Ch. 86
The king spoke to me as he looked straight ahead, just as the double doors were half-open.
“I heard this is your first debut at a party?”
“That’s right. Did you hear it from the Headmaster?”
That could only have come from there.
“Marquis Lyle Dert is quite fond of you. He asked me to look kindly upon you, even if you make a mistake.”
“The Headmaster… If someone hears that, they’ll think I’m some kind of spoiled child.”
“Haha, that’s true. I suppose he does see you that way. Perhaps it’s because he’s seen you since you were so little… but you’re a fine lady now.”
“You flatter me.”
“Having you stand guard beside me today almost feels like a waste. I feel sorry for the young men as well.”
“The young men?”
“Yes, just help out with the entrance, and then go enjoy the party. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find yourself a knight tonight.”
The king gave me freedom early on.
According to the etiquette book I hurriedly finished reading before the party, entering a party with someone of the same sex is considered quite strange.
That’s because, while parties serve as social gatherings, they also have a significant aspect of dating.
If you attend with someone of the same sex, the gender ratio gets thrown off.
“Your Majesty.”
“Don’t forget. You’re here today representing Dmitri. If anyone tries to belittle you, speak my name with pride.”
I wondered why the king was suddenly saying so much.
That question was answered the moment I entered the party hall.
People who had been waiting to see who would enter suddenly rushed over from all sides.
That brief moment on the stairs waiting for the doors to open had been my only chance to talk with the king.
“Your Highness Dikel! It’s been so long since we’ve seen you!”
“This is Marquis Tundra. I saw you in Dmitri in the fall—do you remember?”
“It’s an honor to meet you for the first time, Your Highness! I am…”
It all happened so quickly. Swept up in the crowd, I was separated from King Dikel III before I knew it.
Pushed, pushed, and shoved, I was carried far away against my will.
“Wait, I’m supposed to be… an attendant…”
People pushed me away like I was some useless object, and when I came to my senses, I was already about twenty paces away from the king.
In between us, a crowd of foreign nobles hoping to at least get their faces seen by the king had completely filled the space.
I was struck by just how popular King Dikel III was.
There were plenty of rumors across the continent about how Dmitri was enjoying its most stable and peaceful era in 300 years under his rule.
They called him a rare, healthy, and wise king.
From a distance, the king gave me a brief glance.
Even while surrounded by so many people, he looked relaxed and at ease, showing his generous character as he made a short gesture telling me to go ahead as I pleased.
Honestly, I already knew I wasn’t needed as an attendant anymore.
With so many people eager to speak with him, there was no chance he’d be left alone.
Still, I felt embarrassed after insisting on coming along, only to end up doing nothing.
[Just enjoy the party, Master.]
[Hmm, I feel like I’ve suddenly become really useless.]
[There really isn’t much for us to do.]
And to be honest, since this was my first party, I had no idea what I was supposed to do.
For a while, I just followed the crowd of foreign nobles gathered around King Dikel III.
Not that it made any difference or gave me anything to do.
“Hmm.”
The king looked busy entertaining the foreign nobles, and no one was interested in me.
I soon gave up following him around like a fool.
He must have given me freedom ahead of time knowing all this would happen.
He must have known I’d end up just standing around awkwardly.
He was surely far more used to parties than I was.
[Look! That chandelier is real crystal, Master.]
At Rai’s words, I finally stopped and took in my surroundings.
Focused on the king, I hadn’t realized that the ceiling of the party hall was covered in gold and each chandelier looked like a high-end work of art.
I was belatedly stunned by the size and splendor of the hall.
To think such a massive hall was inside the palace—typical of the Elan people.
How far does the Empire’s extravagance go?
[That really looks like real gold, doesn’t it?]
[Yes, that’s pure gold.]
By now, I had planned to look for Ash, but my plan was ruined from the start, and now I had too much free time.
Looking around, I spotted snacks and drinks set up here and there in the hall.
Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. They hadn’t given us lunch.
Apparently, if you’re going to wear a dress, you can’t have a belly sticking out.
