CH 21

The formal dinner was uncomfortable from the very start.

“Lord Raymond, gourmet food is also definitely another source of enjoyment. What do you think of this splendid wine from the abbey?”

Isella said this as she regarded the glistening pink foie gras and the beautiful color of the rosé wine.

“Reverend Dullan must know better than I do about that.”

Raymond passed her off smoothly.

“…I’m not sure.”

While holding a glass of wine, Dullan barely swallowed down a sip and answered.

This almost felt like torture for Dullan. Even before a few words were exchanged, he felt so intimidated that his shoulders cowered down.

As Dullan continued to stammer, Raymond’s expression became strange. At that, Raymond no longer passed off the conversation towards Dullan because Dullan’s stutter was so bad today that everyone listening to him speak felt uncomfortable.

A brief silence commenced, but the fief lord broke this silence and spoke to Carynne.

“Carynne, are you doing alright with your injury?”

“Yes. Thank you for asking, Father. It isn’t much of a wound.”

“It’s all thanks to Sir Raymond.”

Raymond responded, his eyes curved.

“Even so, I am ashamed that I couldn’t stop it on time, Your Lordship.”

“I express my deep gratitude, Sir Knight.”

Shining like a blooming violet, Carynne’s eyes also smiled as she looked at Raymond, and he smiled back at her. Seeing this, Isella gritted her teeth and spoke up.

“So, what do you think, Reverend Dullan?”

“…Wh, at do you mean?”

Ooh, that confidence. That shamelessness.

As Carynne admired Isella’s willfulness once more, she asked for a glass of water instead of an aperitif.

Can they not shut up so that the next course could be served? Why did today’s meal have to be three hours long. It was a wonder how Isella was wearing those high heels under the dinner table and enduring it all rather than picking up those shoes and using them to hit something.

Apart from that, while having a taste of Verdic’s ambition, perhaps Isella was glum after noticing Raymond’s favor. And during all this, Carynne couldn’t even drink any liquor.

Carynne chewed on a bite of goose liver and waited for the conversation to move on. If anything, the whiff of mushroom on the sauce was quite good.

“I was curious about your opinion on gourmet food and what relation it has to vices.”

Instead of Dullan, the fief lord lowered his knife and answered.

“Not being able to control oneself is a sin, however it’s difficult to justify gourmet food in itself as one. Young Miss Evans, if that’s how you put it, do you suppose that we commit this sin every day?”

Listening to the lord’s response, who spoke instead of Dullan, Isella paused for a moment, but she soon replied.

“Isn’t the excess of gourmet food in itself a sin? I’m merely curious. Gourmet food gives us great pleasure, but isn’t moderation necessary?”

“Then the matter lies in what could be considered as an ‘excess’. It sounds like you’re saying that the meal we’re having is excessive, but on what grounds do you say this?”

“The most certain thing is, shouldn’t it be that the sovereign must always think of his subjects?”

The old lord’s brows slightly twitched at the obvious jab of the young woman, but that was all. It would be difficult to scold the girl in front of her father. Meanwhile, even the said father was smiling at his daughter’s demeanor.

“Hm, then Miss Isella, are you saying that after seeing today’s meal, do you believe that I don’t think of my people?”

This dinner was something he paid attention to quite a bit. It was an even more lavish meal compared to what they had during his one and only daughter’s birthday party.

To commemorate the deal with Verdic, this was definitely an extravagant meal. Even as only appetizers and soup had since been served, it was clear that this was the case.

There were several appetizers. In addition to the foie gras, there was also ravioli with chives and scallions, which was accompanied by a sauce with hints of mint and garlic, and in addition, there was some caviar with sea salt.

The garnish was a mix of mashed eggs, parsley and onions, then there was a sweet pumpkin dish sprinkled with a little sugar and salt. All with excellent texture, they were presented magnificently as well.

When thinking how the Evans family would have welcomed Raymond, this was comparatively simple. But considering what they normally ate in the Hare household, this was an unparalleled lavish meal. That’s what Isella was pointing out.

“Yes.”

“Ha.”

Even with how the lord couldn’t hide his displeasure with his reaction, Isella continued to speak resolutely.

“When visiting the commercial area that we’re trying to improve through this project, I saw how miserable the condition of it was. Not only with hygiene but also the people’s nutrition. Because of that, I thought that there’s a need for a systematic reform.”

“Huh. Do you have any basis for what you’re saying?”

“Of course. I’ve done some research while looking over the documents because I hadn’t been able to go out as I was unwell. I’m presenting the conclusions I’ve gleaned from doing so.”

