Ch.255Noble Guest (2)

After hearing my father’s grumbling, I feel both guilty and bewildered.

I had asked Rina to handle things carefully, but she had warned me in advance that there was a high possibility it wouldn’t work, so I was prepared.

But look at the result now. Not only did the Empire request guidance, but Helium and Alfheim were added as well.

Actually, Cecilly isn’t a problem. I told her what happened between Hyria and me, so she probably requested this to protect me.

The issue is Alfheim, specifically Arwen. I never told Arwen about that incident, yet somehow she sent a formal guidance request.

I wondered if Cecilly might have subtly informed her, but she had no reason to do so. Cecilly has always viewed Arwen with disdain.

So there’s only one possibility left: Arwen requested to guide me with purely innocent intentions.

In other words, unlike the previous exhibition, she will be visiting our territory “officially.” Particularly, Arwen’s attendance at the exhibition will undoubtedly cause enormous ripples.

That’s because, apart from the publishing company president Musk, Arwen was the only connection to Xenon.

Musk is just an ordinary publishing company president, so he can be pressured. But what he wants most is money, and since the Biography of Xenon generates money like a copying machine, he has no reason to reveal anything to others.

Even if he were threatened, he would scoff and use the massive backing of the Biography of Xenon. I also liked the loyalty he showed, so I hinted at our acquaintance in my letter.

For these reasons, it’s difficult to touch or persuade Musk. He’s already getting what he wants most from the Biography of Xenon, and if anyone tries to mess with him, he has the solid backing of Xenon.

But Arwen’s situation is slightly different. She is the Queen of Alfheim, the ruler of a country.

Given the nature of exhibitions that attract crowds, people will surely bother Arwen. Unless implementing a closed-door policy, “diplomacy” accounts for more than half of running a country.

As long as Arwen is known to be connected to Xenon, people will practically shower her with tribute-level gifts rather than just pressure. It’s obvious they’ll be desperate to make a good impression.

‘I wonder how Hyria will react.’

Will Hyria not care, or will she fret and try hard to show her good side?

Even though guidance was requested at the kingdom level, they won’t all come rushing in together. Each country will probably send one representative.

I rolled my eyes thoughtfully and then asked my tired father:

“I can guess who’s coming from Helium and Alfheim. Who requested to come from the Empire and the Kingdom?”

“Well, from our Empire, Princess Rina will come, and from the Kingdom of Teres, Princess Hyria.”

This was as I expected. But my father’s next words surprised me.

“And the Empire requested only about two hours of your time, saying they need your time too.”

“Two hours?”

“Yes. So don’t worry about losing your time.”

Hearing that, I naturally thought Rina had handled things well. Since the Minerva Empire side “considered” me, the others would have no choice but to reluctantly follow suit.

This is what we call image-making. Honestly, if Rina wanted to push me around, no one would say anything. Rina was the Empire’s princess, and I was just the son of a baron.

I’m only talking about surface-level matters. In such a world, people would let it slide without comment.

But showing consideration would likely have a positive impact on one’s image. It creates the impression that “this noble has a considerate heart.”

On the other hand, those who don’t? They can only appear relatively worse. Especially the Kingdom of Teres, which is in a rival relationship with the Minerva Empire.

I smiled inwardly at Rina’s wise handling and opened my mouth.

“That’s fortunate. Are those all the people who requested invitations?”

“For now, yes. But while they say two hours, it will realistically be over four hours. It would be difficult to escort everyone together for various reasons.”

As my father said, escorting everyone together is practically impossible. It could even potentially lead to arguments.

However, I must escort Rina and Hyria together. If Hyria tries anything unnecessary with me, Rina needs to act as a shield.

Above all, there’s one more important aspect left: Marie’s choice.

Marie is publicly engaged to me, and we’ve even had our first night together. It’s essentially a marriage in all but name.

Therefore, Marie could also serve as a guide, but this depends entirely on her choice.

Marie originally detested politics, but she might willingly step forward to help me. I plan to ask her about this when she visits our mansion.

“I understand. I should prepare in advance.”

