Chapter 135 : Chapter 135
Chapter 135. The Real One Had Appeared
In truth, I had been looking for a point of contact with the royal family for quite some time. But as a commoner with no connections, it was difficult to find a good method.
That was why I had attacked the Bahamut Ducal House by a roundabout route. With a little luck added on top, I was making a decent showing, but the fact that I still had no tie to the royal family always left something to be desired.
Because I met her in the midst of that, I could not help but welcome Princess Ophelia greatly.
I had hoped that if I went back and forth to the Academy, I might be able to form a connection, and right at that moment, a princess had appeared.
I needed to catch her eye somehow.
The wooden case I had placed inside my coat felt more reliable than ever. Just in case, I had been carrying ballpoint pens in a case. A suitable person could appear at any time, after all.
Production of ballpoint pens had also been disrupted because the supply of materials had been cut off, but fortunately, Spinel had made plenty of them before that happened, and about twenty were stored at headquarters. I had brought about five of them with me.
As for fountain pens, I had already told them to send them straight to the Royal Capital once additional materials were secured, or once they found another substitute and could make them again.
Ballpoint pens would be convenient and fascinating as well, but they could not match the luxurious writing feel of fountain pens.
I showed Ophelia the greatest courtesy I could.
“I greet Your Noble Highness, the Princess. My name is Dilen. I am the Head of House Medici and a butler of House Adeline.”
“Nice to meet you, Sir Dilen! Hehehe.”
Her voice was overflowing with a free-spirited and lively energy.
Normally, one might at least use polite speech out of courtesy toward someone who held a noble title, but this princess spoke casually without hesitation.
It did not particularly offend me, but it did reveal something about her personality.
A cheerful and lively princess.
Her appearance was one thing, but she was a woman with a charm that drew people in.
“I heard you are an Aura User? Our Ella was bragging about you so much~ She said you saved her when she was in danger! That is so cool. I wish I had a butler like this too.”
Startled, I looked at the Young Lady. The Young Lady’s face reddened slightly, and she was looking elsewhere.
How unexpected.
I smiled and responded to the princess’s words.
“It is only a small skill. I merely did what I had to do. It was nothing remarkable.”
“But I heard even the Adeline knights struggled. The Adeline knights are famous for being strong, are they not?”
Strong? I had not particularly felt that.
Then again, even Commander Varian was extremely strong and deeply respected. The problem had been people beneath him, like Roland and Lorenz. Even looking at Arthas, the level of an Apprentice Knight was quite high.
I had not known Sapiela had been saying such things, but fortunately, the princess seemed to have a good image of me.
I thought I should continue the conversation a little longer. I needed to find the right timing to give her the ballpoint pen I had in my coat as a gift.
“By the way, are you close to our Young Lady? I believe today is the first time I have heard that she is friends with a princess.”
“Ah, not exactly~ We have not known each other for very long. We met here in the Academy’s special course. But she looked a little lonely, so I am specially looking after her. We also happen to be the same age.”
“I see.”
“Ella is the type who needs a lot of care. You have to take good care of her at her side.”
Sapiela flinched in surprise, but because Ophelia laughed with a hehehe, she could not say anything in reply. Unexpectedly, there was someone who had good compatibility with this sort of character.
In any case, if they were the same age, the princess must also be seventeen. Young Lady Sapiela was that age as well.
In a way, they were an oddly mismatched pair. Cold and composed Sapiela with a bright and cheerful princess. It was like water meeting oil.
Still, if she called the Young Lady by a pet name, then they must have grown extremely close in a short period of time.
“Please take good care of our Young Lady.”
“Mm. I think we will be seeing each other often from now on, so let us greet each other when we do.”
“It would be my honor. Ah, right. This works out well.”
I naturally took the box out from inside my coat. Then I opened the case. After that, I respectfully presented it to the princess with both hands.
“If it is acceptable to you, would you receive this gift?”
“What is this?”
The princess widened her large eyes and took the ballpoint pen in her hand.
“It is an object called a ballpoint pen. It is a convenient item that allows you to write without dipping it in ink.”
“Wow~ Really?”
The excited princess drew the ballpoint pen across the paper placed beside her. But nothing was written.
“You need to write with the opposite end, not that side.”
“Aha.”
When I corrected its position again, the princess held the pen properly and drew a line. A clear line appeared on the paper, and the princess was startled.
“It is fascinating!”
“It is a new product made by a company run by a distant relative of mine. I happened to have a spare one, and since you are studying hard and I wish to ask you to take good care of our Young Lady, I offer it to you as a gift. I hope it pleases you.”
“What company is it?”
“It is a new company called Metis. We plan to make many office supplies in the future, so if there is anything to give you now and then, I will pass it along.”
“Oh~ I am very interested in that kind of thing. I look forward to it.”
“The honor is mine.”
Good. Somehow, it felt as if I had won a major supply contract. If she asked for the company’s name, it meant the princess had an interest in that kind of field.
“In any case, if that is the reason, I will gladly accept it. Ella is a child who needs a lot of care.”
“Thank you.”
I had attached a suitable excuse in case Sapiela might become jealous, but because Ophelia emphasized that she needed a lot of care, the Young Lady blushed without even having time to feel jealous.
It was an amusing combination. I should come to the Academy often from now on.
“Then please enjoy your class. I will be waiting outside.”
