CHAPTER 57………..
Although the party had been hastily prepared, since it was a banquet hosted by the Sergio family, nothing was lacking.
Because no one ever knew what kind of events might occur throughout the year, the family always kept everything necessary for a feast at hand.
Lanterns shaped like the red full moon, the symbol of House Sergio, blanketed the night sky.
Delicacies from the four continents—including the Empire—and five seas filled the tables, while fountains overflowed with wine and liquor.
Ice sculptures, treasures so rare one might never see them again in a lifetime, and even instruments said to have once been used by ancient gods were displayed.
The pinnacle of opulence that money could buy.
Even though the Count had ordered the engagement banquet to coincide with his return, it rivaled an imperial feast.
And among all these, the most dazzling of all were, naturally, the protagonists of tonight’s celebration.
“Father, what is all this?”
“…Adel.”
In the middle of the hall, where he was conducting the final inspection, Count Sergio turned toward his daughter.
Her sky-blue gown, falling gracefully from her shoulders and revealing a delicate neckline in a V-line, evoked the image of an ancient goddess.
Although Count Sergio had personally chosen the dress, seeing Adel wear it in person at tonight’s event left him visibly satisfied.
“Hmph. It’s not as if I bought it expecting this, but still.”
The Count raised his brows in self-praise, but Adel had no energy to point it out.
Like a lone blossom, elegant beyond compare, she stood staring blankly at the massive ice sculpture behind her father.
“…Father, what on earth is that?”
“Ah, that?”
Count Sergio glanced back. The sculpture, easily three times the size of a grown man, glistened with a white mist of frost.
It was a face Adel found all too familiar for her not to recognize.
“This is a statue of the god Enes!”
“My daughter is about to be married into the Holy Temple. At least one of these should stand here. Otherwise I’d wear myself out explaining about your husband-to-be.”
“…Ha, you might as well have made a statue of the Captain instead. I mean, is this even possible? In just a single day?”
That solemn expression and divine aura—
Even with magic, crafting something so intricate should take several days.
When Adel blinked, too exasperated to keep talking, the Count stroked his chin beside her.
“It didn’t even take a day. Our family employs more than enough jewelers and sculptors.”
“This is wasteful.”
“…Since when did you care about such things?”
The Count eyed his daughter suspiciously.
It was amusing—this daughter of his, usually no less extravagant than he, now crossing herself before the likeness of a god like a guilty sinner.
“…Merciful Sun God, please forgive my father. If you search with your wisdom, surely you will find some good he has done.”
“And just what were you running around doing while I was gone?”
“Hmph!”
Scoffing, he gestured toward the lavish carriages lining up at the entrance, just as Adel finished her prayer.
“Half of those arriving have children ready to marry. They’ll copy what they see here exactly. This isn’t waste, my girl—it’s the start of a trend.”
“…Father.”
Of course. Adel swallowed her frustration and nodded.
It was a perfect move to appeal to parents eager to lavish everything on their children.
Only one thing bothered her—that her overly confident father kept sneaking glances at her stomach.
“I’m sorry, but… it’s not what you’re thinking.”
“Mm? What isn’t?”
“There’s nothing of that sort, Father.”
“…Why not?”
The Count frowned in confusion. If she were truly his daughter, she wouldn’t fail in such matters. In every other way she took after him—surely she should excel here too.
But as the guests began crossing the threshold, father and daughter changed expressions in perfect sync.
“Why not, you say? Not everyone is as… vigorous as you, Father. Oh my, Lady Trea! It has been so long!”
“Well, if it isn’t the bride-to-be! Congratulations, Count!”
“We’re honored you’ve joined us, despite our humble gathering.”
“We had intended to celebrate modestly with just family this time, but how could we not invite a dear friend like you, Viscountess?”
“Oh my, Lady Adel. You are such a sweet soul.”
The viscountess, moved by their graceful greetings, kissed Adel on the cheek.
To be this close with the greatest power in the South, the Sergio family—no honey whispered into her ear could taste sweeter.
After ensuring the viscountess had gone inside, Adel, still smiling, cast a sidelong glance at her father. Predictably, his eyes were once again drifting down toward her stomach.
“…I said no. Please stop looking there.”
“My girl, really. Not that I’m one to lecture, but what’s the rush?”
“Father.”
“Hmm… in that case, things may become complicated.”
The Count tugged uneasily at his tie.
Suppressing a twitch in her cheek, Adel whispered.
“How could it possibly get more complicated than this?”
“If it were only you, I could manage somehow. But if that family finds out, they won’t stand idly by. As far as I know, they’re particularly obsessive about that matter.”
“What family—oh, Brother Mertel!”
So he came, that hyena.
Whatever Father meant by his cryptic words, it would have to wait—the new arrivals were anything but easy to deal with.
Every one of the relatives cared deeply about the family fortune and succession. Adel’s engagement meant they were already calculating gains and losses with greedy eyes.
“How astonishing. For you to become engaged so suddenly.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Brother.”
Adel smiled sweetly, sincere in her thanks.
It wasn’t even a lie—if Mertel hadn’t provoked her with talk of heirs, she never would have gone to San Fidelio.
