The incident that occurred during the hunting competition and its full story were not exposed to the outside world.

This was possible because the hunting festival was exclusively composed of noble families.

These individuals, united by their privileged status, unanimously agreed that ‘there was no need to further exacerbate the anxiety by publicly disclosing a matter that was still uncertain in many ways’.

It was uncertain how long the secret of that day would last, but at least it seemed to have been successful in keeping the embers from burning right away.

“Could it really be related to the royal family?”

Malcolm, who had been quietly listening to my story, slowly nodded.

“It seems to be the most likely possibility. Has the investigation results not been announced yet?”

“No.”

“I wonder if they will even investigate properly.”

“I don’t worry about that because Raphael will personally take action. However, he is not the type to openly talk about the investigation results.”

Wasn’t his corps a secret in the first place?

Raphael had not expressed any open surprise at the Imperial Palace’s reponse. Perhaps it’s because he, like me, suspected the royal family.

‘I should ask him about the investigation results today.’

There was nothing else I could immediately resolve at the moment. After a brief pause, I changed the subject and asked Malcolm.

“Did you find out about the ‘item’ I mentioned before?”

The item that Dian Cecht had been searching for a long time.

In order to uncover the true identity of the ‘item,’ Grandpa Malcolm had been questioning Dian Cecht’s disciples scattered across the continent.

After all, Dian Cecht’s relics were originally entrusted to them.

“I’ve looked into it enough. It’s been quite some time, and most of the direct disciples have passed away. Among their bloodlines, not many seem to know much about Dian Cecht. Only one person had as much extensive knowledge as me. The only significant achievement I gained from him was the will left by the direct disciple. However, I still remember the apple pie I tasted at their house before leaving. It was a very flavorful apple…”

“Let’s continue the apple story later. What is this will left by the direct disciple?”

“Don’t die, Ash.”

My mind went blank for a moment.

“…What?”

“It’s the name of an ancient magic spell engraved into Dian Cecht’s relics. It seems that when all five relics are gathered together, it activates something.”

“The name of the magic spell? ‘Don’t die, Ash’?”

“Yes.”

Why was it that a magic spell alone seemed to display Dian Cecht’s personality?

“It’s a very unique name, isn’t it? It definitely seems to have a healing effect just from the sound of it.”

“That’s not all. We were able to roughly deduce the identity of the ‘item’ that Dian Cecht was searching for. Ash is a very common name among Astrozans.”

Malcolm was saying that the magic name itself had a dual meaning.

“So, was Dian Cecht searching for a person rather than an object? If he knew them, wouldn’t they be very old or dead?”

“That’s highly likely. Or it could be that he was searching for traces of someone named Ash.”

An item that could be found in Midwinterre.

The name was Ash. Presumed to be a person. Could be deceased.

With this information, the scope of what Dian Cecht was looking for had become significantly narrowed.

“Grandpa, why haven’t we obtained this information until now? It doesn’t seem like it would have been that difficult to find.”

“Well, it’s easier said than done! It’s only been four years since the war ended. I’ve been quite busy myself. Thankfully, you becoming the Viscount has helped me take my attention off of the Weatherwoods for a bit and focus on investigation…”

At that moment, the tightly closed door of the room swung open.

“Master!”

With a loud roar, the head opened the door and appeared. She had her eyes narrowed and flames seemed to be spewing out from between her lips as she spoke.

“Didn’t you say it would be a short conversation? You wasted a whole extra 10 minutes beyond the promised time!”

“Don’t call it a waste. It was an important meeting for the preservation of the family…”

“But there’s something more important right now. It’s the preparations for the Hunting Festival’s Banquet! You haven’t finished preparing yet, so come here immediately!”

I was dragged outside by the head maid and, as usual, checked the slow-moving clock.

Current time: 8:30 PM.

That’s right. Today is the day of the Hunting Festival’s banquet. It wasn’t a particularly enjoyable day, so let’s skip the additional explanations.

