Chapter 61
“A welcome party?”
Noah, who had been blinking in mild confusion, tilted his eyebrow at an angle.
His expression made it clear this was a topic he had never even considered.
“When I checked the list of apprentices Orto sent over this time, I noticed there were several children from noble families mixed in.”
They weren’t heirs, nor did they come from particularly influential houses—mostly second sons or daughters of minor families—so they wouldn’t arrive with much prestige attached. Still…
“I think it would be better for Lotreven to observe at least a minimum level of courtesy.”
“And you’re suggesting we demonstrate that in the form of a banquet.”
“We do happen to have a spacious banquet hall. It wouldn’t hurt to make proper use of it.”
Even if it was rarely used.
Cecilia swallowed the rest of her thought neatly and smiled at Noah.
The aide let out a brief hum and fell into contemplation. After scratching his head for a moment, he replied in his slow, measured tone.
“To be completely honest, I do think it’s quite a good idea.”
As you said, there’s also the matter of Lotreven’s dignity.
But as Noah added that thought, his brow subtly furrowed.
“And to be even more honest… I’m not entirely confident that we’re capable of properly preparing something as large as a full-scale banquet.”
They had been cut off from the outside world for far too long.
The most recent large event they could even call to mind was the Grand Duke’s wedding—and even that had been carried out quietly, without inviting guests, making it little more than a small, subdued affair.
“Well, I haven’t exactly attended many banquets myself, so I can’t say I know much either.”
Cecilia offered an awkward smile and shrugged.
“But wouldn’t that make it even more memorable for everyone? Not all of the attendees will be nobles, after all.”
Given how little they knew, it would inevitably become a rather unconventional event.
After pondering her words for a moment, Noah proposed a compromise.
“Then how about we summon the head butler first and rework the plan together?”
* * *
“So… that’s why I was called here.”
Head Butler Clark murmured the words, unable to hide his bewilderment.
Seated in a quiet corner of the library, the three of them continued their discussion in low voices.
“I wanted you to review the budget plan, and I thought it would be best to get your help while I was at it.”
Cecilia took out a sheet of paper and quickly scribbled down her rough ideas with a pen as she explained.
“I was thinking of focusing mainly on the banquet hall, with just a small amount of decoration in the garden as well. What do you think?”
“Would anyone even go out to the garden?”
“Adults might not, but children probably would.”
Not everyone who had come looking for work was young. Among them were also people in their prime—men and women who seemed old enough to be heads of households.
When issuing the residence permits, quite a few of them had applied for their entire families as well.
Since they had traveled so far from their original homes, it made sense to relocate as a family rather than split up.
And since Cecilia’s plan already included the children of the ducal castle, it might be a good idea to set aside a space specifically for children.
“At the moment it’s… well, rather bleak.”
Because snow fell year-round in this land, the garden had been neglected for a long time. No matter how carefully it was maintained, everything tended to wither away quickly.
Even the Grand Duke paid little attention to it, leaving the garden lonely and desolate.
Still, even if flowers couldn’t be made to bloom right away, trimming the barren branches and adding various decorations might be enough to create a festive atmosphere.
Interior decoration in that vein is fairly well developed here, after all.
As Cecilia recalled the kinds of decorations commonly used inside Lotreven, she conveyed her vision with a simple sketch, carried along by her enthusiasm.
“I don’t want this to be a banquet focused solely on appearances or under-the-table networking. I want it to be a place where everyone can laugh and enjoy themselves—something truly fitting for a welcome.”
A thoughtful look settled over both Henry Clark and Noah’s faces.
Henry tapped the table with the tip of his pen before finally setting it down.
“…Very well. Then let’s start by calculating the budget for decorating the banquet hall.”
A gentle smile had formed at the corner of his mouth.
Of course, no matter how meticulously they planned, it would all amount to nothing more than useless scraps of paper if Yuri didn’t give his approval.
Even so, the act of planning itself was enjoyable. It was exciting. They couldn’t help feeling buoyant at the thought of welcoming guests after such a long time.
And as they imagined the banquet Cecilia had envisioned, they found themselves wanting to see it come to life as well.
His Grace probably won’t dislike it either.
As Henry scribbled down figures, Yuri’s face came to mind.
He had always been fairly receptive to the words of those he considered his own. And considering the expression he’d been wearing every time he looked at his wife lately, the likelihood of approval hovered around ninety-five percent.
…Though he doesn’t particularly like banquets.
Recalling how Yuri would visibly bristle whenever he had business in Terasilon, Henry’s mustache twitched.
The banquets hosted by the capital’s nobles were undoubtedly part of why His Grace had developed such a deep prejudice against them.
Hopefully this will help change that perception, even just a little.
Thanks to the recent success in trading with the merchants, they were able to allocate a generous budget.
With that, it should be possible to create a setting that would make for a pleasant night’s diversion.
Henry cast a sideways glance at the Grand Duchess, caught in a moment of quiet sentiment.
Her face, flushed with excitement as she added this and that to the plan, looked positively radiant.
It was astonishing that someone with such a gentle face had brought about such profound change.
And we didn’t even realize it…
When he remembered how the people of the ducal castle had treated her when she first arrived in Lotreven, a sting of guilt still pricked at his chest.
Determined never to let the Grand Duchess be hurt again, resolve naturally settled over Henry’s expression.
For that reason alone, he would do everything in his power to ensure that this welcome party didn’t collapse at the planning stage.
Fueled by ambition and enthusiasm, the report progressed swiftly.
After one final review, the completed draft lay before them at last.
“You’ve all worked hard. Truly, thank you. I know this was a sudden request.”
Cecilia smiled brightly and gave a small round of applause.
“Thanks to you, we finished quickly. It started as nothing more than a rough idea, but it turned into such a wonderful plan.”
“Thank you for giving us the opportunity. It’s been a while since I enjoyed working this much.”
Rubbing his tired eyes, Noah offered his thanks in a weary voice—though the smile he couldn’t quite suppress lingered on his lips.
Even without reading the color of the mist, Cecilia could tell his words were sincere. The dimples in her cheeks deepened.
After gathering the papers and tapping them neatly into order, she spoke in a cheerful tone.
“Then I’ll report to my husband myself.”
“My… husband…”
As Henry softly repeated the word, his gaze gentled.
When the Grand Duchess looked back at him in mild confusion, he waved it off as nothing—quietly revising his estimate of the plan’s chances of success.
Ninety-five percent?
That number was far too modest.
If the Grand Duchess, who had always addressed him so formally as “His Grace the Grand Duke,” could now speak of him with such warmth and familiarity, there was no way it would stop there.
Predicting complete success, Henry withdrew from the library.
Already, it felt as though the ducal castle were bustling with life once more.
