Chapter 78: Special Request (4)
Clatter, clatter.
The carriage shook back and forth as it passed over the unpaved roads of the Outer District.
But it didn't matter.
When going on trade journeys, passing through much rougher lands than this was a daily occurrence.
Sheratiya, who even reviewed documents filled with tiny letters in such a carriage, felt that this level of shaking was nothing.
Rather, what was shaking was her heart, and her eyes darting glances at Harang.
“…….”
She, pretending to read a book nonchalantly, once again scanned her contract lover's overall appearance.
It was quite splendid.
His hair, neatly styled unlike usual, a black-based outfit suiting his skin tone and physique, the red accents on the jacket collar and cape, and to top it off, gold buttons that seemed to add a focal point.
It looked as if someone with a keen eye for fashion had put in effort.
‘Surely, he didn't pick these clothes himself?’
That was probably not the case.
The clothes he usually wore were entirely black from head to toe, and apart from being neat and easy to move in, it was impossible to find any other merits.
He even bought several identical outfits and insisted on wearing only those, to the point of frustrating those around him who saw it.
Then who could it be?
Who on earth had made Harang's persona come alive with such excellent coordination?
‘……Perhaps, a woman?’
It wasn't unreasonable to think so.
Who were the people around Harang?
They were all burly-looking former thugs, current Mercenaries.
Even they had better fashion sense than Harang, but it was by no means enough to teach someone else.
‘Yes, it's definitely a woman.’
‘But, was there a woman around Harang? I haven't heard anything like that.’
‘Did he meet someone new while I was busy working? No, that can't be, can it? Even if it's a contract, having meetings with another woman while pretending to be lovers…… doesn't suit Harang's personality, does it?’
‘No, but why am I so obsessed with this part? That's not what's important right now, is it?’
Sheratiya Viyan nodded her head.
It was the right thought.
The most important thing right now was the upcoming dinner with her parents, not who was around Harang.
“Yes, indeed.”
“What did you just say?”
“……It was just me talking to myself. Th-That aside…… your outfit today is nice, isn't it? Different from usual?”
“Today is a day I must do my best as Lady Viyan's lover. I have to do everything I can.”
“Good answer. Did you prepare anything else besides the outfit?”
“Hmm, I learned etiquette separately, and I heard nobles enjoy cultured topics, so I studied that a bit too……”
‘Etiquette? Culture? Where on earth did he learn such things?’
Who on earth taught him?
The question rose to the tip of her tongue, but Sheratiya couldn't bring herself to voice it.
Because the carriage, having passed the Outer District and reached its destination in the Inner District, a high-class restaurant, had stopped moving.
“We've arrived, Young Lady.”
“Oh, we arrived earlier than I thought. Then……”
Harang, who got out of the carriage first, elegantly extended his hand.
An impeccable gesture of escorting a lady.
Combined with his much neater and more stylish attire than usual, he exuded the feeling of a young master from some renowned family, rather than a mere Mercenary.
It was enough to make the corners of Sheratiya's mouth, usually adept at controlling her expression, momentarily rise.
“……Good. It seems you've put in some effort.”
“A Mercenary has a duty to carry out requests to the best of their ability.”
“Stop. Don't you dare utter the word 'request' until today's meeting is over. If you get caught saying that……”
“Ah, I apologize. But this coachman has already heard it, is that alright?”
“This person is trustworthy, so he's an exception. Hmm, other than that…… if my parents ask a difficult question, don't try to force an answer, just mumble. No, just keep your mouth shut. I'll answer instead. Got it?”
“Understood.”
Harang nodded, and Sheratiya let out a sigh of relief.
She was relieved by Harang's much better-than-expected appearance and attitude.
However, her tension hadn't completely dissipated.
Although her family had fallen, her parents' pride and intellectual vanity were no less than those of the capital's high society figures.
No matter how much Harang had prepared and learned noble culture, the probability of him giving the correct answer in every aspect was extremely low.
Rather, the probability of him making a mistake was much higher.
‘In that case, it's better for me to give a rough answer and then change the conversation to a flow that's advantageous to us…… Good. We should be able to get through this somehow.’
Sheratiya nodded once more.
It had always been like this, but the pressure regarding marriage had become much stronger recently.
The reason was obvious.
They probably wanted to somehow form a connection with a powerful family and once again enjoy the affluent life of their grandparents' time.
She could understand it well enough, but she couldn't bear her own life being erased in the process.
