Everyone in the hall looked stunned and looked at Lady Miller, with both of her hands resting on her side, and the Count was in a daze as if the world's most idiot was in front of her.
The mask of Count Briton, which had been peeled off, was filled with absurdity, embarrassment, and shame.
"Let's see, shall we…?!"
Soon, Count Briton took a step toward Lady Miller as if he had come to his senses. At the same time, Tashian Verk, who had been standing still, slightly moved. He quickly moved his huge physique and intervened between the two.
"Let's stop."
A cold voice rang the quiet ball. At that moment, the heads of some people who were giving explicit eyes to them, also turned hurriedly. Some coughed in vain and pretended to move their fans, covering their eyes.
Eun-woo protested toward Tashian as if she couldn't believe what he did.
"Tashian…"
However, Eun-woo bowed her head low and closed her mouth when she heard his whisper in her ear.
"Shh. Others are looking at you."
Tashian's hand lightly swept Eun-woo's spine, calming her down. He immediately raised his head and threw a cold look at Count Briton. His eyes were as cold as if snow had fallen around him.
"Count Briton. Did you say that I thought I was still the commander-in-chief? No way… The war is already over. His Majesty has given me the Royal Edict to end it. All things that could betray His Majesty's trust, is considered disloyalty from his issued orders."
He quickly said the following words, and his eyes shone sadly.
"As you said, it doesn't mean that I am such an unethical servant who came after experiencing a very 'hard time' on the battlefield. Your actions can be interpreted as a self- reflection with humility towards himself, who does not yet have an official right in the parliament."
Upon hearing him, Count Briton's face flushed like a flame and soon went black like a volcanic ash, he couldn't process what he just said.
Just as not everyone with the title of Duke can be appointed as the commander-in-chief, the same goes if one have the title of nobility, but does not have a say in Parliament.
In order to get a voice in Parliament, one must have recommendations from more than 20 members of the parliament, excluding relatives or the emperor's decree.
The parliament members consist of 50 noble people all in all, and with that, you have to be recommended by more than 20 of them, which is hard as putting a camel through a needle. The legitimacy and authority is out of this, but the individual's ability is a very important point to be considered.
Count Briton also came from a very good family, but after graduating from the academy, he had a hard time proving his abilities due to his life as a playboy. Naturally, Parliament did not give him a say even after the acquisition of his title as a Count Briton. It was a shame, even though Parliament would have power from a prestigious family called Briton on its back.
The Duke pointed out that point.
Sure enough, Count Briton, who had a glare look on his face, shook his hands and began pointing at the Duke.
"Now, how dare you…! How dare this son of a concubine mention the right to speak in the Parliament…! You have no shame…!"
His face was already as red as a swollen pig skin, as he spoke.
Eun-woo felt her anger rising. No matter how drunk he was, Count Briton's actions went beyond his status.
Once again, she rolled up her sleeves to warn him and tried to step forward. However, Tashian quickly dragged Eun-woo back. Eun-woo had to kick in vain for a while because his hard hands did not let go of her forearms.
Tashian opened his mouth. Looking down at Count Briton from above, his mouth twisted with contempt.
"I'm so ashamed of the Count. Even at your age, can you still drink at these important banquets?"
Tashian looked down at Count Briton with a gaze as if he was looking at a dusk, as if he was not worth dealing with.
No matter how much the Duke is said to have a tainted status and that he was from heaven, he was currently the most trusted subject of the Crown Prince and one of the main decision makers of the Parliament. Count Briton, who was merely a nobleman, must not treat him disrespectfully.
He knew very well that fact, but his fist trembled hearing him. He gritted his teeth. The Count's blurry eyes headed to the Duke's silent but irresistible face. Even with such insulting remarks, the Duke's expression was calm.
The atmosphere between the three became suffocating like a pulled thread.
Count Briton's gave strength to his two fists, which were gently squeezed. He always didn't like it, but he had never looked worse than now.
'Always leisurely, he has that arrogant expression as if he had always been a person who has a precious blood vessel after gaining the right in the Parliament, to those people who never got it even if others died and woke up from death!'
Until the Duke took the helm, Count Briton's attitude toward him was not this vicious. Rather, as a younger generation, he had a very positive assessment of the Duke who descended from Heaven.
However, in the social world of Hellasium, which was not easy, there was not much contact between the two. The duke's life, which was viewed from a distance, was enough to arouse disturbance and jealousy around him, and direct and deep conversations that would dispel the misunderstanding could not take place.
The continued success of the Duke and his performance in the political world in inverse proportion began to fuel Count Briton's negative emotions.
Before he knew it, Count Briton was included in a group of people who hated the Duke enough to step up in front of him and openly embarrass him.
Count Briton, who was really drunk, stared at the duke with laughter. However, his eyes, which seemed to despise the Duke, did not contain confidence.