‘Like I care.’
I decided to fill my stomach with some snacks and headed toward the buffet. Or at least, I tried to.
Before I realized it, I felt my heel slip on spilled liquor and my body tilt to one side.
Damn shoes!
I felt a bad sensation in my ankle and knew there was no way I could recover my balance on my own.
Gravity was relentless.
But I couldn’t suffer the humiliation of falling at an event like this.
Reaching out for help, my hand brushed the lapel of someone passing by my side.
I tried to grab hold, but missed by a hair, and ended up flailing as I watched the marble floor rush up toward me.
Expecting sharp pain, I thought that if I embarrassed myself like this, I’d have to pretend I was from Vailan instead of Dmitri.
“Damn.”
“Ah!”
With a sharp sound, someone caught me before I could hit the ground.
A large hand wrapped effortlessly around my waist, and I felt a man’s body behind me.
“Are you all right?”
It was a low voice, and the grip was firm.
And with the solid form so close, it was obvious my rescuer was a man.
He set me upright from behind, holding me tight, so to see his face I would have to turn around.
“Yes, yes.”
Steadying myself, I brushed my disheveled hair with my hand and barely managed to regain my balance before turning around.
The man was tall—I had to tilt my head back to see his face.
“You almost got hurt.”
“Still, thanks to you…”
I trailed off.
What is with that awful hair color!
Before I knew it, I was staring at the man who’d saved me with a look of disgust. His hair was an ominous shade of red.
**
“You must be quite startled.”
The man seemed to interpret my alarmed expression that way.
For some reason, I was still holding his hand, and if it weren’t for that, I’d have surely backed away by now.
From the way he was dressed, he was clearly not of low status.
But to my eyes, all I could see was that striking red hair.
It was so aggravating.
Just seeing that red put me in a foul mood.
I must be someone who holds grudges, is narrow-minded, and bears resentment. Or maybe I just have an allergy to red hair.
‘This guy… Not only his hair, but his face also strangely resembles Rovenin Fedri. Is it just my imagination?’
As I narrowed my eyes, I realized the man wasn’t letting go of my hand—in fact, he gripped it even tighter.
What the…?
“I don’t think we’ve met before. Are you from abroad?”
“Y-yes.”
I wish he’d just let go of my hand.
And stop looking at me like that… I had to grit my teeth at the deep, inscrutable gaze.
“As I thought, if I’d ever met someone as beautiful as you, I’d surely remember. Where are you from?”
“Dmitri…”
According to the etiquette book, letting a conversation drop was rude.
Supposedly, it was polite to return any question you were asked.
I hesitated for a moment.
Should I just kick this guy away? Or should I keep up my manners, since I was here as an attendant in a foreign country?
The answer didn’t take long.
“…And you? Are you from Elan?”
I forced a smile and asked back, as nicely as I could.
Because, even though his hair was red, he was the man who had helped me. He was a redhead, but seemed to be an Elan noble. Even if he had red hair.
I was determined to get through this as smoothly as possible.
“Yes. This is my homeland.”
“I can see that.”
“I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Rashamu Fedri.”
Unbelievable.
Do I have some kind of magnet that only attracts people named Fedri?
My bad feeling was spot-on, down to the bone.
God, why do you test me like this?
You lousy excuse for a deity!
Maybe I really do curse too much on a regular basis…
“My name is a bit unusual, isn’t it? My mother is a northern noblewoman.”
This guy—he’s that guy! The little brother who clung to Rovenin, whining ‘big brother’ after losing to me at the tournament… the younger one!
“Nice to meet you. The cowardly brat from the little country.”
There was no way I could forget.
That cocky brat!
When did he get so tall!
“And what is your name, milady?”
“…”
“If you tell me your name, I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”
It had been nine years since then, so I hadn’t recognized Rashamu at all, and it seemed he hadn’t recognized me either.
I was speechless, glaring at him with wide eyes.
I gritted my teeth for a moment, then broke into a dazzling smile.
“Geenie Crowell.”
It’s me, you punk.
