The Sleeping Devil
Vol. 4 - Ch. 28 - The Tea Party at the House of Count Forden

Her glossy, wavy hair was adorned with a wisteria-colored ribbon, and her light pink dress was layered with numerous frills.

It was embarrassing. Too embarrassing...

The pastel-colored dress was cute and age-appropriate, but it felt too different from her image, making her feel more bashful.

"You look great. It's worth the effort I put into it," Didier said.

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes, the contrast with your inner self is fantastic."

"..."

She gripped Didier's arm tightly and smiled, trying not to look out of place in her girlish, fluffy outfit.

This place, far from the Beriard territory, was still warm. As she stepped out of the carriage, she truly felt like she was in another domain.

Today's objective was a dangerous one: to investigate the owner of illegal slaves and, if possible, seize the slaves. However, before her lay the venue of a fancy garden party, as if it had leapt out of a fairytale picture book.

The master of the house, Count Forden, showed no hesitation at her white hair and warmly welcomed her. As expected of someone involved in foreign trade.

Exchanging noble greetings, she carefully maintained her expression so as not to give away her true intentions.

"Oh my! I heard this is your first tea party outside your territory, but you seem so composed! It's no wonder the young master is proud!"

Count Forden's face, with its deep-set, well-defined features, and closely cropped hair, lit up with a dazzling smile.

"Father, please don't speak so loudly. You might startle Lady Sheriel," chided his eldest son, Cyrus, in a soft voice. His gentle demeanor, likely inherited from his mother, contrasted starkly with his father's and made her understand why this beautiful garden was his handiwork.

"I'm really looking forward to this tea party in such a lovely garden."

"We are honored by your praise. We lost our mother early on, so my brother handles all our tea parties," Cyrus explained.

"Lord David does..."

She had reacted instinctively, but Cyrus seemed to interpret it differently and directed his gaze to David, who was entertaining a young man in the depths of the garden. "Hard to imagine, right?"

David was the main target of this visit. His rugged features, so similar to his father's, certainly didn't match the fanciful garden.

They were guided to a table and Didier quickly initiated a telepathic conversation.

"(Is he really the buyer? He seems kind and doesn't look like a bad person.)"

"(The worse someone is, the better they hide their true face.)"

"(You're right...)"

Remembering someone close who was the epitome of duplicity, she steeled herself anew.

The table was elegantly adorned with flowers in shades of green and pastel, balanced perfectly, with sheer fabric used for decoration.

"(The Forden family's business is importing fabrics, right? Tea parties naturally attract more women, so this is great advertising for them.)"

"(We're not here for a business lesson... but it does show they're quite skilled. Look, he's coming over now.)"

David, who stood out slightly from the flower-adorned garden, rose from his seat and was immediately noticeable. He seemed to have wrapped up his conversation to come and greet them.

"Lord Didier, Lady Sheriel, it is truly an honor to have you join our tea party today."

"Thank you for inviting us, Lord David. I was determined to accompany my sister to her first invitation, so we've been looking forward to this."

Didier, with his perfect aristocratic demeanor and good-boy smile, was the ideal noble's son. It was almost hard to recognize him.

David praised Didier's achievements at the academy, and Didier responded smoothly. So, this is noble socializing...

If it were a presentation, there would be no problem, but conversations like these always felt uncertain when just relying on classroom lessons.

"Lady Sheriel, your outfit is truly lovely. I'm sure my father and brother are delighted as well."

"Thank you. My brother made it for me, but the fabric from the Forden trading company is so wonderful that I've become quite captivated by it."

Today's outfit was made from fabric imported by the Forden family and tailored by Didier. It was impressive how David recognized this immediately, confirming that he truly helped with the family business.

Even the maid serving them seemed proud as she poured another cup of tea. It was hard to believe they had any dark secrets, given the positive atmosphere even among the servants.

"Sheriel has been saying she wants to renovate her wardrobe and create new outfits, so it seems she's interested in fashion as well."

"Is that so! That's wonderful. We would love for you to support our company! Lady Sheriel, do you like frills and ribbons?"

