■ First Encounter □
The mansion of the Glorious Count’s family was located in the central part of the capital.
Although the size of the mansion itself wasn’t that large, it was built on prime real estate in the heart of the capital, so the land value alone must have been astronomical.
Today, many nobles were focused on Countess Glorious’ debut in high society because the Glorious Count’s family was one of the wealthiest families in the Oz Kingdom, easily counted among the top five.
Since independent activities require a lot of money, key royalists likely participated to recruit her as a financial backer.
Honestly, it was obvious even without seeing it directly.
“Sir, we have arrived.”
Hearing the words of the coachman from outside, we prepared to disembark.
Barnett would get out first, followed by Camilla, and then me.
As I reached out my hand toward Ozma, who was getting out of the carriage last, she looked slightly surprised before faintly smiling and taking my hand.
I could feel the warmth through her thin gloves as I supported her weight while she stepped down from the carriage.
When Ozma, dressed in a light purple dress, revealed herself, the guards stationed at the entrance of the mansion swallowed their spit audibly.
Indeed, even with my heightened standards due to the surrounding beauties, her appearance was extraordinarily stunning.
Together with the three others, I ascended the steps leading into the mansion.
“Oh…”
The Glorious family mansion, with its marble floors, was sleek and modern, designed in a black & white monochrome theme.
After seeing the opulence of the royal castle, this felt refreshingly different and somewhat more relaxing for the eyes.
“Please follow me this way, sir.”
One of the maids lined up in the first-floor hall approached us and spoke.
We began to move toward the ballroom where the party was being held, following her. [[#]] “~~~~~”
The atmosphere inside the ballroom seemed to have already reached its peak.
Even beyond the firmly closed doors, the sounds of people laughing and chatting were clearly audible.
As we arrived at the entrance of the ballroom, a man who appeared to be a butler bowed his head and asked:
“If you don’t mind, may I inquire about your name and position?”
I nodded slightly and replied:
“From the Finance Management Room of the Governor’s Office of Oz, Chief Financial Officer Partarth, and his partner, Governor Ozma Zoroaster.”
At hearing those names, a hint of fear flickered across the butler’s face.
Though he quickly regained his composure after just a moment.
“Hmm, please enter.”
With that, the butler opened the door himself, stepping ahead to announce loudly:
“The Chief Financial Officer from the Finance Management Room of the Governor’s Office of Oz, Partarth, and his partner, Governor Ozma Zoroaster!”
This announcement caused quite a stir in the ballroom.
However, I ignored it and confidently stepped inside.
We had been invited by the host, so there was no reason we shouldn’t be here.
“What kind of place is this to come to… humph…”
“How clueless…”
“Poor Count Glorious…”
The nobles couldn’t openly criticize us upfront, but they whispered behind our backs.
Frankly, using force in such situations isn’t polite, but I couldn’t let them insult us outright without responding.
They simply deserved it.
Snap!
As I flicked my finger, blades of wind formed in the air and flew toward the nobles and noblewomen who had been whispering.
Having carefully controlled the distance, the magic only tore their clothes to shreds.
“Kyaaaah!”
The now half-n*ked nobles screamed and collapsed.
“What is the meaning of this!”
Male nobles who still had some decency left in their undergarments turned red-faced and pointed accusing fingers at me.
I replied brazenly:
“I merely conducted an immediate trial for disrespecting the governor. Consider yourselves lucky. Human.”
“Grr! You dog of the Demon King!”
Judging by how someone referred to me outright as an animal, he must have been one of the royalists.
In any case, by the end of today’s party, he’d likely find himself in jail since the mansion was already completely surrounded by police officers from the Governor’s Office.
I extended a generous smile and offered him a suggestion:
“Do you feel offended? Then feel free to throw down your glove. If we duel for honor, I’ll gladly accept anytime. Of course, I won’t take responsibility for your life.”
“Eeeek!”
The middle-aged nobleman, evidently aware of how powerful I am, trembled but did not dare to challenge me to a duel and instead fled the ballroom.
