The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 51

I adjusted the rose in my hand and looked at the Countess of Burk. She flinched, as if seeing someone else’s face reflected in my smiling expression.

“Countess of Burk, shall we walk a bit more?

Conversing with my mother’s close friend is enjoyable for me as well.”

“…Close friend? Did Diana refer to me as such?”
The way she casually called my mother by her first name confirmed it. She subtly belittled my father while clearly knowing how much my mother disliked court appearances and social events.

From these two facts, I could deduce that the Countess of Burk was indeed a childhood friend of my mother.

‘Her scolding feels just like that typical nagging from mom’s friends. Judging by her tone, she must really dislike my father for “stealing” my mother.’

The butler, Mr. Hild, and Claire had hinted that there might be someone at the party who knew my parents, but I didn’t expect them to approach me so directly.

The Countess of Burk, who had briefly softened her expression at being referred to as a friend of my mother, tried to revert to her stern demeanor. But such efforts were futile before me.
‘Mom’s friends can’t resist me.’

When it came to charm, I had it in spades. Especially with women in my mother’s age group, I was confident in my ability to win them over.
“Countess of Burk, I’ve often heard about you from my mother. I must apologize for not greeting you sooner. I am—”

“There’s no need for introductions. Do you think I wouldn’t know your name? Persche Diane? I can’t stand hearing that man’s name.”

As I smiled sweetly and approached her with a friendly demeanor, the stern expression on the Countess’s face began to show traces of emotion.
I began piecing together what I didn’t know about the social scene of the Hail Empire twenty years ago, based on the information she let slip.
“When I told my mother I’d be attending this event, she mentioned you, Countess of Burk. She said that if I made any mistakes, you would look out for me.”

“…Diane said that?”

“Yes. She assured me that the esteemed Countess would support me, and I can’t tell you how much comfort that brought me.”

“…”

The Countess looked embarrassed and slightly bashful, avoiding my gaze. I took half a step closer and employed my most endearing tone.
“You’ve been watching over me throughout the tea party. I’m so grateful.”

I bowed my head slightly, and as I brushed past her sleeve, her true thoughts became clear to me.
‘She’s so lovely, just like Diana. I should have seen her grow up with my own eyes.’

‘But if Diane finds it hard to attend court, visiting her would be burdensome. And with the costs of proper attire, I can’t ask her to come either.’

‘Damn that Persche Diane… He should have made her happy if he went so far as to marry her after coaxing her so innocently. A guarantor, of all things!’

It seemed the Countess of Burk didn’t know about my father’s infamous proposal line to my mother: “Would you like to stay for tea?”

‘I better never bring it up in front of her. She’d curse him to no end.’

I laughed lightly and asked her to tell me more about her friendship with my mother. My listening strategy worked again.

The Countess of Burk recounted happy memories of her days in the social scene with my mother. She looked utterly content as she reminisced. All I had to do was acknowledge and empathize with her sentiments.

“Countess of Burk, you must have felt disappointed that my mother stepped away from socializing. I feel the same way.”

“…”

“But as you pointed out, the Dian family can’t actively participate in social events right now. That’s why I believe it’s crucial for me, as someone bearing the Dian name, to make a good impression on the ladies here. It’ll make it easier for my mother to return to society later.”

“Hah… I know. I was being petty with you for no reason. I’m sorry.”

For the first time, the Countess smiled warmly. Her gaze softened as she looked at me, no longer sharp but full of affection. It was the perfect moment for a little playful reproach.

“But you were so harsh earlier. While I knew about your close bond with my mother, other noble ladies who didn’t might have misunderstood the situation.”

At my light-hearted complaint, the Countess chuckled and reached out to pluck a petal from my hair, her gesture surprisingly intimate.

“I’ll smooth things over once we return. You’re right. You securing a position in society will pave the way for Diana’s return.”

Through the brief touch of her hand, I sensed her warm concern for my mother as an old friend.
‘I hope this child marries and finds happiness.’
‘At least with Duke Chaield, she wouldn’t face ruin over a guarantor. Even if it happens, their fortune would last three generations.’

‘How can she be so charming when she smiles?’
I chuckled along, warmed by her genuine thoughts. Upon returning to the tea party, the Countess apologized for her earlier harsh words.

As I smiled gently, Vanessa, who had accompanied me in a maid’s uniform, whispered.

“My lady, what did you do to turn someone who seemed ready to eat you alive into putty in just ten minutes? I thought there was going to be a fight!”

“Did it look that way?”

“My lady, you’re truly something else. No wonder Duke Chaield fell head over heels for you. Where did you learn to do this?”

I shrugged lightly as we approached the end of the tea party.

“Who knows? Maybe I was just born with it.”

Vanessa wasn’t the only one impressed by Amel’s ability to turn adversaries into allies with her eloquence and poise.

Not far from the tea party, on a balcony overlooking the venue, Kyle and Bered, who had paused their meeting to observe Amel, also wore astonished expressions.

“Wow… she melted the famously stiff Countess of Burk in ten minutes. Your fiancée is incredible.”
The newly crowned Emperor, Bered, awkwardly praised Amel while casting a glance at Kyle, who was gazing at his fiancée with unabashed admiration.

Throughout the meeting at the round table, Duke Chaield’s usually icy gaze had transformed into one brimming with joy and affection.

