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It’s not the first time I’ve met Joachim. As I mentioned during the previous gathering with Elena, I had a brief encounter with him once before.

However, during that first meeting, I wasn’t in a normal state, so if my memory serves me right, we exchanged only a few words before parting ways.

Thus, facing him while sober is practically the first time.

Moreover, unlike two years ago, my relationship with Joachim has significantly changed due to Elena, and this was an unexpected ambush for me, who had been aiming for a broken engagement until then.

I could tell through our father’s connection and what happened today that he wasn’t as uptight as I initially thought, but it was still challenging to interact with him as I would with my father.

The feeling of standing in front of a friend’s parents is completely different.

Previously, I viewed Joachim simply as my father’s friend, a person I would never meet again after breaking off my engagement with Elena. Now, the situation has changed dramatically.

Although we had not yet held a formal engagement ceremony, I was still pursuing an engagement with Elena, which technically makes the man in front of me her father-in-law.

In other words, my thoughts and preparations regarding him, as my future father-in-law, were non-existent, and a private meeting with Joachim was bound to make me anxious.

Most importantly, I couldn’t shake off the worry about what my father had done to Joachim just a few hours earlier.

If anything, I could say that Elena and I were also accomplices in my father’s cruel joke, but since my fool of a father wouldn’t reprimand Elena, it was solely me who ought to be concerned.

Fortunately, unlike my father, who holds grudges, Joachim seemed to be the type who doesn’t dwell on the past, as he didn’t bring up my father’s antics. Instead, he quietly remarked on the scenery outside the window that I had opened.

“The snowy landscape of Merohim has a charm different from the flowers of the south. Despite appearing barren, there are numerous breathtaking views that rival Sarham, so it would be worth exploring while you’re here.”

I nodded slightly in agreement with Joachim’s advice. It seemed like he was oddly mindful of Sarham, but perhaps that was merely my misinterpretation.

Our conversation continued afterward, but the atmosphere was not as heavy as I had imagined.

We merely exchanged simple questions like how we had been for the past two years, whether I had been reckless again, and if I would be enrolling in the Academy next year. I answered Joachim’s questions easily.

I had originally anticipated questions like “Can you make our daughter happy?” so his inquiries felt reminiscent of a father checking up on a son he hadn’t seen in a while.

Thinking this way made the conversation with him feel less uncomfortable.

“In fact, I spoke with my daughter yesterday.”

Wait, why did he suddenly bring that up?

When Joachim mentioned having talked to Elena, it felt like I had been transported back to the initial moment we first conversed. I knew she wouldn’t have spoken ill of me to Joachim, but somehow, the words he would say felt daunting.

I understood that my concerns were unfounded, but how could anyone not feel tense discussing such matters alone with their fiancée’s father?

Of course, some people might be unbothered, but I certainly wasn’t on that level.

What’s more, the expression on Joachim’s face when he brought up the topic seemed somewhat melancholic, causing my already heightened anxiety to skyrocket.

“In my lifetime, it’s the first time I’ve seen Elena smile so brightly.”

“Really?”

“That girl loves flowers. At first, I thought it was simply because so many flowers bloom in the south. You, who live there, would know better than anyone that the garden of Count Kraus’s Lord Castle is one of the finest in the Empire. But that wasn’t the case.”

He then gazed at me with a look of envy, saying, “Damian, the reason Elena was talking to me with a smile was because of you. I’m really curious about what happened in that ten short days for her to fall for you.”

Well, I’m also curious about that.

In response to Joachim’s words, this time, I found myself at a loss for words after having answered so well up to that point.

She had shown me kindness from the very first moment we met. The answer to Joachim’s question was something I could never provide, as only Elena herself possessed that knowledge.

But perhaps Joachim hadn’t intended to hear my answer at all, as he smiled lightly and stood up.

“If by any chance you find yourself wanting to live here after exploring Merohim, just let me know anytime. There are plenty of vacant rooms in Winter Castle.”

“Are you joking? I am the Lesser House of Kraus.”

“You have a younger brother, right? Arthur may likely live for over a hundred years, so how about just passing the Lesser House title onto him? I’ve sat in that position, and all it entails is a lot of work without much use.”

As he opened the door to leave, he casually mentioned it was just a joke, but with how serious his expression was when he said it, it was hard to take it merely as a jest.

This foolish father of mine would surely go as far as creating a room in Winter Castle if I ever casually mentioned wanting to live here.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention this. Since you’re in Merohim, I’m thinking about hosting a banquet in two days to introduce you to the vassals.”

