Eren placed his hand lightly on top of the coat.
“It is no issue on my end. But would you not be uncomfortable?”
Tilting his head at a slight angle, he quietly studied Liselotte.
“A banquet is something one observes in a fully prepared setting and venue, but tea time would not be.”
It was the first occasion since Eren had turned away those sent from other regions that they would be inviting a fairly large number of nobles.
From what he had observed so far, the rigid etiquette of the nobles didn’t seem to come naturally to him.
The Grand Duke’s estate likewise adhered to the basic form of a noble estate, yet from time to time there were elements that deviated from standardized rules.
It was as though he followed etiquette learned by rote, but not perfectly.
Eren was well aware of this.
“Would it not be better to use the mansion in the Capital as your separate residence? There is not much furniture inside, so it would be far better than remodeling this manor.”
Walking slowly toward him, Liselotte reached out and straightened his slightly crooked shirt collar.
“Oh, if I have come to the North, I should follow the rules of the North, shouldn’t I?”
His golden gaze lingered quietly over Liselotte’s face.
After taking a slightly deeper breath, he replied again in a low voice,
“There has never been such a thing as Northern etiquette.”
“Etiquette is not everything.”
Liselotte deliberately and lightly adjusted his necktie.
“In the Capital, tying the necktie tightly is considered neater. In the West, they actually prefer not wearing one at all.”
Of course, all standards were ultimately centered on the Capital, but each region didn’t live while completely ignoring its own characteristics.
‘The original Liselotte always insisted on Capital etiquette no matter what.’
Even now, that was the case.
His tilted posture could easily look not just discourteous, but outright aggressive, as if picking a fight, to onlookers.
Lowering her hand slowly, she pressed down on his shoulders with gentle but firm pressure.
As if it had been an unconscious posture, his chest shook sharply in surprise.
Eren hastily straightened his body and caught her waist with one hand.
“Liselotte. This is…”
“I would not misunderstand something like this.”
They were close enough to hear each other’s breathing. For some reason, his gaze kept lingering around the nape of her neck.
Perhaps because she had worn lighter clothing to go to the Court in the Capital, it seemed to bother him.
His gaze lingered more than expected, making her feel oddly ticklish.
At times, the way he looked at the nape of her neck felt like a beast right before a hunt.
Liselotte raised her index finger and pulled his gaze back to her.
“May I use the gate area a bit when receiving guests?”
“…As much as you like.”
“Ah, and…”
Liselotte lightly scrunched the bridge of her nose for a moment, then hesitated before speaking.
“Since there will be guests, um. Would it be possible to strengthen the estate security a bit…?”
“The estate is already protected by magic stones and magic tools.”
“I know. I know, but, how should I put it… appearances matter too, right…?”
“I understand.”
Eren nodded without the slightest hint of doubt.
***
The annex of the Keilos estate had often been used as guest wing and for banquets during the time of the previous Grand Duke, but it was a building that had long since fallen into disuse.
And yet, recently.
The annex, which had been tightly shut, had become noisy and bustling.
The existing Northern style was retained, but anything old or outdated had been newly replaced.
Gazing at the massive monster horn ornament on display, Liselotte muttered seriously.
“It does feel very Northern, but…”
Perhaps because its meaning was unclear, it didn’t suit standing like a statue in the center of the corridor.
Liselotte asked Marsha, who happened to be approaching.
“There are decorations like this all over the Grand Duke’s estate. What exactly are they?”
“They are kept as commemorations after subjugating exceptionally large monsters. This one must be from a particularly enormous one.”
“Yeah… it certainly looks that way.”
Considering it was larger than Liselotte herself, that was hardly an exaggeration.
When she had briefly gone to negotiate with House Gloria, there had been nothing like this, so it was the strongest indication that this was truly the North.
“Princess Liselotte, just a moment…”
Just as the final checks around the area were underway, a maid approached cautiously.
Liselotte asked with a bright expression.
“Has everyone arrived?”
“Well… the Young Lady of House Gloria has arrived.”
