After Nameless’ words,
the atmosphere suddenly became awkward, and silence settled on the terrace.
Just a moment ago, the wind was certainly cold,
but for some reason, I felt like I was sweating now.
Pouting my lips in a sulky manner, I opened my mouth.
“If you’re so embarrassed, why did you even say it…?”
“…I’m not embarrassed.”
Nameless muttered quietly, turning his head slightly, and finding it infuriating, I elbowed him in the side.
“Geez.”
Aware he was in the wrong, he didn’t whine as usual but remained silent, making me sigh deeply.
…What am I even doing?
I felt like I was acting too childish for my age,
and suddenly, a wave of self-doubt washed over me, causing me to rub my face.
“Ugh.”
I tore my gaze away from Nameless and shifted it to the softly shining moon.
In the center of the sky was a moon tinged with blue.
It was a perfect sphere, as if the timing was just right.
“It’s beautiful.”
As I expressed my thoughts, a sudden thought struck me.
Come to think of it, I feel like I’ve heard something about the moon in my past life…
“Hmmm…”
I tried to recall, but my memory was foggy, and now it was hard to reconstruct.
Well, it probably wasn’t important.
It was too late to search for a single memory in the vast sea of recollection.
It felt a bit out of the blue, but while I was lost in contemplation of the moon.
“Hmm, hmm.”
Nameless cleared his throat softly, catching my attention.
…What was he going to say this time?
Pretending to yield, I tilted my head and looked at Nameless.
“What is it?”
“Um…”
After a somewhat awkward pause,
Nameless closed the distance, now standing just a couple of steps away, meeting my gaze.
He looked nervous, fiddling with his lips, and I couldn’t help but chuckle and shrug my shoulders.
It was a gesture of encouragement.
Nameless seemed to gather his courage and nodded, continuing.
“I think it’s a bit late, but… your dress is beautiful.”
My eyes widened.
“…What are you saying?”
Such a trivial compliment made me snort and turn my head sharply.
…Spouting pointless words, and at a time like this.
“Hmph.”
I saw Nameless flailing his arms, looking flustered at my reaction, but I pretended not to notice.
Maybe if he fumbled around a bit more, my mood would lighten.
“Um.”
The heat in my ears was probably just my feelings.
…Probably.
An awkward silence settled back between us.
*
As we stepped out onto the terrace and headed back to the banquet hall,
we were holding hands.
Naturally, it was due to what I had said, and there were no other private feelings involved.
Although my excuse felt a bit lacking…
“Um.”
To add, holding hands was something we often did, so what difference did it make?
I didn’t know who I was saying this to, but after repeating it in my mind several times, my flushed face finally calmed down.
Nodding to myself, I said,
“Thankfully, it seems like they’re a bit more interested.”
Nameless said as he led my hand.
Indeed, just as Nameless had said,
people gathered in the banquet hall only glanced at us.
“…I see.”
Unlike before, there weren’t those obsessive stares.
Relieved, I sighed and relaxed my body a bit while looking around.
It was time to explore the hall that I had missed while being alone earlier.
“Oh… it really is splendid.”
“It truly is.”
Perhaps the significance of a banquet held in the royal palace was substantial,
as it was the most extravagant interior I had seen so far.
From the grand, ornate chandeliers hanging from the ceiling,
to the sparkling marble floor reflecting their light, everything dazzled.
The center was empty for some reason,
and tables filled with delicious food surrounded it.
People had seemingly made arrangements, chatting in their respective groups,
and amidst the crowd, the sound of carriages continuously arriving and people disembarking could be heard outside the royal banquet hall.
“Over there, let’s go there.”
“Yes, let’s.”
I pointed at a relatively empty table and grabbed Nameless’ arm, leading him.
If we stayed here, there wouldn’t be any space left for Nameless and me among the incoming people.
Maybe we’d end up awkwardly seated next to strangers.
Not a chance.
*
“Oh! This is also quite delicious!”
Watching Master gulp down the food on the table, I held my forehead and spoke.
