Bad Born Blood - Chapter 71



Only Noblemtl

071

The long and drawn-out greetings are over.

I finished the introduction with the key figures who attended the banquet. While talking to them, I felt like I had a headache. I felt like I had dodged and bounced off a hundred bullets.

“You’ve worked hard, Luca. Now enjoy yourself freely.”

Heilas said as she left me.

“ha.”

Exhausted, I leaned against the wall and caught my breath.

After talking so much, my throat got dry. I gestured and the attendant held out a tray with drinks toward me.

‘There’s nothing but alcohol.’

I hesitated and picked up the glass. It was my first time drinking alcohol. I probably wouldn’t get drunk after drinking one or two glasses anyway.

I brought my glass to my lips and frowned.

“Ugh.”

My senses were so sensitive that the smell of alcohol pierced my nose. The more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t understand why I was drinking this. The liquid on my tongue tasted unpleasant.

I just pursed my lips and stared at the terrace.

‘How did Martina Diva from La Vie en Rose get here?’

Jin-ga-u was a famous person in the empire. He had been the director of the research institute since his youth, for over a century. He was a person with a history that even Haylas respected.

‘Martina Diva is not a noblewoman.’

I checked Martina Diva’s background with the eyes of a watcher. Her age was… … older than I expected, and her birth was from a lowly background even in the lower sector.

‘I guess someone with the power of Jin Gau can bring people from the lower classes to a noble banquet.’

If it’s natural, then it’s natural. Jin Ga-woo in particular seemed to be a person who didn’t care about what others thought.

‘If others tolerate you even though you do whatever you want, it means you have that kind of ability.’

As I was thinking, I habitually tilted the glass I was holding.

“hmm.”

I squinted my eyes again. The alcohol still tasted bad.

I turned my gaze. The guard cadets who had responded to my invitation were gathered in groups of three or five. They naturally fit in well with the banquet, as befitting nobles. Unlike me, they did not seem uncomfortable.

“Luca.”

One of my fellow cadets approached me. He whispered to me as he looked at Giselle in her dress in the distance.

“Does Giselle have a fiance or boyfriend?”

“… … Well.”

“But we’re family. Don’t pretend not to know.”

“I probably don’t have a boyfriend. I have a bad temper.”

“That doesn’t matter. It’s harder to find a noble lady with a good personality than a noble young man who isn’t a rascal. Just introduce me to her.”

A fellow cadet tapped my arm with his elbow. I felt a little bad. But I guess I can introduce myself.

I approached Giselle with my partner.

“Giselle, this way… … .”

I introduced my fellow cadets to Giselle. Giselle looked at me and the cadets with a blank expression and gave a short introduction.

“Excuse me, let me talk for a moment… … .”

The cadet classmate tried to continue the conversation somehow.

“Sorry, I’m a little busy right now.”

Giselle spoke coldly and left the room. I, who had introduced her, felt embarrassed.

“Did I tell you that you have a bad temper?”

I said as I watched Giselle disappear into the crowd.

“This is just everyday life.”

My friend laughed cheerfully even after being teased. He quickly turned to another noble lady and continued the conversation.

‘Everyone is having fun.’

It seemed like I and a few others were the only ones who didn’t enjoy it.

I watched the flow of the banquet as an outsider.

‘Is this the aristocratic society in which I have to live?’

How many more banquets will Lucas Custoria have to attend before he becomes one of them? I really don’t know.

I want to become a member of the Custoria family. However, the barrier of origin is too big. It is not a matter of others’ ignorance or discrimination.

The problem was my own inner self. I was endlessly uncomfortable with luxurious banquets and dinners… … I was more comfortable in the small spaces where I hung out with Gabriel and Gilda. Even if I ate spoiled food and had a stomachache the next day.

My feelings won’t change overnight. They might never change.

‘If I have to endure this discomfort and suffering every time this happens… … .’

It’s a horrible torture to even imagine.

I was a beggar with the makings of a guard, not a nobleman.

I feel like screaming like this. Then the nobles will start talking about me being crazy.

