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From the next day on, I suddenly started getting busy.
The victory banquet was a month later. Thanks to that, I suddenly had to learn etiquette, speech, walking, and dancing – that I couldn’t even keep my eyes open. At least I was lucky I’m smart.
“It’s an honor to make a dress for Miss Lise.”
The tailor sent by the Duchess also began to analyze my body shape and skin tone with all his soul.
“You were invited by the Crown Prince. It’s the first dance of the Victory Banquet, so everyone will pay attention.”
“That’s the worst.”
“Everyone’s going to pay attention to the Lady’s dress, and it’s a huge opportunity for me.”
“It’s a lot of stress for me.”
It’s cool that I have to do the first dance, but I wasn’t happy to receive all the attention. However, in order to accomplish a great task, such sacrifices had to be made.
‘I have to make good use of Betia.’
I thought while replying to the tailor’s fuss without any emotion.
‘I also need Erhan’s cooperation to do that
.’
He is one of the great aristocrats of the empire so he will have to attend the banquet.
Moreover, it was no less than his first social appearance. Considering the reactions of the young ladies who went to the succession ceremony, he will definitely get the attention of people around him again.
‘He’s someone, anyone would covet. But
.’
In fact, there was one thing that kept making me feel uncomfortable. It was because of one of the dreams I had in the past.
According to Kansia, my dream is a projection of the future, but the contents of my last dream caught my heart. Almost all of them were blurry. However, I remembered how surprised I was when Erhan said he was going to rebel at the end.
‘Don’t tell me Erhan’s going to be in the rebel army.’
I’ve been rolling my head around to save everyone since I was thirteen.
If I had a chance, I had to crack it down.
After digesting the schedule to some extent with excellent learning skills, I called Diel.
“Diel.”
“Uh, what?”
“Can we get a personal heat tracker?”
As soon as I mentioned the tracker, Diel shook his head immediately.
“It’ll be hard to get one. It’s a magic item. It’s also a headache just to get permission to use that. Besides, isn’t it disposable?”
“Even Viscount Ferelmen’s Merchant Guild can’t?”
“Yes, it’s not a product that can be found in the market, and only a few people have them in the first place.”
As expected.
A personal heat tracker is a rare magical device that can track a person’s location with a specific wavelength.
It was also the most useful item for chasing someone among many people.
Of course, only people with excellent medical skills could use it because it was difficult to interpret the data, expensive, and there was a lot of room for abuse, so only a few were created.
And even though it was disposable, it would be as difficult as picking a star to get one that wasn’t used.
Since I’ve never had any physical or related training for tailing, I needed a personal heat tracker that looked like a compass to sneak behind someone I wanted.
“Doesn’t Viscount Ferelmen have one?”
Diel hesitated for a moment and unwillingly replied.
“I know he got one when he still belonged to the imperial research team in the past. Lady Zion died in the middle of the study, so he couldn’t use it.”
“That’s great. There’s one that he hasn’t used.”
I said with excitement.
“Then bring it, and
.”
“You want me to go to Viscount Ferelmen’s mansion and get it? I’m not confident.”
Diel flatly refused.
“Wait for his return. He’ll listen to you if you ask him.”
“I don’t have time to wait. We need it for the victory banquet.”
“It’s currently difficult to send and receive correspondence. I don’t know exactly where he is in the north right now.”
“Is there no other way?”
“There’s only one.”
When I whined that we had to do something, Diel sighed and said.
“You can go to the Ferelmen’s mansion and get it yourself. Of course, it won’t be that easy.”
“To whom should I talk in the mansion?”
Come to think of it, Viscount Ferelmen doesn’t always stay at the Duke’s Castle.
Someone would have to manage his estate, but I haven’t paid attention to who it was so far.
“Who would you think it is? Of course, it’s Viscount Ferelmen’s father. We call him Elder Felix in secret.”
In fact, Ferelmen still has his parents and siblings.
“You shouldn’t think that just because he’s an old man, he would be merciful and kind. It’s a little strange to say this, but he’s quite eccentric.”
“I guess that’s how the blood in that family is.”
I said insignificantly, thinking of Viscount Ferelmen’s stiff face. I don’t know much, but if his daughter looked like him, she would be angry.
“He’s the one who’s at the command when Viscount Ferelmen is away. And in addition to Felix, there is Dame Seirin, his younger sister.”
“Dame?”
“Yeah, she is officially knighted. She’s also single and has no husband or children. I’m
.”
Diel shivered.
“
It was scary just to make eye contact with her.”
I snorted.
This is because Diel’s standard for the word ‘scary’ doesn’t sound dependable when he said the same thing about Erhan’s eyes when he was only 13-years-old.
“I know it’s not far from here.”
It wasn’t held in the Duke’s Castle, so it was a necessary tool to track down someone inside the crowded Imperial Palace. We have to get the tracker at any cost.
