Chapter 89 : Chapter 89
Chapter 089
By heightening my Sensory Perception, I could tell that Sapiela and her entourage were following me. I had suspected as much, and it seemed the Young Lady too was curious about what sort of woman had come looking for me.
Jealousy? Or simple curiosity?
Had the timing been right, I would have checked her Status Window. The thought left me mildly regretful.
Pretending not to notice, I left the garden.
At once, the great mansion came into view, and there before its entrance stood a woman of dazzling beauty.
That was not all. Beside her waited a magnificent four-horse carriage, with a neatly dressed coachman seated atop it.
“Good heavens. You really came prepared, didn’t you?”
I could not help but admire it.
A luxurious dress wrapped around her snow-white skin. The jewels glittering in the sunlight heightened Eluna’s beauty even further. She had clearly gone all out. To put it bluntly, she had spent a truly outrageous amount on her appearance.
Anyone would have taken her for a noblewoman. She had, at the very least, the bearing of a baroness. But Eluna was young enough that no one would have found it strange to take her for a young noble lady instead.
Nor was that the only interesting thing. A small crowd of onlookers had gathered behind her.
There were even people leaning out from the mansion windows to look down at us. Whether they were apprentices or full butlers, every man in the place had his head stuck out.
That was how much Eluna, with her elven blood, drew people in like a fresh blossom drawing bees with its fragrance.
“Dilen.”
Upon spotting me, she smiled faintly and inclined her head. I clenched my fist, cleared my throat, straightened my clothes, and slowly approached her.
The woman who had been smiling only a moment ago now looked up at me with mournful eyes.
She was completely different from her usual self.
She wants to play out some kind of concept, does she? It is a little unexpected, but should I play along?
“I’m sorry for coming without sending word. But I simply couldn’t bear it.”
“Since it has come to this, there is no helping it. What brings you all the way here?”
“Must I really say it with my own lips?”
She clasped both hands to her chest and put on an air of shyness. In a word, she was adorable.
But Eluna definitely did not have Acting among her Traits. Could one of the hidden, question-marked Traits be Acting?
For now, I answered her question.
“There are times when certainty is necessary.”
“Isn’t the heart that thinks of one another more important than certainty arrived at with the mind?”
“When a desk grows cluttered, it must be put in order.”
“Oh, Dilen......”
Her voice was mournful. We had begun acting as a man and woman who had met the night before and parted in regret.
Meanwhile, the number of onlookers only kept increasing.
The highlight among them was, naturally, Sapiela’s party. I could feel the Young Lady’s cold, piercing stare from where I stood. Though beyond that, I was rather curious about Arwen’s expression as well.
For a moment, I sharpened my hearing and listened in on the voices around me.
“What? Is that Dilen’s lover?”
“She’s absurdly beautiful. Where did he meet her? She looks like a noble lady.”
“She could be the daughter of some wealthy merchant lord!”
“Damn it, I’m so jealous!”
All kinds of speculation flew around.
Smiling, I enjoyed the situation. It bothered me slightly that Eluna’s acting felt so convincingly real, but I was still very satisfied. I found myself wondering what sort of rumors would spread today.
There were many ways to raise a person’s value. I had merely made use of one of them. And in the process, I could receive the proposal as well.
“I have poured my heart into this little space. Please, do read it.”
Eluna drew a white envelope from within her clothes and handed it to me. I deliberately hesitated, drawing the moment out. By now, I could not even hear the crowd breathing.
At last, with a sigh as though I had no choice, I accepted her letter.
It was not a love letter, but a proposal written in a businesslike tone. To everyone else, however, it would surely look like a sweet confession sealed in a love letter.
“Do not wait for a reply. We can never be together.”
“You are still so cold......”
“You should go back now. Too many people are watching.”
Eluna covered her mouth, wearing a sorrowful expression.
Good heavens. Even her crying act was quite convincing.
“You are truly cruel.”
A moment later, she climbed into the carriage as though fleeing, and it rolled calmly out of the mansion grounds along the garden road.
I nearly applauded. It had been a perfect performance, the sort fit to win a grand acting prize. I would have to praise her for it later.
Without opening the envelope, I slipped it straight into my inner pocket. And the moment I turned to leave, my eyes met Sapiela’s.
Feigning surprise, I hurried over to her and bowed my head.
“My apologies for stepping away on personal business, Young Lady. Has your walk come to an end?”
“Who was that?”
Her voice was cold enough to freeze the air. She had not been in the best condition today to begin with, and now her mood seemed bad as well.
I held down the smile trying to rise to my lips and bowed even lower.
“Someone I know. We happened to meet on the road once and shared a cup of tea.”
“From what House?”
“I do not really know. I know only her name and face. The trouble began because I told her my name and where I worked. I never imagined she would come looking for me like this......”
I did my utmost to look troubled.
I stole a glance at Arwen in the meantime. As expected, her expression did not look very good either. Rather than sad, she looked conflicted. Both women seemed to be in much the same state.
But in my heart, Sapiela stood incomparably above the rest.
Rustle.
Just then, a drifting petal came to rest on the Young Lady’s shoulder. I did not let the opportunity pass.
“Young Lady, a flower petal has landed on you. Forgive me for a moment.”
I reached out and brushed the petal from her shoulder. To anyone watching, it would have looked natural, and in the process I succeeded in making contact with her.
