After that, many people came to Kyle.
Most were nobles that neither I nor Kyle knew.
There was a girl noble wearing a rather revealing party dress, and then there were regular nobles who came to greet Kyle, who held the title of Duke of Eristirol.
Anyway, a lot of them showed up.
It wasn’t time to dance yet, but honestly, I wasn’t feeling it.
There were so many people that it was uncomfortably tense even while I quietly sipped water.
I even started worrying about choking on it.
I just wished everyone would take a hike and leave me and Kyle to sit together alone.
“Sophia, more people have come than I expected.”
“… Right.”
Kyle had a look that said he didn’t quite understand why everyone was coming.
Today, I felt especially sad that I was definitely shorter than Kyle.
If I had been taller than him, I would have given his head a good whack!
“But soon everyone will be dancing, so no one will come, right?”
“Do you think?”
Somehow, I didn’t think that at all.
It was obvious that girls were going to swarm around Kyle.
I couldn’t figure out why.
Among the girls who came to greet Kyle, some weren’t just looking for family benefits; they were there for their personal satisfaction.
You could see it in their expressions.
It was somewhat like that gaze Kyle would sometimes give me.
Like he was eyeing a delicious piece of food right in front of him.
Kyle seemed too clueless to notice, but I could tell.
There was a reason—no, it was because I was a girl; I just could tell.
Strange as it was, I knew.
That was a gaze aimed at catching a man.
“Kyle.”
“Yes?”
I wondered how Kyle would react if those noble girls asked him to dance.
Would he decline coldly?
Or would he accept with a smile?
“What would you say if a noble asked you to dance during the ball?”
“Um…?”
Kyle seemed to be pondering it a bit.
What was this? Why was he even thinking about it?
We were here as a couple!
“Of course, he would refuse.”
“Right?”
I stood up a bit when I said that.
I wasn’t standing because I was happy about what Kyle said; I just felt a bit uncomfortable sitting there for so long.
Anyway, more people were filling the ballroom.
Was it because it was near the capital?
There was just a ridiculous number of them.
Not that it was packed to the brim, but it felt a bit cramped.
“Kyle, when will the Princess arrive?”
“I heard she’ll come before it starts.”
“Okay….”
Once the princess arrives, the crowd around Kyle might thin out a bit.
That would be a relief.
I guess the princess can actually be useful on some days!
Wait, is this thinking too harsh?
“As the flower of the Empire, second child of His Majesty the Emperor, Her Royal Highness the Princess enters!!”
As the serene music from the orchestra played on, we heard that announcement from the entrance.
Hearing that, everyone, including me and Kyle, looked toward the entrance.
And everyone bowed their heads.
It was some sort of unspoken rule, an etiquette.
It wasn’t commanded, but showing respect could mean kneeling, bowing, or anything to treat royalty properly.
Tapping sounds echoed as the princess slowly walked down toward the center.
She stepped on the red carpet leading deeper into the hall.
“Lift your heads.”
As the princess walked and sat down, she spoke those words.
Once she said that, everyone in the hall raised their heads.
When I looked across, there was the princess.
Wearing a purple dress, she looked even more beautiful today.
It was a look that suited the phrase “noble.”
Her warm golden hair, which usually sparkled, seemed to shine even brighter today.
Unlike some certain dull black-haired individual.
“You may relax comfortably.”
After the princess spoke, the people in the hall started moving again normally.
Those who were hungry grabbed a bite to eat from the back, while those who were parched drank a glass of wine.
“Princess, you look particularly lovely today.”
“Indeed.”
Even I thought, and so did Kyle, that the princess was different today.
She radiated beauty and aristocracy unlike her usual somewhat friendly demeanor.
Of course, she was genuinely beautiful and noble, but since we had gotten used to that friendly image, it made her seem even more exquisite.
“Is it okay if we don’t greet her?”
“Um… Should we wait a bit? There are just so many people… I think Sophia would dislike it.”
“Ah….”
That was right.
As Kyle said, many people were moving toward the princess.
It was to be expected.
If so many gathered around Duke Kyle, how many would flock to the princess?
They weren’t just there to greet royalty; some probably wanted to show off too.
The princess must be tired.
“So let’s wait a bit and just say hi before dancing.”
“Okay.”
