Perhaps it was because we were close to the sky, the sunlight was especially strong. I stared blankly at the ceiling in the middle of the bright bedroom, as if it had been lit by dozens of lanterns.

‘It’s been a long time since I woke up feeling so refreshed.’

For me, who suffered from insomnia, it had been a long time since I’d felt this sensation.

I guess you could say it was quite refreshing to skip the aristocratic dinner.

‘Last night’s dinner…it would have been an important occasion for Viscount Weatherwoods.’

You didn’t participate in the first dinner of your return after four years of absence?

‘I messed up right from the start.’

Now that this had happened, we would have to revise the plan.

I could go with the concept of a nerd who has no sense of social cues. Perhaps this could be a more convenient route for the Weatherwoods family.

‘If rumors spread that the master is stupid and arrogant, there will be no one who wants to get close to him. He’ll be isolated by himself, and he won’t have enemies.’

The quiet Weatherwoods mansion.

Oh, is this what the headmaid wanted from me afterall…?

“Ah,”

My languid mind was struck with thunder.

Come to think of it, one of my arm felt heavy. It felt like something soft was lying on my arm and using it as a pillow.

I turned my head just in case.

“Did you wake up?”

A breathtaking beauty was looking at me with a sleepy face.

Eww.

“Argh!”

Oh my god!

I lifted myself up, shaking off my arms like a bug, and turned around only after getting as far away from the bed as possible.

Rue, who’d fallen to the floor, raised his chin and smiled eerily.

“You know, honey, you don’t need to wake me up so roughly. I’m very immersed into the role of the viscountess, so if you keep interrupting me, I might leave you here all alone.”

I had suddenly lost the energy to even scream ‘madman’ at him. I replied, clutching my throbbing forehead,

“There are separate beds!”

“What’s wrong with newlyweds using one bed?”

“That’s just a disguise.”

“Is that so? By the way, are you embarrassed?”

Serk. a soft cloth swayed across Rue’s thin legs as he sat up.

Was he wearing the pajamas he bought at the tailor’s? He seemed to have slept soundly next to the husband who was asleep in her outdoor clothes.

Rue, who approached me lightly, rang the bell next to the bed to announce the servants of our waking up,

“Our Miss Daisy is speaking like a fool again because she’s embarrassed. But, with a boy’s face, you look quite annoying. Oh well, it is nothing to get too angry about.”

I thought about it again today.

‘Rue isn’t a man. He’s a dog. There’s no way to reason with him.’

all right, I’d somewhat regained my composure.

Sitting in the chair across from him, I slowly untied my crumpled tie and asked,

“Why didn’t you wake me up yesterday?”

“How could I wake you up when you were sleeping so soundly? Morian wants her beloved Viscount to rest well. Now, check this out. It’s the Black Ragel’s schedule.”

I checked the pamphlet-like paper that Rue handed me.

[ Welcome aboard the Black Ragel.

We are sailing according to the schedule below for the next 7 days.

We hope you have a comfortable and enjoyable trip. ]

The schedule that followed was brilliant.

‘Operas, concerts, invitations to lectures, fairs…’

At the bottom, it said that the members of the aristocratic council would be contacted separately for some events.

“Everyone is busy playing and eating.”

Rue laughed as he drank the warm tea that had arrived before I knew it.

“That’s what friendship is all about. Building relationships with time and effort. For aristocrats, that’s their job. That way, you can have more without letting go of what you have.”

Playing is their job? The way that aristocrats live is truly amazing.

Then I can’t stay still either.

‘Whether it’s Dian Cecht or the client, to gain something, you have to go out and talk.’

You aristocrats who are impatient to play,

Just wait, the master of work, the maid is coming.

“Are you leaving?”

Rue asked as he watched me prepare to go out.

I pondered for a moment and informed my honest purpose.

“The client who sends assassins to the Weatherwoods mansion. I think he’s a member of the aristocratic council.”

I’d been troubled the last few days.

This was because, despite the butler’s warning that all employees of the weatherwoods mansion might become a target and be exterminated, all had been peaceful in Midwinterre and the Weatherwoods. Unexpected peace causes greater anxiety than before. Speculating on my client’s psychology, I came to a pretty good guess.

‘If the client is a member of the aristocratic society, not just a common aristocrat…I understand the quietness that has been of late.’

In other words, there is no reason to attack the Weatherwoods mansion. They would now be able to face Viscount Weatherwoods, who expressed his intention to attend the council meeting this year, face to face.

“Hmm?”

Rue, who raised his eyebrows with a suspicious expression, stood up from the chair that was in full swing.

“Hm, that is true. Your reasoning is pretty good. I was a little surprised just now.”

“What does that mean?”

Rue, who was just around the corner, came over and kissed my cheek.

“This means, have a safe trip, he-he. I need to rest for a bit more.”

