Tyranny of Steel

After conversing with the guests for nearly an hour, the dessert was brought out, which of course, was a giant German Cheesecake, which was made from Berengar's recipes. Adela, who had witnessed Lambert's birthday, had followed Berengar's tradition and placed thirteen candles on the cake, which we're currently lit. Before the birthday girl had managed to blow out the candles, Berengar made sure to shout out.

"Make a wish!"

After hearing his words, Adela made a wish in which only she would know the details of before blowing the candles out with a simile on her face. At first, many of the nobles were confused by the candles and cake. Still, it seemed fun, and they instantly desired to do it at their future birthday celebrations, especially among the younger generation.

As for Berengar, he waited for Adela to receive her gifts before giving his last. She had received many expensive objects, from silk dresses to old literature. However, nothing she received would compare to the set of jewels Berengar would give her. After opening all her presents, all that was left was the gifts from her fiance. Many higher noblemen smirked with disdain at Berengar, who only recently achieved status as a Viscount and surely would not be able to afford a proper gift. However, when Adela received his present, which was properly wrapped, she could not wait to open it and see what was inside.

Anxiety was filled on the faces of everyone in the room, as they wanted to see what kind of humble gift a man who had grown up as a Baron's son and heir could provide such a high-class fiancee. However, their eyes turned to shock when they gazed upon the extravagant set of jewelry that was unlike anything the nobility had ever seen before. The look on Adela's face was priceless when she realized the gems were better than anything that her mother wore. Even the Duke was stunned at the magnificent display of the polished black garnet and gold jewelry. Of course, Berengar made the set in the colors of his house as a symbol of their future union.

Before Adela could speak her praise Berengar had pulled the luxurious ring out of the container and bent down on one knee before placed the gilded object upon the young girl's ring finger. After doing such an action, Berengar spoke to his young fiancee with a genuine smile spread across his lips.

"Happy Birthday, my sweet Adela; I hope all of your wishes come true!"

Hearing those words, Adela's face began to flush with embarrassment. During the romantic scene, several feminine shrieks could be heard escaping the lips of some of the more envious young women in the audience. They, too, hoped that one day they could have a fiance as handsome and generous as Berengar.

Count Otto could not help but approach Berengar and inquire where he had gotten such an elegant set of jewelry; after all his wife was giving him death glares over the fact that her youngest daughter now had even better jewelry than herself. Even his other daughters were giving the Count the stink eye; the pettiness of women was something that could not be avoided.

"Berengar, my son, Where did you get such a majestic set of jewels?"

A slight smile spread across his lips, just as he had planned, everyone in the room had taken the bait, and now he could expand into the business of jewelry. As such, he boldly proclaimed the origins of the jewelry for everyone in the room to hear.

"I had it specially made by the jewelers in my territory, though I was the one to provide them with the basic designs; it was the craftsmen of my industrial district who managed to create such a grand display of art!"

The words he spoke sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the room. Did he seriously design this jewelry? Just like how he designed the clothing in which Adela and her family wore? Immediately everyone wanted to do business with Berengar and the craftsmen in his Viscounty. Even the Duke was surprised; this young man was not just an excellent statesman and a brilliant commander, but an artistic genius!

Truthfully speaking, Berengar merely copied designs from his previous life and decided to make them with colors he thought looked best: black and gold. Aside from that, he left the rest up to the true artists of his territory. If he were to try to develop an artistic design on his own, it would be an unmitigated disaster akin to so-called "modern art." He was more of a mind of science, engineering, and tactics than a creative type. Luckily he had a good sense of aesthetics, and photographic memory, so the designs for clothing and accessories, which he thought were beautiful from his previous life, were easy to replicate on paper. At the same time, the rest of the work was done by true craftsmen.

While Berengar was addressing Adela's father, the now-teenage girl grabbed ahold of his hand, which startled him; when he turned around, she had stood up from her seat and pecked him on the lips for all her father's vassals to witness. The action was incredibly embarrassing for the young maiden, but she managed to express the words deep in her heart.

"Thank you..."

It was blatantly obvious by how red the girl's cheeks were that she was extremely embarrassed by the whole situation; however, what Berengar said next nearly melted her heart.

"You don't need to thank me; it is a Husband's responsibility to look after his Wife."

With those words spoken by Berengar, Adela was no longer angry at him for being with Linde because no matter what relationship he had with the young temptress, Linde would never be his wife, and as such, Adela could hold her head high with pride. Thus at that moment, she had finally accepted the possibility of Berengar having a lover on the side; after all, she knew deep in her heart that one day Berengar would become a great man, and didn't all great men have some mistress?