Episode 62: Celebration Party
A few days later, in the dining room of the Fervache mansion in the capital.
“Cheers! Congratulations!”
Francia raised her glass high with a bright smile.
Clink!
The sound of glasses colliding rang clear in the chilly air. The golden bubbles of champagne shimmered and sparkled as they rose to the surface.
As soon as everything was settled, Francia had organized a small celebration for Yohan.
Although it felt a bit lonely that there weren’t any guests to invite, she didn’t mind much. The time she spent alone with Yohan was precious.
She could have invited people from the Bureau, but her relationship with them was strictly professional and not close enough to warrant such a suggestion.
“Haha, thank you.” Yohan said with a laugh.
He was satisfied with the cozy atmosphere. The awkward tension that had once lingered between them was long gone.
“This is low in alcohol, so feel free to drink comfortably!”
“Oh, is that so?”
Yohan slowly tilted his glass.
“Oh…?”
The soft sweetness of the champagne enveloped his mouth, and the bubbles gently burst on the tip of his tongue. Finally, a subtle, sharp sensation lingered as it went down his throat.
“How does it taste? It’s a drink that’s been quite popular in the social circles recently.”
“I think it suits me the best out of any alcohol I’ve had so far.” Yohan replied with a small smile as he swirled the glass.
Even though his body wasn’t tolerant of alcohol, this champagne didn’t feel heavy at all. It was easy to drink, and the taste was pleasant.
“By the way, you’re not Yohan Harsen anymore but Yohan Lahart now.”
Francia said, swirling her glass. Yohan had naturally taken on the surname Lahart after being granted the Lahart estate.
“That’s right. I’ve become Count Lahart.”
“Hehe, does it feel strange?”
“To be honest, it does.” Yohan said with an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
Having been called Harsen his entire life, suddenly being called Lahart felt odd… Though he liked the name, the unfamiliarity was unavoidable.
“You’ll have to get used to it. You’re a count now, after all.” Francia said with a satisfied smile.
Yohan’s newfound power was now impossible for even Fervache to ignore.
If the two of them were to marry, Lahart would temporarily be absorbed into the Fervache ducal family since Francia was also its heir.
Francia looked into Yohan’s eyes and smiled softly. Beneath the table, her hand slowly clenched into a fist.
“Soon, the most powerful family in this empire will be born.”
If things continued as planned and Yohan’s Lahart family merged with Fervache, even the imperial family, with all its absolute authority, wouldn’t be able to meddle with them.
They would hold exclusive control over the ability to close demonic lair, combined with the power of the great Fervache family.
On top of that, acquiring Lahart’s fertile lands would make Fervache’s influence unstoppable.
Naturally, this outcome was all part of Francia’s plan.
“What’s on your mind?”
Yohan asked while nibbling on a snack. Francia’s expression seemed unusually determined, making him curious.
“Hehe, it’s nothing.”
Francia replied with a faint smile, lowering her head slightly.
Though Yohan sometimes found her expressions suspicious, he chose not to question her further. It probably wasn’t anything important.
“Let’s have another toast!”
Francia said, raising her glass again to lighten the mood. Yohan chuckled lightly and clinked his glass with hers.
“Oh, by the way, Father said he’d be coming to the capital soon.”
Francia spoke while lightly sipping her champagne.
“The duke is coming?”
“Yes, he wants to hold the engagement ceremony sooner.”
“Really? There’s no need to rush.”
Yohan said, easily guessing the duke’s intentions. It was likely to eliminate variables before the imperial family could intervene.
Of course, the imperial family couldn’t force a marriage proposal in their current situation. No matter how absolute their authority was, it meant nothing in front of Yohan’s abilities.
So Yohan wasn’t worried at all. If they tried, he could simply reject them and stand his ground.
“I think he wants to hold it before the year ends since he gets busier during the winter.” Francia said with a small smile.
“In that case, I don’t mind…”
Yohan knew well how busy Duke Fervache became every winter.
Thanks to Francia being the heroine, Yohan had plenty of information about her homeland.
The ducal territory was vast, incomparably larger than that of other noble families, but most of the land was barren. Additionally, the sheer size of the territory meant it had an unusually high number of demonic lair.
The abundance of beasts made it relatively easy to acquire magic stones, and the northern region’s unique characteristics meant there were rare minerals and highly specialized mana stones as well.
Additionally, the spoils from dealing with beasts were considerable—hides, horns, teeth, and blood were used in weapon crafting, alchemy, and clothing.
These resources helped increase the wealth and influence of the Duchy of Fervache.
However… the overflow that occurred every winter meant the Duke and the Fervache Knight Order could not easily leave their territory.
It was a structure that inherently demanded a lot of work.
This was also why Francia, who would one day manage the Duchy, was gaining experience as a Bureau officer. Being a former Bureau officer naturally earned the trust of the Duchy's people.
“The Duchy has stabilized significantly, so it shouldn’t be a major issue. Besides, if the territory were to experience problems just because Father isn’t present, that would be a serious matter in itself.”
Francia smiled lightly and tilted her head, her gaze warm.
“That’s true.”
“Exactly.”
Noticing his empty glass, she picked up the champagne bottle and refilled Yohan’s glass.
“So! Have another drink!”
