Unfortunately, I never got the chance to leave with Elena.
Perhaps because we walked slowly and hesitantly, the banquet hall was already filled with many people.
The owner of the winter castle and host of the banquet, Joachim, sat in the highest seat. Except for a few who were shaking their tails to try to talk to him, everyone seed to be enjoying the banquet in their own way.
But now it was ti for the protagonist to appear.
As the door opened and Elena and I stepped into the banquet hall, the eyes of everyone standing there focused on one place. Despite her young age of only sixteen, her shining appearance like a star was enough to captivate the attention of everyone there.
It wasn’t for nothing that I was srized when I saw her as soon as I opened the door.
As the attention shifted towards Elena, people automatically began to look at , who was standing next to her, too. I didn’t know what words Joachim used to invite these people here, but they didn’t seem to know that I was Kraus.
Because, judging by the emotions I felt through their gaze toward , it wasn’t sothing they would dare to send to Kraus’s successor.
Of course, it was impossible to not have so unconscious emotions, but the emotions expressed in their eyes were too obvious to ignore.
However, judging by the fact that people who looked at like that were teenagers who were still immature to hide their emotions, it seed individuals who appeared to be their protectors were skilled at concealing their feelings, which was fitting for those who repeatedly navigate a social world that could be chaotic.
Although I couldn’t help feeling a little awkward every ti I saw them, it didn’t matter much.
Ignoring their gaze, I tightly held Elena’s hand and walked towards Joachim, who was standing on a distant pedestal, quietly smiling at us.
There was no one blocking the path toward him.
We arrived in front of Joachim through an open road like the parting Red Sea. He got up from his seat and ca down towards us.
He grabbed my shoulder and spoke to quietly with a sad face.
“Too bad. How can you be so relaxed with my daughter right next to you?”
“I’m not the type to show off much emotion on my face. Or, did you want to see standing in front of everyone with an unsightly, nervous face?.”
At my answer, Joachim gave a small smile and lightly brushed off my displeased gaze.
“I did have so of that in mind. You resemble Arthur so much. That’s why I thought it might be fun to see sothing interesting for a change…”
“Father?”
Elena’s chilly voice echoed in Joachim’s and my ears.
Sohow, even though it was indoors, my hands were cold. Elena’s magic was being released in harmony with her emotions, just like before.
Fortunately, it wasn’t enough to affect the entire banquet hall like it was then, so the only ones who could notice it were holding her hand and Joachim nearby.
As soon as Joachim saw the cold look in his daughter’s eyes, he cleared his throat and turned his gaze to the people below, stopping his conversation with .
‘Ah, he ran away.’
After chasing away the mischievous father, Elena took advantage of the mont when Joachim turned his gaze away and sent a wink with one eye closed without saying anything. Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but respond with a wink, too.
But Joachim only looked away from us for a mont, took one look around the banquet hall, and imdiately signaled to co closer.
Receiving his signal, I stood next to him along with Elena, and after confirming that everyone in the banquet hall was watching us, he spoke in a heavy voice different from when he joked with .
“It looks like there are uninvited guests, but it seems like everyone I called has gathered.”
At Joachim’ss words, the banquet hall beca quiet.
His voice had the power to suppress the masses. The man standing here now was not just a doting father but the ruler of the north and the master of one of the seven mage towers on the continent. So it was difficult to imagine the sa image he had when dealing with .
‘Uninvited guest?’
However, what filled my head now wasn’t Joachim’s changed appearance, but the identity of the ‘uninvited guest’ he ntioned. There were so people below who seed to share the sa thoughts as , but it didn’t seem like they had the courage to speak out under Joachim’s montum.
I didn’t bother to ask him about the identity of the ‘uninvited guest’.
If that ‘uninvited guest’ was harmful to us, Joachim would have dealt with it in front of everyone without saying anything like this in front of people.
The fact that he didn’t do that ans that he deliberately told the audience to screw up… Could it be my father?
I shook my head and denied that possibility.
It would be difficult for even my father to co from Sarham to rohim in two days. And if he was going to attend the banquet, he would have moved with us from the beginning.
Above all, if my father had co, I wouldn’t have failed to notice. Although he was a sword master, I have reached a level of skill where I could be confident to so extent in recognizing his presence, even if I was not as good as him.
I had sparred with my father for several years, so it didn’t make sense that I wouldn’t notice anything. So it must be soone else. But at the mont, no one ca to my mind.
Why was so much attention being given to the ‘uninvited guest’, whose identity need not be disclosed?
Although I couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason, my instincts were warning that getting involved with this individual would only result in trouble in the future.
“So of you may have already noticed, but the reason I called you was to inform you of the engagent of my daughter, Elena. The young man standing next to is the one who has beco engaged to Elena”
Still, there was no ti to worry about unidentified uninvited guests right now. So I put aside my personal curiosity and anxiety for the ti being.
Though Joachim’s voice introducing hadn’t changed much, those who were listening could sense a different atmosphere. Having cleared my mind of distractions, I looked directly at the faces in front of and spoke.
“This is Damian Kraus, who has beco engaged to Miss Elena Edelweiss.”
It was neither a loud nor a quiet voice.
However, my words, spoken with confidence, were enough to reach the ears of everyone present.
Many of those gathered here appeared to be taken aback by my introduction, whether it was because they were surprised by my sudden appearance or by the ntion of Kraus’s na.
The most surprised seed to be the teenage boys who had been blatantly staring at .
Those who admired the sword were bound to know the legend of Kraus, who was associated with the founding hero of the empire.
Furthermore, in a world where dragons exist, the legend of the only Dragon Slayer in the world had a similar level of recognition as the founding myth of the Estellian Empire.
