After Story 1. The Sound of Falling Flower Buds

The banquet started late in the afternoon rather than in the evening.

When Cedric arrived at Marquisate Rosan, the sun was fading away. Well-dressed servants carried long brass candlesticks and began to light fires here and there.

Bill, the butler, who was welcoming guests at the front door on the first floor, looked at him for a moment and looked genuinely surprised.

“Welcome, Grand Duke Evron.”

He bowed with a tense expression. And he hurriedly tried to inform the inside.

Cedric waved his hand.

“Don’t inform anything.”

“Forgive me……. I have to let them know as soon as you arrive.”

“Even if you don’t do it, rumors will spread in less than five minutes anyway.”

Cedric snorted coldly and passed the butler who was floundering. People who had already seen him started talking and was spread all over the place.

Even shouting out his name inside did not particularly have any more effect. Miraila’s mood would improve for a moment, but Cedric’s promise wouldn’t end there.

It didn’t feel very good either.

It was a fortnight before the Western Army had their celebratory ceremony. With the Archbishop’s mediation, he compromised with the Emperor.

The Western Army improved, and Cedric’s opinion was significantly reflected in the process. He won a budget for the next six years.

Instead, Cedric resigned as commander of the Western Army. He did not participate in the celebratory ceremony, meaning that his achievements were not recognized.

It was not a big problem for Cedric himself, as he did not need any advancement or financial compensation.

There was no reward given to the Evron Knights who had followed him to the West to assist him. In order to be compensated for this achievement, it was the Emperor’s will that he should resign his position in the Northern Army and move to the Western Army or the Central Army.

It was up to the Emperor from the beginning to give him his due compensation, but it was not that he was not angry.

But all of them were his own shortcomings. He was fighting a war he would not have had to fight if he hadn’t gone to the Western Army from the beginning.

Cedric couldn’t leave the West alone. So his feelings of regret would be stronger. He had no choice but to control his mind.

But attending this banquet was unilaterally upsetting.

The Emperor incorporated Miraila’s problem into the compromise. He had ordered Cedric to stay in the Capital and attend Marquisate Rosan’s banquet.

It could be said that it was not a big deal and it was easily done. But he was more displeased than being the subject of a check.

It’s like being part of the Emperor’s gift to his mistress.

“His Majesty was too mean.”

Freil was even angrier than Cedric.

“I understand if he wants you to attend the Imperial Palace banquet. But it’s the banquet of Marquisate Rosan. Isn’t it purely to build up Miraila’s self-esteem?”

“It must be because of Lawrence.”

“If that’s the case, I don’t think I’d be this angry. It’s because of Miraila’s mood, obviously.”

“On what basis are you saying that?”

“Countess Eunice slapped the cheek of Miraila’s daughter. Very upsetting.”

Cedric didn’t have anything to say, so he listened to Freil venting his anger.

“Because of that, these days, he was trying to build Miraila’s pride. Well, even then, he couldn’t even summon Grand Duchess Roygar. As soon as he finds Your Grace’s weakness, he orders you right away like this.”

“I don’t think what I did was a weakness.”

“It doesn’t matter what Your Grace thinks.”

What Freil said was not wrong. In any case, if it had not been for the Western Army, Cedric wouldn’t have come to the Marquisate’s banquet like this, as the Emperor ordered.

And in a few hours it will be rumored that he has attended Miraila’s banquet, which will greatly save Miraila’s face. Considering that he was originally reluctant to attend banquets, it was more of a rumor than Grand Duchess Roygar’s attending.

Cedric, who doesn’t like banquets, going up and down in other people’s mouths, or even Miraila’s, wasn’t very pleasant.

‘I’ll have a light drink and say hello to someone I know before leaving.’

An hour should be enough. After all, even the Emperor didn’t send him to enjoy the banquet here.

The windows and doors of the whole mansion were wide open, so the evening breeze was good. In the lobby, there was plenty of ready-to-eat food, and in one corner a small ensemble played calm chamber music.

The wine and juice maker was among the mountains of fruit. Cedric encountered Bishop Nikos in front of him.

“You are here, Grand Duke.”

“Bishop.”

Cedric bowed down to him. Bishop Nikos said as he accepted the fruit juice,

“The cherries today are amazingly delicious. I am drinking this juice for the fourth time now.”

“Not only pure cherries, but also peeled grapes. Please acknowledge my mixing skills as well.”

“Yes, how could it taste so good unless it was made by a golden hand?”

Bishop Nikos said with a generous smile.