Lord Hare’s expression slightly hardened, but he soon directed his words away from the bold girl and towards her father.

“Verdic, your daughter is something else.”

“Haha, Your Lordship, please kindly let it slide. My youngest daughter is not only pretty, but she’s also a knowledgeable and curious individual.”

But who here didn’t know?

That insolence of hers.

Carynne quietly lifted her glass and had it refilled with water. Isella usually enjoyed living while pretending to have an empty mind, hoping to just be a bright, cheerful girl.

However, because she wanted to look good in front of Raymond, this attitude would turn one-eighty.

The mask of a pure girl wouldn’t do since the beautiful Carynne was right here. She and Raymond even had a romantic happenstance, so Isella would be compared side by side with the other girl. If that’s the case, then it would be better to show off the virtue of a wife.

With Raymond being a soldier, he’d be away often, so she wanted to show how suitable she was for the role of the lady of the house. Even if she seemed rude here, she intended to show that at least her competence was sufficient—even if she wouldn’t be good enough to be his cherished lover.

But that wasn’t what suited Raymond.

Carynne could feel Raymond’s sidelong glance at her.

‘Ah, this time, too.’

While Verdic and Isella were used to weighing the scales when it came to marriage, Carynne also knew to some extent that this was a matter of course. Amongst countless people, who there would scoff at the idea of living one’s life according to one’s standards? Even fairy tales these days wouldn’t depict a princess falling in love with a stableman.

The Evans family needed to think about these things a bit more simply.

Raymond was, firstly, a noble, and he was very capable and was a smooth talker, and on the other hand, Verdic was not. Raymond wasn’t a merchant like him who was good at weighing gains and losses. It was difficult to imagine, just by looking at his beautiful countenance, that this young man who’s still in his twenties had faced any horrors in his life.

Meanwhile, Carynne wasn’t even the daughter of a mere stableman but a quasi-noble, and she was more than twice as beautiful as Isella. Also, Raymond was scheduled to succeed as the next baron. So if you look at it this way, actually, all Isella could offer was money.

“Haa.”

Carynne let out a small sigh and set down her utensils.

「  Seeing her father be subjected to shame like this, Carynne became upset. 」

She looked at Isella and told her.

“I didn’t know that you consider self-restraint to be a virtue.”

「 With a slightly appalled expression as she stared at Isella’s accessories, Carynne said so. At this, Isella smiled and hit Carynne’s arm.

“Oh my, Carryne, don’t be like that. I’m not saying that you should live like priests, for example, or to restrain yourself unconditionally. Moderate spending and adherence to culture is also necessary. My dresses and accessories could never be considered excessive. Don’t you think so, Lord Raymond?”

“Miss Isella. My older brother hasn’t taught me much, but I’ve learned one thing for sure—not to interfere with a woman’s spending.”

Isella laughed loudly.

“Of course, if you’re the husband, you have the right to interfere.”

And soon stopped laughing.

“I don’t blame you, Miss Evans. Mister Verdic Evans is a generous gentleman to his family.”

“…Yes.”

“Of course, Sir Raymond. I’m always generous to my family.”

Verdic said this with his arms exaggeratedly open, tacitly implying that once Raymond became part of his family, this much was nothing.

“Even so, I’m glad.”

Carynne interjected.

“I understand where you’re coming from right now, Miss Isella. It’s probably because our household’s meal is much too great for you to behold that you’ve said that. I’m glad that you’re enjoying it.”

Isella lifted a glass of water. Her pupils were shaking with a hint of anger. 」

Clink.

“Isella?”

“Borwen.”

“Ah, I apo… I apologize, gosh.”

Isella dropped her glass of water. She was given another full cup once more, and after she picked this up, she turned to Carynne.

“I’m not saying that you must restrain yourself unconditionally. I mentioned it already, but moderate spending is still necessary. It’s just.. It’s just that I’m worried that this meal could be considered a sin because it’s just so good… Um, Lord Raymond, what do you think?”

Her bravado suddenly dwindled. Raymond replied smoothly, as expected.

“I’m enjoying myself, truly. Because of the nature of my work, all kinds of food feel like a luxury to me. After quivering in between boulders for two days while thinking that bullets would come flying at me, I’m grateful enough for everything.”

Carynne felt a piercing gaze stabbing at her. She looked at Isella. Her pupils were shaking.

Isella lifted her glass and took a sip.

Water inside a glass should be gulped down, after all.

t/n: Raymond is generally addressed as 경 or ‘Sir’ due to him being a knight, but he’s sometimes addressed as 님, which roughly translates to ‘Lord’, depending on who’s speaking to him.