Chapter 99

That night. As planned, a welcoming evening party for Zenjiro, the king's consort, was being held at the Lala Marquis's mansion.

The attendees were the members of the Lara Marquis family, neighboring nobles, and influential figures within the territory. Of course, the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and the plates and tables used for the dishes were of a lower grade compared to those in the royal palace. Without exception, they were of a lower grade, which was probably intentional.

Among them, what caught the eye was the skill level of the maids working in the venue. Compared to the second princess of the royal palace, they were not inferior. It was clear that they were highly trained.

Zenjiro, introduced as the main guest of the evening, subsequently met with the family of the Lala Marquis.

Incidentally, the eldest son, who was the next head of the family, and his wife and children were stationed in the capital and were not present. Additionally, the eldest and second daughters, who had already come of age, had already married into other families, so the ones introduced at this venue were the young third daughter, Aida, and the fourth daughter, Lolita.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Zenjiro. I am Aida, the third daughter of the Lala Marquis family."

"Likewise, I am the fourth daughter, Lolita. It is an honor to meet you today."

Wearing dresses, the two young ladies greeted Zenjiro, who responded with a smile and raised one hand.

"I am Zenjiro, the consort of King Aura of the Carpa Kingdom. As expected of the daughters of the Lala Marquis family, your greetings are very refined."

Zenjiro's response was a standard one, but his words were also a sincere reflection of his thoughts.

The third daughter, Aida, was seventeen years old, and the fourth daughter, Lolita, was fifteen. At this age, it was rare to see girls with such refined speech and dress, even in the royal palace. Compared to people like Octavia, the Marchioness of Marques, and Perpetua, the Marchioness of Aubenis, who were considered models of ladylike behavior, they did not seem inferior. Of course, this was because Zenjiro's discerning eye was not well developed; a more critical eye would have had different impressions.

In any case, the main purpose of Zenjiro's visit to the Lala Marquis territory was these two girls.

Zenjiro spent extra time conversing with the young ladies.

"So, Aida, you make your own dresses. I don't know much about women's clothing, but I think they suit you."

At Zenjiro's words, the third daughter, Aida, smiled.

"Thank you, Lord Zenjiro. However, I still haven't received my mother's approval."

"I need to work harder," Aida said with an untroubled smile.

Generally, the phrase "make one's own dress" has two meanings.

One is the literal meaning of sewing a dress with scissors and a needle. The other is the meaning of conveying the type and color of fabric and the specific shape of the dress to a tailor to have it made.

In the capital, when a common woman says "make one's own dress," it usually means the former, while when a noblewoman says it, it usually means the latter.

However, Aida, being a marquis's daughter, seemed to mean the former as well.

Certainly, for formal social dresses like the one she was wearing, she entrusted the work to a tailor, but for dresses to wear at home, she seemed to sew them herself with scissors and a needle.

"That's impressive. By the way, I remember that Lucinda of the Gazelle Margrave family said she keeps her sewing skills from getting rusty."

At Zenjiro's words, not only Aida but also the fourth daughter, Lolita, standing next to her, nodded.

"Perhaps that's common among those living in the borderlands. If you can't mend things when necessary, you'd just be a burden."

Saying this, the fourth daughter, Lolita, smiled bashfully. This world is not as abundant in goods as modern Japan. During the great war that took place a few years ago, supply chains were disrupted, fields were left uncultivated, and many people were taken to the battlefield.

At such times, the wife and daughters of a lord were also important laborers. At the very least, they had to be able to take care of their own affairs. The Gazelle Margrave family and the Lala Marquis family seemed to have such a mindset.

Of course, there were families with the view that "Don't be ridiculous. It's the role of the nobility to ensure that even craftsmen are not taken to the battlefield." Neither was right or wrong.

However, the third daughter, Aida, seemed to be more than just a "borderland lady's hobby" and appeared to have a great passion for fashion.

"I want to create a trend in this country someday."

Saying this, the third daughter, Aida, puffed out her not-so-plentiful chest, and her eyes shone with a bright color that could be called a dream or ambition.

"Is that so? Then, do you want to go to the capital, Aida?"

Zenjiro's reason for coming here was to recommend Aida and Lolita as the future wife of Xavier, the next head of the Gazelle Margrave family. They should have been aware of this, so why would she say such a thing? Perhaps the third daughter, Aida, was not very enthusiastic about marrying Xavier?

Zenjiro's concern was negated by Aida's smile.

"No, I'm not particular about the place. There are advantages and disadvantages, but trends can be launched from anywhere."

The underlying meaning of her words was, "However, I won't give up on launching fashion trends no matter where I go."

