Not only the voice, but the attitude itself attracted attention. The posture of casually leaning his shoulders with the arm hanging over the fireplace shelf or the gaze moving along the paper was extremely natural without any sign of fabrication, but at the same time, it exuded a strange charm that kept the viewer from taking their eyes off him.
When his recitation was over, a sigh accompanied by sweet admiration burst out at the same time. Some of the sensitive ladies were busy patting their tear-filled eyes with a handkerchief.
“What a wonderful recitation. I have heard poems recited by many gentlemen, but I think this one stands out the most among them. There are many gentlemen who enjoy reciting as a hobby, but it is really difficult to meet someone who expresses poetry as beautifully as the Count.”
The Countess of Shirell, who was sitting close to Count d’Estuaire, was the first to praise his recitation with joy. The other ladies hurriedly spit out words of praise and appreciation for Count d’Estuaire. The young and handsome Count d’Estuaire received their praise with a picturesque smile.
“Thank you for praising my humble talent, The Countess of Shirell. I think seeing you rejoice over this is the most rewarding thing for me.”
Count d’Estuaire knelt before the Countess of Shirell, pressed his lips gently on the back of her ringed hand, and whispered softly. The Countess of Shirell smiled shyly as her cheeks flushed at his romantic attitude.
The face of Viscountess Despan, who was watching from the side, hardened. She looked at them with sharp eyes for a moment, then spread her fan in an uptight manner as if she were showing off.
Upon hearing the sound of her spreading the fan, Count d’Estuaire raised his eyes with a smile. His gaze, which had turned to Viscountess Despan, happened to pass behind her and reached Eugène, who was standing in the doorway.
Inadvertently, their eyes met midair. Count d’Estuaire, having encountered an unexpected person in an unexpected place, widened his eyes for a moment, then as if everything were coming back instantly in ripples, he put on a gentle smile of joy.
“Oh, if it is not Baron Amieux? It has been a while.”
He briefly asked the ladies around him to excuse him, then walked through the crowd and came to Eugène. Eugène politely accepted his greeting and nodded quietly.
“Yes, it has. Have you been well?”
The black-haired nobleman, who received the attention of the noble ladies every time he moved, looked at Eugène with a bright smile. They first formally met a few weeks ago in Marquise Merlin’s toilette room, and since then, they only exchanged eye contact with each other from time to time, but never formally met again. Still, it was hard to find any sort of awkwardness in Count d’Estuaire’s attitude toward Eugène as he greeted him.
“Life is always the same for people like me. But what are you doing here at this hour, Baron? Is it not time for the political affairs meeting?”
Count d’Estuaire asked the question with a look mixed with joy and doubt as if it were Eugène’s natural duty to attend the political meeting. It could have sounded rude if there was even a little bit of worldly curiosity mixed in, but his question with informal intimacy felt innocuous as if it displayed pure curiosity as it was.
As he had felt before, Count d’Estuaire was truly an outstanding human being as far as he was concerned. Eugène smiled softly without revealing his unfavorable inner feelings.
“I assume the word has not gotten to you yet. I will not be attending the political affairs meeting for the time being.”
“Oh, but why?”
“I do not know if it is only about domestic affairs at the political affairs meeting, but is this not the time when diplomatic negotiations with Kayediv are progressing? It would be a great diplomatic disrespect for an unqualified person to observe such an important event.”
Jbeca v’Sraejlgf cbvvfv jr lo tf tjv pera ifjgcfv atf cfkr atja wbra mbegalfgr xcfk. Ciatbeut tf tjv jc jaalaevf atja fnfc rffwfv cjlnf ja olgra uijcmf, Seuècf kjr cba vfmflnfv ys tlr jqqfjgjcmf. Lf gfwfwyfgfv atf Swqfgbg’r fnjiejalbc bo atf Jbeca.
Did he say that contrary to his appearance, he was an ambitious man? Looking at his figure right now, he thought he could understand why His Majesty assessed this man in such a way. In a situation where nobility factions were clearly keeping one another in check as in the present, there was no one like Count d’Estuaire, who did not stir up any noise while moving between different factions from time to time. If one’s art of living in such a society was this smooth, it would be more appropriate to call it politics, rather than worldly wisdom.
