ITMWG 81

Chapter 81…

 The rumoured Baron Aylesford and his wife.

Although it was purely by chance that he met the Baroness when he went to retrieve his watch, his subsequent actions were tinged with self-interest.

The other person probably felt it too.

It seemed like the Baroness was trying to act as calm as possible, but upon recalling her big confused eyes, Orca burst into laughter without even realising it. The Baroness was not an admirer of his. She was rather uncomfortable and wary around him. But she always avoided difficult questions by saying, ‘Because I’m an admirer of yours!’ The nobles respected Prince Orca and wanted to look good before him, as he was a member of the royal family. But that was as good as it could get. It was a mixture of respect and fear for ‘royalty’, not a feeling for a human called ‘Orca’.

But that woman…It rather seems like she is afraid of me, not as a member of the royal family.

It was the same whether it was when they first met, when he stayed at the Aylesford estate, or when they ran into each other on the street of the capital. He felt that her eyes were always watching ‘him’.

It will be revealed today whether that was just an illusion on my part or not.

The emperor and other members of the royal family were scheduled to attend this event today. All dignitaries would be attending to celebrate the big event called the Emperor’s Silver Jubilee, so it would be interesting to see how the Baroness treated and responded to them. So Orca was looking forward to today in many ways.

Actually, I’m not a person who pursues personal interests.

Even though he sometimes seemed like he was seeking entertainment, his purpose was ultimately practical. Unlike his older brothers, who could earn their share by leisurely pursuing their interests, Orca could only get his share by pursuing only utility. And yet the Baroness was purely interesting to him.

No. Since I need Altair Aylesford for my plan, I guess it can’t just be pure interest?

Orca had been keeping an eye on the man named Altair Aylesford for a long time. Because he was intrigued by his capability.

I heard that he is an emotionless beast hunter.

This was said by one of Altair’s subordinates who had witnessed his fights, so it was unlikely to be false information. However, the Altair he actually met was very different from the information he had received. What’s not wrong was that he had a scary impression and a large physique that can make people shiver just by making eye contact with him.

He was the kind of man who would get impatient when it comes to his wife…

If his wife had been a woman of beauty alone, Orca would have been disappointed in Altair and wiped him clean of his own plans, but Baroness Aylesford was not that kind of woman.

Of course she’s beautiful though.

Orca recalled the Baroness’ eyes widening after being handed a pink rose. If she was a mature lady, she would have accepted the flower with calm, but the Baroness was as embarrassed as a girl and was at a loss for what to do.

In that aspect, she’s not a very clever woman.

Where did the skill with which she renovated Aylesford Castle and the meticulousness with which she treated him come from? Also, how did she lure the so-called emotionless beast hunter? There were many questions, but there was only one conclusion.

We need the Baroness to sway Altair Aylesford.

He originally planned to have Altair join him in exchange for aid in Aylesford’s difficult situation. However, the sudden discovery of the magic stone mine had made Aylesford wealthy, and unless the mine dried up, they would never be in poverty again. Poverty was almost Altair Aylesford’s only weakness. Another one beside that would be his low rank. However, he was not the type to be concerned about title or fame, so with the advent of the Magic Stone Mine, he became a flawless human being with no weaknesses. In such a situation, the Baroness was the only one who could pose an impact on Altair Aylesford.

It’s not like he didn’t know that I was a prince, but he looked like he was going to kill me.

Orca recalled Altair’s hostile gaze toward him, like a cat with its fur stood on end. He openly claimed, ‘Because I like pink,’ while looking straight into his eyes to make sure Orca knew his place, keeping him in check.

I’m a little jealous.

One could only be so vigilant when they were possessive over the other person, but Orca had no such assurance. As he pondered this, Orca reached the grand banquet hall.

“His Highness the Third Prince Orca has arrived!”

As soon as he entered the room with the servant’s booming announcement, the nobles greeted him politely. Of course, that was just a formal courtesy, and no one came up to him and spoke to him in a friendly way. This was partly because Prince Orca spent most of his time outside the capital and was not that close to the nobles here, but it was also because he was not important enough to them. Orca was used to being treated like this anyway.

It looks like Baron Aylesford and his wife haven’t arrived yet.

As he calmly went to his assigned seat and sat down, the first and second princes, who had arrived before him, clicked their tongues.

“Consider how you showed up later than your brothers, maybe you should show up later than father as well.”

“If people didn’t know any better, they would think you’re the eldest sibling.”

Orca slightly lowered his head with a smiling mask on as they shook their heads criticisingly, not happy to see their younger brother whom they had not met in a long time.

