Chaise a la Reine

hat he was well-versed in that aspect with just self-education.
Moreover, the court etiquette was a world full of customs and unwritten rules, which was too far from being anywhere close to Eugène, who was no different from a bumpkin of the west.

“Leave the tasting to Viscount Du Pré.”

Not clear as to what was going on in his mind, the Emperor with a slight smile turned his gaze and called out to Viscount  Du Pré, who was standing next to Eugène.
Viscount  Du Pré’s face lit up with joy.
He quickly bowed to the Emperor and spoke in a trembling voice.

“I’m much obliged to Your Majesty.” 

Viscount Du Pré proceeded cautiously to the Emperor’s table.
The attendant in charge of the drink patiently waited for him.
The Viscount opened the cork that was blocking the tin bottle and poured wine into the Emperor’s glass.
Then, he put a piece of ivory to observe if the color had changed, and tested the wine for toxicity along with the head attendant.

The wine was handed to the Emperor only after the elaborate and cumbersome series of steps were completed.
The Emperor silently waited for the process to end, even though it would have been quite annoying if he was really thirsty.

He even praised the Viscount by raising the wine glass he received after the tasting.
The Viscount, whose cheeks were red like that of a maiden asked to dance by a young man she longed for, politely bowed, then stood at the left side of the Emperor’s to continue serving him.

Seems like it’s not at all easy to live as an Emperor. 

Eugène, witnessing the scene, clicked his tongue inwardly.
To say that drinking a glass of wine had to go through such a long process, it seemed that being the Emperor was not really a job simply anyone could pull off.
Eugène realized just how precious his freedom was to drink anything he could get his hands on.
Living a life in which even eating and drinking becomes a whole ceremony was an inconvenience that he had never imagined.

After the Emperor’s meal was over, the nobility’s meal began.
The Marquis of Carbo and Viscount Du Pré, who both played a part in the Emperor’s dinner, sat at the beginning of the table at the nobles’ banquet, which was being held in the second room located right next to the Emperor’s dining room.
As was customary – well, maybe, Eugène guessed – Viscount Du Pré, after accepting the wine given by the Emperor, sat down solemnly and offered the Marquis the special bounty he had received.

Since nobles were seated according to rank, Eugène, a Baron who owned not even a single territory, had to sit at the very end of the table and eat.
But still, no one spoke to him.
Rather than ignoring him, it was almost like the act of observing him was not over yet.

Among them, the one who was particularly monitoring him was the Marquis of Carbo, the other head of the central nobility, equally dividing the authority with Grand Duchess Alienor.
Eugène could sense that very fact every time the man looked at him.
Marquis of Carbo, unlike other nobles, did not merely take a peek every now and then but looked at him quite openly.
As if he were undoubtedly selecting a horse for himself from the horse market. 

Marquis of Carbo was a middle-aged man of good appearance with ebony black hair, sharp eyes, and sparse gray hair that was starting to mix.
He was also the father of the Emperor’s first concubine, Marquise Merlin.

A prominent social climber.

Eugène graded him in his mind as he looked at the man who boasted outstanding power among all the maternal relatives of the imperial family.
A man as quiet as a dead mouse in front of the Emperor had the ability to take control of the surroundings with his astounding presence as soon as the Emperor was no longer part of the scene.

He was a person who deserved to be acknowledged for at least his ability to deal with people, given that he was capable of coordinating not only his own faction but also people of other factions, as he was fairly skilled at overpowering his opponents with subtlety. 

“Baron Amieux.
Would it be fine if I call you that, Baron? If you prefer your official title, Vice Admiral, I shall call you that instead.”

The Marquis of Carbo suddenly spoke to Eugène, who was quietly eating dinner while thinking about various things. Has it started? Eugène, noticing that the tedious reconnoitering skirmish was over, calmly answered the Marquis’ question.

“No, it’s all right, Your Excellency The Marquis.”

“I have often heard about you from the Marquis of La Baille.
He said that he had high expectations for you as an admiral of the Navy as you possessed skills that are rare in our empire, where talent is biased toward the Army.
The Marquis of La Baille is a person who’s stingy when it comes to complimenting people, so I was quite curious about you, but it must be fate to actually meet you in person like this.” 

