Dream Life

The night of February 10th.

I am now attending a dinner party on behalf of my father Irving to celebrate the Viscount of the Lockhart family.

I've visited the Seawell Marquis mansion several times, but I've never seen more people overflowing.

I heard from Viscount Ignacious Radford, the housekeeper, that there are as many as one hundred and fifty attendees, and that there are nearly a hundred servants, including those who have scratched temporarily.

I am also accompanied by my wife Gertrude, a man Rupert, and a minister Viscount Leslie Courtney who packs in the imperial mansion.

Leslie is accompanying me because he is my wife's brother and our external negotiator, but he is not here. Being a junior nobleman, he goes to an outdoor venue called the Second Venue.

In the front row sits the host husband and wife of the Lockhart family, and the host, the Marquis Clement Seawell, close to their seats from those with high titles.

The House of Pherobishers, the Duke and current Chancellor, receive the finest treatment alongside the Grand Duke of Langton, who hits His Majesty the Emperor's uncle. For that reason, he had been given a seat nearest to the Lockhart family seat.

This placement made Lord Clement feel distressed.

I and my candidate for the next Chancellor, Lord Alexis Ezzarington, have been successfully taken into account in the center, the Grand Duke of Langton and the Prince Leopold faction of Lord Kendrew on the right, and the princess faction of Lord Ingolslop and Lord Gabiston on the left, so that the princely and princely seats do not flank each other.

That said, it is very rare for almost all seniors to attend, as this one did.

With the exception of the dinner in the presence of His Majesty the Emperor, which takes place at the Imperial Palace, the Grand Duke of Langton and Lord Ingolslop are selden to be on the same banquet. Attendance often creates momentum with alcohol, for the organizers to adjust well in advance.

If you belong to the Crown Prince or the Crown Prince, you can send invitations only to the faction leaders, but the Neutralists are very attentive to their adjustment.

My Phyllobisher family also has dinner parties and gardening parties for things that are few in number, and it bothers me every time, such as setting one leader on an inconvenient day.

Lord Clement himself told me this time, but he was greatly distressed by the adjustment.

"I've never had a dinner party that was so hard to adjust to. That Ignacious was making noises, hahahaha."

Not only is Radford good as a civilian, but his face is wide through gastronomy, regardless of faction. I guess it was an unimaginable circumstance that he made so much noise.

"Well, tonight's cooking and booze are commensurate with that struggle. I hope you enjoy it."

The reason for the high number of attendees lies in the dishes and liquors mentioned by Lord Clement.

The Seawell family, originally famous for its fine liquor and gastronomy, is fully backed up and has been told that more newly discovered Kamikaze level Seawell wines will be served. That means there are so many people coming for it.

I'm not so interested myself.

Of course, I don't hate wine or gastronomy, but I don't detain you like Lord Clement or Radford.

I am still more concerned about the ploy imposed by my father on the Holy Kingdom of Lukes than with my expectations for cooking and booze.

I continued to haunt my head about who to put on this assignment now.

It was time, and the dinner party began in the words of the toast of Lord Clement, who keeps the Lockhart family, the lord of the mansion.

In front of me, Lord Alexis and his wife, Lord Mercedes, plus Lord Steven, Lord Laurencia and Lord Primrose, raise the glass.

"Rencia and Rose weren't going to let you attend, but they really want to leave. I told Lord Clement I couldn't make it, and he managed to secure my seat."

There will be no falsehood in the words of Lord Alexis, but I guess this is also part of a measure to protect the Lockhart family.

If I thought so, Lord Laurencia disputed Lord Alexis.

"That's what I have to do. You can enjoy the dishes and drinks that Lord Zacharias has in mind. If you miss this opportunity, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Lord Primrose is also strongly in tune with his sister's words.

"Your sister is right. It's impossible for me to miss the sweetness (sweets) made by Zacharias."

When we were surprised, Lord Mercedes explained the situation with a laugh.

"We were both totally fed by Sir Zacharias. Because of this, the college meal doesn't taste good. Hohoho."

"Feeding is rude, Mother," Lord Laurencia protests, but his face is laughing.

