War clouds gathered over the dining table.
At Cordelia's request, it was Cider who escorted Cordelia. Though both were called counts, Alastair's title of Count Sterling was strictly speaking his father's, not his own, so Mrs. Wellesley merely raised her eyebrows slightly and acquiesced silently.
For the reason that they must not be looked down upon by Alastair Renfrew even slightly, today's dinner was obsessively lavish, unlike the heartfelt dinner that had been prepared to welcome Esperanza and Cider.
They strictly observed etiquette that had been casually glossed over before. To balance the number of men and women, the territory priest's son was hastily invited.
Due to the strange atmosphere, he, who still hadn't been introduced to the guest, said blankly to Esperanza.
"This is the first time I've seen Miss Cordelia turn away from someone like that."
"There was a story worth it. It's nothing for you to worry about."
Esperanza blocked the question appropriately but firmly.
Mrs. Wellesley politely addressed Alastair as Count and ensured that conversation opportunities circulated sufficiently.
If she hadn't known Mrs. Wellesley's true feelings from the reception room earlier, she would have thought it was pure goodwill. Alastair was also respectful to Mrs. Wellesley, but couldn't hide his discomfort.
"Lord Sterling, are you feeling well?"
Only after hearing that name did the priest's son realize Alastair's identity and hiccup. Esperanza looked at him pitifully and turned her head.
"Thanks to your concern, I've improved. Since I cannot impose for long, I wish to return soon."
"Are you going to Nine Holder?"
Cordelia, who had been treating Alastair as if he didn't exist until now, opened her mouth.
"......Yes."
"The people of Nine Holder will think we're despicable people, forcing someone with a broken leg onto a train."
"Cordelia!"
When Mrs. Wellesley snapped, Cordelia primly turned her head.
"Count Sterling, I apologize on her behalf. Please don't mind what Cordelia said. But I also think traveling by train with an injured body would be difficult."
"However, I cannot impose further."
Cider heard Cordelia mutter, 'Hmph, at least he has some shame.' Fortunately, she spoke very quietly, so no one except Cider heard.
"That's natural. Lord Sterling would naturally do the same, wouldn't you? If such a thing had happened in Dunbarton."
"......That's true, but."
The Count Sterling, barely twenty, could not defeat the shrewd Mrs. Wellesley. He couldn't very well say 'we're not in that kind of relationship' here.
Though it was a perfect dinner, Alastair Renfrew had to force himself to chew and swallow as if chewing cardboard.
After the meal ended, only Cider and the priest's son headed to the smoking room. Alastair said he didn't smoke cigars. However, after saying that, when he realized he would have to remain in the reception room with only the Mabelwood family and Esperanza, his face turned ashen.
"You really have no intention of trying paoran?"
Cider, who looked as tired as Alastair, asked while bringing the paoran close to her lips. Esperanza pulled her head back like a picky child.
"I don't like it."
"Right now it looks like I'm going to be left alone with that person in the smoking room."
After learning that Cider was Count Avondale, the priest's son had attached himself to him enthusiastically. He was talking about basic things as if showing off, saying he was interested in magical engineering, which was very bothersome to deal with.
"Will it have to be like this the entire time Count Sterling is here?"
"Maybe it's stricter today because it's a dinner party."
"I hope so. See you later."
Cider headed to the smoking room with dragging, slow steps as if being pulled. Only mouse-like silence flowed in the reception room. Unable to bear it, Mrs. Wellesley asked.
"Count Sterling, you know how to play chess, don't you?"
"I only know the rules."
Of course, he would be better than that. Alastair was being extremely careful. Wondering if he might appear to be showing off, or if saying he was good might get him into trouble.
"Cordel...... no, Esperanza. You know how to play chess?"
"I also only know the rules."
This was sincere.
"Perfect!"
It's not perfect.
Esperanza intuited that she would become a sacrifice to the atmosphere and sighed. She'd rather Cider return quickly from the smoking room.
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
There would be no point in mentioning the record. She lost everything. Miserably. Alastair Renfrew was bewildered at first, then started glancing at Esperanza suspiciously wondering what scheme this was, and eventually began letting her win.
'Should I accept this or not?'
A child was offering a bishop for her to take, and accepting it would hurt her pride, but if she didn't accept it, even with her meager chess knowledge, she could see it would end in a few moves.
"You really only know the rules?"
"That's what I said......."
