Chapter 189

C189

"Sister, what is this?"

Enrique, who was sitting beside me looking at an illustrated book, approached me and asked. In the past, he used to compulsively read only books that helped him with his grades, but recently, he often opened illustrated books that children his age would like.

I looked at the large circle he was pointing at with his pinky finger and shook my head.

"It's the first time I see it."

"Is there something you don't know?"

"Of course. And since this is a secret, there's nothing particularly good about showing that you know a lot."

"Why?"

"It's annoying to treat people like intellectuals... No, like a store of knowledge. Especially if you have a good impression. If you want to show off what you know, then give lectures unconditionally. Don't give them away. Okay?"

The youngest in my family was kind and cute, unlike Seymour, so many times I spilled a lot of blood and flesh for him.

(N/T: "I often spill blood and flesh for him" is a proverb, referring to giving advice that will become a great help to him.)

"Because early education is important."

Enrique blinked his big eyes as if he didn't understand what I was saying, and I looked at the illustrated book, stroking his soft hair.

"Now, let's deduce what the circle that piques Enrique's curiosity is..."

The book the child was reading was a popular imperial illustrated book, and looking at the table of contents and the surrounding images, it seemed that commoners were eating food.

"Ah! This is a crepe."

I couldn't recognize it at a glance because it was completely different from the crepe nobles eat.

Commoners here serve crepes as large and round as possible on New Year's Day and share them with their families.

"Crepes?"

"Yes, a big crepe. We are supposed to eat it all together for the New Year."

"Ah, I see."

Enrique looked back at the illustrated book as if to clear his doubts, and meanwhile, I lay on the sofa and meditated.

Recently, I stopped socializing and stayed at home to refresh myself. At the time of the battle with the demon, the divine power, which filled up like seawater, depleted like a dry desert when using the power that exceeded the limit at once.

"The recovery rate is too slow."

Still, there's no need to be impatient, as the power is slowly returning like water in a bathtub...

While calming my mind and silently checking my body, Enrique's nanny arrived at the annex. Seeing that Enrique didn't talk much, she seemed to get along well with his new nanny.

"What's happening?"

"It's time for the master to take lessons."

"Lessons?"

"Yes, I said he wanted fencing tutoring."

Enrique intervened.

"Why did you suddenly want to learn fencing?"

"I want to become stronger. Stronger than the Magic Swordsman Duke. I will protect the empire with my sister later!"

With sparkling eyes, Enrique declared.

"Yes. Regular exercise is good."

"And I'll also get taller."

"Then you'll have to eat more than you do now. Don't be picky."

"Yes! I'll eat plenty of fish and carrots."

When Enrique stood up from his seat, clutching the illustrated book tightly, the nanny opened her mouth as if she had thought of something.

"Oh, the duke asked what kind of food he wants for dinner."

"I want to eat a big crepe."

Enrique opened the book and pointed to the picture, and a warm color appeared around the nanny's eyes.

"Hmm, this is a meal that mainly commoners eat..."

"What does it matter? If Enrique wants to eat it, then he should."

I wasn't really angry, but the nanny seemed horrified, as if she had heard something unbelievable.

"Y-yes, Princess!"

"See you tomorrow at dinner, Enrique."

"Yes, sister!"

Seeing Enrique with flushed cheeks from excitement, a pleasant smile flowed on my lips.

"And... Isidor will come to our house tomorrow."

I seemed to feel even more excited because I was going to spend New Year's with my fiancé, who had been very busy.

I can't believe I feel so good just thinking about his face. I must be seriously ill.

"Rosad-nim."

"What?"

"Duke Seymour will have dinner tonight, will you attend?"

Rosad, who had been shuffling through the stacked invitations on the desk, asked his vassal in a disdainful manner.

"A sudden dinner? Why?"

"I heard that Duke Visconti would be visiting to give New Year's greetings, so it seems he arranged it for him."

"New Year's greetings. It hasn't been long since he got engaged, and he's already trying to make you his son-in-law."

He left the letter in his hand and clicked his tongue.

"Ummm. I don't know if we'll have a wedding soon."

Since Deborah is of marriageable age, it wouldn't be strange to set the wedding date immediately.

"Ah."

Rosad suddenly applauded as if realizing something.

"It seems he will meet with my father today to confirm the wedding date. New Year's greetings. That's a good excuse."

