Instead of Maxell, whose expression had stiffened, Lilia, who had been standing beside him, stepped forward with a radiant smile.
"I extend my gratitude to the Temple for your tireless efforts day and night to vanquish evil monsters. I heard you bestowed many blessings for the Imperial family this time as well? Everyone is rejoicing that the Imperial Palace has found peace thanks to your efforts."
With the Empress absent, it seemed Lilia, as the Crown Prince's fiancée, intended to play the role of hostess for the banquet.
Well, had the guests been ordinary nobles, that might have been possible. Unfortunately, the counterpart was Samuel.
As much as I hesitate to say this about myself, he was a devout believer of 'the Captain' who was deeply entangled with 'the former Captain.'
"Yes."
He indifferent ignored Lilia's smile, beautiful enough to make anyone turn their head at least once, and turned his gaze this way.
It seemed he had known my location from the start. He simply hadn't approached easily and was only staring intently.
Lilia, having been ignored by Samuel to her face, calmly led Maxell away. This time toward Xenon.
"I've sought a meeting for some time, and now I finally get to offer my greetings. Isn't that right, Your Highness?"
"Ah, yes. I am Maxell, the Crown Prince of the Empire. I heard you attended as the Magic Tower's representative?"
"The Magic Tower is deeply grateful that the Imperial family accepted our visit."
With Lilia and Maxell exchanging words before him, Xenon appeared to ponder for a moment. Then he responded somewhat brusquely.
"If not for Lady Anneli, I wouldn't have had occasion to visit."
At the direct mention of my name, Lilia's smile stiffened for the first time. Whether he knew it or not, Xenon merely frowned as he looked around.
"By the way, where is Lady Anneli? I heard this banquet was held to express gratitude to her?"
"Being dedicated to research at the Magic Tower, she seems unfamiliar with social etiquette. First, as the hosts, we should..."
"Yes, I've lived without caring about others' opinions, so I lack manners. But seeing you keep speaking to me, I take it you'll guide me to Lady Anneli?"
Several nobles were seen covering their mouths and turning away. Of course, I was among them.
No matter how precarious his standing had become, he was still the Crown Prince of a nation and his fiancée, yet they were being treated like banquet guides.
Someone stepped forward in place of Maxell, who was dumbfounded by this unimaginable demand. It was Heinrich, who had been watching with folded arms as Maxell made his tearful efforts.
"Since I'm Anneli's partner, it's only right that I inform you. I was just about to return to her, so we can go together."
Seeing a familiar face, Xenon's expression brightened as if he could finally breathe.
Heinrich, who had casually acknowledged Xenon, looked back at Samuel.
"Will you also come to offer greetings?"
When Samuel answered dully that he would, the surroundings grew noisy once more.
"So it's true that His Highness Heinrich is close with all the guests of the Imperial Palace."
"They say he personally oversees the Resurrected One's life in the palace."
"Then are the rumors about the two of them true as well?"
The whispering people looked back and forth between me and Heinrich. I ignored such reactions and deliberately looked up at the chandelier.
Meanwhile, the conversation continued.
"His Highness the Prince is really with that... being of unknown identity?"
"They say he was chosen by God."
"Or maybe not."
"At least the part about someone incurring God's wrath seems to be true."
Not God's wrath, but mine. Though since I'm God's proxy, it amounts to the same thing.
I continued to feign indifference while listening to the effusive conversations of the noble ladies.
"Then what will happen to Miss Lilia Roam?"
"I happened to find out something... but you must keep this between us women, understood?"
A noblewoman who had nearly covered her face with her fan lowered her voice considerably. Of course, even if she lowered her voice, it was all audible to me, so it wasn't a problem.
"I heard the Roam family is completely reexamining the adoption procedures."
"Heavens! Are they casting her aside because she's no longer needed?"
"I didn't know the Roam family could be so petty."
"Well, ever since they put their own daughter on the execution block in the first place..."
