262 – New Year’s Celebration – 2
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Louise and Irina went to visit their father, who was in Seoul. Marghetta also went there as soon as the iron-blooded workers came to the island. It’s lonely, but it’s unavoidable because you have to accompany a nobleman who is related by blood to attend the New Year’s ceremony. Although I’m practically engaged to the three of them, we’re not officially family yet.
That’s why I have to attend the New Year’s Celebration as a short-term horse. Weird. My fingers are bizarrely rich, but there’s no one beside me…
‘Should I take it out?’
A splendid collection of 6 pieces in total, 3 half (G) in one hand. I even thought of that when I saw the collection that shimmered to the point of burning my heart.
How crazy would people look if I entered without a partner on the subject of wearing a ring? They will think of you as an idiot who doesn’t choose anyone while attracting women with a fishing net. No, to be honest, he must be already making a name for himself as a madman, but isn’t it different between whispering in a place I don’t know and receiving direct attention?
Of course, it’s just a passing thought. If he takes off his ring because his eyes are bothering him, he’s not a madman, he’s an asshole.
‘When did you have a partner?’
I put on my coat while calming my restless mind. Yes, last year and the year before last, I entered alone, so what are you worrying about being full now?
Anyway, from next year, the number of partners will increase one by one, and in the end, you have to enter with six people.
‘…Six.’
I think about it every time, but it’s really fortunate that there are 12 legendary Golden Balls. There are already 12 people who have entered for decades, so about 6 of them are aegyo. From now on, I should at least bow in the direction of the golden ball three times a day.
Usually, the imperial palace was only accessible to officials who were called by the emperor or those who were in a fairly high position among public officials. Even the imperial palace turns into a bustling banquet hall during the New Year’s ceremony.
For the safety of the imperial family, not all areas of the imperial palace are open, but the imperial palace boasts an area wide enough to open only a part of it. It was only natural that the size of the imperial palace symbolized the mandate of heaven and the power of the emperor.
“You have suffered a lot.”
“Not much to say. When else are we going to move?”
Anyway, the fact that the number of people entering and leaving the country is rapidly increasing compared to usual means that the person who normally manages the list of people entering and leaving is dying.
Just in time to see the imperial knight commander in charge of guarding the palace, I lightly greeted him, and the knight commander nodded lightly and welcomed me. Unfortunately, unlike his positive mouth, his eyes were full of fatigue.
Still, like the knight commander said, the Imperial Knights would not be active unless it was like this. As the last shield to protect the emperor, the knights are embedded in the imperial palace. As a knight who has been forced to become a hikikomori, if he does not show off his authority by appearing in front of nobles, he will be completely forgotten in the social world. People die when… Forgotten…
“Come on in.”
The knight commander looked me up and down and said while sneaking away.
As soon as I heard those words, I looked around. A procession of nobles being captured by the Imperial Knights and being interrogated one by one. There is a long line right next to it, but it is a little tricky to enter with a free pass. I just came to say hello first.
“The procedures for those who normally have permission to enter and those who exceptionally enter cannot be the same. Rather, it would be better for them to have fewer people inspected.”
The captain of the knights, who followed my gaze and watched the procession, said with a light smile. There are still a lot of people, so people who don’t care if it’s brief will pass without regret.
Every time I see it, it’s amazing. If you are the leader of the knights, you have a strong image of a principled person without blood or tears, but the leader of the imperial knights, the pinnacle of imperial knights, is a leader of Gara full of judo. How the hell did you get to that place? Rather, did you become the leader because your judo skills were highly evaluated?
“Then excuse me.”
Of course, troublesome procedures are omitted, but there is no need to decline. You should go in with a happy heart.
As we bowed to the knight commander and passed through the checkpoint, we could see the quiet inside, unlike the noisy outside. Came too soon Few people have entered yet.
“Oh, did you come too?”
But I didn’t know that there would be a minister among those few people. Why is a man who could be both a minister and a count already here? Did you lose sleep because you got old?
“No, why are you here already?”
“I get attention when I come when there are a lot of people. How many people bother me with a budget that has already been decided.”
I couldn’t help but nod my head at the sight of the minister talking like he was sick of it.
Certainly December to January is a difficult time for the minister. It is a time to listen to requests, pleas, and resentments from all departments and organizations. They seem to have decided that it is better to come early and hide somewhere rather than come late and turn off the aggro.
“You?”
“I came in advance because I was afraid I would be distracted.”
Even though you are no different, your eyes were fixed on why you asked, but my eyes are focused on me for a different reason than the minister. Ministers get attention because of their authority, but I because of my six class(G).
As I awkwardly touched my hands, the minister seemed to have noticed and let out a blank laugh. Apparently, the guy who made a fuss about pushing Marghetta out during summer vacation is now becoming a little golden ball.
“Seeing that you came alone, is the joint wedding yet?”
I couldn’t say anything despite the teasing full of ridicule. Even if I think about it, isn’t a joint wedding a remark that can be made fun of for the rest of my life.
I was a bastard in the past. If you’re going crazy, you should be pretty crazy.
“Why are you alone?”
