NOVEL WEB The mansion of the House of Somerset was quite large. Located in Goldfull Valley, it ranked among the largest in the southern region as well.
Rupert often complained about its sheer size, saying it was unnecessarily spacious (to be precise, it was expensive to maintain).
The expansive mansion was usually quiet, populated only by family and servants, but today it buzzed with activity.
Following the rapid decline of the House of Somerset after the Elf Mountain fertilizer incident, news had spread that they were hosting a banquet after a long time, attracting guests from neighboring territories and even from further away.
Among these guests were some who had come to see Rupert Somerset, the second son, who had recently created and sold a fairy tale book, becoming a hot topic in high society and even receiving a plaque of appreciation from the Imperial Family.
Conversely, local nobles were concerned that if the House of Somerset were to revive, they might lose their own privileges, so they came to gather intelligence.
“Welcome! Thank you for making the long journey here.”
A young man wearing glasses and with blonde hair personally greeted the guests at the entrance of the banquet hall. It was undoubtedly Rupert Somerset, the second son of the House of Somerset.
Usually, such occasions were hosted by the family head, but seeing the son represent the family spoke volumes.
‘So those rumors were true.’
One noble, who had received Rupert’s warm welcome, thought to himself.
Recently, rumors had circulated that Count Bradley, the head of the House of Somerset and the territory’s lord, had lost authority to his son and had become little more than a figurehead.
What had initially seemed like just gossip appeared to be confirmed now that they were seeing it firsthand.
Traditionally, it was the duty of the family head to welcome guests. However, Count Bradley stood off to one side, isolated and distant from the entrance.
“How frightening. No matter how much one covets power, to oust one’s father and seize control of the family…”
The world of nobles was famously cold, but it was rarely the case that a direct descendant would cast aside their own father.
The noble deeply etched the image of the cold-faced Rupert into his memory.
Having assumed that someone who created a children’s fairy tale would be mild-mannered, he realized how mistaken he had been.
‘If I hadn’t come to witness it myself, I would have been grossly mistaken about the rumors.’
*
“Father! What on earth have you done with the decorations here?”
“The nobles are visiting our mansion, so are we supposed to show them the state of a beggar?”
“I heard the price for that decoration! They say it’s no different from a 50-silver-piece statue, yet you insisted on choosing expensive ornaments.”
“Sigh! That person talks too much.”
I’m truly going crazy. While I’m struggling to save a penny, my father is decorating the banquet hall with expensive items to avoid being looked down upon by the attending nobles.
‘It’s not that I don’t understand…’
I get my father’s point. He wants to show that our family hasn’t fallen into decline by throwing a banquet after several years.
But seeing him roam freely in the banquet hall, engaging with other nobles while leaving the treatment of guests to me felt somewhat irritating.
‘Isn’t that the family head’s job?’
He must have been peeved due to the previous removal of his fiscal management authority.
While hastily memorizing the guest list to engage in brief conversations at the entrance, I was exhausted.
Social interactions were never my forte, and feigning pleasantries with unfamiliar nobles was challenging enough.
‘But surprisingly, no one is really engaging with me?’
Both my father and the guild leader had warned me that many would come to converse about the fairy tale book, so I should be cautious.
However, nobody approached me; rather, I felt as though they were keeping their distance.
“Hello, Lord Rupert.”
As I continued welcoming the guests, I turned my head upon hearing a familiar voice from somewhere.
A woman with blue hair and sky-blue eyes stood before me, her striking presence unforgettable even after just one meeting.
“Hello, My Lady.”
Unlike our previous encounter, Amelia was adorned in a light purple dress, looking splendid tonight for the banquet. I found myself staring at her unintentionally.
Maintaining eye contact with a noble young lady continuously could be considered rude, so I snapped back to my senses and greeted her nonchalantly.
Her beauty was undeniable. I felt compelled to apologize for previously calling you a fool, Rupert. There was more than enough justification to pursue her.
“I apologize if my sudden visit appeared rude.”
Rude, indeed. I hadn’t even thought of sending her an invitation, and to receive such an unexpected request from the House of Bluewell was quite a surprise.
Originally, I had no desire to get involved with Amelia, the protagonist of the original story.
However,
“Not at all. I truly wanted to meet you again. I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
Only after getting involved with the Imperial Family did I realize just how much of an angel someone from the House of Bluewell truly was.
‘The payment she sent as a thank you was no joke. If it were up to me, I’d love to sell books every single time, but I’ve barely managed to hold back.’
Unlike the Imperial Family, who had offered a poorly considered token of appreciation, the Duke was akin to a towering mountain peak in generosity.
Unlike before, a smile naturally spread across my face, and a bright tone spilled from my lips.
“…I see.”
Oops. Was that too over the top? Amelia Bluewell’s expression seemed a bit odd.
Her cheeks and ears blushed slightly, perhaps because I had acted too forwardly.
‘I should be more cautious; I treated her too casually.’
I couldn’t help but notice that a middle-aged man behind Amelia scowled, possibly displeased with my behavior.
