Chapter 7 – Progress (Part 10)

Determined to dine with the Duke tonight and directly ask about his grievances, Elysia made a request through the head butler. However, the butler quickly returned, informing her that the Duke had to attend Earl Kumaran’s gathering, which only soured her mood further.

‘Ridiculous. He once threatened never to set foot in Earl Kumaran’s dinner gatherings again.’

Moreover, he had said he wouldn’t let Earl Kumaran set foot in the duchy, which had seemed considerate of his fiancée, making him appear admirable. Yet, when she finally decided to have a meal together, he was off to the Earl’s gathering, making her wonder if his previous words were all empty.

‘Hmph, fine. Maintaining friendly relations with Earl Kumaran, a noble family since Brunchia’s founding, probably benefits him more than getting along with a quasi-Baron’s daughter like me. I don’t like you either, Duke!’

Feeling too upset to go down to the dining room, Elysia had a simple meal brought to her room. Her bad mood made staying in her room feel unusually tedious. However, she had already gone for a walk, didn’t feel like reading, and nothing seemed likely to satisfy her.

As she pondered how to lift her gloomy spirits, a sudden realization struck Elysia: she hadn’t had a proper drink since arriving at the duchy.

She realized that apart from the occasional wine at dinner, she hadn’t touched alcohol for weeks. The atmosphere at meals didn’t encourage drinking, so she barely wet her lips with the wine and left most of it untouched.

‘With the Duke away today, it’s the perfect chance to unwind!’

Having made up her mind, Elysia decided to call for a maid to bring alcohol to her room but then decided against it, fearing it might become gossip among the staff. She decided to fetch it herself and began thinking about where to get it.

There was likely a wine cellar somewhere connected to the kitchen. But the kitchen was busy, and going down to the cellar and bringing alcohol back up increased the chance of being caught. Sneaking alcohol herself, without anyone knowing, seemed impossible.

‘I want to drink unnoticed… Is there nowhere else they store alcohol?’

Elysia regretted not paying more attention when the head butler showed her around the mansion. As she thought about it, she remembered the pantry where she had hidden briefly before.

‘That pantry is attached to the mansion, not in the basement, and it seemed to be left unlocked because the trading company frequently restocks it. At this hour, there shouldn’t be any staff around, so I won’t run into someone like Ronan Hass again.’

Elysia decided to sneak a few bottles from the duchy’s pantry. Moving like a spy, she hid behind curtains and pillars to avoid being seen by the staff. Successfully exiting the mansion, she moved through the shadows of the trees and finally reached the pantry.

As expected, the pantry door was unlocked. Excited, Elysia entered and approached the shelves, but just then, the door on the opposite side of the pantry, connected to the mansion, swung open.

“Madame?”

Of all people, it was Millie who entered. Elysia desperately began to act, aiming to escape the situation while still securing the alcohol.

“Ahaha, Millie! I was curious about how the pantry at the duchy is managed, and I thought I’d check it out while I remembered. These things tend to slip my mind if I put them off.”

Millie, without a hint of suspicion, felt touched that Madame was thinking about the duchy’s affairs even at this late hour.

“It seems very well organized. Everything is sorted for easy access. Hmm… By the way, isn’t the alcohol that’s used regularly stored here temporarily, apart from the wine cellar?”

“We don’t store wine here because the temperature isn’t constant. We only keep some aperitifs and strong liquors. We also store the staff’s drinks here.”

“I see, that makes sense. So, which shelf is that alcohol on? Oh, I want to know what kinds of alcohol are stocked. They’d be on the same shelf as the staff’s drinks, right?”

In response to Elysia’s question, Millie moved to turn on the light in the pantry. Elysia hastily stopped her.

“If you turn on the light, other staff might come to explain, disturbing their rest. I only need to check briefly, so please don’t.”

Thinking Madame was very considerate, Millie led her to the liquor shelf. One section of the inner shelf, which Elysia hadn’t noticed before, was filled with alcohol. Elysia looked through them and selected a few bottles.

“Millie, I’d like to taste these drinks, so it’s okay if I take a few bottles, right?”

“Yes, of course. Or should I prepare a few glasses for you to sample them in your room?”

