TGW Chapter 16 Part 1

 

In the late afternoon, hundreds of carriages had already filled the courtyard around the banquet hall.

The crowd that gathered around the Iron King hinted at his rising status. Those who still kept an eye on the Rimone Duchy congregated among themselves, deliberately ignoring the Iron King.

However, even they occasionally glanced back at the Iron King with a lingering regret. Since the passing of the former Duke Rimone, the name of the Rimone family had lost much of its previous prestige.

“The Marquis of Raad, and Princess Fatima of the Peroh Alliance, are entering!”

The herald’s voice echoed through the hall. All eyes turned at once. The subject of the social circle’s explosive interest had finally arrived.

After his bold first appearance, the Marquis of Raad had gone into hiding. Everyone tried to find him, scouring every social gathering on the off chance they might meet him, but the Marquis was nowhere to be seen.

It was known that he attended a small party in the palace greenhouse only once. The Merze Count and Countess, who attended that event, enjoyed immense popularity for a while afterward.

“Oh my.”

“Oh my, oh my.”

The noblewomen’s fans fluttered rapidly. From all around, meaningless exclamations were murmured.

The extravagance of party attire wasn’t exclusive to women. Men’s formalwear had also evolved. While most of the base fabric was black, the clothes were embroidered with gold threads, adorned with crafted silver buttons, and designed to make the shoulders and chest appear broader.

At the banquet welcoming the diplomatic mission, the Marquis had worn a bizarre suit of armor. Today, he was dressed in a well-fitting tailcoat. A properly tailored outfit can enhance even a plain appearance, and for someone with striking looks, the effect is multiplied several times.

He was, objectively speaking, a very handsome man. But that was not all. The only Marquis in the Empire, with diplomatic authority akin to a duke, he was perhaps the wealthiest man in the Empire.

An enormous aura surrounded him. Even if Kuhn had shown up in rags today, people would have been amazed.

Kuhn had attended palace banquets before. However, few remembered him from the tumultuous event of the princess's coming-of-age celebration. Back then, some people went out of their way to avoid walking near Dian, the Crown Prince.

Everyone noted the direction Marquis Raad and his partner walked. There stood the Iron King and his fiancée. People exchanged significant glances.

‘Is it really like the rumors say?’

‘The Iron King and Marquis Raad?’

The crowd around the Iron King parted on their own. Following the path created among the people, Marquis Raad and Princess Fatima approached the Iron King. Kuhn and Fatima bowed deeply in greeting.

“You’re late, Lord Raad. Shouldn’t you have been here before me?”

Depending on how one took it, it could be interpreted as a pointed remark. Dian had intended it as a joke, and Kuhn knew that. But Fatima did not. She quickly spoke up in defense of the Marquis.

“My apologies, Your Highness. The reason for the delay is entirely my fault. The Marquis was held up because I couldn’t hurry.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was just a comment. It’s only natural for a gentleman to wait for a lady. Lord Raad, you’re fortunate. You have a beautiful lady who supports you.”

It sounded like a joke, but there was some bite to it this time.

Dian had begun scrutinizing Kuhn with a harsher eye as of late. Kuhn was a trusted political ally; there had never been any wavering in that belief. But his evaluation of Kuhn as a "brother-in-law" was ongoing.

The day Kuhn handed over the Rimone Duchy's weakness to the princess, Dian discovered a side of Sienna that was almost naively straightforward. How intelligent and sharp she was didn’t matter in this context.

When he thought of Kuhn and Sienna side by side, he realized, with a start, that it was like throwing a delicate fawn into the jaws of a predator.

Most people would probably question Dian’s judgment in comparing Princess Sienna to a “fawn,” but that’s how it seemed to Dian. He was the one who had helped Kuhn gain entry to the palace. Dian felt a sense of responsibility.

Kuhn calmly responded, meeting Dian’s persistent gaze.

“The Princess is a considerate person. I was greatly indebted to her kindness while I was in the desert.”

“Princess Fatima, if you’ve extended kindness to Lord Raad, make sure you calculate it and get it back several times over. The Marquis is wealthy enough to handle it.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Fatima answered with a smile, though she felt somewhat uneasy inside.

Today was Marquis Raad’s first official appearance after being granted his title. There was a lot of interest in both the Marquis himself and his partner.

Fatima felt a thrill as she stepped into the banquet hall, aware of the many eyes fixed on her. The curious glances of the people seemed to ask what kind of relationship the two had. Even without an official declaration of their romance, various speculations would naturally arise.

But the Iron King seemed to undermine the effect Fatima had subtly hoped for. It was as if he had made it clear that the two of them were attending solely for official reasons.

‘He’s a meddlesome man.’

Fatima never suspected that Dian had done it on purpose.

Violet greeted them warmly.

“Fatima, your dress looks lovely today.”

“Thank you, Violet. It’s thanks to your advice.”

Since the greenhouse party, Fatima had met Violet a few times. Unafraid to approach others, Fatima quickly became friendly with Violet.

“Fatima, shall we go over there? The gentlemen’s conversation is rather dull.”

Fatima glanced back at the Marquis before answering.

“Yes.”

To be honest, she didn’t want to leave his side. Fatima couldn’t understand the customs of Imperial high society. Even if a man and woman who attended together were married, if they stayed close together all night, they would be seen as making a fuss. A partner conversing or dancing with someone else shouldn’t cause discomfort. Broad social interaction was considered a virtue in high society.

Therefore, noblewomen were more concerned about making friends with other women who were compatible with them than with their partners. Having even one friend to talk to would save them from looking awkwardly out of place.

“Fatima, are you still thinking about staying in the Empire?”

“Yes. There’s much I want to learn here.”

Fatima was completely captivated by the new culture. From one to ten, everything about the Empire was different from the desert.

She didn’t have to worry about sudden sandstorms or fear the desert ghosts. There were beautiful clothes, noblewomen who conversed in refined tones, vibrant dishes full of color... Everything was new to her.

In the desert, the gap in lifestyle according to social status wasn’t as significant. Even as the daughter of a chieftain, she had to shake sand out of her hair every day and wear clothes made of patched leather. The luxurious lives of the Empire’s nobility were shocking.

Having stayed at the Count’s estate for almost a month, Fatima realized just how prosperous and comfortable life was here. She wanted to enjoy this lifestyle longer.

And if she returned to the desert, she would be separated from the Marquis Rad indefinitely. If they parted without having truly expressed their feelings, he would surely forget about her soon.

“Then you won’t be leaving with the delegation from the Alliance?”

“I will go to the pier to see my brother off.”

“Won’t it be lonely if you’re left here alone after everyone else has gone?”

“There are many good people around me, including you, Violet. You must continue to be my friend.”

“Of course. I envy you, Fatima, for being so brave. You remind me a bit of someone I admire.”

“I’m honored. Who might that be?”

Violet’s expression changed.

“Her Highness, the Silver King.”

“She is indeed a beautiful person.”

“It’s not just her appearance. She’s perfect in every way.”

“Can a person truly be perfect?”

“She is of divine blood. She’s not an ordinary person.”

“Ah... I see.”

Coming from the desert, Fatima didn’t believe in the gods of the Empire. The tribes of the desert, perhaps due to the harsh natural environment, had developed a totemistic belief system.

And they approached faith differently. The gods were not flawless. If a god were truly great, they wouldn’t allow monsters like the desert ghosts to roam freely.

Fatima pretended to be interested in Violet’s fervent praises. She felt a twinge of discomfort at the thought of Marquis Raad, who had been watching the Silver King.

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