“Alright, this is all done! Young Master, take another look in the mirror, what do you think?”
“Hmm… this.”
Will looked at his reflection, even turning around. He felt incredibly unaccustomed to it. He was wearing a formal suit, something he rarely did. Although it was a high-end custom piece sent directly by Carver, at fourteen years old, wearing a suit still made him look like a child playing dress-up in an adult’s clothes.
He supposed that even though he was the Young Master of the Hysterm Family, this would be his first time attending a formal banquet. Logically, the Hysterm Family should have many social events, but they seemed to have nothing to do with him; his father had never once invited him.
As for his past life… well. The game company wasn’t particular about such things, and he’d hardly ever attended a formal banquet. Company-wide meetings involved winning game consoles, not dressing up in suits. So… it wasn’t just that it was Will’s first time wearing this suit, but he himself was dressing up formally for the first time.
“Even though I practiced tying ties on a dummy many times during my maid training, Iaar, this is still… still the first time Iaar is doing it on Young Master… I’m a little nervous…”
Iaar stood in front of Will, meticulously tying his tie, wrapping it around and around. Once she finished, she wasn’t satisfied and untied it, then more slowly and carefully tied it a second time.
“Iaar, you don’t need to be so precise. I honestly can’t even tell the difference.”
“No way!” Iaar raised her head, her face full of competitive spirit. “This is Young Master’s first formal banquet! As Young Master’s maid, I must ensure you make a perfect appearance! Otherwise, people will look down on you from the start!” With that, she pulled the tied tie downwards, and Will felt a slight tightness around his neck. “There, this meets Iaar’s requirements.”
After several attempts of tying and untying the tie, she finally stopped, satisfied.
“But… why was Young Master suddenly called to… hmm, that royal banquet?”
“You’re surprised too?”
“Uh… it’s just… I don’t know if Iaar’s thoughts are correct, but it feels like Master has always treated Young Master in that way… for such an important banquet, it was impossible to invite Young Master before.”
Will was a little surprised. He had thought his relationship with his father was only perceptible to a few exceptionally perceptive individuals. Iaar had noticed it too.
“Yes. That bastard Carver certainly wouldn’t invite me to a royal banquet for no reason. He wouldn’t do anything that helps me build connections.”
“Then how…”
“Oh, because this banquet, which is ostensibly a social event hosted by the Royal Family and the Hysterm Family, is actually an engagement announcement ceremony to declare my union with Princess Treya. It’s not overly formal, just gathering a group of close and influential people to let them know about it.”
“Oh, so it’s an engagement ceremony. Iaar… wait?! What, what did Young Master just say?! Engagement ceremony? My goodness! Oh my god! Mom! Dad! Grandma!” Iaar’s brain was overloaded with information. She had simply thought her Young Master was finally growing up and could attend formal events, just like the other young masters and ladies of the Hysterm Family, moving in various social circles. But… Young Master was telling her it was an engagement?
“Eeeeh… Does that mean I’ll have to serve Young Master’s fiancée soon? And, Treya? Iaar doesn’t know much about politics, but she’s particularly familiar with that name. ‘Treya?! Is it that extraordinarily beautiful, pure, and adorable Ninth Princess that everyone loves? I’ve heard many people say she’s simply the cutest princess.'”
“It’s her.”
“And also the one whose swordsmanship is said to be top-notch, the most promising sword heir in Entak?”
“There is such a saying.”
“She’s a half-elf. The Elf Race has been in seclusion since the witch Yaar’s incident 400 years ago, they are rarely seen!”
“Mhm, her ears are indeed pointed, aren’t they…”
Iaar surrendered before the battle even began. If she was such an adorable princess, a maid like her felt utterly hopeless and could only remain a maid forever. “Waaaah, Young Master, I understand. There will always be a day like this. I wish you happiness… but… but Iaar still wants to continue being Young Master’s maid…”
“Hmm, what are you thinking about? This engagement today is definitely not going to succeed.”
“…Eh?” Iaar tilted her head. “But that’s Treya, such a lovely princess! If Young Master…”
“Many reasons.” Will calmly interrupted Iaar, taking out his dress shoes from the cabinet. “But the main reason is probably…” He put on his shoes and opened the door to the first floor. The afternoon sunlight fell on his black suit. The butler outside was already waiting with the carriage. “She’s too naive, completely not my type.”
***
Listening to the carriage wheels bumping over the uneven ground, Will felt bored and looked out the window at the riverside scenery. The road from the capital to the Royal Palace – that prominent castle standing on the mountain – was remarkably quiet, but the roadside trees were meticulously maintained and pruned. It seemed that even a declining royal family still had to maintain appearances. The banquet was scheduled to start at five in the afternoon, but Will’s father had asked him to arrive earlier to tour the Royal Palace with the servants. It seemed he wanted him to interact more with the members of the Royal Palace. However… his only interest was Princess Treya. The carriage contained only him and the butler, but halfway through the journey, neither had spoken a word.
“Young Master, I never expected you to obediently accept the invitation as Master requested.” The butler, perhaps feeling the silence awkward, was the first to speak, being the most mature and perceptive of the staff.
“Hmm… Do I seem like the type who can’t understand the situation and would rebel pointlessly, or one who would fly into a rage over trivial matters?”
The butler chuckled. “Haha, of course not. Perhaps I don’t understand Young Master well enough and wanted to learn more. What surprised me is that you actually wore the suit Master gave you, and it fits you perfectly.”
“I didn’t have any other clothes. I couldn’t go to a banquet in my school uniform…”
“That obedience alone is quite surprising.”
“I’m curious, what do you all think of me?”
“To quite a few people, the Young Master of the Hysterm Family is probably someone with an unpredictable temper and eccentric behavior – to be honest, Young Master, before sitting here, I thought so too.”
“Is that so…” It wasn’t surprising to Will. It was strange, really. Although he had been “Will” since birth, meaning the hot-tempered, foolish, and even perverted young master from the original work didn’t exist. But… perhaps it was the Hysterm Family’s poor reputation, or the fact that he rarely participated in social events, or an unexplainable force guiding him to correct the original work’s fate… most people’s impressions of him weren’t that different from the original work. That might be why his fourth sister, Eugenie, still devised plans to provoke him, hoping he would be attacked on the way or bullied at school, and then publicly break off the engagement.
“However, Master doesn’t think so.”
“What does he think?” This was rare for Will, hearing someone discuss Carver’s thoughts. He and his father… the distance between them was too great. Both physically – in terms of the number of meetings – and mentally – in terms of mutual understanding.
“I cannot fully understand Master either. However, it’s not just to comfort Young Master, but Master genuinely cares about you and has been watching your condition.”
“Oh…” The butler spoke sincerely, but Will found it hard to believe… Carver’s nonsense. “He has emphasized many times that although your other siblings are doing well, he believes you are the most promising.” Carver… does he really think that? Is it because of the original work, or because of his own presence as a variable? If it’s the former, then it’s completely unreliable, but if it’s the latter… there’s room for consideration. “Young Master, Master will also be present this time. This might be a good opportunity for you to talk to him more.” Although Will himself disliked his father, he was right; it was time to interact with him.