“I…”

“I know. I heard from Arthur that you’ve never stepped into the social scene before. That lad seems to only think about swords, both then and now. Still, wouldn’t it be a good opportunity to participate this time? If you’re going to live with the name Edelweiss, the banquets are unavoidable.”

“I’ll say it again; I am the Lesser House of Kraus. As for the banquet… yes, I suppose I’ll give it a try this time.”

“Kraus or Edelweiss, either way, good choice. The owner of a famous boutique in the imperial capital is currently in Merohim, so it’d be best to commission her for a new dress for Elena. Consider yourself lucky.”

Though he said that, the dress was likely already completed. It’s just common sense that a dress couldn’t be made in just two days.

I could easily surmise that Joachim had been planning this ahead of time. The purpose of the banquet wasn’t merely for him to see Elena in her new dress but to announce my engagement to Elena to others.

Knowing this, I complied with his proposal without further comment. If I had rejected Joachim’s offer, I was sure my father would have contacted me right away.

After sending Joachim off, I sat back down, feeling a nagging sense of having missed something in our conversation. Before long, I realized the source of that ominous feeling.

“Wait, at a banquet, do I have to dance?”

Thinking about it, I was someone who could do sword dances but had never danced a regular dance, not in this life or the last.

It might be best to abandon the idea of asking Elena to guide me through the Merohim dance.

*

Ever since I possessed Damian’s body, I committed myself to survive by diligently engaging in my studies and training.

Those studies included the knowledge and etiquette that a noble should possess, but dancing still remained one of the things I found foreign.

Simply put, dancing wasn’t essential!

My life plan didn’t include dancing with anyone at a banquet. Since it wasn’t a necessity, I didn’t have any desire to learn, and if I absolutely had to attend the banquet, I was prepared to hide in a corner or on a balcony and quietly sip on drinks.

However, this time was different.

Though dancing wasn’t quintessential, I was to be the focus of the banquet occurring in two days. In every romantic fantasy, the main characters always ended up dancing at the banquet.

Having lived as Damian for five years, I often wondered whether this world’s genre was really romance fantasy, but perhaps it was because I was intertwined with the main character, Elena, that I felt assured I would be dancing with her at this event.

Joachim knew this would be my first experience in the social scene.

While he merely suggested I go for practice, it wouldn’t appear good for me, as her fiancé, to show any inadequacy in front of the vassals of the House of Edelweiss.

At the very least, I needed to meet a minimum standard.

But no matter how I thought about it, I had no idea how to dance.

If I didn’t dance, there would inevitably be a few who would ask Elena for a dance despite knowing I was by her side. It’s not like a beautiful woman was going to pay attention to a fiancé who couldn’t dance.

It might be entertaining to watch her refuse those approaching her, but I really didn’t want to rely solely on her.

Relying on her was only enough to eliminate my anxiety about the future.

“If it’s Ken, he should have plenty of experience.”

Right now, the only two people I could turn to for help in this castle were Elena and Ken.

Even so, it wouldn’t be right to directly ask her for assistance. I had resolved to solve the issue on my own, so I’ll hold off on asking Elena for help.

In this regard, Ken had been the housekeeper of Kraus for a long time, and from what I remembered, he had often accompanied my father to banquets during his youth.

An experienced Ken should certainly be able to offer me valuable advice.

“Where did I put the paper… Oh, found it! This is Merohim.”

I searched for the silver bell to call Ken, but only then did I realize that this wasn’t the Count Kraus’s Lord Castle where I always stayed. I lamented my five-year-old habits and stepped outside to look for him, but before I could, a new visitor came to my room.

This visitor was someone who could solve my problems instantly, yet simultaneously the person I didn’t want to meet right now. Elena. I could infer her thoughts for visiting my room through our conversation yesterday.

“Elena, I’m sorry, but could I ask you to guide me around Winter Castle later? I need to see Ken right now.”

With that, I started to move past Elena to look for Ken, but she was blocking the door with a smile, gaze fixed on my face, exuding a confidence and playfulness I hadn’t seen in her before.

Is there some kind of buff in this Winter Castle for the House of Edelweiss?

“You look like you’re deep in thought, Damian.”

Her words made me take a step back in surprise. It wasn’t too shocking that she could discern the emotions on my face, but right now, it felt as if she knew exactly what I was contemplating.

She bore a smile similar to the one Joachim had when he was leaving earlier.

“Would you like some help?”

At her words, I found myself nodding without even considering a refusal.

 

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