Seeming to like the suggestion, Gerald’s eyes shone with anticipation.
“Oh, right. One needs connections that have some pull in politics and handle some money to be useful, hmm. As a man, I should be running with the big shots in the big leagues.”
‘And why would people like that associate with you?’
Holding back the scoff that was about to escape, I approached the conservative high-ranking nobles.
“Marquis Haken, Marchioness. Have you been well?”
“Oh my, Lady Krone. It has been a long time. You look as beautiful as ever today. But the gentleman beside you is…?”
The couple turned their gaze toward Gerald, whose face was unfamiliar to them. At a banquet like this, most people would at least recognize each other’s faces.
And while lower-ranking nobles might know him, most high-ranking nobles wouldn’t recognize Gerald. After all, his father, a common merchant, had bought his title with money.
“This is my fiance, Baron Lansval.”
Before the Marquis and Marchioness could even open their mouths after my introduction, Gerald immediately thrust out his hand and cut into the conversation.
“Haha, it is an honor to meet you both! I am Gerald, Baron Lansval.”
That slapdash self-introduction, tossing etiquette to the dogs, was the same in my previous life as it was now.
“Ah…”
Just as expected, the couple’s reaction was awkward. Having gotten exactly the reaction I wanted, I smiled pleasantly and wrapped things up.
“It is practically his debut in high society today, so we will be going around to offer more greetings.”
“Ah, I see.”
As I turned away, I caught a glimpse of something like pity in the Marchioness’s eyes as she looked at me.
‘Yes!’
To be fair, it wasn’t Gerald’s fault that his father had bought the title. However, for those who become nobles that way to be acknowledged within high society, it takes great effort and a long time.
‘Like participating in a war and earning great merit, donating an enormous fortune to postwar reconstruction projects, or at the very least building an orphanage or a hospital.’
That was because the nobles of Prasen were a group with strong pride not only in bloodlines, but in having contributed to the nation over many generations.
However, House Lansval had made no effort whatsoever to contribute to the Empire.
‘On top of that, trying to enter high society easily by putting forward the daughter of an already recognized House. Of course they aren’t going to be looked upon favorably.’
In my previous life, after getting married, I had advised Gerald about this. But quick-tempered as he was, he had only shouted at me.
“Does that make any sense?! At that rate, how long would it take to be treated like a proper noble?! I am already the Head of a perfectly respectable House!”
“…To be honest, it will be difficult in your generation. But if you diligently sow the seeds in society now, by the time it reaches your grandchildren’s generation, you will be fully established in high society.”
“Hah, what nonsense! What grandchildren?! What matters is that I am treated properly right now!”
Since there was no getting through to him, I eventually gave up on advising him after that.
‘Think of today as a preview of the life that lies ahead of you, you greedy fool.’
This time, I led Gerald toward another group.
“Duchess Tenes, Marchioness Stigen, greetings. It has been a while, and it has been a long time since I last saw the young ladies as well.”
A Duchess, a Marchioness, and several other young ladies of high-ranking noble Houses were gathered together.
“Oh my, Lady Krone. It really has been a long time. Your dress is beauti—”
One young lady, who had been about to compliment my attire out of habit, swept her gaze over my dress and then fell silent.
It was such a backward design that couldn’t be called beautiful even as an empty compliment, and she seemed to be at a loss for words without realizing it.
I deliberately put on an awkward, ambiguous smile and spoke.
“As expected, Lady Raum has a keen eye. It is a dress the Dowager Lady Lansval, who will be my mother-in-law, gave me as an engagement gift.”
At that, the Duchess and the young ladies’ eyes widened.
For them, receiving such a backward, secondhand dress as an engagement gift was something they couldn’t even imagine.
‘I understand that feeling. I truly never expected to receive something like this either.’
I swallowed the words I couldn’t bring myself to say.
They tried to manage their expressions belatedly, but it didn’t seem easy.
