༺ Unexpected Encounter (2) ༻
The Kalshtein Mansion was proudly located right in the middle of the 2nd district, where only the highest-ranking nobles were allowed to reside in the capital.
Unlike the Kalshtein marquis, who was a model soldier with a modest personality, the marchioness of Kalshtein Believed that the dignity of the nobility should be displayed through their estates, gardens, and splendid mansions.
The reason why the majority of the nobility in the capital respected the name Kalshtein was not only because of the marquis’s achievements in the previous war but also because the marchioness had firmly held onto the social scene of the capital for decades, standing in for her husband, who was fortunate enough to return home once or twice a year due to his military duties.
Passing through the beautiful garden and the splendid fountain, both meticulously maintained by skilled gardeners, the majestic mansion that could comfortably house hundreds of people revealed itself.
The lobby was adorned with extravagant magic chandeliers and sconces, emitting a warm and subtle light throughout the mansion. The interior of the mansion, where dozens of maids bustled around, was always impeccably clean, without a speck of dust.
In such a gorgeous and beautiful mansion, Marian von Kalshtein was anxiously trembling her legs.
“Young lady, that’s an improper behavior.”
“But… but! The sun has already set! Shouldn’t he have arrived much earlier?!”
Marian looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her smooth skin was dewy with applied creams and oils. Her naturally pale complexion was made even brighter with powder, glowing like milk even in the dim moonlight.
It took five maids and a full two hours to create an elegant and refined hairstyle by intricately braiding her hair. She carefully chose the color of her dress, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces to make a lasting impression.
Being overly extravagant could be off-putting to some, so she spent three hours achieving the perfect balance of a minimal yet not too sparse combination of jewelry to match her subtle wine-colored dress.
In the mirror, Marian was as beautiful as the goddess incarnated on earth, befitting her nickname as the “flower of the social scene.” Though it was a blasphemous thought as a follower of the goddess, Marian herself believed that even if the goddess herself descended, she wouldn’t be outshined by her current appearance.
Yes, everything was perfect. Except for the man who was supposed to see all this hadn’t arrived at the mansion.
“Why! Why isn’t he coming! He said he would come! Didn’t he?!”
“Ah, young lady! Please, take care of yourself!”
Marian furrowed her delicate brows and reluctantly put down the porcelain vase she had intended to throw. Right, calm down. This furious appearance doesn’t suit the beautiful me. Let’s calm down and recite prime numbers. After all, it’s said that reciting prime numbers helps the Grand Emperor of Philion to calm down…
“But seriously, why isn’t he coming?!”
“Young lady-!”
It all started with a letter brought by a juggler. The letter contained the surprising news that one of the famous Seven Heroes of the Continent had become a teacher in Philion and would soon be heading to the capital. Following the marquis of Kalshtein‘s message that he had given the mansion’s address, Marian had wholeheartedly prepared to welcome the guest.
It had been half a day since she received word from the Capital Guard that a soldier named Eon Graham had passed through the gate. Although using the Capital Guard privately was technically a crime, it was a trivial favor to ask for the gate’s passing information, considering her grandfather was the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army.
It was a name she had heard about incessantly from her grandfather, and honestly, the achievements he had accomplished were genuinely admirable as an imperial citizen. When considering how many people from the Empire and the entire continent were saved thanks to him, she could even feel a heartfelt gratitude.
However, that was one thing, and this was another. For some reason, her grandfather seemed to want to pair her up with that man, but Marian von Kalshtein wasn’t a woman who would easily give in. Her plan was to first put him in his place from the get-go and then slowly find out if he was suitable as a husband…
“How dare he stand me up? Me, Marian von Kalshtein? Just how great does he think he is?”
Marian screamed, grabbing the hair that her maids had painstakingly styled.
In truth, there was a bit of a misunderstanding here. The marquis of Kalshtein had said that he had “given him the address,” but he hadn’t said that Eon would go to the given address. Even the marquis himself, who had written the letter, knew Eon’s personality and probably didn’t expect much from him.
However, from Marian’s perspective upon receiving the letter, it was only natural for her to be mistaken. Marian bit her nails, trying to suppress her anger.
“Eon Graham… just you wait. You’ll regret this one day. I’ll make sure you come begging to me in tears!”
It was a determination that would have left Eon speechless if he had heard it.
* * * *
The innkeeper’s claim that the room was clean turned out to be mostly true. Although it was a bare room with nothing but a bed, I didn’t expect much more, and the sheets seemed to be washed regularly, devoid of any unpleasant smell or stains.
What I liked most was the fact that the room rate was quite cheap, including breakfast.
After a good night’s sleep, I went downstairs to the first floor and smelt something delicious coming from the kitchen, presumably because breakfast was being prepared. I sat down at a corner table, and soon a blonde woman approached him with a plate and a cup.