"It will be the wedding of the century. Seymour and Visconti, the Saint and the Magic Swordsman..."

This will be a marriage that will go down in the history of the empire. He couldn't even imagine what great second generation would be born.

"Well, if I were Isidor, I would want to have more fun."

How many women are there in the world? That's what Rosad believed, who still didn't wish to tie himself down to anyone.

"Duke Visconti has a clean personal life. He has a reputation for being an ascetic."

"...if Isidor is clean, does it mean I'm dirty?"

"N-no! I didn't mean that. In terms of personal life, it means he and Princess Deborah, who is the incarnation of the saint, match perfectly well. Ha, ha, ha."

"In terms of personal life, am I disqualified as the brother of the Saint?"

As he continued to be sarcastic, the vassal's face turned pale.

"Rosad-nim is the most popular and respected person in the Empire these days. What do you mean by being disqualified?"

After Isidor got engaged, Rosad quickly emerged as the best husband material in Asteia. Rosad, who socializes and handles networks sensibly, was more popular among the ladies than Belreck, who had a geeky side.

Therefore, the invitations to the New Year's party from noble families with a marriageable daughter rained down on him like a torrential rain.

"Have you decided which invitation you'll accept today?"

The vassal quickly changed the subject, and Rosad furrowed his silver eyebrows severely.

"It's cold outside, where would I go? I'm eating at home, so clear my schedule."

"Are you going to attend the dinner?"

"A man knows his own kind."

"What?"

"Duke Visconti, as rumored, is an impeccable bastard without a speck of dust, so I'll observe him properly."

"Are both of them at home?"

Duke Seymour was surprised to see the twins who appeared as they entered the banquet hall.

"It seems they are free for some reason."

"This year, there's no need to write a plan to get a budget. Last year's patent performance was very good."

Belreck raised his silver-framed glasses and looked around the banquet hall with pride.

"It seems Isidor hasn't arrived yet."

"He's taking a walk with Deborah. They're supposed to arrive on time, so you can sit first."

"Using the Seymour mansion as a meeting place. The more I see it, the bolder it is..."

Belreck murmured as he took a seat, and Rosad opened his mouth while curving his eyes.

"Father."

"Why do you have such a dreamy expression?"

"Today, I'm going to bring out the high-quality alcohol I've been keeping."

"...Are you going to give Isidor a drink?"

"It's not that we're not connected with Lord Isidor, we're comrades who fought together against the Great Demon, but also, I've never been deceived in a conversation with a man as an opponent."

"No matter how much you shake him, he's an inhuman type who can only speak good things. What could go wrong if he drinks alcohol?"

"You've already shaken him a lot."

When Belreck dared to point it out, Duke Seymour narrowed his eyes.

"Silence."

"....Yes."

"Yes, well, the alcohol... wouldn't hurt if it's drunk in moderation to relax the atmosphere."

As soon as his father granted him permission, Rosad called his servant and asked him to bring out the barrel he had stored in the depths of his cellar.

The fragrance is mild, and the taste is clean, passing through the throat in an instant, but the alcohol content is very strong, so it's an element that can unlock the mind in an instant.

"Father!"

"Is Enrique here?"

After a while, when the youngest appeared, Duke Seymour folded the folds around his eyes and stroked his soft hair a couple of times.

"Our youngest said he wanted to eat a big crepe?"

"Yes, it's something eaten on New Year's Day."

"Well, that's what commoners eat."

Duke Seymour looked at Belreck, who broke the atmosphere, with rolled eyes.

"A fifty-inch diameter crepe covered with truffle and gold dust, and filled with caviar."

"...Commoners can't eat that."

"Father, here's my sister."

"Oh? Are Belreck and Rosad here?"

Deborah exclaimed in surprise when she saw, after a long time, the busy twins caught in a corner of the room.

The eyes of Seymour's men moved in the direction she was standing and then fixed as if nailed on Isidor, who was sitting beside her.

Maybe because he had been exercising more, Isidor's physique looked unusually large today. They call him a fox, but to be honest, his body looks like that of a giant predator.

"Even if you search the entire empire, there's no one like him."

The outer shell is absolutely perfect, the rumors are clean, and, above all, the way he looks at Deborah is too explicit.

"Damn."

Belreck involuntarily rubbed his arm with goosebumps.

What the hell can they get out of such a transparent bastard? Isn't he just a honey pot for his sister?