If Gerald and I left like this, it looked as though they were fully prepared to immediately spread this shocking story throughout the entire banquet hall.
‘Please do some work for me, my little birds.’
Hoping they would gossip as loudly as possible, I acted as if I had only just remembered and introduced Gerald.
“Oh, this is my fiance, Baron Lansval.”
At that, Gerald, who had been thoroughly appraising the young ladies with greasy eyes as if judging them, hurriedly offered a greeting in a voice that sounded like he had just woken up from a doze.
“Ah, haha! I am Baron Lansval!”
At such a crude greeting, the high-ranking nobles immediately frowned.
Among them, Duchess Tenes opened her mouth with an expression as if she were deliberately searching her memory.
“Lansval… Lansval, you say. It is not a House I am familiar with. May I ask what your father served as?”
Here in the Prasen Empire, those who held titles usually held one or two official posts as well, even if they were minor ones, so it was a perfectly natural question. It was also the question I had been waiting for.
‘There is no way Gerald’s father, who had been a common merchant, could have become an official the moment he bought a title.’
As expected, Gerald’s face instantly turned bright red. For someone like him who looked down on commoners so much, his own commoner origins were his greatest shame.
I didn’t unnecessarily intervene and decided to watch how he would answer.
“Th-that… he didn’t hold any official position…”
“Is that so? Then what about your grandfather, or other family members?”
“Th-they have all been engaged in commerce throughout…”
“Ah. I see.”
The Duchess and the young ladies put on expressions of understanding and then naturally excused themselves, as if they had other business elsewhere.
‘Their mouths must be itching to hurry off and spread what they just saw to acquaintances all over the banquet hall.’
The moment they moved away, Gerald snapped irritably at me for no reason.
“What is this, why is the atmosphere here like this? Are they all looking down on me just because this is my first time at a place like this? I am not some mere young master, I am the Head of a noble House!”
This time, I really almost scoffed out loud.
‘Your barony may be impressive in front of commoners outside. But there is no one here whose House has a lower rank than yours.’
Still, I put on a slightly crestfallen expression as if I understood.
“I know. They are really too much. But what can we do? We will just have to try harder.”
Irritated, Gerald roughly grabbed a glass of red wine from a tray a passing servant was carrying. The other glasses nearly toppled over, leaving the servant pale with shock, but Gerald didn’t care.
Swallowing a sigh, I turned my gaze away from him, and it seemed that the time for dancing had begun.
Men and women were taking their partners by the hand and moving toward the center of the hall. Which meant…
‘Damn it. I have to dance with this?’
Unable to hide my reluctance, I shot a glance at Gerald standing beside me. As I turned my head away again, Duke Blake caught my eye.
He was looking in my direction from a short distance away. As if something displeased him, a faint crease had formed between his perfect brows.
Then he lifted one eyebrow sharply, as though signaling to someone. At that moment, when I suddenly thought his blue eyes looked red…
“Aaah!”
As if he had gone to grab something to eat, Gerald, who had moved to the table right behind us, suddenly slipped on something and flailed on his own before crashing down.
It would have been better if he had simply fallen neatly, but in his reflexive attempt not to fall, he grabbed the tablecloth, causing all the food on the table to come pouring down onto him.
Crash, bang, thud!
The sound of Gerald falling so disgracefully rang out clearly. And at that moment, I realized that my waist was being held in someone’s solid arm.
‘Huh?’
I quickly lifted my gaze, and perfect blue eyes, mesmerizing enough to ensnare anyone, were looking down at me.
“Y-Your Grace?”
Only then did I understand the situation.
That the Duke had instinctively pulled me into his arms to protect me from the accident.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
For some reason, he didn’t immediately let go of my waist and continued to hold me quietly. When I shifted my body slightly, he released his arm without resistance.
“No, I am fine. Thank you, Your Grace.”
As I spoke and looked at the broad chest I had just been held against, something suddenly came to mind.
‘Huh? Wasn’t the Duke over there just a moment ago?’
