Episode 100 – Spectacle

*

I’m glad I’m wearing a mask.

Because if my bare face had been exposed, everyone here would have seen my dumbfounded expression with my mouth wide open.

‘A modest event, they said.’

[You’re the idiot for taking the Empire’s humility, representing various countries on this continent, at face value.]

Actually, I had expected it from the moment I first entered this Imperial City.

How modest could the banquet hall of this building, which seemed to have molded the word ‘splendor’ into a form, really be?

However, the banquet hall seemed to have brought the luxurious scenery of the Imperial City directly into the room, to the point where further explanation would be ridiculous.

Dozens of round tables covered with luxurious purple tablecloths were lined up on the left and right sides of the banquet hall, and a long red carpet decorated with gold thread was laid out in the center of the banquet hall.

It was arranged like a wedding hall, and perhaps the Imperial Family’s weddings were actually held here.

I entered the banquet hall slowly, thinking such thoughts.

“Look over there, that mask… could it be?”

“That must be Baron Salvie, the one we’ve only heard rumors about.”

“Ah, that foreign nouveau riche who got into an accident while flirting with Count Boldiras?”

“There must be an incredibly ugly face behind that mask, right? Otherwise, there’s no reason to wear a mask.”

“Who knows, maybe he’s incredibly handsome?”

“Maybe it’s a woman.”

Numerous nobles’ gazes flew towards me.

Since the mysterious tycoon, who had only been rumored about, had appeared at the Emperor’s invitation, the nobles, who needed something to talk about, were scrutinizing my appearance as if licking every corner.

Curiosity, favor, envy, jealousy.

I could feel countless emotions, difficult to describe with a single word, brushing past my clothes.

Of course, there were quite a few nobles who had no interest in me at all.

Nobles who didn’t give me a single glance and were talking amongst themselves with serious expressions.

Unlike the nobles who were relatively interested in me, their topic, who were older and seemed to have higher status, was the death of Villard de Valguire.

It seemed that those people were members of the aristocratic faction that Villard represented.

People who were interested in me, people who were dismayed by Villard’s death.

Everyone was whispering quietly, but just by closing my eyes and concentrating, my sensitive ears were picking up all of their conversations.

Suddenly, the sound of them all gasping, and then an astonished silence, was heard.

I suddenly came to my senses, raised my head, and found that the gazes of everyone, from those who were gossiping about me to those who were lamenting Villard’s death, were fixed on me.

I was soon able to realize the reason.

“Don’t just stand there, come and sit down. Baron Salvie.”

The voice coming from behind me was devoid of any playfulness, unlike usual.

I turned around and greeted.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness Elizabeth.”

“It’s even more of a pleasure to see you here, Baron.”

The Princess approached the Baron directly and spoke to him.

It was only natural that the eyes of everyone in this banquet hall were drawn to me and Ellie with just that much action.

The rumor that Ellie frequently visited the white glass tower where Baron Salvie stayed was already famous thanks to gossip-loving busybodies.

Moreover, due to the Baron, who appeared without a partner after receiving an official invitation, and the Princess, who brought a partner, imaginative young ladies would have imagined a love triangle involving me, Ellie, and even Ellie’s partner.

Of course, it was completely unrelated to the truth, and they were well aware that such scandals were always exaggerated, but since the protagonists of those rumors were talking in front of their eyes, it was inevitable that their attention would be drawn to this side.

That little bitch.

It was a little awkward to show respect and use honorifics to Ellie, who had been talking to me comfortably until just now, but fortunately, it wasn’t difficult.

It had already been over half a year since I started living under the assumed identity of Baron Salvie.

Perhaps I am a more skilled actor than the best theatrical troupe in this Empire.

And if there is an even better actor than me, it would be Ellie in front of me.

She showed me a dignified way of speaking that made me wonder if her usual appearance was an act.

“I noticed you were standing still since you entered the banquet hall, so I was worried if you were feeling uncomfortable, but I’m concerned that I may have disturbed the Baron’s contemplation for no reason.”

