Chapter 25 : Banquet (5)
“…Selly, I know exactly what you’re thinking right now,” Carl said, sweating nervously.
“But it’s a misunderstanding. I wasn’t trying to kiss Ariel.”
“But I saw it,” Selly insisted. “You were leaning in with your lips toward Ariel. If she hadn’t blocked you with her hand, you would have definitely…”
“Like I said, that wasn’t my intention. I was just trying to give her CPR. Ariel suddenly collapsed, and I thought it was serious…”
Selly glanced over at Ariel.
“Ariel was just asleep.”
“Asleep…?”
“Yes. Whenever Ariel eats something, she falls asleep almost immediately.”
Even now, Ariel had drifted back into sleep. Her breathing was steady, and her face peaceful. She was sleeping soundly, even on the cold terrace floor.
“Anyway, I believe you, Lord Carl. If it were someone like Corbin, I’d be suspicious. But I doubt the Duke of the North would try anything strange.”
“Thanks for believing me…”
Thankfully, Selly’s misunderstanding was cleared up quickly. That was a relief for Carl, but the atmosphere between them had already become awkward.
A heavy silence lingered between Carl and Selly for a while.
“Well then… see you later, Selly.”
In the end, Carl had no choice but to leave the terrace hurriedly, as if escaping.
“Young Master.”
As Carl returned to the banquet hall, Shane approached him with a pleased smile.
“Were you able to confess your feelings?”
“I wasn’t… something came up.”
“Did something happen?”
“Ariel suddenly fell asleep. It looks like I’ll have to confess another time.”
“Another time…”
Shane began to look a bit anxious.
“You’re not planning on staying in this city, are you? We’re supposed to leave for the capital at dawn.”
“I know, Sir Shane. I’m not that unreasonable. I have no intention of staying here.”
Carl gave a bitter smile.
“When I said ‘another time,’ I meant sometime in the distant future. It might take a long time, and I might never see Ariel again. If that happens, it means we weren’t meant to be.”
“Young Master…”
“But I have a feeling. I believe I’ll meet Ariel again. And when that day comes, I’ll make sure to tell her how I feel.”
Shane nodded quietly in response to Carl’s words.
Though Carl said this now, it was impossible to predict when or how his feelings might change.
Human emotions can shift in just a few days.
After a few days in the capital, meeting Princess Illiana, Carl might completely forget about Ariel.
‘Well, that might be for the best…’
From what Shane could tell, Ariel didn’t seem to have any romantic feelings for Carl. Even earlier, when she was eating cake, she hadn’t spared Carl a glance.
Even if Carl confessed his feelings, there was no guarantee Ariel would accept them. In fact, it seemed more likely she wouldn’t.
If that happened, Carl would be heartbroken. It would be better if things ended quietly here.
“Oh.”
Suddenly, Carl seemed to remember something.
“But I did give Ariel one thing.”
“What did you give her?”
“The Castarck family’s signet ring. I slipped it onto her finger myself.”
“!”
Shane’s face filled with shock.
“Y-young Master! That ring!”
The significance of the Castarck signet ring was profound.
When a man gave it to a woman, it symbolized an engagement. But that wasn’t all.
More importantly, it represented power.
If Ariel showed the Castarck signet ring in the North, the northern nobles would be obligated to follow her orders.
There was plenty of room for it to be misused.
‘Well… I doubt that elf girl would do something like that…’
Normally, the ring should have been given to Princess Illiana.
Regardless of Carl’s feelings for Ariel, he was ultimately expected to marry Princess Illiana to secure a friendly alliance between the royal family and the North.
Shane looked at Carl with a complex expression.
He had seemed to give up too easily earlier, but now it turned out he had given Ariel the Castarck signet ring.
If the Castark family found out, there would undoubtedly be chaos.
“Sir Shane, I don’t regret my decision,” Carl said confidently, unaware of Shane’s inner turmoil.
“My father told me to give that ring to the woman I love, just like he gave it to my mother.”
“Well… you did the right thing.”
“I’m looking forward to the day I see Ariel again.”
Carl gave a shy smile, while Shane’s eyes gleamed with determination.
‘No matter what, I have to get that ring back.’
The Castarck signet ring was extremely important.
There was no way it could be left in the hands of an elf girl Carl had met by chance in the forest.
That one ring held the future of both the royal family and the North.
Even if it meant taking it back by force, Shane was determined to retrieve the ring from Ariel.
Of course, he would have to do it secretly before Carl found out and caused an uproar.
“It’s time to head back, Young Master. The banquet is almost over, and we need to leave early tomorrow. You should get some rest.”
