“Will you allow me?”
Rizeria hurried to seek approval before she could find another excuse. However, she seemed to lack a rebuttal to my excuse, and merely opened and closed her mouth several times, staring at me with wide eyes.
“W, well then, there’s nothing I can do. Ellisia… I will allow you to wield the Holy Sword.”
With that, Rizeria eventually turned her face away and called out in a curt voice. Her face was flushed bright red all the way to her ears from the frustration of being unable to argue against me. I had hoped to gain her favor and turn her to my side, but I ended up making a poor impression from the start.
“I thank you for your understanding. Indeed, as I’ve heard, Miss Rizeria is not only beautiful in appearance but also of noble heart.”
Am I going to just give up? On the contrary, I’ve managed to firmly imprint my presence in her mind. Rather than looking at this situation negatively, if I turn it around, I can reverse her perception of me.
Offering flattery at this point is no trouble at all. While I don’t fully understand her personality since we haven’t exchanged many words, her appearance is undoubtedly gorgeous, so I’m not exactly lying.
“Is that so, you’ve heard of me?”
At my words, Rizeria, who had turned her head away, slowly turned it back towards me and asked with a slightly excited voice.
“Of course. In this Empire, within the social circles, is there anyone who doesn’t know of Miss Rizeria? Though I am merely a warrior, I am well acquainted with the reputation of Miss Rizeria.”
“W, well naturally!”
Once again, Rizeria turned her head away and declared, but the corners of her mouth were subtly curling.
Of course, the knowledge I have of her is thanks to information from my past life, but in reality, her name is quite renowned.
There’s also a regular division at Griffin Academy, but despite its success, it’s more famous for its swordsmanship and magic. As Rizeria doesn’t specialize in either, she chose not to enroll at Griffin Academy but instead graduated from another academy. It’s said she even ranked first in her class and served as the student representative.
Likely, this life won’t differ much from the previous one.
I can’t help but feel a tinge of regret that we didn’t happen to cross paths even if just once if she had been enrolled at Griffin Academy. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have to struggle so much to establish a rapport.
However, reflecting on the incident that occurred three years ago at Griffin Academy, it may actually be fortunate that Rizeria did not enroll there. If she had been present then, I may not have been able to converse with her as I am doing now.
“As the daughter of a warrior family, I fully understand the importance of a sword to a knight. Thus, this consideration is only natural.”
The situation has calmed down now that the other young ladies observing the Holy Sword have ceased their interest. I picked up the sword, discreetly placing it under the table where it wouldn’t be visible. Even though she has come to terms with and understands, displaying weapons unnecessarily might irritate her unnecessarily. Why create an issue where there wasn’t one?
“Miss Ellicia, I’ll bring your tea momentarily, so please bear with me.”
As our conversation came to a close, one of the young ladies sitting at the table picked up the teapot. Apparently, it seems this establishment handles the tea brewing and serving personally, rather than instructing servants.
“No! Please let me serve her tea. Since this is her first gathering with me and as the host and inviter, it’s only proper to offer at least a cup of tea.”
Rizeria then snatched the teapot from her. For someone of a duchy’s daughter, who could easily command the staff for such trivial matters and hence might be quite clumsy, her dexterity in brewing tea was quite accomplished. It was a testament that her haughty demeanor was less arrogant and more composed.
While sipping the tea she served, we exchanged a few words. Truthfully, when I first entered the salon, I worried about what to talk about with these young ladies who seemed untouchable. But surprisingly, the conversation flowed smoothly thanks to my past experiences of drinking tea innumerable times with my friends, which helped me avoid embarrassing missteps on tea party etiquette. Unexpectedly, my adventure tales captivated them, holding their attention as I narrated.
“Oops! Please excuse me. I’ve spoken too much, haven’t I? In the midst of our talk, I ended up saying more than I intended.”
But, with the rapt attention from the other young ladies, I inadvertently found myself enthusiastically chattering away. While others seemed to enjoy my stories, Rizeria might have perceived it differently. Even now, she avoids direct eye contact with me, subtly glancing at me from the corners of her eyes.
She must be feeling upset since this gathering, this table, should have been her stage. For someone who has always been the center of attention in every setting, the idea that someone else took that role would indeed irritate her.
Thus, upon finding a natural pause in my adventure tale, I stopped and extended an apology.
“Oh no! I found your story refreshing, quite unlike the tales we usually hear. Isn’t that right, Miss Rizeria?”
“…It wasn’t unbearable.”
Surprisingly, Rizeria’s response was quite ordinary. Even though she could have reacted with anger, while her tone was still curt, it lacked any sense of fury.
However, don’t be deceived by this. Having spent much time in society, it is a simple matter for her to wear a smiling mask. Perhaps beneath that composed face lies a lingering unfavorable sentiment towards me.
