Chapter 66

Ah, I passed the first round of the Net Novel Award.

‘I heard Lord Nord’s story! They say he cut off a dragon’s head with one strike!’

‘Is it true that the dragon was as large as the royal castle?’

‘That was only possible with everyone’s help. And I don’t think it was as big as the royal castle.’

In the middle of the venue, Father Nord was once again surrounded by young ladies and boys aspiring to be knights.

Father Nord defeated the dragon before I or my sister Elinora were born.

So, the children here today must have grown up hearing the story of the dragon, not seeing it. There seem to be quite a few enthusiastic fans.

“Hey, Eric?”

“What is it?”

“Have you seen the play about the Dragon Slayer in the capital?”

When I asked, Eric looked exasperated.

“What? You haven’t seen the play about your own father?”

“It’s my first time in the capital. I haven’t seen it yet.”

Of course, I will see it. I definitely will.

“Then how about I show you around?”

“Huh? Eric?”

“It’s a thank you for the mayonnaise. I can at least show you around the capital.”

Surprising. I didn’t expect Eric to say something like that.

The capital is vast and complex, so having a guide would help us efficiently visit good places. Eric isn’t from the capital, but he must know it well enough to offer.

“Thanks, I’ll take you up on that.”

“What day works for you?”

“Can we do it tomorrow?”

“Alright, let’s do it tomorrow. The place is the square. Around noon should be fine.”

“Got it.”

Just as we made our plans, the door suddenly opened, and someone came in.

Everyone in the venue turned to look at the door, frozen in place. Or rather, they were captivated.

A girl in a red dress walked gracefully, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, despite the attention.

With each click of her heels, her vivid red hair swayed.

Her skin was as white and smooth as snow.

Her features were strikingly beautiful, and her eyes were as clear as red jewels. However, her long, narrow eyes were cold and sharp, reminiscent of a bird of prey, like Duke Ringleande’s.

Could she be Duke Ringleande’s daughter?

Indeed, she must be. The same hair color and eyes as the duke. It has to be her.

Especially those eyes. They’re intense. She looks to be a bit older than me, around ten years old. She has a mature aura, but her slender frame clearly shows she’s a girl.

Behind her, an elderly butler followed respectfully.

Her presence was so strong that I didn’t even notice him. Some people were so captivated that they might not have noticed him at all.

When she reached the middle of the venue, she grabbed the hem of her dress and bowed gracefully.

“Thank you for attending the networking event hosted by the Ringleande family today. Her Royal Highness, Princess Cudelia, is also in attendance. Please enjoy the evening and deepen the bonds among the nobles who support the kingdom.”

After her speech, the venue erupted into applause and returned to its lively atmosphere.

She then went to greet the higher-ranking nobles like Duke Vlad.

“Wow, a duke’s daughter. I don’t want to get too close…”

As I muttered, I noticed Eric with a dazed look on his face.

“Hey, Eric?”

I called out, but he didn’t respond, so I waved my hand in front of his face.

He slapped my hand away as if swatting a fly.

“Ouch. What was that for?”

When I complained, Eric finally came to his senses.

“Oh, it’s you. I thought something dirty had entered my field of vision.”

“This guy, you’re asking for a fight again?”

He said it with a straight face. My hands are dirty? I wash my hands with high-quality soap.

While we were having this conversation, the duke’s daughter continued her greetings. Some approached her, while others watched from a distance.

Those who approached her were either close to her or had some ulterior motive.

Even the nobles at the edges of the room seemed to greet her lightly as she passed by.

Just by observing, I could tell a lot about the relationships among the nobles. I started to eat the food on the table.

If I stayed at the edge, the duke’s daughter probably wouldn’t come to greet us barons.

Even if she did, a slight bow would be enough.

That’s what I thought.

“Oh, Eric, I heard you caused a commotion yesterday.”

The duke’s daughter greeted Eric cheerfully as soon as she saw him.

I nearly choked on the steak in my mouth but managed to swallow it with some fruit water.

She knows Eric? Then I should have stayed with Mother Elna.