“Very well.”
I bowed to the young ladies and left the classroom. Though the bait was not entirely satisfying, I hoped Princess Ophelia would bite well.
***
The lecture ended about three hours later. The bell in the middle of the campus rang, the classroom door opened, and the students inside began to come out.
Among them were Sapiela and Ophelia. Waiting by the door, I approached them With Dignity and greeted them.
“Did you finish your class well?”
“Were you not bored waiting? Today’s class ran long~ A topic the Professor likes happened to come up.”
Ophelia asked, and Sapiela also looked at me with a similar nuance. I smiled and bowed my head.
“I looked around the campus, so I had no time to be bored. I also visited the Library. There were truly many wonderful books. Next time, I plan to read there.”
“So Sir Dilen likes books too?”
“Yes. I tend to enjoy reading.”
At that moment, Sapiela helped from the side.
“He is also my Private Tutor.”
“Really? Then he must be very smart, is he not?”
“He is smart. Sir Dilen can solve difficult mathematics problems without hesitation.”
“Wow! A man who is good at mathematics is wonderful~”
The princess clapped her hands and sent me a gaze. Perhaps because the princess kept showing me favor, Sapiela cut off the conversation at an appropriate point and tugged at my arm.
“Let us go. I am tired.”
“Yes. I will escort you immediately. Your Highness, I shall take my leave now. I hope there will be another chance to see you next time.”
“Go safely!”
After helping the Young Lady into the carriage, I climbed in as well. Soon, the coachman moved the carriage. For a while, neither of us said anything.
Then suddenly, the Young Lady asked first.
“Ophelia is pretty, is she not?”
“She certainly is beautiful.”
I answered honestly while observing Sapiela’s expression. She did not look very pleased. She was probably jealous.
Before I knew it, a smile settled on my lips.
“But as expected, there was no one who could compare to your beauty, my lady. Among all those students, you shone the most brilliantly. Like the North Star floating in the night sky.”
“......Do you mean that?”
“How could I dare tell you a lie, my lady?”
Only then did Sapiela’s expression soften.
After we arrived at the mansion, we enjoyed tea time as promised. Unlike in the past, when other people’s gazes had felt burdensome, I had now become someone of sufficient status to enjoy tea with the Young Lady openly.
The Young Lady dismissed all the maids, including Arwen, and met with me alone.
“About giving Ophelia the ballpoint pen.”
“Yes.”
“Is there not another reason?”
“May I ask why you think so?”
“A ballpoint pen is a precious item. The fact that you carry such a thing around is one matter, but seeing you naturally give it as a gift made it feel out of place.”
As expected, she had a sharp side. She had a talent for looking at phenomena critically. If I had her do experiments later, she would probably do well.
“You saw it correctly. To be honest, I am helping Metis with some work.”
“What exactly are you helping with?”
“It is nothing remarkable. I am merely helping spread word of mouth about the new product. Since it is a relative’s business, after all.”
The Young Lady brought the teacup to her lips and took a sip of tea. Then she removed the teacup from her mouth and set it down on the saucer.
In that brief instant, she seemed to have made up her mind about something.
“In that case, would it not be better to give it as a gift to someone of higher station?”
“I would like to, but as you know, I was born a commoner, and until recently, I held an insignificant position. I have no connections on that side.”
“If you have no connections, you can simply make them.”
“That is not as easy as it sounds.”
At that moment, unexpected words flowed out.
“I will soon be going to a party held by the royal family. It will be Ophelia’s birthday soon, and I was invited. How about bringing a few then and giving them to people of high station? If you are lucky, you may even meet His Majesty the King.”
A perfect opportunity.
But rather than ballpoint pens, it would definitely be better if I had fountain pens.
“May I ask when the party will be held?”
“In two weeks.”
“If it is two weeks, then there is still enough time. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. On that day as well, I will attend you with all my heart, my lady.”
Sapiela nodded and lifted her teacup.
One more thing had been added to my list of tasks. First, I had to send a messenger pigeon to Metis immediately. If even one finished product existed, I had to tell them to send it to the Royal Capital at once.
In that way, night came, and around the time the Young Lady went to bed, I briefly went out and stopped by the Messenger Pigeon Center.
This place operated twenty-four hours a day. I had heard that there were more messages sent by express delivery than expected. Of course, in such cases, a night surcharge was added.
The man on the far left recognized me and greeted me.
“Are you not Suhyeon of the Metis Trading Company? Do you have something to send at this late hour?”
“You remembered me.”
“It is nothing to boast about, but I do not forget the face or name of a customer I have seen once.”
He formed a well-polished smile.
As expected, he was someone I had to bring over. The place where such talent belonged was not this modest Messenger Pigeon Center, but a massive company trying to expand across the Continent.
I would make him an offer later. For now, I had to send the messenger pigeon first.
“The destination is the Metis Trading Company. Please send it by super-express.”
“Please wait a moment.”
A short while later, I finished paying. Perhaps because it was super-express, the amount came out fairly high. But it did not matter. This was worth investing in.
Around the time I left the Messenger Pigeon Center, I heard a fluttering sound. When I raised my head, I saw a sleek messenger pigeon flapping its wings. It was probably the messenger pigeon heading toward the Adeline territory.
I sent my heart to the messenger pigeon soaring powerfully toward the open sky.
I hoped it would return with good news.