“Ktfc sbe klii yf ogff obg j ktlif. Qtja jgf sbe vblcu atfrf vjsr?”
“I read as a pastime.”
“Aha, so is that why you came all the way here? That is herbalism. You seem to be interested in some difficult studies.”
Count d’Estuaire sensibly recognized the title of the book Eugène had brought to return with a friendly smile on his face.
“My mother was also quite interested in that field. She had a sophisticated hobby where she had a small glass greenhouse built in the mansion and gathered precious seeds in there. However, unfortunately, her son is so ignorant of plants that he cannot even distinguish between a rose and an aconitum unless it blooms. Although I have maintained the greenhouse all this while with the image of my deceased mother, I am an awful owner who leaves the management to the gardener and rarely looks into it.”
Contrary to Count d’Estuaire’s rough guess, Eugène’s reading of a book about herbalism did not mean that he was interested in botany itself. But he didn’t explain his true purpose and just smiled softly.
“When you have the time, please drop by my house. There are quite a few specimens that would be of interest to you, as well as rare seeds.”
“That is a wonderful offer. If you invite me, I will be glad to visit you.”
Count d’Estuaire skillfully led the conversation with Eugène with his sociability which seemed to be something he was born with. However, no matter how good eloquent he was, it was unreasonable for him to hold on to a passer-by and have a deeper conversation in the crowded hallway.
Count d’Estuaire, realizing that the ladies behind his back were getting more and more bored as time passed, smiled bashfully and let Eugène go. Eugène passed a brief nod to him and to all the ladies in the room and then hurried on his way.
“Is the Count acquainted with Baron Amieux?”
Count d’Estuaire was a man known for his wide reach even in high society. He was so sociable that he not only transcended the factions between nobles but also maintained a balanced acquaintanceship with the three concubines who had profound discord with each other.
Perhaps it was because of the impression that he was not that interested in complicated matters such as politics or power and only liked to loll around. It wasn’t unusual for him to be acquainted with anyone. Moreover, weren’t Count d’Estuaire and Baron Amieux blood relatives, even if it was distantly so?
The Countess of Shirell, who became much more enthusiastic than before, spoke in place of Viscountess Despan, who was still fanning herself coldly without erasing her prim look. Count d’Estuaire returned to his place after seeing Eugène off, smiling happily, and denied the Countess’ words.
“No, my lady. Are you saying that even after listening to the conversation between the two of us? I am the only one who has a favorable impression of the other person. It is a sad, unrequited love that has no way of being returned no matter how much I give it.”
“To even describe it as an unrequited love means that you view Baron Amieux quite favorably, yes?”
“Yes, I do. Baron Amieux truly has that soldierly strictness in him, no? Always disciplined in attitude, composed at all times… To be honest, all men have a desire for such conduct. When I was younger, I wanted to be a man like that.”
Count d’Estuaire, in an unusually shy manner, revealed his admiration for Eugène. Now, as if every action of his made her heart flutter, the Countess of Shirell gently pressed her chest with the fan she was holding and looked at Count d’Estuaire with eyes that expressed that she might die from all this cuteness.
“But, unfortunately, he does not seem to think very well of people who have nothing to do like me. It hurts my heart. What I mean is that I left a bad impression on someone whom I admire.”
“Please do not think like that. Baron Amieux is exceptionally blunt, so I do not think he holds you in disfavor”
“Indeed. Who would hate a kind gentleman like the Count?”
When Count d’Estuaire smiled and joked about himself self-deprecatingly, the ladies around him eagerly comforted him.
“Please do not think rashly, Count. You cannot be friends from the first meeting. As with any good wine, it takes a long time to mature ties that you then form into a good relationship. The long time spent together and deep understanding of each other can make two different people friends.”
The Countess of Shirell also tenderly soothed him and furtively placed her hand above his. Count d’Estuaire, sitting on the armrest of the chaise longue on which the Countess of Shirell was seated, felt the warmth of the hand resting on his and looked back into the Countess’ beautiful eyes.
