Ch.27Birthday Celebration (4)

We finished the opening dance in an atmosphere that felt like the calm before a storm.

Serin reluctantly loosened her grip on my hand, slowly releasing it. Now it was time for the remaining guests to dance and converse.

“Rian, I need to step away for a moment. There’s somewhere I need to go.”

Serin glanced at her parents, who were glaring at her. Indeed, those were two fierce pairs of eyes. I didn’t try to hold her back.

“Go ahead. I’ll be waiting.”

“Wow, you’ll wait for me?”

“That’s… yes, I will.”

“My goodness, they say persistence pays off…”

She expressed her gratitude. Showing such strong emotion over such a small gesture—Serin truly was a modest person.

After she left, I scanned the banquet hall. The space that had seemed so crowded just moments ago now felt empty. It seemed to be the aftermath of Serin’s powerful presence disappearing.

As I took a few steps to look for Rodrick, I was stopped by a wall of people.

“Haha, I’m truly surprised. To think you’d perform the opening dance with the princess!”

“So you’re the infamous Commander Rihart.”

They approached with smiling faces, though their true intentions were unclear. I concealed my wariness as I received their greetings.

“It was an honor beyond my station. I am Rihart, commander of the Windmill Mercenary Group.”

“Oh? As I noticed during the dance, your etiquette is quite…”

“It’s hard to believe you’re a mercenary just by looking at you.”

A fair observation. Most mercenaries tend to flaunt barbaric and violent tendencies, believing it emphasizes their group’s strength.

But Rodrick was different. He now insists that mercenaries should behave like gentlemen and regularly conducts etiquette training for the entire group. As the commander, I needed to be especially mindful of this.

“Come over here for a moment and let’s chat. I have many personal curiosities, and I’ve also become interested in hiring mercenaries recently.”

“I’ll follow. I’m happy to answer anything within my capacity.”

“Haha, excellent.”

They didn’t seem hostile. However, that didn’t mean their intentions were entirely pure—they appeared more interested in my personal background than in consulting about hiring mercenaries.

They exchanged subtle glances before casually bringing up their main point.

“By the way, what’s the reason for wearing a mask as commander?”

“Because my face beneath might cause discomfort to others.”

“Umm…!”

They let out groans. They seemed to think they’d touched on an inappropriate subject.

In truth, my face had provocative elements reminiscent of the deposed emperor and government, so saying it might cause discomfort wasn’t a lie.

Still, these people were relatively decent. Naturally, there were many here who harbored hostility. Ironically, most of them were nobles who had been part of my father’s faction.

“It’s outrageous how a mere mercenary imitates nobility.”

“To think the Empress would entrust the opening dance to someone like him…”

“Birds of a feather flock together—lowborns understand each other.”

Their harsh comments pierced through the crowd and reached me. As their malice became more evident, even those who had shown interest in me began making excuses to withdraw. They seemed unwilling to risk association with me.

‘Personally, I prefer when people keep their distance, but…’

That wouldn’t do.

I couldn’t ignore the potential negative impact on the mercenary group’s future operations. And I disliked the idea of embarrassing Serin and the imperial couple who had shown me goodwill. However, finding a suitable solution wasn’t easy.

As I was rapidly thinking through my options, it happened.

“How vulgar these people are, who hold themselves in such high regard yet behave so crudely.”

A lifeline came from an unexpected direction.

It was a bold woman’s rebuke.

I shifted my gaze to her as she covered the lower half of her face with a folding fan, wearing a relaxed smile.

“The more insecure people are, the more they habitually look down on others.”

It was Baroness Raden.

The woman who had suffered deep emotional wounds during that night with Serin was now walking toward me. The baroness elegantly closed her fan and extended her right hand to me.

“I apologize for not recognizing you before, Commander Rihart. I’m delighted to meet you again.”

“How are the mercenaries I dispatched?”

“Excellent. They have quite a good reputation among my territory’s people. To receive such service at that price—I’ve been fortunate.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

I had specially selected personnel for Baroness Raden. Having experienced such a shocking tragedy, I assumed her trust in mercenaries would be very low. Above all, having promised to support Serin, I needed to cooperate with her as well.

“This is actually perfect timing. I was considering relocating my business, and thanks to those people who were just speaking, my list of candidates has significantly shortened.”