“Before that, let me ask you one thing. I’m curious why the Kingdom of Teres requested you as a guide, apart from the other countries.”

Come to think of it, I haven’t explained the situation to my father yet. It’s too complicated to include in a letter.

It’s also an embarrassing story to tell out loud. It’s almost like a makjang drama from a past life.

An incident caused by Hyria’s inferiority complex toward Adelia, and I got caught up in this troublesome affair.

“So, what happened was…”

I slowly explained everything that had happened. My father seemed to have vaguely predicted that Adelia was an illegitimate child of the Kingdom of Teres, as he initially accepted it calmly.

As the story continued, my father’s expression subtly changed, and by the conclusion, he looked as if he had heard something bizarre.

Honestly, it’s absurd even from my perspective as the person involved, so how much more for someone just hearing it? My father blinked his brightly shining golden eyes and then let out a hollow laugh.

“Well… it’s such a common story that it’s disappointing.”

“This is a common story?”

“Have you heard the saying, ‘If I can’t have it, I’ll destroy it’?”

How does my father know that phrase? Seeing my dumbfounded expression, my father waved his hand dismissively as if it were nothing.

“It’s a kind of maxim often used in romantic dramas among nobles. Using people for revenge is very common.”

“…”

“But to think that you would experience such a thing… how should I put it… it makes me feel complicated. And not just any noble, but royalty. You’ll have quite a headache.”

My father clicked his tongue in genuine concern. He could have received the title of count but deliberately chose to be a baron, so he must know well the dark aspects of nobility.

Then perhaps he might have an appropriate solution? I asked my father with a slightly hopeful voice:

“Then is there a suitable solution?”

“No.”

“…”

“It’s not because your father is incompetent, but because there really isn’t one. The only method would be for Lord Cross and Princess Hyria to become friends, but…”

My father swallowed the rest of his words and shrugged his shoulders. It was a gesture saying, “You know what I mean without me having to say it, right?”

It simply means it’s impossible. Hyria harbors an inferiority complex toward Adelia and has even suffered humiliation in their duel, so the situation has already reached an irreversible point.

Adelia, with her magnanimous nature, would accept Hyria’s apology, but the probability of that happening converges to zero.

Of course, apart from this, there is one more method left. My father probably knows this too but considers it as the very last resort.

‘If she really crosses the line, I’ll have to reveal it.’

So far, Hyria hasn’t crossed the line. Occasionally she puts a foot on the line, but she doesn’t overtly cross it.

If rumors spread that she stole a man who has a fiancée, Hyria’s image would obviously plummet.

Moreover, her father, King Friedrich of the Kingdom of Teres, is known to the public as a romantic.

From Friedrich’s perspective, he would desperately try to prevent Hyria from crossing the line. Otherwise, it would be a significant blow to both his and the kingdom’s image.

“So, try not to play around with too many women. This father didn’t raise you that way.”

“…I’m not playing around.”

“Let’s see. The daughter of Duke Reckyless, and from Helium…”

“I’ll be going now. Take care.”

Before my father could list names one by one like my mother, I quickly slipped out of the office. I could feel my father’s gaze from behind, but I deliberately ignored it.

It’s good that I left the office, but now I don’t have anything particular to do. Gartz hasn’t brought the typewriter yet, so I can’t write, and it’s awkward to read a book.

I also immediately gave up on the idea of meeting and talking with Kate, as it seemed like only strange words would be exchanged.

‘Maybe I should go inspect the territory?’

Since I’ve been assigned the role of guide anyway, looking around the territory isn’t a bad choice. I might even be able to carefully examine parts I’m not familiar with.

Having made this decision, I headed towards the main gate. Currently, Adelia is probably being measured by my mother, so there’s no need to look for her.

I can submit the maid uniform design by the end of today. With a light heart, I went outside to inspect the territory.

Creeeeak-

As I opened the main gate and stepped outside, the sun was high in the sky, shining brightly. Judging by the intense sunlight, it must be noon.

Our territory has distinct four seasons, so it’s annoyingly hot when it’s hot and terribly cold when it’s cold. In other words, the sunlight is not just hot but scorching.

