Novel Full Chapter 2337: The Promised Tea Party ⑥
On the terrace of Hamilton Marquisdom’s villa, the venue for the tea party, all the participants except for Kaito had already gathered, each engaged in their own conversations.
They had been instructed by Eris, via the invitations, to arrive earlier than Kaito, so naturally they had come ahead of time. Still, instead of sitting in the seats prepared for them, they stood and chatted casually.
That was simply because, given Kaito would be the last to arrive, it would feel too awkward if everyone were already seated waiting. So, to make things easier, they pretended as though they had only just arrived and remained standing.
[Of course, considering who we are meeting, it’s only natural to feel nervous.]
[According to Eris-sama, in terms of temperament, he is similar to the past Hero Actors, essentially an ordinary person. So we should not apply noble customs or unspoken rules when interacting with him. Well…… I’ve never actually spoken to a Hero Actor myself, but still.]
[Isn’t that the case for almost everyone? Even by age, at most someone might have seen two Festivals of Heroes……]
Gathered here today were eight noble young ladies…… For a noble tea party, that was a somewhat small number, but since this was Kaito’s very first tea party, they had deliberately kept the group limited.
From Cornelia onward, the young ladies gathered had all been carefully chosen, with personality being the highest priority. They were mindful of the fact that Kaito was inexperienced in such gatherings and were determined to act accordingly.
[Still, the reactions around us have been quite intense. You could feel the desire for us to somehow gain Miyama-sama’s favor, it was a lot of pressure even when I was leaving home.]
[Considering the influence he holds, it can’t be helped. My fiancé even said something utterly ridiculous, like “If it comes to it, I’d gladly dissolve our engagement, so be sure to introduce me if that happens.” Honestly, I felt like ending our engagement on the spot.][Wanting to form a friendly relationship is one thing, but wishing for you to be taken away is just disgraceful. Of course, I would never approach Miyama Kaito-sama with such disrespectful ulterior motives, but this only makes me recognize again how great his influence truly is.]
As is the case with Cornelia, it seemed that the families of the young ladies, as well as the nobles who have connections with them, had sent them off with the hope that they might somehow win Kaito’s favor.
Considering the rapid rise of Albert Duchy and Hamilton Marquisdom, such feelings were understandable to a certain degree. Still, as to be expected of the people Eris had carefully chosen, none of the young ladies gathered here seemed to harbor any intent of currying favor through charms or seduction.
Watching them, Cornelia recalled her earlier conversation with Eris.
(Eris-sama seemed anxious, but so far there’s no sign of trouble. All the nobles here are reformists, firmly within the Hamilton faction, and Eris-sama, on behalf of the Hamilton Marquisdom, has thoroughly investigated their backgrounds. Even from my own perspective, every young lady here is sociable, free of elitism, and exemplary in character…… At the very least, I can’t imagine any of them angering Miyama Kaito-sama.)
This time, the selection was based on character. Many were second or third daughters rather than heirs…… or even further down the line, but they had been chosen because of their virtues. At the very least, none of them were the type to cause Kaito trouble.
(In that case, it seems nothing will go wrong. It’s important to consider all possibilities, but being too tense won’t help either. I should approach this calmly, without overthinking it.)
Just as Cornelia finished gathering her thoughts, several maids appeared in a somewhat flustered manner and began adding an extra seat to the table.
That alone would not have been an issue. Everyone had been informed beforehand that Kaito might misunderstand the meaning of “attendant”, and instead of bringing a guard, he might bring an ordinary companion. In that case, an additional seat would simply be prepared to accommodate them.
However, the behavior of the maids was unusual. They weren’t just adding a seat, they were rechecking the entire table arrangement, radiating the kind of nervous tension that suggested even the smallest mistake would be unacceptable.
Sensing that abnormal atmosphere, the young ladies gathered all turned their eyes toward the table, where one of the maids looked over them before speaking.
[……Ladies, please remain calm as I say this. As Miyama Kaito-sama’s attendant…… Her Majesty, Underworld King-sama will be attending this tea party as well.]
[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ ! ? ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]
It was the very definition of a shockwave. The noble ladies were visibly stunned by the maid’s words.
[U- U- U- Underworld King-sama!?]
[P- Please wait, Underworld King-sama has never once attended a noble tea party before……]
[S- She’s coming right away!? I- I need time to prepare myself……]
[I’m not ready! I’ve never steeled myself for the idea of meeting one of the Six Kings and sitting at the same table!]
Thus, a bombshell of monumental scale had been dropped. Though no one raised their voices too loudly, their agitation was unmistakable…… and of course, it was only natural. Kaito’s fame and influence were already significant, and even his participation alone made this tea party a major event.
But they had been prepared for that. Eris had informed them in advance of Kaito’s character through letters, and they had steeled themselves for meeting him, imagining scenarios and bracing themselves up until today.
……But none of them had anticipated, nor prepared themselves for, the addition of what was essentially the pinnacle of the Demon Realm.
And so, though there was nothing they could do about it now, until Kaito and his party actually arrived, the young ladies struggled to keep their voices low, but the atmosphere itself was sheer chaos, the very picture of pandemonium.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [At last, it has escalated, no longer just hitting one at a time, but unleashing an AOE body blow straight to the gut, taking out several at once. These poor nameless young ladies…… they showed up only to get their stomachs smashed right from the start……]