“Since I talk endlessly about using swords day in and out, I’ll stop here. Miss Rizeria, would you be kind enough to share a story about yourself? As a world quite distant from mine, I am quite curious about it.”
If I could win over the other young ladies, it would indeed be beneficial, but combined, they still wouldn’t match the influence of Rizeria alone. Hence, I handed the baton back to Rizeria, who should have been the main focus of this event, rather than entertaining the other ladies.
“Are you interested in me, then?”
“Certainly. I’m curious to hear your stories, none other than Miss Rizeria’s. While Miss Ellicia’s tales should not be merely consumed to satisfy curiosity, my desire to better know Miss Rizeria won’t let me let go. I must hear your story.”
“Well, if you insist, then I have no reason not to.”
Fortunately, she seamlessly took over the baton I offered. She seemed to perceive the underlying consideration in my actions, and despite her brusque attitude, a faint smile graced the corners of her mouth.
“By the way, Miss Rizeria, I heard a while back that you received a suitable marriage proposal. Is that true?”
With that, Rizeria stood up abruptly, exclaiming in flustered tones, drawing the attention of everyone in the salon towards her. Realizing her mistake, she quietly sat back down as if nothing had happened.
It’s understandable that she would be sensitive to talk of marriage. For women, the early twenties are a period of blooming. While there might be individual differences in the duration of this phase, one simply cannot defy the passage of time. Especially for noble young ladies, arrangements like strategic marriages occur quite early, with many getting married in their early twenties.
Why would someone as talented and prestigious as Rizeria want to give up her ambitions for a strategic marriage?
“Of course, if the right person… should come along, I might consider it positively.”
In a softer tone than before, Rizeria looked at me and spoke quietly.
“Whoever it may be, the person to win Miss Rizeria’s heart must have saved the continent in a past life.”
“Well, we don’t need to go back that far. But saving the continent wouldn’t be bad.”
Thanks to my effort, it seemed Rizeria was in good spirits, starting her own story, though she conveniently skipped anything related to marriage proposals.
*
“Well, I shall take my leave then. Thank you again for inviting me.”
The tea party cannot go on forever. Already, several guests had left, leaving some empty seats around the salon. Rising from my seat, I decided to head home.
Should I have more time, I might manage to more firmly secure Rizeria as an ally. But what I’ve done so far will sufficiently ensure that when my name comes up, she’ll at least say something not unkind.
“A, that…”
Rizeria hesitated, stopping me as I prepared to leave, hinting that she had something left to say. Contrasting with her confident demeanor earlier, her uncertainty now left me wondering if I had done something wrong.
“Is there something you wanted to say, Miss Rizeria?”
“Tomorrow… there’s going to be another tea party. Will you have time?”
Fortunately, it was nothing to worry about.
“Well, I’m not sure exactly how long I’ll stay here. However, I imagine I’ll still be around the castle tomorrow.”
Even though I regretted the fleeting time, I appreciated Rizeria bringing up the plan to meet again.
“Well, tomorrow’s gathering won’t be here but at my personal garden with just a few others. You will receive the details from my servant.”
Even though I just mentioned I might be available, Rizeria spoke as if attending was a foregone conclusion. Of course, that doesn’t mean I intend to decline her invitation.
“To be invited to such an occasion is a great honor.”
My response seemed to please her, as her lips faintly curved upwards. Yet, does she know? The truth is that I’m the one who actually wants to smile. Though today wasn’t a full victory, I’m resolved to completely win Rizeria over tomorrow.
“Then I will see you tomorrow.”
Leaving her there without much of a farewell, I looked around the salon to find Lunia before heading home.
Knowing that Lunia’s presence in my party is well-known, if there had been any issues, someone would have called on me. With no troubles during the party, it seemed she had behaved well.
“Lunia!”
“Ahh, Senior!”
I quickly spotted Lunia mingling naturally with other ladies her age, not just blending in but leading the group.
As Lunia waved goodbye to her new friends and briskly walked towards me, I could still feel their lingering disappointment at her departure. A few even glanced at me with apparent disapproval, though without personal history, it must just be a misinterpretation.
“Hehe. I’m glad I followed you, Senior. It was really fun!”
“That’s good to hear. Let’s head back. Mr. Boss and Lilith must be waiting for us too.”
“Okay!”
Hugging my arm like always, Lunia followed as we exited the salon. On the way back, curiosity led me to ask her something.
“Hey, I noticed you seemed to mix well with the others. Any tricks?”
Though I thought this might help with my upcoming meeting with Rizeria, Lunia’s response was unexpectedly unhelpful.
“Well, I just followed the Senior’s example.”
Her answer didn’t give me any practical advice.
