“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…?”
“Another reason is that I judged Lord Byleth not to be the type to spread rumors or be put off by them. Don’t you think he has the mindset of ‘If they’re doing what needs to be done, it’s better to let them spend their free time as they like’?”
“That’s quite an impressive observation…”
“You can understand to some extent if you engage in dialogue. I’ve seen many people, after all.”
“I’m convinced.”
Byleth didn’t feel even a hint of dishonesty, having been read so accurately.
Although Sonya is almost unrelated, the lack of awkwardness is probably due to her experience in many dialogues, as she says.
(I wonder if I’ll ever become like her someday…)
It will surely become a necessary skill, especially for someone who will become a future marquis.
Today, by participating in this banquet, Byleth was able to gain one insight.
“—Still, they’re quite dazzling, aren’t they?”
“Indeed, they are.”
Byleth affirmed the words without a subject and looked in the same direction as her.
Near the center of the banquet. There, three ladies had gathered.
Aria from the duke’s family.
Elena from the count’s family.
Luna from the baron’s family.
Young ladies dressed in gowns that suit each of them.
“Even I find my gaze drawn to them, so it must be even more so for men.”
“Haha.”
“Why don’t you join them, Lord Byleth?”
“I’ll refrain, as I’d be intruding. Elena and Luna were looking forward to meeting Lady Aria, after all.”
“I see. In that case, would you mind talking with me a bit longer?”
“Of course. Thank you.”
“Not at all…”
Sonya shows a moment of surprise at being thanked, but Byleth didn’t notice.
Because he was gazing at the three who truly embodied the phrase “flowers on a high peak” -something out of one’s reach.
“I was so surprised to find out that Elena-chan and Luna-chan were already acquainted!”
The greeting began with Aria’s preemptive [Let’s dispense with the formal speech and attitude, shall we?].
“At first, we weren’t connected, but various things happened… right, Luna?”
“Yes. However, being called out at this timing is a bit difficult, Miss Elena.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“The gazes that say ‘Who are you?’ are painful. I’d rather not draw too much attention.”
Sandwiched between the duke’s family and the count’s family. Luna, from the baron’s family, has the weakest position among the nobles.
She honestly expresses her discomfort, but—two people brush it off lightly.
“Luna-chan, you should just carry yourself with confidence. There’s no need to mind what others think.”
“Lady Aria is right.”
Aria smiles, followed by Elena’s smile.
Of course, they’re not teasing or being mean.
By including her in this gathering, they’re showcasing their relationship with Luna.
With just this simple display, rumors will spread, greatly reducing the possibility of Luna being looked down upon for being from a baron’s family.
As a result, they can keep in check any nobles who might have ill intentions towards Luna in the future.
The fact that Luna herself doesn’t realize the two’s intentions is because she has never participated in a soirée before.
“To begin with, it’s impossible for Luna-chan not to draw attention, isn’t it? Not only are you wearing such a beautiful outfit, but you’re also acquainted with Lord Byleth, the eldest son of the marquis family. I saw you greeting each other cordially.”
“That’s… certainly true. I’ll try not to mind others, as you said.”
“Hey Luna, I wasn’t there at that time, so I want to know, did Byleth approach you first to greet you?”
“Yes, he did.”
When she nods in confirmation, both of them widen their eyes, impressed.
They concluded that he must have showcased his relationship with Luna for her sake, just like they were doing.
[As expected of Lord Byleth, such thoughtful consideration befitting his position.]
[M-maybe it was just a coincidence? He might have been considerate, but…]
The two share a momentary eye contact that goes unnoticed by anyone else.
“Um, Miss Elena hasn’t greeted Byleth Saintford yet, is that alright?”
“Oh!”
Luna suddenly speaks up, as if remembering something from the topic of “greetings.”
“Ah… Maybe it’s because Sonya is greeting him? Should I tell her to step aside?”
“N-no, that’s not it… It’s not that…”
Suddenly, her voice becomes weak. Elena, her face turning crimson under the lights, glances at Byleth who is in the middle of a conversation and says:
“It’s just… um, his appearance is a bit strange… so it’s fine for now. I’ll wait a bit longer.”
“Eh? Lord Byleth’s appearance is—”
“—so splendid that you wanted to get used to it before greeting him. I apologize for the misunderstanding.”
“W-what are you saying in front of Lady Aria!”
“I had to clarify to avoid misinterpretation.”
“Geez…”
Having received an accurate explanation and sound logic, Elena couldn’t retort and revealed her agitation while blushing.
