Chapter 3: The Dinner Party (Part 2) – Impressions
(Phew… Conversing with someone in a higher position is indeed tiring… Especially since we’re practically strangers.)
After spending about fifteen minutes eating and chatting with Aria, Byleth now moved away to avoid monopolizing her time.
Having picked up some new dishes, Byleth relocated to a corner by the wall, careful not to disturb anyone.
The hall was bustling with even more energy now that a variety of dishes had been served.
The atmosphere alone was engaging enough to prevent boredom.
Just observing made one feel cheerful.
“Well, this kind of time isn’t so bad… I guess.”
Even knowing that he would be spending time alone from now on, Byleth could honestly think this way.
With a slight smile, he put a piece of chicken in his mouth and surveyed his surroundings once again.
(Still… this is incredible.)
Thinking this to himself, he swallowed what was in his mouth.
“I’ve become desensitized since I’m always involved, but…”
He turned his head to the right and fixed his gaze.
There was Sia, happily conversing with three male attendants.
Judging by how Sia was waving her hand at the attendants several times, she might be declining some sort of invitation…
One thing was certain: she was undoubtedly popular.
Next, he turned his head slightly to the left to look at the central area.
There was Elena, who had finished serving food and was now participating in the dinner party, chatting with four male nobles.
They all seemed to be acquaintances, as the atmosphere was noticeably more jovial than elsewhere.
Moreover, everyone who saw Elena’s smile blushed. Some even stopped eating as they gazed at her.
One thing was certain: they were undoubtedly smitten.
He turned his head further left to look at the left side.
There was Luna, being greeted by male nobles one after another.
The male nobles were doing most of the talking, while Luna maintained her usual expressionless face, merely nodding along.
Being of lower status, she was the easiest person to approach, and she possessed beauty that rivaled Elena and Aria.
One thing was certain: she was undoubtedly being targeted.
“…”
After looking at his three acquaintances, Byleth lowered his eyes to the plate in his hand and took another bite of food.
(Somehow, it’s a bit… no, it’s unsettling… Maybe because I don’t usually see this kind of scene… They don’t normally act like this…)
He was overcome by a sensation of his heart being squeezed, a feeling of suffocation.
(I can understand feeling this way about Sia, but to think this about Elena and Luna too…)
His relationship with the two of them was just friendship. This possessiveness would only cause trouble.
“…Sigh. I need to control myself…”
If he kept that scene in his vision any longer, his heart would be clouded even more.
As he was trying to change his mindset and enjoy the food to avoid strange feelings, he sensed someone’s presence beside him.
“—Hello.”
“Oh… hello.”
The person who suddenly spoke to him was a long-haired woman dressed not in a dress, but in something resembling a suit.
Judging by her practical attire, she seemed to be someone in a security role rather than a participant.
(In that case, she must be associated with the Leclerc family? Perhaps her role includes entertaining lone participants during downtime?)
It was a natural deduction, as no one would approach someone with a bad reputation like himself.
“Are you enjoying tonight’s gathering?”
“Y-Yes, I’m enjoying it very much. The food is delicious too.”
(Her words confirm my suspicion… And she’s incredibly cool…)
Convinced that she was indeed associated with the Leclerc family, he expressed his honest feelings.
“I see. In that case, all the more reason…”
“Hm?”
The woman’s expression softened slightly, but her true intentions remained cleverly obscured.
“Thank you for the matter concerning Lady Aria.”
“Um… I’m sorry, but what exactly are you thanking me for?”
Nothing is scarier than gratitude for something you don’t recall. To avoid being rude, he lowered his hand and asked for a more detailed explanation.
“Are you still pretending not to know?”
“Ah, haha…”
(Well, to begin with, I don’t have any—)
“—I’m referring to your invitation to Lady Aria for the standing buffet. Given Lady Aria’s position, her freedom would be restricted during greetings.”
“Ah, I see…”
(Huh? Why would she be restricted? Can’t Lady Aria invite others to the buffet?)
Unable to fully comprehend, he realized this woman still believed he was feigning ignorance.
Perhaps to elicit a confession or gauge his reaction, she provided a more detailed explanation.
“Thanks to you taking the initiative and inviting her to the buffet, Lady Aria was able to greet guests while enjoying her meal. That’s what I’m thanking you for. The courage to extend such an invitation and your thoughtfulness are not something everyone can manage.”
“N-No, not at all…”
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(W-Wait a minute. ‘Courage to extend an invitation’ means it wasn’t something I should have done in the first place!? I heard from Elena that it would be ‘while having the buffet’…!)
Judging by her tone, there was no doubt that he had taken an unusual action.
