Rosalyn started to smile.
“I heard you were trash, but I guess that was a lie.”
Rosalyn stopped with the respectful tone almost immediately, as Cale had expected. Although the majority of the people may not know what the princess of another kingdom may look like, it was different for nobles.
Low-level nobles may have found it difficult to gather information, but at the Count level, like the Henituse family, having information about the neighboring kingdoms’ nobles and royalty was basic knowledge. It was not just fun and games to be a noble.
Cale responded to Rosalyn’s statement.
“It is true that I am famous for being trash. However, a mage should make their judgments based on their five senses.”
“You are right, young master Cale. We only believe the things we experience ourselves.”
Cale thought Rosalyn’s way of speaking was quite odd. She was speaking informally to him as a princess, but when she was referring to herself as part of the society of mages by using the term, ‘we,’ she spoke formally. Her identity as a mage seemed to be very important to her.
“But princess-nim.”
“Rosalyn.”
She really didn’t seem to like being treated like a princess.
“Okay then. Miss Rosalyn, are you done with your questions?”
“Yes. I am finished.”
She smiled as she answered.
“Young master Cale, it seems like you do not want to be involved with me?”
Even though he knew she was a princess, he just told her to enjoy her stay and then leave. It wasn’t that she found that to be disrespectful or anything. In fact, she preferred it that way. If she wanted special treatment, she would have revealed her full name and her identity immediately.
She did not want to be treated that way however. In addition, she was thankful to Cale for telling them about Lock’s condition.
“Really? I just acted that way since princess-nim seemed to prefer it this way.”
‘Liar.’
Rosalyn treated Cale’s words as just a good excuse.
A human who travels with a dragon. He was known to be trash by society, but was not actually like that in reality. He could have easily revealed her existence if he really wanted to do so.
She thanked Cale, who was smiling as if he knew nothing.
“It seems like you have not informed the Roan royalty. Thank you very much.”
“No problem. Something like that should be based on the involved individual’s own wishes.”
Cale thought that the crown prince would barge into this residence if Cale had reported it to the palace.
“You are correct, young master Cale. I do not wish to reveal myself. If this lands you into trouble in the future, please let them know that I asked you not to do so. I will send a messenger to back up your story.”
“Got it.”
“Thank you for letting me stay here. I will take care of my business and not cause you any trouble.”
‘Not cause me any trouble.’
Cale thanked Rosalyn, who was giving him the answer he wanted to hear the most.
“Thank you very much.”
“No worries, it is how it should be.”
Rosalyn brushed Cale’s thanks off before continuing to eat. Cale and Rosalyn, the two of them did not need to speak anymore. Rosalyn just peeked at the dragon every so often.
She couldn’t help it. As a mage, her gaze continued to head to the dragon. The dragon stopped eating the sausage that originally was for Cale before turning to look at Rosalyn. After ignoring Rosalyn’s continued peeking for a while, he finally spoke up.
“Eat your own food. This is mine.”
The Black Dragon pulled the plate with the sausage closer to him. Cale was casually piling more food onto that plate for the dragon. The Black Dragon was getting addicted to the taste of steak, which was different from eating raw meat, as well as the other types of various foods that were on the table.
Rosalyn peeked toward Cale, and Cale stealthily put up four fingers without the dragon noticing. Four years old. Rosalyn smiled at the meaning of Cale’s message, and responded to the dragon.
“Yes, dragon-nim. I would not dare eye your food.”
The Black Dragon started to eat again and Rosalyn and Cale continued their meals as well.
It was a relaxing and peaceful meal.
After it was over, Cale got on the carriage to go meet the Northeastern nobles. The Northeastern nobles consisted of just 10 noble families. There were more if you considered the barons and below, but the pillar of the Northeast was based on these 10 families. Of those 10 families, the three people Cale was meeting today came from three families that had been friendly with the Henituse family for a long time.
“What a dilemma.”
That was why Cale was worried. Choi Han, who had been following him as a guard, cautiously asked.