Those around them listened closely to the conversation now. I guess this is just as Lord Alexis thought.

Nonetheless, no one would have imagined captivating these ladies so far, including Lord Alexis.

Originally, no matter who they were, they didn't approve of the engagement.

I saw the look on their faces and remembered the words "all-round Prince Harlem (all-range prince)".

When the liquor and dishes begin to be served, there is cheer there in the hall.

I can't tell you about people because I raise my voice equally sentimental, but it's something that has never happened before, such as shouting out loud at dinner parties where so many senior aristocrats gather.

"What do you say, Lord Jeremiah? That's Zacharias, don't you think?"

I didn't know how to answer that question. Because unlike him, I've never had a meal with Zacharias.

You noticed that, "I'm sorry. This was not enough consideration for me," he bows his head.

I couldn't grasp what I was saying, so I asked him, "What does that mean?"

"That man is the son of a liquor god. Politics, military and witchcraft are more than top notch, but these are the things that are worth more than that. I just realized I forgot to tell you that."

"Is that what it is," he replied.

"I think you'll know what I'm talking about when we're done for dinner tonight."

Lord Alexis said so with the usual laughter of his lovers.

As the meal progressed, I knew what he was talking about.

The combination of food and liquor is exquisite, and I can see that it is confined to gatekeepers like me as well, to the point of spanning the details of temperature and flavoring.

Sure, the food and booze were delicious, but I was more impressed than that.

That's the move of the servants.

There are more than a hundred attendees in this hall, but they are sophisticated enough not to make anyone feel dissatisfied. When to serve food, beautiful attitude when pouring booze...... even cleaning out used dishes is enough to make me think it's a painting.

And Zacharias is the one who perfectly directs it. Once again, I admire the power of using so many personnel without a minute of madness.

"That's something I can't do at all," he says without thinking.

I seemed to drink too much than I thought. Normally, I would never say anything like this.

My soliloquy seems to have sounded like Lord Alexis.

"I do think it's something I can't do. I want to know where you've learned so much."

"Right," I can only answer. Because it's not a good soliloquy for me to leak as a successor to the Duke's house.

"He's special. I guess you're blessed by the gods. If you think about it, you can't do it."

Lord Alexis opens his eyes unexpectedly to the fact that he is jealous of Zacharias. You realize that, he smiles bitterly.

"You're not a god. I guess I'm blessed by the liquor god. hahahaha"

I'm laughing and deluding, but that fact doesn't go away.

Lord Alexis is the best politician and soldier in the empire today. There's too much difference in talent for me and others to be jealous of. The guy is jealous of Zacharias.

I was shocked by that fact.

But it happened to make me forget the shock.

Seawell's red wine has appeared.

"This is the best wine ever made in our territory. No, if I may say so knowingly that I will be misled, I am proud to say that it is the best wine in the world! I want you to taste something lightly aged first!

Lord Clement introduces the next wine to excitement.

If it were meant to be, Sir Lockhart should explain it, but I can't explain it to the Elders to the Viscount who was a knight until the other day. So I guess he took his place.

That's what I thought, but they're a little different.

It seems to me that his wife Lord Mildred has inadvertently stood up because she says something with a harsh look on her face.

Lord Clement's thoughts were immediately understood. It was so much wine.

"This is..." I lost my word.

"I lost my word when I first drank it, too. If this becomes a steady supply, there will be a revolution at our table. Don't you think so?"

"Sure... is this the new Seawell wine Zacharias has put his hands on... exactly what the alcoholic god offers..."

I had also had an aged Seawell wine that started out last year. The wine was also incredibly delicious as it seemed to belong in the world, but this is so special that it can be called God's liquor.

"This is the wine...... incredible," his wife Gertrude mutters, and his son Rupert has his eyes round as well.

"How about a new Seawell wine!" Lord Clement lifts the glass and speaks up.

"Excellent work!," said Grand Duke Langton, "and Lord Ingoalthrop." Truly! "I agree.

Usually, I can't hide my surprise at how the two people I'm cornering hang out with have the same glasses raised.