At this deliberate announcement, several men and ladies turned pale.

Baroness Raden was one of the empire’s wealthiest individuals. Her movements dictated the flow of money, and going against that current meant rejecting the mainstream. Those who had just spoken had lost their right to dip their toes in that flow in an instant.

“You’re keeping your promise.”

“I told you, didn’t I? I’m a merchant who values promises.”

Always being Serin’s strength—this was the promise I had made with Baroness Raden.

People quickly realized what her protection meant.

“To think Baroness Raden, who always maintained neutrality, would openly humiliate them…”

“They were all part of the deposed emperor’s faction, weren’t they?”

“Could it be that the baroness has switched to the emperor’s side!”

The hall buzzed with excitement. It was the result of the baroness’s dramatic move. At this moment, in this place, the power dynamic between the emperor’s faction and the deposed emperor’s faction had clearly reversed.

However, some noblewomen smiled sweetly while belittling the baroness.

“But Baroness Raden still doesn’t have a husband, does she? Perhaps her standards are too high…”

“A family without an heir will soon collapse, won’t it?”

“She’s past marriageable age, so it’s over for her.”

Indeed, it wasn’t entirely wrong. If the baronial house lacked an heir, its vast wealth would scatter in all directions.

But the baroness seemed bothered by something unrelated to her family’s prosperity.

“These bitches, calling me a discarded old maid past her prime.”

‘They didn’t go quite that far, Baroness…’

More concerning was the murderous aura emanating from Baroness Raden. During our first meeting, she had impressed me with her gentle charm, but now her demeanor had transformed completely.

‘Did the incident that night traumatize her too much?’

If left unchecked, there was a real possibility of bloodshed.

So, I blocked the baroness, who looked ready to charge forward, and spoke.

“Baroness, please calm down.”

“Commander…”

“Even if a jewel gets scratched, it remains a jewel. A small flaw doesn’t diminish a good woman’s worth.”

“My goodness…”

The baroness showed her surprise openly. Soon regaining her composure, she smiled slightly and asked me:

“Forgive my presumption, but that doesn’t sound like something you came up with yourself. Whose words are you quoting?”

“…Rodrick. That is, our strategist mentioned it in passing.”

“Oh, he sounds like a splendid gentleman.”

“Hmm…”

Can someone who attempted child abduction really be called a gentleman? A fleeting doubt crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it.

“Anyway, thank you. I almost fell for their cheap provocation.”

“You’re important to Serin, Baroness.”

“Oh my.”

The baroness fixed her gentle eyes on me. Then, after looking away, she scrutinized the high seat where Serin was located with suspicion. A subtle sneer followed.

“Haha, so that’s what it was?”

“Pardon?”

“Well, I support my benefactors even if the path is thorny. I hope you overcome your fate.”

“…Baroness?”

I called after her, but the baroness hummed a tune and gracefully left.

Though our encounter was brief, she was difficult to understand. I found it challenging to guess where her thoughts had led her.

‘Somehow… I feel drained.’

Perhaps it was because Baroness Raden had left such a strong impression. Fortunately, no one else approached me, and the number of people speaking ill of me decreased dramatically.

Thinking I might get some fresh air, I moved to the terrace where the night air was refreshing. Indeed, the absence of human scent seemed to improve my mood.

Above all, the wild grass fragrance from the garden resembled Serin’s scent, giving me a sense of comfort.

‘Was I always such a creepy person…?’

To sense her feminine scent in natural smells—it was far from gentlemanly behavior. When had my self-censorship become so lax?

I lamented.

Despite Rodrick’s emphasis on gentlemanly conduct, it seemed I still had a long way to go to fully embody it.

That’s when it happened.

Clunk!

The terrace door swung open and quickly closed again. A woman breathing heavily stared intently at me.

A familiar face.

Someone who had stirred an inexplicable feeling in me since our first meeting.

Lady Rashera Ruat of the Ruat Marquis family stood there.

“Haa, haa… Listen, Commander Rihart.”

She spoke.

“You need to be careful… No, no. That’s not it…”

Thud, thud.

Rashera approached with steps that seemed about to collapse.

Objectively beautiful, her eyes desperately tried to hold back tears.

“Please… help me…”

A massive change targeting the birthday celebration was moving steadily closer.