‘A Duke Chaield softened by love, how amusing.’
Bered patiently waited for Kyle to finish admiring his fiancée before breaking the silence.

“Duke Chaield, I have something important to discuss.”

“It’s better to refrain from idle chatter, Your Majesty.”

“Idle chatter? This is truly a pressing matter this time. A letter has arrived from Keltman, but its contents are too sensitive to announce publicly just yet.”

“Keltman?”

Kyle’s interest piqued slightly. It wasn’t just because of the reports he’d received from Hild earlier that morning but also because of the growing tension surrounding Keltman’s movements. The letter addressed to the Emperor of the Hail Empire intrigued him.

“What was in the letter?”

“To summarize, Keltman has invited Hail Empire nobles to join their annual hunting festival this year, along with emissaries from other nations.”
“I assume Your Majesty is well aware of the true intent behind this invitation.”

“Of course….”

Just as Kyle suggested, Bered was not oblivious to the underlying motive behind Keltman’s invitation.

It was clearly a ploy to gauge the strength—or lack thereof—of the alliance between the Hail Empire and Keltman.

Keltman’s military prowess was well known, with jokes about three-year-olds firing arrows from horseback and lifting broadswords. Their strength was no laughing matter.

With the symbolic Harmonia necklace—once a token of goodwill between the two powers—now lost due to the Hail Empire’s carelessness, Keltman had been eyeing the empire for opportunities.

Sending a delegation of key nobles to Keltman’s heartland would require immense trust, something in short supply.

‘No noble in their right mind would volunteer for this.’

However, sending unimportant border-region nobles as a token delegation would surely offend Keltman, making it seem as though the empire was dismissing their goodwill.

“Every day, the papers fret over Keltman and the empire’s relations. What noble would be mad enough to volunteer for this delegation? Worst case, what if Keltman’s leader took them hostage to use as leverage?”

Bered expressed his frustrations, looking exasperated. Kyle smiled in satisfaction at the Emperor’s inability to make a decision. Perhaps scaring him a bit more would be amusing.

“Your Majesty, I received a report this morning from Chaield’s intelligence network. Several witnesses claim to have seen Count Gargoyle, who vanished during his execution, heading toward Keltman.”

“What? Count Gargoyle? Why would he show up there?”

“I found his escape from the imperial prison strange and ordered an investigation, but I didn’t expect him to flee to Keltman.”

Bered’s face turned pale. Count Gargoyle, after all, knew the inner workings of the Hail Empire’s royal family better than anyone.

“You’re not joking, are you?”

“I wouldn’t waste time joking about this. I’m not that close with Your Majesty. The butler has been instructed to deliver a detailed report to you later today.”

“So… you’re saying Count Gargoyle has allied himself with Keltman?”

“It’s unclear whether Keltman approached him first or if a third party helped him escape.

However, if Count Gargoyle has made contact with Keltman’s leadership, it’s safe to assume they now possess extensive knowledge about the Hail Empire and the royal family.”

Bered grabbed the balcony railing for support, his legs giving out. It hadn’t been long since his coronation, and now a crisis of this magnitude had struck. With royal authority already precariously balanced, this was a disaster.

“Kyle, could you go as an emissary? As the Emperor’s close ally and Duke of Chaield, your presence would deter any foul play. Even Keltman fears Chaield’s wealth.”

“I refuse.”

“You have influence even in Keltman, unlike other nobles. You wouldn’t have to worry about assassination attempts.”

“I’m not interested. Attending Keltman’s hunting festival would mean committing to nearly a month-long schedule, not to mention the extensive travel. Besides…”

“Besides what? Don’t tell me it’s just because it’s troublesome.”

“I don’t want to leave my fiancée alone for a month.”

Bered, unconvinced, tried to appeal to Kyle with enthusiasm.

“Kyle, you know better than anyone how beautiful Keltman’s natural landscapes are. I’ve heard there’s a Chaield villa in nearly every city.

Wouldn’t your fiancée enjoy it?”

“I won’t put her in harm’s way. If it’s a trip, we can go privately. There’s no need to be part of an official delegation.”

“…You make me feel like a heartless brother.

Fine. I’ve already asked my sister, Princess Nadia, to attend the festival as the imperial representative.”

Bered had no other options. He found himself grateful that he hadn’t known about Count Gargoyle’s escape when he asked his sister;
otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to make the request. Even so, he felt guilty about having to inform her now.

Kyle glanced at Bered, whose expression betrayed his inner turmoil, before turning his gaze back to Amel. She was smiling radiantly as she greeted Princess Nadia, the hostess of the tea party.

Watching her, Bered’s eyes gleamed with determination, no less sharp than Kyle’s.

“Duke Chaield, are you truly unwilling to go to Keltman? The royal family is prepared to compensate you handsomely. I could even grant you a grand dukedom.”

“I believe I’ve turned down the offer of a grand dukedom more than ten times. Your Majesty would be better off seeking another noble.”

Kyle left no room for negotiation. But Bered’s face no longer held the same desperate anxiety as before.

“You’re right. I can’t force someone who doesn’t want to go. I’ll find someone suitable and convince them.”

Bered turned, feigning interest in the sunset as he discreetly watched Amel.