Chapter - 19 || The One Where The Nobility Was Far Away?
[ E/N - I saw a reposter on the web so I'll be adding links in between to (hopefully) help to stop it. So please ignore it.
(シ_ _)シ ]
—At that time,
In the Kingdom of Turku, a ball was being held by the royal family to celebrate Natalia becoming a saint.
The main characters, Alexander and Natalia, did not show up, but the leading nobles had already gathered in the hall of the palace and were enjoying chatting.
Then,
"Well, isn't that Count Sylven's son..."
A young nobleman with golden hair and blue eyes appeared, and the young ladies blushed one after another.
"Esais-sama was also invited."
Gossip was exchanged while the mouths of the people were covered with fans.
"I thought you didn't like these type of things."
"It's different tonight."
However, it was one middle-aged nobleman who broke the eager gaze of the ladies.
"Isn't that Esaias-sama?"
Esaias looked back at him and made a smile.
"Well, well, Count Huskevi. It's been a long time."
"I hear you'll be leaving for your estate soon?"
"You must be joking. I'm just going to have a look around. Please don't send me away."
Count Huskevi shook his ample belly and laughed loudly.
"Well, well, well, I beg your pardon. It seems that I was mistaken. I thought you were going to retire because you were shocked to find out that Elvira-sama was a fake saint."
"Really. You seem to have misunderstood something fundamentally. It's too early for me and my father to retire."
[ E/N - Please read this on https://vanillamintmtl.blogspot.com/ ]
Esaias looked at Count Huskevi with questionable eyes.
"My sister Anna, as the fiancée of His Royal Highness, Prince Patrisch, is also doing her best to do her role and must be watched over."
A tense atmosphere filled the area.
Count Huskevi smiled mildly to break it.
"Oh, yes."
"I heard you've become the guardian of Lady Natalia."
"Yes, well. Baron Zwoto asked me to be her guardian, so I was forced to do it. I told him there might be someone better, but..."
"No, no, no. Count Huskevi's presence must have put Natalia's mind at ease."
"No, no."
Count Huskevi laughed in a indulgent manner, while Esaias asked in a generous tone,
"By the way, when will the saint be unveiled?"
Those who had been listening couldn't believe their ears.
Count Huskevi shook his belly, as if he was amused.
"Have you been dazed since before you retired to your domain? Didn't you just make your debut the other day?
See, the nobles were gathered in the temple, and Lady Natalia was holding the Maiden Lily. I believe Esaias-sama was there as well."
Esaias rolled his eyes.
"Are you referring to that one where most of the nobles ended up waiting outside the temple?"
This time, the surroundings was definitely quieter. But Esaias continued without hesitation,
"I thought it was some kind of practice, because it was so different from the usual. Oh, right, that was the unveiling, wasn't it?
I was inside, but I was too far away to see the 'Maiden Lily' properly. Of course, the Count, her guardian, was able to see it up close, wasn't he?"
"...Of course."
"I envy you. You are indeed the Count."
The Count glared at Esaias from below.
"Esaias... you... what do you want to say?"
"Nothing? I'm just telling you what I saw. What's wrong with that? I'm sorry if I said something that wasn't true."
Count Huskevi approached Esaias with a red face.
A voice echoed throughout the hall.
"—The entrance of His Majesty the King and Saint Natalia."
The atmosphere changed, and people turned their attention in a panic.
Cheerful music played in unison, and Alexander and Natalia entered the hall.
People quickly opened a path.
[ E/N - Please read this on https://vanillamintmtl.blogspot.com/ ]
As she walked through the crowd, Natalia smiled thinly and thought, 'It's nice to see this scenery again and again.
Everyone is giving me space, even though until recently they made fun of me for being a commoner.'
A smile that she could no longer hide, was disguised by turning to Alexander, who was standing next to her.
"I am very happy, Your Majesty."
The young king nodded at Natalia as if she was cute.
It was I, of all people, who had brought a commoner baroness to this level of status.
I am the one who is making Natalia happy.
That's what I thought.