Chapter 107: Chapter 107

Soon they began to serve food. Along with the unique flavor of Faisal traditional tea, salted sturgeon eggs and thin blini were served as appetizers.

“How does it look, ma’am? I’ve carefully selected and brought only the finest caviar in Faisal.”

“Not bad.”

After tasting it, Mrs. Chester replied, rinsing her mouth with tea. It seemed she liked it very much, given she didn’t put down the dish right away.

“Great. I thought it would suit your taste. I couldn’t forget it when you told me you enjoyed caviar, so I went to all the beach markets myself. I saw all kinds of fish in the southern coast as it was so vast and clean…”

While Yurt was engaged in a meaningless conversation to flatter her, the main dishes which were lamb, steak, and wine were served. The bottle of red wine was made of transparent glass, elaborately carved using Faisal’s unique craftsmanship.

“Try this wine right away. This is the best quality. It was made from grapes from the vineyards near the Ravi River in eastern Faisal. It’s famous as they provide this wine to the Faisal imperial family. The taste is very good, but its yield is not that great, so the price is up to the seller.”

While Yurt was bragging about it in various ways, Ober tasted a new wine and recommended it to Mrs. Chester. Giyom, who was waiting behind him, was handed a bottle from the servant at Ober’s gesture.

He first filled the marquise’s cup and then filled it for Ober. The scent of aromatic wine wafted gently through the restaurant.

Luckily, the wine tasted good enough to confirm Yurt’s words. After feeling a little better because of good wine, Ober finally said what Yurt had been waiting for.

“As I’ve received good wine, let me pay for it.”

“Oh, no. If you accept it gladly, I’ll be satisfied with it.”

“Yurt, I don’t believe what traders say because no business makes any trades that loses money.”

“Oh, no, why are you saying that? I am stupid and lacking in many things, but I am not stupid enough to dare to make unfair profits from you.”

Yurt tried to defend himself and then suddenly turned his eyes toward the shadow over his head. It was Giyom who came toward him, holding a bottle of wine.

Soon, the glass was half full. During that brief moment when red liquid dripped into the empty glass, he clearly saw the mouth of the bottle that was trembling faintly.

“If I had thought so, I would not have sent my only son Giyom as a servant for you.”

He laughed frivolously. His dark brown eyes sparkled in bizarre sadism.

“How brazen-faced you are!” said Ober.

It was his father, Yurt, who abused Giyom.

Looking at Yurt with contempt, Ober clasped his finger toward Giyom, who went back to his place, trying to make a blank expression.

Yurt laughed louder as if to mock his son.

“Hahaha! Well, ‘brazen-faced’ is the best praise for a trader. I think my son would have been better off if he had resembled me in that respect.”

“If that’s the case, the servant who filled your cup today would be somebody else, not your son Giyom.”

“Oh, I see. If Giyom were talkative like me, it wouldn’t suit him as a swordsman. In some respects, he resembles his dead mother too much…”

Yurt quenched his thirst with wine. Like a beast that found a prey, Giyom scrutinized his father from head to toe.

Yurt continued, “My son was poor at speaking, and he was emotionally stifling, so I was ashamed to show him to others. But as you were kind enough to accept him as your servant, I was so grateful to you.”

As a father who sold off his son, he spoke shamelessly.

Ober coughed as if he did not want to hear more.

“By the way, did you hear the news?”

Yurt noticed the atmosphere quickly, and changed the topic.

Ober picked up a fork and a knife instead of replying. He sliced meatloaf on a white plate with the moderately-sharp knife.

“I know one of the merchants I met while staying in Pars. His name was Amad who supplied alcohol to the imperial family. He is a top trader who dealt with the Parthian imperial family for generations. As he has gained trust from the emperor, he went in and out of the palace like his house, and he told me that there was something special among the gifts that were delivered to Empress Alesa this year.”

“A special gift?”

“Yes. Everybody in Faisal knows that Empress Alesa dislikes edged tools morbidly, right? So much so that she even hates the cutlery knife so much that all the food served at her residence are cut into pieces beforehand.”

