Chapter 26 …

A grand drinking party—no, a banquet—had begun.

To celebrate the empire’s first “lion sent by God,” the “holy girl,” the saintly heroine, not only nobles from across the empire but also envoys from neighboring countries had come. Even powerful figures from the Wizard’s Association and the Temple, who seemed politically irrelevant but were closely connected, visited the royal palace.

Well, none of my business!

The centerpiece of a banquet was, of course, dancing and drinking, and the tables were laden with delicacies brought from foreign lands. From the moment I entered the hall hand-in-hand with Kalian, my goal was simple.

In this world, there are exactly two kinds of alcohol: the drinks you will drink and the drinks you have already drunk. Today, I planned to sample all the drinks I would drink.

“Please behave today—”

“Kyu?”

“Please…”

Kalian’s pleading was a little pitiful, but I had no intention of just leaning against the wall and waving my fan politely. With so many delicacies I hadn’t tasted and music I’d never heard in the northern regions filling the hall, why would I? What for?

Important figures appeared one after another, and the saintly heroine arrived almost last. Until just before the banquet, she’d been flustered about whose escort to take, but in the end, she appeared with her hand resting on the captain of the knights’ arm. After all, the crown prince had a fiancée.

“Kalian, should I make a prophecy?”

“What kind?”

“Today is definitely going to be a mess. Complete. Utter. Chaos.”

“You?”

“No, don’t take me for… well…”

I remembered spectacularly ruining my drink at Arnen’s birthday banquet. And I had made the crown prince eat dirt in the royal garden—but, hmm, that was cute, wasn’t it? At least I didn’t roll around on the ground refusing to go home.

“…You are truly lenient with yourself.”

“That’s my charm. Even in this harsh world, I deserve to love myself. Love myself—”

“Maybe a little less,”

“Shut up.”

The fiancée of the crown prince, and all the ladies, were staring at the heroine in ways that weren’t ordinary. If this were an extremely predictable novel, one could easily foresee the coming chaos.

“If not you, then why would this banquet fall apart?”

The role of the mysterious girl who steals the hearts of fine men, the group of villains who jealously torments her, only to be predictably stopped by the male lead or a male lead candidate.

“The crown prince, the chancellor, the captain of the knights.”

“Huh?”

“The ones who seem like male lead candidates. Look at their eyes. Wow, electrifying.”

“What—ah.”

“And over there, who is that person?”

“He’s Lady Castris’s younger brother, the eldest son of the count’s family.”

“Hmm, Caswengang,”

“…Lady Castris is the crown prince’s fiancée.”

Wow, this is total chaos. Not only the crown prince, the chancellor, and the captain of the knights, but even the brother of a rival lady? If I were Lady Castris, I would’ve personally separated my brother and my fiancé right here.

“But what are they—”

“Predictable. Love. Love, you see.”

“…Among themselves?”

“No, around the heroine. Those heated gazes! So passionate! So longing! So wistful!”

Falling in love without logic is a classic trope, even in Romeo and Juliet. The heroine was dazed at her very first banquet, the key men were enchanted by every blink and gesture she made, and the ladies watching them were growing uncomfortable.

Would they casually spill wine on her dress, or subtly try to lower her status?

“Oh, this wine is delicious.”

“Try to restrain yourself,”

“I’ve only had one glass. I’m not planning to drink much now. Soon we’ll dance.”

As I lightly rotated my wrists and ankles, Kalian’s expression grew paler. I didn’t worry about him turning ghostly. I’ve never heard of a northern duke dying from cold hands and feet.

“Quite a gathering we have.”

The solemn emperor delivered a brief speech—though calling it a speech feels odd, it was more like a ceremonial remark at the beginning—and praised the heroine. Why the emperor suddenly complimented a girl who had appeared out of nowhere in this world, I didn’t know.

The emperor, as before, withdrew with the court officials, leaving me free—

“This is the music.”

I took over the stage. As the orchestra’s elegant prelude began, I grabbed Kalian’s hand and dashed to the center of the hall. Whoever seizes the floor first can draw the largest circle. Whether or not the banquet had a protagonist, I had to dance now.

“Hope you won’t step on my feet.”

A warning to calm down.

“If you do, try to lead skillfully like a true northern duke.”

Spinning round and round with Kalian’s hands in mine, I felt neither dizzy nor breathless. Ah! How long had it been since I last danced!

The tempo increased, interlaced with strong, seamless accompaniment.

Protagonist? Who cares! Whether foreign envoys watched or not!

“Hahaha!”

“You might behave a bit,”

“Rha?”

Far off, Rha and Eliot were watching me with reluctant expressions. Why didn’t I think they’d come to a gathering filled with notable nobles? Again, none of my business!

“Now!”

“What, what?”

The timing, the speed, the accompaniment!

“I’m lying down!”

Fixing my hands on Kalian’s shoulders, I leaned back, lifting one leg. What kind of dance was this? Fundamentally, there was no method to explain.

If Kalian hadn’t held my waist firmly, I’d have cracked my skull.

The extravagant first move ended satisfactorily. The dress was light, like the one worn at the crown prince’s birthday banquet, so it didn’t hinder dancing. It was a pity I couldn’t wear Kalian’s conqueror outfit, but I liked the swish of the dress fabric anyway.

