TMDL 46

Chapter : 46

This shouldn’t be happening even before the banquet has begun. Neither Princess Helena, the host, nor Astella had arrived yet.

Once the banquet properly started, the young ladies who were hovering nearby would surely rush in with burning eyes.

Just imagining how troublesome it would be if Astella actively tried to turn the situation to her advantage made Freya want to sigh already.

“Are you okay, Freya?”

Raiden spoke up when he noticed her expression stiffen.

“If it’s too much, shall we go back?”

“…We just got here. Her Highness the Princess hasn’t even arrived yet, and the banquet hasn’t started. We can’t leave now.”

“Still, there are more attendees than I expected. You’ll have to endure their attention for hours—will you be all right?”

“I can manage. I have more experience with gatherings like this, so you don’t have to be so anxious.”

Of course, she had never received this much attention before and had always participated in society events without incident. But she had watched countless young ladies go through all kinds of trials, and she knew what kind of behavior worked best in such situations.

“I came prepared for this much when I stepped onto the battlefield. No matter what happens, I’ll be fine.”

“Doesn’t it feel like too much pressure?”

“Not really. You know I’m not that fragile. So stop worrying now.”

At Freya’s firm reply, Raiden finally relented.

“All right. But if it gets hard at any point, don’t hold it in—tell me.”

“I will.”

His concern for her felt warm. He always put her first, wherever they were. The discomfort she’d been feeling eased a little.

Raiden smiled lightly, released their linked arms, and wrapped an arm around Freya’s shoulders. Seeing that, the murmurs among the young ladies grew louder.

Just as the group that had been gossiping about her gasped in shock, a loud voice rang out.

“Her Highness Princess Helena Rineil Capphilia and His Highness Crown Prince Jairos Etherk Capphilia enter!”

All eyes in the hall instantly turned toward the entrance. Princess Helena entered with a bright smile, escorted by Jairos.

The attendees, including Freya and Raiden, paid their respects.

“Everyone, be at ease.”

As Jairos spoke with a gentle smile, Helena stepped forward instead.

“Thank you all for coming to the banquet I’m hosting today. Especially this time, many people wished to attend, so I hope it becomes a meaningful time for everyone.”

Her lifted gaze landed on Freya and Raiden. Her lively, scheming eyes lingered on them before moving on.

“It seems most of our guests have arrived, so everyone, please raise your glasses.”

It was the beginning of a banquet that promised much turbulence.

“This is a wine I had specially procured. For those who can’t drink alcohol, we’ve also prepared champagne, so choose what you like.”

Helena took the wine glass offered by a servant first. Jairos also took a glass, and the guests followed suit, each choosing according to their taste.

Freya and Raiden chose wine as well. The scent of alcohol and aged grapes rose to her nose. Wherever it had come from, it had by far the best aroma of any red wine she had ever tasted.

“To an enjoyable banquet. A toast!”

“A toast!”

At the princess’s lead, everyone raised their glasses high and echoed her words. It was the customary toast to open any banquet she hosted.

After the familiar ritual, they tilted their glasses and took a sip, and exclamations of admiration followed.

“Oh my! The wine has such a deep flavor.”

“Indeed. It’s rich but smooth, so it’s not hard to drink.”

“I usually find red wine difficult, but this is delicious.”

“This is the best red wine I’ve ever had!”

As praise poured out one after another, Helena’s smile grew deeper. She had gone through great trouble to obtain this wine for today. Seeing the banquet start so brightly put her in a good mood.

“Your Highness, where did you get such delicious wine?”

“It’s a secret. It was difficult to procure, so I don’t want it to become widely known.”

“You’ve already shown it to everyone here. At least give us a hint!”

The young ladies and gentlemen who were fond of wine asked with sparkling eyes. Even those who didn’t usually enjoy wine listened closely, since it was such a rare treat.

Enjoying their reactions, Helena took another sip and replied.