I also replied with exaggerated courtesy to her ridiculously roundabout way of speaking.

“I am overwhelmed by Your Highness’s concern. I was merely surprised and admiring how beautiful this Imperial City of the Empire is, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Hehe, the Baron is an interesting person.”

I looked at her partner standing behind Ellie, who was elegantly covering her mouth and laughing, and replied.

“…Your Highness is also very- humorous…”

“Ah. I almost forgot. This is Baron Holland, who is here with me today. Baron Holland, this is Baron Salvie-nim, who is the talk of the town these days.”

Ellie introduced her partner to me and then introduced me to him.

A slight hint of her usual playfulness was visible on her face.

“…Nice to meet you, Baron Holland-nim.”

“…Pleased to meet you, Baron Salvie-nim.”

I shook hands with Baron Holland awkwardly.

A handsome appearance with short-cut blue hair and a firm, muscular body that didn’t match it, and rough, hard hands that were different from his appearance… no, never mind.

Baron Holland’s identity was Deborah in disguise.

The slender figure unique to elves was originally far from voluptuous, and since she was such a strong person, the teacher’s disguise suited her better than I had imagined.

But no matter how well it suited her, seeing Deborah’s face blushing so much that it couldn’t be hidden by makeup, as if she was holding back her embarrassment, made me wonder what the hell Ellie, that crazy bitch, was thinking.

“What is the reason for Baron Holland-nim to participate in today’s event?”

I said, meaning, how did you end up in that state, Teacher?

“Actually, I had urgent business, but how could I refuse when Her Highness the Princess called?”

“Ah… Her Highness the Princess has a bit of a mischievous side.”

“Yes, she does.”

Deborah replied, meaning that Ellie had forced her to wear it.

As I looked at Deborah with pitiful eyes, who was forced to act like a man against her will, her cheeks flushed even more red, and soon she turned her gaze away from me.

When I glanced at Ellie, she turned her back, carefully adjusting the angle so that others couldn’t see, and giggled.

I looked back and forth between Ellie and Deborah and sighed.

Considering Deborah Teacher’s hard work, it was a truly tragic sight, but the other nobles who were watching all of this with bated breath… especially the young ladies, whispered quietly.

“Look, it seems Baron Salvie wasn’t chosen. Look at him sighing… I feel so sorry for him…”

“No, maybe Her Highness the Princess is doing that on purpose to provoke the Baron’s jealousy.”

“Baron Holland, Baron Salvie… Does Her Highness the Princess like Barons?”

“She’s probably trying to marry a noble with a lower title on purpose to prevent the aristocratic faction’s power from growing.”

‘Ha, let them gossip as they please.’

I was guided by Ellie and sat down at a table relatively close to the front.

With good timing, as soon as I sat down, a courtier wearing a large hat appeared on the platform and began to speak in a loud voice.

“Shortly, the Emperor of Sionisia, Siora I, will appear. We welcome everyone who has joined us here today.”

As soon as those words were finished, everyone who had been gathered here and there talking began to disperse and sit down at the tables one by one, and Ellie sat down at the table next to me with Deborah.

The court musicians, who had already come up to the platform, began to play a slow, calm, yet somehow cheerful performance.

As the sound of music spread beyond the doors of the banquet hall and throughout the Imperial City, the guests who had been outside the banquet hall also realized that the event was about to begin and began to gather one by one and enter the banquet hall to sit at the tables.

“Oh, dear,”

I tried not to look at the entrance as much as possible, turning my head unsteadily from side to side, and soon closed my eyes tightly.

Surely, when that music ends, the Emperor will appear and the event will begin.

That also meant that everyone participating in this event had to be seated while that music was playing.

That also meant that Mela would appear through that door before this music ended.

There was probably a high chance that Robin would be next to her.

I judged that it would be better to close my eyes than to see that sight, so I lowered my head with my eyes closed.

