The hall where the wedding banquet for Reinhart and Belche is being held overflows with life and joy.
Reinhart’s brother, Leonhart, is the family’s representative on the groom’s side. The same role is being fulfilled on the bride’s side by Belche’s brother, Matheus.
After they delivered their short but heartfelt speeches, the groom and bride begin serving all attendees.
Both Reinhart and Belche are pouring wine into the glasses of all of the guests.
After almost thirty glasses were filled, a toast is called for.
“Let’s make a toast to the future of these two promising young ones!”
Reinhart’s father, Wolfgang, raises his glass and after saying such words, drinks it up in one gulp.
After that, the room turns into chatter. Even though there are chairs prepared for the guests, this is basically a standing buffet party.
Jin and Saki are standing next to a wall, since they’re not that good at dealing with that kind of noise anyway.
“Now Reinhart is a feudal lord, huh?”
Saki murmurs that as she takes off her glasses and absentmindedly looks around the room.
“Ah, that’s right. What will our diplomat do now?”
“Lady Belche… No, his wife is a very reliable person, so even in his absence she’s more than fit for an official role.”
Saki says things like ‘Belche has a good sense of economy’ and ‘She’ll take good care of him’ with a smile on her face.
“… I’m definitely no match for her, huh?”
After saying those words, a trickle of tears found their way out of the smiling Saki’s eyes.
“… Ah…?””
Saki hurriedly wipes herself off with the back of her hand.
“It’s weird, huh… And I had put my feelings in order…”
Her tears continue to spill over and over, no matter how much she wipes herself clean. Seeing that, Jin thinks to himself ‘I knew it’.
So, Jin takes Saki outside of the room from a side door while nobody is watching.
“… You still think of Reinhart, don’t you?”
“… Yeah… It looks like that. Jin… I’m sorry… that you have to see me like this.”
Saki’s voice breaks as she speaks, tears still rolling down her eyes.
“That doesn’t bother me at all. But don’t let Reinhart or Belche see you like this.”
“Hmph, I know that. If they see me like this, I would have been putting up with this for nothing… Only you and Elsa are the ones who know about my feelings.”
“Huh?”
Jin is surprised to hear Elsa’s name.
“A long time ago, I talked about my feelings with Elsa. I think she was 12 or 13 years old at the time.”
Saki’s eyes look distant, as if reminiscing the past.
“Back then, I only needed to take it out of my chest with someone. Elsa listened to me without saying a word. Well, maybe that was because she was still too young and probably didn’t know what to tell me, but still.”
Jin nods, agreeing with Saki that that is the most likely scenario.
“I’d like to see her again someday.”
Saki’s tears finally stop, and with her smile back on her face, the two of them go back to the main room.
“Ah, Saki, I’ve been looking for you!”
The woman in front of us is about as tall as Saki, maybe a little shorter. Platinum blonde hair with grey eyes, and a lean figure.
“Oh, Aunt Karen.”
“It’s rare to see you accompanied by a man other than Reinhart. And he looks like he’s from the Egrea Kingdom. Will you introduce us?”
Said the woman while eyeing Jin.
“Ah, this is Jin Nidou, he’s a close friend of Reinhart. As you can see, he’s the Honorary Magi Craftsman”
“I’m Jin Nidou.”
Jin nods lightly.
“Jin, this is my aunt…”
“Karen Theoderic Von Banarth. Nice to meet you.”
Saki’s aunt introduces herself in the middle of Saki’s introduction. Jin thinks that she might be a little impatient.
“And Saki, stop calling me ‘aunt’.”
“Ho ho! Got it, Karen.”
“See, that’s much better. And I see that you haven’t changed that weird way of laughing of yours. Even though Father, your grandfather, told you to take care of it…”
“Hmph! But this is like a bad habit of mine. It’s not something I can easily get rid of.”
“Good grief, you’re helpless.”
Karen sighs as she says that, and turns to Jin.
“Jin, you probably already know this, but I’m the youngest daughter, and Saki is the daughter of my eldest sister. That’s why even though I’m her aunt, I’m actually younger than her. ”
Karen begins to talk about it even though no one has asked her. Jin thinks that this may be yet another aspect of her personality that she cannot hide.
According to her, Saki’s mother - Shirley Theoderic Von Morley - left the marquis and ran off with Toa Eschenbach when she was 15 years old. The marquis himself was 16 at the time. Saki was born a year later. Two years after that, Saki’s mother passed away at age 18.
On the other hand, Karen’s mother is Emma, the marquis’ fourth wife. According to Karen, the marquis has been single ever since Emma too passed away back when Karen was 12.
Jin feels a little bored about being told so many unwanted details about the family’s affairs.
At that moment, Reinhart and Belche appear.
“Hey, Jin, Saki. Thanks for being here today. Oh, you’re with Karen too?”
Reinhart seems to know Karen from before.
“Thank you, Reinhart, Belche. You two look so happy.”
“You seem to be doing great too, Karen. How is the marquis doing these days?”
This is a standard greeting between the two of them, but Karen frowns a little.
“Hmm, I’ve been a little worried that he might not be doing so well, he’s been losing some weight… His mood is not as good either these days.”
“Did something happen?”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with him getting thinner. He just doesn’t have that much of an appetite these days… Well, that’s not something to be too happy about either, I guess. I think it’s that Elsa who’s affecting his mood. He seems to get crankier when she’s not around. As for me… I’m sorry, but I don’t want her to become my stepmother, it feels weird knowing that my future stepmother is the same age as me.”
