Chapter 55: The Man for All

It was still the time when the Barco family's issues were causing a stir.

Rihanna Demetri went to a social gathering for the first time in a long while.

"Oh, you're here?"

"We've been waiting for you!"

At her appearance, the madams from the northeastern area, who had gathered in small groups, all stood up with delight.

This gathering.

It was organized by Helena of the Meloch family.

She was known to be a supporter of the Demetris, and as the Barco family fell and the Demetris rose in prominence, she quickly arranged the meeting.

It was a form of showing off.

To demonstrate that the northeastern area would thrive with the Demetris at the center, the usually sedentary madams moved in large numbers.

However.

There were also new faces among the attendees.

Madams who were closer to the Barcos than the Demetris greeted Rihanna with insincere smiles.

"How can you get more beautiful with each passing day?"

"Rihanna, I've prepared a special wine for you. Please enjoy it as a token of my heart."

Their intentions were clear.

The fall of the Barcos.

The madams of the fallen noble families attended this gathering to try to attach themselves to the Demetris in any way possible.

Pride was not important.

They visited Helena of the Meloch family daily to build a relationship and begged for even a single chance to meet Rihanna Demetri.

In this situation.

Rihanna had been given a heads-up.

Though she did not particularly enjoy such embarrassing conversations, she knew how to act.

"Thank you."

She smiled.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

She accepted the hospitality and gifts around her.

There is a common misconception.

People think that the wealth of Baron Romulo lifted the Demetris to their current position, but behind this was Rihanna Demetri's dedication.

Rihanna brought in the madams from the northeastern area to build her own power base.

This was a political skill that Baron Romulo lacked, and the madams who were close to Rihanna formed a pro-Demetri faction.

If she had not laid the groundwork in this way, the Demetris might have fallen before they could establish themselves, due to the Barcos' resistance.

As the madam of the Demetris.

She guided the organization of this gathering and naturally demonstrated the Demetris' changed status in this small society.

"Thank you all for attending this gathering. We are not here for any special purpose, but because we believe it is necessary to understand and get to know each other as people living in the same area. Of course, we have not all been moving in the same direction until now. But with the situation changing, it is necessary to adapt to the new reality."

Her words had a hidden meaning.

Rihanna subtly touched on those who had been on the Barcos' side while also showing her magnanimity in accepting them.

Thus.

The madams, after the gathering, would return to their families and say that they needed to treat the Demetris well.

It was a small but significant difference.

Rihanna knew from her experience that inviting the Barcos' madams and showing a willingness to cooperate would eventually yield great results.

The Demetris became the dominant force in the northeastern area through Rihanna's support. To others, it might look like madams gathering to chat leisurely, but this would further solidify the Demetris' power.

Thus.

They chatted about trivial matters and enjoyed refreshments for a long time.

The madams, who had been sipping tea and inquiring about each other's well-being, gradually focused on one topic.

"Rihanna, what do you think of our Veronica? She would be a perfect match for Roman."

Helena's words.

Instantly, the madams' expressions stiffened.

Strategic marriage.

It is a common occurrence in the world of nobles.

But where does such a strategic marriage begin?

Right at the madams' gatherings.

Regardless of others' reactions, Helena, who had initiated the topic of strategic marriage, quickly added:

"Roman is already twenty-five. For his bright future, he needs to quickly find a wise wife and start a family. And while it's embarrassing to say, I think Veronica would be a good match for Roman. Is it too presumptuous? Hehehe."

Helena laughed, covering her mouth.

The atmosphere became strangely cold.

Six years ago.

Roman Demetri was a liability in the noble world.

The Demetris were desirable, but the fact that he was not the heir to the family held him back.

At that time.

Helena clearly said:

"Veronica is too young to be a match for Roman. Let's think about it when she's older."

Even she, a supporter of the Demetris, was hesitant about a strategic marriage with Roman.

To the point where she subtly suggested a marriage with the second son, there were no families welcoming Roman.

This was true for others as well.

People who had shown similar attitudes to Helena now looked uncomfortable at her words.

"Veronica and Roman? I don't think they're quite a match. I heard Veronica was recently involved in a strategic marriage with the heir of another family. Helena, I understand your ambition, but Roman is too much."

Madam 1.

She was someone who had been severely reprimanded by Rihanna for speaking ill of Roman in the past. She, who had once asked if it bothered her that Roman was called a fool by the Demetris, now highly valued Roman.

"Agreed. Rihanna, Roman's marriage needs to be chosen carefully. Don't limit his options; it would be good for him to meet various people. In that sense, please visit our family later. Actually, I didn't mention it, but my daughter fell in love with Roman at first sight."

Madam 2.

She, too, had once been wary of Roman.

As if completely forgetting her past actions, she readily recommended her precious daughter as Roman's partner.

