The carriage stopped in front of a mansion, and Dynus called out, “Sir Reiner, we have arrived at the home of Count Tristan Ronamis.”
“It’s finally time,” Reiner muttered to himself with a deep exhale. He swiftly stood up and stepped outside, and the first thing that came into view was a grand and brilliant mansion.
Reiner had never been nervous during the business meetings he participated in at work, nor during practice duels with the sword. However, on this day, his countenance had remained anxious since they’d boarded the carriage. Dynus seemed to pick up on this nervousness, and he looked worriedly at Reiner.
“Sir Reiner, are you all right? If you are interested, I have a technique I use for calming my nerves. Would you like to see it?”
Reiner seemed suspicious of the technique. He had a bad feeling about whatever this was going to be, but he knew that Dynus was just trying to be considerate.
“Well, why not? Let me see this technique of yours.”
“Understood!!! I will perform it for you!!!”
Dynus excitedly puffed his chest, which stretched out his shirt to be skintight. Then, he began moving his chest muscles up and down. Seeing all of this happen, Reiner was first completely stunned, then he pressed his hand against his forehead and looked down. Dynus paid Reiner’s reaction no mind and continued moving his muscles.
“What do you think, Sir Reiner? Don’t you feel more relaxed? This would be more entertaining if I had some fruits to use as props.”
Reiner was still hanging his head, and he let out a sigh before looking up. “I guess my nerves have indeed calmed... However, there’s no need to do this in front of me ever again.”
Dynus stopped flexing and tilted his head in confusion.
“What are you doing, Reiner?” Aester called out. “Lord Tristan is waiting for us. We must head inside right away.”
“Understood, father.”
Though it hadn’t worked as intended, Reiner’s interaction with Dynus did indeed help him calm down. Unfortunately, Reiner himself hadn’t noticed that his anxiety had lessened.
From there, the Valdias were led by butlers and maids of the Ronamis household to a room reserved for special guests, and they all had a seat. The Ronamis’ home was simple in decor, but each piece on display was of excellent quality, and their taste seemed incredibly refined. As Reiner inspected the room they were in, there was a knock on the door. Aester responded, the door opened, and a gentle and kindly man with brown hair and blue eyes entered, making his way toward them.
“I apologize for keeping you waiting. I am Tristan Ronamis. Thank you very much for accepting this meeting to discuss a prospective marriage between our families. I am looking forward to speaking with you.”
Tristan proceeded to shake hands with Aester, Toulette, and then Reiner. Before he took Reiner’s hand, he stared at the young man with more intensity than he had his parents.
“So, you are Sir Reiner. You have lovely eyes, just like your parents.”
“It is an honor to receive such kind words, my lord,” Reiner replied. “I am also incredibly grateful to have this opportunity to discuss marriage to a member of a family so storied in this empire.”
Tristan seemed a bit surprised by Reiner’s words. “My, I had no idea you knew about the history of our family within the empire, Sir Reiner. You’re quite the learned man.”
“I have been serving as Prince Arwin’s adviser for several years now, so I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to learn about the noble families in this empire,” Reiner shared with a smile. “Though it is only a bit, I have had the privilege of studying the Ronamis’ history.”
It was true that he’d gotten more opportunities to learn about Magnolian nobles by serving as Arwin’s adviser, but Reiner had only studied up on the Ronamis family in particular after learning that he might be marrying Nanalie. Prior to his research, he hadn’t known much about the family other than a vague understanding that they were of a venerable lineage.
Through his research, Reiner had learned that the Ronamis family was one of the very few noble families that had existed since the foundation of Magnolia. They were historically significant and truly of a venerable lineage. Their history and social standing had made them equals to the dukes and margraves in the empire, and though the family only held the title of count, they received special treatment. Despite their long history and high standing, they had never been bestowed a higher rank. This had caught Reiner’s attention, and he was sure there had to be some reason that their peerage hadn’t changed. He had even tried asking Arwin, but the crown prince hadn’t had an answer for him either.
Tristan nodded, satisfied by Reiner’s explanation. “I see, you are serving as the crown prince’s adviser. I’m sure it must be challenging to learn all about the history of this empire.”
“I actually consider this to be a wonderful opportunity I’ve been blessed with,” Reiner replied. “The Valdia Mark is quite far from the capital, so I don’t get many chances like this.”
Tristan smiled, seeming impressed by Reiner’s unwavering confidence.
“I am definitely looking forward to your future endeavors, Sir Reiner. I can see why Lord Aester is so proud of his son.”
Tristan turned to look at the margrave, who cleared his throat as though trying to mask his bashfulness.
“Anyway, Tristan, where is your daughter? It seems Lady Nanalie hasn’t joined us yet.”
Tristan let out a nervous chuckle and returned his gaze to Reiner, giving the young man a profound look.
“My apologies. She seems to be quite concerned with her appearance, and it’s taking her a bit to get ready. I’ve never seen my daughter put so much care into how she looks, so I’m surprised by this as well.”
Aester picked up on the hidden meaning behind Tristan’s gaze and words, and a grin spread across his face. “Isn’t that wonderful, Reiner?” he said in a teasing manner.
“Please don’t poke fun at me, father,” Reiner responded bashfully. Though he only seemed slightly embarrassed, internally Reiner was indescribably flustered.
Toulette had been standing by, watching the men interact. Though she was smiling, there was something terrifying about her gaze. “You should all know that it is completely normal for a lady to be concerned with her appearance when meeting with a prospective marriage partner,” she gently scolded. “I think it is best that we don’t let our imaginations run wild.”
Unlike her usual demeanor, there was a chilling air to Toulette’s kind voice. The three men immediately froze in response. Once they had calmed down after getting carried away, they all looked a bit regretful of their behavior. Tristan proceeded to sit down and clear his throat as if to signal that he wanted to change the subject.
“Well, I’ve been raising my daughter all on my own, since my wife passed away quite some time ago. I believe she’s grown up to be quite a charming lady.”