Groom's Troubles Goblin's Melancholy

"Duke Dylan, Viscount Terrass──" the servant read out the name of the visitor aloud.

When he arrived at Earl Sol's Naveton Manor, Truss realized that tonight's banquet was more formal than expected, and there were quite a few famous guests.

He straightened his back, secretly thankful that he had chosen the right clothes, and looked around with the corner of his eye.

Although Naveton Manor is not as luxurious as Charleston Castle, it is very unique.

Although there are not many fashionable imported ornaments, the carvings on the screen and the paintings on the walls are all classic objects, showing the family's ancient origins in the local area.

Probably because he hasn't participated in a social dinner for a long time, Di Lan seemed to be in high spirits tonight.

"Long time no see, Your Excellency the Duke." Sol slightly curved the corner of his mouth, and there was a hint of a smile outside of etiquette in his green eyes.

"Long time no see, my dear Sol." Dylan held Terras's hand with a smile, "Let me introduce to you, this is my dear goblin, Terrass. This is Earl Sol."

Truss looked up, and saw the well-dressed count standing awe-inspiringly facing him, with silver-gray hair and prominent features, as graceful and dignified as a church statue.

"Your Excellency, you are still so humorous. I have admired you for a long time, Viscount Truss." Sol showed a friendly smile, and Trass couldn't help but blushed.

"Hi Count, hello."

"Viscount, I don't think it's the first time we've met, it's just that we haven't had the chance to get to know each other."

Even if Saul didn't deliberately mention it, Truss knew that the most frequent meeting between them would be at the promiscuous party hosted by Dilan, and I'm afraid he had seen a lot of his shameless gestures.

"In a way, it's impossible to know more relationships." Truss laughed briskly.

"I've wanted to introduce you for a long time. Look, you stand up like a perfect painting." Dilan stepped back and looked at the two, laughing heartily.

Traston felt a slight pain in his chest.

As if he didn't hear it, Sol ignored Dylan's unserious words and continued, "Your Excellency, Viscount, please allow me to introduce my cousin, Mr. John Manley."

It was only then that Truss noticed that a tall and strong young man was following Sol.

I saw that his eyebrows were thick but the eye sockets were flat, his nose was high but his lips were slightly plump, making his face look rather mediocre as a whole.His muscular figure still looks like a soldier, but he is not wearing a military uniform, and he still looks shy like a young man. Truss can't help feeling suspicious of his identity.

Dilan froze for a moment, then immediately extended his hand to greet him: "Hello, Mr. Manley."

From Truss' point of view, Di Lan's mouth was tightly clenched, as if he was holding back a smile.

The young man grimaced and shook his hand reluctantly, then withdrew his hand.

Truss felt even more strange that there were still people who didn't buy Duke Dylan's account.

When Saul took the people away to greet other guests, he couldn't help asking Dilan's origin.

"Who is that Mr. Manly? You know him?"

Di Lan didn't answer directly, but pulled him aside mysteriously, and then whispered, "That's his groom."

"What?" Truss was taken aback.

I didn't expect the earl to still like to play pranks. If someone finds out that it's not a joke, I'm afraid he will offend all the guests. These narrow-minded dignitaries will definitely feel insulted.

He couldn't help but sweat for Saul, no wonder that Mr. Manly behaved like a socially awkward young man, and he was not a member of the social circle at all.

Truss searched for Saul and that Mr. Manly in the crowd, and he found that Saul seemed to take great care of that Mr. Manley.

A simple prank doesn't need to go this far...

Truss had heard from Dylan that the earl had a relationship with his groom before, but he thought the earl was just a whim, but now it seems that it is not that simple.But soon he denied his guess. After all, even if it was more than a one-night stand, it was impossible for the Earl to really bring his groom into the social circle.

Truss shook his head in disbelief, but when he looked at Di Lan in confusion, he saw Di Lan's eyes flicker playfully, and said with a smile: "Cupid's arrow always hits two unexpected people body."

According to him, the Earl really fell in love with a groom?Truss was shocked.

"No wonder he is so enthusiastic about tonight's banquet. It's because of this." Di Lan raised his eyebrows and said with a sudden realization.

Truss saw Sol from a distance with a groom in elegant clothes introducing people around, and from time to time checked the groom's embarrassed expression, as if it was a great pleasure.

Truss didn't speak, but was lost in thought.

But at the same time, Saul's fun didn't last too long.When it was time for dinner, the social atmosphere that the earl had worked so hard to create was quickly interrupted by Lieutenant General Frank, who was not interested.He completely disregarded the occasion, and made a grandiose speech.

All the guests present were listening attentively to General Frank boasting about his exploration of the New World.What is the country of gold, ferocious savages, and exotic beasts and so on.

Lieutenant General Frank also deliberately showed off that his next voyage was ordered by the Queen.Everyone didn't dare to say anything because they knew each other immediately. These words were obviously aimed at Duke Dilan present here.

Since the duke has faded out of social circles, there have been rumors that he has also fallen out of favor with Her Majesty the Queen.

