Chương 247: Chapter 230. A Feeling During A Speech

A frail looking, very pale man walked forward on the stage. Past Lord Byron and his sister, Lady Cindy. They introduced him as their father. The man, after locking eyes with me, began to speak to the crowd of Demons that had all of their attention on him. The man began to speak softly into a Magical Device that acted like a microphone from my world." Thank you all for accepting my invitation and joining us tonight for My Birthday.

I'm sure many people who have attended My Family's previous Birthday Celebrations are wondering about the new faces you see tonight. And that wondering also extends to the new faces that wonder why I've invited you to this party and celebration, considering I've never reached out to you before. To answer that question, is quite simple. These last 2 years have been a trying time for My Family and I, I've never felt the fragility of life in all my 170 sum years before then. But I've realized a few things.

Life is full of Connections that form and Connections that break. Some never even connect in the first place. Tonight, I'd like to start the rest of my life, Reconnecting to Friends and connecting with new ones. I hope you can all join me in that goal. Of course, there'll be drinks and food to help us along the journey. Let's enjoy ourselves everyone. Seeing 25 years pass is a Blessing that's worth celebrating after all." Lord Fracks gave a speech after he had the Magical Device in his hands.

He raised a glass of some kind of alcohol and the rest of the party joined him in drinking. Even though the speech was nice to hear... Something still didn't feel right. The man's eyes... It just gave me the feeling that he didn't believe a word of it. They glowed such a strange red... Like blood. The only time they seemed to come alive was when he mentioned something about "Reconnecting". Maybe he also wants to speak to Count Sark as well? But again, those eyes... Why do they bother me so much?

It's like my gut is trying to tell me something... But I can't figure it out? Maybe It's because he's a widower? I mean, Princess Alice also has a shade of red that reminiscent of blood. Maybe I'm just overreacting?" What's the matter, Marquess Matthew? Is there something on my face?"" Huh? Oh! Sorry. I was thinking about something, and I thought about your eyes in connection to it. I guess I started staring at them because of it."

"!!!" Why did she turn away from me so quickly? pain." Ow!" A jab to the left side of my rib cage had me turn to look at Sarah who began to glare at me." You have quite the courage to flirt with my Friend in front of me, in a public venue no less. Am I going to need to punish you when we return tonight, My Love?" Grip! Tighten! A tight grip locked my right hand in its embrace." Darling, while I don't have much room to speak seeing as I am your 2nd Wife, flirting with another woman in front of us...

Is something I would prefer you not do. Especially when we're not in our Territory." Sarah and Anna seemed to think I was flirting." I'm not flirting with her. I was thinking about the color of her eyes."" Do tell why you'd be thinking of another woman's eyes in our presence?"" Lord Fracks. Something doesn't seem right with him to me. His eyes. Something about them seems... Wrong to me? I don't know why, but my gut says something is off. I think we need to be more careful than we thought."

To my words, everyone at the table seemed to switch gears. Ellie and Wendy seemed scared almost, while Sarah, Anna and Princess Alice took on more serious expressions. Needless to say, our Guards were also watching our surroundings like hawks. It only makes sense, seeing as the other Guards for the other Noble Families were doing the same thing." What exactly do you think is wrong, My Love?"" I don't know. That's one of the issues I'm having right now. It's kind of just like an off feeling.

I haven't felt something like this before." If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it." Okay, from now on, we should stick close. Do you hear that, Ellie? Wendy? Let us know if you need to use the bathroom or anything. We'll go together. Okay?" Ellie and Wendy nodded their heads." Guys, it's just a gut feeling." I tried to calm everyone down, but Princess Alice was quick to respond to me."

Marquess Matthew, you're a Paladin, if you're feeling something is off, chances are that something is off. In the past, some Paladins were able to sense when an act of God like a hurricane or earthquake would happen and they would bring their people to safety and even warn the surrounding Countries that could be effected."" I... I didn't know that was a thing...""

Yes, you probably wouldn't, not many people in Diablos would know, since they're usually fighting against the Paladins and Heroes of history, the Paladins usually didn't warn the Demons Kings of their time about disasters that were coming. Wait, Big Sis... Anna, why are you both acting like that? I don't remember anyone ever bringing this up when we would play together as children, Sarah?" Grip! Grip! Sarah and Anna sat back in their chairs and gripped my left and right hands respectively.

