CH 31

7 — Feast of Snakes

[Dear Duke Serpente,

Let me begin by apologizing for the delay in getting back to you. I was caught up in preparing my graduation speech and organizing the farewell party.

Oppa's handwriting hasn't improved at all, although I can understand why. For the sake of the recipient's convenience, I suggest you leave it to your assistant.

I just have to go back soon. I think I'll make it before Oppa's birthday if the weather stays this way.

Have you already decided on a name for the new hotel you're building? We've been talking about it here, too. I can't wait to see how great it's going to be. and how much you and Venya have changed.

Are you still drinking? You need to get rid of those bad habits, and for God's sake, get rid of your temper.

You seem to take a lot of pride in your nickname, but you should know that it's taking a serious toll on my stable emotions and a healthy sense of humor. Still no sign of Venya. He must be very busy. Aren't you overworking your employees, right? I guess I'll have to go back and see for myself just how well our cold-hearted master is doing.

I have to finish packing, so that's all I'm going to write for today. By the time you read this, I'll be on a ship.

It's still hard to believe that I'm going back to Cherkesha after seven years, but I'll be counting down the days until we meet again.

P.S. I have picked presents for Oops and Venya, but I can't guarantee that you'll like them.

With love, Sasha]

At six o'clock in the morning on a hectic, early-summer day in June 1729, the butler of the Serpente Duchy hurriedly moved as he noticed the sender's name on the letter. At a brisk pace, he did as he was told: he went up to his master's bedroom and knocked vigorously.

"Your Excellency, a letter has arrived from Vibrato."

". . ."

"Your Excellency."

". . ."

"Your Excellency? I don't suppose you're still asleep? It's a letter! From Vibrato!" 

No sound came through the heavy door. Apparently, the aftermath of the previous night's exuberant drinking hadn't gone down too well. At this point, it was enough to warrant a three-hour nagging appointment. With such a strong determination, the butler carefully held the letter and hurried back. This time, he went to the east wing garden. As he approached the garden, which was in full bloom with colorful flowers, he saw a man enjoying a leisurely morning stroll in the middle of it.

"Aide, sir."

"Ah, good morning, Butler. Why are you pursing your lips like that? Are you perhaps unwell?"

"It's Your Grace, not me, who seems to be unwell."

At the butler's plain answer, the aide kicked his tongue in an equal tone.

"He seems to have lost it again."

"It seems like it. By the way, sir, where is the young master now?"

"He's at the hotel, I believe; he has some business to attend to..."

"Very well, then could you please deliver this letter to him? it's a very serious message."

"No, butler, are you trying to hand me another bombshell? Am I some kind of errand boy?"

"It's nothing of the sort; it's a letter from Vibrato. Have you forgotten what happened last time? I can only trust you, sir!"

At this solemn cry, the aide's expression loosened slightly, but he still looked doubtful.

"If... if the young master asks if I checked with His Excellency first, what do you want me to say?"

"You have to say that you couldn't and there was nothing to do. I'm sure it'll be better."

"Sure it will. But I would also have to tell him that His Grace hadn't opened his eyes until now, even if the sun is already high in the sky."

In fact, the sun had just risen, but both men ignored that fact. 

"It's not like it's the first time, so why are you afraid?"

"Who says I'm afraid? Rather, I think it's better for you to go outside for a while and get some fresh air, butler."

"I beg your pardon, but it's impossible. You know very well that this poor old butler is very busy with the new residence. Now please hurry!"

Thus, Duke Serpente's chief aide, carrying the mail in question that had arrived from across the sea, made his way to the new hotel that was nearing completion. When he arrived, the young master in question was long gone. The architectural director welcomed the aide, who was at a loss for words.

"Then, you came here looking for the young master?" 

"…What other reason could I have for being here at this hour?"

"He left a while ago, pal. If you had been ten minutes earlier…"

'I can't get used to the way these lowlifes talk,' the aide thought to himself. It was bad enough that the foundation of this supposedly aristocratic hotel was being laid by a bunch of gangsters.

"Well, I'm sure he'll be back, but if you don't wanna wait then I can…"

"I'd like that too, but it's a letter from Vibrato."

