The Imperial society was soon filled with news of the duel between the Crown Prince and Eustaf. Not only where the duel was, but who would win was one of the big bets.
The crown prince also died to the head of the royal order. It can't be that easy to lose. Besides, isn't he much older and an adult?
Sir Eustaf is still a minor.
The opinion is that Sir Eustaf still has hands-on experience.
Didn't he have a one-on-one match not too long ago?
He even won. Besides, isn't it important that he'd killed people?
Opinions were tensely opposed, and each social club held a secret bet.
Because of Eustaf's duel, the story of the prince's attack on Ran, which caused the duel, was not such a gossip.
'That bastard must have done it again.'
'Even at the Empress Mother's outdoor dance without an invitation.'
'The Duchess of Lazia is the only one I feel sorry for.'
That's the assessment of Ran.
Pity.
Of course, it wasn't without the luxury of writing the situation provocative, but they quickly calmed down.
It was thanks to The Viridescent Shadow diligent visit. Today's guest was a precious guest because the green arch no longer received guests.
"Ran!"
Lizzie pressed her hat tightly and ran up to the front door as if she were jumping out of the carriage without an escort.
Marquis Cyrus sighed as he rubbed his hand in the air against his thigh, which he had pushed out for escort.
"Are you okay? Oh, my God, that's happening. You must have heard a bug in your head."
Elise had the skill to turn the bitter words she said, perhaps because she had eaten her brain.
Ran smiled.
"It's okay. It's an honor to be here. Marquis, sir."
"I'm glad to see you safe, Duke of Lazia. And Sir Eustaf."
Marquis Cyrus said, rubbing his scar across his left eye with his fingertips like a habit.
"I never thought I'd get this kind of request."
"The Marquis is the only person I can think of. Thank you for listening to this difficult request."
"No, it's not bad to put a debt on the Duke of Lazia."
"Caty!"
Without realizing it, Elise blushed after calling his nickname. Ran laughed and said.
"Come inside, then. I'd kept my precious guest standing outside."
Ran led the two to the fourth reception room, or the most important reception room for VIPs.
It was a great gesture of goodwill that the lord, not the butler, came out in person to welcome and guide the reception room. However, neither did Elise or Ran think so.
Of course, they're friends.
The two thought so. Marquis Cyrus whispered to Eustaf, who was looking at the two people walking along the hem of the dress with their arms folded tightly.
"How come they're in the cold water?"
"It's good to be on good terms."
"That's too plain an answer."
Marquis Cyrus said so and said, looking at Eustaf with pumpkin eyes.
"Duel, you're more reckless than I thought."
"Otherwise, I felt like I was going to step on his neck and break it."
Eustaf spoke in such a relaxed tone that I thought it was a joke at first, but soon realized that it was true.
"Don't you trust me too much?"
It couldn't have been good to go outside that Eustaf made such a remark. Eustaf touched the Marquis, who was leading silently.
"You seem to love your wife a lot."
"You've got a shot."
The Marquis muttered so.
The party soon went into the drawing room. Sitting on a large sofa, Marquis Cyrus twisted his legs on the sofa table. Elise frowned at the lax posture, and Eustaf kicked the table.
It wasn't even loud how it was kicked, but the effect was clear.
The table was pushed forward and the Marquis' feet fell to the ground, and Eustaf said politely.
"In front of the Duke."
Marquis Cyrus raised his hands and rose from his seat to bow politely to Ran.
"Please forgive my rudeness."
"If you need a footrest, I'll bring it."
Ran smiled and said so without a word of forgiveness, and Elise's face turned red.
"Really, stop talking like that."
"As my wife said."
Marquis Cyrus said so, and Ran called her servant to move the table back to its original place, wipe it, and bring refreshments.
As she relaxed over the tea, Elise broke the news of society. It was not much different from what I heard through The Viridescent Shadow, but Ran heard the story interestingly.
Elise showed great interest in whipped cream cakes.
Butter cream exists in this world, but whipped cream has not yet existed. The cream should be kept cold and whipped with a lot of sugar, because it was not easy.
Ran solved it with magic tools and snow-white trees, and Elise stressed seriously, "It's really delicious," on souffle pancakes made with whipped cream. Ran said, "Eat as much as you want," and bring a few more.
Eating a soft cake topped with cream on strong black tea, Elise soon felt soft.
"That's the story of the social world. Really. Oh, so, do you know that the Crown Prince has been given special training by the head of the Guards Division?"
"I heard it, too."
Eustaf nodded and Elise shook her head.
"Really. A duel."
It would have been better to settle the law than that, but it was almost impossible to give the crown prince a court ruling.
"That's why I asked Marquis Cyrus for help."
Ran spoke and looked straight at Marquis Cyrus.
"You know the head of the proximal division."
"We've had some past relationships."
"I said this in a letter, but please do it again. Can you deal with Eustaf?"
The only remaining eyes of the Marquis of Cyrus flashed. He said, rubbing his chin.
"I thought when I got the letter, but I thought the choice of the word "the partner" was great, not the teaching."
Marquis Cyrus looked down at Eustaf, who was sitting up from his seat.
"I really want to make sure that the word is right. So, Duchess, I'm willing to accept that offer."
"Thank you for accepting the difficult offer. Marquis Cyrus."