‘If I show a firm stance today, even my parents won't be able to force it. I'm not the old me.’
That's right.
She was not the Sheratiya Viyan of old.
As the de facto head of the merchant guild she had built through thick and thin, it was no exaggeration to say that she currently wielded more power within the family than her parents.
Of course, even so, she couldn't refuse marriage proposals without any justification.
‘That's why I'm putting on this show, but anyway…….’
“……After today, everything will be resolved. Let's go, Harang!”
“Yes, My Lady.”
“…….”
“What's wrong, Lady Viyan?”
“……No. It's nothing…… It's nothing at all.”
Lady Viyan.
Sheratiya Viyan, feeling a momentary dizziness from the peculiar title that was both goosebump-inducing and ticklish, yet made her feel slightly buoyant, soon came to her senses.
And, escorted by Harang, she slowly proceeded to the appointed place.
Thus, what they encountered were Jibrid Viyan and Ravena Viyan, who had already taken their seats at the reserved table a little earlier.
The father's greased-back hair barely covered his thinning crown, and the mother's appearance, adorned with perfume, thick makeup, and rather large jewels, felt a bit burdensome.
Sheratiya sighed faintly.
It was because she felt more vanity than noble honor in their appearances.
Of course, such thoughts did not show on her expression, and this was also true for her partner for the day, Harang.
He introduced himself, adding noble etiquette.
“Good day. I am Harang, and I am formally courting Lady Viyan.”
‘This is really strange. Where on earth did he learn that?’
Sheratiya was surprised again upon seeing Harang's posture.
It was perfect.
Her expression almost broke at his more noble and elegant demeanor than any etiquette she had seen so far, and it seemed she wasn't the only one who felt that way, as she could feel the gazes from the surrounding tables.
The Viyan couple was the same.
She clearly saw their stiff expressions relax for a moment.
‘Perhaps, things might resolve more easily than I thought.’
Thinking that, Sheratiya opened her mouth.
“I told you, didn't I? I said I have a boyfriend. It's not just for fun; he's someone I'm seriously thinking about the future with.”
“Sheratiya! What kind of talk is that!”
“Daughter, a noble's dignity……”
“What's wrong with my way of talking? Noble? Is everyone with a title a noble? If we go around acting high and mighty as nobles elsewhere, people will curse us behind our backs.”
“Oh my! There's nothing this child won't say!”
“Ahem……”
Jibrid Viyan and Ravena Viyan, unable to hide their discomfort.
If it were up to them, they would have wanted to sternly scold her for daring to speak to an adult like that, but unfortunately, they couldn't.
Because all the expenses for what they currently wore, ate, and drank were coming from their daughter's pocket.
However, even they had something left: their authority as parents and their pride as nobles.
As such, they could never accept their precious daughter meeting any riffraff.
“You there, do you drink?”
“I'm not unable to drink.”
Jibrid Viyan asked, and Harang replied.
His usual stern expression was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a gentle smile, and seeing this, Sheratiya's father unknowingly nodded.
He was relieved that his daughter had an eye for people.
Of course, he wasn't so easily swayed by this.
Nodding, he called a waiter and ordered a bottle of aperitif, then threw a question as he watched the drink being poured into the glasses.
“Marzen's alcohol is nothing special, but if you go to Ruibil, which isn't too far, the beer is quite famous. Among them, I quite like this fellow called Ruibil de Bourgogne. It's a beer aged in wine casks, and it's very good to drink as an aperitif. You there, have you ever tried it?”
“No, my experience is lacking……”
“Haha, it's alright. It's quite a rare drink…… Now that the opportunity has arisen, you can try it.”
Jibrid, who burst into a hearty laugh and proposed a toast, and Ravena, who looked at Harang with an expectant expression.
Sheratiya, seeing her parents' attitude, made a dumbfounded face.
‘Are they now, going to ask Harang about gastronomy?’
It was an absurd situation.
In noble society, it might be commonplace to analyze and savor the taste and aroma of things like wine or whiskey as if dissecting them, but that wasn't the case for ordinary people.
Especially, suggesting an unfamiliar experience in such an uncomfortable setting was enough to make the other person feel intimidated.
“How is it? The Aroma, Taste, and the Finish after drinking?”
Sure enough, her father subtly demanded a complex and deep impression from Harang.
At this, Sheratiya wore an uncomfortable expression.