The maid’s embarrassment could be felt from her tone and expression.
“She was not on the invitation list, but she came as the companion of Count Ochella’s daughter.”
Rula Ochella. She was the young lady who had shown a high-level, roundabout verbal jab at Valen during the Imperial banquet.
She was one of the people Liselotte had invited.
“Ah, I thought that might be the case. It’s fine.”
The invitation hadn’t been sent out of personal friendship anyway.
To begin with, did Liselotte even have anyone she was close to? She had selected people who were moderately talkative and didn’t have bad reputations, and sent them invitations.
She had even added that each invitee could bring one additional person other than themselves.
‘Rather than worrying about the East, Rula seemed like the type to take the straightforward approach and bring Diana Along.’
By now, rumors about the lawsuit must have spread throughout the entire Empire.
If Duke Gloria couldn’t attend banquets in person to offer an explanation, it would have been long enough for him to be so frustrated that his insides were already churning.
She had expected that he would definitely send Diana instead, to get a handle on the rumors.
However, the maid’s expression was dark.
“It’s not that… They were caught at the gate inspection and are unable to pass through.”
She had increased security, but that wasn’t meant to stop Diana.
Just then, beyond the corridor window, Rula’s sharp voice could be heard.
“Is there still more?!”
Judging from the murmuring voices of the guards, it seemed they were unable to enter the annex.
Liselotte hurried downstairs together with Marsha.
Most of the arriving guests were gathering at the tea time venue, so the entrance was crowded with carriages, coachmen, and servants who had come out to guide them.
Amidst all that, the two young ladies in particularly eye-catching, flamboyant attire were impossible to miss.
“It is a bit unpleasant to assume that all Eastern nobles carry magic tools.”
Diana gently tried to calm the visibly furious Rula.
“Do not do that, Lura. They are the rules of the North, so we must follow them.”
Diana’s body, which had grown even more slender since last they met, couldn’t be fully concealed even by the thick cape meant to ward off the cold.
“What is going on?”
When Liselotte appeared, the attendants stepped aside.
Recognizing her, a guard cautiously bowed his head and explained.
“Your Highness. Well, mana has been detected by the barrier surrounding the outside of the estate.”
“Mana?”
“Yes. Normally, such a reaction occurs with monsters or magic tools.”
Perhaps assuming that, being from the Eastern Region, they would be carrying magic tools, various accessories had been placed atop a cushion held by a maid.
Judging by how simple Rula and Diana looked, it seemed all the accessories they had brought had been removed for inspection.
Perhaps feeling quite wronged, Rula’s expression crumpled as if she were about to cry.
“Your Highness, I am not knowledgeable enough to mix magic tools into accessories.”
Her gaze shifted toward Diana, who stood beside her with her head lowered.
‘So Rula can pass, but Diana is the problem.’
Because the invitation itself allowed attendance as a pair, it seemed she had been caught up in this as well.
Indeed, unlike Rula, who had stepped a foot into the lobby, Diana stood as if an invisible line had been drawn.
Liselotte slowly swept her gaze over Diana from head to toe.
‘The dress doesn’t seem to be made with any monster byproduct materials.’
Her shoes weren’t visible, but if that were the issue, the guards would have discovered it at their checkpoint.
Pretending not to notice anything, Liselotte smiled and reached out her hand toward her.
“A young lady in poor health should not have to suffer so much out here in the cold…”
The moment Liselotte reached out, Diana swiftly pulled her hand away.
For a brief moment, confusion flashed across her face before it was covered by a smile.
“…I have been a bit sensitive lately after being ill. I did not avoid you on purpose.”
Thinking about it, had she not said she would provide treatment and held her hand at the last banquet as well?
With a strange sense of deja vu, Liselotte smiled brightly.
“That happens when you are sick.”
Lightly wrapping one arm around Diana’s shoulders, Liselotte pulled her into the lobby.
As she was pushed in despite trying to hold back and not enter, the surroundings flickered briefly with a blue light.
It was a phenomenon she had never seen from anyone else.