Just by watching this scene, Aria imagines that such exchanges must happen regularly between them.
“So that’s what you meant. I was even more surprised because I know you have feelings for Lord Byleth.”
“Eh…”
“Of course, that includes you too, Luna-chan.”
“!”
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“When I was greeting Lord Byleth, you both looked at me with intense eyes, didn’t you?”
“That’s… not true.”
“I-I didn’t either. There’s no way I would do such a thing to Lady Aria.”
“Is that so? Then there shouldn’t be any problem if I were to slip away with Lord Byleth, right?”
“………..”
“………..”
Aria delivers a masterful strike with a straight face, while the other two receive a painful blow.
Luna tugs on Elena’s hem twice, and Elena tugs on Luna’s hem in return.
As they watch each other’s obvious actions of pushing the responsibility to speak up, the songstress elegantly laughs, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Fufu, so it’s like that. Don’t worry, what I said earlier was just a joke.”
“That’s a relief, isn’t it, Miss Elena?”
“The same goes for you, Luna.”
“…So the bad rumors about Lord Byleth were just rumors after all?”
Aria, who had been glared at by him in the past, can now say it was a [misunderstanding].
The fact that these two, who don’t judge by appearances, are so drawn to each other is one example.
When they exchanged greetings, he invited her to the buffet, being considerate of the duke’s position.
He also promoted his relationships, being mindful of Luna.
There’s also another factor to consider.
“…I’ve never seen Miss Sonya engage in such a long conversation with a single person before.”
As you can see, she has a dignified personality.
When attending evening parties, she usually only exchanges the minimum courtesies—just greetings—and spends time on what she finds meaningful.
The fact that she’s not following that behavior this time means there’s no ulterior motive from Byleth, nor does she feel any dislike.
It means she finds this time meaningful and is genuinely enjoying the conversation.
If the bad rumors were true, there’s no way this behavior could be drawn out. That’s something Aria, as her master, understands best, but—
“Maybe he’s just forcibly keeping her there.”
“Well, she is a beautiful lady. He seemed quite interested in her.”
“I thought it might be something like that.”
A flawless exchange between Elena and Luna.
Aria, left out and slightly annoyed, is unable to correct them, her eyebrows twitching.
Because a question has arisen: [Is he really interested in her?]
However, that thought quickly dissipates.
As she sees the two who had glanced at Byleth showing faint smiles.
“…”
Just from this, Aria, who understands the relationship between the three, feels a growing sense of envy.
Because a wonderful relationship between a man and woman has been formed, where they can joke around regardless of status, like herself and Sonya.
“It’s… natural for him to become popular among the servant class, I suppose.”
Aria mutters softly, narrowing her eyes, when she suddenly notices.
Two maids waiting nervously, hoping to greet Byleth.
At this moment, for the first time, a feeling of regret sprouts in Aria.
She wishes she could have exchanged a pure greeting with Byleth, without misunderstandings, casting aside preconceptions.
(Everyone seems to be in high spirits after seeing the beautiful Lady Aria, Lady Elena, and Lady Luna…)
Sia-Alma, who was handling numerous greetings with a gentle smile, was thinking this internally.
Her worries were steadily increasing.
This wouldn’t happen with normal greetings. In fact, Sia usually loves conversing with people… but she was facing three exceptions.
[Next time, on your day off…]
This invitation was one.
[You’re really cute. Is there someone you’ve set your heart on?]
This flirtatious comment was two.
[I heard rumors… are you okay?] tilting their head and glancing at Byleth— [If you have any troubles, I’m here to listen]
Such misunderstanding words were three.
Sia is Byleth’s personal maid.
Not to bring shame to her master. Not to cause trouble for her master.
These two thoughts are always at the forefront of her mind.
In other words, she continues to refuse everything while being considerate of the other party so they don’t turn their frustrations towards Byleth, and choosing her words carefully so as not to offend anyone.
Choosing words and considering each person’s personality is very difficult.
In truth, she wants to answer like this:
[Next time, on your day off…]
If asked that—
[I’m sorry. It might cause a misunderstanding with Master Byleth] she’d say.
[You’re really cute. Is there someone you’ve set your heart on?]
If asked that—
[Of course, it’s Master Byleth!!] she’d say.
[I heard rumors… are you okay? If you have any troubles, I’m here to listen]
If asked that—
[No thank you. You’re misunderstanding Master Byleth] she’d say.
While it’s a pleasant evening banquet and there are no nobles who raise their voices or threaten her, suppressing her feelings is even more tiring.
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