Probably, she aimed for this message to be conveyed to Xavier from Zenjiro.

Fashion is a hobby that women can pursue without any problem, but it does require money, and to spread a trend, it is necessary to regularly hold social events.

Therefore, it is not uncommon for men to be reluctant to support such activities of their wives and children. Zenjiro speculated that Lolita was concerned that Xavier might be such a man.

"I see, this is important to Aida. I'll remember that. What about you, Lolita? Do you have any such preferences?"

When asked, the fourth daughter, Lolita, tilted her head in thought for a moment and then lowered her eyes bashfully.

"I don't have anything in particular..."

To her sister's words, the third daughter, Aida, added a follow-up.

"Lolita is more skilled than me. She learned things at eight that I learned at ten. But perhaps because of that, she doesn't seem to have a strong attachment to any particular thing."

"I'm not that good. I'm just trying hard to get my mother's approval."

Saying this, the younger sister, Lolita, smiled and looked down. It seemed that compared to the third daughter, Aida, the fourth daughter, Lolita, was much more reserved.

"Then, what do you do in your free time, Lolita?"

Zenjiro asked a question that would normally be considered too intrusive. Aida and Lolita were to be delivered to Xavier as his fiancée candidates by Zenjiro. In a grandiose way, Zenjiro was letting his matchmaker's sense of responsibility run wild.

Unaware of Zenjiro's intentions, the fourth daughter, Lolita, answered honestly.

"Well, during the active season, I enjoy sunbathing on the lawn in the courtyard."

"Do you read books or knit while sunbathing?"

"No, I don't bring anything."

"Nothing at all?"

"Yes."

Sunbathing with nothing. Was it really enjoyable? Even Zenjiro, who understood that it was not good to comment on others' hobbies, found it a bit puzzling.

"Then, what about the hot season? You can't sunbathe during the hot season, can you?"

"Yes. During the hot season, I sit in my room with my feet in a bucket of water and daydream."

"Daydream?"

"Yes, daydream."

"What about the rainy season?"

"I watch the rain from inside my room."

"Daydream, huh?"

"Yes, daydream."

In other words, she spent her free time daydreaming throughout the year. Despite this, she had a good memory and could skillfully carry out tasks assigned by her parents.

The ability to follow instructions without resistance and to perform tasks as directed could be a valuable quality as a wife in a border lord's household.

The phrase "standby mode" came to Zenjiro's mind when he heard the fourth daughter, Lolita, say that she daydreamed when she had free time.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Two days later.

After successfully teleporting the third daughter, Aida, the previous day, and the fourth daughter, Lolita, on this day, Zenjiro teleported himself back to the capital.

Originally, the plan was to teleport the three people, the maid Ines, the maid Margarete, and the knight Natalio, back to the capital, but this was canceled to shorten Zenjiro's stay.

Fortunately, all three were accustomed to outdoor activities. The distance between the capital and the Lala Marquis territory was considerable, but it was within the country. It would take some time, but it was unlikely to be dangerous.

In any case, after returning to the royal palace, Zenjiro reported his return to Queen Aura through a soldier stationed in a stone room, took a short break, and then headed to the palace.

In one of the rooms in the palace where Zenjiro went, Lucinda, the eldest daughter of the Gazelle Margrave family, was waiting. She had been asked to pass on a message to the third and fourth daughters of the Lala Marquis family, Aida and Lolita, and to inform them that Zenjiro would also return today, changing the plan.

Therefore, she could start work immediately upon her efficient return.

"Lord Zenjiro, I am relieved to see you return safely."

Standing to greet him, Zenjiro raised his hand lightly in response, sat down on the sofa, and invited Lucinda to sit as well.

"Thank you, Lucinda. It was my first mission, but I'm relieved to have completed it safely."

Teleporting people from the provinces to the capital. In the end, it wasn't a difficult task, but it was a tense job until it was successful. It was expected that similar tasks would increase in the future, so he would have to get used to it.

"Have you met Aida and Lolita yet?"

At Zenjiro's words, Lucinda nodded.

"Yes. It will take some time for them to get used to life in the capital, so I plan to invite them to a small luncheon or something when the time is right."

To put it bluntly, Lucinda, as a relative, would first evaluate the quality of the potential brides.

Lucinda had heard about the Lala Marquis and the Lala Marquise. The former was a hero of the last great war, and the latter was the queen's wet nurse. She trusted the daughters recommended by them, but there is such a thing as compatibility. A daughter they were proud of might not be a wife they wanted to avoid.

"Understood. I'll also issue a temporary permit for the daughter of the Legardo Viscount to leave the harem. Please take care of it."

"Understood."