There’s no concept of UV rays here, so naturally, there’s no sunscreen. One can only avoid the sun with wide-brimmed hats or parasols.

Still, it’s not like there’s absolutely no method. If you protect your skin with mana or divine power, you can prevent sunburn caused by UV rays.

‘But you can’t block the heat.’

This damn hair of mine. It’s already heavy because it’s long, and with the added heat, it feels sticky.

The fortunate thing is that the humidity isn’t too high. It’s much better than being in a steamy hot environment.

I looked around the rapidly developing territory while shielding my eyes from the sunlight with my hand. Originally, the territory was the size of a small village, but it’s now growing to the level of a city.

The residences of the original territory residents were simple, like thatched houses, but they’ve been completely rebuilt. It’s not just remodeling; the buildings were demolished and rebuilt.

Additionally, the size of the only blacksmith shop has increased, the number of stores has grown, and above all, the most significant increase is in inns.

A cultural city is, in other words, a city for tourism, and naturally, the proportion of tourists is very important. An increase in the demand for inns is essential.

Lastly, infrastructure cannot be ignored. Especially in a tourist city, security and hygiene should be prioritized.

Regarding hygiene, Helium has offered to support us, so it will be resolved soon, and the same goes for security.

With two temples being built, discussing security might seem a bit funny, but minor crimes shouldn’t be ignored either.

When the exhibition starts and tourists flock in, the rate of minor crimes like pickpocketing will naturally rise.

‘The problem is that it’s difficult to prevent…’

Minor crimes depend more on civic consciousness than security. Moreover, thieves with developed hand skills are likely to see the exhibition as an opportunity.

I walked through the peaceful streets and recorded some improvement points that came to mind in my notebook. I still consistently use the magic pen that my father gave me as a gift.

“Ahem. Ahem.”

“Huh?”

While I was busy recording in my notebook, I heard someone clearing their throat from in front of me.

I paused my pen and raised my head. Since the person was shorter than me, I didn’t really need to raise it.

The first thing that caught my eye was his build. Not a build gained through training, but one obtained from eating and sleeping well.

Next was his benevolent impression along with somewhat luxurious attire. I’m sorry to say this, but in many ways, it reminded me of a pig.

I was momentarily puzzled by the sudden appearance of this man, but I closed my notebook and waited quietly. Since he seems to have business, shouldn’t he speak first?

Eventually, the middle-aged man, contrary to his greedy appearance, politely put his hands together and asked me in a respectful voice:

“Excuse me. Are you from the Mayshall family?”

“Yes. I am Issac Dukar Mayshall, the second son of the Mayshall family.”

Judging by his politeness, he seems to be a commoner rather than a noble, but he looks wealthy. His appearance was extraordinary from the start.

After hearing my introduction, the middle-aged man nodded and opened his mouth with his usual polite tone:

“It’s an honor to meet a member of the Mayshall family. My name is Musk Grid. I’m a humble person running a small publishing company.”

“Ah.”

I let out a small exclamation upon hearing his introduction. The name Musk is impossible not to know.

He was the president of the publishing company that had a copyright contract with the Biography of Xenon and had been keeping his word all this time. I heard that he was moving his publishing company to our territory, and it seems it was around here.

‘He has the image of a corrupt boss, but this is unexpected.’

This is my first time meeting Musk in person. Moreover, thanks to his keeping his word, my identity hasn’t been exposed, so I can’t help but feel favorable towards him.

With a genuinely pleased expression, I extended my hand. It was a handshake request filled with various meanings, including gratitude.

“So you’re Musk. It’s really nice to meet you.”

“The honor is mine.”

Musk also returned my handshake with a business smile. His hand is thick but well-maintained, giving it a soft touch.

After finishing the handshake, we continued with various conversations.

By the way, I skipped the question of how he knew I was a member of the Mayshall family. With red hair and golden eyes, how could he not know?

“By the way, Mr. Musk, why did you call for me?”

“Hehehe. It’s nothing special. Just…”

Musk trailed off and then asked me in a cautious yet sly voice:

“Since I’m new to this territory, may I ask you for guidance?”