Chapter 262
Louise and Irina went over to their father, who had come to the Capital. Marghetta also made her way there as soon as the Iron Duke arrived. Although it felt lonely, it was unavoidable to accompany noble relatives to the New Year’s Ball. After all, even though I was in an effective engagement with the three of them, I wasn’t officially part of the family yet.
So, here I am, heading to the New Year’s Ball solo. How strange. My fingers are adorned with an unusual abundance of rings, but there’s nobody by my side…
‘Should I just ditch them?’
With one hand sportively draped in three rings, totaling a dazzling collection of six, I couldn’t help but have such thoughts as they shined painfully bright.
Imagine the spectacle of entering alone with all these rings on! People would think I was some lunatic trying to lure ladies into my net without a partner. Honestly, it’s not like I’m not already infamous for being a madman, but getting whispers behind my back is different from receiving people’s actual gazes.
Of course, this was just a fleeting thought. If I were to take off the rings because I felt the stares, I wouldn’t just look crazy; I’d look like a total jerk.
‘Has there ever been a time when I had a partner?’
Calming my restless mind, I put on my coat. Yeah, I went to these events alone last year and the year before. Why worry now?
Besides, starting next year, I’ll have one partner after another, ultimately stepping in with six!
‘…Six.’
I think about it every time, but it’s such a relief to be blessed with the legendary Gold Duke, who entered the scene with twelve! There’s someone out there who has been doing it for decades, so six should be a piece of cake. Maybe I’ll even start praying to the Gold Duke three times a day!
Normally, only high-ranking ministers and civil servants summoned by the Emperor can enter the Imperial Palace. But during the New Year’s Ball, the palace turns into a lively banquet hall.
While not every area of the palace opens for security reasons, there’s still plenty of room to accommodate all the nobles. The size of the Imperial Palace symbolizes the Emperor’s might and the dominion of the Empire.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Not at all. When else would we mobilize if not now?”
Anyway, the sharp increase in visitors compared to normal means that the poor souls managing the entry lists are in for a world of pain.
Spotting the head of the Imperial Knights patrolling the palace, I greeted him, and he nodded with a weary smile. Unfortunately, his eyes were filled with fatigue despite his cheerful words.
But as the captain mentioned, there’s no other time for the Imperial Knights to shine. As the last line of defense for the Emperor, they can’t just vanish into thin air, or they might find themselves forgotten by the aristocracy. People… die once they’re forgotten…
“Now, please, step right in.”
The captain, giving me a once-over, subtly moved aside.
Upon hearing those words, I turned to glance at the line of nobles who were being thoroughly checked by the Imperial Knights. There’s a long queue right next to me, and slipping through unnoticed feels a bit suspect. I just came to greet people after all.
“It wouldn’t be fair to have the entry procedures be the same for those who regularly have access and those granted temporary entry. It would actually benefit those nobles if fewer had to go through the checks.”
Following my gaze, the captain said with a faint smile. He was implying that since it was crowded anyway, those who could skip the formalities should go right on ahead without hesitation.
It’s always fascinating. The captain, being a hardliner, could be seen as a ruthless stickler for rules, yet here he was, indulging in a bit of leniency. How did he even rise to his current position? Did his accommodating nature somehow earn him the top spot?
“Well then, excuse me.”
No need to refuse when an annoying process gets brushed aside. Time to step in with a cheerful heart.
After bowing slightly to the captain, I passed through the checkpoint, revealing a surprisingly calm interior compared to the earlier chaos outside. Did I arrive too early? There sure aren’t many people inside yet.
“Oh, you made it too.”
But among the few present, I was taken aback to find the Judicial Minister there. Why is a Count and a minister showing up so early? Has he aged that much that he’s lost his ability to sleep?
“No, why are you here so early?”
“If you come when it’s crowded, you’ll get too much attention. Seriously, you wouldn’t believe how many people want to bother me about the fixed budgets.”
I could only nod in agreement at the Judicial Minister’s expression of frustration.
From December to January is definitely a challenging time for a minister. He has to deal with requests, pleas, and complaints from various departments and organizations. It seemed he decided to come early to hide away rather than attract anyone’s ire.
“And you?”
“I thought I’d attract too much attention, so I came early.”
His eyes seemed to imply, “Aren’t you just the same?” But I was gathering my own kind of attention, not due to authority, but because of these six rings!
As I awkwardly fiddled with my hands, the Minister noticed and chuckled. This was a guy who created a ruckus all summer about pushing Marghetta away, and now here I was turning into Little Gold Duke!
“You came alone, so we aren’t having a joint wedding yet, huh?”
I couldn’t think of a retort for his teasing. Honestly, this topic would give me endless torment for the rest of my life.
Ah, past me. If I was going to go crazy, at least I should have done it decently.
“And why are you alone, Your Grace?”
