Chapter 99

Fred was extremely anxious about meeting his younger brother after five years, but we weren't that worried. Fred wasn't afraid of the meeting itself; his concern was more about "what kind of face should I show," which is something only he can resolve.

More importantly, we needed to focus on what would happen after his brother arrived in town.

We put Fred, who was crossing his arms and looking up at the sky, worrying about how to approach his brother, aside for a moment.

"Mr. Eddie, would it be alright to call Prince Clovis 'Mr. Clovis' considering he is incognito?"

"Yes, since it is at his own request to be incognito, as long as we don't use overly formal titles, I think it should be fine to call him by any name."

"Then... how many people is Mr. Clovis coming with to this town?"

"The problem is, the letter doesn't mention anything about that. Since it says 'by the fastest means,' I assume he will come with the minimum number of people necessary."

"Oh, that's a problem. I was thinking of arranging a dinner to celebrate their reunion..."

Given that Prince Clovis is visiting as the Crown Prince of Midgard, even if it's sudden, he should be coming to the capital of Lotharingia with an envoy. Since he is incognito, he will likely come here with just a few people... probably four or five... at most, I don't think it will be more than ten.

But it's a bit of a problem not knowing the arrival time or the number of people. Some restaurants in this hotel might be accommodating if we tell them that Fred's brother will be arriving soon, but depending on the number of people, they might not fit in a private room.

Moreover, since we don't know what time he will arrive, we can't be sure if we can even arrange a dinner. I think there will be some prior notice...

"The letter mentioned that he wants to talk about the research, so should I arrange a factory tour or something?"

"There are some confidential technologies, and since he is technically an outsider, I think it would be best to only discuss what can be talked about. If he requests a tour, we can consider it then."

Indeed... we shouldn't make plans without first hearing what Fred's brother wants. But it's uncomfortable not being able to make any concrete plans even though we know he's coming.

In the midst of this, Eddie, who is usually serious but surprisingly optimistic, said, "He's not the type to make unreasonable demands, so I'm sure it will work out," with a bold and confident tone. He's very strong.

Looking at Fred, who was still looking anxious, I felt that they were a good match.

I'm often a pessimist and tend to worry a lot, but Anna always cheers me up.

"Right, I have a good idea. Mr. Eddie, can you tell me how many confidants Mr. Clovis has?"

"Confidants?"

"Yes. I think the number of people he brings won't be less than that, so it might help us plan the reception better."

Indeed, the number of people won't deviate much from the number of confidants. There might be one or two more for security, but we can at least estimate the minimum number.

Anna, determined to provide the best possible reception despite the many unknowns, was further informed by Eddie.

"Confidants..."

"Yes. He has many subordinates, but since this is an incognito visit, I think he will only bring the people he trusts the most, like how Fred has you."

Moreover, Eddie mentioned that while the political struggles have calmed down, there were factions that supported Fred. The people who knew Fred's true feelings and that he didn't want to be involved in the conflict wouldn't bring anyone else.

I thought there might be at most five confidants, but Eddie seemed to be struggling with the answer.

"...Does Mr. Clovis have that many confidants?"

"No... when I think about it... he doesn't have any."

Surprised by this unexpected answer, Anna and I both asked for clarification.

"Really?"

"He is so excellent and strict with both himself and others... there are many people around him who are devoted to him..."

Prince Clovis had a few childhood friends and foster brothers, but no one could keep up with his brilliance. Even though they serve as his aides, they are only in a "superior and subordinate" relationship. There is no one he truly trusts and confides in.

So, it's a bit difficult to predict who he will bring and how many people will come.

"Well... it doesn't seem like it will be a large group, so we should prepare with some flexibility."

Anna changed her expression and spoke brightly, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere. You're right, we shouldn't worry too much.

"Anna, I've never prepared a reception for someone before, so please teach me a lot."

"Of course, I will."

We decided to start preparing from the next day so that Fred's brother would be welcomed whenever he arrived. That day, we listened to various stories about Clovis from Fred's perspective.

We heard heartwarming stories like "Clovis loved chocolate when he was a child," and bittersweet ones like "As he grew up, he became more conscious of others' eyes and couldn't eat with us as much, so I don't know if he still likes it..."

We spent a pleasant evening together, completely unaware that a major incident would disrupt the town the next day.