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Side Story Part 4

「I’m doing that for your own good, and the good of everyone around you.

It’s going to be tough. If something ever happened to you, Lord Erik might lead the entire Nord army to attack this city. 」

The Nord people, led by Erik the Ocean King were pirates who once plundered not only the North Sea, but also the West Sea and the South Seas with their excellent navigation skills and daredevil bravery. The Banner of 「Berserk」 hoisted by Erik, who is also a Lord, can turn the sailors into mad warriors willing to dive into danger, taking pleasure in fighting and dying. The best and simultaneously the worst part about it is that they don’t even realize they’re dead, and they’ll keep fighting. A merciless and brutal marauder who now makes a living from ordinary trade, the Ocean King and the Nords are still feared by the people of the continent, and rightfully so.

「Unlike Big Sister Marine, I’m a Nord woman. I’m not a princess or a young lady! Wouldn’t yit be fun to do things like axe throwing or log throwing? I want to participate in those at least once! 」

Ulrika said while flapping her limbs around for no reason.

(I probably wouldn’t play that kind of game.)

Wearing a mask, participating in feasts, drinking alcohol, singing and dancing and sharing a bed with the members opposite sex or the same sex… she had heard that it was exactly that kind of debauchery that further degraded the morals and the culture of the Lords of the western continent.

After they travelled a considerable distance, the carriage finally reached the mansion they were aiming for and it came to a stop.

The mansion was surrounded by a high wall that stretched out all the way to the nearby lake, and several watchtowers were also built alongside it. They didn’t have any weapons in their hands, but the men who seemed to be mercenaries were watching their surroundings at the main gate.

The mansion itself was about the size and solidity of a castle inhabited by a Baron-level Lord.

Looking at the mansion, light was leaking out through the cracks and gaps in the wall, and they could faintly hear the happy voices of the people and the music that played inside.

When they arrived in front of the gate made of iron fence, a man who looked like a Chamberlain approached them and gave them a respectful bow.

Irvin then handed the two invitations over to him.

「My oh my! 」

The man smiled broadly.

「Welcome! Please, come this way. 」

The man then opened the carriage door.

First, Layla got off and surveyed the surroundings in search for any signs of danger. After making sure that the coast was clear, she turned back to Marine and said while nodding her head:

「You’re free to go, My Lady. 」

「Come on, let’s get off. 」

Marine called out to Ulrika.

「I’m so excited I cannot wait any longer! 」

Ulrika grabbed hold of her breasts, which were pretty large for a girl of her age, and she jumped out of the carriage after Marine.

「You memorized everything I’ve told you? Good. 」

Layla explained to her the precautions that she should take during the party such as that she should never use her actual family name, and that it’d be best if she used a pseudonym.

「Please keep everything that happens inside the mansion a secret. Never mention it to anyone. That way, you should be able to enjoy the party to the fullest even if you let yourself go for a bit, but make sure that you won’t overdo it. If I happen to catch you misbehaving, I will give you a warning first, and if you still choose to disobey me, I will just grab you and we’re going to leave. 」

Ulrika nodded earnestly as she listened to the man’s lecture. Marine had no intention of doing anything improper at all, so she just ignored it entirely.

「Well then, please wear this and enter the mansion. 」

The man said and handed the two masks to the girls.

「While wearing this, you will become 「nameless」. I wish you a pleasant night’s dream… 」

Then the man came to the side of the road and bowed deeply as if he was aiming to break his body in two. Once he was done, the iron fence creaked open.

「Then ladies, enjoy the party. 」

Layla send Marine and Ulrika off with a smile.

With a slightly nervous look on his face, Irvin moved the carriage to a nearby vacant lot. Quite a few carriages have already been parked there.

「Really now, if something happens to the young lady, the three of us will be killed by the Chief Chamberlain and turned into his new Arts. 」

Irvine said to Layla who got into the driver’s seat.

「She’s no longer a child, Irvin. She is a steadfast and rational person, and if anything were to happen, she will make a decision about that herself. 」

「What would you do if the young lady fell in love with Alexis Doucet then? 」

「I’d have no choice but to support her, since that’d be something that the young lady has decided about herself. 」

Layla answered calmly.

「Even if that’d be a love that will never come true? 」

「It’s good to be in love. It doesn’t matter if it bears fruit or not. 」

「Maybe so, but I don’t want to see her sad. 」

Irvin frowned.

「Love is always about losing something and feeling sad because of it. Why don’t you try falling in love to see how it is for yourself? I’d even be okay with you falling in love with me. 」

「Allow me to refrain from that, thank you very much. 」

Irvin said bluntly.

At that moment, another figure climbed into the cab.

「Then what about me? Older women are good too, you know? 」

When Irvin glanced to the side, he saw that the maid of the Ducet family was sitting there. If he remembered correctly, then her name was supposed to be Noellia. On the other side of her was Cammy, who was glaring at Noelia with a reproachful gaze that seems to be reprimanding her for waltzing onto the carriage as if she owned it herself.

But more importantly, if Noelia was here, then naturally that meant that Alexis Ducet must be present at the party as well.

「How is Lord Alexis doing? 」

Irvin asked Noelia.

「He’s been more lively than ever. Whenever he talks about Lady Marine, he always goes into long monologues about how she’s making him feel. Driven by his passion, he composes poetry, plays music, and draws pictures. I’ll send you a portrait of Lady Marine that he made soon. 」

「He only met Lady Marine once, but he’s already mad a portrait of her? 」

「Yes, and I I guarantee the superb quality of the result. 」

Noelia smiled

「I guess so. The flowers the other day were also wonderful. That boy man has a real talent when it comes to making art. 」

「Lord Alexis is definitely loved by the goddess of beauty and art. I fell in love with him and his art at first sight, so your young lady is also guaranteed to be the same. 」
「Of course she would be. 」

Irvin snorted proudly.

I also agree that the two of them seem like they’d be a good match. That being said, I pray that Lady Marine is not going to start harboring feelings for Lord Alexis. 」

Marine had never been interested in her love life before. That’s why Layla was initially relieved, but Alexis Ducet was not just any ordinary young man. In addition to his appearance, he also has an excellent artistic sense, and above all, it would seem that he truly cares about Marine.

「Yes, they are the two people who shouldn’t be together. 」

Noelia sighed.

「They shouldn’t have met in the first place. 」

I honestly think it would have been better if they had run Alexis over with their carriage instead of stopping it in front of him, but of course, this maid wouldn’t have let them do that to her young master.

「In the end though, we have no way of influencing what’s going to happen between those two, so we no choice but to wait and resign ourselves to whatever happens. 」

「I hope it’s not going to be too problematic for us. 」

Irvin sighed.

Marine and Alexis are not uncommon names. However, with such a striking appearances, they must have heard rumors about each other by now, and Irvin suspected they they were already aware of each other, even if only vaguely.