Chapter 162
Evening Party
The day of the evening party arrived at last .
I, who handed over the unwilling Allen and Elena to the castle maids and the Royal Guards including Isaac-san, arrived with Matthias-san and Rebecca-san to the entrance of the evening party hall .
There will be many dressed up n.o.bles, right? I am getting a bit nervous .
“Are you prepared, Tak.u.mi-kun?”
“Fufu . Now then, Tak.u.mi-san, let’s enter . ”
Although I was still feeling nervous, Rebecca-san supported herself with my arm .
Rebecca-san’s escort is naturally Matthias-san, but I am escorting her with him today as well . This is apparently called a double escort .
When we entered the gorgeous hall, not a small racket stirred .
Is this normal or is it because someone they are not familiar with like me is with the Count couple… I couldn’t tell since it was my first evening party, but curious gazes gathered on us .
“Tak.u.mi-kun, we must greet His Majesty first . ”
“Y, yes, I understand . ”
“Tak.u.mi-san, your expression has stiffened . ”
“Eh?”
“It’s understandable that you are nervous, but we are with you, so you don’t need to be worried . ”
“… I will do my best . ”
Although I say that, I don’t know whether I will be able to suppress my nervousness .
“Haha, it seems that eyes are nailed on your accessories, Rebecca . ”
“Oh my, oh my . ”
Matthias-san leaked quiet laughter without breaking his expression .
I see, the majority of the gazes is directed towards the pearls!
Today, Rebecca-san is wearing a wine red, slender dress with a charmful white embroidery with the pearl accessories Matthias-san and I gifted her .
“There isn’t anyone going to ask even though they are all interested?”
“Tak.u.mi-kun, where are we going now?”
“Eh? To His Majesty——Tristan-sama’s place . ”
“Right . There’s no way they would obstruct us when we are going to this party’s organizer, the King of this country, right?”
“Ah, I see!”
It’s standard to greet the organizer of the party first . There isn’t anyone without manners who would contact us before we finished our greetings .
“Now then, Tak.u.mi-kun, it’s our turn . ”
We advanced through the queue of people that came to greet Tristan-sama .
When it became our turn, Matthias-san went forward and bowed .
Following after Matthias-san, Rebecca-san and I bowed next .
“Count Ruven, Lady Rebecca, thank you for coming this evening . ”
“Thank you very much for the invitation . ”
Talking casually is apparently a breach of etiquette for those of status . Therefore, when Tristan-sama addressed Matthias-san, Matthias-san gave his greetings .
It feels like the stern Tristan-sama wrapped in kingly aura I had an audience with was a different person .
“Your outfit is truly beautiful tonight, Your Majesty . ”
“Oh my, thank you, Count Ruven . Your wife’s attire is also wonderful today . ”
I don’t feel any friendliness from Grace-sama she had when I met her in private .
This is exactly what a “n.o.ble woman” is .
“You did well coming, Tak.u.mi . ”
“Thank you very much for the invitation, Your Majesty . ”
The moment Tristan-sama called out to me, the surroundings have gotten momentarily noisier .
Are they surprised that someone they don’t know was known by His Majesty?
“How is your first evening party?”
“I feel a bit nervous from this truly gorgeous place . ”
“Hahaha~ What, no need to be this tense . Just enjoy yourself without worries . ”
“Indeed, Tak.u.mi-san . Since you are already here, you better enjoy yourself . ”
As Tristan-sama and Grace-sama talked with me intimately, the noise of the surroundings grew louder .
“Good evening, Tak.u.mi-dono . ”
When Austin-sama and Aurora-sama who finished greeting other n.o.bles joined us, the noise grew even louder .
“Thank you for the invitation, Austin-sama . ”
“It’s my first time seeing you dressed like this Tak.u.mi-dono, but it seems that you are quite used to it . ”
“Do you think so?”
I was always dressed in my usual adventurer-style clothes when meeting with Austin-sama, so he was staring at me fixedly .
Generally, adventurers (commoners) wouldn’t be used to wearing this style of clothes, but I am used to wearing a suit, so I don’t feel out of place when dressed like a n.o.ble .
“Both Grace-sama and Aurora-sama are wearing the pearls, I see . It suits you very well . ”
“Thank you . Although I believe that one would be able to get used to wearing something this wonderful immediately . ”
“Indeed . I also switched the dress I was planning on wearing tonight for something that would match with the hair ornament~”
“If I am not mistaken… you wanted to wear a pale-pink dress tonight, no?”
“Yes, they are of the same color though, so the pearl wouldn’t stand out . ”
“Truly . ”
Grace-sama and Aurora-sama were wearing the pearl accessories I have brought them the other day . Aurora-sama decided to choose a new dress that would go well with the pearl hair ornament .
“Rebecca’s jewelry is also wonderful . Were these pearls also…”
“Yes, indeed . ”
Grace-sama praised Rebecca-san’s pearl accessories and glanced at me .
She asked Rebecca-san in a way that the people listening in to our conversation wouldn’t understand .
Rebecca-san also replied in an unclear way .
“Tak.u.mi, I can’t praise you for hogging our women all for yourself~”
“Eh?”
Tristan-sama on the side was poking fun at me .
From the side, it apparently looks like the three women were gathered around me .
“Nono, Your Majesty . You should have seen Tak.u.mi-kun when he was surrounded by young ladies at our tea party . ”
“What? That’s incredible . ”
Matthias-san, I don’t need to guess that you are talking about the matter with Pastel Rabbits, right? Please stop saying it as if the ladies were gathering around for me .
Also, stop smirking at me please!
“… It was the Pastel Rabbits that were popular, not me . ”
“You think so? They might have been swarming around you, you know?”
“Definitely not~”
“My, oh my . Your Majesty, Tak.u.mi-san is going to sulk if you tease him too much . ”
“Right . ”
Tristan-sama was trying to tease me further, but he quickly withdrew thanks to Grace-sama’s defense .
“It’s amusing talking with you Tak.u.mi and I would like to talk more, but let’s do that afterward . Well then, Count Ruven, Tak.u.mi is still unfamiliar with a place like this, so look after him carefully . ”
“Understood . ”
Tristan-sama and others still have many n.o.bles left to greet, so they are not able to spare too much time for us . I felt a bit uneasy from Tristan-sama’s words, but we bowed and separated from him and others .
“… How tiring . ”
“Now, now, the evening party has just begun, you know? —— Look, they are here . ”
After we separated from Tristan-sama and others, I grumbled a complaint .
But, aren’t people unconcerned about that and coming this way!?
“Long time no see, Count Ruven . ”
“Count Ruven-sama, Rebecca-sama, gokigen’yoh . ”
“Rebecca-sama, it has been a while . ”
And before I noticed, we were surrounded by many people .
“Rebecca-san, your necklace and earring look wonderful . ”
“What a splendid pearls~”
“Where might you have purchased them?”
They came to ask about the pearls .
Is that why there are only three men, but seven women? Because of the pearls?
“Fufu . This was a gift from my husband . ”
Rebecca-san gave an evasive reply to the questions of the women .
“Who might be this person?”
“He is not your son, is he?”
There also were people who wanted to know about me .
“He is an adventurer under my guardianship . He is very exceptional, so he had the privilege of obtaining His Majesty’s favor . ”
“Certainly, his conversation with His Majesty seemed quite intimate…”
Matthias-san appealed his guardianship of me and His Majesty’s relationship with me .
Without being able to interject even once, I watched Matthias-san and Rebecca-san’s conversations from the side .