Tuk tuk

Someone was patting me on the back, so I opened my eyes and saw Deborah, who was sitting next to me, gently patting my back.

Deborah spoke to me in a voice that couldn’t be heard by others in the noisy music.

“Pull yourself together, Ed.”

“Teacher…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. Raise your head and open your eyes.”

“…But,”

“Look at Robin’s current appearance with dignity. And remember this appearance for when you bring him down someday.”

Perhaps it was because she was disguised as a man, but the Teacher’s words and actions were very masculine and cool.

Deborah’s words were definitely right.

As she had taught me in the past, I knew very well that the more fearful the enemy, the more boldly I had to face them and constantly observe them.

However, what I was afraid of was not Robin, but Mela’s appearance.

Even though, as she said, I had done nothing wrong.

I opened my eyes, but I was still looking at the table.

A strange sense of unease was washing over me, and for the first time in a long time, a warning sound was ringing loudly in my head.

This feeling was not unfamiliar.

The instinctive shiver that something terrible was about to be seen covering my entire body.

It was an instinctive warning that if I saw Mela now, something would surely collapse.

My fists, hidden under the table, were clenched tightly and trembling.

Seuk

A hand that had reached out from somewhere, avoiding the eyes of others, came under the table and wrapped around my trembling hands.

One hand was Deborah’s, and the other was Ellie’s.

“…”

If it were Ellie, who was usually so talkative and quickly grasped and penetrated the core, I thought she would give me some comfort or support, but she quietly held my hand without saying anything.

Deborah also gently wrapped my hand with her rough hand, slowly digging her fingers into mine, loosening my fists, and intertwining them with her own.

As the warmth of the two people was transmitted through my hands, the trembling gradually subsided.

In my memory, that day 20 years ago was vivid,

Just as Mela had given me divine power and blessings with her two hands clasped together, Ellie and Deborah were holding my hands and giving me composure and courage.

I felt something hot rising from the back of my eyeballs and something welling up.

Damn it, the human body is,

Perhaps because I was used to the undead body, a body that reacted so weakly to emotions was extremely uncomfortable.

I raised my head to hold back the tears.

“Ah, damn.”

[This is too much,]

[…I’m sorry.]

Robin and Mela, who had just entered, were seen sitting at a table far away across the red carpet in the center.

Mela was holding Robin’s arm and leaning her head on his shoulder, and Robin was lovingly stroking Mela’s hair.

Mela was enjoying the music with a happy smile and closed eyes.

What the hell,

What the hell, you fucker,

They definitely weren’t that close when I saw them last time.

Ah, you idiot

That was a funeral, and it was right after the resurrected Daniel bit Dena.

If they were stuck together like that even then, they’d be a crazy couple.

Bullshit, they are a crazy couple, aren’t they?

Mela, who doesn’t even know that her lover killed her, and Robin, that fucking bastard, who is acting like that after stealing the woman of the friend he killed with his own hands!

The two were looking at each other and smiling happily,

…

Without realizing it, I squeezed Ellie and Deborah’s hands too hard, but the two of them didn’t let go and squeezed my hands even tighter.

[I’m sorry. Ed, I’m really sorry.]

‘…Huh.’

[What’s wrong.]

‘Something, more than I thought…’

It was a strange feeling.

I even thought it would be better to die one more time than to see that sight, but when I actually saw it with my own eyes, it was better than I thought.

Ah, of course, it’s a shitty sight.

It’s true that it’s a terrible sight.

But somehow, I didn’t feel the torrent of intense emotions that I had worried about, or the feeling of my mind collapsing like when I first heard Mela’s son’s name.

Rather, I felt a hollow yet refreshing feeling as if something big that had been occupying my mind had disappeared.

What is it,

What happened to me?

[Ah…]

[…]

Ah,

Ah, I see.

That cabin in my hometown.

The one waiting for me there, but not actually existing in this world,

That sight that always came to mind whenever I closed my eyes,

The faces of my daughter and son no longer came to mind.

.