One good thing about the princess coming was that the crowd around Kyle had shifted toward her.
She would be accustomed to such events, so she wouldn’t be uncomfortable.
“Kyle.”
“Yes?”
“Earlier, a lot of nobles came, right?”
“Ah, right. They were people I hadn’t seen before, but yeah.”
Yeah, they were people I hadn’t seen before.
We didn’t have much deep connection with other families anyway.
If we had to say we had some connection, it would be with Oldenburg, but aside from Catherine, I didn’t know any other nobles, so it was hard to call it a deep connection.
“Among them, was there someone who caught your eye?”
“Yes?”
“No, a lot of noble ladies came. The ones who came specifically to greet you.”
They were probably older than me.
I didn’t know their exact ages, but they looked older, so they had to be quite a bit older.
Some might even be old maids who missed their chance at marriage; they might also just be overripe.
I didn’t know what they were after, but I suspected they were girls trying to catch the attention of a guy just stepping into adulthood.
Kyle might not realize it, though.
“Did it feel nice with so many women coming around?”
“Suddenly?”
“Yep, out of the blue. So what did you think?”
Just give me a wrong answer.
I’m about to give him a taste of real hell for that.
Within the rules we just set, I would make his life a bit difficult.
“Um… honestly, it was just whatever.”
“Really~?”
“Yes, of course, they’re not bad people. But….”
“But?”
“Sophia is the more beautiful one. I can’t say it in front of the princess, but today Sophia is prettier than her Highness.”
“….”
I slowly turned my head away.
Not towards Kyle but the opposite direction.
Kyle had once again said something utterly nonsensical without even realizing.
It’s still astonishing whenever I hear such things.
How does he say things like that so easily?
“Sophia?”
And how was I supposed to handle it when it was said so close, in such a nice voice?
I once again placed my hand on my racing heart to calm it down.
I felt like my heartbeat was louder than the music or the soft drum sounds of the orchestra.
“Wait a minute… just give me a moment.”
If I just pressed down like this, maybe it would calm down.
No, I really wish it would calm down.
And… it’s hot.
It suddenly got hot.
No, it wasn’t that it got hot; it was more accurate to say that my face felt like it was heating up.
“Damn….”
I had tried my best not to curse, but it came out quietly.
This was insane.
My heart was pounding like crazy, and my face was burning.
If Kyle saw me like this, he would definitely enjoy it, but I didn’t want to show him this side.
I looked like a recognized girl in love.
But I wasn’t like that yet.
I didn’t even know if I truly liked Kyle.
Not yet.
“Sophia, are you okay?”
“I’m fine… just wait a little longer….”
It felt like more than a minute had passed already.
Or was it just thirty seconds?
I didn’t know.
With my pounding heart, I couldn’t count seconds properly.
“Kyle!?”
Suddenly, Kyle turned my head back to him.
As a result, my flushed face was exposed to him.
“Sophia.”
“Y-Yeah.”
I was now face to face with Kyle way too closely.
I had seen his face this closely before recently, but in a situation like this…
“Are you feeling shy or something?”
“W-What?”
“Are you shy because you’re happy I gave you a compliment?”
“Uh….”
That was a sharp question.
I couldn’t respond to Kyle’s words.
It was way too embarrassing to tell the truth, and I didn’t want to appear dishonest in front of Kyle.
“I don’t have to say it.”
“W-What do you mean?”
“I can tell that what I just said pleased you.”
“….”
One thing was for sure…
Kyle didn’t treat just any girl like this.
If Kyle had been a scumbag who acted like this with every girl he met…
*Cough…!!*
“Oh.”
I was plagued by an unsettling thought.
I certainly hadn’t taught him any of that kind of behavior.
Why did I suddenly start imagining such things?
Kyle wouldn’t do that.
If the boy I’d raised and taught did something like that, I’d cut off his…
“Sophia, you’re sure you’re okay, right?”
“Ah, yeah. I’m fine.”
Was it because of the unsettling thought?
I calmed down significantly compared to earlier.
“I think it will start soon.”
“Ah.”
As Kyle said, it seemed like it was going to start soon.
I thought so too.
It couldn’t be helped.
The quiet music was reaching its end.
*Gulp…*
I started getting tense again.
This is driving me crazy… really…
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