"Aha, it's from the young lass, I heard she'll be returning home soon, I'm sure you're buzzing, ain't 'ya?"

"I'm sure you must be the same."

"But who the hell is she that everyone's makin' a fuss about her?"

'You really don'know?'  The assistant glanced suspiciously at the construction director for a moment. There was no way such a big incident—when some underlings months ago took a letter from Vibrato, opened it, and shared it around—went unnoticed by these guys. Still, the chief aide decided to be nice. To maintain an amiable humanity while living in a den full of poisonous vipers, a kind heart that transcends class is a priority.

"She's the daughter of His Grace's nanny."

The director's expression turned sour as if that wasn't what he expected.

"But I already know that! I have a hunch there's more to it, like the secret of her birth..."

"She's also a highly educated person studying abroad."

"What da' ya' mean? That's why I say there must be something..."

"She's also someone who receives a monthly allowance for the sum of my and your combined annual salary."

"The world is unfair after all, ain't it?"

"The only unfair thing right now is your noisy snout."

*      *      *

"Cheers!"

"Cream-bread dorm forever!"

"Who didn't get their picture?" 

"Who lost their badge?"

"Make sure to write!"

It was noisy everywhere: people performing book-tearing rituals, people exchanging addresses belatedly, people toasting for the umpteenth time, people checking on friends who didn't get their pictures, people laughing, people crying, and so on. Our once-placid dorm had devolved into this shambles.

"What will I do? I can't believe it's over!"

My roommate, who I've lived with for the past seven years, walked up to me with brown eyes twinkling and grabbed my shoulder.

Phew- I can't believe it, either—that my time here is over and that tomorrow I'll be on a ship back to the Empire.

"Sasha, don't just sip ginger ale, try this cocktail. I made it."

"I have to start early tomorrow."

"It's just one drink, who cares! Besides, you're a strong drinker anyway."

"That's true."

I couldn't tell what the hell she mixed in, but the blue drink looked pretty tasty. 

The rumor that I'm a strong drinker is clearly a misconception, but I don't need to explain when we're about to part ways.

"So what are you doing as soon as you get back to the Empire? Working for Serpente again?"

"I suppose."

"Oh, right. Peanut told me earlier to tell you to stop by the dean's office if I saw you. Do you want me to come with you?"

Peanut was our dorm supervisor's nickname. He had a peanut-sized mole on the side of his nose. I shook my head as I sipped my Daldidan cocktail, which didn't taste as good as it looked. It was pretty obvious what he wanted to say to me; go home well; please talk good of me to the Duke...

"Either way, you're lucky. I wish my family had such a connection."

Marianne, my roommate, and I were both from the Cherkesha Empire. The majority of our academy's students came from mercantile bourgeois families like hers, whose families had made it a lifelong goal to enter aristocratic society. No matter how much money you have, the desire for higher status is timeless. The classes taught here were mostly related to that. Compared to these students, who entered the school at the age of 11 and were graduating at the age of 18~19, I was much older.

Ugh— I can't believe I'm already twenty-three! I've lived longer than I have in my previous life, so I guess I should call it a successful life. Fufufufu- I even got a diploma. I don't feel sorry for myself. Maybe it's because I haven't been able to socialize much because I've been studying, but I also don't think it's possible for someone like me to make friends with whom I can be open in the first place, so I'm just happy and a little nervous because tomorrow I'm finally going back. I can't wait to see how much Lettis and Venya have changed. What if I don't recognize them? I think it would be funny if they were still the same. So much has happened in the Empire in the seven years I've been here. The War of Honor alone, which began five years ago and ended in two…

A war between the Cherkesha Empire and the Kingdom of Pzeya. At that time, most of my classmates from both countries would growl at each other on a daily basis, waiting for news of their conscripted family members, and there were no repercussions. For a while, I, too, was dying of nervousness. Venya had gone to war.

I can still remember the feeling of panic when we lost contact. In the end, Venya survived, and our country was victorious, so it was a happy ending. In the meantime, our Duke became engaged to Count Orsini's young lady. Hmm, now that I think about it, Lettis, didn't he leave his fiance and fall in love with the heroine in the novel?

Even if it was an arranged marriage, you still took the devastation route? Tsk tsk.