He then started arguing with the Duke.
"What's with those eyes, Commander? Are you going to create violence here? Let's take a look at your temperament that dried up people's confidence…!"
Eun-woo was amazed to see Count Briton like that. The upright and gentleman-like attitude earlier was a disgraceful appearance as if it was all pretense.
Tired of his dual attitude and disrespect for Tashian, Eun-woo stepped forward with her eyes wide open to end the situation. At the same time, however, she was blocked by the Duke's arm, again.
"Tashian!"
Eun-woo opened her eyes wide as if she couldn't believe him who stopped her from doing so. However, he just shook his head with an expression that contained no emotions as before.
It was then. One of his companions, who had been watching Count Briton's close behavior since earlier, quickly blocked them.
"Hey, let me see how drunk you are. Hurry up and take him to the lounge."
"Let go of me! I'm fine!"
However, they were anxious to get Count Briton out of this mess while looking at the Duke. Even though they had been watching the dangerous scuffle between the two, neither of them did not back down.
"Hmm, I've never seen Count Briton this drunk in my life…!"
They glanced toward Tashian and Eun-Woo, and hurriedly helped Count Briton, who began to twist his steps.
Eun-woo rolled her eyes when she saw the Count and the crowd running away after he was being sent away. And she looked up at Tashian with a stuffy look.
No, are you intending him to run away just like that?
However, he didn't even move like a stone statue. Eventually, when the Count was completely gone from the crowd, she couldn't stand her anger and shouted at Tashian.
"Tashian! Was it alright for that pathetic man to insult you!"
"Don't be angry and calm down. Why are you so heated up?"
Tashian smiled in vain and soothed her. Unlike her, who was overwhelmed to the top of her head, he somehow had a calm attitude.
Next to him and such Eun-woo, who were excited and huffing, people who flocked together left with a resolute expression. Soon, only two people remained in the place where they stood as they did in the beginning.
Soon Tashian opened his mouth.
"…I didn't know you'd be this angry about my status."
Eun-woo opened her eyes wide and looked up at him. She coughed embarrassingly and covered her mouth.
"Hmm! I'm usually a bit of a hot-tempered person. I don't look like that, but surprisingly, I can't stand injustice."
"… I see."
"Don't laugh."
Tashian opened his axe's eyes and bit his lips trying not to laugh at the woman who was glaring at him menacingly.
The situation earlier was really nothing compared to the countless insults and ridicule he had experienced in his life.
However, it was not a pleasant situation either. No matter how much time passed and experience had accumulated, there were things that he didn't get used to.
But in a certain moment, she stepped forward to protect him with her small body. It was ironic. She was just a slender woman like a reed stem, and when she stood in front of him, Tashian inadvertently felt an indescribable sense of stability.
In order not to be aware of the fact, he urged her with a blunt voice than usual.
"Now, the song is changing. Let's hurry up and dance."
He was pointing in the middle of the stage with a wink, where people were awkwardly aware of them and were dancing slowly. Eun-woo glared at him because she was dumbfounded.
"It's not right to talk about dancing in this situation!"
"There's nothing you can't do but to dance."
Eun-woo lost her energy to be angry at his shameless answer.
He really maintained a calm attitude as if he didn't care about such an insult at all.
"Trust me. The only thing that could overcome this awkward situation is to show an attitude that you are enjoying this ball without changing your expression. This is the case, so we can't even talk about it overnight."
Tashian lightly grabbed her arm and slowly moved to the stage, who was listening.
"No, I don't want to dance."
Eun-woo pushed Tashian's arm away with a red-tinted hand.
No matter how hard it was, she just got so worked up and gave a slap on a person. How can you dance again in the middle of the stage with an indifferent expression?
However, Tashian was very persistent, unlike usual.
"Hurry."
"I told you I won't."
"Come here. Just one song, okay?"
Eun-woo opened her mouth slightly in surprise.
What's wrong with this man? It was the first time he was so desperate for something.
'Was it because I shared my first dance with Count Briton?'
Thinking like that, Eun-woo slowly felt herself approaching the center of the stage. She expressed dislike, but at the time she wanted to do so, she wanted to do it right away, to be precise.
"I'll tell you in advance, but dancing is not my specialty."
Eun-woo was taken by him and warned him with red cheeks. In the midst of this, she was in a state of familiarizing her body to pretend to be familiar in fear of people doubting her identity.
"Of course."
Eventually, he showed his teeth and laughed.
Eun-woo was dumbfounded and watched him smile so wide. She could feel him fluttering like a child. It was also her first time seeing him like this. Her chest also tickled.
Tashian muttered in a softer voice.
"You can learn. You can learn one by one slowly."
A hand as careful as the soft voice that brushed her ear grabbed her waist. Eun-woo followed his steps slowly as she leaned over to the following rhythm.