“I apologise. As you know, my body doesn’t respond to the surroundings as well as my mind. I will pay more attention in the future.”

“In the future?”

The first prince snorted.

“Will there even be such an opportunity in the future? I thought you would have to go to the countryside for treatment again.”

“That’s right. He left all his duties as a member of the royal family to his parents and us… it truly seems like he has no sense of order.”

Despite the criticism that followed, Orca’s expression did not change.

“My apology. It’s all because of my shortcomings.”

The two princes seemed to be satisfied with the sight of Orca bending his body. At the same time, the servant at the entrance loudly announced the appearance of new guests.

“The Marquis of Vine, Lady Melissa, Baron and Baroness Aylesford of the East!”

The rumoured Aylesford! Rumours about Aylesford had already spread widely throughout the capital, and at the announcement, people stopped talking altogether and turned their heads toward the entrance. As a result, the grand banquet hall, which was filled with turmoil, became quiet. Amidst that silence, came the people Orca was waiting for. The Marquis and lady Melissa were in the lead, with the Baron and Baroness of Aylesford following behind. But since Altair was several heads taller than the Marquis, he caught everyone’s attention. Altair, dressed in neat formal attire, had a cold and scary look, but his posture was upright and his steps were calm, so his aloof look was disguised as firmness. ‘Oh my God.’ ‘Where has such a handsome man been hiding?’ The young ladies whispered, but then they let out an exclamation upon confirming the presence of his wife, who was being escorted by him. Even though it’s unusual, warm pink hair felt even more lovely next to the all-black hair Baron. With the addition of a light blue dress that matched the colour of her eyes, she had the air and elegant appearance of a flawless lady.

As expected, they are an eye-catching couple.

It seemed like they themselves were not aware of that at all. Orca smiled at the thought. Meanwhile, the nobles who were watching quietly began to approach the duo’s side. Marquis Vine and Lady Melissa, who made their appearance with them, were pushed to a corner of the banquet hall by the crowd of people. Lady Melissa, who had been the main character at any banquet up until now, looked annoyed and dissatisfied with the situation, and the Marquis was also clearing his throat in awkwardness, pretending to be nonchalant, with a disapproving expression. And the two people who were the centre of attention, especially Baroness Nadia… looked quite scared and overwhelmed.

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Wow, there are so many people… !

Cold sweat was running down Nadia’s back, and she was worried that the pretty dress Marie had put on her would be soaked with sweat. The nobles flocked to them in diverse ways. Some greeted them by saying that they were glad to receive the Gold Lisianthus, some asked them how they were doing in a friendly way, whilst some openly asked about the magic stone mine…A variety of people came up to them, but they all had the same interest in Nadia and Altair – as Baron Aylesford and his wife. People were not acting hostile at all, but quite friendly, which was not scary at all. Still…

It’s-, it’s kind of burdensome…

Nadia attempted to attract attention by raising rumours about them, and she attended the banquet with great determination, but how could a person’s nature change so easily? Moreover, not only the capital nobles but all the nobles of the empire were invited, so the number of people was far larger than she had imagined.

Don’t be scared, Nadia!

Whenever she felt burdened by people’s gaze, she would hold Altair’s hand tightly while trying to calm her heart down. When she remembered the fact that he was next to her, her anxious mind felt a little more at ease.

“Baron Aylesford.”

At that mooment, the people surrounding them split in half at the sound of someone’s voice, making way for the owner of the voice. Seeing people reacting like this, it seemed like a very high-ranking person had appeared. The middle-aged man with a solemn look who appeared between them was someone Nadia didn’t recognise. He had a physique as large as Altair, so if she had paid attention even only once, she would have definitely remembered who he was. Meanwhile, Altair naturally bowed in a polite manner, as if he already knew him.

“Greetings, Duke Viosques.”

Viosques?!

The Emperor’s father-in-law! The most influential Duke in the empire!

“There’s no need to greet me so stiffly. We’ve already talked a lot through letters, so you feel like an old friend to me.”

“Thank you for the kind words. However, please understand my desire to be polite to respectable people.”

“What? Respectable? Ahaha!”

Duke Viosques burst into laughter, as if the flattery was not unpleasant. He seemed to like Altair very much. Nadia’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected situation. She wasn’t simply surprised by the fact that Altair had made a great connection unbeknownst to her, but also…

The Duke of Viosques… this person is…

The man whose head Altair cut off and hung on the castle wall in the novel…! Because he was the emperor’s father-in-law with strong military power, he was an important purge target, so his death was more gruesome than anyone else.

Why do the two look so close now…?

Even though the plot had changed, the development was truly drastic.