MFCPCR Chapter 1.6 - The Man in the Terrace

 Translator: Silvia

Editor: Sarcasm

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“Did you like it?”

“Yes, totally!”

“Then, I can ask you a few questions, right?”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

Nicklaus raised his elongated finger and pointed to the other side of the banquet hall. There was Alaina, who was scrambling to avoid the bees.

“Do you know that lady’s name?”

“That woman in the blue dress?”

“Yes.”

“That’s my sister, though?”

Nicklaus asked in a raised voice as he really wanted to explode the ground with his staff.

“The name?”

“Alaina Hilt. Why are you asking?”

Alaina. Alaina Hilt. Nicklaus chewed the name as if savoring it. He looked satisfied for a moment, then he furrowed his eyebrows and spoke.

“Is she seeing anyone?”

“Are you talking about my sister?”

“Yes.”

Suddenly Demian’s expression became strange. The magic’s effect was almost gone. But, Nicklaus has not heard all of the answers to his questions yet. He then ripped off the last button.

The jacket was completely open now, and the button was immediately transferred to Demian’s small hand. Demian fiddled the button and smiled bashfully.

“So, is Lady Alaina Hilt currently dating someone?”

“Not right now.”

Now? It wasn’t an answer that he liked, but it was a good situation. Nice, it was worth trying.

With a fast tempo, the band’s performance was coming to a close. Nicklaus seemed pleased with his answer, since he seemed to float in the air after a small hop.

Demian, who finally came back to his senses, looked up at Nicklaus. Until just now, he felt very happy so he answered everything that he asked, but somehow he felt uncomfortable. At least he needed to clarify to whom he gave his sister’s name to.

It was embarrassing to change his attitude as easy as flipping his hands, so Demian asked in a quiet voice.

“But who are you?”

The man’s mouth drew a line. It was a perfect smile as if drawn. He lowered his head and said, staring straight at him in the eyes.

“The one who will be your brother-in-law.”

“......whaat?”

Before he knew it, Alaina came back with a full plate. Perhaps she forgot what her brother said, because she didn’t bring any drinks.

Demian had to ask who that man was and what kind of relationship they have for him to say that he would be his brother-in-law. He asked his sister, who was within speaking distance.

“Ari! What kind of….”

He looked to the side but the man was already gone. Demian looked around as if he was possessed by a ghost. However, he couldn’t find the man who was just next to him.

“Huh? What?”

Alaina asked, holding out a plate. Demian received the plate with both hands while furrowing his eyebrows.

“What’s wrong? It’s not food that bugs were sitting on.”

“No, that’s not it, are you dating anyone?”

Alaina’s expression rapidly rotted at her brother’s words. What nonsense is this little shit talking about?

“Didn’t you see me staying at home all this time?”

That was a fact that Demian knew very well. He even ran away to the palace because he was suffering from his bored sister.

“No, but a man just came to me and asked for your name.”

“So?”

“After I told him, I asked who he was because I felt uncomfortable, and that man said he is going to be my brother-in-law.”

“Whaaat?”

Alaina had goosebumps at that moment and looked around, wrapping her forearms around her. Who is playing such a terrible joke? Could she have a stalker out there?

It couldn’t be Idrian. There's no way Demian wouldn't have recognized him. But except for him, there was no one else who could make ‘being your brother-in-law’ as a joke.

“No way…”

Loras Ismal? She doesn’t think he would have said it because he seemed quite decent, but no one else came to mind.

Then, why did he ask for her name in the first place? There was no way he didn’t know her name. As soon as Alaina was about to be immersed in thought, Demian asked.

“Why? Do you know who it is?”

“Was he the one in the dark green suit?”

“No, he was wearing white clothes.”

White? She couldn’t think of anyone wearing white.

Alaina looked around the banquet hall with her arm crossed. There were many people in white dress shirts underneath their outer clothes, but there was no way her brother would have said white clothes.

Alaina stopped thinking and scolded her younger brother.

“Why are you giving my name to someone you don’t know? Since when have you been so friendly?”

“Why didn’t you bring anything to drink!”

“What? ‘You’ in a crowded place? ‘Youuu’?” [T/N: Demian just straight up calling Alaina ‘you’, he should refer to her as noona (sister). We didn’t include ‘noona’ in other converstation cause it’ll always end up with ‘sister’ in every conversation]

Demian looked around his surroundings and stuck his tongue out at his sister.

“Stupid sister.”

                                                                            ━━༻❀༺━━

Nicklaus, who returned from the banquet, was half out of his mind. His excitement was at its peak. He immediately pulled the bell’s string and as soon as Ewoldan opened the door and appeared, he spoke.

“Alaina Hilt. Please investigate her.”

Ewoldan who was holding the door knob stopped moving at his master’s unfamiliar way of speaking. Did he say ‘please investigate her’ instead of ‘investigate her’? Aside from the content of the request, the sentence itself was new for him.

But his master was acting as expected. He was raising his eyebrows as if he had run out of patience.

“Are you not able to hear me from this distance anymore? How old are you now?”