The breakfast menu consisted of syrup-drizzled pancakes and steaming hot coffee. It was a splendid breakfast, unlike what one would expect from an inn with a name suggesting vodka for breakfast.
“Enjoy your meal.”
I briefly watched the blonde woman’s swaying hair as she left with a smile. To cut to the chase, her name wasn’t Ella; it was Daisy.
As the Grand Emperor of Philion would say, it was like being surprised at a pot lid after being surprised by a rat. I had been thinking about Ella, and seeing someone similar to Ella had startled me for a moment.
In my memory, Ella had glistening golden hair, like honey. Daisy’s blonde hair was a little darker, and crucially, her eyes were green. It was just a momentary confusion because it was night; when I looked closely in the bright daylight, I could clearly see the differences.
I thought I had forgotten it all, but the fact that the place was an inn seemed to have brought back bad memories. As I silently emptied my plate, an employee came over and refilled my empty coffee cup with a teapot.
“Is refilling allowed?”
“It’s on the house.”
The employee left with a refreshing smile and a wink. I took a sip of his coffee and nodded. I wasn’t sure about the alcohol, but the coffee was definitely delicious.
At that moment, the old door of the inn creaked, and three men entered. Their shifty appearances and the way they scanned the surroundings didn’t give off the vibe of people looking for a morning meal. The largest of the three men approached an employee, while the other two stood guard at the entrance.
“Where did the old man who used to work here go?”
“Wh-what? Oh, the owner is not feeling well. So, I’m taking over for a while.”
The employee stammered as the menacing-looking man approached. The man grinned maliciously, stroking his thick chin.
“Hmm… is that so? There are a few things I’d like to ask you.”
The man began to ask if there had been any strange incidents in the area recently and if there were any suspicious-looking guests. Although his appearance was that of a thug, his questions seemed more like those of a detective or a law enforcement officer. However, his behavior didn’t stop there. When the employee showed reluctance to let the man have a look around the inn, the man’s expression changed instantly.
“You think this is suspicious? Should I search you too?”
“I-it’s difficult… Agh!”
The man grabbed the employee’s wrist with his thick hand. In my opinion, it was just an excuse. The employee was a rare beauty in the area, and seeing her scared expression must have provoked the man’s dark intentions. The other guests in the inn all looked away, not wanting to get involved in any trouble.
I put down my empty coffee cup and stood up from my seat. Then, I calmly approached the man who was holding the employee. The man looked at me with a puzzled expression, wondering what I was up to, given my leisurely stride that seemed completely disconnected from the situation.
“What are you? If you’re trying to play the knight, just get lost.”
Coincidentally, I had changed my clothes in the morning, and now I was just wearing a regular coat for traveling. If I had been wearing my military uniform, maybe he would have backed off quietly. I sighed briefly.
I didn’t tell him to let go of the employee’s hand – that clichéd line. If he were the kind of person who could be persuaded by words alone, he wouldn’t have behaved like this in the first place. Instead, I grabbed the wrist of the man holding the employee’s wrist and applied a little pressure to his hand.
“What… Aaargh!!”
With a cracking sound as if his bones were breaking, the man screamed in agony. The employee took advantage of the man’s loosened grip to free her wrist. The two thugs guarding the entrance, with shocked expressions on their faces, rushed towards me.
“Bro?! What the hell is this guy?!”
“You punk! You want to die?!”
Being surrounded by the three burly men would have been a life-threatening situation for an ordinary person. However, compared to the demons that relentlessly targeted my life on the battlefield, these thugs were so slow that they made me yawn.
I quickly slapped the back of the man’s neck, who was still clutching his wrist and groaning in pain. His massive body stumbled forward, taking down one of the approaching thugs like a domino. I casually tripped the remaining one, causing him to lose his balance and fall.
“Ugh!”
There happened to be a chair in the perfect spot, and the thug hit his head squarely on it, knocking him out. It took only a blink of an eye for the three men to collapse like limp straw dolls.
At that moment, one of the thugs who had been pinned under the hefty man struggled to crawl out, groaning in pain. However, without the strength to overpower the man he called his “big brother,” the thug looked up at me and raised his voice for no reason.
“You punk! Do you know who we are? I’ve memorized your face! I’ll get my revenge… Eek! Aaargh!!”
I stepped lightly on his noisy head. That was more than enough for the man to roll his eyes back and pass out. In an instant, the inside of the inn was engulfed in silence.
With the bewildered employee behind me, I slung the two men over my shoulders and roughly rolled the large man with my foot, tossing them out of the inn like garbage. The three unconscious men rolled around on the dirty, muddy ground, drawing the attention of passersby for a moment.
“Please call the local law enforcement. They’ll take care of them.”
“Th-thank you!”
Without answering, I waved my hand and left the inn.
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