“It doesn’t come from our empire.”

“Then it’s a variety from another country?”

“As expected of Princess Helena—bringing in foreign wine!”

“Then it must be hard to buy separately. What a shame. It’s really delicious.”

Those who had been hoping otherwise showed disappointed expressions. They had wondered if it might be a hidden domestic variety, but to think it was foreign wine.

Even if one could obtain foreign goods with enough effort, a wine that even the princess had struggled to procure would be difficult for an individual to buy.

Even if they managed, the cost would be enormous. Preparing something like this was only possible because it was Princess Helena.

‘It really is delicious. I don’t usually like wine, but this suits my taste. The aroma is great, too.’

Freya had fallen for the princess’s red wine as well. Since it wasn’t something she could easily get, she decided to enjoy as much as she could today.

As she swirled her glass and took a few more sips, Raiden spoke to her.

“It seems you like it, Freya. Aren’t you usually not good with wine?”

“That’s right. But this one’s nice. It’s less astringent, just sweet enough, and tasty.”

“If you like it, I’ll give it to you as a gift.”

“What? This wine?”

Hadn’t he heard the princess say it was brought from another country?

“She said even she had a hard time getting it. How could you?”

“If we use the trading company run by the ducal house, it’s possible. It’ll be difficult, but not impossible.”

“Wouldn’t it be expensive? Probably more than the usual price.”

“Even if it costs 100 gold per bottle, I can have it brought. For you, Freya, that’s cheap.”

“……”

One hundred gold was enough for a family of four commoners to live comfortably for more than two years. And he was calling that cheap.

Freya was once again reminded of who this man was: the head of the Bethelheim Ducal House, the most prestigious and wealthy family in the empire.

Since the ducal house operated the largest trading company in the empire, they might even be able to obtain the wine more easily than the princess.

“…Not too much. Just a reasonable amount, please.”

It was too great a temptation to refuse—especially since she didn’t usually enjoy wine like this. He would know better than she did, so perhaps it was fine to trust him.

“All right. I’ll send it as soon as possible.”

Seeing Freya whisper in a small voice, Raiden smiled gently. Pretending not to ask directly and then averting her eyes shyly was adorable.

“It’s fine if you take your time.”

“It’s a gift for you. I can’t do that. I’ll make it my top priority.”

“Are you teasing me right now?”

“Of course not. I just want to do my best for you, always.”

He gave a playful wink and kissed the back of her hand. It was a polite gesture, but there was a hint of mischief on his face.

Even with so many eyes watching, his bold affection seemed perfectly natural. The lingering tickle on the back of her hand felt unfamiliar, but she could accept it more easily than before.

As she calmly held his hand and finished the rest of her wine, Helena approached the two of them.

“Nice to see you, Duke Bethelheim, young lady of Marquis Valche.”

“Your Highness.”

“Oh, no need for greetings. We already did that earlier—it’s enough.”

Wearing a splendid red dress that matched her dark hair, Helena approached, lifting the corners of her lips as she looked at them with an intense gaze.

“More importantly, the two of you look quite affectionate. I couldn’t help but come over after watching from over there.”

As the host, Princess Helena had been surrounded by many young ladies and gentlemen, yet she couldn’t help but keep her eyes on Freya and Raiden, who stood out on one side of the hall.

They were the talk of the event—the pair who had become the couple of the century. How could she not be curious?

This time, not only had the rumors spread widely, but the details were complicated as well, which made her even more interested.

“I never knew the Duke of Bethelheim could be so openly affectionate. Holding a lady’s hand without hesitation and even kissing it—I’ve never seen you like that before. It’s quite surprising.”

“I suppose it’s because my partner is different.”

“Because she’s the young lady of Marquis Valche? For you to say that much, you must be serious.”

True to being Princess Helena, she skipped any beating around the bush and asked directly with confidence. Jairos, who had followed her, tried to stop her with an embarrassed expression.