“What is? If I can do anything to help, please let me know.”
“Nothing. You don’t need to know.”
Cale just curtly answered before starting to think again. Choi Han observed Cale and started to worry as well. It was the first time Choi Han had seen Cale worrying like this.
Cale did not know what to do.
Just what kind of chaos would he need to cause to really look like trash?
Cale had come to a realization after being stuck with large baggage like Choi Han and the Black Dragon. He was having a dilemma about how to live a trash life.
The Northeastern nobles would have seen Cale’s trash behavior in the past. They would have also received news about all of Cale’s trashy actions in the Henituse territory. That was why he had to be even more careful, no, he had to be even more chaotic.
“Hmm.”
Cale looked down at his two hands. Act like a total bastard? That would be a way to seem like the trash of all trash. While Cale was thinking about what he could do to act terribly, the carriage stopped in front of a residence. Since the Northeastern nobles all had residences in the same area of the capital, it was not very far.
“Welcome, young master Cale-nim.”
Cale noticed the old butler greeting him at the gate, and looked to the building behind the butler.
This was Count Wheelsman’s residence. Count Wheelsman’s territory was located in the beginning parts of the Northeast, and he was neither very strong nor very wealthy. That was why he was able to build a close relationship with Count Henituse in the Northeast, where they did not have any dukes or marquis. Count Henituse liked this friendship because, for someone like him, whose territory was far in the corner of the Northeast, knowing someone who was the close to the capital was beneficial.
Cale thought about Count Wheelsman’s successor.
‘Eric Wheelsman.’
Deputy butler Hans had cautiously advised Cale before he left for this meeting.
‘Young master, it is great that you have a good relationship with young master Eric, but I bring this up to you to ask whether you think it would be smarter to not act so close to each other in front of the other nobles in the meeting.’
That let Cale know that Eric and the original owner of this body were very close. However, the information about Eric in the nobles information report described Eric as a good person who was a bit uptight.
“Young master Cale, may I escort you inside?”
“Sure.”
Cale followed the old butler into the Wheelsman residence.
Eric Wheelsman, Gilbert Chetter, and Amiru Ubarr. The three of them were inside the residence. Cale was still thinking about how he should act in front of them as he entered inside.
In the end, he didn’t need to worry about such a thing.
“Cale. You at least still listened to this hyung. Right?”
Cale had a confused look on his face. Eric Wheelsman pushed up his glasses after seeing Cale’s expression. Right now, Cale was seated at the table with the three nobles surrounding him like he was in an interview.
‘This is odd.’
But the atmosphere was more of them consoling him rather than interviewing him. Eric Wheelsman started to speak.
“Won’t it be annoying for you as well?”
Viscount Ubarr’s daughter Amiru and Baron Chetter’s son Gilbert chimed in.
“He’s right. Young master Cale, I heard you don’t like annoying formalities.”
“Young master Cale, it is not wrong to find something to be annoying.”
It felt like they were trying to console a child. Cale first responded to their statements.
“Yes, it is annoying.”
“See! That is why!”
Tap.
Eric lightly tapped the table. It did not seem like it was because he was angry, but more like a subconscious movement.
He looked toward Cale, who used to be a cute little kid until he grew up to be trash, and quietly continued.
“That is why you don’t need to say anything or do anything. Just be still! Be still and we will take care of everything for you. You hate annoying things and formalities anyway.”
Cale responded back with an intrigued expression.
“I am very good at staying still.”
“Huh? You are? Ah, yes. You are like that. You are very good at that.”
Eric was known for being uptight, but he was also the type to worry about everything. But that was only because he liked to think about everything before they actually happened.
He started to speak to Cale, who became the biggest concern of his since yesterday, when he found out that Cale really was the one to come to the capital. The other two looked toward Eric as if they were cheering him on.
“Some of the other Northeastern nobles may try to annoy you. The ones who aligned themselves with Marquis Stan or some other duke will definitely try. But all you have to do is be still and we will take care of everything for you. What do you think?”