Why doesn't anyone believe me? Cordelia opened her eyes wide and examined the board situation. Mrs. Wellesley also clicked her tongue in disbelief. Her shoulders felt heavy as if she had entered as Mabelwood's representative. Unable to watch anymore, Cordelia intervened.
"Ugh, let me try. I'll play the next game!"
"I'd like to stop now......."
Alastair opened his mouth, then quietly closed it. It wasn't a situation where he could withdraw.
When Cordelia and Alastair faced off with the black and white chess pieces between them, Cider returned. Somehow he had managed things—the priest's son had already left. Since he had only come to balance the numbers anyway, there was no need for him to remain.
"Lord Avondale, it seems you haven't taught Esperanza chess."
"She doesn't know how?"
Sharp paoran smoke clung to his collar. Cider took out what appeared to be perfume from his jacket and sprayed it on his sleeve ends as he asked.
"She only knows how to play."
"Oh dear."
"I've heard that the Count was a chess champion at college."
You couldn't expect modesty like 'I was lucky' from Cider. He answered with a smile that raised the corner of his mouth.
"Teaching move rules one by one doesn't suit my temperament."
After saying that, when his eyes met Esperanza's, he tilted his head.
"Still want to learn?"
"After hearing that? No, no thank you."
She wasn't interested anyway. Meanwhile, Alastair and Cordelia were continuing a close match, exchanging victories once each. Cider glanced at the chess board, then withdrew his gaze without regret and said.
"Let's wrap this up appropriately and hear about how Lord Sterling came to Mabelwood."
Ah, right. We should have asked that. Focusing on lightening the atmosphere had put the cart before the horse.
"......I didn't mention that. It would be good for you all to know."
The game naturally stopped. They cleared the chess board and brought chairs to sit in a circle. When Cider naturally handed Esperanza a small cushion with tassels, Cordelia looked at the cushion with strange eyes.
"Want to use it?"
"I'm fine."
Come to think of it, no one else was holding a cushion. Esperanza quietly placed the cushion on her lap. When the atmosphere was arranged, Alastair opened his mouth with difficulty.
"My coming here was never planned."
It should have been that way. Cordelia muttered primly and got her hand pinched by Mrs. Wellesley. So this is what cushions are for.
"It happened while I was staying overnight at an inn in Grizzlemand on the long journey to Nine Holder."
Grizzlemand was a station halfway between Nine Holder and Dunbarton, shaped like a bear.
"I couldn't sleep at all and was staring blankly until dawn when I heard strange sounds."
It was a bleak dawn with the sound of wind hitting tree leaves. His accompanying attendant was snoring in sleep, but Alastair was wide awake alone. On the way to Nine Holder, a place he had never been except once when very young, he thought many thoughts. Those thoughts often led him to sleepless nights.
"Let's leave before it's too late."
"Shh. Keep your voice down."
There were people passing in front of his door with muffled footsteps. Alastair felt his mind snap awake.
"The Chancellor's dogs have followed. If we get our tail stepped on......."
Alastair had particularly good hearing. He carefully put his ear to the door and breathed quietly.
"It's better not to make enemies with the Chancellor, but since it's important business, we can kill them if necessary."
Hup. Alastair involuntarily drew in his breath. Those who noticed the sound moved busily. Two horses could be seen running from outside the inn toward the direction of the rising sun.
Some conspiracy passed before his eyes. Alastair didn't think long. He scribbled a note saying he'd return soon and led out any horse from the stable.
Until then, he planned to return before dawn. But after chasing and chasing those men, when he came to his senses, he was surrounded by masked figures in a dense forest.
"I don't remember well after that. Fortunately, they spared me after discovering a watch with Dunbarton's crest on my body. I seemed to have fainted, and that was probably the outskirts of that forest. And when I woke up, some bandits were surrounding me. They looked very angry."
I think I know why. Esperanza flinched, and Cider shamelessly added "oh my" as commentary.
"It's not a story suitable for ladies, but I was beaten badly. All the injuries on my body were from that time."
The bandit group that had been thoroughly beaten by well-dressed ladies and gentlemen discovered a similarly well-dressed young man and took out their anger on him. They stole all the jewelry from his jacket. Fortunately, since he was traveling, he wasn't carrying anything important.
"The bandit group will likely leave this area soon, so there's nothing to worry about, but the ones I initially chased were skilled. They were probably people someone had intentionally trained. Likely assassins or informants. I don't know if Mabelwood was the target."
Assassins. Hadn't we encountered one very recently? It wasn't suspicion but certainty. Those assassins had followed them. Though I don't know who sent them or why.