Today is the wedding day.
Since only a few dignitaries will participate in the ceremony, I will be attending from the reception. The venue was set up in a large hall in the palace, and it is said that there are about 500 participants. After changing into my best clothes, I escorted Eugenie down the corridor leading to the venue.
“There are a lot of foreign guests too.”
There are many guests walking around wearing unfamiliar traditional costumes.
“It’s the marriage of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince after all so it’s only natural.”
Dantes’ mansion is magnificent, but this place feels more prestigious. My hometown, Beluca, is a port town, so perhaps its free-spirited atmosphere is reflected in the architecture.
Compared to that, I get the impression that the capital is much more formal.
“Are you the type of person who wants to have a big wedding for yourself?”
“Hmm… I wonder. I’m not really interested in the grandeur. I’d be happy if my parents and someone close to me celebrates it with me. I think that’s enough for me.”
It was a very Eugenie answer.
Just before entering the reception hall, I met a familiar face.
To be honest, he wasn’t someone I wanted to meet, but perhaps this was fate…
I tried to pass by pretending not to notice, but the other party noticed me.
“……Cedie?”
“Hello, Alexei-oniisan.”
Alexei-oniisan, dressed in a luxurious formal attire, looks at me with his eyes showing disbelief.
“Weren’t you on the island?”
“I was invited to the reception, so I came.”
“But how……?”
I asked Char to dig a tunnel for me.
I answered in my mind. Of course I’m not good-natured enough to tell him that honestly. I just keep on smiling politely.
I guess he is now feeling frustrated that he couldn’t lock me up and take over the management of the winery. Alexei-oniisan’s temples are twitching.
“Big Brother, it’s time for the reception to begin. Let’s go to our seats.”
The seating order at the wedding reception is completely different depending on your status. My brother, who is an Earl, is close to the bride and groom, but I, who have no title, sits at the bottom.
I am very grateful for that arrangement. Nothing good would come from staying with my brother any longer after all.
I bowed politely to Alexei-oniisan and walked towards my seat.
Seeing us, the waiters led us to our table.
A middle-aged couple sits right next to us. They don’t seem to be used to this kind of occasion, and they looked a little nervous.
Since we are sharing the same table, I want to make sure that we are comfortable with each other.
I greeted them politely.
“My name is CedieDantes, Lord of Gandalcia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The gentleman immediately stood up and shook hands with me.
“My name is Baron Togonov. Nice to meet you.”
The baron is slender and his wife is a well-dressed lady.
“Speaking of Dantes, are you a relative of Earl Dantes?”
“Earl Alexei is my brother.”
He is mean, though!
“Oh my, I’m honored to have made the acquaintance of such an incredible person. Although I’m a baron, I’m just a newly emerging aristocrat…”
I wish he didn’t have to be so subservient.
“Don’t be too polite. I’m just a nobleman with no title. I presented wine made on my estate to this reception today. His Highness the Crown Prince liked the wine, so he invited me to come. I’m not in a position where I could be in a place like this normally.”
“You’re so humble. It’s amazing that you can make wine that pleases His Highness!”
Baron Togonov was impressed. He then added,
“In contrast, I pretty much bought my title with money. By chance, tin was mined in the mountains on my territory, and I made my fortune with it.”
“Tin? That’s a very useful metal.”
I’ve learned a lot about minerals from Nowald-sensei. Tin is a relatively soft metal that is easy to process. It also has a low melting point of about 232 degrees Celsius.
“Yes. Thanks to that, we’re making a profit. Recently, we’ve been making something called tinplate, which is made by coating steel sheets with tin, and we are selling them as a building material.”
“Wait a minute, tinplate you say?”
“Do you know about it Dantès-san?”
If I’m not mistaken, tinplate is the material used to make cans, right?
“Uhm, excuse me for a moment.”
I secretly opened the status board. They can’t see it, so they don’t know what I’m doing. I flicked through the status board to find what I wanted.
I’m sure I’ve seen it before…….
| Can sealer: A machine used to pack canned food Points Required: 6 |
Yes, this is it!
If I can have a tin can and a lid, I can make canned food in Gandalcia. Bottling has the disadvantage of being heavy and fragile, but canned food solves that problem.
“Does Baron Togonov also do metal processing?”
“Of course. I’m happy to cater anything you want to make.”
Our conversation was interrupted by the entry of His Majesty the King, the father of the groom. As the subjects left their seats in unison, Baron Togonov slipped his business card into my hand discreetly.
“If you have any questions, please contact me any time.”
“Thank you.”
An unexpected development occurred in an unexpected place.
As I bowed to His Majesty, I couldn’t hide my big smile.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next
Yume Neiji's Works 