In a resonant voice, the Marquis of Carbo generously praised Eugène.
As a seasoned politician, he did not forget to keep his dignity as he lacquered his opponent’s face with gold.
Thanks to this, Marquis’ praise sounded more sincere than just a formal way to start a conversation.

“I am undeserving of such praise.”

“No, not at all.
I don’t believe so.
If this is undeserved praise, then how would you explain His Majesty’s favor towards you? His Majesty is a fair and thorough man in all matters.
I can see how much he cares for you especially when you consider how His Majesty bestowed such a favor, even though it may set a bad precedent.
It is quite unprecedented, Baron.
You don’t seem to realize it properly, but everyone in the court was surprised by this incident.”

The words of Marquis of Carbo were extremely adroit.
At first glance, it sounded like he was praising Eugène’s abilities to the fullest, but if one may listen closely, one would be able to decipher it into a question of how Eugène caught the Emperor’s eyes.
Eugène smiled faintly when he heard that.
Although he was not well versed in court etiquette, he was not ignorant of politics.
He knew exactly what he had to say here. 

“Is it simply me as an individual that His Majesty cares about? I’m only a vice admiral, and I have never made a big contribution to the country yet.
The reason why His Majesty gave me special consideration is probably that my position as a soldier was given attention to first, instead of me alone.
It is only that His Majesty made the determination to prevent injustice from happening to a soldier who has fulfilled his duty to the country through his work right before His Majesty’s eyes, known.
I’m sure His Majesty doesn’t particularly treasure or hold me dear.”

Just because he was favored by the Emperor, he was not swayed by it, nor was he intimidated by the power of the nobles in front of him.
Eugène’s demeanor was simply calm.
This unwavering attitude of his attracted people’s attention.

This is because it was extremely rare among the numerous nobles of the court to be able to remain so composed in front of a great noble like the Marquis of Carbo.
The eyes of the Marquis of Carbo flickered.
However, he wasn’t a novice to show where his interest lied in.

“Hahaha.
You’re truly humble.
Even if you humble yourself like that, what needs to be revealed will be revealed.
If an elephant hid in the bushes, would its ivory be hidden as well?” 

The Marquis laughed out loud without hesitation.
He looked extremely magnanimous as he had a satisfied smile on his handsomely tall face.

“You praise me too much, Your Excellency.”

“We’ll see if it’s mere praise or not.
I have faith in His Majesty’s discerning eye.”

A neat, face-to-face conversation went back and forth between the two.
While the words were pleasant to hear, they held little meaning.
But that’s what aristocratic conversations were all about.
A small conversation between nobles was nothing but shabby, except for how it came off to others. 

“I heard that both of your parents are from the East, is that true?”

“Yes, it’s true.”

“Unfortunately I didn’t have the chance to meet the Baroness, but I once greeted your father, the late Baron Amieux.
He was a passionate and serious person, even though he was not able to meet his goals due to his poor years.
Now that I’m seeing you all grown-up, I’m reminded of him.
There are many places where you resemble your father, Baron.
After all, the son must take after his father.”

Eugène, who had been calm all this time, hardened his lips faintly.
It was not a noticeable change, but the sharp Marquis of Carbo wouldn’t have missed it. 

“All I’m doing is trying my best to be a son my father would not be ashamed of.”

What a foxy man.
On the outside, Eugène bowed his head but on the inside, he clicked his tongue.
A person who was capable of stabbing someone’s back while still keeping on his smile would probably be the best way to describe someone like the Marquis.

Fortunately, the Marquis of Carbo did not provoke Eugène any further.
After having a conversation only for courtesy’s sake, he naturally turned his attention to other nobles.

Eugène was left alone again, and he wiped his lips with a napkin.
There was still half the food left on the plate, but his appetite was gone.
Even the precious delicacies and seafood that he would not normally eat seemed tasteless in his dry mouth. 

The court was truly a damned place.

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