Others might not believe it, but that was also a way of his master expressing his worries. As evidence, Nicklaus strode toward him instead of raising his voice.

Ewoldan closed the door and faced his master. He wondered why the name of Count Hilt’s daughter was mentioned.

“I heard. But what do you want to know? I’ve only known about the daughter of Count Hilt’s love affair.”

“You know her?”

‘Her’. It was a very subtle guideline. It was a foreign word that didn’t seem to come out from Nicklaus’ mouth. Whoever it is, the term ‘that woman’ would be more appropriate for him to say.

“She is famous. Since the Master isn’t interested in high society, we only have one little boy as our informant, but there is no noble family and the royal family who doesn’t know the daughter of Count Hilt.”

“But I haven’t.”

Of course, it depended on each noble. However, Ewoldan didn’t bother to dispute it.

“Why does everyone know her?”

Nicklaus unconsciously licked the corner of his mouth and bit the right side of his bottom lip.

Everyone knew her except Nicklaus? Even though he only went to one or two events, he consistently went to big events in the year. It became odd that he didn’t know about her all this time.

Ewoldan looked up and smiled next to his master who couldn’t hide his expression well. In fact, his current mood just kept escalating. Seeing his master suddenly inquiring about women, he started to get a sense of it.

Ewoldan sneaked a smile and asked questions.

“I haven’t seen the woman, do you have any business with her?”

“Yes.”

“I can assume the reason then.”

Nicklaus blinked for a moment. The gray eyes, which seemed to hold a shadow, gradually rose upward. He looked as if he had hidden that woman inside his eyelids. He rolled his eyes and got lost in his thoughts, as if that would make him recall her better.

There was a clear face like a sculpture between the scattered blonde hair. The sharply arched eyebrows danced a little, and below the eyebrows were eyelids that covered her eyes. The dense eyelashes were as beautiful as flowers in full bloom, and the watery eyes shone as if they had swallowed spring. Her lips were blood red and the tears flowing over her rosy cheeks were admirable.

Before he knew it, he was savoring the short moment with his eyes closed. Then abruptly opened his eyes.

Something was wrong with this. If he was really attracted to her crying face, he should have reacted at that moment. But at that time, he only thought of kicking out a woman who was crying in embarrassment.

Nicklaus tapped his cheeks. Isn’t he creating false feelings of falling for her? It was clear that the lack of female presence that had accumulated over the years was blurring his mind.

Nicklaus tried to erase the bewitching face from his brain. However, the woman in his dream slowly came out of the fog. The letters that used to replace her voice flew away with the fog as well.

He felt so good to the extent that he got dizzy. As if his ten year old burden has gone away, did he really need to suppress this feeling?

She was the woman of fate anyway. Even if he didn’t like her, he had to find her good points and he would willingly pay for it too. 

‘Why should I turn a blind eye to it if she is so enchanting that it makes my mouth water?’

Nicklaus changed his attitude as if he were turning his hands upside down. Thumping the floor with his staff, he said.

“This body already knows that she is beautiful. Don’t be cheeky, just find out more about her.”

He mumbled that he was busy and left the office first before Ewoldan even left. He was headed to the bedroom.

He fell like a log on the bed and closed his eyes. Nicklaus kept repeating the same scene over and over again until he fell asleep. Not once did he grow bored.

“Alaina….”

He said her name out loud as if he had been missing her for a long time. He was pleased with the movement of his lips and tongue as he called her name.

Thus, Nicklaus fell into an absolutely enchanting dream.

                                                                            ━━༻❀༺━━

He had to patiently endure it for a few days, but finally Ewoldan came with the report that he had been waiting for.

Nicklaus, as usual, sat in a raised magnificent chair. However, today, his legs were not stretched out as usual. He had his elbow on his knee with a serious face as if he was having a strategy meeting for war.

But there was no dignity in this scene. His crossed fingers and the smooth chin touching them were noticeably trembling.

“Shall I read the report?”

Nicklaus nodded with a quivering face.

Ewoldan slightly cleared his throat and picked up his monocle. He was at the age where his eyesight was diminishing. He read aloud a thick sheet of paper on his hands.

“Name, Alaina Hilt. The eldest daughter of Count Hilt. She is 21 years old, single, and has no experience in engagement. That’s very unusual.”

Ewoldan said his personal opinion for no reason because the paper with only a few lines was shabby.

“If it’s about distinct characteristics, she is most famous for her appearance and is called a rare beauty. In addition, she has outstanding skills in vocal music, piano performance, embroidery, and horseback riding. She is also interested in practical studies.”

“Is it practical magic studies?”

Ewoldan shook his head when Nicklaus intervened.

“Magic is a study that is hard to be interested in without natural talent. It’s practical studies such as math, geometry, and astrology.”

His master squeezed his mouth as if he was sorry for something. Ewoldan continued.

“Her closest friend is Lady Pemollo, but...”

“But?”

Ewoldan paused for a moment. He collected only what all social ladies and children would know, but didn’t conduct background checks using illegal methods. Nevertheless, he felt uncomfortable to mention the deep part of her private life.

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