“Hiyaaaa …

I opened my eyes wide. There was a human being who made my imagination come true.

“Chief Jin! Oh, no!”

Jin Ga-woo’s attendant screamed in terror.

Jin Ga-woo was standing on the terrace railing, flapping his arms. He acted as if he had wings and jumped down from the fourth floor.

Bang!

The noise is loud. The floor under the terrace is marble. It’s a full-body prosthesis, so there shouldn’t be any problems.

“That guy has started again.”

“I told you that’s what happens when you get drunk.”

The nobles didn’t think much of it. They seemed to be used to Jin Ga-woo’s impulsive behavior.

‘Extraordinary.’

He was a man with a distinct personality. He was a rare figure in the empire.

“Hey, main character.”

Taking advantage of the chaos, Ilay approached me.

“What about the main character?”

“Don’t be so blunt, smile a little. Do you know how many women have run away from you when they tried to talk to you? I’ve only seen five.”

The well-dressed Illei nodded to the group of noble ladies. He stood next to me, handed his empty glass to the attendant, and picked up a new glass.

When I entered a space like Ilay, I finally felt a little more at ease.

“Illei, do you know about General Jingaou? There are people like that in the Empire too.”

I’m just asking out of pure curiosity.

“As you know, Master Jin is one of the highest authorities on arcane research.”

I looked at Ilay’s expression. Her refreshing face was sparkling with longing in her eyes.

“If you have any questions for that weirdo, just go ahead.”

“Haha, you’re late again today. We don’t have many opportunities to meet, but even so, you’re a person who’s hard to talk to. You get drunk quickly and pass out.”

Kartika is also from a good family. Even his children seemed to have difficulty meeting Jingawoo in person.

“If your abilities are recognized, then such a freewheeling attitude is tolerated.”

I also envied Jin Gau. In the aristocratic society of the empire where solemnity prevailed, he did not care about what others thought.

“Chief Jin is special. Do you know that? The chief is someone who has been granted permission to travel with Bellato.”

I didn’t hide my surprised expression.

“With Bellato?”

“No matter how potential enemy a country is, we must continue to interact. It’s the Three Kingdoms period. If two countries decide to sign a technology agreement, only one country will be left behind. There are many people who secretly interact, not to mention exchanges at the civilian level. Especially in Border City… … .”

I’ve heard the word Border City before. It’s the city of Bellato that Lillian wanted to go to.

Ilay stopped talking. The music in the banquet hall slowly changed. It was a familiar tune to my ears. It was the music I had heard so many times in the ‘Fundamentals of Social Events’ class at Krachia Academy.

“It’s time to dance, heroine. Go find a pretty girl.”

As Ilay said that, he left. He went to find a suitable woman, greeted her politely, and danced.

Not everyone was dancing. There were many people like me standing on the outskirts of the banquet hall.

Crack, crack.

I heard footsteps approaching through the music.

‘Giselle.’

She looked around and then stood next to me.

“Luka, you shouldn’t just watch, you should dance.”

Giselle snapped at me.

“Dancing is a bit of a chore. You might as well step on your partner’s feet.”

This is a lie. With my reflexes, I could synchronize with my partner even when I was dancing without even learning it.

“It would be strange if the host of the banquet didn’t dance. It would also be against manners.”

Giselle pointed out. Now that I hear it, it seems like it’s true.

“so?”

I questioned and stared blankly at Giselle. Giselle avoided my gaze and licked her lips.

“There is no real opponent… … .”

Before Giselle could finish speaking, a sweet scent wafted from afar. Giselle also stopped talking and stared back.

A fragrant, mature woman was walking towards me and Giselle, her slim waist swaying.

I opened my eyes slightly.

‘Martina Diva.’

Martina Diva stopped walking right in front of me. As if by pre-planning, the music also stopped for a moment.

“It seems like the host of the banquet has no one to dance with. Would I be okay, my lord? My dance partner fell from the terrace and was carried away.”

Martina intervened and asked me to dance. I looked at Giselle as if asking for permission.

