Chapter 178: Chapter 162: Evening Party

The day of the evening party arrived at last.

I, who handed over the unwilling Allen and Elena to the castle maids and the Royal Guards including Isaac-san, arrived with Matthias-san and Rebecca-san to the entrance of the evening party hall.

There will be many dressed up nobles, right? I am getting a bit nervous.

“Are you prepared, Takumi-kun?”

“Fufu. Now then, Takumi-san, let’s enter.”

Although I was still feeling nervous, Rebecca-san supported herself with my arm.

Rebecca-san’s escort is naturally Matthias-san, but I am escorting her with him today as well. This is apparently called a double escort.

When we entered the gorgeous hall, not a small racket stirred.

Is this normal or is it because someone they are not familiar with like me is with the Count couple... I couldn’t tell since it was my first evening party, but curious gazes gathered on us.

“Takumi-kun, we must greet His Majesty first.”

“Y, yes, I understand.”

“Takumi-san, your expression has stiffened.”

“Eh?”

“It’s understandable that you are nervous, but we are with you, so you don’t need to be worried.”

“... I will do my best.”

Although I say that, I don’t know whether I will be able to suppress my nervousness.

“Haha, it seems that eyes are nailed on your accessories, Rebecca.”

“Oh my, oh my.”

Matthias-san leaked quiet laughter without breaking his expression.

I see, the majority of the gazes is directed towards the pearls!

Today, Rebecca-san is wearing a wine red, slender dress with a charmful white embroidery with the pearl accessories Matthias-san and I gifted her.

“There isn’t anyone going to ask even though they are all interested?”

“Takumi-kun, where are we going now?”

“Eh? To His Majesty——Tristan-sama’s place.”

“Right. There’s no way they would obstruct us when we are going to this party’s organizer, the King of this country, right?”

“Ah, I see!”

It’s standard to greet the organizer of the party first. There isn’t anyone without manners who would contact us before we finished our greetings.

“Now then, Takumi-kun, it’s our turn.”

We advanced through the queue of people that came to greet Tristan-sama.

When it became our turn, Matthias-san went forward and bowed.

Following after Matthias-san, Rebecca-san and I bowed next.

“Count Ruven, Lady Rebecca, thank you for coming this evening.”

“Thank you very much for the invitation.”

Talking casually is apparently a breach of etiquette for those of status. Therefore, when Tristan-sama addressed Matthias-san, Matthias-san gave his greetings.

It feels like the stern Tristan-sama wrapped in kingly aura I had an audience with was a different person.

“Your outfit is truly beautiful tonight, Your Majesty.”

“Oh my, thank you, Count Ruven. Your wife’s attire is also wonderful today.”

I don’t feel any friendliness from Grace-sama she had when I met her in private.

This is exactly what a “Noble woman” is.

“You did well coming, Takumi.”

“Thank you very much for the invitation, Your Majesty.”

The moment Tristan-sama called out to me, the surroundings have gotten momentarily noisier.

Are they surprised that someone they don’t know was known by His Majesty?

“How is your first evening party?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I feel a bit nervous from this truly gorgeous place.”

“Hahaha~ What, no need to be this tense. Just enjoy yourself without worries.”

“Indeed, Takumi-san. Since you are already here, you better enjoy yourself.”

As Tristan-sama and Grace-sama talked with me intimately, the noise of the surroundings grew louder.

“Good evening, Takumi-dono.”

When Austin-sama and Aurora-sama who finished greeting other nobles joined us, the noise grew even louder.

“Thank you for the invitation, Austin-sama.”

“It’s my first time seeing you dressed like this Takumi-dono, but it seems that you are quite used to it.”

“Do you think so?”

I was always dressed in my usual adventurer-style clothes when meeting with Austin-sama, so he was staring at me fixedly.

Generally, adventurers (commoners) wouldn’t be used to wearing this style of clothes, but I am used to wearing a suit, so I don’t feel out of place when dressed like a noble.

“Both Grace-sama and Aurora-sama are wearing the pearls, I see. It suits you very well.”

“Thank you. Although I believe that one would be able to get used to wearing something this wonderful immediately.”

“Indeed. I also switched the dress I was planning on wearing tonight for something that would match with the hair ornament~”

“If I am not mistaken... you wanted to wear a pale-pink dress tonight, no?”

“Yes, they are of the same color though, so the pearl wouldn’t stand out.”

“Truly.”

Grace-sama and Aurora-sama were wearing the pearl accessories I have brought them the other day. Aurora-sama decided to choose a new dress that would go well with the pearl hair ornament.

“Rebecca’s jewelry is also wonderful. Were these pearls also...”

“Yes, indeed.”

Grace-sama praised Rebecca-san’s pearl accessories and glanced at me.

She asked Rebecca-san in a way that the people listening in to our conversation wouldn’t understand.

Rebecca-san also replied in an unclear way.

“Takumi, I can’t praise you for hogging our women all for yourself~”

“Eh?”

Tristan-sama on the side was poking fun at me.

From the side, it apparently looks like the three women were gathered around me.

“Nono, Your Majesty. You should have seen Takumi-kun when he was surrounded by young ladies at our tea party.”

“What? That’s incredible.”

Matthias-san, I don’t need to guess that you are talking about the matter with Pastel Rabbits, right? Please stop saying it as if the ladies were gathering around for me.

Also, stop smirking at me please!

“... It was the Pastel Rabbits that were popular, not me.”

“You think so? They might have been swarming around you, you know?”

“Definitely not~”

“My, oh my. Your Majesty, Takumi-san is going to sulk if you tease him too much.”

“Right.”

Tristan-sama was trying to tease me further, but he quickly withdrew thanks to Grace-sama’s defense.

“It’s amusing talking with you Takumi and I would like to talk more, but let’s do that afterward. Well then, Count Ruven, Takumi is still unfamiliar with a place like this, so look after him carefully.”

“Understood.”

Tristan-sama and others still have many nobles left to greet, so they are not able to spare too much time for us. I felt a bit uneasy from Tristan-sama’s words, but we bowed and separated from him and others.

“... How tiring.”

“Now, now, the evening party has just begun, you know? —— Look, they are here.”

After we separated from Tristan-sama and others, I grumbled a complaint.

But, aren’t people unconcerned about that and coming this way!?

“Long time no see, Count Ruven.”

“Count Ruven-sama, Rebecca-sama, gokigen’yoh.”

“Rebecca-sama, it has been a while.”

And before I noticed, we were surrounded by many people.

“Rebecca-san, your necklace and earring look wonderful.”

“What a splendid pearls~”

“Where might you have purchased them?”

They came to ask about the pearls.

Is that why there are only three men, but seven women? Because of the pearls?

“Fufu. This was a gift from my husband.”

Rebecca-san gave an evasive reply to the questions of the women.

“Who might be this person?”

“He is not your son, is he?”

There also were people who wanted to know about me.

“He is an adventurer under my guardianship. He is very exceptional, so he had the privilege of obtaining His Majesty’s favor.”

“Certainly, his conversation with His Majesty seemed quite intimate...”

Matthias-san appealed his guardianship of me and His Majesty’s relationship with me.

Without being able to interject even once, I watched Matthias-san and Rebecca-san’s conversations from the side.