I kept my mouth shut at the teasing that I couldn’t refute, but then I carefully changed the topic. It’s an awkward topic change, but it’s strange. When a titled aristocrat participates in the New Year’s ceremony, he usually brings his wife or consort as a partner, but why is this nobleman alone? I haven’t heard of any discord in the family.
Fortunately, as if there really wasn’t a problem in the family, the minister pointed somewhere with his finger.
‘Ah.’
And it was a gathering of very familiar people huddled together and having a conversation.
It’s a familiar face. The situation where the minister’s wife, as well as the heads of departments belonging to the Ministry of Finance and their wives are gathered. The youngest guy showed the spirit to come last.
“Everyone suffers from the same thing, so I decided to come early. I didn’t expect you to come right now, but if you have nowhere else to go, stay with me.”
“Yes, what. I understand.”
Not a bad proposition, so I moved with the minister to the Treasury family.
When the director of the inspection department goes around alone, people flock to him, but when high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Finance gather around him, they don’t approach him. Even if we were just having a normal conversation, he didn’t come because he was in the middle of an important discussion.
As expected, business cards are important to people.
***
It’s early, but I hurriedly moved to participate in the New Year’s celebration. The place where all the titled nobles gather means that an unspecified number of prospective trading partners gather.
In order to conclude a new transaction, it is better to settle down and wait. Because I can give you the perception that I’ve been waiting for a deal with you since long ago. It’s a trivial perception, but how can I stay still since the size of the deal and whether or not it is concluded are determined by the difference in the trivial.
“Irina. Aren’t you tired?”
It only bothers me that my precious daughter is with me on the journey for triviality. Her mind asked Irina anxiously if the same was true of her wife.
My wife is used to these activities, but Irina is not. He has never been particularly involved in business trips or the work of the guild, and he is just a delicate child who grew up normally.
“It’s okay. I came here because I wanted to.”
She said with a soft smile at Irina’s concern. She could be just an answer to appease her mother, but when I think of Irina and her stamina, she seems sincere.
…Okay, let’s think positively. If Irina had forced her to come to her New Year’s ceremony, she wouldn’t know. Even if she’s a bit bored or tired, she’ll get through it.
‘Is it love?’
Suddenly, when she even thought about that, she let out a wry smile. What a surprise she was when Irina showed up with a rather unusual ring on her hand when she said she wanted to attend the New Year’s ceremony.
Now that she is Irina, she has become someone she loves. With the power of love, she became a person who could do things she hadn’t been able to do before and solve things she hadn’t even thought of. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t have complex emotions. Even more so if the object of her love is the head of the inspection department.
‘Let’s not think about it.’
But she has already decided to leave it to Irina’s will. Isn’t it reasonable for her daughter to be prepared and get in the way of her desired path? For her to suddenly change her words would disqualify her as a father, a nobleman, or a merchant.
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Let’s just cheer and watch for her daughter. That’s enough for my role.
After a while, she was able to enter the imperial palace after the checkpoint of the imperial knights.
“Confirmed. You may enter.”
It’s fortunate that the leader of the knights is a finite person now. The former squadron commander was a very strict and thorough person, so whenever he was interrogated, I felt my blood run dry. Irina is glad that she did not have such an experience.
‘Oops.’
And as soon as she passed the checkpoint and looked around her, she stiffened. As she deliberately moved quickly, her people were rare, but she was a bigwig with few passengers.
Six men in the corner. But I, as well as the other nobles, were focused on that corner, and I didn’t think to fall.
‘Ministry of Finance.’
I’m sure. The combination of a tall middle-aged man and a young man wearing monocles is a combination that is not easily seen. Even the other four were people who ran the guild and exchanged occasional exchanges.
Minister of Finance, Superintendent, Collections, Procurement, Statistics, and Deliberation. People who are high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Finance and who can move thousands or tens of thousands of gold coins with a single word have gathered.
‘What happened?’
I couldn’t take my eyes off the unexpected big game meeting.
It is natural. Even if only two of the department heads gathered, there would be something that would cause the empire’s economy to flinch, so everyone gathered. Perhaps it was to avoid the eyes of other nobles as much as possible, early on.
…I think this New Year’s ceremony will be noisy.
***
It is tiring to be young alone in a place where only the elderly gather.
“These days my knees hurt even when it snows.
“Oops. What if that’s already the case? You’ll have to serve the Empire for another 10 years.”
“Heh heh. If I’m 10 years old, will the head of the statistics department be 20 years old?”
I don’t know what to do when I see people throwing curses at each other with smiling faces.
In fact, it was a planned disaster. It is obvious that the deceased people who have no desire for promotion anymore and are full of desire to retire will have a conversation. Just talking about the current situation, talking about children, talking about grandchildren, talking about health. Talk about retirement on the pretext of health at a high rate.
It’s such an obvious and boring story that the wives have already fled to other places. I had to deal with the complaints of the deceased with all my body for the crime of being a manager who was the same as these people. Damn, let me run away too.
‘Ah.’
As I turned my gaze around the boredom and confusion, I found Irina, who had just passed through the checkpoint.
It feels like finding a light in the dark. If Irina made her excuses, wouldn’t she be able to escape from this stagnant hell…?