It was not impossible that so people might know stories that aren’t even written in books. But I only learned of my family’s connection to such a legend after I beca Damian.
After all, the novel was developed around the main character and the people around him, so there was no way readers could know about the legend of the Kraus family, a villain who was eliminated at the beginning and whose face was only seen once afterward.
Apart from that legend, there was already a living legend who had beco the youngest sword master on the continent and was the current head of the Kraus family, my father. Since no one was unaware of this fact, they lowered their gaze toward as if they were like that from the start.
I didn’t pay attention to those people. I just continued with what I had to say.
“Kraus and Edelweiss have been reliable friends for a long ti. I am very happy that that relationship has led to the engagent between Miss Elena and .”
There was no lie in this statent.
Just a few days ago, I was a man on the verge of breaking off the engagent, but it was true that I was happy to be engaged to her. After all, there weren’t many candidates who had gone as far as being engaged to her?
“Of course, simple words will not be enough to express that feeling. So, I, Damian Kraus, here and now, as the acting head of the Kraus family, promise that Kraus will continue to be with Edelweiss forever, starting from this engagent.”
The ring on my finger was a sacred object that symbolized Kraus’s family head.
Although I was just a sixteen-year-old boy in this position, my words had real power. Of course, even if the words were grand, they only ant that Kraus would continue to have a good relationship with Edelweiss in the future.
However, there was nothing more certain than the fact that I was imprinting on the minds of the people here who I was.
The relationship between families was determined solely by the authority of the head of the family. Furthermore, if they had seen how Joachim complied with my words, they should not have simply thought of as Elena’s fiancé.
‘Don’t think of and you as equals,’ was the ssage that was emphasized when one’s worth was based solely on family and social standing. At least my father, who entrusted with the ring, would say that I had passed with passing grades.
So my brief self-introduction ended with applause from the audience.
Even if there were people who wanted to object to the engagent, if they knew their place, they would be able to figure out that even if they were vassals of Edelweiss, it was a place they should not speak about. Fortunately, there was no one in this gathering who did not know where to stand.
When the applause of the people stopped, the banquet hall began to fill with the sound of music played by previously prepared bands.
As the music began to play, permission was given by Joachim to start the banquet, and many people in the banquet hall began to approach , probably because they had already prepared themselves. However, I did not et them. I was a man with prior commitnts, after all.
As I was looking at banquet hall, Elena smiled at and spoke softly.
“Damian?”
“Yes. I know. Well, well… Elena. Would you please give a chance to dance with you?”
“Of course!”
***
“Damian stay here. I’ll get you sothing to drink.”
“No, that’s fine. I’ll get it.”
“Who was that person who almost fell in front of earlier? Just sit quietly here.”
“That…”
Before I could finish my sentence, she had already left the balcony to get sothing to drink. I had no choice but to lean against the railing and wait for her to co back.
The cold wind of rohim blowing from far away cooled my heated face.
As I had practiced before, I didn’t do anything that would make others call us ridiculous while dancing with her today. Rather, it could be considered successful because others clapped for us when the song ended.
But it wasn’t successful for .
Throughout the dance, I felt like I had gone back to the first night I learned to dance with her.
Her beauty, perfectly decorated with a beautiful dress and makeup, completely shattered , who was confident that I had adapted through two days of practice.
Still, I didn’t make any mistakes while dancing, but the mont the song ended, I couldn’t control the sudden weakness in my legs, and my body leaned toward her. Although it looked like I hugged her as soon as the dance was over in the eyes of others, only she, who was closer than anyone else, knew the truth.
“I’m glad though.”
“What’s so good about it. You bastard.”
I quickly turned my head at the sudden voice that rang in my ears.
Despite feeling relaxed, I wasn’t completely numb to my surroundings to the point where I couldn’t sense the presence of those around . I had quickly prepared to draw my sword out of caution against the unknown presence, but the guy who suddenly appeared in front of prevented from doing so, waving his hand and telling not to.
“Hey, don’t use that!! Dragon Heart’s magic here! It’ll be known not only to Joachim but also to that Arthur bastard! I just ca here to talk to you.”
“Who are you?”
I asked him, stopping putting the ore into the ring.
At this mont, the only thing I could be sure of was that the person in front of was the ‘uninvited guest’ that Joachim had ntioned. Yet, my wariness towards him still hadn’t disappeared. After all, I had no reason to trust soone who suddenly appeared by my side and spoke to .
“Hah, you. Your unlucky gaze and face really resemble Arthur. Fine, if you’re that curious, I’ll tell you!”
Ah, I found out one more thing. If soone talked about my father or made exaggerated gestures while speaking, it was obvious that they were an acquaintance of my father or Joachim.
The man threw off his black robe’s hood and began to introduce himself with a proud face. And as soon as I confird his face, I ran towards the banquet hall.
“My na is Franz Erthuwen!! The master of one of the seven magic towers, the Tower of Twilight! The head of the Erthuwen family!!… Huh? Hey!! Where are you going?! !! No, even sothing like this resembles that bastard father of yours……”
I could hear him saying sothing behind , but I didn’t hear any of it. In my head right now, there was only one person’s face that ca to mind.
With crimson red hair that resembled the sunset and red eyes, there were only two people I knew who looked like that. So, even before the man finished speaking, I walked into the banquet hall where Elena was supposed to be.
Sure enough, the person who was in my thoughts was standing in front of Elena.
“Richard Erthuwen.”
One of the male lead candidates for the original novel, whom I thought I would only et after a year had passed, appeared in front of my eyes.
[TL: You can support the translation and read premium chapters on Patreon: /WanderingSoultl ]
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