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Side Story 13
The time was approaching when a heavy snowfall would turn the North into an isolated island.
As the winter winds grew fiercer, the magical beasts entered hibernation one after another, while the people of the fiefdom stocked up on enough food to last them until spring.
At Crawford Grand Duke’s Castle, food, winter supplies, and alcohol were distributed among all the residents of the territory, and a grand banquet was held.
It was the Winter Banquet, an annual celebration held only once a year to bring the year to a close.
“The heads of the Claude, Supreme, and Despri families, along with their successors, have arrived.”
“Congratulations, Your Grace!”
“The territory grows more prosperous with each passing day. At this rate, we should be able to eradicate the magical beasts completely by next year!”
Every vassal family loyal to House Crawford had gathered in the banquet hall.
The Winter Banquet was a Northern tradition, a celebration of having safely made it through another year and an opportunity to strengthen the bonds between the noble families.
Each family brought along its successor to greet their lord, reaffirm their loyalty, and proudly demonstrate the strength and stability of their household.
Due to its conservative culture and harsh climate, the North was a region where people rarely interacted with one another.
Naturally, it had very little contact with other regions, including the capital. Even the Northerners themselves seldom met, despite living in the same part of the country.
That was precisely why the Winter Banquet was such an important occasion for fostering unity.
Roger engaged in warm, pleasant conversations with those who had accompanied him on the campaigns to exterminate magical beasts, as well as those who helped him govern the Crawford territory.
The lord’s castle, usually so quiet and solemn, was at its liveliest time of the year. The festivities were scheduled to continue until dawn the following day.
Even the castle’s normally stern and rigid atmosphere was different tonight.
The halls had been decorated with dazzling colors and bright ornaments, while dozens of tables were laden with sumptuous dishes and fine wines. Cheerful orchestral music played continuously in the background.
The North might have been a cold and reserved place, but tonight was the one day of the year when people could freely express their emotions and allow themselves to be happy.
“The young people look positively radiant. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my son smile so brightly before.”
“Well, things are different nowadays. The North may still be the North, but the younger generation is living in a new era.”
The middle-aged and elderly vassals watched the young men and women who had gathered on the dance floor, their faces softening with quiet satisfaction.
Although they had spent their entire lives as knights and vassals, their speech and expressions as rigid as ever, their voices carried unmistakable affection.
Roger stood among them, leisurely sipping his wine as he watched everyone enjoy the banquet.
Truthfully, he wasn’t particularly sociable himself, which was one reason he found Northern culture so comfortable.
He had retired from military service, but he had spent most of his life as a stern soldier. That had only made him more accustomed to the North’s reserved way of life.
Still, after spending every day attending official gatherings where he was expected to suppress his emotions, a banquet like this was a welcome change of pace.
It wasn’t that he lacked feelings. There were simply very few people with whom he allowed himself to express them.
Nevertheless, as the lord of the territory and one of the empire’s grand dukes, Roger had a certain dignity to maintain. Thus, he kept his expression impassive even as he enjoyed the festivities.
On this one day of the year when such a cheerful official gathering was permitted, the young men and women of the vassal families began mingling happily.
Some danced together, while others formed small groups and chatted among themselves.
A few enjoyed light refreshments while playing chess or rolling dice.
Meanwhile, Roger spent a leisurely evening discussing the development of his territory with his vassals.
Time passed peacefully amid the cheerful atmosphere. Roger had just finished his second glass of wine when one of the vassals spoke up.
“Now that the territory is growing more prosperous by the day and has finally entered a period of stability, there should be only one thing left to accomplish.”
“And what might that be?”
Roger replied calmly, giving the matter little thought as he accepted a fresh glass of wine from a servant.
“Why, finding a Grand Duchess, of course. Surely the prosperity of the territory depends on the continued prosperity of your house?”
Roger froze.
The wineglass he had been lifting to his lips stopped halfway.
An elderly vassal had been the first to cautiously broach the subject, while two others had clearly conspired with him beforehand.
All three of Crawford’s closest and most trusted vassals were staring directly at their lord.
“We know that a young lady from a noble family in the capital has spent the winter here for three consecutive years.”
“You announced that she was visiting to experience Northern culture, but at our age, do you really think we wouldn’t see through that excuse?”
“If there is no one else you have set your heart on, why not formally propose to her family?”
Roger swallowed a mouthful of wine that suddenly tasted rather bitter.
He hadn’t expected these three to remain unaware of the situation when everyone else might have noticed it.
After all, he had only concealed the matter from outsiders. No matter how discreet the castle’s servants were, rumors were bound to spread eventually.
Fortunately, the North was so far from the capital that he had managed to keep Natalie’s family name and identity hidden.
However, after she had been seen by his side for three consecutive years, it was only natural that more and more people had begun to notice her presence.
Not that I’d gone out of my way to hide it, anyway.
Roger set his wineglass down, his expression as impassive as ever.
“I’ll handle that matter myself.”
Given the North’s harsh environment and unique circumstances, people there tended to marry either very young or very late.