But it was also an instant, and I, like the other attendees, said, "Wonderful!," he put up a glass.

The great hall boiled with praise.

That's where it fits in, and the food is served. That's a well simmered beef stew with a loose cheek on the aroma.

I don't think of it as a combination of wine and beef stew, and the roar goes up. It was such an exquisite combination by then that the hot stew had disappeared shortly after it warmed up enough to burn.

"The next wine will surprise you even more! This is just God's booze! It's the supreme wine! Okay, give me the next glass!

The next thing I saw was a bigger glass of wine than ever, with about a third of the deep ruby-colored liquor in there.

"I want you to enjoy the fragrance first! If you slowly include it in your mouth afterwards, you will understand that my words are not very..."

Lord Clement's hot valve continues, but none of us heard it. Just putting his face close to the glass spread its overwhelming scent all over his nostrils, making him unable to think about anything.

"... we have cheese for this wine! I want you to be careful not to be drunk at once! ……

Then I don't remember much of what was ahead.

Because he leaned his glass unconsciously and even enjoyed the scent and the tongues like a velour.

"Can you share this wine?," Lord Gabiston hears,

"Unfortunately, there's only a very small amount, so it's best to give away a few copies to the Dukes."

"I wonder if it would be a good idea to spare a serving. Marquis Seawell," Lord Kendrew pinches his mouth.

"No, I'm never letting it out and sparing it. Even for the time being, ten bottles a month is the limit."

"What is so precious..." the voice rises nearby.

"We are currently striving to increase production, so I think we will be able to ensure a satisfactory amount for everyone within a decade, but it is difficult to increase it immediately…"

I questioned Lord Clement's explanation. It ensures an amount that can behave more than a hundred people in this short period of time.

Furthermore, Lord Alexis tells me that Zacharias made it with magic. Then I don't think it's as difficult as Lord Clement says.

When I ask about it now, Grand Duke Langton and the others will notice, so I'm talking.

After the supreme wine, the decadent wine of the Rosingrave family, Queen Katrina's home in the Kingdom of Kaum, was served.

I mouth after that red wine, thinking it's cruel to drink it.

It was cold enough to frost on the glass and I felt it wasn't so sweet at first. But slowly the sweetness and aroma spread.

"It goes well with this pound cake. That's Zacharias," said Lord Primrose, speaking to Lord Laurencia.

So I remembered that the cake was served as a knob.

It has aromas with plenty of dried fruit and nuts, but not just that.

"They say brandy is used for this," Lord Primrose told me.

"I see," but brandy itself, I just drank it for the first time a few days ago, and I'm not familiar with the flavors and aromas. On the contrary, I only have the impression of strong alcohol (alcohol), so much so that I stopped drinking in about half a glass.

"She says the fragrance is weak because it's still a young brandy. Master Zacharias said it would taste better when it matured."

And you remember something, look at my face and add.

"I just remembered that Master Zacharias said that new distilled liquor made in Phyllobisher territory could also be used sweetly. I hope you can make it soon."

"Really? That's the first thing I've heard."

In fact, I haven't even heard from Muirhead and others, but I guess they didn't report it with caution because it's simply a use of alcohol that I didn't think I'd be interested in or could not do.

I'm more surprised than surprised that you're even thinking about using alcohol that hasn't even been approved for the plan.

The dinner party ended without a thing.

In view of the fact that the leaders of both factions, the Grand Duke of Langton and Lord Ingolslop, are in the liquor table, this is an event close to a miracle.

The attendees gradually take their seats after Sir Lockhart greets them at the end of the dinner party. Still, some people were asking me to give them another drink to serve, whether it was a shame to drink and cook.

In my case, Lord Alexis has invited me to the mansion, so I spoke to Lord Clement and Sir Lockhart and others before boarding the carriage of the Duke of Ezarrington's house.

The wife and Lord Steven and Lord Laurencia rode together, but without Lord Primrose. I guess I went to get some extra sweetness (sweets).

"I wonder how it went," Lord Alexis asked, laughing niggardly.

"To be honest, I never imagined this much. Well, the most surprising thing is that the Grand Dukes didn't cause any trouble."