Ran's postpartum lips drew a deep line.
"The Duke of Lazia never forgets anything."
"That's a grateful and terrifying remark."
The Marquis answered so and told Eustaf.
"May I take a moment now, then?"
"Of course."
Eustaf got up from his seat and asked Ran for her understanding, and the two left the drawing room and disappeared. As soon as the two disappeared, Elise quickly told Ran.
"I don't know how much the Marquis expected me to say this. They say that blood is boiling for a long time."
"I thought my reply was quick somehow."
Ran answered so that the two burst into laughter together. Elise asked while cutting the cake.
"But Ran, are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, I'm really fine. I was really surprised then, but I'm okay now. I'm more worried about Eus than me."
"Sir Eustaf? Why?"
"Because. It's a duel."
"But even if it's a duel, these days it's the first blood, right?"
"That's how it goes, it's not how it's decided. Recently, I heard that he was seriously injured in a duel...."
"It is, but ····."
Elise looked at Ran and said.
"You tell me about the Crown Prince, won't you?"
But are we going to fight that hard?
"So, I'm more worried. He might fight more."
At Ran's words, Elise nodded, "Yes."
"Sometimes men are ridiculously stupid. But I don't think Lord Eustaf is that kind of guy."
"I'm worried about what if His Highness, the Crown Prince will cheat on duel. He might use poison..."
"No way."
Elise's face is hardened.
"It won't happen. How much attention is this duel getting?"
"It's rather..."
Ran sighed while talking.
"Maybe I'm too sensitive."
However, the story was so different from what she had read that's why she felt nervous and liberated at the same time.
If it went the same way as the original, Ran wouldn't have had to worry about Eustaf like this.
We overcame any difficulties.
But it has changed so much now. The battle of Territories and Duel never happened in the original work.
'If anything happens.'
You can't stand the guilt. Ran sighed at her stupidity, which I did not think the story would flow only to the good side.
'Just sell some ice crystals and magic tools, make a lot of money and make the Duchy of Lazia rich, make him live well when Sina comes, and then afterwards, I'll just go far away.'
A duel between the Crown Prince and Eustaf.
'I feel weird.'
Ran thinks so, but suddenly Elise put out a souffle pancake with a lot of whipped cream.
"Eat. It will make you feel better."
Ran laughed and accepted the fork. The sweet and soft taste spread throughout my mouth. As Elise said, "Sir Eustaf will be fine. Caty, no, I can't get enough of Cyrus teaching."
It was a word full of trust in her husband.
"He'll teach him, Ran."
Ran thought of Eustaf, who fixed the word "I want you to deal" with the word "ask for a lesson" when sending a letter to the Marquis.
At that time, it was really absurd, but again, it is an arrogant idea that people of that age would have.
'He's young...He's young.'
Ran giggled, thinking so.
"Oh, yeah. Ran?"
"Yes?"
"Is it true that Lord Eustaf kicked the Crown Prince?"
"It's true."
Now that I think about it, I heard a loud kick even in that chaotic situation, so I think he walked quite strongly.
'Because he immediately flew when he was kicked.'
"That's a little strong, too."
"Oh, cool!"
She laughed playfully and Elise's head tilted to every side.
"But Ran."
"Yes?"
"Well, this is kind of a rude question.-"
"Tell me."
"Sir Eustaf, I mean, he seems to like you."
"No way."
Ran shook her hand, answering without any hesitation. It was not that she didn't like it, but it was an intense gesture that ruled out the possibility of liking her, so Elise said as if she was protesting without realizing it.
"But the way he treats Ran doesn't seem to be treating you as a sibling."
"Gosh, Eustaf never really thought of me as his sister."
Elise's face hardened when Ran said lamentably. She asked after a moment of silence.
"What about you, Ran?"
Ran smiled at the question. Somehow the answer came out easily.
"Me, too."
I want to have Eustaf as my younger brother. I've never thought like a younger brother. He was the male lead to her.
"Now we're allies based on each other's circumstances."
Ran looked sorry, speaking as if she had organized things neatly.
"So, later on-- maybe you won't be friends with me, the Lord or just simply 'me', after all this is over. If, um, I understand if you don't like it."
"I don't understand."
Lizze hums and snorts.
"Once we're friends, we're friends forever. It has nothing to do with the status. If Ran's name is not Ran, don't forget that I'm still your friend."
Ran felt the inside of her heart melt by the words. I felt like I put down a heavy load.
"I won't forget we're friends."
"Alright."
Elise nodded solemnly to see Ran.
At first, I never thought we could be friends. But I became a friend of the same heart. ·····
'Somehow, there's a sense of distance.'
It's like leaving yourself out of all possibilities. Especially if it's a relationship.
'It seems to me that she like Sir Eustaf, doesn't she?'
I heard that the he was knee-deep in front of emperor for a duel. Everyone said Eustaf valued Lazia's honor, but Elise's sense was not the only one.
Everyone is so into the same situation as some of the narratives of the minstrels that they are doing something like "honor and reason of the knight."
'You'll see, if you'll see.'
I've never seen that type of person to miss anything. In addition, very few boys are so mean to Katy.
So, you'll find out when you watch.
Elise thought so and asked for more tea and dessert. Ran called her servant with joy because it was a good attitude of a guest to treat hospitality.