Chapter 8.9
Nozomu was offered sake by Madam Parline when he delivered the food to the office at Mena’s request.
He now held an ornately decorated glass sake cup in his hand.
At first glance, one could tell that the sake cup was a luxury item made by a craftsman. However, rather than such a luxury item, Nozomu was more concerned about Victor, who was lying on the desk next to him, wetting his desk with tears.
"Guu .... *Hiccup, hiccup* ..."
For Nozomu, Victor’s current appearance was unimaginable from his normal self. Especially since he had remembered the dignified Victor when he was questioned. The way he broke down in tears without daring to look at those around him was, frankly speaking, bewildering.
However, unlike Nozomu, who was stunned, Madam Parline’s shoulders slumped and she sighed.
"Hey, how long are you going to have such a bitter face? Didn’t you say that you already feel sorry?"
"I-, It waz my baa~d. Military Poli~ce. I don’t nee~d it."
Victor’s handsome face was messed up with tears and snot, and he let out a muffled cry.
It seemed that the cold stares he received from his daughters at the dinner table were taking their toll on him.
The sight of him in such pain made Nozomu feel a little sorry for Victor.
However, he couldn’t stand up to Victor because of the things he had done and because he truly deserved it.
(I guess this happened because Victor-san interfered too much in the lives of Iris and Somia...)
Disappointment is an emotion that doesn’t happen unless one has expectations.
For Irisdina and Somia, who lost their mother at an early age, their father must have been very important.
Naturally, there was no doubt that they adored him. Perhaps that was why they were so overwhelmed by their father’s black history that they rejected him so much.
"Umm, Victor-sama. I-, I’m sure it’ll be all right. Iris and Somia were just a little taken aback by the unimaginable story this time, but I don’t think they really dislike you."
"R-, really?"
"Y-, yes, I believe so. So, please be a good and firm father in front of them..."
"Well, in my experience, girls at their age want to be separated from their father..."
"Uaaaaaa!"
"Me-, Mena-san!"
"My apologies, my tongue slipped..."
An unexpected betrayal. The spear that was shot at the wounded man from the back pierced deep into his heart.
Oops! Mena put her hand on her mouth, but it was too late. Victor looked up at the sky and hung down like a corpse.
"M-, my daughters hated me... I-, I can’t live any longer..."
"Good grief, what a troublesome man. What are you doing, boy? Since you’re here, have a drink."
"Y-, yes! Ue~ ..."
Leaving Victor, who was about to turn into ashes, Madam Parline poured a glass of sake into Nozomu’s glass.
What was poured was an amber-colored sake, different from the wine Madam Parline drank.
Nozomu smelled a strong scent of wood along with the strong scent of alcohol on his nose.
Nozomu was concerned about Victor, who was dying next to him.
However, he couldn’t ignore Madam Parline’s urging, so he did as she urged, tilting the glass in his hand and pouring the amber liquid down his throat in one gulp.
At the same time, a searing heat rushed down Nozomu’s throat.
Nozomu involuntarily choked on the nose-tingling scent and the intense stimulation that seemed to burn right down to his organs.
"*Cough, cough!*"
"Oya~, it’s the same sake that Victor drinks, but I guess it’s too strong for you."
"*Cough, cough!* What kind of sake is this?"
"It’s a fermented and distilled barley liquor. It’s much stronger than fruit wine, so you should not drink it in one gulp..."
"I-, I can’t believe you let me drink that stuff..."
"Weren’t you the one who swallowed it in one gulp, boy? You shouldn’t shift the blame to others."
Madam Parline sighed in front of the coughing Nozomu and smiled with a smile on her face.
She had expected that Nozomu would drink a little at a time, but he unexpectedly drank it all in one gulp, and she seemed a little dismayed.
"Nozomu-sama, please drink this."
"T-, thank you......"
Nozomu slowly sipped the water offered by Mena.
Nozomu felt a sigh of relief as he felt the cool water quenching his burning fever.
Meanwhile, Madam Parline turned to Mena, who was standing next to Nozomu, and offered her an empty glass.
"Mena, why don’t you join us for a drink?"
"No, I’m a maid, so I can’t share a seat with the master and his guests..."
"I’m your friend, aren’t I? You don’t have to worry about your status now. In the first place, I was of a lower status than you when we first met."
"That’s ... Haa, I understand. Mazari is very pushy as usual..."
Madam Parline, who was called Mazari, smiled broadly.
Mena let out a deep sigh and reluctantly sat down next to Madam Parline.
With her own hand, Madam Parline poured the wine into the cup held by Mena, and Mena accepted it as well.
Nozomu’s eyes widened at the maid’s attitude towards Mazarinette and at Madam Mazarinette’s wicked smile.
Apparently, they were also old acquaintances. Moreover, they seemed to be quite close to each other, which could be seen from their demeanor.
Nozomu then remembered that Irisdina had once told him that Mena and Victor were old friends at a noble school in their home country.