“Send them a visit letter.”
I said to Diel with a grin.
“I’m going to Viscount Ferelmen’s house.”
⊱⋅ ──────────── ⋅⊰
6. Viscount Ferelmen’s House and the Victory Banquet.
⊱⋅ ──────────── ⋅⊰
“I’m really not going to say anything.”
Diel constantly nagged beside me.
“So whatever you want me to do, no, better yet, don’t even ask me anything.”
“Okay, I’ll never make you act again.”
The Ferelmen’s mansion, which took us from morning to around evening to arrive, was no match for the Duke’s.
It was more of a luxury mansion than a castle, but rather than its grandiose style, the harmonious ambiance stood out from it.
However, the wealth was so great that marble was carefully carved from the entrance of the mansion.
‘Carved marbles in the corridor.’
In addition, the garden was packed with all kinds of rare ornamental plants. At first glance, you could tell they weren’t plants that could be found in this region, and they were brought from afar with considerable investment.
In a word, it was a mansion that shows that small and low-ranking aristocrats accumulate more wealth than ordinary nobles.
Diel whispered next to me as if he knew what I was thinking.
“If only Lady Zion hadn’t passed away then
 Viscount Ferelmen would have been rewarded for his contributions to the Imperial Research Team and received a Count’s title.”
No wonder, since it wasn’t a self-made title, the Ferelmen’s mansion was located quite close to the Cerceus Duchy.
It seemed to be a strong family that didn’t belong anywhere.
“I’ve received your letter.”
The carriage was sent to the back door, and when we followed the guide and entered the mansion, a maid in neat green clothes greeted us.
“Lise Estelle and Diel Molekin, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“The Lord and Dame Seirin are waiting.”
As the maid guided us to the parlor of the residence, the two looked at me with wary eyes.
‘Weird.’
I thought to myself as I looked around the antiqued surroundings.
‘I think I’ve seen it somewhere
.’
It seemed like a place I’d seen before, but I just couldn’t remember it. Of course, I’m sure I had never been to Viscount Ferelmen’s house.
It was quite frustrating that there was nothing I could recall. I think I remember being very embarrassed here
.
But it wasn’t important right now.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lise Estelle.”
I greeted politely.
“You’re my brother’s assistant? Come, sit down.”
A tall and slender woman in leather pants shook her head. I and Diel sat on the opposite side.
As expected, the woman who appeared to be in her mid to late 30s was Seirin Reese Ferelmen.
The old man with his arms folded without saying anything next to her was Felix Orion Ferelmen, the person actively managing the mansion.
As Diel warned, their atmosphere for receiving guests wasn’t something soft.
I was sitting resolutely when I remembered the first time I saw Viscount Ferelmen. I just can’t help but think that there were two Viscounts Ferelmen in front of me at the moment.
“It’s great that you could put up with that terrible-tempered bastard for 5 years.”
Only after the maid served the tea and he drank a few sips did Elder Felix’s mouth open.
“But that doesn’t mean I will give you the heat tracker.”
He went to the main point without proper greetings.
“Go back.”
“
Could I know why?”
“There are only a few of them even in the royal court, and it’s even disposable. You know it’s not something that can be passed on to an assistant.”
Felix stared at me and continued.
His brown eyes shone coldly.
“Not only does it need a lot of skills because the handling is difficult, but the user also needs the right character because the tool can be mistreated.”
Diel was right that no matter how old Felix is, he doesn’t show mercy. Diel was stiff beside me without saying anything either.
“Did you think I’m just going to give it to an unauthorized assistant?”
I slowly took a small note out of my bag.
“Viscount Ferelmen is also my godfather.”
It was embarrassingly short, but Felix’s frown wriggled when he saw the note, “Yes. – Godfather.”
He recognized his son’s handwriting. Then he said with a light sigh.
“I can’t believe he used such a positive affirmation.”
Dame Seirin, who saw the note together with her father, mumbled while clicking her tongue.
“How can he just capriciously do this
 He’s not even in a situation to do this for anyone.”
I spoke with confidence.
“That’s how much he believes in my skills and personality.”
“Anyway.”
Felix shook his head firmly.
“My son is your Godfather and you are a guest from the Duke of Cerceus so I will treat you accordingly. However, I cannot give you the heat tracker.”
Dame Seirin also answered.
“The day is already over, so let me give you a room. After eating dinner and taking a rest, leave immediately tomorrow.”
After coldly adding to Diel and me, Dame Seirin left the parlor first, assisting the elderly Lord Felix.
I sat quietly and drank the rest of the tea, staring still at their back. Diel sighed and whispered.
“Look. I told you they wouldn’t give it.”
“Well.”
I shrugged and grinned.
“We won’t know until tomorrow.”