Chapter 70: Southern Hunting Tournament (9)

The room momentarily buzzed with activity, but people quickly seemed to focus back on their own business, as if nothing had happened. No, they pretended to do so. Just as it took time for ruffled waters to still, they discreetly shot glances my way while keeping their composure.

Because of this, I naturally found myself locking eyes with a few of them.

However, each time this happened, we simply exchanged formal nods and nothing more. No one approached me directly. The older nobles seemingly had no intention of getting too close, likely finding my social position a bit ambiguous.

Though I was the fiancée of the Kraus family, I was still quite young.

Being sixteen, I was old enough to be considered an adult, but neither Damian nor Sir Arthur were by my side. Were anyone to approach me openly, they risked being seen as trying to take advantage of an inexperienced young girl. For now, simply acknowledging each other’s presence was sufficient.

There were those, however, who were not bound by such limitations: the kids around my own age.

While most had averted their gaze from me, much like dying embers, I still felt eyes on me from a corner of the banquet hall. It wasn’t hard to deduce that these young girls, who constituted the majority of the crowd, were the offspring of southern nobility, excluding those participating in the tournament.

Looking into their eyes, I sensed that they had been waiting for me to join them.

Given the clear divide in the room’s demographics, there was no room for me to awkwardly stand in the middle. Knowing that not all of these looks were friendly, I moved towards them, meeting their expectations.

‘Fighting* miss!’

Hailey sent me a soft cheer of encouragement from behind, then went off to find her own place in the room.

As Hailey’s presence behind me disappeared, the reality of being alone finally sank in. It was not pleasant to be alone among unfamiliar faces in an unknown place. But I was not particularly nervous; I’ve had more than my fill of experiences like this in the past.

“Lady Edelweiss, this way.”

As I approached, someone naturally addressed me.

I didn’t recognize the face, and she didn’t seem like someone I’d met before. She was one of the people who had been casting glances at me earlier, but now she greeted me with a friendly smile. Even if it was just superficial courtesy, I had no intention of spurning it. Nodding, I took a seat where she indicated.

Glancing around to make eye contact with those present, I greeted them softly.

“My name is Elena Edelweiss. Thank you for your consideration.”

“Oh, right. I haven’t been paying attention. We haven’t been formally introduced, have we? I’m Michelle, of the Frank family. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, Lady Frank.”

With the exchange of formalities, Michelle led the round of introductions.

She seemed to be the ringleader of the faction standing before me now…

As I sat next to Michelle, I noticed a small group gathered apart from everyone else. I locked eyes with one of the young ladies in that group; she greeted me with a silent smile, to which I reciprocated with a nod. Judging by the vibe—similar to what I felt from Hailey earlier—it seemed like I might have chosen the wrong seat.

Well, no matter. I can always move.

Not many people asked me questions. Most inquiries came from Michelle, and the rest seemed to be waiting for her approval, like obedient dogs. It wasn’t the most comfortable atmosphere, but it was easier to think than having chatter come at me from all sides. As I answered Michelle’s questions, I tried to recall what I knew about the name ‘Frank.’

Fortunately, it didn’t take long.

Though I was not particularly interested in commerce, I was vaguely aware that the Frank family managed one of the leading merchant companies in the south. I also had a faint memory of hearing that the owner of this merchant company was a woman, which likely meant Michelle was that future magnate.

The most critical connection between her and me would be…

At least as far as I could remember, there was none.

During my academy days, I had seen students from the south make use of goods from the Frank estate, but that was a common practice. I didn’t even recall seeing Michelle’s face around when I was with Damian. Suddenly, I began to wonder if her hostility towards me stemmed from something other than what I’d assumed.

“I heard Lady Edelweiss is from the north. The icy plains there are rumored to have blizzards all year round. Aren’t you finding the heat in the south a bit too much?”

“Not at all. I find the warmth quite pleasant. More importantly, it’s delightful to see so many different kinds of flowers outdoors.”

While she seemed concerned on the surface, her real intent was to demean the North as a region with nothing but snow. However, it was true that once one left the cities, all they had was snow. It was a fact unlikely to change, so I didn’t particularly get mad about it.

While it was unfortunate to my father, who had worked hard for the North, it was a fact that the South suited me better.

Ignoring her derogatory comments about my hometown, I smiled.

I noticed a slight tremor at the corners of her mouth.

Is she taken aback?

Not wanting to leave things hanging, Michelle, who had been questioning me, adjusted her expression and continued. Her questions weren’t as aggressive as I had thought. The influence of the House of Frank in the South was limited in front of the name ‘Edelweiss’.

“Speaking of which, I heard Lord Damian is also participating in the tournament. Since he has previous experience of participating unlike others, what do you think about Lord Damian’s possible performance?”

“Well, I haven’t really thought about his performance... as long as he returns safely, that would be enough.”

“You seem to really enjoy sweets, Lady Edelweiss. You can’t seem to let go of the pastries.”

“Ah? Is there a problem?”

“No, never mind.”

Michelle glanced at my waist and hurriedly closed the topic with a flustered face.

I was starting to grow tired of this lukewarm exchange.

I had filled enough time, maybe it was time to move to another location.

