Chapter 2.3
***
On the day of the Academy Picnic, the western garden of the campus was more crowded than ever.
The tables set by the workers in the garden where spring flowers were in full bloom blended in perfectly, just like a landscape painting.
Those strolling between them looked as if they had finished grooming themselves with great care to create either a network or a romantic connection in this spot today.
‘If he weren’t lying in his sickbed, Grandfather would have mobilized the family’s informants.’
No. If he hadn’t been bedridden with illness and were in good health, he would surely have told me to follow Heron’s old ways when deciding my course of action—in this political climate where the two princes are fiercely vying for the throne.
Evan Cald headed toward the table on the left, thinking that such ambiguous worldly wisdom was of no help to a family at all.
According to the information floating around the social circles, the 2nd Prince, Frid, was scheduled to sit at the center of the left tables.
Although it was impossible to sit at the same table and make an impression, he had been able to secure a spot at a table far, far, far, far to the side of the 2nd Prince by mobilizing all his capabilities.
‘I’ll make a good impression by offering a greeting when Lord Frid passes by.’
Even if support for the 1st Prince Demian was growing by the day, it was a fact that his faction was still weaker than the one supporting the 2nd Prince.
Furthermore, the House of Roas and the Temple stood behind the 2nd Prince.
Evan, who knew that fact well, had already made a plan to catch the eye of the 2nd Prince or his associates and walk a path of success.
‘Then I could easily brush aside the House of Heron and that defective heir.’
Swallowing a sneering laugh, he examined the tables placed near the center of the garden.
An ambiguous position that was close neither to the left table where Frid sat, nor to the right table where Demian had decided to sit.
There, Heron’s defective product and the Young Lady who used the campus dormitory were sitting all by themselves.
‘Unbelievable…… for the heir of Heron to be unable to join either side and be left wandering on the outskirts.’
Was she pretending to represent neutrality because she wanted to copy Count Heron?
However, as people began to gather in the garden one by one, Evan could no longer click his tongue.
This was because, contrary to his expectations, the people gathering in the garden began to go to Levi’s table and offer greetings one after another.
“Lady Heron, it’s good to see you like this. Is your health alright?”
“I was looking forward to when I could share a greeting after hearing the news that Miss Levi entered the Academy this year.”
Evan knew who the people going to Levi’s table and sharing warm greetings were.
‘All of them were people who used the derogatory term “Heron’s Defective Product” quite well until just recently.’
The foolish Evan could not understand for a long time why such people were stopping by Levi and Ayla’s table to greet them as if they had made a pact.
Then, he suddenly realized that those who greeted her first were only those from families of Viscounts or lower titles.
‘It’s the rule of high society for those of lower status to speak to those of higher status first, so it’s not strange, but…….’
How should I put it? It felt as if Levi Heron had cleverly used that rule to settle into a table that was perfectly fine for sharing greetings.
After watching a bit more, even the foolish Evan could be certain.
‘Did she occupy an ambiguous center table on purpose?’
No matter how the excellent knight Count Elbert Heron was absent, the people’s love for Heron was immense.
It seemed Levi knew well that there would be many who wanted to become acquainted with the heir of the Empire’s No.1 Knightly Family, the Emperor’s Sword that deals with demons.
And, it was right after the Blessing of the Lion Divine Beast she possessed was showcased to everyone during the <Demonology> lecture.
Did she already know that those who had only heard rumors of the Heron heir being a defective product had been horrified upon seeing her in person, saying she was different from what they heard?
‘Since she grew up only in the mansion due to her sickly body, I thought she wouldn’t know the first thing about dealing with people.’
In Levi Heron’s situation, it was wiser to become acquainted with the many rather than pathetically hovering around to make connections with the high and mighty only to fail.
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.