Cedric took a glass of golden wine and a cherry and came out to the table with Bishop Nikos.

“What are you doing? It is a relatively modest banquet, but there must have been no reason for the Bishop to attend.”

“Because Grand Duke was to be present. The Archbishop was concerned about many things, so I came here to talk to you.”

said Bishop Nikos. Cedric smiled bitterly.

The Archbishop seemed sorry that Cedric had to do this even though he helped with the celebration issue, so he sent Bishop Nikos.

He does this in order to get rid of those who would talk to him like flies, and to intervene in advance if there is a problem.

“There was no need for that. If I see any acquaintance, I would like to say hello and leave.”

“Don’t be burdened. The cherry juice is also the best.”

Bishop Nikos wrinkled his eyes. Cedric laughed.

The two moved slowly from the lobby towards the hall. With the Grand Duke and the Bishop together, those who tried to get their faces seen did not come close easily.

A splendid dance song resounded in the hall. The chandelier swayed, scattering shining shadows on the marble floor.

It was mostly young people who were dancing. The atmosphere was fresher than expected, so Cedric thought it was unexpected.

All the windows in the hall were open, and all the terraces remained open. There was no secret space at all because there were no curtains.

Although it was glamorous, there was no gloomy or promiscuous atmosphere associated with the name Miraila.

Bishop Nikos smiled, as if realizing Cedric’s feelings.

“It’s Marquisate Rosan’s banquet. Marchioness Rosan also has grown up children now, and both of them will be attending the banquet today, so she must be paying attention to many things.”

“Ah, I understand. Come to think of it, I heard that Countess Eunice had harassed her daughter and that His Majesty was saving her face.”

Cedric realized it anew, and naturally turned his gaze to look around the hall. Countess Eunice was present in plain clothes.

Cedric met eyes with her. Cedric and Bishop Nikos in the temple robes also stood out, so Countess Eunice naturally turned to them.

Cedric bowed slightly to her. He wasn’t close to her, but she was a cousin anyway. He couldn’t pretend he didn’t know her.

But Countess Eunice, instead of greeting Cedric face-to-face, her face flushed red, and she turned around, and walked out of the hall.

Cedric sighed. Bishop Nikos laughed.

“As Countess Eunice, her pride has been hurt, and Grand Duke was added to the ranks.”

“Yes. I can guess.”

As he was talking, Cedric suddenly looked at the girl who was talking to Countess Eunice.

Instead of following Countess Eunice or finding a new person to talk to, she moved and stuck to the wall.

The girl was wearing colorful clothes that did not match her skinny face.

Her waist was tightened to break, and her skirt was round and large. Her bodice was embroidered to the utmost to accentuate the floral print, and a large corsage was attached to her shoulder, as bulky as a skirt.

The girl was completely buried in her clothes.

When Bishop Nikos saw the person Cedric was looking at, he exclaimed, “Ahhh.”

“That is Lady Rosan.”

“You mean the one who was slapped in the face by Countess Eunice?”

“Yes. In fact, in a way, this banquet was held for her.”

Bishop Nikos said with a bitter smile.

It was only then that Cedric understood the overdressing. It was no wonder that Miraila’s daughter was dressed as flashy as her mother.

‘Well, she looks young. She’s probably immature.’

Cedric thought so with prejudice.

She is the daughter of Miraila and the sister of Lawrence. She was the future Marquis Rosan. There was nothing special about her tasting power, luxury, and acting arrogant.

But the girl showed no sign of showing off her fancy clothes. Similarly, young men and women were all dancing or conversing with each other, and she stood alone against the wall.

As if she was the decoration drawn on the wallpaper.

In addition to the fact that no one spoke to her, she looked shabby as if trampled by the mass of fabric.

Her pale face was expressionless, and he didn’t know if it was to control her emotions or because her heart was not here.

Somehow, that expression bothered him. Cedric didn’t know anyone with that face in the banquet hall.

Cedric himself did not like banquets, but he had never been so expressionless.

“Poor thing.”

Bishop Nikos let out a small sigh. Cedric looked at him curiously.

Bishop Nikos smiled bitterly.

“It can’t be nice to be in the banquet hall, but because she was the one who was slapped in the face by Countess Eunice, she has been coming out like that these days.”

“To say that it can’t be nice…….”

Cedric’s words trailed off. It was disgraceful that he felt curious about Miraila’s daughter.

It was because he thought that it was no different than wondering about gossip.

Bishop Nikos grinned as if recognizing it.

“If you are interested, how about requesting her a dance for a song?”