“Thank you for the wise advice. After hearing such kind words, it seems that I was getting far too ahead of myself in my hasty mind.”
While his words were merely expressing gratitude, there was something more covert and seductive in the man’s eyes looking down at her. The Countess of Shirell smiled brightly like a freesia in full bloom as if she didn’t dislike his subtle enticement.
“Fortunately, since we spend a lot of time at the court, I think I might be able to help you a little in that regard. As you said yourself, the Baron spends a lot of time alone these days. If you pay a little attention, it will not be difficult to seize the opportunity for a chance encounter.”
“He seems to like books, but do you happen to know what classification he likes? I need a good topic to talk about for when I ‘accidentally’ run into the Baron.”
“Though I do not know much, it seems that Baron Amieux enjoys practical studies more than classics or literature. Not long ago, I saw him borrowing an armful of medical books from the imperial palace library. I think he is quite interested in that.”
Unlike the other gentlemen who acted like they had no need for women’s advice, Count d’Estuaire politely asked for advice, and the Countess of Shirell’s attitude became more considerate. She leaned slightly towards Count d’Estuaire and hinted at the information she knew as if whispering a secret story.
Though it was not as deep as that of the noblemen, the information network of the noblewomen was surprisingly wide and detailed. In addition, women were always engrossed in every little detail that men did not pay much attention to, so the imperial court was always full of fifty thousand kinds of gossip.
A brief flash passed through the eyes of Count d’Estuaire when he heard the story of the Countess of Shirell. However, the flash passed so quickly that even the Countess who was facing him did not notice it.
“Thank you for your kind help.”
Count d’Estuaire, with a sweet smile, offered another kiss on the back of the Countess’ hand. The beautiful Countess lowered her eyes as if embarrassed, and gently spread her feather fan to gracefully cover her overly expressive lips.
“I have received so much kindness that I am having a hard time handling it. What can I give you in return, my lady?”
“Well, I do not think I have done anything big enough to be given something in return? But if that is the case, please recite one more beautiful sonnet. What greater joy could there be than to spend such a fine afternoon listening to the Count’s recitation?”
As soon as the Countess of Shirell’s request was finished, the other ladies made the same request. Count d’Estuaire, upon receiving several repeated requests, smiled shyly and opened a thin book of poetry. He put his weight on the armrest on the Countess of Shirell’s side, picked out a sweet poem, and began to read.
When his passionate voice resounded in the lounge, the ladies fell into euphoria and listened to the poetry recitation. Among them, the person with the moistest eyes was the Countess of Shirell.
Whenever the narrator of the poem praised the subject of his love, the Countess felt the Count’s meaningful gaze upon her, and she heard the pounding of her heart. For the first time since her affair with a young opera singer a few months ago, she felt the thrilling presentiment of love. The Countess of Shirell struggled to calm her trembling heart and cleared away the heat from her face with a fan.
***
“Oh, I was wondering who it could be, but if it is not our illustrious Admiral Chastan? I almost could not recognize you. Seems you like have become taller and even more handsome after drinking the court’s water. Looking at you like this, I would have believed you even if you said that you were not a sailor but a gentleman from a salon.”
Loud laughter was heard from the front, and a man came limping and hugged Eugène with all his strength. Even after several years time, the man’s unpretentious demeanor was still pleasant. Eugène answered his old friend with a smile as he hugged him back.
“But you have not changed at all. Everything is the same as before, from your stout stature to your bulging beer belly.”
“Oh shucks, I should still thank you for that. My daughter should have listened to what you just said. That little girl resembles her mother more and more as the days go by, so much so that she cannot let the nagging rest. These days, she often complains that my stomach is bigger than before, though I do not see it? If you have time, please come to my house and tell my daughter exactly what you just said. Something like ‘your father is in the same shape as he was ten years ago’.”
He returned Eugène’s mischievous teasing with a loud laugh. As Eugène described, the man was short, had a protruding belly, and one of his legs was even a prosthetic. But, overall, with a very bright and cheerful impression, the corners of his eyes were full of smiles as if he were always smiling.
