impassive as usual?

Most likely, yes.

But her little fingers were curled up in a meaningful way.

Elric tried to imagine her blushing face.

Yet he quickly felt ashamed of himself for such disgusting behavior.

His whirling mind was already working overtime, trying to crystallize his imagination.

It wasnt a good look for her anyways.

Elric had never seen her make any other expressions after all.

Like being at a loss for words for example.

The carriage arrived at the castle in the midst of all his woe.

Lets go.

Finally, Tyria showed her face.

He felt sorry for his lack of manners.

So, he hid his feelings and escorted her into the banquet hall.

Theres a lot of noise today.

Why was that?

It was probably because of the incident with Count Nimrud the day before.

And then,

Thank you all for your concern, but Im fine. Im here, arent I? And, Im used to quite a few assassination attempts.

The other party had put his face out in the ballroom as if nothing had happened.

Elric felt his breath catch in his throat.

Elvus Grayman.

A friend, but not just a regular man.

Ill just have to stay out of his way.

In such a public setting, there were roles for everyone.

Elric didnt want to be the center of attention for the kingdoms nobility.

He had already realized what kind of place Elric Portman held in the aristocracy.

To make the Portmans look any worse would be a disservice to Tyria, who had single-handedly protected the family name.

We should go over there.

Yes.

And with that, he led Tyria to the corner where they had spent the previous day.

Ah! There he is, Baron Elric Portman!

Elrics body stiffened.

He jerked his head toward the voices owner, Elvus.

The fucker was grinning, revealing his full set of white teeth.

Baron Portman saved my life yesterday! He fell forward and pushed me out of the way. At that exact moment, the assassins secret weapon happened to fly right past where I was!

Was this fucker crazy?

As Elrics thoughts were paralyzed, a gruff voice came from beside him.

I thought you said you were just going to the restroom.

Tyrias voice was quite rigid.

Elric didnt dare look at her face.

Instead, he turned to his other other half.

Hey, Baron, come here!

Elvus Grayman.

If he had a death wish, then Elric would be able to help.

After all, a friend could certainly do that much.

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