“Hmm…”
Yohan watched her pour the champagne into his glass and smiled faintly.
“It seems to me you’re trying to get me drunk…”
Francia’s shoulders twitched as she froze for a moment.
“Suspicious…”
“…What? I have no ulterior motives, I promise.”
“Really?”
Yohan raised an eyebrow, giving her a penetrating look. Francia avoided his gaze, clearing her throat awkwardly.
“Ahem…”
“Bullseye.”
Having accurately seen through Francia’s intentions, Yohan asked softly,
“Why are you trying to get me drunk?”
Although Yohan’s voice was low and calm, his gaze was intense.
“Well…”
She didn’t respond immediately. She couldn’t bring herself to say it. After all…
‘How could I possibly tell him I want to see him drunk?’
Yohan’s appearance when intoxicated was drastically different from usual.
The sharp vigilance in his eyes would soften and blur, and his usually guarded demeanor would relax.
His languid and unguarded state was incredibly appealing to her.
In truth, more than anything, the way he lost control of his desires and became domineering… utterly shook Francia’s heart.
“Ahem… It’s nothing. I just thought it would be fun to enjoy the night.” she replied, breaking the silence with a small cough and averting her eyes.
It was hard to express her desires honestly. Francia was worried that she might come across as overly eager or inappropriate.
Of course, even if she did, Yohan probably wouldn’t mind at all. But this was Francia’s personal issue.
‘It’s embarrassing…’
No matter how close their relationship was, the thought of how the person she liked might perceive her was still a sensitive matter.
“Hmm.”
As Yohan smiled faintly, Francia flinched and averted her gaze again, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.
“Well, fine.”
Yohan emptied the champagne in his glass in one go, the movement of his throat captivating as he swallowed.
Then, standing up, he picked Francia up in his arms.
“Ah…!”
Startled by his sudden action, Francia gasped but quickly buried her face in his chest, her cheeks reddening.
“As you wish, Francia. Tonight, let’s truly enjoy ourselves.”
***
Gentle sunlight filtered through the window, illuminating the room. Yohan slowly opened his eyes and sat up.
“I may have overdone it last night.”
He let out a low breath. The fatigue from the night weighed heavily on his body.
He felt drained. The scratches Francia left on his back stung, and even after a full night’s sleep, the exhaustion hadn’t entirely subsided.
“Mm…”
Beside him lay a soundly sleeping Francia, her bare body covered only by the blanket. Her obsidian-black hair spread across the pillow.
She, too, had expended a significant amount of energy, leaving her unable to wake even at this hour.
However, her skin seemed to have an unusual glow to it. Her complexion had improved, as if rejuvenated.
‘I’m definitely being drained of energy.’
Every time they were intimate, Yohan felt it more strongly—Francia’s desires were growing more intense by the day. She would cling to him relentlessly…
Of course, as someone who regularly trained his body, Yohan never lacked the stamina to keep up with her, there were moments her intensity felt overwhelming.
“Phew…”
Careful not to wake the sleeping Francia, Yohan quietly got out of bed.
He sipped water from the table and glanced at the mercury-coated mirror.
‘…We really went all out.’
His neck and chest were covered in red marks—bites Francia had left on him throughout the night, as her own kind of claim.
Letting out a soft chuckle, Yohan entered the bathroom, took a quick shower, and emerged wearing a crisp white robe. He sat down at the table, Intending to quietly pass the time until Francia woke up.
‘…Come to think of it, it’s been ages since I had a moment to relax like this.’
Yohan sank deeper into his chair, his body still languid. Lately, he had no time to rest. Between his duties as an officer, the war with Sanburk, sealing the demonic lair’s rift, meeting with the emperor…
It was staggering how much had happened in such a short time.
Then, suddenly—
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Lady Francia, Lord Lahart, there’s something urgent that requires your attention.”
It was the butler, the man in charge of the Fervache mansion in the imperial capital. Yohan raised an eyebrow. Normally, he would send another servant; it was unusual for him to come personally.
“……”
Yohan instinctively thought to call him in but stopped himself, remembering Francia’s bare figure in bed. He quickly changed his mind.
“I’ll come out.”
When Yohan opened the door, the butler stood there, his face rigid. Despite the winter chill, tiny beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
The tension was palpable. Sensing something was wrong, Yohan narrowed his eyes.
“…What is it?”
The butler carefully handed him a newspaper.
“This…”
The moment Yohan read the headline, his fingers unconsciously clenched, crinkling the paper slightly. The faint sound echoed through the quiet room.
[The Hero Who Closed the Demonic Lair’s Rift: Count Lahart and Princess Raeliana’s Betrothal?!]
[The Lahart Count and Princess Raeliana’s Engagement—Planned Long Ago!]
…
…
…
The newspaper was filled with articles about Count Lahart and Princess Raeliana discussing marriage, with an engagement supposedly imminent.
‘…I see.’
Though refusal was inevitable, this underhanded ploy showed their intent to manipulate him.
‘If they’re going to play this game, I’ll have to play along.’
Yohan quietly folded the newspaper and set it aside. His expression was calm, but internally, his heart had turned cold.
The imperial family.
The absolute authority of the Rozino Empire.
But they didn’t know.
They had no idea how arrogant they truly were.