Bang!

I closed the door and left the cabin before Rue could finish talking.

‘He’s gone mad! How could he just put his lips on a woman’s face so easily?!’

I continued my steps, eagerly wiping my chin.

I feel strange. Is it because Rue’s behaviour has subtly changed lately? Talking about poetry, god, being newlyweds…

(Argh!!!)

I opened my eyes, reflecting on the warmth of my cheeks.

“Let’s get a hold of ourselves. A man like that is a conman! He takes people’s hearts and bodies for evil!”

Thinking of Rue as a pseudo-religious leader who steals money, my anguish disappeared and my mind and body became at peace.

Walking with a made-up mind, I stopped in the middle of a flight of stairs leading above.

The voices and steps of two men who were walking up before me were filled with weak expectation. I ran up three or four stairs and stood next to them.

“Hey, guys. Did something interesting happen? What are you guys talking about? Let’s get to know each other.”

They looked a little over 20. The two friends asked me with perplexity and discomfort.

“You are…”

“I’ve never seen you before? Hmm. Who are you?”

“Me? I’m just a casual passenger. It’s my first time visiting the aristocratic council. Maybe that’s why I don’t have any friends. I’m very bored.”

The two scanned my appearance with suspicious eyes.

Then they checked the watch on my wrist and let go of their vigilance.

It was a watch that Rue had given me, but it must have been expensive and enough to meet their standards.

“It’s your first time attending? Alas, it’s understandable that it’s boring. The people who come here are like vultures, always ready to look for prey to eat. And if they pretend to, they don’t actually hang out a lot with each other. It’s hard to mix in with them if it’s your first time here.”

“Oh, really?”

“I’ll warn you about one thing, my friend, since you’re a handsome man. Watch out for ladies whose eyes light up when they see you. You might be targeted as a sweetheart son-in-law for some people without your knowledge. Capitalists who have a little bit of money are all eager to get in on the banquets here to make personal connections through marriages.”

The blonde introduced himself as the son of a newspaper company’s president, while the black haired boy introduced himself as the son of the president of a bank.

They were more accessible because I hadn’t introduced myself as a member of the aristocratic council. As if they had waited until they finished their introductions, they opened up their mouths to ask about me, and I cut them off and jabbed up the stairs.

“All right, seniors. So where are we going now?”

Perhaps he appreciated the term ‘senior’, for the son of the newspaper company’s president laughed,

“Haha, if you’re looking for something interesting, it’s definitely the aristocratic council. Something fun happens everywhere, no matter if it’s unlucky.”

The son of the bank president took over,

“Yes. There is no spectacle so interesting as the battles of successions among them, especially that of Duke Berkley Gratten.”

“Come on, let’s go before it’s too late.”

I think I just heard something very interesting.

Without further delay, we climbed to the deck at the top of the airship.

The wind was relaxing.

I closed my eyes for a moment in the wind, which blew at the right height, at the right speed, and at the right temperature.

This is what I liked about a super-large airship. Perhaps because of the high structural stability of the aircraft, there was a deck to enjoy outdoor relaxation like there would be in a cruise ship at sea.

“Hey, don’t let your eyes wander. Follow us, it’s that way.”

However, it seemed that the children of the upper class, whose only job was to play, had no intention to enjoy the relaxing wind.

I followed them with a little regret.

The deck of the Black Ragel was a little unusual in its structure. The square located in the center was the lowest, and the area surrounding it was a structure in which layers were raised like stairs.

“It’s like the Colosseum.”

“Is this your first time on board the Black Ragel? This ship belongs to the family of Duke Berkley Gratten. It is said that this space was designed for training purposes, and it is very popular among men and women of all ages because of its unique atmosphere. ”

“Indeed. The other large-airships that have recently been ordered to be made are modeled after this circular colosseum type design.”

Super-large airships cost astronomical amounts to design and maintain.

I couldn’t believe they put a training ground on top of such a vehicle. It was truly sacred.

The son of the newspaper owner whose main specialty was slowly explaining today’s events for me, spoke,

“Look! fortunately, it hasn’t started yet. Look, you see the two men and women standing opposite to each other in the center? The woman on the left is Jean, second in line to the Duchy of Duke Berkley Gratten, and on the right is Oster, fifth in line.”

Jean.

It was a familiar name. With my eyes narrowed, I looked closely at the face of the woman called Jean.

“Ah, yes. It doesn’t look like they’re on good terms. So why are they standing opposite each other like that? Are they going to do a poetry recitation competition or something like that?”

“Poetry? The successors of Berkley Gratten? Phew, what a joke.”

“The two of them are fighting a duel. Didn’t you hear about the duel that was announced at the aristocratic dinner last night? They declared that they would not be responsible if anyone got into the middle of the fight.”

Ah, sorry,

I was sleeping back then.