Chapter 238 - In the Kingdom of Karvan…

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Another two weeks of waiting passed.

The new maids had been placed, and the elegant life continued, but there was still no word about the crucial audience with King Raid.

"……When will we finally be granted an audience?"

I murmured that with a sigh, and the butler who had been clearing the tableware turned toward me and gave an apologetic bow.

"I am terribly sorry to have kept you waiting so long. I have conveyed to the royal castle that Marquis Glenn is awaiting a response, but for some reason……"

"No, it's not your fault, Butler…… I'm the one who made you worry unnecessarily."

We exchanged apologies, both maintaining humble postures. Then Glenn, seated across from me, wiped his mouth and chuckled.

"Ho ho ho…… Well, there's no point in rushing, is there? Let's just wait at our leisure. Right, Aoi?"

Glenn said that in a cheerful tone, but his true intention was surely to prolong this luxurious treatment as much as possible. That much was obvious just from looking at how much weight he had gained in such a short time.

Perhaps he had started to feel reassured midway through, because Glenn had gradually let his guard down and his complexion had improved remarkably.

The meals were well-balanced nutritionally. He could sleep soundly in the finest bed, and bathing gave him treatment on par with a high-end spa. And the food was always delicious, with the staff even accommodating Glenn's selfish demands. Naturally, his mind and body were becoming healthier, but the problem was that he was developing lazy habits. Depending on the person, this place could easily become a facility for manufacturing useless people.

I looked Glenn, who was right now in the process of becoming a useless person, straight in the eyes and responded.

"Dean Glenn, you're taking it too easy."

When I said that, Glenn froze with his spoon in his mouth and looked at me with eyes like a puppy caught in the rain. While that was happening, the maids began clearing the table and took Glenn's spoon away as well.

"Originally, I intended to wrap up the negotiations and return home within about a week at most, but at this rate, I have no idea when that will happen. Isn't there any good way to move things along?"

I waited for the butler to leave the room and then asked Glenn that question. However, Glenn furrowed his brows in a downward V-shape and shook his head from side to side.

"……Well, I've thought about it from various angles, but I can't come up with any good ideas either. At the very least, for the sake of the butler and maids who have been taking care of us, I'm just pretending to be enjoying myself."

"……I see."

Though I felt some doubt about Glenn's words, I nodded anyway for now. There was also the suspicion that he was simply enjoying the hospitality to the fullest, but since he was my elder, I decided to let it slide.

Thinking as such, I gave a brief greeting and left the dining hall. I climbed the stairs and returned to my room, where I saw the blue sky spreading beyond the window. Since it was noon, the sun was quite high.

I approached the window and turned my gaze to look at the scenery outside, when a group heading toward me caught my eye.

It was a magnificent pure-white carriage. Around it, about ten knights on horseback rode in formation. It was clearly a scene that indicated someone of high status was inside the carriage.

Wondering what had happened, I watched as the carriage stopped nearby, and one of the knights dismounted and opened the carriage door.

Then, a blond man I had seen somewhere before stepped out of the carriage. He appeared to be in his late forties. He was a stout man, dressed in blue garments adorned with splendid gold embroidery.

"……Lord Loretto?"

Seeing the man's face, I finally remembered who he was. Loretto Black. The head of the ducal house of the Kingdom of Karvan. His son, Barrel Black, attended Fiddiq Academy and had even attended my lectures.

"Could it be that he heard we were here and came to visit us?"

As I murmured that and watched, another person poked their head out of the carriage.

This time it was a man I didn't recognize. He was thin and looked timid. The middle-aged man with distinctive grey hair stepped down from the carriage while bowing apologetically to Loretto. Who could he be?

Then, yet another slender figure, apparently a woman, descended from the carriage. She had deep green hair. Seeing her composed expression, I immediately recognized her. She was Tis Stone, the mother of one of my students, Dean Stone. That being the case, the other timid-looking man might be Dean's father. As I thought that, he did seem to resemble Dean somewhat.

Still, what was the relationship between the three of them?

If I recall correctly, the Stone family's title was baron. That was clearly a different standing from the Black family, who were dukes.

"……At any rate, it's certain that they have business with us."

Though the combination left some questions, with Loretto and Tis coming together, it was certain that they had business with me or Glenn. Having made that judgment, I left the room.

As soon as I opened the door and stepped out, I heard someone's footsteps coming up the stairs from below. I looked in that direction and saw the butler's face appear from the bottom of the stairs. The butler noticed me and approached with a smile.

"Lady Aoi. Guests have arrived to see you and Lord Glenn. Do you have time to meet with them?"

The butler asked that respectfully while bowing. I tilted my head and pointed toward the entrance on the first floor.

"I saw from the window, but aren't the guests Duke Loretto and his party? If that's the case, shouldn't we go out to the carriage to greet them?"

In the Kingdom of Karvan, where status mattered greatly, I felt it was strange not only to fail to greet the head of a ducal house but to have him ask about our convenience, so I asked that question. The butler bowed once more and lowered his eyes.

"We always prioritize our guests. We operate according to the wishes of those staying at this facility, so Lady Aoi need not concern yourself with anything."

Hearing the butler say that, I gave a wry smile and shook my head.

"Thank you. You don't need to go that far. I'll see them right away. Could you prepare a room somewhere?"

"Understood. Then please use the reception room on the first floor. It is not large, but we keep it ready for use at any time, so please rest assured."

The butler said that, and I moved to the first floor and was shown to the room. It seemed the reception room was on the opposite side from the dining hall. Beyond it were separate baths for men and women, so I felt I now had a grasp of the entire first floor layout.

"Please wait here."

"Understood. Thank you."

The butler opened the door for me, so I honestly expressed my gratitude and entered.

As I had half expected, the reception room was a splendid space worthy of being called a VIP room. It wasn't just the interior decor; the wide, open windows let in ample light that brightened the room's atmosphere and gave it an air of refinement. The small courtyard visible outside the window was also well-maintained and left a good impression.

Of course, the interior decor was equally magnificent. The dark-toned wooden tables and shelves were thick and sturdy, with fine ornaments that enhanced the room's dignified ambiance. And the sofa, carpet, and curtains adorned with beautiful patterns truly defined the room's luxuriousness.

I enjoyed the calming scent of wood and touched the backrest of the sofa to feel its texture. As I savored the soft fabric's sensation, I heard a knock at the door from outside.