<h4>Vol. 5 ITRG Volume 5 Chapter 18.2</h4>


    * * *


    A few dayster, the soirée was held. The beautiful garden, adorned with blooming roses, was enhanced to perfection by the subtle moonlight and the gentle rustling breeze. There were a number of his close acquaintances present. Viscount and Viscountess of Derbyshire, the brothers of Westport, Marquis of Wolke, and various other aristocrats and gentry. But Bendyke was not among them. Aeroc clearly sent him an invitation, included with an invoice for the expenses of the evening. There weren’t many guests, but Aeroc still got a renowned conductor and his entourage, a lot of table decorations and food, and the finest wines for the best soirée. It was a sum enough for Bendyke toe running immediately andin, yet he did not show up even when the event was well underway.


    “Count. I hear you’ll be performing yourself in a few moments.”


    “I’m worried I might make a mistake.”


    “Even if you make a mistake, no one will notice. Besides, you definitely won’t make a mistake.”


    Aeroc couldn’t help but smile at his naive cousin’s words. He lightly embraced the adorable cousin, expressing fondness. However, the man trailing behind like a shadow had a hardened smile. They were somewhat vaguely acquainted, so neither a polite response nor a friendly greeting seemed fitting. The other man, too, merely exchanged a nce. The grey eyes with a distinct glow scanned Aeroc’s surroundings suspiciously.


    “I don’t see him today. Didn’t you send him an invitation?”


    “I’m not that ungenerous. He must have something going on.”


    “Looking that there’s a seat for him, then he must have canceled on his own ord. He’s really an arrogant, rude bastard.”


    “That’s just the way he is. I didn’t expect much from him.”


    Aeroc was actually a little angry, but he responded casually. After exchanging pleasantries, Rapiel made his way over to his parents with Ariel. Aeroc had exchanged formal greetings with the Viscount and Viscountess of Westport earlier. When their eyes met again, a smile was enough to convey pleasantries.


    Wolke stood still, watching together with Aeroc as the golden curls swayed gently. He seemed to have something to say, which was a rare thing.


    “Watch out for him. He’s been acting strangetely.”


    “Who do you mean?”


    “It’s hard to exin in detail, but there’s no doubt he’s about to do something dangerous. He asked me to do something for him the other day. I’ve already done it, but I thought it would be best to let the Count know.”


    “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What’s it got to do with me if this someone is up to no good?”


    Aeroc recognized the man Wolke was talking about at once. He feigned ignorance, not wanting to reveal his personal connections with that man, but was rewarded with a short snort.


    “If you didn’t want me to know, you shouldn’t have made that fuss in the bottom ce.”


    “What?”


    “Count, everyone has a secret they can’t tell anyone, and sometimes you have to be prepared to make sacrifices to keep it.”


    What happened in the bottom ce, no one knew, but how could Wolke…… At that moment, something shed across his mind. The thugs lost theirposure as the huge guy appeared, delivering the words from the ‘Lord’.


    “Don’t tell me, you?”


    “Family traditions don’t die with the times, they just change appearances. You should know that better, as the keeper of the centuries-old tradition of the Rose Garden.”


    “Oh gosh. To think that the first emperor’s secret organization still existed. I hadn’t expected that.”


    “I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a secret organization, but it’s still in existence. This advicees from the leader of that outdated order of knighthood, so heed it. Bendyke, that man is dangerous.”


    “I’m grateful for the warning.”


    “You owe your thanks to Rapiel, not me, for if he did not care for the Count, I would not have interfered.”


    With those cold words, Wolke turned to the cute little Omega who was looking at him. For that short moment, tenderness shed in his icy grey eyes. It was as surprising as the man’s true identity. It was as Viscount Derbyshire had said before. The Marquis who guarded the Wolf Lake was deeply enamored with the lovely little bird. Bendyke should know it too.


    When the soirée was over, it waste at dawn, with the full moon setting. After seeing off the guests one by one, Aeroc brought his exhausted body to return. Shortly after the guests were dismissed, Hugo led a group of hired helpers into the garden to clean up. Bendyke did not appear until the end, without any contact.