While this was all fine and dandy... For some reason, Sarah and Anna seemed to also wear very self-assured smiles on their faces as they began to speak." Do Wives need a reason to Trust their Husband's instincts, Alle?"" He's Trusted us with his Life and his Heart multiple times, Alice. I don't think it's an issue to trust what Darling's instincts are telling him now."" Why are you both looking at me like that?" For some reason, Princess Alice began to feel irritated?" So, you're Marquess Matthew Drake, correct?"

As we began to break into an entirely different discussion, a quiet, calm, but somewhat haughty voice came from the right side of my table. I turned to see a light-brown skinned Demon with 3 teal eyes and pale-blue hair to the right side of the table. I move into my Noble Mode and begin to speak to the Demon who seemed to be trying to size me up." Yes, I'm Marquess Matthew Drake, might I ask with whom I've the pleasure of speaking?"

I look slightly upwards to meet the Demon eye to eye and I found those same teal eyes to be growing colder by the second as they looked back at me." Ah! Gordon! You've beat me to it! Hey, Marquess Drake!"" Hello, Count Sark. It's good to see you again. From your words, I take it that this is Count Gorse?" I stood up, followed shortly by Sarah and Anna. The 3 of us move over to Count Sark and Count Gorse. Of course, we don't move too far away from the table. We need to keep watch over Wendy and Ellie after all."

Ah, you've come to us! Usually, the Highest-Ranking Noble sits and waits for the other Lower Ranked Nobles to greet them first."" Oh really? Well, what happens when Nobles share the same Rank?"" Usually, the Older Family is given the higher position since they have had the Rank for longer. If all things are equal, they usually go for whoever has closer relations to the Royal Family. If all things are equal, then they just reduce it to age I believe, but that hasn't happened around here for decades I think?"

Count Sark began to recount some rules to me. I've heard of some of these rules already mind you, but to allow either of the Counts to relay this information to me allows me to subtly show that I'm willing to learn from my "elders". In this case, all of the Counts of this area are in the triple digit age. I thought this would go a lot smoother as my first public appearance if I maintained the appearance that I don't want to rock the boat.

At least until dessert comes and then the Business Dealings tomorrow can do all of that for me if all goes well." So, you've been handed a Marquess Rank, but you lack understanding of such Basic Etiquette?" While I was thinking about what tomorrow would bring, Count Gorse spoke to me with a bit of an exasperated tone." While I'd debate you on the idea that I was just "handed" my Rank, Count Gorse, I cannot in good conscious lie about my lacking Etiquette. You see, my Ranking only went into effect around a year ago.

I then spent most of my days learning the History of this Land and its People. I then had a crash course on the basic Duties of a Noble before leaving the Capital for Paradise. I simply lacked the time to learn proper conduct, I do hope such an esteemed man such as yourself can forgive my lacking manners tonight. I assure you my Wives have gone to great lengths to teach me from the ground up how to properly conduct myself." Count Gorse sharpened his eyes for a brief moment before responding to me."

Perhaps as a Count for many years, we can grant you that. But all of us have our limits, Marquess Drake. Spending the time to better yourself through study is the easiest way to raise your worth in this world." Count Gorse seemed to accept my request. That was nice. I find the idea that he seems to really think that he's above me a bit irritating, but I can't deny that in terms of Noble Etiquette I'm certainly his lesser.

While I can tell Sarah and Anna would like to share a piece of their minds with Count Gorse, they seem to be holding back so my reputation isn't damaged. I believe that men who can't "control" their wives in public are looked down upon. I wondered about Count Sark's conduct yesterday, but it was in the privacy of their own vacation home... Besides, it's not like my words would mean much even if I were to speak about it." Gordon, don't you think you're being too hard on Marquess Drake?"

Count Sark broke into the conversation between Count Gorse and me. I now awaited to see the reaction of Count Gorse to a Demon who seems to only do the bare minimum in terms of Noble Conduct like Count Sark.