Reinhart can’t resist the urge to laugh upon hearing such unrestrained words.
“All of your sisters are married, and if you were to find a husband, Karen… then the marquis won’t be talking about his own new wife, right?”
“But no man will ever good enough for me in my father’s eyes. Reinhart does come from a fine lineage, though…”
The first to react to that is Belche.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible. Reinhart is my husband.”
Belche glares at Karen while holding Reinhart’s arm tightly.
“Hahaha! I know, I know. I don’t go taking people’s husbands or anything like that. The same goes for Jin, okay? Don’t worry Saki, I won’t take him away from you.”
Hearing that, Saki gets unusually flustered in denial.
“Ka… Karen! Jin and I don’t have that kind of relationship!”
“Oh, is that so? Then, won’t you become my husband, Jin? You’d eventually become the marquis’ successor.”
Karen laughs mischievously. It doesn’t look like she’s serious, but Jin still plainly refuses.
“I’m sorry, but I have no interest in political power and things like that.”
“Oh, how rare! If that’s what the Honorary Magi Craftsman says, if he wants to continue to be a commoner, maybe your father can accept him. … Saki, won’t you come back home?”
Karen’s words, calling Saki’s father a commoner, remind me of him.
“This is where I live now. Please tell that to the marquis.”
But Saki doesn’t seem to want to go back to the marquis’ state. Karen looks a little disappointed.
“Right, just as I thought. But do remember that that place is still your home. You can count on us in case something goes wrong.”
“Yeah, I’ll consider it if anything happens.”
Karen rounds up the conversation with Jin and Saki in order to go chat with other people.
“Well then, see you later. Good grief, greeting everyone sure is not an easy task.”
After Karen leaves, Jin asks a nearby waiter for some fresh juice. He then drinks it in one gulp.
“Oh, are you tired, Jin?”
Says a smiling Saki.
“Yeah, I’m a little tired. This many people in one room is too much for me to bear.”
“Hmm, right, right. That’s why I wouldn’t want to become a noble myself.”
Saki gets the same fresh juice Jin had earlier, and drinks it slowly.
At that time, they hear something being said in a low but clear voice.
“Hmph! Even though he’s not a legitimate child, they go and give him territory.”
Upon hearing that, Saki literally flies towards the man who said those words.
“What did you say!? Say that again!”
“Wha… what do you mean?”
The man had been taken completely by surprise due to Saki’s rush attack, but he soon composes himself.
“Hmph! There’s nothing wrong with saying the truth. His three brothers are legitimate children, but isn’t that guy’s mother is nothing but a mistress.”
He laughs scornfully as he replies.
A sound echoes through the room. Saki had slapped the man with all of her strength.
“Wha… whaaat?”
“What do you know? Lord Wolfgang’s former wife, Lady Sophia, gave birth to Leonhart at age sixteen, Wilhart at age nineteen, and Elhart at age twenty-one, then passed away when she was twenty-two years old. Lord Wolfgang thought about remarrying for the sake of his young sons, and hoped to take Lady Sophia’s younger sister, Lady Isolde as his second wife. But to Lady Isolde, the position of ‘legitimate wife’ only ever belonged to her sister, so they decided to live in concubinage. Then Reinhart was born. You speak as if you knew everything, but you know nothing.”
The other man seems impressed by Saki’s words. However…
“Hmph! I’m Gunther Kirhoff Von Dust, Viscount Kirhoff’s heir, you know? Are you sure you should be talking to me like that?”
The man waves his social position around just for the sake of offering some sort of resistance to Saki’s words.
“Oh, I see, you’re the son of Viscount Kirhoff. Ho ho! Now that you mention it, I’ve heard the viscount say that his son is quite the rascal.”
“Wh… what?”
Then, Saki follows with a broad grin, and continues:
“You’ve given out your name, so I’ll do the same. I’m Saki Theoderic Von Silva.”
Saki introduces herself using her name given by the marquis’ family side. Gunther is completely taken aback.
“The… Theoderic…?”
He goes pale after hearing that family name.
“Ohoho! That’s right! Your family branches off mine!”
“I… I’m terribly sorry! Please forgive my continuous ranting!”
He jumps down as if throwing himself from two meters high, and dives his head on top of the floor while getting on all fours. Saki fires off in a cold voice:
“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to. You should be apologizing to everybody here. Understood?”
“Y… Yes!”
Gunther lowers his head again.
“E… Everybody! I deeply apologize for my thoughtless words. I spoke of things I do not know of without thinking. I’m very sorry!”
After saying that loud and clear, he leaves the room.
“… Hmph!”
Saki watches Gunther leave and lets off a sigh. The first one to approach her after that is Karen.
“Saki, that was impressive! Yes, be sure to speak your name clearly when you’re like that.”
The next one is Jin.
“Saki, you were so cool there! You looked… how should I put it? Handsome?”
“Hey, Jin! Is that how you praise a woman?”
Jin can’t help but laugh.
“Ah, ahaha…”
Then the last ones are Reinhart and his mother, Isolde.
“Saki, thank you for speaking up in my stead.”
“I don’t mind what he said about me, but… Saki, I’m glad you got angry because of the things he said about my son. Thank you very much.”
“Oh, it’s… it’s nothing.”
Now Saki is scratching her head and feeling shy.
Jin is impressed by Saki, seeing how furious Saki had become, to the point of using the name she hates in order to protect both Reinhart and his mother’s honor.
At the same time, his view of Saki as a truly reliable person intensifies.