“Yes, I suppose…”
With a lingering glance toward the terrace where Ariel was, Carl left the banquet hall with Shane.
As the banquet ended and the nobles started to depart, Selly shook Ariel’s shoulder to wake her up.
“Ariel, wake up. Let’s go.”
Ariel slowly opened her eyes and groggily stood up, still disoriented from sleeping on the floor.
“Good grief.”
Selly tidied Ariel’s messy hair and clothes, then walked her out of the banquet hall.
Following them, Selly’s bodyguard, Pamelia, asked, “Miss, where is the elf girl going?”
“Ariel is staying at the merchants’ lodging. It’s not far from here. Let’s take her there.”
“Good idea. It’s late, and the elf girl looks like she can barely walk on her own.”
Ariel, still half-asleep, leaned heavily on Selly as they walked.
“Ariel, not that way. This way.”
As she guided the sleepy Ariel, Pamelia smiled warmly.
Seeing Selly, who had always been the youngest in her family, taking care of someone else was a first.
‘She’s grown so much. She used to be so spoiled and always causing trouble… When did she become so mature?’
Lost in her thoughts, Pamelia soon realized they had reached the lodging where Ariel was staying.
Just as Selly had said, it wasn’t far.
“Ariel, we’re here. This is your lodging.”
Ariel rubbed her eyes, looked at the building, and then turned to Selly.
“…Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me. You must be tired, so hurry and get some rest…”
Selly’s voice became emotional.
“And make sure to visit our estate sometime… It’s the Martiel family in the East… Don’t forget… Sniff…”
Selly started sniffling.
Ariel nodded quietly.
“I understand.”
“Promise me, you have to visit! Sniff, sob…!”
“…”
Ariel reached out and patted Selly’s head.
It wasn’t clear what the gesture meant, but Pamelia assumed it was meant to comfort her.
‘Though, it does seem a bit emotionless…’
Unlike the teary-eyed Selly, Ariel’s expression remained completely neutral.
‘Is she just used to farewells? Or are all elves like this…? Or maybe Ariel just finds Selly a bit annoying…’
“Sniff, I’ll treasure the lizardman leather wallet you gave me… And next time, we’ll eat premium-grade minotaur steak together… And…”
Selly kept rambling, making it seem like this farewell would never end.
Starting to feel a bit exhausted, Pamelia stepped in.
“Alright, alright~ You don’t have to be so sad. It’s not like you’ll never see each other again. Let’s head back for now, okay?”
“Sob, Ariel…!”
Selly gave Ariel a tight hug, and Ariel quietly patted Selly’s back.
‘This isn’t working…’
Pamelia finally hoisted Selly over her shoulder. If they delayed any longer, tomorrow would be unbearable.
“Well then, goodbye, elf girl. See you next time~”
Pamelia swiftly carried Selly away.
“Ariel! You have to visit! Promise meee!”
Selly shouted tearfully from over Pamelia’s shoulder.
Ariel simply waved at the two as they left.
When Ariel returned to her lodging, she found Lu sprawled on the bed, fast asleep.
“Mmm…”
An empty wine bottle rolled on the floor, evidence that Lu had gotten thoroughly drunk again.
Ariel quietly covered Lu with a blanket and headed to the yard.
Ghost, who had been lying down, immediately got up and approached her.
“Ghost, I’m back.”
Ariel gently petted Ghost’s head.
His fur was still soft and fluffy.
If Ariel were to make gloves or a scarf from Ghost’s fur, it would undoubtedly be a high-quality product.
Oblivious to Ariel’s thoughts, Ghost wagged his tail happily.
“Should I just sleep here with you…”
Ariel murmured as she looked at Ghost.
She had had an exhausting day, spending the entire time with Selly and then attending the banquet at the end.
“I don’t feel like washing up.”
She just wanted to cuddle up with Ghost and fall asleep.
After a moment of hesitation, Ariel shook her head.
It was better to wash up. No matter how tired she was, sleeping without washing would affect the quality of her sleep.
And poor sleep could lead to mental fatigue, which couldn’t be easily fixed with stamina or defense,
like the feeling of drowsiness after eating.
“I’ll be right back.”
Ariel tapped Ghost’s nose before standing up.
Her lodging not only had a yard but also a private bathroom, so she didn’t need to go outside.
Moreover, the bathroom had hot water, which made it a very comfortable place to stay.
Ariel threw off her clothes and headed to the bathroom, where the sound of running water soon echoed.
A while later…
‘…I’ve found it.’
Someone silently stepped into the yard of Ariel’s lodging.
A man, half his face covered by a mask.
It was Carl’s bodyguard knight, Shane.