Frank, who had brought back a large amount of wealth from the New World, took advantage of the opportunity to gain power, and unknowingly regarded the Duke as his equal enemy.He often taunted behind his back, but no one expected him to dare to speak insultingly openly.

"A man should go out into the world, not stay in one place and be a miser." Frank said boldly while eating meat with big mouthfuls, his mouth covered with fat.

Dilan suppressed his voice, and retorted without haste: "Without us misers who stay on land, where would the funds for the adventure fleet come from?"

"Duke, you really like to joke. Of course I'm not referring to you. A drink to the miser!" Frank raised his glass and laughed.

He drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, raised the sterling silver fork and poked vigorously at the dishes on the table, the delicate maple leaf carvings on the grouse pie were immediately smashed, and the filling juice in the pie splashed everywhere .

"What the hell is going on with this thing!" Frank pulled up a corner of the tablecloth to wipe the sauce-stained cuffs of his uniform.

The ladies covered their mouths and smiled at each other.

If you want to eat this kind of big pie, you need to pry off the top layer of decorative cover before you can eat the filling inside, otherwise the pre-poured gravy and sauce will spill out. Frank, who is of humble origin, obviously doesn’t understand this rule.

Di Lan didn't laugh at the lieutenant general's poor eating, but continued to enjoy the special veal white soup made by the Earl's chef, and gave him a decent compliment.

However, the disaster of this dinner was not over.

When dessert was served, a more clumsy diner, Mr. Manley, accidentally poked over the tower-shaped jelly named "Solomon's Temple", and one of the jelly towers rolled down on a lady's bed. The skirt went up, causing a scream.

This accident virtually saved Lieutenant General Frank some face.And poor Mr. Manley has the misfortune to be crowned the most rude gentleman of the day, privately judged by the ladies.

After the guests finished their dinner, they left the dining room one after another and went to the ballroom.

Accompanied by melodious music, Dylan began to criticize Frank to Truss.Said he made his fortune through the immoral slave trade, and his snobbish face about being smug after being honored by the Queen.

Truss listened but was noncommittal.

"You don't seem to hate this rude lieutenant general?" Di Lan's eyes changed, revealing a hint of displeasure.

"I'm not qualified to judge anyone," Truss smiled nonchalantly, "but you're right, I don't hate him, he reminds me of one of my uncles."

"What uncle?" Di Lan didn't believe his words at all, "Although I haven't met all your relatives, I don't believe there are similar looks in your family."

"I'm not talking about their looks. In fact, they have no similarities in size or appearance."

"The biggest thing in common is probably not being popular." Truss smiled and said as if thinking of something: "My little uncle is not liked by the elders at all, but every family will have the free-spirited youngest son of

"Are you sure you're not insinuating about me?" Di Lan also laughed.

Truss rolled his eyes, "I'm so sorry, you are an unruly heartthrob. Besides, you are the only child."

"I don't think there's any difference. The only son and the youngest son are very capricious, aren't they?"

"But the youngest son will be more qualified to escape from reality." Truss said after thinking about it.

After Tras's little uncle fell out with the old Viscount, he went abroad alone, and rarely contacted his family again.But he likes Telas very much, the cute little nephew who is like a little porcelain man, and he always sends him all kinds of novelties from foreign countries.When he came back, he always hugged him boldly and circled him, which was the only hug that Truss could get from his elders in his childhood.

"It seems that the reason why you are so easy to have a good impression of the libertine is rooted in this." Di Lan said with a burst of blood.

Truss choked for a moment, in fact, he was a little aware of it as he talked.

"Why does Lieutenant General Frank keep looking in this direction, should I feel jealous?" Di Lan's half-joking tone was mixed with a little irritation.

"You worry too much." Truss realized that he had said too much. In fact, it was not the first time he met Frank. To be more precise, they did have a one-night affair.

Although it was only a trivial episode, Truss felt that it was better to say less, so as not to be seen through by Dylan and cause more unhappiness.

"I think he's looking at you. And not only him, but everyone else too, you see."

Di Lan glanced around and found that the guests' eyes had indeed begun to focus on him.

"If you don't start leading the dance again, I think Frank will be very happy to exercise this privilege."

It was only then that Di Lan remembered that as the highest-ranking nobleman present, he should take the lead in leading the dance first.He immediately signaled to the host that when the musicians were ready, he gracefully took a lady's hand and invited her to dance the first dance.

The guests applauded one after another, and then joined the dance floor and danced together, and the room was filled with elegant dresses.

Truss had no interest in dancing at all, and was about to hide in a corner in order not to participate in it, but saw the groom quietly go to the empty terrace.

He hesitated for a moment, and followed quietly.

The author has something to say: It’s time to recommend videos again~

The ball menu is a reference to the BBC's Pride and Prejudice 200th anniversary documentary Let's Dance.

It tells about the dance culture in the Austin era. There is a subtitled version at station B. It is very interesting. If you are interested, you can search it!