In a dazzling venue, the long-awaited celebration of the king’s birth had finally begun. The royal family had yet to appear, and the only ones present were the nobility.
Invited were all four marquess families and eight earl families of the Kingdom of Eldoria, along with other noble families of high merit.
The Kingdom of Eldoria has numerous noble houses, but I only knew a few marquess and earl families. I wasn’t particularly interested, so I never bothered to remember the others.
“Father, what should we do now?”
“For the most part, we’ll just go around greeting people.”
My father had told me earlier that lower-ranking nobles were not allowed to initiate conversations with higher-ranking ones. It was an unspoken rule, not officially written down anywhere.
That’s why, as one of the highest-ranking marquess families, we had to take the initiative to greet others, ensuring the event would proceed smoothly.
As I glanced around, I saw that the other marquess families were already moving. It seemed the greetings between marquess families were saved for last, with earls being first.
“It’s been a while, Earl Solsteyn.”
“Ah, it has indeed, Marquess Reynostia.”
Earl Solsteyn made an exaggerated bow. From the way they spoke, I could tell that my father and the earl had met before. Perhaps they see each other annually at these celebrations.
Earl Solsteyn looked to be about the same age as my father. Standing behind him were a woman, a boy, and a girl, presumably his family.
“How have things been?”
“Quite peaceful, as always, no different from last year.”
“That’s good to hear. I heard there was a Class-3 monster near your territory.”
“Ah… yes, that was a terrifying moment. Fortunately, the creature retreated into the forest. We’ve remained on high alert ever since.”
A Class-3 monster appeared? I was surprised they made it through unscathed. Monsters are typically uncontrollable creatures, after all.
A Class-3 monster is a significant threat, capable of destroying towns. Such creatures require the intervention of Class-3 or higher adventurers or court magicians to deal with.
For it to retreat on its own was a stroke of luck, though no one knows why.
“I see… you’ll need to stay vigilant for a while longer. By the way, I see you’ve brought your son and daughter with you this year?”
“Yes, my son is eleven and my daughter is nine, so I thought it was about time. May I have them greet you?”
“Of course, please.”
The earl’s children, who had been standing behind him, stepped forward. Both seemed stiff, undoubtedly nervous. It was understandable, given that this was likely their first public event.
“—It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Astell Solsteyn, the eldest son of the Solsteyn family.”
“…I-It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Celia Solsteyn, the eldest daughter of the Solsteyn family.”
As expected from the children of nobility. Though their voices trembled slightly, considering their age, their greeting was more than sufficient. They were ready for public appearances.
The boy—Astell—had gentle features and light brown hair like his father. Meanwhile, the girl, Celia, with her platinum blonde hair, resembled her mother. They were quite a straightforward family in appearance.
“Well done—Earl Solsteyn, they’re very capable.”
“I’m delighted to hear you say that. It was a relief that their first formal introduction was with you, Marquess.”
My father and the earl seemed quite friendly. It wasn’t the kind of relationship I had imagined nobles would have—constantly probing each other for weaknesses. Instead, their interaction appeared cordial, if not close.
I glanced behind the earl and accidentally made eye contact with Celia. She quickly looked away. Perhaps she was shy.
“—My sons would also like to greet you.”
While lost in thought, I heard my father’s voice. Apparently, it was time for my brother and me to greet them. It made sense. I decided to let my brother go first.
My father looked at us, and my brother stepped forward, followed by me.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Rowen Reynostia, the eldest son of the Reynostia family.”
Following proper etiquette, I bowed and introduced myself.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Kraze Reynostia, the second son of the Reynostia family.”
Both my brother and I performed the same formal greeting. It seemed this was the accepted format now, though I heard there were more elaborate versions in the past.
For adults, such greetings are often followed by conversations, but since we were still children, our role was simply to remain quiet and composed, as my father had instructed. It made sense.
“Thank you. Such a refined greeting for your age—truly befitting the sons of a marquess.”
He seemed to genuinely praise us. It wasn’t mere flattery. I checked Earl Solsteyn’s expression for any hint of deception, but he appeared sincere. Then again, he was a seasoned noble, so perhaps he was simply good at hiding his true feelings.
“Haha, thank you.”
After some more conversation, my father and the earl exchanged farewells, and we moved on to the next noble. With some time left, I considered asking my father a question, but he spoke first.
“You can trust Earl Solsteyn. We have a personal relationship. But be careful from here on; things will be different.”
Different? I assumed that meant the next noble wouldn’t be as friendly. I mentally prepared myself.
Though this was a royal celebration, the room was filled with a dazzling array of food—served buffet-style.
Taking a break, I grabbed a small bite to eat. The other nobles were also enjoying the food while engaging in what could only be described as veiled social maneuvering.
Of course, I couldn’t forget the unwritten rule of events like this: the food is secondary, and conversation is the primary focus. Eating like it’s a dinner party would be considered improper.
“It’s been a while—”
My father began another conversation with a different noble. My mother, brother, and I stood behind him, as did the other family.
The structure of the conversation wasn’t much different from the one with Earl Solsteyn. However, the atmosphere between my father and this noble was entirely different. There was no sense of ease; instead, it felt as though they were subtly probing each other, like swords ready to strike.
The other noble’s son greeted us, and my brother and I returned the gesture.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Kraze Reynostia, the second son of the Reynostia family.”
I followed my brother in greeting them.
At first, everything seemed the same—until I noticed.
The noble family—the head, the wife, and their children—all looked at me in the same way. The head and wife glanced for a moment, but the children stared for several seconds.
Their eyes were filled with disdain, mockery, and curiosity. None of their gazes were kind.
Ah, so this is what my father was talking about. This must be the situation he warned me about. My brother clenched his fists, and even my mother seemed slightly upset. They must have noticed the way the family was looking at us.
But for me, it was of no consequence.
There was no reason to be angry. No reason to feel hurt. Their scornful looks were as insignificant as a light breeze to me.
What interested me more was the stoic, expressionless girl who seemed utterly bored with it all.
