BSS 85

Chapter 85

“Look! How beautiful you are! There’s no woman in the world who isn’t beautiful.”

Only then did I get a proper look at how I had been dressed.

“Ah.”

The blue dress sent by my parents as a birthday gift complemented my eye color perfectly, making it clear that it was chosen by someone who wanted to cherish my gaze.

The earrings and necklace set, made of pale blue gems, had been sent by King Dikel III the year I was known to have formed a contract with an intermediate spirit. They were a kind of gift or token.

Both the dress and the jewelry set were being unboxed for the first time.

If it weren’t for this founding party, they might have stayed tucked away in my room forever.

It was quite a satisfying combination.

[Oh, it’s pretty!]

[Rai, even you can say something right sometimes?]

[I have to survive, so…]

[What did you say?]

[You’re the most beautiful in the world.]

Rai, as usual, tried to needle me, but I was too busy admiring myself in the mirror to care.

I realized my blonde hair could actually be styled this way.

Since I didn’t have a hair ornament, my hair was skillfully braided and decorated with a thin lace ribbon, giving an intellectual appearance.

The light makeup I requested made my lips stand out and enhanced my femininity.

My soft skin took makeup well.

“See? I really am beautiful, right?”

“Of course! Truly beautiful. Blonde hair and blue eyes—absolute truth. Noble’s symbol! Ultimate elegance! Goddess-worthy hair color.”

Oops, I realized I had been openly praising myself while talking to Rai in my head.

Thanks to Chelsea’s natural responses, it didn’t feel too embarrassing.

[Heh.]

[Don’t laugh.]

Rai had shrunk to half his usual size and was perched on my wrist like a snake-shaped bracelet.

His small head rested lightly on the back of my hand, and today his eyes were blue instead of red.

A blue-eyed white serpent looked unrealistic, like a peculiar accessory, but Rai, ten years into being my pet, had perfected the art of pretending to be one of my props.

“Perfect! You look amazing, Miss Crowell!”

Chelsea, generous with praise, clapped when I awkwardly turned to view myself in the mirror.

“I’ve helped many ladies get ready, but Miss Crowell is by far the most beautiful! Who would believe she’s debuting at a party tonight?”

“Hmm, thank you.”

“I wish you the most wonderful night!”

“The most wonderful night…”

“May you meet a fine gentleman.”

I didn’t care about that at all.

I wanted to see Ash, but not in a romantic sense, and I had already realized he wasn’t even in Elan, so it was pointless.

This was clearly a party without a purpose.

Still, I felt secretly pleased with how I looked. When would I have another chance to dress like this?

As the party drew near, the entrance to Topaz Palace was packed with carriages waiting for their owners and guests headed to the party.

Staying at Topaz Palace meant being personally invited by the royal family and having accommodations inside the palace—everyone there was a person of stature, loud and imposing.

I stood quietly among them, watching the early evening sun set in the distance.

Specifically, I was waiting for King Dikel III.

Normally, a man should come out to wait, but when it’s royalty, the rules are different.

[Master! Can I eat the gems that woman’s wearing?]

[No.]

[Then the man’s…]

[Rai, no asking if you can eat things today.]

[What? Such a cruel trial!]

Trial? No, it’s common sense.

Since we were about to enter a field full of jewels, I had to keep Rai in check.

At the party, there would be countless people wearing jewelry, far more than him.

A foreign princess, wearing about fifteen times more jewelry than I had, passed right in front of me.

Rai, forgetting he was supposed to mimic my bracelet, moved his head toward her.

[Rai!]

[Ah! I couldn’t help it.]

Was he trying to make me look like a crazy girl bringing a snake to the party?!

[Today, if you mess up, my neck’s on the line! Literally!]

[But Master! Telling me not to move or eat anything is torture!]

[You’re not even hungry, so just endure it!]

Rai’s gluttony had not improved over the years.

I didn’t always want him with me.

Letting him loose was dangerous, but if he wasn’t around, bad things always happened.

Years ago, I had tried to send him back to the spirit realm, not permanently, just like Undine or Ador, to summon him when needed.

But it was impossible.

If he were sent back, all the metals he had consumed in the middle realm would spill out and cover the entire Academy.

A mountain of metal—disaster waiting to happen.

Rai had eaten so much that he had become a crawling bomb.

When did he even manage to eat all that?

[Master! The king is here.]

I stumbled slightly in unfamiliar high heels but regained my balance and turned to find the king.

Royalty and nobles had their own formal attire, making it clear at a glance that they weren’t ordinary people.

Even without seeing their faces, the clothing alone indicated their rank.

No wealthy noble, no matter how extravagant, could match the restrained elegance of royal ceremonial dress.

King Dikel III emerged from the palace with other attendants.

Seeing that his entrance differed from mine, I assumed the royal quarters were in a more secluded area.

“Your Majesty.”

I approached quickly and kneeled before him, lifting my dress slightly to make it proper.

“And who is this?”

“I-I am Jeanie Crowell.”

“You’ve changed.”

Even the king seemed to think my transformation wasn’t bad.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Thanks to you, I am.”

“Good. You were such a little girl back then.”

“That was ages ago.”

I liked King Dikel III as a person. Unlike the Emperor of Elan, he didn’t let the weight of his crown crush others.

When he laughed heartily like now, he seemed generous and approachable.

“Very well. Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

I was more polite than usual.

Holding King Dikel III’s hand, I planned to find the perfect moment to request using the road instead of a warp back to Dimitri.

But that would have to wait, as a carriage had stopped perfectly in front of us.

The other attendants opened the carriage door and respectfully escorted the king, and I entered as his escort.

I would be attending the party with only the king.

The primary duty of a servant was to assist and protect their master.

I wouldn’t really need to protect Dikel III, a swordmaster, but my given role was to accompany him to the party—a task that required almost no effort.

A high-ranking individual attending alone would appear unseemly, so I was there purely for appearances.

If the king permitted, I could even enjoy some private time.

“Welcome to the Founding Anniversary Party. Please present your invitation.”

The silver-uniformed doorman, precise in movement and posture, seemed to be a knight originally.

I handed over the invitation, stamped with the seal of Elan.

That was my duty as his attendant, and almost the only one I had.

「Her Majesty King Dikel III of Dimitri Khan and his attendant, Baroness Jeanie Crowell, enter!」

The doorman announced our arrival through a microphone enchanted with loudspeaker magic.

I gently rested my hand on the king’s elbow, climbing the steps and watching the large doors slowly open.

It felt like stepping into a dazzling light.