"Well then, for celebrating a reunion with a best friend..."
"Cheers......"
Then they drank the wine that had been poured together.
Both of them let out a relieved and glazed breath. A tender atmosphere filled the office.
"But it’s been a while since we last had a drink together like this. Was it about three years?"
"To be precise, it’s been three years, two months, and thirteen days."
"Even if I invite you out, you will never accept my invitation..."
"Isn’t that obvious? I cannot accept such an invitation. As I said before, I’m a maid now..."
Madam Parline’s lips twitched in frustration as she recalled the time when her invitation was rejected.
Meanwhile, Mena, with a regretful smile, poured the wine into Madam Parline’s empty glass.
After returning the bottle to Mena, Madam Parline picked a piece of cheese from the plate in front of her and put it in her mouth.
"Even though you should be a knight already... Those good-for-nothing bastards......."
"It can’t be helped. I had no other choice at that time."
Madam Parline bit off a piece of cheese while looking very annoyed. She seemed to be very upset, remembering the old days.
On the other hand, Mena, the woman in question, was still smiling calmly. Her usual sharpness was gone, and she was filled with gentle affection.
"Besides, I like the life I have now. Master has been kind to me, and watching young ladies grow up makes me very happy."
"When I heard that Victor had hired you after you were expelled from the Knight Order, I thought he was going to make you his second wife..."
"Come to think of it, after I was hired by Francilt, you once stormed into the main house..."
"How could I keep quiet when I heard that my best friend might be harmed by an eloquent and skilled child of a noble family?
What a terrible thing to say.
What she meant by an eloquent and skilled child of a noble family was undoubtedly Victor.
Hearing Madam Parline’s words, Victor’s body, which had been nodding, trembled. Apparently, his consciousness was still in this world.
"I’ve never experienced such a thing. Because Master was devoted to Firana-sama."
"He fell in love with Firana, after all."
"Fufu. Yeah, that’s right."
Two women smiled in a friendly manner as they reminisce about the good old days.
Mena and Mazari were drinking again in an atmosphere where others were not allowed to interject.
On the other hand, it was Nozomu who was left in a state of being completely left behind.
Girl talk among mature women? There was no way that such a male student could join in.
Licking the remaining sake from his cup, Nozomu felt as if he were on the other side of a mirror.
"U-, umm... What kind of relationship do you both have?"
"Ah~, sorry, boy. We were just reminiscing about the old days."
"Mazarinette, Firana-sama, the mother of Irisdina-ojousama, and I were classmates at the school of nobility in Forsina."
According to Mena’s story, these three were close friends who transcended their status at the Forsina School of Nobility about twenty-odd years ago.
"Firana-sama, who was the heir to her household, Mazarinette, who, although a commoner, was recognized for her intelligence by the Parline Household, and I, who comes from a family of Chevalier. We were from different backgrounds and different statuses, but strangely enough, we hit it off."
"After she graduated, Mena joined the Order of the Knights of Forsina. She is a very skilled swordsman, and she even taught Irisdina and Victor how to use swords."
"Mena-san is?"
With an exclamation of admiration, Nozomu shifted his gaze to Mena, who was sitting across from him.
She was tipping her glass in a nonchalant manner, but her cheeks seemed to have a slight vermilion on them.
"That’s not something worth showing to Nozomu-sama..."
"What are you talking about? You challenged a knight to a duel, and you fought him with just one hand. And didn’t you also drive away Victor, who was in love with Firana, with your sword when you were a student?"
"You used to be quite the dangerous maiden", Madam Parline continued.
"Ara~? Aren’t you quite a tomboy yourself even after becoming a successor?"
Mena returned a cold glare to Mazarinette, who smiled mischievously, and retorted, "Isn’t breaking into Master’s main residence the best example of that?".
But from Nozomu’s point of view, neither one is the same.
How many commoners in this world would poke around an heir (or whatever the head of the family was at the time)?
In the first place, how could such a person live properly in a country where the status of nobility exists?
However, the two women were enjoying the feast in a lively manner, regardless of Nozomu’s doubts.
The most frightening thing about them is that they are women. Nozomu’s mind was filled with such words.
"By the way, I was wondering how much you know regarding the status division system in the country of Forsina?"
Nozomu’s consciousness was instantly brought back to reality by Madam Parline’s sudden question.
Nozomu was not a native of Forsina, but he had some knowledge of the general status division system.
"The most important thing I remember is that nobility can be hereditary or based on achievement. And hereditary nobility can rule over a territory... Apart from them, they have no peerage, and we usually call them ’landlords’."
There is no detailed aristocracy division in Forsina, such as counts and viscounts. However, powerful families are naturally called "landlords" and have a prominent presence among the nobility.
The Francilt, Fabran, and Parline are definitely classified as "landlords".
"I see... I guess we need to have a little talk about it."
Hereditary Nobility.
It is a title held by the traditional aristocratic families of Forsina and is a general term for those who can be called nobles by birth.