“M-Master Harang.”
“What is it?”
With his mouth full, his words were slurred, making him look like a little hamster, and the embarrassment hit me for a moment.
If he realized the situation now, he’d surely be embarrassed,
so I sighed heavily and whispered in his ear.
“…There are many eyes on us.”
“Hmm…?”
Master Harang, with wide eyes and cheeks stuffed with food, glanced around,
before turning pale as if he had swallowed something.
“Cough, cough.”
I shook my head gently and patted Master on the back.
“Why, why are they looking at me?”
With those round eyes blinking innocently, Master Harang looked like they truly had no clue, and I couldn’t help but smile mischievously as I explained.
With a creature-like figure devouring all the food at the table,
it was only natural for people to be curious.
“Well, that’s…!”
After hearing my explanation, Master Harang’s face quickly turned red.
“…?”
Looking around as if searching for something,
Master Harang then seemed to find what they were looking for, took a napkin from the table, and gently dabbed their mouth before sitting down nicely.
“Ahem.”
The sight reminded me of a rural girl trying hard to appear modest, making me chuckle unintentionally.
“What are you laughing at…?”
“Ahem, it’s nothing.”
I couldn’t tell Master that I found their antics cute,
so I averted my eyes and turned my head slightly.
Then my brows furrowed.
“Hmm? Why the long face?”
“It seems the man who called us is coming.”
Accompanied by the sound of trumpets heralding a grand entrance, a massive door opened on the second floor of the hall.
“Everyone, be respectful!”
The nobles attending the banquet all straightened up and looked towards the entrance,
and soon a group of men walked out slowly.
One man wearing a golden crown atop his head,
two knights standing guard beside him,
and another man with a perplexed expression, as if he had no idea why he was here.
“It’s Arnold. He really is the Crown Prince.”
Master Harang said, recognizing the younger man at the back.
‘So that’s Arnold.’
I remembered the man who had helped us fend off the attack with Master.
As I squinted my eyes and stared at Arnold,
he flinched and quickly averted his gaze, as if he had sensed my scrutiny.
There was probably something prickly bothering him, but I didn’t need to be wary of Arnold.
Coming to that conclusion, I noticed the knights who had accompanied him stepping back, and Arnold found his place.
Then finally, the man who remained seated, savoring the silence, smiled contentedly while standing in front of everyone.
“It brings me joy to see so many gathered here despite the short notice.”
Of course, a noble opened his mouth in response,
and the man smiled back at him, continuing to speak.
“As mentioned in the letter, we are gathered here today to formally express gratitude to a girl.”
Murmurs spread throughout the hall, and soon all eyes were on Master Harang.
Feeling burdened by the collective gaze, Master scratched their cheek sheepishly.
“Um…”
Most of the nobles had probably anticipated this.
Since Master and I had shown up in a place they’d never seen before,
they probably thought Master was the girl mentioned by the man from the beginning.
It wouldn’t just be due to Master’s beauty that they turned their gazes; there were too many of them.
“Why stretch this out? Let’s get to the point.”
The man cast a glance at Master, smirking.
“Cheon Ha-rang, she is the hero who rescued my son, Arnold, and saved the Academy from peril.”
Once again, the hall buzzed with astonished voices.
“Seriously… that little girl did it?”
“Seems like the rumors were true.”
The man’s declaration confirmed their speculations, but it also left them puzzled.
Are they going to come up to us? The man’s lips moved just enough for us to understand.
Master let out a deep sigh, then stood up and turned to me.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Still holding hands, we crossed the hall and ascended the stairs.
While we climbed, the man squinted at our joined hands.
In response, I wore a triumphant smile.
It wasn’t merely a feeling of superiority,
but rather a certainty that I could render that man, who seemed to harbor a few snakes in his grass, completely impotent.
‘Master had told me to do as I wished…’
I was determined to follow that advice this time.
I glanced at the big clock hanging behind the hall and calculated the time in my mind.
“Hmm.”
They will arrive in one moment.
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