Though he was stocky, his shoulders were sturdy and his whole body was evenly developed due to arduous physical labor, and the complexion of his face was dark brown as if it had been tanned in the sun along with a good drink.
As such a man stood opposite Eugène, who was exceptionally attractive and tall, it looked like they belonged to different species. However, he was Eugène’s oldest friend, a fellow sailor who shared the same room with Eugène when he first boarded the ship, and furthermore, his first chief mate. The man’s name was Samuel Perrault. He was a trustworthy union leader who currently commanded the ‘Son of the Sea’ Union.
“From what you say, Sophie seems to be doing well. How old is she this year?”
“She is fifteen this year. I thought she would not get much taller because she was taking after me in that regard, but now she has grown up quite a bit and looks like a maiden.”
“Such a pitiful place. Since Sophie is that big now, I am starting to worry about the safety of the young men walking around your house? The Red Whale of Vauzelle Port must have turned into an insane whale.”
“Is it too early for that? If you are a guy who is coveting a maiden with a father like me, you should expect that much. As long as a young man hangs around our house, no matter what, I will never leave him alone. It would have been nice if the only thing that little girl resembled her mother in was her temper, and even her beauty resembles hers. For some reason, it seems that the only thing of mine that she took after is height.”
Samuel Perot secretly boasted about his daughter while pretending to belittle her. Every time he mentioned his daughter, his face revealed evident pride. Eugène knew how deeply he cared for his daughter, who lost her mother at a young age, and listened to him boast about his daughter with a calm smile.
“But what happened? Opinions were divided within the union as only a message saying to visit the capital was sent without any additional details. I came as soon as I received the message, but I still cannot figure it out. Did something happen?”
Samuel Perrault, the union leader who moved to the table after the boisterous greeting, posed a question to Eugène in a more serious tone than before. Thanks to Adelphe, who had lent him a place on the outskirts to avoid the prying eyes of others, Eugène was welcoming Samuel, who had come to the capital, to his private residence.
Not only the voice, but the attitude itself attracted attention. The posture of casually leaning his shoulders with the arm hanging over the fireplace shelf or the gaze moving along the paper was extremely natural without any sign of fabrication, but at the same time, it exuded a strange charm that kept the viewer from taking their eyes off him.
When his recitation was over, a sigh accompanied by sweet admiration burst out at the same time. Some of the sensitive ladies were busy patting their tear-filled eyes with a handkerchief.
“What a wonderful recitation. I have heard poems recited by many gentlemen, but I think this one stands out the most among them. There are many gentlemen who enjoy reciting as a hobby, but it is really difficult to meet someone who expresses poetry as beautifully as the Count.”
The Countess of Shirell, who was sitting close to Count d’Estuaire, was the first to praise his recitation with joy. The other ladies hurriedly spit out words of praise and appreciation for Count d’Estuaire. The young and handsome Count d’Estuaire received their praise with a picturesque smile.
“Thank you for praising my humble talent, The Countess of Shirell. I think seeing you rejoice over this is the most rewarding thing for me.”
Count d’Estuaire knelt before the Countess of Shirell, pressed his lips gently on the back of her ringed hand, and whispered softly. The Countess of Shirell smiled shyly as her cheeks flushed at his romantic attitude.
The face of Viscountess Despan, who was watching from the side, hardened. She looked at them with sharp eyes for a moment, then spread her fan in an uptight manner as if she were showing off.
Upon hearing the sound of her spreading the fan, Count d’Estuaire raised his eyes with a smile. His gaze, which had turned to Viscountess Despan, happened to pass behind her and reached Eugène, who was standing in the doorway.
Inadvertently, their eyes met midair. Count d’Estuaire, having encountered an unexpected person in an unexpected place, widened his eyes for a moment, then as if everything were coming back instantly in ripples, he put on a gentle smile of joy.
“Oh, if it is not Baron Amieux? It has been a while.”
He briefly asked the ladies around him to excuse him, then walked through the crowd and came to Eugène. Eugène politely accepted his greeting and nodded quietly.