Most of them are descendants of those who were involved in the founding of Forsina and are often referred to by their "family name," such as Francilt, Fabran, or Parline.
The title of hereditary nobility is basically inherited by the head of the family, while the heirs of a family can establish themselves as hereditary nobility by starting a new family and having it recognized by the king.
On the other hand, nobility based on achievement, also known as knighthood, is a general term for those who have made achievements and have been listed in the name of the nobility.
Compared to hereditary nobility, its power is more limited, and basically, only three generations of it are allowed to hold the title.
However, if a person has again achieved something worthy of the name of knight within those three generations, he or she is guaranteed his or her status again.
"By the way, the reason why peerage titles are no longer used is that some people who misinterpret their status for money, jewelry, and so on, are starting to appear."
In Forsina, there have been no disturbances, such as wars with neighboring countries, for nearly one hundred years.
The country’s savings were not over-consumed by the upheaval, and the economy was able to run smoothly.
Therefore, inevitably, the nobles and commoners, who had won a fortune, began to have too much money in their pockets.
At such a time, many people began to misrepresent their status, resulting in the emergence of "nobles in name only" in the streets.
As a result, the king decided to reset the status of the nobility and abolished all titles such as duke and count.
However, since the actual power of the nobles did not change, this only had the effect of deterring identity fraud, and it was not very effective in preventing the outbreak of family fraud, as people would then say, "I belong to that great family".
However, if their real power were to be taken away, the nobles would revolt and plunge the country into a state of civil war.
And then there was the Forsina School of Nobility.
As the name suggests, it is a school for the nobility of Forsina and is the highest educational institution in the country, training the country’s most important people.
However, the school was open not only to nobles but also to commoners, who have a recommendation from the hereditary nobility or knights, and were allowed to attend if they passed the examination.
But of course, the standard of education was naturally high, so only a few commoners could attend this school each year.
"So Madam Parline was originally a commoner!?"
"Yes. When I was a dancer, I had the opportunity to meet the head of the Parline Household. At that time, he gave me the recommendation to enroll in the school."
Nozomu’s eyes widened at the astonishing fact.
From a commoner to a nobleman. Moreover, Mazarinette’s current position is that of "Parline", a hereditary peerage.
Even though the country of Forsina was tolerant of commoners, this was an unlikely thing to happen.
"I found out later that the head of the Parline had recognized Mazarinette’s intelligence and fell in love with her since that time."
"Well... That’s... How should I say it?..."
It seemed that as soon as Mazarinette graduated from the Academy of Nobility, the head of the Parline Household asked her to marry him.
Moreover, he offered to take her as his wife.
At the time, the head of the Parline Household was 40 years old and single. Mazarinette was 18. The difference in age between the two was more than 20 years, and Nozomu could not help but exhale in admiration.
’Well, marriages with such age differences are not uncommon among the nobility. It wasn’t the first time I was proposed back then either. But at the time, I was very confused. After all, he said, "Come to me and be my legal wife!"..."
Although she graduated from the Forsina Academy of Nobility, Mazarinette was not even a knight at the time.
Nonetheless, the head of the Parline asked her to marry him, wishing to take her as his full-fledged wife.
However, Mazarinette at the time was adamant in her refusal. She developed her own business, built a strong position for herself, and was awarded the peerage of knighthood.
After that, the head of the Parline Household, who was adamant about his proposal of marriage, then stopped his ardent approach, quietly watching over Mazarinette and gradually deepened his friendship with her.
"And finally, Mazarinette accepted his proposal."
"I knew he fell in love with me, but more than that, he was a true gentleman. I’ve never met such a gentleman..."
(In the end, "I was more in love with you than you were with me".)
With these final words, Madam Parline sipped her cup with a smile on her face. A slight vermilion tinged her smile.
Was it because of the alcohol or because she was remembering the sweet and sour of her youth?
After that, Mazarinette married the head of Parline. As his wife, she became one of the heirs to the Household.
It was a success story that every woman dreams of.
"Well, we were not blessed with children, but we were happy."
The happy time between Mazarinette and the head of the Parline Household did not last long.
The head of the Parline, who was approaching old age, was often in poor health, and after their marriage, he caught an epidemic and passed away.
The Parline Household was temporarily in turmoil after losing the head of the family.
However, Mazarinette, who had married into the family as his wife, demonstrated her talent here as well and successfully brought her confused relatives together.
As a result, she was officially recognized by her relatives as the head of the Parline Household.
"It was a while after the death of the former head of Parline, wasn’t it? That Irisdina was born to Danna-sama and Firana-sama..."
"When I saw Irisdina for the first time, she was still this tiny."
As she said so, Mazarinette picked up a single painting among Victor’s furnishings scattered on the floor.
The painting depicted a dark-haired lady lying on a white bed, holding a baby on her chest and smiling happily.
She had a very beautiful face, so beautiful that she looked like a goddess. But above all, what left a deep impression on Nozomu were the loving eyes that were directed at the girl in her arms.
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