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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 89 - A Face I've Never Seen Before in My Life
"Haaah... It seems that persuading her will take some time... I apologize for showing you such a disgrace. I raised my youngest daughter by giving her everything she wanted, and she ended up becoming quite a headstrong child..."
"..."
The Northern Grand Duke sighed deeply, shaking his head.
I found myself at a loss for words.
'Anyone can see that she's an extremely reasonable and kind-hearted daughter.'
The Empress scared me so much that I was quite worried.
But the ones to worry about weren't Lady Merilda, but her guardians.
The Lady seemed far more mature than Charlotte and Julia, and yet her guardians seemed even more childish.
How did such a capable and clear-headed lady come out of such guardians?
It's just fascinating.
"Has the Lady always been like this since she was young?"
"Haa. Not at all. She wasn't like this when she was young. If we doted on her and adored her, she'd obediently do whatever we told her... But at some point, she started pleading with us to stop treating her so specially! I don't know what she learned in the academy, but she keeps thinking only of the people...! The people want you to live comfortably and luxuriously, Merilda!!!"
He seemed unable to control his emotions, almost sobbing as he cried out in frustration.
I could more or less understand the situation.
Logically speaking, the Lady's words were a hundred percent correct and reasonable...
But reason doesn’t necessarily apply in this fortress city.
'It’s obvious just by looking around briefly. Lady Merilda is like an idol here.'
Merilda wasn’t just a regular lady in Ester, she held a higher position.
It wasn't just the Northern Grand Duke and her nine brothers who adored her.
The entire city cherished her, almost sanctified her, as if she were an idol.
Have you ever seen fans criticize an idol for eating good food and wearing nice clothes as being extravagant?
Have you ever seen fans begrudge spending money on their idol?
No. Ester was a city filled with fans who worshipped Merilda, their idol.
So naturally, they were extremely sensitive when it came to Merilda's safety.
Even though Ester had not had a single casualty in a hundred years, contrary to popular belief, and was a very safe city...
The mere fact that there was a 0.1 percent chance that Merilda might get hurt was something these fanatic fans could not accept.
'The path that truly serves the people is for her to flee extravagantly...'
No one wants their beloved idol to jump into danger alongside them.
Only when she's in a safe place, resting comfortably, can the citizens focus on fighting monsters.
What a truly bizarre city.
How can an entire city be one giant fanbase?
"Of course, even if the escort mission is canceled, the commission fee will still be paid in full. So don't worry too much."
"You don’t need to worry about that. We'll see the mission through, one way or another."
"Hoho. Does the Count have a sure way to convince my daughter to come with you?"
"I can’t make any guarantees, but I believe it’s worth giving it a try."
"Go ahead and give it a try! Whatever it may be! Ah, of course, shock therapy is strictly forbidden! Any means that involve deceiving, frightening, or threatening Merilda are entirely off-limits! Even if I forgive you, the citizens may turn into a mob and do you harm, so be particularly careful."
"...Yes. I understand."
I gulped and nodded.
In other places, talk of mobs might have sounded like a joke, but in Ester, it was genuinely frightening since it seemed entirely possible.
Of course, the method I planned to use to persuade her wasn’t anything like shock therapy, so there wasn’t much to worry about.
"Just leave it to me."
Let’s go. Time to convince the early-maturing Lady.
***
"What is this, Charlotte...?"
"There’s so much food!!!"
Thud.
Charlotte and Julia’s jaws dropped as they entered the banquet hall.
Numerous large dishes lined the spacious banquet hall.
Charlotte and Julia couldn't help but drool at the sight of all the colorful food piled in each dish.
'This is the Northern Grand Duke's castle! A person even higher in rank than the Count, far above! So, we have to be careful not to lose our dignity here...'
They'd received enough etiquette education to last a lifetime at the estate.
Despite the maids' persistent recommendations, Aslan had wanted to put off etiquette education for as long as possible.
But after the Empress's visit, even Aslan could no longer delay it.
What Charlotte and Julia had learned from the maids was...
Never move ahead alone.
Always follow your companion, walking slightly behind them.
And also... and so on...
Julia was mentally going over the many rules of etiquette she had memorized when—
"So much meat...!"
"Charlotte!"
Dash.
Charlotte suddenly rushed forward, grabbing a dish.
Seeing this, Julia's mind went blank, and all the etiquette she had painstakingly memorized was forgotten.
“No, Charlotte, you can’t do this. They said it’s rude to get up without permission during a meal.”
“Hmm? They did?”
Charlotte tilted her head, looking bewildered.
Julia slapped her forehead in frustration.
She hadn't paid any attention during etiquette lessons!
"It’s okay, Julia. Feel free to get up and help yourself to some food."
"Huh? But..."
"It’s a buffet, so it’s fine. You serve yourself as much as you want."
"Ohhh...!"
Charlotte and Julia's eyes widened.
A buffet, was it? Anyway, it was fascinating.