“Yes, it has. Have you been well?”
The black-haired nobleman, who received the attention of the noble ladies every time he moved, looked at Eugène with a bright smile. They first formally met a few weeks ago in Marquise Merlin’s toilette room, and since then, they only exchanged eye contact with each other from time to time, but never formally met again. Still, it was hard to find any sort of awkwardness in Count d’Estuaire’s attitude toward Eugène as he greeted him.
“Life is always the same for people like me. But what are you doing here at this hour, Baron? Is it not time for the political affairs meeting?”
Count d’Estuaire asked the question with a look mixed with joy and doubt as if it were Eugène’s natural duty to attend the political meeting. It could have sounded rude if there was even a little bit of worldly curiosity mixed in, but his question with informal intimacy felt innocuous as if it displayed pure curiosity as it was.
As he had felt before, Count d’Estuaire was truly an outstanding human being as far as he was concerned. Eugène smiled softly without revealing his unfavorable inner feelings.
“I assume the word has not gotten to you yet. I will not be attending the political affairs meeting for the time being.”
“Oh, but why?”
“I do not know if it is only about domestic affairs at the political affairs meeting, but is this not the time when diplomatic negotiations with Kayediv are progressing? It would be a great diplomatic disrespect for an unqualified person to observe such an important event.”
Jbeca v’Sraejlgf cbvvfv jr lo tf tjv pera ifjgcfv atf cfkr atja wbra mbegalfgr xcfk. Ciatbeut tf tjv jc jaalaevf atja fnfc rffwfv cjlnf ja olgra uijcmf, Seuècf kjr cba vfmflnfv ys tlr jqqfjgjcmf. Lf gfwfwyfgfv atf Swqfgbg’r fnjiejalbc bo atf Jbeca.
Did he say that contrary to his appearance, he was an ambitious man? Looking at his figure right now, he thought he could understand why His Majesty assessed this man in such a way. In a situation where nobility factions were clearly keeping one another in check as in the present, there was no one like Count d’Estuaire, who did not stir up any noise while moving between different factions from time to time. If one’s art of living in such a society was this smooth, it would be more appropriate to call it politics, rather than worldly wisdom.
“Ktfc sbe klii yf ogff obg j ktlif. Qtja jgf sbe vblcu atfrf vjsr?”
“I read as a pastime.”
“Aha, so is that why you came all the way here? That is herbalism. You seem to be interested in some difficult studies.”
Count d’Estuaire sensibly recognized the title of the book Eugène had brought to return with a friendly smile on his face.
“My mother was also quite interested in that field. She had a sophisticated hobby where she had a small glass greenhouse built in the mansion and gathered precious seeds in there. However, unfortunately, her son is so ignorant of plants that he cannot even distinguish between a rose and an aconitum unless it blooms. Although I have maintained the greenhouse all this while with the image of my deceased mother, I am an awful owner who leaves the management to the gardener and rarely looks into it.”
Contrary to Count d’Estuaire’s rough guess, Eugène’s reading of a book about herbalism did not mean that he was interested in botany itself. But he didn’t explain his true purpose and just smiled softly.
“When you have the time, please drop by my house. There are quite a few specimens that would be of interest to you, as well as rare seeds.”
“That is a wonderful offer. If you invite me, I will be glad to visit you.”
Count d’Estuaire skillfully led the conversation with Eugène with his sociability which seemed to be something he was born with. However, no matter how good eloquent he was, it was unreasonable for him to hold on to a passer-by and have a deeper conversation in the crowded hallway.
Count d’Estuaire, realizing that the ladies behind his back were getting more and more bored as time passed, smiled bashfully and let Eugène go. Eugène passed a brief nod to him and to all the ladies in the room and then hurried on his way.
“Is the Count acquainted with Baron Amieux?”
Count d’Estuaire was a man known for his wide reach even in high society. He was so sociable that he not only transcended the factions between nobles but also maintained a balanced acquaintanceship with the three concubines who had profound discord with each other.
