Cain showed them to an empty table, called a maid over, and asked her to prepare drinks. “We used this carbonated wine to offer a toast earlier. Sir Habit’s drink is non-alcoholic, so he may drink it with ease.”
“I doubt a baron is capable of acquiring anything worth drinking. Very well, bring it out already.”
The maid placed a crystal wine glass on the table and poured some sparkling wine into it. She also served a glass of juice to Habit. Marquess Corgino’s eyes widened as he looked at the wine glass he was handed. He raised the glass, examining its impossible craftsmanship from different angles. He then took a sip and exclaimed in astonishment.
“This is good! The craftsmanship of this glass goblet is exquisite, as is the wine itself!”
He had intended to disparage Cain, but the wine shocked him into revealing his true thoughts. The maids began to bring over plate after plate of dishes, placing them in front of Corgino. He took a bite, and his eyes widened in astonishment once more.
“What is this? I’ve never had anything like this before!”
“There is plenty more to go around, so feel free to enjoy it at your own pace.”
The father and son pair gorged themselves on the food provided to them, completely forgetting to observe proper table manners. The surrounding viscounts and barons, lower-ranking nobles, watched from a distance with cold gazes.
Corgino not only drank his fill of the sparkling wine, but the normal wine as well.
“Baron Cain! Surrender all of these wine glasses you have to me! Give me all the wine you have as well! Provide me with the recipe for this dish before we leave tonight!” He was beginning to get belligerent.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I will be gifting a pair of these wine glasses to all the guests today, so if you could settle with that…”
“Two is too little—give me one hundred! Your stock will rise once people know that a Marquess family is using your wares.”
“My apologies, Lord Marquess. Even if you’re the one requesting it, I cannot agree to that request.”
“What? Are you refusing to follow the orders of a marquess? A mere baron dares defy a marquess?”
Marquess Corgino, now fully intoxicated, began to act even more brazenly.
Oh man, he’s really done it now. Does he not realize who is standing behind him?
Cain had activated Search, so he was aware of the positions of the royal family and high-ranking nobles. The one Cain was hoping most would appear had arrived.
“Don’t you think you’re going too far?” boomed a voice from behind the marquess.
“Shut up! Low-ranking nobles like barons should just shut up and do whatever high-ranking nobles like marquesses tell them to do.”
Since this was a party hosted by a low-ranking noble, Marquess Corgino had assumed he was the highest-ranking guest here. He drunkenly struggled to turn around in his chair to continue accosting whoever had dared intervene. Upon seeing who it was, Marquess Corgino immediately paled.
“Hmm? Then how about this: Marquesses should just shut up and do whatever the king tells them to do.”
It was the king. Corgino had told the king to “shut up.” The shock made Marquess Corgino immediately sober up.
“Y-your Majesty! My deepest apologies! Why are you at a low-ranking noble’s party, Your Majesty?” Marquess Corgino held onto his heavy-looking belly as he got down on one knee to pay his respects to the king.
“Why am I here? The young man hosting this party saved Telestia’s life. Of course I’m here. Any more questions?”
“N-no… Right you are.”
Marquess Corgino’s earlier attitude had completely vanished. He was now nodding and nervously acquiescing to whatever the king said while wiping his sweat-drenched forehead with a handkerchief.
“So, going back to your previous demands: ‘Surrender all these wine glasses you have to me, provide me with the recipe before I leave…’ Were you serious? If that’s how you act all the time, you’re not fit to hold the seat of a high-rank noble. It seems I may need to make some changes in the future…”
The king pressured Marquess Corgino with a serious expression. Marquess Corgino’s already pale face began to turn white.
“Not in the slightest! The quality of the wine glasses and food had so deeply moved me that I wished to learn more about them.”
“Hmm? Very well, then. Be careful not to drink too much. Eric and Magna, as well as other high-rank nobles, are in attendance as well. Act in a way that befits your station.”
With those parting words, the king returned to his table.
Marquess Corgino got up and looked around. He realized that there was more than just viscounts and barons present. He noticed Eric, Magna, and counts as well. They were all looking at him with bitingly cold gazes. Given how he had acted before the king, such a reaction was to be expected.
“I-I-I just recalled an urgent matter—I need to leave. Baron Cain? My apologies, but I have an urgent matter to take care of. An urgent matter. Excuse me,” Marquess Corgino announced, still pale in the face and wiping sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.
“An urgent matter? Then I won’t keep you. My apologies for only being able to offer the most basic of hospitality,” Cain said with a polite bow of his head.
“Yes. Excuse me. Habit! We’re leaving.”
“Wait for me, Father!”
The two of them fled the hall. With the two unwelcome guests gone Cain could finally take a breather.
“Good work. I was watching,” Silk said, as she appeared with drinks in both hands. “You were instigating them on purpose, right? You led them in a way they wouldn’t see the royal family, and I saw that wicked grin you had while your head was lowered.”
Cain could only smile wryly in response. She had him dead to rights. Those who paid attention would notice, in the end.