Back at the estate, food was served in measured portions in bowls.
If they wanted more, they had to go through the trouble of calling a maid, which was both annoying and embarrassing.
But here, they could eat as much as they wanted, freely!
Buffet-style was definitely the best!
Charlotte and Julia looked up at Aslan with a pleading expression, seeking permission.
When Aslan nodded, the two hurried off to get food, as if they had been waiting for it.
“Adorable children. Count, in some ways, you seem quite similar to me. Cold and calculating when away from the children, but endlessly soft when it comes to them. Did I get that wrong?”
“You’ve got it exactly right. We are the same in that regard, I believe. It’s just a matter of degree...”
I don’t let my judgment get clouded to the point where I can’t make rational decisions.
As the Northern Grand Duke tried to be friendly, Aslan drew a clear line immediately.
"Haha. Perhaps it’s a matter of whether they are your own children or not. When do you plan to grant them the Vermont name, Count?"
"Well. I think it’s still quite early... It’ll likely be around the time they reach adulthood."
"Hmm."
Adopting them as family when they became adults, then.
There’s no need to rush this process.
It would take quite some time for the children to accept the Count as their father, so waiting patiently wasn’t a bad approach.
I had been worried since rumors painted Aslan Vermont as someone with despicable intentions, only interested in seducing children.
But as Vanessa said, he seemed to be a rather reliable person after all.
As the Northern Grand Duke chuckled with a satisfied smile, patting Aslan's shoulder, meanwhile in Aslan’s mind...
'No, wait. I answered wrong. I could give them the Vermont surname with the engagement. The wedding can happen after they become adults, but the engagement can happen earlier.'
He was plotting something else entirely.
Still, getting the Northern Grand Duke's trust was the important thing.
Aslan decided not to think too deeply about it.
“Hey, mister! There’s so much meat! Lamb, goat, duck... So much variety, and there’s a lot of it!”
“Aslan, Aslan! There are so many fruits I’ve never seen before! Come and try some! ...Please!”
“Go ahead and eat first.”
At some point, Charlotte and Julia had returned, filled with excitement.
Their plates were piled high with all sorts of dishes.
Sitting down, they couldn't hide their excitement and quickly picked up their forks.
“Let’s dig in...!”
Chomp chomp.
They began stuffing their mouths with various types of meat, each from a different part.
Table manners? Eating gracefully?
All of that was forgotten.
Besides, the others around the banquet weren’t exactly eating with elegance either.
They were enjoying drinks and food freely, chatting away.
Given the North’s frequent battles, they maintained strict discipline during wartime, but outside of that, they had a rather relaxed culture.
So, Charlotte and Julia continued to eat hurriedly, savoring the food.
“Why... is all the food cold...?”
“It all tastes the same... Everything's salty with just a lot of pepper...”
Soon enough, their expressions hardened.
The food was cold! It was tough!
Maybe it was because the prepared dishes had been left out for a long time.
This never happened at the Vermont estate...!
And most importantly, the problem was that all the different kinds of meat tasted similar.
The meat had been heavily salted and seasoned with spices, cooked until all the juices were gone.
It was too tough to chew, and the spices overwhelmed their tongues after only a few bites.
The steaks at the Vermont estate were much more tender, and you could really taste the flavor of the meat!
'The maids at the estate must be incredible cooks!'
Until now, they had thought that nobles always had delicious meals.
But even the Grand Duke was eating such tasteless food!
Charlotte and Julia were so shocked that they completely lost their appetite.
Of course, compared to the meals at the Vermont estate, the taste fell short.
Still, meat was meat, so the two of them kept eating without showing their dissatisfaction.
'Hehe. I was right to get rid of the incompetent cook and promote the talented maids to head chef. They’ve become accustomed to the food at the estate, and now this place's food doesn’t satisfy them.'
Watching the children close their eyes tightly, struggling to eat the meat, Aslan grinned slyly.
Just a few months ago, they thought hard bread and thin soup were the best delicacies.
And now they found meat unappetizing.
The sense of satisfaction was so great that he couldn’t stop smiling.
“But when is Merilda coming?”
“Ah, I believe she’s still in the garden...”
“Hmph. She’s not even going to show up at the banquet. How long does she plan to keep this up...?”
Throbbing.
The Northern Grand Duke pressed against his throbbing temples when Aslan, who had been cutting his meat, spoke up.
“The Lady will be arriving soon.”
“...?”
The Northern Grand Duke tilted his head at Aslan's confident demeanor.
Merilda was coming now?
How could someone who had been at the banquet all this time possibly know that?
“Apologies for being late.”
Just then, bang, the door to the banquet hall opened.
A masked guard appeared.
With Lady Merilda following behind him.
"Yuria, let’s go together..."
"...!?"
But something was strange about Merilda’s expression.
That looked almost like... a girl in love, didn’t it?
Seeing a face on his daughter that he'd never seen in his life, the Northern Grand Duke's brow furrowed deeply.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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