Chapter 72

Standing in front of the classroom door, I hesitated to take a step forward, as this was the first time I appeared before people in such an unprepared state. Mari seemed to be in the same situation, as she, too, was unusually hesitant and was gauging the atmosphere. Given the circumstances, Anna, looking impatient, pounded her chest and shouted out to the outside.

"We're all ready! I'm coming out now!"

Without even seeking our consent, she started pushing me from behind. Since it was not a behavior a subordinate should dare to do, Mari, looking surprised, followed me as if trying to stop Anna. However, Anna's steps, urging me on, were even faster. Before I could react, the door swung open, and I faced the people waiting outside. A few knights, with Cain at the forefront, were waiting for me. They, too, were dressed in Eastern traditional attire, which was different from their usual garb, making the scene feel very fresh. The knights, who seemed to have been influenced by the festive atmosphere, were grinning as they guarded the door, but their faces stiffened the moment they saw me. The sudden change in their expressions made cold sweat trickle down my back.

'Is, is something wrong with my appearance?!'

"I guess I should change my clothes again..."

Just as I was about to turn around to change into the 'lady's dress' as Anna called it before more people saw me in this ridiculous state, Cain quickly extended his hand to me.

"The festival has already started. If you delay any longer, you'll miss all the good sights."

"But... my clothes..."

"Come on, come on! The lady is coming~!"

Cain, cracking a joke, escorted me forward. I turned to Mari, hoping to seek help, but she had already let go and was smiling. Realizing I had no allies, I had no other choice.

'It's a festival, so there must be a lot of people gathered...'

The thought of stepping out in such an uncertain state made me feel like a cow being led to slaughter, and I moved forward gloomily. However, my gloom didn't last long. As I got closer to the lake, the noisy sounds became clearer, almost deafening my ears. Music is essential for festivals and parties. Even when I was in the capital, the mansion of the Vain Marquis would be filled with music and laughter on party nights. But the music now was completely different from what I had heard at the Vain Marquis' mansion. If the music there was calm and classical, this was lively and folk-like. The melody was so cheerful that I felt like my shoulders would start bouncing just from listening to it. Noticing that I had relaxed a bit, Cain smiled.

"It's been a long time since we've had such a bountiful festival. Everyone is in high spirits. In recent years, the estate's situation has been difficult, so even during festivals, everyone was filled with worry. But this time, it's different."

As soon as Cain finished speaking, we reached the lake. As we turned onto the lakeside, a loud music and the noisy voices of people, the mouthwatering smell of food, and numerous boats floating on the lake with fires lit welcomed us.

"Wow..."

The sight was so new that I couldn't help but exclaim. Hearing my voice, a few people near the entrance turned their heads and their eyes widened when they saw me.

"The lady?"

"The lady has arrived!"

The shout quickly spread throughout the lakeside. Everywhere, people were shouting, "It's the lady!" or "The lady has arrived!" With everyone looking at me, my timidity kicked in, and cold sweat trickled down my back. I tried to act calm, but my legs were trembling under my skirt.

'Still, it's a huge improvement...'

In the past, I would have fainted or run away at the sight of so many people looking at me.

'And the looks in their eyes are not hostile but friendly.'

Fortunately, it seems that the Eastern traditional attire isn't as unsuitable as I feared... In that case, there's no reason to be afraid. I smiled slightly at the people who were looking at me with bright eyes. As if sensing my slight relaxation, a strange sound of "Ohhh!" came from all around, and someone suddenly stepped out from the crowd. It was a middle-aged woman with a warm appearance.

"Lady! This is the home-brewed beer from our house! Try it!"

Though I had never met her before, she spoke to me as if we were old acquaintances. As I stared at the large, heavy mug of beer, Cain quickly whispered in my ear.

"That's the mother of Belloc."

"Ah!"

Belloc was the knight I had invited for tea before leaving for the Eastern nobles' meeting.

"The Eilsworth knights are mostly natives, so most of their families live within the estate."

"O-Oh, I see..."

I quickly took the mug of beer from Belloc's mother. The mug was so large and heavy that I almost stumbled from the weight. Seeing my wobbling, the gathered people burst into laughter.

"Sure enough, the ladies from the capital are different. Our lady is so delicate, we need to take good care of her!"

"Hey, why are you taking care of our lady? Our lord will surely take care of her!"

"Our lord will take care of her, and we'll take care of her too, that's the best, right?"

The gathered people started chatting noisily about me. Though it was a normal conversation, it felt very awkward every time they referred to me as 'our' lady.

'Somehow, it's embarrassing...'

My cheeks turned hot as I took a sip of the beer given by Belloc's mother. I don't know much about good drinks, but it tasted great, thanks to the warm and friendly atmosphere.

"It's delicious."

As I praised the beer in a small voice, the surroundings suddenly fell silent. The people who had been chatting just moments ago closed their mouths and focused on me.

'What, did I say something wrong...?'

I only said it was delicious... As I tried to figure out my mistake, people started coming out from all directions, each holding something to eat.