This was what Eric was most worried about. Of the 10 pillar families, only these 4 families have not aligned themselves elsewhere. The other nobles who aligned with higher ranking nobles from outside the area would want to offer the entire Northeastern group of nobles to their upline.
They needed to be cautious, cautious, and even more cautious. This group of four families had to be in the center. That was their way of being the strongest faction in the Northeast, and, in order to do that, the wealthy Henituse family could not cause an accident at the capital.
Eric, as well as the other two, quietly waited for Cale’s response.
“That would be great.”
Cale had a gentle smile on his face to go with his response. Eric was thinking that Cale still looked like the good kid from the past, as long as he was not drinking, and started to speak.
“I plan on showing our respect to the crown prince together as well. I’m sure you find this to be annoying and want to get right to drinking, but that will be difficult. As long as you do that initial greeting, we will take care of EVERYTHING ELSE!”
‘Oh?’
Cale started to smirk. He found this atmosphere quite interesting. He picked up the wineglass in front of him. Cale could see Gilbert flinch as he did that.
Cale thought this was odd as well. He may be a troublesome trash, but since they were on the same side, their only possible course of action was to protect him. He wet his mouth with the wine, before starting to speak.
“It’s great.”
“Isn’t it?”
Eric had a bright smile on his face as his glasses reflected the light from the chandelier.
Cale decided to take the three nobles’ offer of doing nothing and getting their protection. He liked this plan very much.
“All you have to do is show up, sit there, and relax.”
“Great. It sounds perfect.”
It was a very good offer, just the type Cale liked. He calmly ate the meal in front of him, as he started to think that it was a good idea to come here today. However, Eric, Gilbert, and Amiru did not let their guards down. Cale Henituse was someone who had even thrown a bottle at the Northeastern nobles meeting when everything seemed to be going great.
They were especially cautious because they were here to convince the crown prince to invest in the Northeastern coastline, where Gilbert and Amiru’s families were positioned.
“Wine from the Henituse territory really is great.”
Of course, Cale knew about the two family’s desire for the crown prince’s investment from the information Hans had given to him. The four families shared information with each other without any secrets. However, Cale knew that the investment from the crown prince would not be possible.
‘How would he be able to invest when a war will soon start from the south of the Western Continent? It might be different if it was a navy though.’
The four nobles chatted every so often as they continued their meal. The three nobles relaxed a bit after seeing Cale make it through the whole meal without causing an accident.
They were all decently satisfied with this meeting.
* * *
Cale rested for a bit after returning to his residence, before hearing that Choi Han was back, causing Cale to call him to his room.
“Cale-nim, you called for me?”
“The inn?”
“Fine. Thankfully, the children are energetic.”
Cale turned pale after thinking about 10 energetic Wolf Tribe children. On the other hand, Choi Han seemed to be more relaxed and happier.
“Then there is nothing else to do?”
“Yes?”
Cale nodded his head before standing up. It was only then that Choi Han realized that Cale was not wearing his pajamas nor his usual outfit. He was wearing very casual clothes.
Cale walked over to his bed as he started to speak.
“I will be laying in bed, so go tell Hans he can stop standing outside the door and can go sleep. He will go without even looking back.”
Choi Han looked out the open terrace window. It was a bright night. He then asked Cale.
“Will you be heading out?”
“Yes.”
Cale smiled as he answered.
“I left the terrace open like before, so come to my room.”
“I understand.”
Choi Han’s gaze changed. He remembered what Cale had told him the other day. Cale mentioned that he would tell Choi Han how to find that blood drinking mage.
“Will it just be the two of us, without either On or Hong?”
Choi Han asked with a serious expression, but an answer came from somewhere else.
“I will be going as well.”
The Black Dragon removed its invisibility magic and entered through the terrace window. Choi Han looked toward the Black Dragon before turning back to look at Cale. Cale answered even more relaxed than ever before.
“The three of us will go.”