Of course, his intention had been to mock her, but that only made his downfall more deserved.
At least now he should realize it was best not to provoke her rashly.
“Still, where have you hidden this fiancé of yours? Surely he must be remarkable, if only you two are standing here.”
“Well, we are not yet married, and this is family tradition. As for how remarkable he is—you’ll see for yourself soon enough.”
“And what exactly does he do…?”
“I’ve been here two days already. Considering my brother’s fondness for my gardener, surely you’ve crossed paths with him ten times. Don’t tell me he’s taking your money and neglecting his duties?”
Impossible. That man seemed full of words.
“W-Well, that is…”
“Then replace him. The world is wide, and there are plenty of spies out there.”
Adel’s shining eyes made it seem like she’d recommend someone herself. Flustered, Mertel coughed and stammered until he finally slinked away.
The Count laughed in satisfaction, but Adel only felt exhausted.
Trading blows, feigning humility, striking when needed—she thought she’d grown used to this game, yet tonight it felt unusually heavy.
Laboring in San Fidelio with her own hands had almost been easier.
Seeing the cold sweat on her forehead, the Count offered his handkerchief.
“Don’t push yourself. Go inside. I’ll handle this.”
“No, it’s nothing I haven’t done before.”
“…Suppose I told you that you don’t have to live this way. What then?”
“…Pardon?”
What nonsense. Adel dabbed at her sweat with his handkerchief.
Really.
For her father to suggest that the heir of a merchant guild need not shoulder such duties didn’t feel like kindness—it felt insulting.
“Brother Mertel is already irritating enough. Why are you adding to it?”
“No, I mean—you could hold even greater power.”
“I thought you always said money is power.”
The Count gave a sheepish laugh.
After all, the first letters he ever taught his three-year-old daughter had been his signature on a checkbook. Embarrassing, in hindsight.
“Well, if someday something more important arises…”
“There won’t. You know I’ve lived for this alone.”
“…And if someone else were to take your place…?”
“Then they’d best not get caught by me. Plenty of sharp objects around here, after all.”
She lifted her chin toward the row of statues.
Colder than the ice sculptures, but some things were simply non-negotiable.
“This is my everything. There’s nothing else…”
As her eyes swept the Count’s mansion, they halted on the annex.
Though surrounded by glittering jewels, she couldn’t tear her gaze from where Killian was staying.
But her head turned again, slowly.
‘…What’s she up to now?’
It was Noella. After sulking in her room all day over Xerox’s matter, here she was, bold as ever.
Wearing a pink gown and smiling shyly, she left Adel no choice but to smile even brighter in return.
“Why waste effort on her? It can’t be good for the child… No, never mind. Just let it be.”
“Let it be?”
Adel stifled a bitter laugh at her father’s scolding.
If he knew the chaos Noella would cause in this house, he wouldn’t speak so casually.
Or perhaps, with his animal instinct, he already sensed it.
“You shouldn’t be the one saying that, Father.”
“What did I say?”
Feigning ignorance, the Count forced Adel to let it drop.
After all, insulting his daughter in front of him still required some degree of filial piety.
But the Count, lacking much paternal affection, quickly found another flaw to complain about.
“Speaking of which, where’s that rascal Cayden? Why hasn’t he shown his face? Where did he run off to now?”
“…Father.”
“That disrespectful brat. How dare he skip his sister’s engagement banquet?”
That’s exactly why he shouldn’t be here.
Adel averted her eyes. The only reason she could stand here so calmly was because Cayden wasn’t.
Who knew what horrors that serial killer might unleash? The moment they arrived, she had struck him first—commanding him to rebuild the collapsed bridge.
Absurd as the order was, Cayden would obey without complaint.
But that only meant his next unpredictable outburst was inevitable.
If her father lived however he pleased thanks to vast wealth, Cayden lived to upend the world with his madness and obsession.
‘Is there no one normal in this family?’
Adel swallowed a self-deprecating laugh. Remembering someone who had no family at all, her chest grew heavy.
“…Father, about Sir Killian.”
“Come, let us go inside. We’ll join the guests soon—hm? Why bring up the Captain all of a sudden?”
The Count, busy greeting the last guest, turned at her unusually serious tone.
“It feels like it’s only our guests here. He’s alone, after all.”
“…What, you’re worried about him?”
The Count’s smile deepened, far more than when he faced the guests.
“You always said nothing mattered but the guild.”
“Father.”
“All right, all right. I won’t tease. Still, our daughter must be worried her husband-to-be might feel overshadowed.”
As he turned toward the banquet hall, light glinted off the white bearskin hat atop the Captain’s head.
It matched perfectly with that trademark confident, arrogant expression.
“Tell me, does that face look overshadowed to you?”
“…”
She didn’t need to turn around to know who had arrived.
It wasn’t an entrance that drew cheers—it was one that left the crowd too stunned to even breathe.
Even for father and daughter, who had seen all the world’s rare treasures, this man was one of a kind.
As silence rippled across the once-lively banquet, the Count proudly lifted his daughter’s hand.
“Now, that’s one statue even I could never create.”