‘No, a few glasses won’t suffice right now!’

“No need for the trouble; I’ll just take the bottles with me. I have cups in my room. …These drinks aren’t needed immediately, right? Please don’t replenish them just because I took them. It would be nice if they’re restocked later when the Haas Trading Company delivers, without anyone else knowing.”

Millie assured her it wouldn’t be a problem. It seemed Madame wanted to enjoy the drinks in private.

Millie had vaguely heard that some noble ladies were embarrassed about their drinking. She assumed Madame was maintaining appearances.

“Then I’ll prepare some simple snacks and glasses for you. I’ll pack them in this basket, so you can take it with you. And if you follow my guidance, you won’t run into anyone on your way out.”

Elysia was touched by Millie’s thoughtful consideration.

‘Thank you, Millie. Unlike Daisy, who confiscated everything I tried to hide, even making me spit out what was in my mouth. Millie must not turn into someone like Daisy.’

Carrying the basket of alcohol Millie had prepared, Elysia returned to her room through the door leading into the mansion and began her private drinking session.

***

The private noble gathering hosted by Earl Kumaran took place in a building owned by Marquis Orga’s trading company near the harbor on the outskirts of the capital.

Most trading companies in Brunchia had separate offices at the harbor to easily handle trade goods. The Haas Trading Company, in addition to its office in the city center, also owned a large building here.

Marquis Orga owned a two-story building here, about an hour’s carriage ride from the capital, making it a favored location for meetings away from prying eyes, as well as for trading business.

From the moment Cassius arrived here with Aaron, he had an unpleasant experience. The guards stationed at the building entrance stopped Aaron Hass from entering with the Duke.

“Only those who have been invited may enter. We’ll guide the Duke’s companion to another area.”

Aaron Hass was uneasy about leaving the Duke alone in the building. However, to attend the gathering and uncover the noble supremacists’ intentions, he had to comply with the instructions to avoid being expelled.

Reluctantly following the guard, Aaron heard Cassius whisper to him.

“Wait outside the building.”

Hearing this, Aaron told the knights who were about to guide him to the waiting area that he didn’t need an escort and would take a walk by the sea breeze, then left on his own. Once the Duke entered the building, the main door was firmly shut.

Cassius followed the guide up to the second floor through a slightly dim corridor, where more guards were stationed at the entrance to a room. Instead of opening the door, the guards extended their hands toward Cassius, intending to take his personal defense weapon.

“To prevent any unfortunate incidents, you must entrust your weapon to us before entering.”

“You surround the invited guests with armed guards while disarming those invited? If you cause any incidents, the people inside this room won’t be able to defend themselves at all.”

As Cassius hesitated to relinquish his weapon, the atmosphere with the guards grew tense, as if they were about to draw their swords. At that moment, the door in front of them swung open, and Earl Kumaran emerged.

“Duke Grendel! You’ve come. Oh dear, why have you come armed? This is a social gathering. Look at us, none of us are armed. What are you so afraid of that you came armed?”

The people in the room laughed aloud at Earl Kumaran’s words.

“Duke, if you’re concerned, we can show you that none of us are armed.”

With that, the Earl opened his coat and spun around exaggeratedly. The nobles in the room also stood up and turned around to show they were unarmed. Their faces bore mocking smiles. Cassius had no choice but to hand over his sword and enter the room.

Inside, chairs were arranged around a long rectangular dining table. The Duke was seated near the door. Earl Kumaran, who hosted the gathering, sat next to the head seat, which was empty.

Shortly after, the other door of the room opened, and Marquis Orga appeared. As he entered, the nobles, who had not shown any courtesy to Duke Cassius, all stood up and greeted him with respect. It was as if they were welcoming a king, and Cassius tried not to frown. Marquis Orga took his seat and addressed the gathering.

“Thank you all for gathering here. It’s especially refreshing to have Duke Grendel with us this time. Duke, you may not know, but your father, the late Duke Aisar, shared our belief that the nobility should lead this country. I hope you will carry on your father’s noble intentions. I hope everyone here will take this opportunity to build friendships and offer good opinions to guide the country on the right path.”