The young princes’ birthday party was being held in a banquet hall during the day. The palace interior was kept warm through the use of stoves and various kinds of magic.
I was wearing a slightly mature peach dress that Lord Nazel had prepared for me. Kelly had put a lot of effort into getting me ready, like styling my long hair into an updo and giving me accessories with sparkling, transparent gems.
“You look ever more beautiful today, Agnes. Subdued outfits suit you well too.”
“Do I look like a reliable, capable margravine?”
“Of course. You look like a wonderful, grown-up woman, so you can relax.”
“Thank goodness...” I apparently had an air suitable for a representative of Sutrena.
Lord Nazel and I held hands and entered the banquet hall that was already full of people. I always felt nervous in these kinds of gatherings.
“Relax, Agnes,” came a gentle voice. When I looked next to me, I saw Lord Nazel smiling at me tenderly. He was always graceful and composed no matter the circumstances.
“All right...”
“You don’t need to be so nervous. Everything will be fine,” Lord Nazel told me, his face full of conviction. He seemed to understand something that I didn’t.
Without knowing what that something was, I observed the nobles gathered in the hall. Then I noticed that the people here today were different from before.
That’s right, the people invited to this event are different. Some of the former queen’s supporters and neutral parties have clearly been wiped out... Only nobles loyal to King Bertrand and Queen Latriche were here. None of the mean-spirited people I’d met during my previous visits to the capital were here. The power structure of high society has changed. It was difficult to perceive it when we lived on the frontier, but now that we were here, there was a clear difference.
Naturally, none of the women who’d criticized Queen Latriche before were here either. That alone was proof of how much King Bertrand’s influence had grown.
So this is the result of the factional dispute... I shuddered as I continued observing my surroundings.
Then an unfamiliar man who was standing nearby called out to us.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Lord and Lady Florescruz.”
It seemed that Lord Nazel was acquainted with him, as he welcomed the man with a smile.
“Greetings, Lord Pierre. It has been quite a while.”
In my mind, I thought back to the Noble Directory I’d worked hard on memorizing back at the manor. If I remembered correctly, Count Pierre was one of the nobles who lived near the palace and served the royal court. He was a noble who’d maintained a neutral stance; he’d neither been swayed by the former queen nor sided with King Bertrand. When Lord Nazel had been engaged with Princess Mia, he’d often spent time at the palace, so apparently he’d gotten to know Count Pierre.
“It seems that Sutrena is going through some remarkable growth at the moment. All of it is owed to the efforts of someone as outstanding as you, Lord Nazelbart. I also heard that you have a son now—there couldn’t be any happier news.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Even your demeanor has mellowed out. It seems that Sutrena has had a positive influence on you.”
“That’s true, but my wife’s influence is the biggest factor.”
I’d been nonchalantly listening to the two of them up to now, so I was surprised when I suddenly became the topic of the conversation.
Even in a place like this, Lord Nazel is still his usual self. Lately, he’d been bragging about me everywhere, to the extent that even I could notice.
“Heh heh heh, the close relationship you two share is famous even in the capital. Rumors have reached my ears too.”
How well Lord Nazel and I got along was already common knowledge in Sutrena, but I never imagined it would be a famous topic here too. Rumors were terrifying. This made us sound like a couple who were constantly fawning over each other, and it was a little embarrassing. It...was still the truth, though.
“Yes, Agnes has a pure heart, and she’s gentle, cute—”
“L-Lord Nazel, let’s leave it at that for now.” It would be terrible if the impression people had of Lord Nazel as a capable margrave took a strange turn.
But other people besides Count Pierre had gathered around us. They surrounded Lord Nazel and me and started talking to us.
For some reason, the two of us are really popular. This is the first time this has happened outside Sutrena. I was glad that no one was being cold to us, but I had my hands full trying to deal with all the nobles coming to speak with us. Was I replying in a way befitting Lord Nazel’s wife?
“Come to think of it, I happened to hear that the Shipish Company has been really popular in the capital lately.” Lord Nazel was casually trying to get information on the man who wanted to marry Kelly. “I’d like to buy my wife a present, but I’m a little unfamiliar with the trends in the capital...”
All the nobles who wanted to talk to Lord Nazel scrambled to give him the information.
“Yes, that company has been flourishing recently. I’ve heard that they carry many foreign products. With that momentum, they might even start catering to the royal family,” said one of the nobles.
“I’ve actually been there,” another one added cheerfully. “It was apparently a small company at first, but they recently opened a luxurious store in a prime location. I live in the capital, so they even deliver their goods directly to my home.”
“Yes, it seems that more ladies have been frequenting the store lately. The rare gems from Myzahn are particularly famous. I heard that the owner himself trades with Myzahn.”
The noblewomen living in the capital had a reliable information network.
“You say the owner trades with Myzahn? How very interesting.”
“By all means, I would recommend checking out the store at least once.”
Once the conversation had calmed down a little, I heard a familiar voice from behind me.
“Elder brother, elder sister!”
I turned around to see Lord Nazel’s younger brother, Lord Julian, dressed in elegant formal attire. We hadn’t met in quite a while. He’d grown taller since I’d first met him and had become a reliable, adult nobleman.
“Lord Julian!”
Lord Julian presently held the title of Duke Florescruz. During a series of events that had taken place in the capital, it had been discovered that Lord Nazel’s father and older brother had been complicit in the former queen’s crimes, and they’d consequently been arrested. However, Lord Nazel, the second son, was already the Margrave of Sutrena. As a result, it had been decided that Lord Julian would succeed the ducal house. He’d continued working hard and was doing an admirable job in his duties as the duke. While he’d once retained features of a boy, he had now transformed into a masculine young nobleman.
My Paul also got really brawny in a short amount of time. Kids their age grow up in just a few years.
Lord Julian looked happy to see Lord Nazel, and Lord Nazel was equally fond of his brother.
“Long time no see, Julian.”
“Likewise! I’m glad to see you doing so well!”
“You’ve grown up well. Has King Bertrand been pushing you too hard here in the capital? Let me know if anything happens, okay? As your brother, I’ll firmly protest His Majesty’s actions.”
“I-I’m fine. It’s not a situation that would trouble you, so please don’t do anything so terrifying!”
“I’m happy to hear that.”
Back when Lord Nazel had been all alone, he’d been forced to give up on many things. Living in the frontier had made him tougher. The way he was now, if he were to find himself in the same circumstances as before, I was sure that he’d be able to get through things without any trouble.
“Please come visit our house again, elder brother.” Lord Julian also seemed busy dealing with the nobles who’d come to greet him, and left while looking like he’d rather talk to Lord Nazel more.
We also went back to conversations with the nobles around us. As I was nervously replying to everyone in the best way I could, the hall suddenly fell completely quiet. It seemed the king and queen were about to appear. A musical fanfare signaling their entrance followed. I felt a little relaxed now that the crowd around us had thinned out.