I Became a Sick Nobleman

Chapter 91: Banquet (2)

“Ptui.”

He wiped the blood flowing from his mouth.

This place was different from the outside.

It was a place where he had to deal with it alone.

‘I have to endure.’

The splendid music sounded like the music of a bloody war movie, his aching body was a burden he had to carry alone, and he was holding the enticing treasure called Setiria in his hand.

In order for Ruel to obtained what he wanted he had to break through the traps of those venomous snakes and Red Ash.

“Your Highness.”

Ruel looked at Banios.

“Please tell me all the information you know about those people.”

Except, that didn’t neccesarily mean that he was lacking a weapon to help overcome the situation.

Information was a weapon.

Isn’t there a living informant, Banios, right next to him?

How much information he heard as a prince and how many nobles he must have met.

He must have the key information he was looking for.

“You really have no end.”

When the person who had been groaning in pain until now had the audacity to say that he would move forward without stopping, Banios could not comprehend how much willpower he had.

“How can you have the mind to look back when you’re so busy looking forward?”

Ruel inhaled Breath.

“The situation has changed since the First Prince visited. You can stay a little longer.”

“Do you mean to do a short play?”

“That’s right.”

If it were just Banios and Ruel, one could think that their friendship is deeper than expected. However, since Huan came and went, if Ruel simply explained what happened inside, they could easily move past suspicions.

“Since you are the only one with whom I have a friendship here, it’s an opportunity for you to accumulate virtues while taking care of me, and for me to listen to information.”

“I see.”

Banios hesitated and finally answered.

“I will stand in front.”

“Yes.”

In response to Ruel’s reply, Aris stood before them, apart from them.

It was to let Ruel know if anyone else approached.

Ruel noticed what he was thinking with the occasional worried look while Banios was giving information.

‘I guess my illness is bothering him.’

Being sick is a weakness, but Ruel intended to make it a weapon.

How painful would it be to the extent that it is rumored to be terminally ill.

‘You’d think it wouldn’t be long in life.’

In other words, not living for a long time means that hard won results would be lost quickly.

You have to pick the persimmons before they burst on the ground to pick the most perfect fruit.

He made it the goal of this banquet as it was obvious that he would rush to reserve an appointment without having to leave his own territory.

The question was whether his body could withstand the process or not.

After memorizing the information Banios gave in his mind, Ruel stood up with his cane.

He inhaled the Breath.

“It doesn’t look good for me to leave first, so please go ahead. I will follow you soon.”

“You need help…”

“The situation of Your Highness is not good either.”

At Ruel’s words, Banios was not displeased, but rather gave a playful smile.

“Didn’t I say I would gift you a present?”

Standing up, he continued, taking a step forward.

“It’s worth looking forward to.”

‘Was the present to be gifted at the banquet?’

Ruel thought quietly.

“…!”

Ruel quickly predicted what Banios planned to do.

A very powerful move that would make him the star, the main attraction, of this banquet in an instant.

Smirk.

The corners of his mouth rose automatically.

‘I should be grateful that you’re a shield.’

Ruel waited for Banios to leave before departing the room.

Aris looked at him worriedly.

“You look pale. Why don’t you rest a little longer?”

“It’s alright.”

First, Ruel had to meet the princes again.

Rather than the definite Second Prince, it was a priority to find out the intentions

of the ambiguous First Prince.

“Ha ha, Lord Setiria.”

Then, Diagos Shio approached with a smile with Serti following not far behind.

‘…I see what you’re up to.’

Most certainly, the rightful way to take control of Setiria was by means of marriage.

It seemed that Shio, the weakest of the six families, was in a hurry to make this connection.

“I was frowning earlier due to a problem going on within my territory, so I hope you don’t misunderstand.”

Diagos bowed slightly.

“No, I should have greeted you first, so before it’s too late, I’m Ruel Setiria.”

“This is Diagos Shio. This is my daughter… Oh, come to think of it, you know each other…”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but it’s my first time seeing her today. As you know, I don’t often leave the territory because I’m not feeling well.”

Ruel cut it off resolutely.

How can you like Serti, who swallowed Setiria and created huge debts.

What shamelessness allowed herself to be brought before Ruel by her father without stopping him.

After a moment’s eye contact with Serti, she hurriedly pulled Diagos’ sleeve.

“…Father.”

“Haha, I guess I was too hasty. My daughter seemed interested in Lord Setiria, so I mistakenly thought she was an acquaintance. I’m sorry.”

“No, she must have been staring at the awful pallor of my face from my sickness. That’s perfectly alright.”

Ruel nailed them once again, implying she was just staring out of misguided curiosity.

“No, who said anything about staring at Lord Setiria in such a manner? Since you have such an outstanding appearance, isn’t it natural to look at a handsome young man at least once?”

He didn’t put butter on his tongue, but he thought it was rolling rather smoothly.

‘It’s the first time you’ve seen me and I have an outstanding appearance.’

It was ridiculous, but Ruel smiled.

It didn’t feel so bad either.