“Are you the second son of the Somerset family?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Thank you for coming, Duke Bluewell.”
“Hmph… I had my reasons to come all the way out to this remote area… Ah! Amelia!”
Duke Bluewell, who had been speaking with a disgruntled expression, suddenly let out a youthful squeal, turning his gaze towards his daughter.
He then cleared his throat several times and hurriedly entered the banquet hall with Amelia.
I wanted to express my gratitude to him, but it seemed that opportunity had passed.
*
(Amelia’s pov)
Amelia was irked by the sudden intrusion of her father, leaving no room to relish the reunion with the man.
‘He said he truly wanted to see me again.’
Recalling the genuine tone of voice accompanying that sentiment caused my face to feel hot once more.
Gone was the cool demeanor from our first meeting; instead, her voice now radiated excitement, and her expression was bright.
It was supposed to be a moment of confirmation that he shared the same feelings as I did, yet my father had ruined it all.
“Amelia, how can you pinch your father’s cheek in front of others?”
“Please be quiet. I sincerely asked you not to make a scene.”
At my words, my father fell silent, unable to offer any more excuses.
I had wanted to come alone, but he had insisted on accompanying me stubbornly, refusing to allow me to come by myself.
‘That scoundrel will never get another opportunity for mischief!’
I feared he’d cause a scene. I had warned him not to interfere before and during our journey, but once again, my father managed to make a mess of things, and I had no choice but to pinch him discreetly in the side to stop him.
He looked disappointed, but there was nothing I could do. I didn’t want our conversation to be interrupted today, of all days.
The banquet at the House of Somerset was more organized than I had anticipated.
I had been worried since I had heard they hadn’t hosted a banquet in years.
It seemed someone had lent them a hand, as they had properly grasped the recent trends in banquet decor, and even I, who had attended numerous banquets in the capital, found it to be quite respectable.
My father, despite his grumbling, was intrigued as he watched the extreme jester performances that were currently in vogue.
Unlike social gatherings where bands are invited to perform, at the banquet, the invited nobles sit at designated tables, and the host of the banquet circulates among them.
I could only wait for my turn for that man to approach the table.
And finally.
“Are you enjoying the banquet?”
“Yes, I’m quite enjoying it.”
– Enjoying, indeed; I had just been staring at him…
At my father’s muttered complaints, I nudged his shins with my foot.
With a cough, he announced he was stepping out for a smoke, allowing me to continue my conversation with him.
After exchanging the usual polite remarks of gratitude for attending and inviting, the topic naturally shifted back to fairy tale books.
“The fairy tale book created by Sir Rupert—my little sister loved it so much. She’s still hugging it every night to the point it’s become a bit of a headache.”
“Well, thank you for that. Embarrassingly enough, my younger sister is just the same.”
“I’d love to see your younger sister. She must be very cute.”
Since we both had younger sisters, we surprisingly found common ground in our conversation. The once-aloof man spoke of his sister with a twinkle in his eye.
Indeed, he was a writer of books meant for children.
“However, this time, the story of The Little Mermaid is somewhat different from your previous works.”
And as the moment was ripe, I wanted to revisit the reason for our meeting and confirm his feelings once more.
Was this story the one you illustrated about us?
Caught off guard by my question, he paused briefly before responding, as if it hadn’t crossed his mind before. A little time passed and then he answered.
“I wanted to illustrate that there are things unattainable for people. That’s growth, after all.”
For some reason, it seemed like there was a hint of moisture in his eyes when he said that; could it be my imagination?
I lost the courage to pursue this topic further.
“Ah, by the way, are you planning to enroll at the Imperial Academy, Sir Rupert?”
So, I shifted the conversation to the Academy.
The Academy, known as the cradle of the Empire, was about to announce its enrollment schedule, making it quite a topic of discussion among noble offspring.
However, he seemed lost in thought, responding with a somewhat dazed expression.
“Yes, I suppose I will. I received the enrollment notification not too long ago.”
I felt a bit relieved by his answer. If he was indeed enrolling in the Academy, it meant we would still have some time to meet.
*
“However, this time, the story of The Little Mermaid seems a bit different from your previous works.”
Suddenly, Amelia Bluewell brought up The Little Mermaid. Ah, those nightmarish memories came rushing back.
‘It seems that I have something to discuss regarding my The Little Mermaid. Make haste to enter the palace.’
Not long ago, I had received a mysterious letter through the guild leader. Upon seeing the emblem stamped on that letter, I fell into despair again.
Why! Is the princess seeking me out once more?
As the banquet concluded, I had to prepare to head to the Imperial Family, and the thought of discussing The Little Mermaid was almost enough to make me cry.
“I wanted to illustrate that there are things unattainable for people. That’s growth, after all.”
Struggling to hold back my tears at the thought of being dragged to the Imperial Family, I barely managed to respond to Amelia.
Afterward, she continued to ask me about whether I would enroll in the Academy and more. However, my mind was already filled with thoughts of needing to meet the princess, and I couldn’t even remember how I replied.