Chapter 10
My father and older brother gave me a thumbs-up when they saw my outfit.
We climbed into the carriage and headed for Count Banner’s estate.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Count Banner came rushing out to greet us.
“Welcome, Gustav! And Sir Heinrich, Miss Regina! Thank you so much for coming!”
The count looked genuinely delighted to see us.
Ever since my father had rescued his son-in-law, who had been stranded deep behind enemy lines during the war, Count Banner had regarded our family as his benefactors.
“Thank you for inviting us, Banner.”
“Think nothing of it. It’s only natural that I should do this much.”
Count Banner patted my father’s shoulder and whispered meaningfully.
“Of course… Even I couldn’t manage this twice, but I can somehow pull it off this once. I had to pull quite a few strings.”
“Thank you. I won’t forget this favor.”
While the two middle-aged men exchanged knowing glances, the head butler approached and bowed respectfully.
“Lady Regina and Sir Heinrich, allow me to escort you to the ballroom first. It seems our master and the count have some matters to discuss.”
We followed the butler into a magnificent hall illuminated by glittering chandeliers.
A large number of nobles had already gathered there.
Their gazes immediately converged on us.
Curiosity, awe, and a hint of fear were mixed in their eyes.
Just then, an elegant woman made her way through the crowd and approached us.
It was Ellie, Count Banner’s daughter.
Beside her stood her husband, a sturdy-looking man.
“Welcome, Duke Eisenbach. And welcome, Miss Regina.”
Ellie was renowned for her gentleness and wisdom, to the point that she was often called a paragon among women.
She was also deeply grateful to our family for saving her husband, so she welcomed us with genuine warmth.
“Thank you so much for coming. Thanks to you, my husband was able to return home alive.”
“It is an honor to meet the people who saved my life.”
Ellie spoke first, and then her husband bowed respectfully as well.
I smiled awkwardly and nodded.
Then Ellie clasped my hand firmly and spoke with sparkling eyes.
“Today, Miss Regina, you’re the star of the show. So don’t feel pressured. Just relax and make yourself comfortable.”
“…The star of the show?”
I tilted my head.
I’d been told that House Eisenbach had been invited as an honored guest, but now she was saying that I was the star?
It seemed a little strange to dismiss it as nothing more than a polite expression of welcome.
However, before I had time to think about it any further, Ellie took my hand and led me toward the center of the ballroom.
At one point, she came to a natural stop.
Then she addressed a man standing nearby.
“Oh, there you are! Let me introduce you. This is Sir Cedric, the second son of the Marquess of Valder.”
A tall man with a neat, refined appearance turned around.
When he saw me, he bowed politely.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Regina. I’m Cedric von Valder. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”
For a moment, I looked at him with some uncertainty.
Aside from the people in Count Banner’s family, I couldn’t recall ever receiving particularly good treatment from anyone in high society.
Most people either avoided me, calling me a barbarian, or cowered in fear and referred to me as the Black Reaper.
But this man was different.
He didn’t frown at the sight of my formal men’s uniform. Instead, he looked me straight in the eyes and smiled.
He was a genuinely respectable and well-mannered gentleman.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Sir Cedric.”
We exchanged a few words.
He asked about my experiences on the battlefield without being rude, and he listened attentively to my answers.
His manner was impeccable. He managed to convey both friendliness and interest without ever crossing the line.
He was on an entirely different level from the men I’d met until now, who either trembled in front of me or ran away.
Just then, a commotion arose near the entrance to the ballroom, and I saw my father coming inside.
“Ah, the duke has arrived. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave for now. I hope we’ll speak again later.”
Sir Cedric bowed politely before departing.
Ellie and I headed over to greet my father.
As we walked with her arm linked through mine, Ellie asked cautiously,
“What did you think of Sir Cedric?”
“Pardon? Oh, he seemed like a polite and pleasant gentleman.”
“Isn’t he? The House of Valder is famous for its excellent family values. If you happen to like him…”
A sense of incongruity washed over me.
The words star of the show.
The introduction that had seemed so natural.
And now this follow-up question asking what I thought of him.
On the battlefield, my instincts had been sharpened to a razor’s edge for the sake of survival.
Once is a coincidence. Twice is no coincidence. And if you let your guard down the second time, you’ll lose your head the third.
My father’s earlier rambling and Count Banner’s remark about having to pull a few strings suddenly fell into place like pieces of a puzzle.
I stopped walking and looked at Ellie.
“Lady Ellie.”
“Yes?”
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
I asked in a serious tone, fixing her with the same sharp gaze I used to assess an enemy’s movements on the battlefield.
“What do you mean by asking what I thought of Sir Cedric? You’re making it sound as though… you’re asking someone about a man they’ve been introduced to for a potential marriage.”
At my pointed observation, Ellie’s eyes widened.
She looked thoroughly flustered.
“Oh my! Surely… you didn’t come here without knowing?”
“…What is it that I’m supposed to know?”
At my question, Ellie fell silent for a moment, apparently unsure what to say.
Then, as though she’d finally grasped the situation, she took my arm with a serious expression.
“Please excuse me for a moment, Lady Regina.”
She glanced around before leading me away.
“This isn’t a suitable place to discuss it. Let’s go to the ladies’ lounge. I’ll explain everything there.”
Unable to shake the uneasy feeling in my stomach, I followed her.
I felt as though I’d fallen into a trap.
And not just any trap, but a romantic one laid by the very allies I trusted most—my father and older brother.
The room Ellie took me to was spacious and quiet.
With a glance, she dismissed all the maids.
The servants who had been preparing refreshments stopped what they were doing, then quietly closed the door behind them as they left.
Soon, only Ellie and I remained in the lounge.
“As I understand it, this party was organized by my father and your father, Duke Eisenbach, specifically for your sake, Lady Regina… as a gathering to scout out potential husbands.”
Ellie hesitated, her lips moving as though she were struggling to find the right words. Finally, she seemed to make up her mind and spoke with some difficulty.
“A… gathering to scout out potential husbands?”
I repeated the strange string of words, and Ellie added an explanation, looking utterly at a loss.
“It’s something that happens from time to time in the capital.”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“It’s an informal party where fathers, godfathers, or other influential men who care about an eligible young lady use their connections to gather suitable marriage candidates in one place for her.”
“…”
It felt as though someone had struck me over the head.
So this was why my father and older brother had been rambling so incoherently.
Their talk about Count Banner’s reputation and honored guests had all been bait to lure me here.
“Then… are you telling me that everyone in this ballroom came here to be considered as a potential husband for me?”
I asked in disbelief.
“But there are people here who aren’t even men of marriageable age.”
“We need to make the gathering look convincing.”
Ellie answered.
“If we gathered only the candidates, it would be far too obvious, and you might feel uncomfortable, Lady Regina. So we invited other people as well to make it look like an ordinary social gathering.”
Ellie took a deep breath.
“But… as for the men around your age, yes. Even if they haven’t all come with the specific intention of becoming candidates, they’ve all come with you in mind.”
“…”
I listened to her explanation with a heavy heart.
“…As I thought, this was something my father asked you to arrange, wasn’t it?”