“Yes, I apologize for the trouble yesterday.”

Eric blushed and bowed slightly.

Hmm, what should I do? I was involved too, so should I bow as well?

As I was wondering, the duke’s daughter turned to me.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Thanks to you, I found out something interesting.”

“Huh?”

“No, don’t worry about it. By the way, are you Eric’s friend?”

“……Well, I guess……”

“Hey, what’s with that vague answer? That’s rude to me.”

And he said it with a bitter expression, making his words even more vague.

“Shut up. Do you need manners with me?”

“What!?”

As Eric spat out, I was about to grab him, but the duke’s daughter’s laughter stopped me.

“You two get along well.”

“‘Get along well’ is a bit of an overstatement…”

Our synchronized response made the duke’s daughter laugh and turn to me.

“Nice to meet you, Alfred. I’m Alesia Ringleande.”

She greeted me politely, so I bowed respectfully.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Alfred Slowlett.”

For a moment, I wondered how she knew my name, but then I realized it was probably because of yesterday’s commotion.

× × ×

I thought Alesia would leave, but surprisingly, she continued talking to us.

Maybe she was tired of greeting the adults.

It’s easier to chat with kids her age.

By the way, Eric and Alesia are just acquaintances.

They had a brief conversation at the last party. Yet, Eric seemed unusually enthusiastic, even blushing a bit. Could he have a crush on her?

“Oh, Eric, you don’t have a fiancée either?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Really? I thought you’d be popular…”

“R-really?”

Eric, don’t fall for it. Her words have a hidden meaning.

We men shouldn’t take such words at face value.

‘Well, I might not be able to, but you should be fine. Try your best even if you’re not popular.’

That’s the message she’s sending.

If you say, “Then will you go out with me?” it will end badly.

“So, will you and I—”

“Idiot! Stop it!”

I immediately hit Eric on the head.

“What are you doing, you!”

“Excuse me, Lady Alesia, for a moment.”

“It’s fine.”

I grabbed Eric by the collar and moved to the side.

“Let go of me! What are you doing?”

“What were you about to say?”

“I was going to propose.”

When I asked, Eric frowned. This guy is really bad at romance.

“Didn’t you hear what Alesia said?”

“I heard. She said Eric would be popular.”

He’s taking it the wrong way.

“Idiot. You can’t take those words at face value. She said ‘seems popular,’ not ‘is popular.’ There’s a big difference.”

“What do you mean?”

I explained the true meaning of Alesia’s words to the dense Eric.

Not having a fiancée for Alesia is like standing in front of a vending machine, trying to choose a drink. For Eric and me, it’s like searching for a needle in a vast desert.

That’s the difference in our status and appearance.

Since Eric can’t understand the vending machine analogy, I explained it as choosing a dish from the table.

Eric seemed to realize this and groaned, “What…?”

I think it’s too early to propose to someone you only know casually.

However, Eric said he would deepen their relationship before proposing.

I think that gap is shallow and small…

Why are the men around me, like Thor and Eric, so eager? It’s a mystery.

Alesia is indeed beautiful, but I think she’s the kind of woman you admire from a distance.

Her smile seems too perfect to be that of an ordinary young lady.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

When we returned, Alesia asked me the same question.

“Al, do you have a fiancée?”

By the way, Alesia started calling me Al because she found Alfred hard to say.

I thought she was surprisingly friendly, but everyone else I’ve met just said, “It’s too much trouble, so I’ll call you Al.”

“No, I don’t.”

I answered firmly. I don’t have one, can’t have one, and don’t want one.

Even my twelve-year-old sister Elinora doesn’t have one, so I’m fine. Besides, I have Emma.

“I heard a rumor that you were engaged to Lanna Missfeed?”

“It’s absolutely false. Who started that rumor?”

Alesia’s friendly smile as she asked. I answered immediately.

“Oh, is that so? Sometimes engagements are decided from birth. Even if the other party is a young girl, there’s no need to be embarrassed. It’s common in our kingdom.”

So, you’re not going to tell me who started the rumor?

Are the nobles in this country really okay with this?

“It’s really false…”