“So what?”

“I hear that one of the gifts delivered to the empress’s palace was a decorative sword.”

He clicked his tongue, which annoyed Ober. Ober sliced the well-chopped lamb with a knife. The meat, which was roasted rare deliberately to fit his taste, colored the white dish with reddish blood.

“I didn’t know who he was, but he was very stupid. How come he didn’t check the empress’s basic taste before he gave the gifts to her? He would be lucky if he were not subject to heavy punishment.”

“You bet. More surprisingly, Empress Alesa received the gift without complaining.”

“What? Why?”

“Well… I hear that stupid guy is probably her uncle Duke Hubble.”

Clang!

As soon as Yurt was finished, a loud noise came from the top of the table. Ober turned his head and looked at Mrs. Chester.

She was staring at Yurt with a frown, which was very unusual. The silver utensils that had been in her hands up until now were scattered on the plate.

Ober confirmed her response and made a frown, too.

As far as Ober knew, his mother had never shown any discomfort or irritation in this manner. If she didn’t like something and decided to do something bad, she would have broken a plate or thrown out a dish.

“Oh my god. Was the dish not dried well? Madam, are you okay?”

Yurt stood up instead of feeling timid. But he had to sit back down when she refused help.

Mrs. Chester clenched her empty fist. She wiped the lamb blood splattered on the back of her hand with a napkin elegantly. Then she let out a deep and long sigh.

“Did anybody see it personally?”

“Pardon?”

“You just said Duke Hubble gave the cutlery to Empress Alesa, right? Did Amad, the person who told you the story, saw the sword that she received?”

After laying down the napkin nervously, Mrs. Chester calmly doubted the credibility of his tip.

Yurt politely replied after thinking unexpectedly but legitimately that her ashen eyes resembled Ober’s.

“He told me he saw it directly.”

“Where?”

“In the palace of Prince Shahar. He told me he heard the prince saying that when he went there to deliver the liquor he ordered. As the second prince has a variety of hobbies, he asked the empress to bring the sword to him…”

Mrs. Chester didn’t respond. Her double eyelids slowly opened and blinked once.

Yurt continued, trying to read her mind, “But I think that’s strange.”

This time, there was the sound of Ober putting down utensils on the side.

Now, Mrs. Chester and Ober focused on his voice.

“As you know, Duke Hubble used to send gifts to Empress Alesa, so it’s not unusual.

So, as her uncle, he must know she hates edged stuff. In fact, he never sent a common decorative dagger or jewelry tableware to the empress by mistake.”

“… ”

“Furthermore, to the best of my knowledge, the prince used to collect wine bottles, paintings, and silk. He was not the type who could covet a sword…”

Ober leaned back against the chair. A glass of wine in his hand was trembling in the air, with his gaze facing Yurt.

As if he was sick and tired of doing business, Yurt’s words had the power to stimulate their curiosity deep inside. Even though he was blinded by money and social status, he obviously didn’t lose their gut feelings as a trader.

“Annette. I’ve had enough, so let me go back to my room. I’m too tired as I’ve come a long way.”

Calling a maid, Mrs. Chester stood up as if she seemed to have no questions. Annette quickly approached and supported her.

“Are you going back already? There’s still a lot of food left. Why don’t you try some more and listen to some more interesting stories?”

“Ober will treat you as a guest. So, enjoy!”

“Oh, I see. It was nice to see you after a long time. I’ll see you again with a lot of things you like.”

Mrs. Chester smiled slightly and laughed. But it disappeared quickly as soon as she turned back.

Ober looked at her dramatic change of expression for a moment and looked down. Suddenly, he pursed his lips.

“You must be tired too… I’m sorry I didn’t notice it. Can I go back and come back later?” Yurt asked, standing awkwardly.

Ober did not immediately answer. He emptied the wine glass first, staring at him intensely.

After a short but heavy silence, he said with a low voice, “Okay, let me hear your interesting story on her behalf a little more.”