Lucinda responded calmly.

As Zenjiro and Lucinda continued their conversation, there was a knock on the door of the room.

"What is it?"

At Zenjiro's question, a soldier's voice came from the other side of the door.

"Prince Francesco has requested an audience. Princess Bonne is with him. Should I let them in?"

Zenjiro couldn't help but look at Lucinda, who was sitting across from him. Lucinda blinked and shook her head. It seemed that Lucinda had not been informed either, and this was a genuine impromptu visit.

Well, in the case of Prince Francesco, it wasn't particularly unusual, and he understood why he had taken such action. Fortunately, the important parts of the conversation with Lucinda were already over.

"Lucinda, as you heard, I have an urgent matter. I'll have to end it here for today. I'll make it up to you later."

"Yes, don't worry about it."

At Zenjiro's words, Lucinda smiled and responded. Through her work on the decorations and wedding ring for General Pujol and Nilda Gazelle's wedding, Lucinda had become acquainted with Prince Francesco and Princess Bonne, and understood their characters.

"Then, I'll take my leave."

"Yes, please."

Zenjiro helped Lucinda, who stood up from the sofa, and escorted her to the exit.

A few minutes later, in the same room, the same sofa, Prince Francesco with golden hair and Princess Bonne with chestnut hair were sitting across from Zenjiro.

"Sorry for the sudden visit."

"I apologize, Your Majesty Zenjiro."

As usual, Prince Francesco laughed without a care, while Princess Bonne, as usual, looked apologetic and shrank in her seat.

"I'm used to it. So, what's the matter?"

As a prince of the twin kingdom, it was certainly a breach of etiquette, so he couldn't say "don't worry about it." However, his words and actions conveyed that Zenjiro was not bothered, so Princess Bonne relaxed a little. On the other hand, the culprit, Prince Francesco, didn't seem to care from the start.

"Is it true that you, Your Majesty Zenjiro, have obtained a special stone?"

He said this with a broad smile. It was the expected question when he received an urgent request for an audience from Prince Francesco. Therefore, he had brought the stone to this meeting from the beginning.

"You're well-informed."

While he hadn't particularly hidden it, how did Prince Francesco know about the information of the items Zenjiro had brought to the palace today through teleportation? Despite his slight doubt, Zenjiro instructed a servant standing behind him to bring a small box to the table.

When the lid of the rectangular box was opened to reveal its contents, not only Prince Francesco but also Princess Bonne, who was sitting next to him, had their eyes shine brightly.

"That's amber, isn't it?"

"Amazing, so beautiful... such a rich golden color..."

Prince Francesco's voice was overlapped with Princess Bonne's dreamy voice. From her reaction, it seemed that this amber was of high quality.

"What do you think, Prince Francesco? Can it be used as the 'eye' of the decorative oil lamp?"

At Zenjiro's words, Prince Francesco did not answer immediately but said with a serious expression, which he rarely showed.

"May I hold it?"

"Of course."

"Excuse me."

Prince Francesco smoothly pulled the small box toward him, took a white cloth glove from his pocket, put it on, and then picked up the amber.

"Your Majesty Zenjiro, do you know the origin of this amber?"

Feeling a slight pressure from Prince Francesco's serious expression, which he rarely showed, Zenjiro thought. The source was almost certainly the virtual enemy country, the Tukale Kingdom. It was a somewhat ominous source, but he hadn't particularly hidden it. Since he intended to give it to Prince Francesco to use in the wedding decoration oil lamp, it would be more harmful to hide it from him if there was something to it.

Having reached this conclusion, Zenjiro confessed honestly.

Prince Francesco, upon hearing this, put his hand to his chin and thought.

"I see. The Tukale Kingdom, huh. I'm not that familiar with the western part of the southern continent, but is the Tukale Kingdom also a producer of amber?"

At Prince Francesco's question, Zenjiro recalled the lecture from Lady Octavia and answered.

"As you know, the bloodline magic of the Tukale Kingdom is 'acquisition magic,' so that country boasts a wide variety of mineral resources. I can't say for sure, but it wouldn't be strange if amber was one of them."

"Is that so..."

"What's the matter, Prince Francesco?"

Princess Bonne, who was still thinking, called out curiously.

Prince Francesco, still holding a piece of amber in his gloved right hand, turned his head to the side and said,

"Ah, I'm just curious. Bonne, do you recognize this amber? If you can't tell by its appearance, try holding it in your hand."

"Recognize it? Your Majesty Zenjiro, may I?"

After asking for permission, Princess Bonne also put on a glove and picked up another piece of amber. Her eyes widened at the sensation.

"...Hard? What is this? Is this really