"This is the juice from our house!"

"Try the sausages I brought!"

"These fruits are very sweet!"

As I thanked everyone and took the food, my arms quickly filled up.

"Oh! 'That' should be ready by now!"

"Let's go. Our lady should be the first to try it!"

"What about the lord?"

"Pfft, the lord has had it every year. Now it's time to let someone else have it!"

The estate residents giggled and led me a bit further inside. It was surprising to see how casually Altear, who usually seemed so intimidating, was mentioned among the people.

'Altear is definitely generous to his people, but...'

This was the first time I felt it so strongly. It felt like I was seeing a new side of Altear through others.

After a few steps, I could see what the estate residents were talking about.

'Oh... it's... huge...!'

The boar roasting over the fire was so large that I couldn't describe it any other way.

'I've never seen a whole roasted boar this big...'

Thinking back, a whole roasted chicken was served on my first day in Eilsworth. It seemed that the Eastern people liked to cook ingredients without altering their original form.

'Still, roasting a whole boar this big...'

Would it cook all the way through? As I wondered, my gaze met the clearly visible eyes of the boar.

'Yikes!'

The eerie sight made my spine shiver, but the people seemed to find it normal and were laughing. Turning my head, I saw Mari, pale and frightened, staring at the boar's face. People from the capital usually cut ingredients into small pieces and cooked them to be easy to eat, so she was probably not used to seeing such a natural (?) sight.

"Lord! If it's done, please share it!"

I was still in shock, trying to avoid the boar's eyes, when someone's voice snapped me back to reality. The lord... Could the person roasting the meat be...

"Altear?"

I saw Altear, his face covered in ash and looking grumpy, roasting the boar. I had heard that the lord would also be involved in the festival preparations, but I didn't expect him to be cooking so seriously.

'And his clothes...'

He was properly dressed in Eastern traditional attire. He usually wore stiff formal wear or simple training clothes, but seeing Altear in this outfit...

"Phew."

I couldn't help but laugh at how awkward he looked. It was as if an adult had put on a child's clothes, making him look ridiculous.

"...This is tradition."

Altear, looking annoyed, grumbled as he approached me. He seemed embarrassed by his appearance, so I quickly tried to comfort him.

"It's fine. I'm wearing clothes that don't suit me either."

"Who said that?"

"Excuse me?"

"Who said it doesn't suit you? To me, you look very..."

As Altear scanned me from head to toe, he suddenly stopped and glared around. I turned my head to see that people had gathered and were looking at us with pleased expressions.

"Why did you stop? Keep talking."

Cain, grinning, nudged Altear's side. Altear's face immediately crumpled.

"Shut up."

"Why? Just say it if you think it's pretty, what's so hard about that... Ow!"

Altear, grinding his teeth, kicked Cain's shin.

"Is, is it okay?"

"That's just him being dramatic."

Surprised, I tried to check on Cain, but Altear firmly blocked my concern and led me to the cooking area. I could hear Cain's protest, "I'm not being dramatic!" but Altear completely ignored it. Instead, he pulled out a dagger from his waist and skillfully cut a piece of the roast, offering it to me.

"Try it."

The piece of meat on the knife was quite intimidating, but I couldn't refuse Altear's offer. The boar's eyes were still visible, so I closed my eyes and took a bite.

'Huh?'

It was delicious! I opened my eyes wide and looked at Altear, who nodded proudly.

"It may look like this, but it tastes good, right?"

I nodded vigorously. The meat was moist and tender, far better than the meat cooked by the castle's chefs. Altear, seeing my amazed face, smiled and lightly tapped my forehead.

"But what's all this?"

"Oh, this?"

He was referring to the food I was holding.

"Everyone gave it to me, saying it was from their homes."

"They must have been waiting for this. They all want to show their gratitude to you."

"Gratitude?"

"Since the estate has become so prosperous since you became the viscountess."

"But that's because there was a magic stone mine in the estate..."

Looking around, I saw only friendly gazes. I had only sped up something that would have been discovered eventually, but did I really deserve such gratitude? As I bowed my head, Altear tapped my forehead again.

"It's because of you. I'm saying it, so it's true."

It was strange. Altear's words had a power that made me believe them, making me feel as if I had accomplished everything. Looking up at Altear, I saw his unwavering eyes. Did his firmness give me confidence? The feeling was strange, and it seemed the same for Altear. As I felt a tickle in my chest and shivered, I heard a fake cough from the side. Turning my head, I saw Cain grinning mischievously.

"The roast is burning, my lord."

Cain was right. One side of the delicious-looking meat was turning black. Cain subtly took the dagger from Altear's hand and started cutting the meat.

"I'll do the distribution. The lord and the lady should..."

He then gestured to the surroundings. As if they had prearranged it, Anna and Mari smiled and took the food I was holding, and the knights who came with Cain led Altear and me to the band.

"Here! The lady and the lord will dance!"

Hearing Cain's loud voice, I turned pale.

'Dance, dance, dance?!'