Stuck with no way to counter his teasing, I cautiously redirected the topic. It was indeed peculiar. Nobles usually bring their spouses or partners to events like the New Year’s Ball. I hadn’t heard of any family troubles, so why was he solo?
Fortunately, it didn’t seem there were any domestic issues, as the minister casually pointed somewhere with his finger.
‘Ah.’
In a cozy little group, some very familiar faces were gathered, engaged in conversation.
All of them were known to me. The minister’s wife and some heads from the Ministry of Finance, all huddled together. The youngest among them had the audacity to be the last to arrive!
“We all decided to come early since we’re all suffering together. I didn’t think you’d show up, but come join us if you have nowhere else to go.”
“Sure, okay. Sounds fine.”
Not a bad suggestion, I followed the minister towards the Finance family gathering.
When the head of the Information Department walks around, people flock towards him. But when senior officials from the Ministry of Finance gather, others would rather not intrude. Even if you’re just casually chatting, people would assume it’s important business.
It seems people really value their titles.
*
Though it was still early, I hurried to prepare for the New Year’s Ball. With all rank nobles congregating, it’s a splendid opportunity for prospective trading partners to mingle.
Setting yourself down early to secure a seat for future negotiations yields a stronger impression. After all, I’d like to establish the perception that I’ve been waiting eagerly for a trade with you─ a slight yet significant difference that can determine the scale and success of deals.
“Irina, are you tired?”
I felt a bit uneasy about having my precious daughter accompany me just for that trivial reason. My wife must’ve shared those feelings because she worriedly asked Irina.
While my wife is accustomed to such activities, Irina has never been involved in upper-crust dealings; she’s just a delicate girl raised in normalcy.
“I’m fine. I wanted to come with you.”
Her smile in response to my wife’s concern might’ve just been meant to soothe her, but given Irina’s robust stamina, it felt genuine too.
…Yeah, let’s think positively. Unless Irina was forced to come against her will, her desire to be here speaks for itself. Even if things get a bit dull or tiring, she would handle it just fine.
‘Is this love?’
A sudden thought made me chuckle bitterly. I still remembered my shock when Irina insisted on coming to the New Year’s Ball, wearing that somewhat unique ring.
It appears Irina has also found someone to love. With love’s power, she’s becoming someone who can tackle what she couldn’t before, stepping toward paths she had never imagined. It would be a lie to say I don’t feel complicated emotions. Especially since the object of her affection is the head of the Information Department.
‘Let’s not dwell on it.’
However, I decided to entrust my daughter’s choices to her. It’s not right for me to disrupt a path she’s determined to take. Suddenly shifting my stance, whether as a father, noble, or merchant, would be disgraceful.
Instead, I’ll support and watch over her. That alone is more than enough for my role.
*
After a while, I was able to enter the Imperial Palace after passing through the Imperial Knights’ security.
“Verified. You may enter.”
At least this captain was friendly. The previous captain was strict and thorough, making security checks feel like a blood-letting experience. It’s fortunate Irina hasn’t had to endure that.
‘Oh.’
As I surveyed the surroundings after passing through the checkpoint, my body froze. Although I moved quickly, the few people present were all heavy hitters.
A group of six gentlemen in the corner. But mine, along with the eyes of the other nobles, were firmly fixed on that spot.
‘Ministry of Finance.’
The combination of a burly middle-aged man in glasses and a young lad was quite the rare sight. Moreover, the other four were not strangers; they were individuals I occasionally dealt with while running my own business.
The Minister of Finance, Head of the Information Department, Head of the Revenue Department, Head of Procurement, Chief Statistician, and Head Reviewer—all gathered in one place. These top officials could move mountains of gold with a word.
‘What’s going on?’
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from this unexpected assembly of big shots.
It made perfect sense. Just having two department heads in one place could send ripples through the Empire’s economy, and today they were all here—huddled together, likely trying to avoid the other nobles’ gazes by arriving early.
…Looks like this New Year’s Ball is going to be quite an affair.
*
Being in a room full of older folks can be tiring when I’m the only young one.
“You know, even if it snows these days, my knees still ache. Ha ha, when you get old, you just have to die, right?”
“No way! How can you say that already? You still have at least ten more years of service to the Empire!”
“Ha ha ha. By that standard, does the Statistician get twenty?”
Watching these smiling faces hurl curses at each other, I had no clue how to react.
This disaster was well within expectations. A group of people with no ambition for promotion and only longing for retirement—what else would their conversations entail? Just the usual updates on health, kids, grandkids’ antics, all while subtly hinting about retiring because of health issues.
It was so dull and boring that even the ladies had already fled the scene. As a head in this group, I was stuck dealing with the grumpy old folks’ complaints. Damn it, throw me a bone and let me escape!
‘Oh.’
In my boredom and dismay, my gaze shifted around, landing on Irina who had just come through the checkpoint.
It felt like finding light in the dark. If I could use Irina as an excuse, maybe I’d find a way out of this old folks’ hell…
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