Perhaps it was because of the impression that he was not that interested in complicated matters such as politics or power and only liked to loll around. It wasn’t unusual for him to be acquainted with anyone. Moreover, weren’t Count d’Estuaire and Baron Amieux blood relatives, even if it was distantly so?
The Countess of Shirell, who became much more enthusiastic than before, spoke in place of Viscountess Despan, who was still fanning herself coldly without erasing her prim look. Count d’Estuaire returned to his place after seeing Eugène off, smiling happily, and denied the Countess’ words.
“No, my lady. Are you saying that even after listening to the conversation between the two of us? I am the only one who has a favorable impression of the other person. It is a sad, unrequited love that has no way of being returned no matter how much I give it.”
“To even describe it as an unrequited love means that you view Baron Amieux quite favorably, yes?”
“Yes, I do. Baron Amieux truly has that soldierly strictness in him, no? Always disciplined in attitude, composed at all times… To be honest, all men have a desire for such conduct. When I was younger, I wanted to be a man like that.”
Count d’Estuaire, in an unusually shy manner, revealed his admiration for Eugène. Now, as if every action of his made her heart flutter, the Countess of Shirell gently pressed her chest with the fan she was holding and looked at Count d’Estuaire with eyes that expressed that she might die from all this cuteness.
“But, unfortunately, he does not seem to think very well of people who have nothing to do like me. It hurts my heart. What I mean is that I left a bad impression on someone whom I admire.”
“Please do not think like that. Baron Amieux is exceptionally blunt, so I do not think he holds you in disfavor”
“Indeed. Who would hate a kind gentleman like the Count?”
When Count d’Estuaire smiled and joked about himself self-deprecatingly, the ladies around him eagerly comforted him.
“Please do not think rashly, Count. You cannot be friends from the first meeting. As with any good wine, it takes a long time to mature ties that you then form into a good relationship. The long time spent together and deep understanding of each other can make two different people friends.”
The Countess of Shirell also tenderly soothed him and furtively placed her hand above his. Count d’Estuaire, sitting on the armrest of the chaise longue on which the Countess of Shirell was seated, felt the warmth of the hand resting on his and looked back into the Countess’ beautiful eyes.
“Thank you for the wise advice. After hearing such kind words, it seems that I was getting far too ahead of myself in my hasty mind.”
While his words were merely expressing gratitude, there was something more covert and seductive in the man’s eyes looking down at her. The Countess of Shirell smiled brightly like a freesia in full bloom as if she didn’t dislike his subtle enticement.
“Fortunately, since we spend a lot of time at the court, I think I might be able to help you a little in that regard. As you said yourself, the Baron spends a lot of time alone these days. If you pay a little attention, it will not be difficult to seize the opportunity for a chance encounter.”
“He seems to like books, but do you happen to know what classification he likes? I need a good topic to talk about for when I ‘accidentally’ run into the Baron.”
“Though I do not know much, it seems that Baron Amieux enjoys practical studies more than classics or literature. Not long ago, I saw him borrowing an armful of medical books from the imperial palace library. I think he is quite interested in that.”
Unlike the other gentlemen who acted like they had no need for women’s advice, Count d’Estuaire politely asked for advice, and the Countess of Shirell’s attitude became more considerate. She leaned slightly towards Count d’Estuaire and hinted at the information she knew as if whispering a secret story.
Though it was not as deep as that of the noblemen, the information network of the noblewomen was surprisingly wide and detailed. In addition, women were always engrossed in every little detail that men did not pay much attention to, so the imperial court was always full of fifty thousand kinds of gossip.
A brief flash passed through the eyes of Count d’Estuaire when he heard the story of the Countess of Shirell. However, the flash passed so quickly that even the Countess who was facing him did not notice it.
“Thank you for your kind help.”
Count d’Estuaire, with a sweet smile, offered another kiss on the back of the Countess’ hand. The beautiful Countess lowered her eyes as if embarrassed, and gently spread her feather fan to gracefully cover her overly expressive lips.
“I have received so much kindness that I am having a hard time handling it. What can I give you in return, my lady?”