“Oh, I got caught between young people without any sense. I’m going to leave, so I hope you will take this opportunity to create friendships and speak with each other.”

Diagos stopped smiling broadly and reacted as if he had seen something quite unpleasant.

“Behind us, Ben Liobenez is waving.”

Aris whispered quietly.

Ruel glanced back.

In the distance Ben was waving his hand at Diagos.

“Lord Setiria. This father will leave his daughter in your care and step aside for a while. Then, I hope you have a pleasant time.”

“Fa, Father! I want to…”

Serti stopped trying to follow in Diagos’s footsteps and looked at Ruel with anxiety.

“Cough, why are you looking at me like that?”

“My, my lord, this is not my intention, to tell you the truth.”

“What are you talking about? Have you seen me before?”

Serti understood Ruel’s warning and squeezed the fan in her hand.

” I’d like to apologize because I’m worried that you might have been surprised by my father’s sudden appearance.”

“That’s alright. You don’t have to worry about it.”

Ruel inhaled Breath. He soon lowered his voice.

“Serti Shio.”

Aris moved to the side where there were a lot of eyes and blocked their view of Ruel with his cloak.

“Tell your father that you have an appointment with me. I will let you know when we will meet next.”

“…I see.”

“You haven’t forgotten what you owe me, have you?”

Serti had once disrespected his status as Lord and called him by name without any regard, separate from the incident that caused her to be in debt.

It was a felony that could not be ignored.

“Forget… I didn’t.”

Serti’s voice and the fan she was holding trembled slightly.

“I have not forgotten my promise with you, so don’t worry.”

A promise to make Serti the next head of the Shio family. He did not forget.

Serti made a subtle expression.

It was an expression of joy and anxiety.

Ruel smiled slightly down at her before leaving towards Ben.

Anyway, he had seemed to be in trouble, so Ben helped him.

Ben said, handing over the drink that the servant brought, “I don’t know if I’ve done anything wrong.”

“No, I was just embarrassed by the sudden offer. And I appreciate the drink, but I can’t drink it.”

“There is no poison.”

Ben’s voice grew slightly thicker, though his expression remained unchanged.

“It’s not that, but it’s because I get sick if I eat recklessly. I apologize.”

“…Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that. I wondered why you didn’t touch the food, but there was a reason. The banquet is long, so can you endure to the end?”

Ruel could feel Ben’s pity.

It would be nice if that was a real emotion, but Ruel just looked awkward because the opponent was a noble.

“That’s alright. Isn’t it natural not to know as today is our first meeting?”

“Then, will you give me a chance to meet again? I know as many great restaurants as the years I’ve lived. If you contact my territory, I would be more than flattered to treat you to delicious food.”

Ruel did not immediately answer.

Making another appointment was what he wanted, but it was this easy?

Ruel made an excuse to go, but Ben had nothing.

Ben spoke, embarrassed by the ensuing silence..

“It wasn’t enough that we met for the first time, even a sudden proposal… Sorry, I was too hasty.”

“No, it was not. I am very grateful for the suggestion as I have stayed only within my territory. But before that, may I hear the reason?”

Only then did Ben realize that his words were out of order.

He was cautious for his age.

It was difficult to predict what purpose this proposal was for.

‘The opponent is a sly fellow.’

Ruel caught his cloudy intentions.

“I have no children under my care. If there was, I wonder if my grandson would be around your age.”

The words that he had been expecting presented themselved. His embarrassed expression was also perfect.

“My age is a withering flower, won’t you just feel sorry for this old man and be my companion?”

Ben’s face turned red when he said everything.

Sympathy was deeply embedded in the voice and the eyes looking at him.

It wasn’t annoying. Rather, it was nice to see him being honest.

He simply felt sorry for himself.

He feels sorry for himself to the extent that he throws away his pride, which has been hardened by years of social pressure, and folds in the name of a favor.

‘It’s just as I heard from Banios.’

Ben was weak in his old age.

He secretly helped those who had no choice but to leave the orphanage because of their age.

‘If you want to play with your grandchildren, there’s nothing I can’t do.’

As Red Ash tried to kill himself using different methods, it was not time for Ruel to choose a method.

Even if Ben isn’t associated with the Red Ash, he won’t know it’s a grandchild game anyway.

It was a game that started by covering each other’s eyes.

He decided to play the game.

Ruel clenched his cane and bowed slightly.

“…It may not suit this atmosphere, but I don’t have a grandfather.”

The music from the banquet skimmed by the collar was as bright as a child on a picnic.

“The only time I have seen his face is through a portrait. To be honest, my father… I don’t remember him well either.”

With an iron plate nailed on one’s face he actively searched for sympathy.

“It’s a gracious offer. I don’t know when we’ll meet next, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Ruel slowly raised his head and looked at Ben.

And he showed a smile fit for his age.

Only then did Ben giggle so loud that he could see the missing tooth.

—Why are you smiling when you’re not happy? This body is so happy right now! They’re all delicious!

He really almost laughed at Leo sitting under the tablecloth, smacking his lips.

