Chapter 96…………………………………………..
Theron approached with a smile and naturally stood beside me. At that moment, I saw the Marquis and Marchioness of Pernen, who had been facing me, smiling as well. And it wasn’t just the two of them.
Even Rosetta seemed to be looking at us with a very satisfied smile. Then the Marquis of Pernen greeted Theron.
“Long time no see, Duke Pierrt.”
“Now that you mention it, it has been a while, Marquis of Pernen.”
Seeing them exchange greetings made me feel Theron’s influence all over again. Even the cold, calculated Marquis of Pernen showed him respect.
“Ell—or rather, Saint, I would like to take you now.”
After a round of formalities, Theron said this to the three of them. The Marchioness smiled brightly and spoke.
“Yes, that’s fine. And please take good care of our Ellie.”
She had the expression of a mother entrusting her daughter to her son-in-law. That made me a little embarrassed, and I couldn’t say anything. I simply acknowledged the three members of the Pernen family with a glance and a nod, then followed Theron’s hand and left.
“Ellie, are you uncomfortable?”
Then I heard Theron’s voice softly in my ear. He asked carefully, looking genuinely concerned.
“Ah, no. It’s just… I was a little embarrassed by the earlier situation.”
“Really?”
“Yes… just a bit… ah, anyway. Weren’t you busy, Theron?”
“The conversations are more or less done. Those here may want a lot from me, but I don’t want much from them.”
Theron said this with a very relaxed expression. I was a little envious of him. But where were we going, exactly?
“Theron, but what’s the matter?”
“Well, I wanted to see you, of course… but the Emperor also wanted to greet you.”
When the Emperor was mentioned, Theron’s expression wasn’t very happy. It seemed he felt a bit frustrated, as though the Emperor was taking away the time he wanted to spend with me.
“Then we should go quickly.”
“Yes, Ellie.”
I thought it would be better to quickly finish our formalities and enjoy the party, so I moved swiftly with Theron.
Around the Emperor and the Princess, there were quite a few nobles gathered. Ever since they entered, nobles had been coming for an audience, and the number didn’t seem to have decreased much.
“Every noble in the banquet hall wants to speak with the Emperor and Princess…”
Even if the Emperor and Princess attended to nobles quickly, the number of people needing attention kept increasing, making it seem like the line never shortened.
“Being royalty isn’t all that easy… it’s practically an extreme job.”
Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait in the endless line. After all, the man beside me was Duke Pierrt, and I was the Saint who had saved the Emperor’s life.
“Oh! The Saint! And Duke Pierrt! Come this way.”
Thanks to the Emperor spotting us before we even got in line, we could meet him immediately. The nobles who were pushed aside didn’t look too happy, but when they saw our faces, they smiled.
“Most of them must be Princess’ supporters.”
Standing before the Emperor, Theron and I first followed court etiquette and greeted him.
“I greet the Sun of the Empire.”
“I greet the Sun of the Empire.”
Greeting simultaneously, I saw the Emperor and Princess smile contentedly. The Princess, especially, kept twitching the corners of her mouth, seemingly very pleased.
“Could she be teasing us?”
The Princess, who had quickly caught on to Theron and my relationship, might very well have been. Seeing her struggle to hold back a smile, I quickly turned my gaze to the Emperor.
The Emperor looked at Theron and me with satisfied eyes and said,
“You two go so well together.”
“Th-thank you, Your Majesty.”
Not knowing what else to say, I simply thanked him. Beside me, I saw Theron’s ears turn slightly red. He didn’t seem to like the Emperor much, but hearing praise made him happy.
“How cute.”
At that moment, the Emperor smiled at us. Today, he looked much better than before—his complexion was healthy, and he seemed far more robust than before his illness.
“On such a joyful day, seeing you two makes me even happier. I hope you both enjoy the banquet.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“If anything uncomfortable arises, do not hesitate to speak up.”
After receiving such considerate words from the Emperor, Theron and I concluded the audience. Though brief, I felt strangely exhausted.
“Royalty… just meeting them drains your energy.”
Around then, soft music from the string ensemble began. Finally, it was time for the nobles to dance.
I planned to quietly watch them while sipping champagne in a corner. The Emperor and Princess would dance first, followed by nobles in order of rank.
Of course, dancing was optional, so it wasn’t strictly necessary.
I didn’t plan to dance, but just as I was watching the Emperor and Princess, Theron approached me. He had been quietly drinking champagne across from me. Then, he knelt on one knee before me. I noticed many eyes turning toward us.
Theron took my hand and kissed the back of it. Then he said,
“Lady, would you honor me with a dance?”
My heart raced at this formal invitation. Though I had attended many banquets, this was the first time I had been asked to dance.
I wasn’t the only one surprised—nobles nearby whispered excitedly.
“D-Duke Pierrt asking for a dance! This is unprecedented!”
“I did see Lady Vuet ask him before… though he declined.”
From their whispers, I learned something I hadn’t known—Lady Vuet apparently liked Theron. But he had declined, so I wasn’t offended.
I extended my hand to Theron, smiling brightly, and answered,
“Alright.”
Relieved, Theron stood and said,
“Thank you, Ellie.”
Coincidentally, the Emperor and Princess finished their dance. That meant it was our turn—there were no more direct or collateral royals left.
I followed Theron’s hand toward the center of the banquet hall. As he placed his hand on my waist, I said,
“Theron, but I’m not very good at dancing…”
“It’s alright, Ellie. Even if you step on my feet, it’s fine.”
Theron replied confidently, looking very pleased. I nodded, took my stance, and prepared. I didn’t dance well, but I knew the basics.
As soon as we were ready, the music began. Theron held my waist and hand, leading me gently.
“Has he danced a lot before?”
But this was probably his first real dance. Most nobles had said so before we arrived.
“Ellie, your expression isn’t very good.”
Had my face tensed up without me realizing? Theron asked softly. I answered honestly.
“It’s just… you dance so well. I wondered if you had practiced a lot before.”
“No. Just a few practices. I didn’t want to dance with anyone but you, Ellie.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I declined all other dance invitations.”
Hearing that directly from Theron made me feel better.
“I was also anxious you might refuse my invitation.”
“……That would never happen.”
How could I refuse this overwhelmingly charming man?
Theron held my waist firmly and completed the dance successfully. I had done almost nothing, really.
“And I even stepped on his feet a few times.”
Yet Theron didn’t change expression. He even told me to relax.
After the dance, I quickly slipped toward a corner of the banquet hall, almost hiding. Theron followed.
“Ellie, are you embarrassed?”
“Of course.”
Just as I was about to say how mortified I was,
THUD—!
The banquet hall shook violently.