“Well, I do not think I have done anything big enough to be given something in return? But if that is the case, please recite one more beautiful sonnet. What greater joy could there be than to spend such a fine afternoon listening to the Count’s recitation?”
As soon as the Countess of Shirell’s request was finished, the other ladies made the same request. Count d’Estuaire, upon receiving several repeated requests, smiled shyly and opened a thin book of poetry. He put his weight on the armrest on the Countess of Shirell’s side, picked out a sweet poem, and began to read.
When his passionate voice resounded in the lounge, the ladies fell into euphoria and listened to the poetry recitation. Among them, the person with the moistest eyes was the Countess of Shirell.
Whenever the narrator of the poem praised the subject of his love, the Countess felt the Count’s meaningful gaze upon her, and she heard the pounding of her heart. For the first time since her affair with a young opera singer a few months ago, she felt the thrilling presentiment of love. The Countess of Shirell struggled to calm her trembling heart and cleared away the heat from her face with a fan.
***
“Oh, I was wondering who it could be, but if it is not our illustrious Admiral Chastan? I almost could not recognize you. Seems you like have become taller and even more handsome after drinking the court’s water. Looking at you like this, I would have believed you even if you said that you were not a sailor but a gentleman from a salon.”
Loud laughter was heard from the front, and a man came limping and hugged Eugène with all his strength. Even after several years time, the man’s unpretentious demeanor was still pleasant. Eugène answered his old friend with a smile as he hugged him back.
“But you have not changed at all. Everything is the same as before, from your stout stature to your bulging beer belly.”
“Oh shucks, I should still thank you for that. My daughter should have listened to what you just said. That little girl resembles her mother more and more as the days go by, so much so that she cannot let the nagging rest. These days, she often complains that my stomach is bigger than before, though I do not see it? If you have time, please come to my house and tell my daughter exactly what you just said. Something like ‘your father is in the same shape as he was ten years ago’.”
He returned Eugène’s mischievous teasing with a loud laugh. As Eugène described, the man was short, had a protruding belly, and one of his legs was even a prosthetic. But, overall, with a very bright and cheerful impression, the corners of his eyes were full of smiles as if he were always smiling.
Though he was stocky, his shoulders were sturdy and his whole body was evenly developed due to arduous physical labor, and the complexion of his face was dark brown as if it had been tanned in the sun along with a good drink.
As such a man stood opposite Eugène, who was exceptionally attractive and tall, it looked like they belonged to different species. However, he was Eugène’s oldest friend, a fellow sailor who shared the same room with Eugène when he first boarded the ship, and furthermore, his first chief mate. The man’s name was Samuel Perrault. He was a trustworthy union leader who currently commanded the ‘Son of the Sea’ Union.
“From what you say, Sophie seems to be doing well. How old is she this year?”
“She is fifteen this year. I thought she would not get much taller because she was taking after me in that regard, but now she has grown up quite a bit and looks like a maiden.”
“Such a pitiful place. Since Sophie is that big now, I am starting to worry about the safety of the young men walking around your house? The Red Whale of Vauzelle Port must have turned into an insane whale.”
“Is it too early for that? If you are a guy who is coveting a maiden with a father like me, you should expect that much. As long as a young man hangs around our house, no matter what, I will never leave him alone. It would have been nice if the only thing that little girl resembled her mother in was her temper, and even her beauty resembles hers. For some reason, it seems that the only thing of mine that she took after is height.”
Samuel Perot secretly boasted about his daughter while pretending to belittle her. Every time he mentioned his daughter, his face revealed evident pride. Eugène knew how deeply he cared for his daughter, who lost her mother at a young age, and listened to him boast about his daughter with a calm smile.
“But what happened? Opinions were divided within the union as only a message saying to visit the capital was sent without any additional details. I came as soon as I received the message, but I still cannot figure it out. Did something happen?”
Samuel Perrault, the union leader who moved to the table after the boisterous greeting, posed a question to Eugène in a more serious tone than before. Thanks to Adelphe, who had lent him a place on the outskirts to avoid the prying eyes of others, Eugène was welcoming Samuel, who had come to the capital, to his private residence.