A commotion ensued.

Helena had started a fight.

The madams attending the social gathering all showed their desire for Roman. This was not limited to those with daughters; even those without daughters tried to claim Roman through cousin relationships.

It was a fascinating scene.

The Barco incident.

It caused Roman's status to skyrocket.

It couldn't be helped.

Roman had proven his potential as a 4-star swordsman by defeating Homerus. This meant a bright future, and if he also inherited the Demetris, there was no better son-in-law.

The moment he transformed from a liability to the man for all.

Although his engagement to Lawrence had been a significant blemish just a short while ago, now no one cared about that blemish in light of Roman's potential.

On the contrary.

People thought it was fortunate that Lawrence had not managed to secure Roman.

Clack.

"Thank you all for thinking so highly of my son."

Rihanna put down her teacup.

The current atmosphere.

Was not bad.

However, she had no intention of using her son politically.

"Roman recently went through a great deal of pain. He was engaged to the Lawrence family but had to break it off for unfortunate reasons. At that time, I thought: 'Let's not inflict the same pain on Roman, who has experienced pain through love.' So, talking about a strategic marriage to me is meaningless. I hope Roman meets someone he truly loves, and who also loves him. That's all I wish for as his future partner."

She drew a clear line.

No strategic marriage.

The problem was.

Her words only fueled the madams' competitive spirit.

'That means, regardless of conditions, the one who claims Roman first is the winner, right?'

The man for all.

The desire for Roman made the noble madams' expressions change ominously.

* * *

After the war.

Flora locked herself in her room.

Fortunately, Lawrence had managed to avoid the threat of extinction, but the experiences on the battlefield had left her in shock.

'You need strength to survive in this world.'

Lawrence and Barco.

In reality, Lawrence had lost the battle.

Lawrence had no means to handle the Flare and Homerus prepared by Barco.

While she had said that with the knowledge from books, they could survive the winter and have a good chance of winning, in the harsh reality, there was little Lawrence could do.

The sense of powerlessness at that time was indescribable. Watching the enemy troops surge like ants, Flora felt a complete mental breakdown.

However.

Roman was different.

The power of an individual had toppled Barco and secured victory in a battle that seemed destined to fail.

'How can one become that strong?'

It was impressive.

Not just his personal strength.

Roman had shown boldness by leading a small force to attack Barco's rear and had volunteered to face Homerus, a 49th-ranked swordsman.

It was truly remarkable courage.

It was the confidence of someone with power, and at that moment, Roman seemed different.

Once.

She had an ideal type in mind.

The confident figure in her imagination began to overlap with Roman.

Shaking her head.

"No."

She shook her head.

She disliked Roman as a person.

He was extremely selfish and only cared about his own interests, and she did not consider him her ideal type.

However.

She was a little curious.

How could he be so strong?

What kind of person was Roman?

The problem was that their relationship had been severed with the annulment, and Flora had no way to meet Roman again.

'Focus on my reality now.'

She shifted her gaze to a book.

She wanted to become stronger.

Like Roman.

She wished for the strength to solve problems in any situation.

That's why she had locked herself in her room even after the war, and books piled up around her.

Books were not a perfect solution.

But at least.

She wanted to alleviate the feeling of being lost in a maze.

How many days had passed?

When she came out to get some fresh air, she found an unexpected visitor.

"Sister, it's been a while!"

"Sylvia...?"

A familiar face.

With her flowing sky-blue hair and typical beauty, it was her cousin, Sylvia.

'What is she doing here?'

It was unexpected.

Sylvia's father was Lawrence's younger brother, who had given up his baron title to his brother and established himself as a merchant in the capital.

Perhaps because she had spent her childhood in the capital, Sylvia hated coming to Lawrence, her hometown.

Like Flora, she had inherited Lawrence's good looks but was known as Lawrence's witch due to her neurotic and fussy nature.

For her to appear in Lawrence...

Knowing how much Sylvia disliked Lawrence, Flora was taken aback by her sudden appearance.

"Why are you here in Lawrence? And..."

She looked Sylvia up and down.

She was beautiful.

The beautiful dress made it seem like she had a special purpose for her visit.

"What's with that outfit?"

"What do you mean? There's a grand party for the eldest son of the Demetris, right? My uncle said I should brighten the occasion, so I rushed here. But, sister, is Roman Demetri really that great and handsome? Everyone is talking about him, and I'm so curious."

Sylvia was making a fuss.

Flora felt slightly uncomfortable at her showing off her beauty.

"…A party for the eldest son of the Demetris?"

It was not a small piece of news.

If she had known, she should have been aware of it.

If Sylvia had come to Lawrence for this, she should have been preparing for the party by now.

But.

'Why am I hearing this for the first time?'

The Demetris' party.

Flora had no idea about it.