As I was pondering an excuse, the very person I had been searching for at the banquet hall called out to me.

“Ah, Noona!”

The eyes of those surrounding me shifted in one direction. There stood a young boy with bright brown hair and striking green eyes. Everyone seemed surprised, as if they had no idea a child would be here.

“Alphonse.”

Michelle and the others seemed unaware of who Alphonse was. The expression on their faces revealed they were wondering why such a young boy was at this gathering. Granted, Alphonse did resemble Arwin, so unless one knew, they wouldn’t think he was a member of the Kraus family.

“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you.”

“Hehe, I was on the terrace, looking at the forest. Sorry, I should’ve told you before moving.”

“Excuse me, Lady Edelweiss. Who is this child?”

I naturally stood up from my seat to talk with Alphonse, and a flustered Michelle approached me. But before she could even ask her question, she saw the insignia of a sword and dragon engraved on Alphonse’s right arm and closed her mouth. She evidently had no intention of interrupting our conversation.

Taking Michelle’s silence as a cue, I prepared to leave my seat.

Alphonse seemed to catch on, too. Despite his innocent, childlike demeanor, he was subtly guiding me away.

“Noona, the spot I was just in has a really beautiful view. I was getting a little lonely being there by myself. Would you join me?”

“Of course. My apologies, Lady Michelle. I think I must take my leave now. It has been a rather enlightening time.”

“Yes, yes...”

Moving in tune with Alphonse’s rhythm made it easy for me to slip away. Once we were lost in the crowd, far enough that our figures couldn’t be seen by the group, Alphonse and I high-fived and began to circulate around the hall.

“By the way, Alphonse, were you wandering the banquet hall alone without Ken?”

“No, I happened to meet one of my brother’s acquaintances in the hall, so I was with them. Oh, Noona, you should meet them too; they seemed very interested in you.”

An acquaintance?

I pondered on Alphonse’s words for a moment.

If Alphonse, who had a knack for reading people’s emotions, said that much, then it must mean that this person held goodwill toward me. Yet, I couldn’t think of anyone off the top of my head. I wasn’t fully aware of all of Alphonse’s social connections, but most of the people I did know were participants in the tournament and thus not present here.

My questions about this mysterious acquaintance remained unanswered until Alphonse led me to her.

The place Alphonse took me to was a balcony slightly apart from the main hall, offering a good view of the forest. Like brother, like brother; whether it was him or Alphonse, they both seemed to prefer the seclusion of a balcony away from the crowd. Suppressing a small laugh at this observation, I stepped onto the balcony behind the curtain.

Someone had already claimed that spot, and their back looked familiar.

“Sir Louis!”

As soon as I stepped onto the balcony, veiling myself with the curtain, Alphonse called out the name of the person standing there. With that, a cascade of auburn hair fluttered, revealing a face very familiar to me.

Dark brown eyes that seemed to contain no emotion faced me.

Yet, as if a single drop of paint had fallen onto a blank canvas, a subtle change appeared in her eyes. It wasn’t a dramatic shift, but it was certainly the opposite of the emotion Michelle had shown me earlier. Slowly, she bowed her head, greeting me with a knightly courtesy as if she were serving her lord.

“I am Louis Graham.”

Louis Graham.

I knew her even without the introduction.

Louis was one of the few acquaintances I had in the South. I hadn’t expected to encounter her here, as I assumed she would be participating in the tournament.

How could I ever forget her? She was one of the six knights who had stood by my side until the end.

Especially in the case of Sir Louis. With her consistent impassivity in every situation, she was an unforgettable figure. Maybe it was the joy of our unexpected reunion, but unlike with Michelle, my greeting to her was sincere.

“I am Elena Edelweiss. Thank you for taking care of Alphonse.”

“...”

She said nothing, merely shaking her head and then fixing her gaze on Alphonse as her response.

She was still a woman of few words.

After a brief pause, the silence lingered.

Alphonse subtly excused himself and leaned on the railing of the balcony, beginning to stare at the forest. I intended to join him in observing the forest, but strangely, I found myself immobilized, as she refused to avert her eyes from me.

“...”

“Um, if there is something you’d like to ask...”

It seemed like she had something to say but chose not to, leaving me no choice but to speak up first. Her ears twitched as if catching my voice. After blinking a few times, she turned back to me and spoke.

“You look beautiful.”

“Yes?”

That was all she said.

Louis then retracted her gaze from me and abruptly turned to stare at the wall.

I didn’t recall anything like this happening before.

Receiving such unexpected praise left me a bit flustered, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Maybe it felt that way because I knew she wasn’t one to lie. Her words seemed more authentic than the countless platitudes others had offered.

“Thank you for the compliment, Sir Louis.”

In response, Louis gave a slight nod, her shoulders dipping a little. I couldn’t be certain what she thought of it, but to me, she resembled a shy, steadfast bear, and it looked quite endearing.

Could my impression that she seemed a bit embarrassed be a misunderstanding?

I turned my head toward the forest, waiting for her to resume her gaze upon the scenery.

--- END OF CHAPTER ---

[TL: In Korean culture ‘Fighting’ (화이팅) is a cheer of encouragement, similar to “You can do it!” in English.

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