Chapter 5: The Dinner Party, Part 4 – The Beautiful Songstress
As the time for Aria’s song performance drew near, about ten minutes away…
“Somehow, it really feels different now that I think about it…”
“What’s that? Talking to yourself?”
“Well, something like that.”
“Hmm.”
Elena glanced over with her usual response.
Luna kept her expressionless face, only shifting her gaze.
Sia, who had finished her duties and gathered here, looked over with a puzzled expression.
Byleth, facing these three gazes, was thinking once again:
(I really don’t belong here… do I?)
The two hours of greetings and dining were coming to an end.
By this time, all the participants were chatting with those they felt most comfortable with.
Of course, this applied to the girls in front of him as well… come to think of it, it was a first.
Sia in her black and white apron dress.
Elena wrapped in a wine-red sleeved dress with sheer arms, shoulders, and chest.
Luna in a pure white dress that accentuated her shoulders, cinched with a bishou belt.
To have these three familiar ladies – who were attracting so much attention at this soirée – gathered before him.
(Having these three all dressed up in front of me really makes me feel their power…)
Whether it was the aura emanating from each of them, or the fact that he felt out of place, perhaps this was one of the reasons.
Surely only Aria, known as the “Beautiful Songstress,” could match these three.
(Sigh… The stares are painful…)
Especially from the noblemen gathered together.
Having been subjected to negative glances every time he attended the academy, he could sense them more acutely than most.
(I know I don’t measure up…)
Just as he was about to sigh out these helpless feelings:
“Well, you’ll just have to endure this much. Byleth.”
“Huh? Oh, Elena, you can tell too?”
“The painful stares? How pitiful.”
Her words and expression didn’t match at all.
Seeing Elena’s teasing grin, strange thoughts began to form.
“Hey, Elena. You didn’t arrange for this to happen, did you…?”
“How rude. I did no such thing. If there’s one thing I can think of, it’s that I declined invitations saying, ‘Would you like to listen to Lady Aria’s song together?'”
“Hm? That’s…”
“I told them, ‘I already have plans with someone else.’ I took the liberty of making plans for you. With you.”
“That’s quite presumptuous of you.”
The time for the song performance was fast approaching.
It was easy to guess who they would be with at that time.
“Just to be clear, if you’re going to blame me, you should blame those two who suddenly turning their faces away? They probably did it more blatantly than I did. Using your name to say this and that~”
“Ah!”
“Oh!”
The moment Elena grabbed the hems of Luna and Sia on either side, their shoulders jolted.
“A-As I am Lord Byleth’s maid, it is only natural!”
“I-I had no choice. I needed a valid reason to decline, or I would have offended them. Also, you told me it was ‘okay to rely on you.'”
“I’m not angry or anything, you know.”
The two spoke so rapidly that it was surprising they didn’t bite their tongues.
While he felt like he was being used as a convenient tool for easy refusals, if it helped them, he didn’t mind.
However, he was worried that the others might misunderstand and think he was threatening them.
“Just to confirm, Byleth, you weren’t invited by anyone, right? Considering the number of greetings you received.”
“That’s right.”
He tried to appeal to Elena with his eyes, wishing she had been a bit more tactful, but she looked away. Luna and Sia seemed to have relieved expressions.
“Then in the end, there’s no problem at all, so you’ll have to keep us company after this. To help Sia and Luna save face too.”
“I know. I’m the one who wants your company in the first place.”
“D-Don’t phrase it like that… It’s misleading.”
“Huh? Is there any other way to say it?”
“Then let Luna be the judge.”
“In that case, Byleth-Saintford is at fault.”
“That’s cheating…”
He knew Elena and Luna were close. This couldn’t be considered a fair judgment.
When he prompted Sia, who was watching with amusement as if to say “Isn’t it awful?”, she returned a neutral smile to Byleth.
This kind of exchange continued for a while until there were less than five minutes left before the scheduled time for the song.
The doors to the hall opened, and the servants of the Leclair family announced that it was time to move to another venue.
The adult nobles were invited to move first.
“Oh… So it’s a different venue from this one? Where we’ll listen to the song?”
“Yes, that’s right. While the song is being performed, they’ll clean up the dining area, and after we finish listening, we’ll return here again. The size of the room affects how the voice echoes, you know.”
“So they’re considering Aria-sama’s needs too.”
This is something that can only be done because they have such a large estate, but it shows how thoroughly they’ve considered everything.
“Oh, right. Speaking of Aria-sama, there’s something I wanted to ask you all about her while we have the chance.”
Byleth looked at the three of them, then continued speaking in a lower voice.
“Um… Is Aria-sama in a weak position within her family? For example, does she have limited freedom or can’t express her opinions?”
“I’ve never heard such rumors…”
“I’m the same as Elena-san, I haven’t heard anything like that.”
“Why do you think that, Lord Byleth?”
“Huh? Well, I just kind of got that feeling… It’s probably just my imagination, though?”
He couldn’t tell them that he had heard these words from someone he thought was Aria when he went out for some fresh air.
They didn’t know who each other was. It was precisely because of that situation that such things could be said.
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“Just to be clear, just because we haven’t heard anything doesn’t mean what you’re saying isn’t correct. Aria-sama is from a duke’s family, and it’s a polygamous household.”
“Um… so what does that mean?”
“In a polygamous system, the wives are basically rivals. I don’t think I need to explain, but whether they can gain an advantage in terms of inheritance and status depends on the number of children they give birth to, the abilities of those children, how much benefit they bring to the family name, and so on.”
Luna’s voice grew softer as she continued.
“In short, it’s not uncommon for wives to use their children for such aims. That’s how significant the rank of duke is. There’s also a cycle where wives compete with each other to further increase their power.”
“I see…”
For Byleth, who had been reincarnated, this was something he couldn’t relate to at all, but Luna’s explanation was very easy to understand.
(So, does that mean Aria-sama has inflammation in her throat…?)
When he went out for fresh air, the content of that conversation in the darkness.
[Because I’m using consumables, when the schedule gets busy, it takes a toll…]
The credibility of those words increased in that moment.
The time was just past 8 PM.
(No way… Seriously?)
Byleth, having moved to the new venue, was letting out an inner voice. He was stunned by the scene before him.
The stage, which had begun with Aria’s polite greeting, had now transformed into a situation where everyone was entranced.
Aria was singing elegantly, putting her emotions into the song while matching the sounds played on a harp-like string instrument.
Her confident and dignified attitude. Her voice, which seemed to have a transparent quality. Her glossy and delicate phrasing.
Closing her eyes, placing a hand on her chest, letting her dress flutter. Everyone’s eyes were captivated by her expressive power that used even gestures to enchant.
(Even though my original world should have more established vocal techniques and singing skills, honestly, there’s no comparison… This might even be more amazing…)
For someone like him, who came from a world with advanced technology, to think this way.
There was no doubt that Aria’s talent and effort had achieved this, and it was clear why she was called the “Beautiful Songstress.”
(And Sonya-san is the performer…)
Maintaining her cool expression, occasionally making eye contact with Aria while plucking the strings with her slender fingers.
She was playing the strings somewhat softly, probably to avoid overshadowing Aria’s voice and to bring it out to its fullest.
Whether you’d call it perfect harmony, he could sense something like that, and he realized that this was the kind of role held by members of the duke’s household.
(With such a high level of perfection, it’s no wonder she’s in high demand among various nobles…)
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