He must have eaten dessert without being caught.

“Thank you. It would be nice if you could contact me regarding a convenient date.”

With a slight nod, Ben stepped back.

‘Shio and the Liobenez family are done.’

Prios and Lumina had to be put off because they could make an appointment later.

‘Lumina…’

It wasn’t time to touch it yet.

Ruel inhaled Breath and looked for the First Prince.

“The one you are looking for is over there.”

Aris lowered his voice and pointed with his hand.

He followed the tip of his finger and saw Huan.

Ruel raised the corners of his mouth and praised Aris.

Aris also felt relieved when he found out that looking for Huan was the first thing they were doing in this situation.

‘But I’m still fully considering it.’

When one’s physical strength is low, one’s mental strength is weak.

Then the judgment was bound to be blurred.

As Ruel approached Huan, Huan, who was talking to other ministers, felt it became a little noisy and turned his head.

“Ah, Lord Setiria.”

Huan welcomed Ruel with pleasure.

Ruel was slightly annoyed by the welcome.

It was as if Ruel had taken the bait.

‘What is it?’

“Is it okay not to be resting?”

“Yes, thanks to your concern, I am better.”

“Why don’t you sit down for a while?”

“It’s a nice offer, but I can’t bother Your Highness.”

“There is something else I want to tell you, so maybe our conversation will be longer. Shouldn’t I hear how you earned the title of Noble of Darkness?”

“That’s right, Your Highness, I hear it’s a title given after saving a village of Cyronian. Isn’t Lord Setiria a perfect example of the aristocracy?”

The ministers next to him chattered after him.

Ruel just shuddered in humility, enduring the annoyance at the title, Noble of Darkness, that was mentioned one after another.

“No. The Royal Knights worked harder than me. I was given that title simply because I was the representative of the delegation.”

Huan smiled pleasantly.

“Isn’t that too modest? It’s a place where you can campaign to some extent.”

“That’s right. Aren’t you a patriarch?”

He felt pity for the appearance of ministers who were not parrots but still busy repeating Huan’s words and praising them.

Ruel looked the other way, turning his head for a moment because of his cough.

At a distance there was a place where people were particularly crowded.

‘The Second Prince must be there.’

Typically, people will stick to the side where there was most to gain.

“Are you alright? Why don’t you drink some water?”

Huan summoned the servant who was passing by and handed him the water on the tray.

“Thank you.”

As soon as he received the water with his head down, Cassion’s shadow shook for a very short time.

Cassion sent Ruel a warning.

‘…Don’t tell me, it’s poison?’

He couldn’t believe the water was poisoned in such a situation.

If he drank it without knowing it, it was very likely that the First Prince would be involved in the incident.

Whether it was handed over intentionally or without knowing it, that servant will surely die.

Is it better to drink and make a fuss or not?

Ruel closed his eyes tightly and leaned over.

Ch-INK.

Aris rushed to support Ruel in response to the sound of the shattering glass.

Buzz. Buzz.

The sound of the banquet quieted and music halted. The surrounding individuals were attracted to the commotion

The Royal Knights approached.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s alright, I’m just dizzy.”

All he did was break the cup and splash the water.

The disturbance soon calmed down.

Ruel stood up and saw Huan.

“Are you okay?”

Unlike his worried voice, there was no emotion to be seen in his eyes.

As if he knew this would happen.

Ruel grinned. It smelled. But he wasn’t sure.

It was necessary to be caught in an enemy trap to know for sure.

“Yes, Your Highness. I think I’d better sit down for a while, as you said.”

Only then did Huan’s eyes smile.

“Would you please step aside for a moment?”

Huan asked softly to his ministers.

They were far away from Huan and looked around to see if it would be an obstacle.

Huan, who was staring at the crowded place for a moment, seemed relieved.

‘Why are you checking the location of the Second Prince?’

Ruel was confused by Huan’s behavior and followed Huan who took the lead.

“Follow me, Leo.”

Leo stopped licking his front paws and poked his ears up.

Ruel was calling for him.

Leo stared at the strawberry-filled cake, then jumped up and spun around at Ruel’s feet.

—No one knew this body was so good! Ruel, Ruel. Listen to what this body has eaten. The first thing this body ate was very black like dirt! This body was the first to choose because it was a Great purifier!

Leo smiled broadly and talked excitedly about what he had eaten.

Ruel breathed comfortably, using the chatter as background noise.

The sound of music that was ringing in the hall gradually faded away.

The place Huan guided him seemed to be the furthest place from the hall, a resting place reserved only for the royal family.

Ruel glanced at Aris.

It was not the place for Aris to enter.

A little uneasy, but trusting Cassion, Aris bowed his head and stopped walking.

“How is it? Isn’t it quiet?”

Huan closed the curtains as Ruel entered the room.

He could see the gloomy sky through the glass pane.

Author's Thoughts

Iron plate nailed on one's face : It's a state when a person is doing an unpleasant or embarrassing activity, but act like nothing special is done. (Thick skin)

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