On the way to the bedroom, where the preparations were being made for the banquet, I noticed Jean watering the indoor plants.

“Hello, Jean. How are you feeling today?”

Sitting in a wheelchair, she raised her plump cheek, which had gained some weight over the past few days, and smiled.

“I’m energized.”

Well, that’s a relief.

The head maid whispered to me in a way that made it seem like she was prying into some terrifyingly significant secret.

“Master, surely you won’t be dancing the first dance with Sir Rowayne… will you?”

“Dance? I think I’ll be dancing with Raphael.”

Thud.

The comb that was sweeping back my bangs fell to the floor. Not a good sign.

“What? You seem unsettled.”

“You didn’t ask for it first, did you…? Did Duke Zenail ask you?”

“Yeah. So what? Is it not allowed? Is there some kind of law that says we have to get married if we dance the first dance together?”

“No, it’s not that, but…”

The head maid pinched her forehead with a pained expression and slowly continued.

“When making a debut in society, the first dance partner is usually a male family member. Each time at a ball, it’s taken in turns by family members, and then it’s someone known to the family. At some point, an outsider is chosen, and for this first partner, you have to choose very carefully. Usually, when both parties have some level of affection for each other, the proposal comes from the other side. In other words, the first dance with an outsider is a sign that you have mutual romantic interest.”

A sign of mutual romantic interest.

Scratching my nose while pondering the meaning, I was scolded by the head maid. I replied, giving up on any sense of dignity or worldly reputation.

“Well, it doesn’t matter now. The rumors have circulated enough.”

“But still, Master, you’ve already reached a mature age, and you don’t have any family members involved in social activities, so you have plenty of excuses. Don’t worry too much and dance with as many men as possible.”

Wear those pointy shoes and dance with as many men as possible? This person, I swear.

But more than that, I was worried about Rue. The hidden meaning behind the first dance is so significant. I couldn’t possibly dance with Raphael merrily with Rue in front of me, could I?

‘It was a good idea to prepare just in case.’

Rue, the self-proclaimed narrow-minded fellow, might not be 100% satisfied. Still, I hoped I could ease his mind to some extent.

…As soon as I thought that, the presence of a guest who started approaching me from the entrance was felt.

If it were an ordinary guest, they would have stopped at the reception room. But he confidently walked up to my bedroom and greeted me at the door.

“Hmm. I’ve come to escort you, Viscount Weatherwoods. You don’t have a prior engagement, do you?”

It only meant that the guest was none other than Rue, no, Count Serenier.

Count Serenier looked stunning enough to the point my eyes almost popped out. The harmony between his voluminous, flowing silver hair and the bright-colored tailored garments was exquisite, like an otherworldly balance.

However, at this moment, I had a concern that hit my heart even stronger than his dazzling beauty.

The question of whether I should accept Count Serenier’s proposal to be my escort.

“Of course.”

I responded positively and sought help from the head maid with my eyes.

“The escort and the first dance are unrelated, right?”

The head maid replied.

“Yes, but there could still be problems.”

I winked urgently with my eyes again.

“Problems?”

Instead of responding with a direct gaze, the head maid let out a loud cough.

“Ahem! Master, should we hang a yellow handkerchief at the entrance?”

“Suddenly? What’s that for?”

“It’s a sign that the lady of this house has a partner to accompany her to the party. A woman with a yellow handkerchief hanging cannot be asked for an escort.”

Really? Such a good custom exists?

In an instant, the uncomfortable faces of certain individuals flashed through my mind.

“Hang it right away.”

“Yes.”

The head maid, bowing her head, left the bedroom with quick steps.

The void left after she departed was filled with Count Serenier’s remarkable presence. Adorned like a bird, Count Serenier’s appearance was quite awkward even to me, so I only glanced at him in the mirror from time to time.

An important matter that needed to be conveyed to him came to mind.

“Oh, right, Rue! I found out who fed Dian Cecht’s heart to me. It was the swordmaster!”

next few chapters will make you swoon