His intentions were painfully obvious; if Harang couldn't give a proper review, he would undoubtedly show a disappointed reaction and cause him to lose face.
I can't let that happen!
Having made up her mind, Sheratiya quickly gulped down the wine-beer.
For her, who was a light drinker, it was quite a courageous act, but the surprising thing happened next.
“I can sense the aroma of blackberries, dried plums, and cherries. The refreshing scent spreading in the nose is quite pleasant. The taste, hmm…… is not much different from what I inferred from the aroma. The tartness of the berries pleasantly stimulates the appetite, making it very suitable as an aperitif. Ah! I can also taste the unique yeast flavor of beer.”
Impressions flowed smoothly as if he had a knack for this culture.
At this, the Viyan couple made blank expressions, and Sheratiya also stared at Harang with a foolish expression.
It couldn't be helped.
From what she had seen during their trade journey, Harang was the type to barely manage meals with dried fruits and jerky, let alone enjoy alcohol.
Basically, it meant he didn't find much pleasure in gastronomy.
And yet, for him to recite such a detailed gastronomic review, what on earth had happened?
‘Did someone teach him this too, surely?’
‘Who on earth…….’
‘Who?’
Gulp
Something briefly welled up inside Sheratiya.
It felt strange.
Harang was clearly with her as her lover, yet it felt as if he had already been snatched away by someone else.
No, even such a thought was exceedingly strange.
What was she thinking, getting worked up over such things when it was just a contract relationship anyway?
‘Yes, it's more important to handle the barrage of questions that will come from now on!’
Sheratiya, clearing her head with a slight shake, opened her eyes wide.
Her parents today were somewhat strange.
They usually showed such obsession with intellectual vanity, but it was rare for them to throw questions at someone they were meeting for the first time as if testing them.
That meant her parents were deliberately trying to make Harang uncomfortable.
Sure enough, test questions continued to flow from her parents' mouths.
Gastronomy.
Etiquette.
History.
Art…….
They were literally using all sorts of knowledge they possessed, but what was surprising was that Harang was giving proper answers to all of it.
“This whiskey is certainly remarkable. Raisins, chocolate, dusty wood, and a hint of brown sugar aroma…… Even though it's cask strength, it goes down so smoothly that the alcohol content is unnoticeable, and a slight spiciness……”
“Ah, I've heard about that too. Because of the Kardel War 30 years ago, the price of malt rose so much, so the price of whiskey also……”
“The painting hanging at the shop entrance? I know it. Isn't it Yankov's ‘Twilight Night’?”
‘What on earth is this?’
The Viyan couple couldn't understand.
Sheratiya Viyan also couldn't understand.
Everyone looked at Harang as if witnessing an incomprehensible, mysterious phenomenon, and regardless, the protagonist of the current situation continued to answer articulately, like a well-educated student.
“Ah, I apologize. I need to use the restroom for a moment……”
Thus, around the time the attacking side was running out of questions, Harang briefly excused himself.
Until then, the Viyan family remained seated at the table with blank expressions, unsure of what was happening, and the one who came to her senses first was Sheratiya Viyan.
She glared at her parents with an annoyed expression.
And said.
“What are you doing?”
“……Wh-What?”
“Why are you being so rude? Are we here to take some kind of test? In a situation where a harmonious atmosphere is already lacking, why are you so on edge, just throwing questions? What on earth are you doing?”
“No, that's……”
“Hmm……”
“Perhaps, was there any talk of marriage behind my back?”
Correct.
As soon as they heard those words, the Viyan couple flinched, and Sheratiya couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.
No, beyond that, she felt a throbbing headache.
Why did she build the merchant guild?
Why did she apply for such a ridiculous request?
It was to live her own complete life.
A life she carves out herself, not one swayed by others.
But the people who were her parents didn't respect her thoughts in the slightest, only thinking of satisfying their own greed.
It would be the same this time.
They were probably arranging a marriage with someone of considerable power.
Having thought this far, Sheratiya became extremely curious about who that person was, and was about to ask her father, who wore an awkward expression.
But she couldn't.
“Well, well, who do we have here?”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
A man with sunken eyes and a Hook-Nosed suddenly appeared beside them.
The faces of the Viyan couple soured at the appearance of the man, who wore a flamboyant blue Robe that a Magician might wear, and Sheratiya also couldn't hide her stiff expression.
‘To meet the third son of the Charveau family here, of all places.’