His stern and imposing face suddenly brightened, conveying genuine dedication to the family business.

"I think it's quite cute, but I feel like it doesn't suit me very well..."

"Nonsense! It suits you perfectly! Saying it doesn't suit means you're talking about this venue and me."

His hearty laughter echoed Count Forden's likeness.

"I heard that Lord David was responsible for organizing this tea party as well. Isn't this venue lovely? I would like to learn from the meticulous attention to detail and delicate color combinations."

David momentarily squinted his eyes and scratched his head. "You're embarrassing me," he chuckled.

Didier had said he would investigate during their conversation, but she couldn't discern what was genuine and what was flattery. After some trivial conversation, David excused himself, saying "I'll be back later."

"Did you find out anything?"

"I'm glad I brought Sheriel."

"...?"

If it was helpful... She nibbled on a pastel-colored candy, feeling left out.

Noble tea parties were typically hosted in rotation. Wealthy nobles hosted them frequently, while neglecting them completely meant being seen as neglectful, even for less affluent nobles like the Forden family without a lady of the house. Unmarried sons and invited guests like Didier were the focus, drawing the attention of young ladies.

There were tea parties for socializing among women and tea parties for matchmaking. Today, the latter was certainly predominant.

After the host's greetings concluded, debutantes flocked from all directions. She worried if Didier's studies at the academy were adequate, but forging connections with the 'wisteria prince' would likely benefit her future far more.

David chuckled as he noticed the increase in companions for his invited guest, Didier.

"Lord Didier, good day. May I introduce myself?"

"No need for introductions, Miss Camilla. This is our first time exchanging words like this, isn't it?"

Camilla blushed deeply at Didier's radiant smile and trembled. After Didier whispered something discreetly, Camilla flustered away.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing much?"

Didier, switching from a model student smile to a gentleman's smile, effortlessly handled the coming debutantes with sweet words.

"Meeting you here feels like the guidance of the gods..."

"Then I must also offer a prayer of thanks to the gods."

Dirk, who had come along as an aide, seemed unperturbed, as if this were a familiar sight, though his gaze seemed unusually intense...

"(Big brother, isn't this bad...?)"

"(Yeah, seriously, what are we even here for?)"

The glances from debutantes at nearby tables were painful. After shooing away another one, Didier took my hand and stood up.

"Sheriel, let me show you around the garden for a bit. I'll leave the rest to Dirk."

"Yes, big brother."

As they walked away, they shot a wink and a star from one eye to the debutantes who tried to follow them, prompting a small "Eek!" and screams. Taking advantage of this distraction, they quickly left the venue.

Glancing back momentarily, Dirk, who remained in the venue, seemed to have grasped their intentions and was smiling just as warmly, engaging with the debutantes.

"You truly are the wisteria prince. I never expected Lord Didier to be so polite to the young ladies."

"Are you perhaps jealous?"

"No, just surprised."

From Alphonse's outspoken comments to his carefree attitude towards Alicia, it was hard to imagine.

"I mean, look at me---I've got the looks and brains to match, right? Unlike men, I realized it's easy to manipulate them just by giving them the words and smiles they want. It's all thanks to Sheriel."

"I've never been swayed by your smiles, big brother! Oh, Giselle!"

Learning from someone who's not a friend is problematic. More than the frustration of not making progress in the investigation, she was worried about her brother's future.

"So, how was Lord David?"

"Well, it seems he's quite interested---or rather, fond of Sheriel. Although he did purchase slaves, including young children recently, it feels different from that aristocrat with a taste for young girls from the other day?"

"Could it be because I showed favor towards Forden's business? If someone were interested in my bathing habits, I would be pleased."

"It doesn't seem like that. It's more like finding a customer that leads to profits, but it's as if Sheriel herself is the profit? And he's definitely hiding something that must not be exposed. That's for sure. He seems to think his life would be ruined if it were revealed."

Despite his slightly scary face, she had a good impression of him, which made her unsure of her judgment.

"Why do you think they haven't found the slaves?"