○ Sapiela de Adeline
Rank: ★★★★★
Level: 14 (+1)
Trait: Elegance S, Refinement S, Etiquette A, Social Dance A, Sewing C, Painting C, ???
Status: Jealousy
[Not Unlocked]
[Not Unlocked]
......
At some point her Level had gone up by 1. I had no idea how she had raised it. She must have been diligently practicing dance or sewing.
People accustomed to games tend to associate levels with combat, but this world was different. It was not a game to begin with, and even using life-oriented Traits could raise one’s Level. Just as Rohan leveled up by sweeping diligently with a broom.
But that was not what mattered right now.
What mattered was that Sapiela was feeling jealousy.
The object of that jealousy was clearly Eluna. Thanks to that, I was able to glimpse Sapiela’s feelings through the Status message.
Still, I could not call it perfect, because it lacked any modifier.
If something like abyssal or blazing had stood before it, I would have taken that as proof that her feelings toward me were firm. That made it a little disappointing.
“Shall we go back inside now? I will escort you to your residence.”
When I gestured toward the mansion and stepped into position, Sapiela finally tore her gaze away from my inner pocket and began walking with her usual proud grace.
The letter was clearly bothering her.
But even if I wanted to show it to her, I could not. It was not truly a letter. After escorting the Young Lady back to her room, I received an unexpected order.
“I wish to be alone. Everyone is to leave. Until I give the order, let no one enter.”
“But Sir Merlin’s lesson will begin soon......”
“Tell him to go back for today.”
With that, Sapiela rose from her seat and lay down on the bed. Arwen and I had no choice but to withdraw.
Is she sulking?
But thanks to that, I had bought myself some time. Leaving Arwen in the corridor, looking as though she still had something to say, I hurried back to my quarters.
The moment I returned, I took the envelope from my clothes. I pulled out the three sheets of stationery inside and read them carefully, not missing a single word.
“As expected of Eluna. She truly is someone worth trusting. The proposals are perfect.”
The proposals, written in the form of letters, were superb pieces of writing that forcefully set forth the justification and effectiveness of this sponsorship.
There were three sheets in total. But each one was different in content. They had to be, because each reflected the tastes and characteristics of one of the three Young Masters.
What astonished me even more was that she remembered all the traits of the Young Masters I had only mentioned in passing, without ever gathering them together in one proper briefing.
At this point, calling her a walking computer would not be an exaggeration. As a secretary, she was perfect.
“The proposals are more than sufficient. So is choosing the company name the only thing left now?”
The Avengers would soon be converted into a company and reborn under a new name.
New wine belongs in a new wineskin.
Ever thoughtful, Eluna had attached a list of company names suggested by the subordinates. There were around fifty candidates, and I needed only choose one.
“Let’s see...... something weighty, easy to remember, and stylish.”
After pondering for a while, I narrowed the fifty down to thirty, the thirty to ten, and from those ten chose exactly one.
“Metis.”
It matched the word I knew for the goddess who symbolized wisdom and craft. It aligned perfectly with the work I intended this company to do, so it seemed fitting.
“Good. We’ll go with this. Later, I’ll have to ask whose idea it was.”
I intended to reward that person handsomely. After all, he had named the company that would one day grow without limit.
At the end of each of the three letters, I added the trade name Metis and my signature. With that, the sponsorship proposals issued by Metis were complete.
These proposals would carry the same force as contracts.
“Shall I be off to negotiate?”
Rising from my seat, I pushed aside the bed and retrieved the Face Mask from the hidden space.
The method of making contact was simple. I would take the Face Mask out secretly, disguise myself, then stride boldly through the front gate while claiming to be from the Metis Trading Company.
I had already given Young Master Hamel a hint, so even without arranging a separate appointment, if word was sent in, they would let me inside.
***
My plan proceeded without the slightest deviation. After putting on the Face Mask in a secluded spot, I went to the mansion’s main gate and calmly played the part of the character called Suhyeon.
“My name is Suhyeon, Master of the Metis Trading Company. I have come to see Young Master Hamel.”
“The Metis Trading Company? I’ve never heard of it. Do you have an appointment with the Young Master?”
“I do. Please send word inside.”
I answered in a businesslike tone. The soldier reported it to a knight, and the knight went into the mansion himself to verify the matter.
A short while later, I successfully stepped inside the mansion.
The one assigned to guide me was a Butler Apprentice with whom I had grown friendly lately.
“This is the main house of the Adeline family. A splendid place that prides itself on history and tradition!”
I already know that, you idiot.
With a voice full of pride, he explained this and that about the mansion as he led me inward. Seeing it from the outside like this, I could tell he was really working hard.
Before long, we arrived at Young Master Hamel’s room.
Up to that point, I had crossed paths with quite a few familiar faces, but not one of them recognized me. The money I had invested in the Face Mask had been well spent.
The door opened, and there sat Young Master Hamel upon his seat of authority, lounging with arrogant ease. Sir Paramela stood close at his side.
He was clearly on guard.
Even so, I faced them with a businesslike smile and perfect composure.
“It is an honor to meet you, Young Master. I have heard much about you. My name is Suhyeon.”
“I’ve heard quite a bit about you as well. You’re the one who leads the Avengers, aren’t you?”
“I have now opened a trading company called Metis. I am its Master.”
“Metis, is it? That’s certainly a grand name.”
Grinning, Young Master Hamel crooked a finger. It was a signal for me to come closer.