At Roger’s age, he was certainly past the point of marrying exceptionally young, but he still had plenty of time before he would be considered late to marry.
His loyal vassals, however, seemed to have a different opinion.
“Isn’t it time for Your Grace to start a family of your own?”
There was genuine concern in the man’s voice. His words indirectly touched upon the tragedy Roger had experienced in his childhood.
For men who rarely displayed their emotions, it was a surprisingly transparent expression of worry.
Roger placed his wineglass on the small table beside his chair and slowly traced a finger over its smooth, polished surface.
Of course, the vassals knew nothing about the terrible tragedy in which his family had perished because of his own mistake.
Believing that he was still drowning in grief, they were urging him to start a family of his own and finally leave the past behind.
They had no idea that Natalie had already helped heal the deep wounds he had carried for so long.
The memories of that day no longer dragged him into a swamp of guilt, driving him to despise and curse himself.
Now, when he thought back on the past, all that remained was a dull ache deep in his heart.
Roger shook his head and gave them a brief answer.
“I appreciate your concern, but the time isn’t right yet. In the meantime, I’ll continue working hard to govern the territory so that you needn’t worry about its future.”
“Do you truly believe that?”
The question came from the most taciturn and stoic of the three vassals.
Roger looked at him, his gaze silently asking what he meant.
“An opportunity isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you seize before it slips away.”
After delivering his blunt advice, the vassal shifted aside.
Roger’s gaze instinctively followed the movement, settling on the center of the banquet hall that the man had been blocking.
And then—
“…!”
There stood a long table laden with tempting champagne, wine, and refreshments. Smaller, round tables had been arranged at intervals nearby, providing places for guests to play chess and dice games.
Natalie was sitting at one of those tables, playing a game of dice.
And seated opposite her was a young man who happened to be the nephew of one of the vassals.
Roger couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from their table.
Beside him, the three vassals exchanged furtive glances.
Roger remained frozen for a moment. Then, slowly, he lifted his wineglass and took a sip.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. After all, tonight is the grandest banquet of the year in the North.”
The vassals said nothing.
“At an occasion like this, it’s only natural for young nobles to mingle with people their own age. What’s the matter with—”
Roger trailed off.
The silence around him had begun to feel strange.
The vassal who had offered the earlier advice quietly pointed at him with his index finger.
“Your glass is empty, Your Grace.”
Roger’s hand, which had been reaching for his wineglass, stopped in midair.
At the same time, his distracted gaze—which had unconsciously been drifting toward Natalie—swung back to where it belonged, like a pendulum returning to its resting position.
“You finished it just now, while we were discussing the marriage proposal.”
“…”
Clink.
Roger belatedly set the empty glass down, and it struck the table with an awkward, discordant sound that seemed to echo the turmoil in his heart.
“This winter is now officially forecast to bring heavier snowfall than last year. Has the distribution of the heating stones procured from the Mage Tower been completed?”
Roger changed the subject in his usual impassive manner, as though nothing had happened.
His eyes were calm, giving no indication that he had been unsettled just moments earlier.
The vassals played along, smoothly steering the conversation back toward official matters.
Meanwhile, the banquet grew livelier with every passing moment, and the orchestra’s music became increasingly spirited.
Those who had been chatting over refreshments or enjoying simple games gradually began making their way to the dance floor.
“Although I knew Your Grace was rational and exceptionally capable, I never realized you were so generous as well.”
Amid their conversation, the same vassal who had spoken about seizing opportunities suddenly offered this unexpected compliment.
Roger narrowed his eyes.
This time, he hadn’t been distracted by an empty wineglass, nor had he let his attention wander while they were talking.
“What do you mean? If I’ve made any mistakes in the decisions we just discussed, don’t hesitate to point them out.”
Roger spoke in a businesslike tone.
The vassal answered in his usual blunt manner.
“I merely meant that Your Grace doesn’t seem to mind yielding things to your subordinates. A lord who isn’t consumed by greed is certainly worthy of his vassals’ loyalty.”
“How strange. You’re usually so direct. Why resort to speaking in riddles tonight—”
Roger’s voice abruptly cut off.
The vassals’ eyes grew meaningful, and faint smiles appeared on their faces—so subtle that no one else would have noticed them.
Such expressions were exceedingly rare among the North’s stubborn knights, especially the elderly ones.
Yet Roger failed to notice this remarkable change.
He shot to his feet.
In truth, it would be more accurate to say that he was simply too preoccupied to notice anything else.
“Then what about next year’s budget, Your Grace?”
Roger didn’t even hear the vassals calling after him, pretending to try to hold him back.
He headed straight toward the dance floor.
Thanks to the past three years he had spent striving to become the perfect lord of the North, Roger didn’t actually break into an undignified run.
Instead, he walked with the unhurried composure and imposing dignity befitting a grand duke.
But that hardly mattered.
His silver eyes had already grown feverishly intense, fixed firmly on Natalie and the young man beside her as the two joined hands and made their way toward the dance floor.
