May I Skip It?
“Mother, Brother Gerald’s engagement party has the nobles’ event and the family-only one, right?”
“That’s right. The family one is a daytime party for the Westland and Southcourt relatives, and for greeting Southcourt’s vassal families. Why ask so suddenly?”
“Is it unacceptable to skip both the nobles’ party and the family party?”
“You can’t skip the family one. It’s held in the daytime and even the children of the relatives and vassals attend.”
“Children attend too?”
“For the nobles’ party, it would be difficult for the vassal families to offer greetings, so they’re invited to the family gathering instead.”
Brother Gerald was entering the bride’s family, so he’d want a good relationship with the vassals as soon as possible.
“If they’re vassals, is that party in the Southcourt domain capital?”
“There’s a separate party there for barons and knight-ranked nobles.”
Apparently we didn’t need to attend the Southcourt party.
Since Young Lady Diana was the successor, the scale of everything had grown.
Preparing for three parties must have been the reason Brother Gerald came back from Southcourt late.
So many parties—what a hassle.
“You should at least show your face at the nobles’ party.”
“No. If I don’t have to join, I won’t.”
I’d go to the capital at the last possible moment and leave immediately afterwards.
“We’re going together this time. But after the party ends, you may return.”
“Why?”
“There will be a gathering of our family’s vassals. It’s time you showed your face.”
The barons and viscounts with land near Westland territory were our vassals.
A vassal here meant a loose relationship: when trouble arose that couldn’t be settled between the parties involved, our house acted as mediator or advisor.
It was a loose bond because our house didn’t hire people simply for being the children of vassals.
If someone incompetent joined the knights, we’d lose many people in the Great Forest, and untrustworthy people were the last thing anyone wanted close by.
On the other hand, the barons, lesser barons, and knights without land had stronger ties with us.
Families without land lived inside the territory, had a strong sense of protecting Westland, and believed firmly in protecting the people.
They served our house for generations despite our strictly merit-based system—if you didn’t have the ability, you couldn’t become head butler or commander.
Head Butler Henry was the head of such a baron family, one that had served us as butlers or knights for generations.
But that didn’t mean all of them worked for our house.
Raziel, Henry’s son, became a merchant; those who disliked serving us, wanted to be civil officials, or sought higher advancement went to the capital instead.
Before the construction of the new town and all the new products, we hadn’t needed many civil officials, so the numbers had always been enough.
“I could skip it since I’m a child.”
“You stood out enormously at the exhibition. Stop hiding behind being a child only when it’s convenient.”
Honestly, I was ten—surely that was young enough to skip the annoying noble parties.
When we reached the capital, letters awaited us from Raphael and the others.
All three wrote that they wanted to visit our house.
Raphael and Dianne were too polite to say it outright, but Brigitte wrote clearly that she expected new dishes.
Their personalities really showed.
I’d serve petit bartley dishes, large sweet cakes, and matcha lattes.
I replied telling them lunch would be at our house, so they should come in the morning.
Three days later, Raphael arrived first.
“Reinhardt, sorry to barge in as always.”
“It’s fine. It’s easier at my house anyway…”
“How did you know I was coming to the capital?”
“There’s no way you’d skip your older brother’s engagement party.”
“No, I’m only attending the family one and skipping the nobles’ event.”
“You never change.”
“But apparently I have to attend the gathering for the vassals.”
“You’ve never been to it before?”
“I’m the third son. I always skipped by claiming to be a child.”
Brigitte and Dianne arrived soon after, and then Brother Isaac, Brother Hubert, and the others.
School was off today, so of course the older brothers came too.
Brother Isaac and the others joined Brother Chris in conversation, leaving four of us in the salon.
“I heard the exhibition report meeting at the royal castle was rough.”
“I gave the civil officials time off after the briefing, but they still came back exhausted without resting.”
“Why?”
“It was planned for one day, but the royal castle kept them for three or four, and Saint Arthur Academy for another one or two.”
“If they had stayed in Westland afterward, they could have taken time off, right?”
“They feared more summons from somewhere in the capital, so they returned without resting.”
“It must have been awful.”
“Enough about us—how’s everyone else?”
“Our house is busy expanding the tea fields.”
“Northrad is pushing dairy expansion as far as we can.”
“My family is testing whether we can expand spice production for curry.”
“More importantly, both the desk calendar and the watercolor—with movable dates—are beautifully made.”
“Brother Hubert also wanted one, so he’ll probably ask today.”
“My family wants one too, so please make some for us.”
“Hey, didn’t you bring shrimp crackers as a souvenir?”
What do you think about this chapter?