“That’s good. If you don’t have a dance partner, I’ll try to find you a suitable woman. Fortunately, I have one now, Brother Lucas.”

Giselle spoke dryly and left. I looked at her back and stroked the back of her neck.

‘I’m sorry Giselle, but… … I need to talk to Martina now.’

Martina also seemed to want to talk to me, since the two of us had met in an unexpected place.

“When I heard the name of the banquet’s host, I couldn’t believe it. Your Highness, he was a much bigger name than I thought. I was surprised.”

Martina said, reaching out to me. I took her hand and walked into the crowd of dancers.

The music started playing again.

Martina and I danced. Martina’s technique of leading me was very skillful. I gave in to the flow she led.

“How did you come to the banquet hall? No, more than that, what is your relationship with Director Jin?”

Martina smiled meaningfully.

“Don’t ask me any questions. I’ll tell you everything. The Diva of La Vie en Rose has been the mistress of powerful figures in the Empire for generations. It’s one of the hidden qualifications of a Diva. She must be the concubine of a powerful person in the Empire. There’s a legend that the first Diva was the Emperor’s mistress. It’s literally a legend, so I don’t know if it’s true or not.”

I thought I knew where the confidence of the La Vie en Rose gang came from. And I understood why they attacked me so boldly even though they knew I was a noble.

‘La Vie en Rose is forming a relationship of collusion with the imperial nobility through the use of beauties.’

There will be many lovers of high-ranking nobles inside La Vie en Rose, not only women but also men.

Among the nobles who operated in the lower class, there were almost no high-ranking nobles. Those who coveted the lower class and intervened in the vested interests were either nobles of lower families or low-ranking nobles.

‘If you have connections with those in power, you don’t have to fear the lower nobility. Moreover, incidents that occur in the lower classes are easy to cover up.’

I could kind of like the La Vie en Rose gang. They were trying to overturn the rigid power structure in their own way. Some people might despise that approach, but at least not me.

‘If you have a special weapon, you should use it all.’

Just as I was more aggressive and had a better sense of battle than most people, Martina also had her own talents.

“I answered your question, Master. Shouldn’t I answer my own curiosity as well?”

“If you can answer.”

I muttered quietly.

Martina spun around on one foot. Her dress was completely exposed at the back. As I moved my eyes along her firm yet smooth back, I soon saw her pure white nape.

‘Is Gabriel rolling around with such an attractive woman?’

Hmm, but I’ve often seen Martina’s inner self. Thinking about it makes my blood run cold.

‘Come to think of it, Gabriel seems to have a good sense too.’

For a young man to feel a physiological aversion to Martina, he must be able to see the old woman trapped inside her. This means he must have a keen eye.

“Why is a big shot like the son of the captain of the guards active in the lower areas? An unhealthy hobby?”

“Martina Diva… … .”

I thought for a moment and then opened my mouth.

“… … It’s not hard to answer your questions. But after you hear it, you will no longer be a human being in this world. Even Director Jin will not be able to protect you. I can’t guarantee that La Vie en Rose will be built. Since you are wise as your age, you will understand what I mean, right?”

Martina’s lips trembled as the wrinkles deepened. The old woman’s features were briefly revealed.

It’s amazing how, even with such a beautiful exterior, the inside of the body really shines through.

I know Martina’s exact age because I saw it through the eyes of a watcher. Quite a bit… … no, quite a bit. More than Gabriel had expected.

Hold on.

Martina stepped on my foot while dancing and crushed it. I stumbled and straightened up.

“It’s no use teasing a woman, my lord. But don’t worry, I know what you mean. Lavienrose’s survival is always my top priority.”

Before I knew it, the dance was over. Martina let go of my hand and walked away with graceful steps.

I felt a sense of deja vu as I watched Martina walking away from me.

It sounds crazy, but just now… … I thought that Martina and Heilas looked similar.

Soon, I figured out why. Martina and Heilas were people who would do anything for their gangs and families. They would even gladly sacrifice their own lives.