Realizing that he had nearly committed a faux pas, he felt a chill run down his spine. Cold sweat began to form.
“If I may say so, I truly had no such intention, so please don’t worry about it.”
“…You’re an interesting person. I believe the gratitude I’m expressing is not insignificant, even from your perspective.”
“W-Well… I think a relaxed atmosphere is important at gatherings like this.”
“Fufu, I’m glad you say that.”
(Still, this level of care is truly befitting of Lady Aria. Even being called ‘Young Lady’ and all…)
While it would be understandable for someone associated with a duke’s family, the fact that even someone from the Leclerc family addressed her this way suggested she was quite an important figure.
“…Ah, I apologize. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Sonya Leticia. Please, call me Sonya.”
“Oh, I should apologize too. I’m Byleth Saintford. Please, just Byleth is fine.”
“Thank you. Then I’ll call you Lord Byleth, if that’s alright.”
“Understood.”
(But is it really okay to call her just by her first name…?)
Her demeanor and aura clearly indicated she was no ordinary person.
Given the current uncertainties, he wanted to avoid addressing Sonya by name if possible… As he was thinking this while taking a bite of food, it happened.
“By the way, I don’t see anyone coming to greet you, Lord Byleth.”
“Ack! cough cough“
Sonya’s words, which struck at his heart, came out of nowhere.
Byleth, who was in the process of swallowing his food, covered his mouth as he coughed.
“Ah, I didn’t mean that as a jab. It’s just that as I interact with you, I find it increasingly surprising. In my assessment, it wouldn’t be strange if you had as many people coming to greet you as Lady Aria does.”
“Haha… Thank you for saying so.”
He understood she meant no ill will. However, due to her cool demeanor, her words had stung nonetheless.
“W-Well, it’s true that I have a bad reputation for various reasons… So naturally, greetings tend to go through my dedicated maid, Sia.”
“You must be going through difficulties too, Lord Byleth.”
“What do you mean by ‘too’…?”
“The situations are different, but would you like to hear about it?”
“By all means.”
Byleth had just met Sonya today.
Just as he was starting to struggle for conversation topics, she made this offer.
(Maybe she sensed my feelings…)
Having Sia, who was equally capable, always by his side, he couldn’t help but feel this way.
“Given my position, it might be said that there’s no use in voicing complaints, but there’s this incredibly sloppy person, you see. Really, truly sloppy.”
“I-Is it that bad?”
“It really is.”
Her strong feelings were conveyed so clearly that he couldn’t help but be flustered.
“To sum it up briefly, on days with no appointments, they spend the entire day in bed. They try to have all their meals in bed, hold their bladder to avoid leaving the bed, and even ask to be carried piggyback. Wrapped up in blankets all day, they look just like a caterpillar.”
“Haha!”
Although he laughed it off, the content was more shocking than he had expected.
Since being reincarnated into this world, he had never seen or heard of anyone so slovenly.
And then, the “caterpillar” emitted from their cool demeanor was quite amusing.
“That’s not all. In the worst case, you might get dragged into sleeping together for hours. Pulled into bed and used as a body pillow.”
“Um… well… that’s… not necessarily a bad thing, is it?”
Byleth couldn’t tell if the person Sonya was talking about was a woman or a man, but Byleth thought it wasn’t bad if they made time to rest.
“It only feels nice at first. This probably won’t change, so I feel sorry for their future partner. While their flaws stand out, I do respect them, of course.”
“I… I see.”
(So there are such lazy people in this world too… They don’t seem to be blamed, so I guess they’re doing what needs to be done…)
Even if it were hypothetical, if Sia, who works hard every day, spent her private time like that, Byleth would only find it slightly amusing.
It’s probably similar to that.
“However, it’s frustrating that my service feels unrewarded.”
“Ah… I see, that kind of problem exists too.”
“I often lose sight of my reason for existing.”
“How about trying to lure them out with sweets? Like a ‘drag them out of bed’ strategy?”
“I’ve tried that, but they didn’t move at all. If I bring it within arm’s reach, they just snatch it away.”
“That’s clever…”
“Indeed it is.”
Sonya sighs, [Haa], and she must really be struggling. Byleth feel like meeting this master she serves.
(Wait, whose story is this? Elena isn’t like that, and her brother Alan doesn’t seem to have that kind of personality either…)
A question arises as Byleth recall past conversations.
Since they’re participating in this banquet, there’s a high possibility that this lazy person is here.
“Um, by the way, was it okay to tell me this information? It seems like quite a secret.”
“There’s a trick to it—no one believes it.”
“Oh…?”
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