"Maybe they've been sold to another country. Sheriel's hair color is rare and could fetch a high price. If so, maybe they saw Sheriel herself as a profit?"

"It's a trading business, so maybe they were smuggled in the cargo? But why did he have a favorable attitude towards me?"

"Well, he seemed very attached to the fabric, so maybe it's something like that?"

Given the lack of progress in the investigation so far, Didier still looked perplexed. Didier had thoroughly investigated all the land he owned and knew all the servants who came and went from the mansion.

Even so, it was more natural to think that there were no signs of commoners or nobles who seemed to be illegal slaves.

"Excuse me, sir. Please refrain from going further."

Without realizing it, he had left the venue and been stopped by a maid from the mansion.

"I'm sorry, I got so carried away because the garden is so beautiful."

"Thank you. Your words will surely please the master as well."

The maid returned a beaming smile as if she herself had been praised. Her light brown hair hinted at her status as a commoner. If Count Cyrus, who is successful in trade, or the next heir were managing things, they could surely hire noble maids, so she must be David's maid.

"Does David usually take care of this garden himself?"

"Yes, ever since the mistress passed away, David-sama has been managing it."

Didier seemed to have an idea, flashing his charming smile once again, and deliberately leaned in to peer at the maid.

"You seem to be very fond of David-sama. This lovely garden really reflects his personality well."

"Yes...! David-sama is very kind and even grants me work, a lowly person like me..."

The maid blushed and stuttered nervously, seeming genuinely infatuated with David. Didier wondered how this appeared to him.

"Yeah, he's a good master, even if he might be up to something shady behind the scenes."

"...!"

The maid's complexion turned pale instantly, mouth agape in shock, as she stared at Didier whose smile grew wider, teeth grinding in distress.

"What do you mean... um... I should go."

"Huh? What's wrong? Was it something bad if it was known? But don't worry, we're good at keeping secrets. Besides, slaves aren't that rare."

"No, that's not it! That's not... I must apologize!"

With a swift bow, the maid hastily turned and stumbled away towards the mansion.

"It seems the maids know something."

"Yeah, they know what's going on, hiding it while still being fond of him. I wonder if she's really in danger. He didn't use it like that scum last time."

"Do you think they're being sold to another country by saying they're going to a good family? If so, the maids will probably cooperate willingly."

"If they've been sold to another country, there's nothing we can do about it. We've come this far because we've got stuck in the current situation, but in the first place, it's a thing that the country should crack down on dark auctions and illegal slaves."

"I guess I have to infiltrate myself to really understand. Sigh If only I could use Julius, it would make investigating much easier."

"That empathic ability is convenient but seems very demanding."

"You got some rest, right? I might ask later."

"Hehe, hiring a teacher doesn't come cheap."

With conclusive evidence of slave trafficking found and realizing there are no targeted slaves in this country, we decided to withdraw from this matter.

Returning to the table, I quietly drank tea, listening again to the sweet words of Lord Forden, feeling like I had finished a job.

"Next up is someone stealing corpses... Smells terrible, the worst."

"Today was quite glamorous, wasn't it?"

We exchanged greetings with the count at the venue, waiting for the carriage at the main gate. It should have already arrived, but apparently there are often misunderstandings in tea parties in other territories.

Finally, Dirk examined the arriving carriage, and I boarded with Didier. We aimed for the teleportation gate of the territory we used when we came.

The reddish-brown cityscape was different from the noble district of Beriard, making it feel like a foreign country within the same nation.

In an instant, the scenery seemed to sway. I grabbed the window frame, wondering if the carriage had shaken, but Didier and the others showed no signs of surprise. Perhaps they were tired from their first tea party.

"Oh, elder brother... I'm feeling a bit..."

"Sheriel? What's wrong...!"

Didier reached out, losing balance and kneeling down with a crash. Next to him, Dirk also had a pained expression, pressing his forehead.

"Poison... We've been..."

"Elder brother..."

With a dizzying discomfort swirling through my mind, my consciousness abruptly ended here.

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