Until just before dancing, my shawl had been neatly on my shoulder, but now it was tossed in a corner of the hall. Oops.

“Oops…”

“You—”

“You could’ve warned me earlier.”

“When you were flailing like a drowned bird?”

“My dance must’ve looked like a swan’s wing!”

“Do you even have a conscience?”

“Oh, that’s been torn in all directions. They say if you gather it, your wish comes true.”

Was that a sacred gem or something? Kalian looked at me like that, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak it aloud. Regardless of his awkward expression, I had to continue my drinking mission.

The next piece was a waltz. I had no hobby of gliding gracefully, and to excite me, faster, stronger music was needed.

“Oh, the heroine seems inexperienced at her first banquet.”

“Of course she’s clumsy. But in such attire—”

Ah, now’s the moment. As I was deciding the ratios of my drinks, a very predictable line echoed in my mind.

The ladies surrounding the heroine, led by the crown prince’s fiancée, were actively threatening her. Thankfully, this was a non-lethal possession story. In a serious political drama, the heroine might have drunk poisoned tea the next day.

“What are they saying—”

…Should I be grateful for this?

“You can’t understand, can you? Such elegance—”

Clatter.

The polite manners being lectured? Tick! Tick! Tick!

Who—gasp.

Oops. In a hall capable of holding five hundred, the proximity to them was surprisingly close. I was caught mixing drinks mid-celebration by the ladies.

The heroine, suddenly victimized, widened her eyes and stared at me. A little embarrassing.

The lead lady attacking the heroine could only move her lips, unable to find words. After all, the empire’s only duchess was flamboyantly mixing drinks in front of her. I’d be embarrassed too.

“Adriana!”

“…Your Grace, the duchess.”

I stopped mixing drinks and spoke cautiously.

“Shall I show you something fun?”

My sister had done a fire show with drinks before… though it was a mistake. Ahaha.

I’d always lived without a shred of shame, but seeing girls my age, slightly younger than me, looking bewildered was a little embarrassing.

Rattling!

I finished mixing the drinks.

The drinking—and rather, the dancing—continued several times. The group trying to corner the heroine gradually retreated, wary of me. I mostly danced with Kalian, once with Arnen, and then stepped back. The new batch of wine had arrived.

New wine was the best. Savoring subtle differences in acidity, sweetness, and aroma was delightful. Although it reminded me of pancakes, light fruit wines paired well with savory finger foods.

“Heroine, may I have this dance?”

“This time with me,”

“If you permit—”

Ah, the timing was perfect. As the next dance partner was to be chosen, three hands reached toward the heroine.

Who, you ask? Who else. The crown prince, the chancellor, the captain of the knights. They all reached out without waiting for each other, subtly watching the heroine nibbling canapés.

I had no interest in their romance, only popcorn-worthy amusement. But the fiancée and the nobles backing those three were visibly frustrated.

Ah, the atmosphere is ruined—so fun. Who’s the culprit? Step forward and put a condom over the banquet hall!

“Ah, I—”

“Relax. Follow your heart.”

Even if the crown prince said that, it wouldn’t work. Arnen and Bernule could manage, but the chancellor shouldn’t be allowed such leeway. Are clergy exempt because the heroine is saintly? Usually these characters serve only God, avoiding personal emotions.

“Only as the will of God, follow your heart.”

“Kalian, do you know how old the chancellor is?”

Well, falling in love isn’t a crime…

“One year younger than you.”

That love seems wrong.

Hey! You, twenty-nine! Stay away from nineteen!

“I, I mean—”

The heroine, fidgeting and turning her head, caught my gaze and didn’t look away with teary eyes. Why look at me? Am I her guardian—

Guardian! Not just for popcorn time! Actually, I prefer nachos, but anyway! Sorry, heroine!

“Wait!”

Thanks to the dress length not touching my shoes, I could stride forward without the hem getting in the way.

“Heroine, your dance partner is me!”

“…What?”

Wrapping my arms around her shoulders from behind, the three well-dressed men looked at each other in confusion. Their glances exchanged perfectly.

“That’s fine, right?”

“Yes? Yes! I’m fine with it!”

“Did you hear that? Now, Kalian! Come here.”

Kalian, standing sheepishly, rushed over at my call. His long legs made moving efficient—but that’s not the point.

“Now! You guys dance with each other! Perfect number!”

“…Huh?”

“What?”

“Just now—”

“Kalian dances with Sir Bernabile, Your Highness the Crown Prince dances with the chancellor.”

Four people! Perfect for splitting partners.

“But why us—”

“Ah, well—”

If I said I split them by chest size, I’d be reported for heresy. I quickly looked away from Kalian and the captain’s reliable chests and talked nonsense. The crown prince and chancellor’s chests weren’t bad either, but a bit skinny. Wrapped in body lace, they’d be perfect. Ah, the importance of the chest…

“Because I drowned—”

“Drowned?”

“I divided based on who would survive on their own and who would be rescued by someone else!”

Hahaha. Grabbing left and right hands, I smiled brightly.

The solemn chancellor frowned, probably thinking it sacrilegious and audacious—but whatever, none of my business!