Novel Full Chapter 2341: The Promised Tea Party ⑩
At Eris’s suggestion, the young ladies would introduce themselves in turn, and naturally, the order followed the rank of their families…… in other words, according to the nobility’s hierarchy.
This time, since the tea party had been organized with personality in mind, not everyone present was from a high-ranking family, but among the 8 young ladies gathered, the one with the highest standing was the daughter of a Count, Cornelia. Thus, it fell to Cornelia to begin the introductions.
To make things clear for Kaito and Kuromeina, Cornelia stood up from her seat, quickly running her thoughts as she prepared herself.
(This is an important role. As the first, my self-introduction will likely set the standard for the others to follow, failure is not an option. I must remember that what’s needed is not a formal greeting but a self-introduction. Noble etiquette can be set aside, conveying things as simply as possible is key. But how much should I say about myself…… Too much could be unpleasant, but too little and I’ll leave no impression on Miyama Kaito-sama and Kuromeina-sama. The goal should be just enough for them to remember my face and name, without becoming tedious……)
Having experienced noble society as the daughter of a Count, and being competent enough that Eris had chosen her for this role, Cornelia quickly gathered her thoughts, smiled, and gave a light bow.
[Then, if I may have the honor of going first…… I am Cornelia Sharon, eldest daughter of Sharon County. Since I have an elder brother, I am neither the heir nor the successor. I am still young at 18, but I often assist with the trading company our house manages, and thus have some knowledge in that field. I would be delighted if today’s encounter proves to be a good one for us all. Please, treat me kindly.]
Her introduction was short and concise, while also including her age and her family’s business…… Cornelia herself felt she had done well for something so impromptu, and it seemed a good reference for the others as well…… Yet inwardly, she was shaken.
(J- Just now, Miyama Kaito-sama made a slightly puzzled expression…… He returned to normal right away, but d- did I displease him somehow? Was it a mistake to bring up my family’s affairs? No, wait. That expression appeared right at the very start of my self-introduction…… W- What mistake did I make……?)
Yes, though Cornelia outwardly maintained composure, her nerves were in turmoil because the moment she began speaking, Kaito had shown a fleeting confused look on his face.
Kaito’s emotions were quick to show, and the doubtful, questioning expression had unsettled her.……But in truth, Kaito’s look had nothing to do with any problem in Cornelia’s introduction. The reality was simply that Cornelia had, during Archlesia Empire’s Founding Festival, once visited Kaito’s stall to buy ceramics after receiving information from Eris. They had hardly spoken, and she had worn a light disguise, but still, they had met once before.
Because of that, when Cornelia began her greeting, Kaito had simply thought “Huh? I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before?”. A moment later, he concluded “Maybe I caught sight of her when I visited Chris-san’s place or something”, and returned his expression to normal. He hadn’t felt any doubt or dissatisfaction about Cornelia’s introduction at all, but Cornelia had no way of knowing this, so to her, waiting for Kaito’s response felt like a prisoner awaiting the execution of her sentence.
[Ah, you’re the child from the Sharon Trading Company, right? I don’t think we’ve spoken directly before, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you a few times.]
[Y- Yes, I have had the opportunity to see Kuromeina-sama on occasions relating to our trading company, so it is an honor to finally speak like this.]
Just then, Kuromeina smiled and addressed Cornelia, which turned out to be her salvation. Seeing that exchange, Kaito decided to clear up the sense of familiarity he felt, and when their short conversation came to a pause, he spoke up.
[Is it alright if I call you Cornelia-san?]
[Of course.]
[Errr, Cornelia-san…… haven’t we met somewhere before? No, I don’t mean this as a pickup line or anything, it’s just that I feel like I’ve seen you before……]
[A- Ahh, that might have been at Archlesia Empire’s Founding Festival. I purchased some ceramics at your shop, Miyama Kaito-sama. At the time I was wearing a hat, so perhaps the impression was a little different from now……]
[Ohh, that explains it! No wonder you looked familiar…… thank you, that clears it up. Ah, and it’s fine if you just call me by name.]
[Then, I’ll address you as Kaito-sama. The ceramics I purchased back then were truly wonderful, and I still treasure it dearly.]
Seeing Kaito’s smile once his question had been answered, Cornelia felt an immense wave of relief wash over her.
(T- T- T- Thank goodness…… I really thought I might have offended him somehow……)
Relieved, Cornelia didn’t realize it. No, she couldn’t possibly have realized it…… Just now, Cornelia had carried out the act of “praising Nebula’s work” toward Kaito.
By doing so, she had effectively obtained an express ticket straight to stomachache,the kind that came from Kaito’s favorability shooting up drastically…… But at this moment, she still had no idea.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [The most effective way to raise Kaito’s initial favorability is to praise either his pets or Nebula…… but if his favorability goes up because of that, then it opens up a direct route to a body-blow to the stomach…… What kind of outrageous trap is this!?]