NOVEL NEXT #26
#26
Thump, thump.
The eyes of all the people filling the banquet hall turned towards Kain Starchis, who was striding in on long legs. He was an uninvited guest, a head taller than most adult men.
At first, attention naturally focused on his striking face, then moved to his particularly pointed ear tips. As the people of the Gerold Marquis family confirmed those ears, they began to murmur among themselves.
“Who is that? I’ve never seen him before.”
“Those ears… could it be?”
“Your imagination is running wild. The ears must be a costume. There’s no way a real elf would come to a banquet. That only happens in fairy tales.”
“But…”
The attendees were nobles who had already seen rare and priceless things from across the continent to the point of boredom.
However, even for the high-ranking Gerold Marquis family members, the presence of an elf was astonishing. Even those who would usually pretend to be nonchalant to avoid appearing impressed couldn’t hide their fascination.
Among them, Jersian, who was talking with Marchioness Elmerila, showed the most change in expression.
“…Kain?”
Why are you here…? At Jersian’s voice, the eyes of Kain, who was walking across the banquet hall with a cold face, moved slightly.
“Lord Jersian.”
Immediately, the elf’s mask-like face, which had seemed impenetrable, cracked. Kain Starchis smiled slightly as soon as he confirmed Jersian’s face.
There was only one reason he had come to this banquet hall filled with humans he didn’t know. He had received a message from the Marchioness of the Gerold family saying, “I’ve arranged for you to have dinner with Jersian’s family, so come to the banquet hall.” However, Kain didn’t realize that even Jersian himself was unaware of this message.
“Please sit here.”
A servant said, pulling out the chair right next to Jersian. Kain Starchis walked towards it.
“Lord Jersian?”
“It seems you’re acquainted with Jersian Gerold.”
The eyes of the people around widened. As Kain sat down, the servant promptly placed a plate of food from the trolley behind. Several clean, transparent glasses were also set down, and they were soon filled with clear water and… a few unidentifiable liquids.
“Jersian. Your guest hospitality has been quite a mess. How difficult it must have been, confined to the annex for days.”
Marchioness Elmerila Gerold said.
“…There were separate personal circumstances for that…”
Why am I having to make excuses?
Jersian barely managed to answer, suppressing his rising irritation. But Elmerila didn’t seem satisfied with that answer. She raised a wine glass from her seat and said:
“I apologize on behalf of the Gerold Marquis family. Please enjoy the rest of the meal to the fullest.”
At this, the others seated at the table also raised their wine glasses. Even Jersian, with his irritated face right next to Kain, did the same. But the strange thing was that after raising their wine glasses, everyone stopped. It seemed they were waiting for something instead of drinking after raising their glasses.
What are they doing?
Kain Starchis alone blinked in confusion at the entire table.
“…”
The gaze of everyone, including the Marchioness of the Gerold family, turned towards Kain.
Haah, Jersian swallowed a short sigh and then spoke quietly. It was a voice low enough for only Kain, sitting right next to him, to hear.
“…Raise your wine glass.”
Hm? Kain examined the glasses placed before him. There was one with the same red liquid that everyone else was holding. Kain picked it up and muttered,
“If you mean wine, is this it?”
“Yes… Th- No, never mind.”
Jersian glanced at how Kain held the wine glass and then deliberately turned his gaze elsewhere. It was etiquette and common sense to hold the stem to minimize body heat transfer to the wine, but it seemed unnecessary to impose that standard on an elf.
As Kain finally raised his wine glass, Marchioness Elmerila Gerold smiled deeply and said:
“An esteemed guest has graced our mansion. Please feel at ease in the Gerold Marquis family from now on.”
She then brought the wine glass slightly forward to her lips and drank. Soon after, all the humans seated around the table followed suit and took a sip of wine. Jersian did the same.
“…”
Kain, holding the wine glass, checked Jersian drinking wine right next to him, and then brought his own glass to his nose. Immediately, Kain’s brow furrowed.
‘This… smells like rotten fruit or something.’
Is it really okay to drink this? The scent that reached his nose was extremely suspicious. He thought it might be freshly ground fruit, but upon closer inspection, even the color was dubious.
Marchioness Elmerila Gerold, who had drunk her wine, noticed the elf still staring at his wine glass and laughed, saying:
“Why, does our guest not like my wine? Shall I have better wine brought out from the cellar?”
The wine on the table was a special product that had gone through at least several decades of aging, from the family’s vineyard through specially managed oak barrels. It was Gerold Marquis family wine that ordinary commoners couldn’t even imagine drinking even if they could get their hands on it.
Kain pondered for a very brief moment. He was about to answer straightforwardly that he didn’t like it. Jersian, sitting right next to him, lightly kicked Kain’s shin.
Hm? As Kain turned his head, Jersian spoke in a voice low enough that others couldn’t hear:
“Just drink it.”
Just drink it? Kain looked down at the swirling liquid in his hand for a brief moment, then brought it to his lips. He figured he could drink it if all these humans were drinking it so freely.
Gulp, as he swallowed the wine, a bitter taste remained in his mouth. Kain frowned as he emptied the entire glass of wine in one go and then placed the empty glass on the table.
Marchioness Elmerila’s eyes lit up, and she smiled approvingly, saying:
“My, you look so delicate but drink so heartily.”
Who’s telling who to treat guests well? Jersian was dumbfounded as he saw Marchioness Elmerila Gerold’s satisfied face. She really had the worst personality on the continent. He had hidden the elf initially knowing the Marchioness would act like this. Now that he was discovered, all they could do was stay as quiet as possible.
“…It’s bitter.”
Kain wiped his lips with his sleeve, still tasting the wine. He could feel the liquid traveling down his esophagus. As the scent had suggested, wine had a very strange taste.
‘This elf, big as he is, needs a lot of looking after.’ Jersian pointed to the plate with his finger and said:
“You’re not supposed to drink wine all at once like that. Eat something.”
“…Yes.”
Kain picked up and ate a piece of fruit from the plate that looked the most intact to his eyes. He thought it was just a peach, but… ugh, it was candied in sugar.
Based on the painful mistakes he had experienced so far, Kain came to one conclusion:
Everything in the human world is fake.
It was essential knowledge for living here from now on.
A short laugh, “Pfft,” was heard from beside him. It was Jersian.
“What, you don’t like that either?”
Kain nodded, chewing the lump of sugar in his mouth. But no matter how sweet, it was far better than the bitter and astringent taste of wine.
That’s when it happened.
“Um…”
An unfamiliar voice intruded between the two.
“…”
The sudden approach was unpleasant. Kain stiffened his face and leaned back, just as he had when he first entered the banquet hall.
“Mr. Elf…? What should I call you?”
“…”
Is he calling me because I’m an elf? Kain Starchis raised his head with an indifferent face. There stood a human who looked completely different from his destined partner, Jersian Del Claude, with an awkward expression.
It was Hernin Gerold. He was an ugly man with bright red curly hair and freckles.
‘…The message from the Marchioness said that everyone here was Jersian’s family… Can family members look so different from each other?’
While Kain was lost in thought, Hernin Gerold spoke. He seemed nervous, his face slightly flushed. The other Gerolds at the table watched with interest.
“If you’re Jersian’s guest, you’re also a guest of the Gerold Marquis family. Would you perhaps stop by my birthday banquet as well?”
“…”
Kain’s face hardened at Hernin’s question.
It was completely different from his expression when talking to Jersian.