15 [15]

"What's wrong with that?"

"What if Raymond falls in love with the girl?"

"In that sense, Lord Raymond could set up Harlem with women. Oh, men."

"Father!"

"Do you remember when you were engaged?"

"…when I was five."

"Do you think a child of that age can talk about serious feelings?"

"What do you want to say?"

"I'm telling you to stop fairy tales. I saw your mother once before I married her. Catherine Haier, you mentioned, would have been engaged to Dulan Lloyd by that age. So did you and Lord Raymond, me and Lord Haier. To fall in love and get married is to sing to the people on the street. Love is built up after marriage."

"I loved Raymond the moment I saw him!"

"You fell in love with the blue diamond you got on your last birthday."

"Daddy."

"Do it right. You're being too emotional here. It's hard for me to imagine him marrying someone else's fiancee because he's suddenly broken up."

But father. He thinks everyone will move according to their interests and rationality. But is that so? Are you sure? Is Raymond going to marry me for the benefit of his life and be obliged to have a child and marry him to present to his father a grandchild with the last name of the nobility?

"A blue dress would be the best."

"Madam, please raise your arms."

Isela couldn't speak. He has an obligation. Born in the name of Evans, he must be fed, marinated, and rewarded. Isela wore the least favorite blue dress.

"Do you still have nightmares?"

"…sometimes."

"What kind of nightmare is it?"

Isela felt a little light coming in from the window.

"It's a nightmare with a dead body."

"Why, did your mother or I die? People are supposed to die....”

"No, it's not."

"Don't cut me off."

You have to talk. When my father hears it.

"Here, Haier's… It's a nightmare to see a maid with black skin."

"Was there a maid like that?”

"…we took a vacation from the second day we came. Her body keeps coming out in my dreams."

"Then what are you worried about? If you call the maid and see her alive, that ridiculous nightmare will end. Don't tell me you're a prophet."

"No, it's not....”

I swallowed my saliva.

"I've been on vacation ever since."

Verdick, who was frowning while looking at his clothes, raised his head for the first time to express wonder.

"What? It's been a while since we've been here..”

"Father. I haven't seen her since that nightmare."

Why did the black maid disappear after that? If it was a welcome sight to see the body, shouldn't it have appeared the next day after? Isela kept shaking. That night, I remembered the vision I had seen in the room. The severed maid's face was scarred. It was an overly clear welcome.

It was so scary.

***

The dinner was very uncomfortable from the start.

"Mr. Raymond, what do you think about the finest wines coming out of the monastery when gourmet food is definitely a form of pleasure?"

Looking at the color of the beautiful rose wine that matches the pink foie gras, Isela said.

"I'm sure Father Duran knows that better than I do.”

Raymond passed it gently.

"…I don'

Dulan, who was holding the wine, barely swallowed it and answered.

Duran was almost being tortured. Before a few words came and went, the shoulders shrank. Raymond's expression changed strangely as Duran continued to stutter. Today, Duran's stammering made it uncomfortable for those who watched him, so Raymond no longer passed on the conversation to Dulan.

Breaking the moment's silence, the lord spoke to Karen.

"Carran, are you okay.”

"Yes, thank you, Father. It wasn't that bad.”

"Thank you, Lord Raymond."

Raymond answered with his eyes bent.

"I'm just ashamed that I can't stop you in time, my lord."

"Thank you very much, driver."

Karen smiled and saw Raymond with eyes resembling violets. Raymond smiled face to face, and Isela bit her teeth and spoke again.

"So what do you think of Father Duran?"

"…what, what?"

Oh, that confidence. That shamelessness. Karen praised Isela's firmness again and silently ordered water instead of food.

Can't we just shut up and eat the next one? Why does today's meal take three hours? Do we have to endure the kind of high heels of Isela, not the high heels under the table, but the kind of shoes she holds in her hand and hits?

Moreover, should we taste Verdick's ambition and become sullen and notice Raymond's goodwill? Even without alcohol during that time. Karen chewed the goose's liver and waited for the conversation to pass. If it's comfort, the mushroom smell of the sauce on top is quite good.

"I was curious about the priest's view on the relationship between gastronomy and sin."

Instead of Duran, the lord lowered the knife and continued the conversation.

"It's a sin to not control yourself, but it's hard to admit that gourmet itself is a sin. Young Miss Evans, then do we sin every day?"

At the words of the elderly lord, not Dulan, whom she targeted, Isela paused for a moment but continued again.