    “Count.”


    He was just about to go upstairs when a young errand runner called out to him. Aeroc, tired in many ways from acting as the master of the event and ying the violin, turned around with a stern expression. Showing a silentmand to speak quickly if he had business, the errand runner suddenly rushed to the front door. Aeroc’s gaze followed him. There was arge package lying by the doorway. It wasrge, square, and thin, with a white ribbon tied in a grid on top of the yellowish wrapping paper.


    “This was delivered earlier. I should have told you sooner…… I apologize.”


    “It’s okay.”


    Today’s event had been a bit too much. It was no big deal for the busy errand runner to have forgotten.


    There was a white card tucked into the ovepping wrapping paper, and when Aeroc pulled it out, he saw his name written in familiar handwriting. Bold andrge, a bit of a messy scrawl, but clear enough to recognize at first nce. His first name was written without his surname. The unexpected friendliness struck him with a mixture of irritation and bewilderment. Aeroc realized he was smiling as he pulled out the card.


    <i>[Dear Count.</i>


    <i>I would have loved to see the extravagant result of the headache-inducing, grandiose soirée with my own eyes, but unavoidable circumstances have arisen. To prevent the unfortunate incident of getting fired again, I‘ve prepared a bribe as an expression of apology. I hope you like it.</i>


    <i>Expecting your generous forgiveness, Kloff.</i>


    <i>P.S. I still don’t understand why you would insist on holding apletely unnecessary concert in the cold, damp, and dark outdoors. Is there really value in a hundred and thirty boxes of top-grade candles?]</i>


    His skill of uplifting the happy mood into anger abruptly was remarkable. The gift sent by a cobbler, who had no idea of the beauty of the soirée created by the refreshing night air, twinkling stars, and the subtle fragrance of flowers, was probably nothing special.


    In just one nce, the gift seemed to be a painting. Considering he did find looking at flowers to be enjoyable, it was likely amonce still-life painting of a flower vase. One who believed that as long as the colors were bright, it was extraordinary. It would be aplete abomination, with a crudely carved frame and a tacky gold-painted frame, all in poor craftsmanship. Aeroc nonchntly untied the ribbon and tore apart the wrapping paper.


    “Ah.”


    As expected, it was a painting. But there was no tacky frame, no garish colours; it was andscape painting of a peaceful summer country, painted with only subdued colors. The brushwork was extremely delicate, the colorbination was monotonous yet not boring, and the warmth of the artist’s affection was evident.


    Aeroc knew this painting. It was the one he hadn’t been able to snap up when he’d visited the gallery before, in his haste to leave. It was part of a seasonal series, <Early Summer> perhaps. How could the anonymous buyer be Bendyke, how could he know this was the painting Aeroc wanted?


    “Count?”


    The errand runner called softly as he stared nkly at the painting. Only then did he snap back to reality, lifting the painting himself instead of instructing the errand-runner. He then ascended the stairs briskly.


    There was no more wall space in the study to hang the painting. He could take down the existing paintings and hang this one, but it would break the harmony of the other paintings. Instead, the bedroom, which had its furniture and paintings rearranged previously, had a more suitable empty space.


    Heading straight to the bedroom, Aeroc took down the small framed painting on the opposite side of the bed, where he could best see it, and hung <Early Summer> instead. The old-fashioned, slightly dreary bedroom was instantly brightened. Looking at it made him feel as if his fatigue dissipated. A knot inside him that he didn’t know existed gently unraveled. The tingling sensationpelled Aeroc to move.


    “I’m going out.”


    As Aeroc exited his bedroom, the errand runner looked surprised and asked, “Do you mean now?” Without hesitation, Aeroc confirmed it. No special preparations were necessary. His new dark blue suit, made for the Rose Garden soirée, was obviously made for the outdoors. He could go out as he was dressed.


    The carriage was ready in no time. As soon as Aeroc had jumped in, it sped off into the city, past the bottom ce, and into the dull, hard streets lined with rows of identical city houses. To the ce which had a handsome financial manager, who knew how to please his master with rude, haughty, yet at the same time, sweet bribes.


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