"With good liquor and good food, the world will be at peace..."

Lord Alexis shrugged so. As I lean my neck, he tells me with a laugh.

"These are Zacharias' words. Sometimes they just call you Dwarf's friend. hahahaha"

I did think you were right, but reality isn't that sweet. Of course, that genius couldn't possibly not have noticed that, so he would have just talked about idealism.

As soon as you enter Lord Alexis's study, booze will be ready.

"After that dinner party I might have to fit my mouth, but how about a five-year Calvato (...) S? Zacharias assured me it would go with the apple liquor distillery."

The liquor was poured into a large swing glass with short legs and had a beautiful amber color. I smell the apple slightly when I put my face close.

When I put my mouth on it, it wasn't as tight as brandy, and the sweetness spreads to my mouth.

Enjoying the booze, he asked me, "What are you going to do about the example?"

"I talked to Courtney, but the Empire doesn't seem to have a suitable person. I just have to move myself."

Courtney, the head of the external response, but he's serious in character and unsuitable for plotting. He's not the only one talking about it, though, because it's about my father's right now at the Phyllobisher family for the plot.

"May I offer you one piece of advice?"

"You are always welcome to advise Lord Alexis. I'd love to hear it."

This is serious. He's a genius, just like Zacharias. I would love to hear that opinion.

Say "then" and start talking.

"We set up an information manipulation on a commercial guild. Clark, who leads to Lord Gabiston, has a burden in the last case. He is somewhat tempted that His Excellency the Chancellor is contemplating retiring. The trigger is yes, I guess I should call it in on the grounds of creating a new courtesy..."

Clark is not unnatural because he sells his courtesy to noble opponents.

"… in doing so, let us assume that Lord Jeremiah, the next head of the Phyllobisher family, is aiming for the position of treasurer…"

I thought so. I am the Undersecretary of the Treasury and the current Treasury Secretary is Lord Ingolslop. Targeting his trail is not an unnatural story.

Great in that the person you tell is Clark.

Clark is in rivalry with the Spencer Branch Manager, close to Lord Ingolslop, and furthermore Lord Gabiston, whom he supports, is the Foreign Secretary, and if I target the Treasurer, it will not affect him.

Telling Clark to chase down Spencer for every Lord Ingolthrop is a very effective measure to break up the Crown Prince.

"… and to make His Royal Highness's status a rock, we propose that we set up a ploy against Luke. Clark will be on board."

I think it's perfect as a measure. But I had concerns.

"If Lord Alexis is to be executed, I don't suppose Clark will come aboard either."

I myself have never had ambitions such as raising my status within the Empire. Besides, I am hidden and inconspicuous in the shadow of my father and Lord Alexis, and I am unlikely to be expected to succeed in saying the great thing.

"No, this would be a measure of success because it is Lord Jeremiah. It falls to supposedly be a measure to partition the Crown Prince if I were you. Fortunately, Lord Jeremiah is perceived to be shy of his father, the Chancellor. If that father were to go into hiding, you'd think he'd show you what he was hiding until then."

"I see... my father's hiding has allowed me to do my best. So when I let out my ambition... I don't think I can act like that..."

"You don't need acting or anything. Even when it comes to provoking ambition, you don't need to give it a giddy one. You'll think it's better to make it look like you're doing it steadily as usual."

Then we pack the details.

After the Ezarrington mansion in about an hour, fatigue struck me doggedly in the carriage home.

(I'm still a genius. It is better suited to work as the hands and feet of Lord Alexis...)

Though I think so, another thought comes to mind.

(When it comes to allies, working as a limb is not enough. You should help him with what I can do, what I'm good at... what can I do? How to make the most of my existence......)

For the first time in my life, I feel calm about my own existential value.

And then I came to a conclusion and exhaled in a huffle.

(Fortunately, I don't have a "color” on me. If you insist, it has the “color” of successor to Father Irving and allies of Lord Alexis, but you won't have that strong impression. For example, the role of coordinating interests on his behalf becomes the most rigorous. Think about the future with this policy…)

I began to think about how to put the idea into action.