"Isn't excessive gourmet a sin? I'm just curious. Food definitely gives us great pleasure, but don't you think we need moderation?”

"Then it would be a problem to set the 'excessive' standard. It sounds like this meal is going too far. What makes you say that?"

"The most obvious thing is that the ruler should always think about the ruling class?"

Young-ju, who is quite old, slightly moved her eyebrows in the apparent hostility of a young woman, but that was all. It was hard to scold my daughter in front of my father. Even the father had a lip service to his daughter's behavior.

"Well, then, does Ms. Isella think today's meal didn't think of our Englishmen?"

It was a very attentive meal. Much more luxurious than the only birthday party for my daughter.

It was certainly a sumptuous meal to celebrate his contract with Berdick, but it was clear that only appetizers and soups were served.

The appetizer alone was a few things. In addition to foie gras, ravioli with chives and spring onions was accompanied by mint and garlic sauce, and there was also caviar pickled in sea salt. Garnish had a mixture of boiled eggs, mashed parsley, onions, and sweet pumpkin sprinkled with a little sugar and salt, all in good shape and texture.

It was plain considering what the Evans had been serving Raymond, but considering what he had at Haier, it was an unprecedentedly luxurious meal. Isela was pointing it out.

"Yes."

"Ha."

Despite Young-ju's expression of displeasure, Isela continued to speak firmly.

"Looking at the commercial districts that we're trying to improve through this project, they're in terrible shape. Not only sanitation, but also the average nutritional status, and I thought we needed a systematic improvement."

"Huh. Is that a validation?"

"Of course. I've done enough research through the papers even though I haven't been out sick for a while, and I'll tell you the conclusion I got from it."

The lord of Haier's face was slightly stiffened and changed the direction of the horse to the dashing girl's father.

"Berdick, your daughter is a big bet."

"Haha, my lord, please take it kindly. Our youngest daughter is not only pretty, but also knowledgeable and curious."

But who doesn't know?

That rudeness. Karen quietly stuck out a glass of water. Isela usually enjoys pretending not to think. I hope you are a light and cheerful girl. But here, Isela changed her attitude as if she were turning her palms upside down, hoping to look good on Raymond.

He calculated that it would be better to show his virtue as a wife, as there is a beautiful Karen who is just a pure girl and even a romantic accident.

When Raymond, a soldier, was away, he wanted to show how suitable he was as a hostess. Even if it seems rude, I intend to let you know that at least you have enough capacity as a wife if you are not enough to be a loved one.

But that wouldn't be appropriate for Raymond.

I felt Raymond looking sideways at Karen.

'Oh, this time again.'

Berdick and Isela are used to reconsidering and marrying each other, and Karen also knows that to some extent it is natural. Who can make fun of countless people living their lives up to their own standards? The story of a princess falling in love with a stable girl is not used in fairy tales these days.

Evans needed to think more simply.

Raymond is an aristocrat, able and soft-spoken but not Berdyk. He wasn't a merchant and he wasn't very good at weighing the pros and cons. He is a young man in his 20s and a man who has had a horrible time with that fine face.

Karen is not even the daughter of a stable girl, but a semi-gwi, and is more than twice as beautiful as Isela. And since Raymond is scheduled to be a baron, if he reverses his words, the only thing he can offer is wealth.

"Sigh."

Karen sighed a little and put down the dish.

Karen was upset to see her embarrassed father.

She looked straight at Isela and said,

"I didn't know you were using moderation as a virtue."

Karen said with a slightly offended look at Isela's dress. Isela smiles and hits Karen's arm.

"Oh, Karen, don't say that. I'm not saying, like a monk, excuse me, be patient. Moderate consumption and cultural guidance are necessary. My dress and accessories are never too much consumption. What do you think, Raymond?"

"Miss Evans, I didn't get a lot of instruction from you, but I certainly learned one. They don't interfere with women's consumption.”

Isela laughed loudly.

"Of course, if you're a spouse, you'll have to interfere.”

I stopped laughing.

"I'm not blaming Evans for Young-ae. Mr. Verdick Evans is a generous gentleman to his family."

"…yes."

"Of course, Lord Raymond. I'm always generous to my family."

Berdyk said with exaggerated spread of his arms. insinuate that when he becomes his family, it's nothing.

"But I'm glad."

Karen stepped in.

"That's what Ms. Evans says now, because our home meal is great for her, too. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Isela Evans raised a glass of water. His eyes trembled slightly with anger.