Leaving Liam, Kurt headed for a meeting between the nobles who would remain at the rear during the fight. He had wanted to talk more, but as supreme commander, Liam was very busy—even at a party like this, since part of his job was to greet all the nobles who came to say hello to him.
“He’s really got it together, as always.”
Kurt gazed over at Liam, who stood surveying the party hall with a glass in his hand. Why host a party like this right before a war? Plenty of people would ask that, and those in the military would probably roll their eyes at the idea. A general might understand, but a lot of the rank and file wouldn’t support such a concept.
This party was only taking place because the war was between nobles, though. Nobles themselves would be fighting, and they preferred parties to meetings—they could speak more freely at events like this. Kurt figured that was why Liam threw this party.
When I’m with the military for too long, I stop thinking from a noble perspective.
The lords and heirs who had met Liam face-to-face, and been promised a place at the rear, no longer looked so anxious about the fight. But if they had simply been ordered to take up a position there, they might still have been nervous. Would they be used as hostages? Would they be threatened if they did something wrong? A friendly chat with the commander at a party like this wiped those worries away.
Checking the faces nearby for people he was familiar with, Kurt noticed someone approaching—a short-haired woman who looked embarrassed by the short dress she wore.
She came up to Kurt and stopped, greeting him. “I’m Marion, Viscount Algren’s daughter. You’re Lord Kurt from House Exner, right?”
As Marion Sera Algren smiled at him, Kurt blinked in surprise for a moment, then quickly pasted a smile on his own face and replied, “Yes, I’m Kurt Sera Exner. Algren… You must be related to Margrave Algren, on the border with the Autocracy.”
He pretended he wasn’t sure who she was, and Marion didn’t seem to see through him. “Yes, I’m from a branch family.”
“Is that right? For a while, Liam was dispatched to that border to serve as magistrate on Planet Augur. Is that where you met him?” And where you got close to him so you could spy on him, you traitor?
Marion didn’t notice the disgust Kurt was hiding. “I actually worked with him in the capital too. I happened to get on his bad side, which is why I’m being punished like this.”
“Punished?”
“I’m called to places like this and put to work…and then there’s this outfit.”
As he watched Marion act embarrassed by her getup, Kurt realized that this was what it felt like to be revolted by someone. He had first met Marion on the Capital Planet, when he was in the guise of Lillie, and he still remembered the terrible first impression Marion had made.
“Liam picked that outfit for you?”
“Yep.”
Marion liked to dress as a man. Normally, she would have worn men’s clothes to an event like this. After she betrayed Liam, he began forcing her to wear cute, girly outfits. Given the extent of her betrayal, however, that was a slap on the wrist.
Kurt asked what Marion was doing there. “I didn’t think Margrave Algren or his branch families were participating in this battle.”
“I’m a hostage. I’m just here to ensure that House Algren will always be on the count’s side. He wants everyone to know it.” Marion shook her head in exasperation.
Meanwhile, Kurt took a thoughtful sip of his drink. He couldn’t bring himself to like someone he knew had betrayed Liam. He also saw something in Marion that reminded him of himself, which made him dislike her instinctively.
Thus, without meaning to, he found himself saying what he truly felt. “After betraying Liam, you should be glad you’re still alive.”
The smile disappeared from Marion’s face. “You knew? Wow. You look like a sweet guy, but you’re not very nice, are you?”
“You’re lucky he let you off the hook so lightly,” Kurt insisted.
“Yeah, I guess so. But I’m pretty sick of being embarrassed and put to work like this. Liam’s really a jerk, don’t you think?”
Marion clearly didn’t enjoy having to dress as a woman. Still, she had the wherewithal to glance around on occasion as if in search of something.
What’s she looking for? Is that something Liam told her to do? I can’t believe she still calls him by name, as if they’re friends. How shameless.
Kurt was suspicious of Marion, but before he could figure out her behavior, she bowed her head to him.
“Please excuse me, then. I’m rather busy, you see,” she told him, leaving.
Watching her go, Kurt muttered to himself, “What a rotten woman.”
✦ ✦ ✦
In one corner of the party hall, Schlust was tucking into the refreshments.
“This is wonderful. You can’t get any of these dishes or drinks in my domain. They’re all luxuries you hardly even get to taste on the Capital Planet!”
You could get anything on the Capital Planet, but these items did cost a pretty penny. Schlust might’ve been the lord of his own domain, but it seemed that House Glynn’s finances couldn’t let him live the sort of life that would satisfy him.
Theodore’s face twitched as he watched Schlust glut himself on food and alcohol. “You haven’t forgotten your role here, have you, Baron Glynn?”
Schlust’s mouth was full; he washed the food down with some alcohol before answering. “No need to worry. I’ve spread rumors to increase discord within the faction, and I’ve cried to Liam that he didn’t send enough supplies. I got him to promise more; he can’t come off as stingy at a party like this, after all!” As he mocked Liam, Schlust apparently didn’t find his own behavior—crying for more aid at a party—at all shameful. Then, as if he had fulfilled his own duties completely, he asked Theodore, “How’s your work going?”
“You needn’t concern yourself with that. At any rate, I’ll be aboard this ship as a military advisor from now on, so please be careful when you contact me.”
“That won’t be a problem. I’m overseeing the entire army’s communications, after all.”
That was why Baron Glynn’s planet had state-of-the-art communications systems that didn’t align with the substandard technology elsewhere on the planet. As the one responsible for maintaining those systems, Schlust could eavesdrop on all the army’s communications.
“We have the upper hand, but I’d still caution you not to drop your guard,” Theodore said.
“Don’t worry; we’re more than prepared. Everything will go fine. Just enjoy the food while we’re here.”
As he watched Baron Glynn continue to indulge in food and drink, Theodore did his best not to let his irritation show on his face. I thought that he was a well-bred but rich idiot. He’s a complete glutton too, though. So much for that good breeding.
Theodore looked out over the party venue. The resentment he harbored over holding low status despite his noble birth made the sight seem ridiculous to him.
Throwing a party before a war… None of these idiots are ready for what’s coming. Once Prince Calvin takes the throne, I’ll get rid of the whole incompetent bunch.
Theodore pictured his rosy future, vowing to become the kind of great noble that no one there could ever hope to be.
✦ ✦ ✦
When the party ended and everyone had left, I went back to my quarters.
“Welcome home, Master.”
“What are you doing in my room…?”
Eulisia Morisille bowed, three maid robots behind her. For some reason, she wore a maid uniform. That pissed me off. That uniform, with its exposed shoulders, was unique to the maid robots, so it was almost enraging to see Eulisia wear it so brazenly.
When she noticed my undisguised frustration, tears sprang to Eulisia’s eyes. “Can’t you enjoy it a little bit?!”
“That’s my maids’ uniform. Besides, aren’t you here to provide me with support?” I had brought her along to act as a secretary of sorts, so why was she in my bedroom? Had she forgotten why she’d come along already?
As I side-eyed her, Eulisia collapsed to the floor in tears. “You’re terrible! You won’t even clarify my position now that you’re marrying Lady Rosetta! My job is supposed to be supporting you out here on the battlefield, isn’t it? So how come I can’t support you at night, like—”
I cut her off. “I’m good.”
That only made Eulisia more desperate. She clung to me, sobbing. “Good with what?! You don’t have anyone else, do you?! I certainly don’t see anybody else around here!”
“Shut up! I’m about to get married, aren’t I?!”
As I tried to pry the wailing Eulisia off me, my tablet sounded.
“Who is it? Kukuri…?”