The other nobles whose clothes had been forcibly removed hurriedly followed him out.
Once they were all gone, I placed my hand lightly on my chest and bowed deeply to the other attendees:
“There was a brief disturbance. Please continue to enjoy the party.”
At this, the orchestra music, which had momentarily stopped, resumed playing.
As the guests tried to laugh and resume their conversations despite the uneasy atmosphere, Ozma beside me asked with a tone of disapproval:
“Is it okay to cause trouble like this right away? This is Countess Glorious’ debut party in society, after all.”
“That’s exactly why they thought we wouldn’t act recklessly and provoked us. We couldn’t just leave that be. It’s a matter of prestige before anything else.”
“…Alright, you’re good.”
Ozma seemed to give up trying to persuade me and made a look of exasperation.
Well, I’ve always been good.
As I led Ozma towards Countess Glorious standing on a small stage at the upper part of the ballroom watching everything, the crowd’s attention turned to us.
Most gazes contained a mix of fear and reverence, but there were undoubtedly some glimmers of admiration as well.
It must be due to how stunning Ozma looks tonight.
As we climbed the short staircase to approach the countess, the elderly butler guarding her side bowed respectfully and said:
“Welcome. The mistress has been waiting for you.”
Following the butler’s guidance, we went to greet Countess Glorious seated at the most prestigious seat in the ballroom.
Initially, her face was obscured by a veil covering her head, but as we approached, we could see her radiant beauty.
“Beautiful.”
That was my first impression.
Her honey-blonde short hair resembled melted gold, and her eyes sparkled like precious jewels, a vivid red.
Her dress matched perfectly, also in red.
Adorned with black frills, her luxurious gown resembled a single rose, captivating everyone’s gaze.
I heard she had just turned twenty. The countess inheriting the Glorious family was indeed an extraordinary beauty.
With her wealth, title as countess, and striking looks, I imagine after today’s party, matchmakers will line up at the mansion gates offering marriage proposals.
She slowly rose from her seat upon meeting our eyes and greeted us:
“Nice to meet you, Governor Ozma and Chief Financial Officer Partarth.”
Countess Glorious slightly bent her head, holding the ends of her Gothic-style crimson dress in both hands.
“My name is Sophia von Glorious. I am the mistress of this house and the head of the Glorious family.”
With that, she smiled gently. [[#]]
Countess Sophia von Glorious was a type of woman I hadn’t encountered before.
Despite having the innocent face of a maiden, the aura around her was mysteriously alluring, giving off a femme fatale vibe.
She couldn’t have been cooped up in the mansion claiming poor health until now, only to make her social debut now. This was something else entirely.
While exchanging brief pleasantries, we engaged in a subtle reconnaissance battle but gained little useful information.
Instead, Countess Sophia showed interest in the relationship between Ozma and me.
“Forgive me if I’m intruding, but may I ask what your relationship is?”
Ozma sipped the wine in her hand and answered:
“Fiancés. We’ve been living together for two years now.”
“Living together?!”
She exclaimed, looking alternately between Ozma and me with wide eyes in surprise.
Well, such reactions were typical.
Humans, who live for a maximum of 40-50 years, often consider living together after engagement as a de facto marriage, but long-lived demons didn’t necessarily view it the same way.
“I haven’t had a lover yet, so seeing the two of you makes me envious.”
Upon hearing this, Ozma chuckled arrogantly and gave advice:
“You’ll find your match as you go along. That’s what fate’s partner means.”
I glanced at Ozma, puzzled by her sudden sales pitch, but it seemed differently received by the young Countess Sophia.
“Could there be someone destined for me too?”
“Perhaps you’ve already met them. You just haven’t realized it yet.”
At this, Countess Sophia apparently liked Ozma’s words, muttering the phrase “fated partner” several times before brightening and thanking her.
“Thank you for the advice. It’s very helpful.”
“If it helped, I’m glad.”
Watching the situation from the side, I shook my head in mild fatigue.
Anyone seeing Ozma like this might think she’s an expert in love affairs.