"They certainly acted high and mighty, using their connection to the Imperial family."
My keen hearing had never been as useful as it was now. As I listened to all sorts of conversations flowing in, the crowd parted and familiar figures approached.
"Being in this corner, even you couldn't help but stand out."
Heinrich, who stood at the forefront, said with a smile, and Samuel responded in a detached voice.
"It's the difference between eyesight and attention. You caught my eye immediately."
"...This is a banquet hall, Sir Samuel."
"I know. But it's a fact that my physical abilities are superior to His Highness the Prince's."
"Hah..."
Among those who had been avoiding me for a while, Samuel was exactly as I remembered him. Judging by his impassive expression, he really seemed to have no problems at all.
I felt anew that he managed his expressions quite well. Even if he hadn't become a holy knight and had jumped into noble society, he would have adapted well.
And Xenon was...
"Xenon?"
For some reason, he had a dazed expression. His face, looking truly foolish—I had never seen such an expression in all the time I'd spent with him, and I couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"Xenon."
When I called him again, he blinked rapidly as if waking from a spell.
"Lady Anneli?"
"Yes."
Instead of answering, Xenon roughly rubbed his face with both hands. What is it, why is he acting like that?
"This is an official banquet hall. Don't create unnecessary scandals and watch your forms, Mage."
"Oh my, Sir Holy Knight. You're one to talk—if you stare at Lady Anneli so openly, won't wonderful rumors spread about you too?"
Xenon, who had brusquely retorted to Samuel's pointed remark, slowly lowered his hands and looked at me. Then he frowned as if troubled.
"Is it Lady Anneli?"
"What kind of question is that? Are you sick somewhere?"
Xenon covered his face with his hands again. Samuel, watching him with disdainful eyes, said cynically.
"If your condition is poor, perhaps you should return home early, Mage."
At those words, Xenon mumbled while still covering his face.
"Shut your mouth, Holy Knight."
Heinrich, who had been looking back and forth between the two, added calmly.
"Have you two forgotten that you have perfectly good names to use?"
And I, after looking at the three men for a while, clicked my tongue and shook my head.
How fortunate it was that the banquet attendees, conscious of the situation, were keeping their distance from us.
The banquet hall was noisy, and these men's voices were low—something I could only be grateful for. To others, it would probably look like they were simply having a friendly conversation.
Heinrich, who had stayed by my side for a moment, swept his gaze around and spoke.
"Then I'll go attend to social activities again. If I don't step up, it seems everyone will flock this way."
"Please go ahead."
When I nodded immediately, Heinrich looked at Xenon and Samuel with bitter eyes.
"They're not entirely reliable, but better than nothing, I suppose."
As Heinrich moved away from us, the nobles who had been hovering and watching swarmed toward him.
Heinrich led them away from us with such skill that it was hard to believe he had been away from banquets for so long.
Of course, not all the onlookers had disappeared. I could sense several women, conscious of Xenon and Samuel, steadfastly sending glances their way.
Samuel was clergy, and Xenon was someone whose background wasn't even properly known, yet seeing them being gazed at so enthusiastically was fascinating.
'Should I excuse myself from this spot?'
As I was pondering this, Samuel suddenly held out his hand.
"Would you care for a dance?"
At this unexpected invitation, I looked up at Samuel with round eyes.
"You know how to dance?"
"Yes."
"But dancing at an occasion like this isn't really your taste..."
I was about to say it didn't seem like his taste, but I closed my mouth.
Many people in the banquet hall were watching me, and with people scattered about who would use any mistake as an excuse to follow me even if I entered the terrace. What would be a good means for the two of us to have a conversation?
In that sense, Samuel's request to dance wasn't strange at all.
"A dance?"
Xenon's expression rapidly deteriorated, perhaps because of the fact that he would have to wait alone.
Seeing Xenon carry on as if he had banquet anxiety made me feel a bit sorry for him, but I absolutely needed to have a conversation with Samuel.
"Very well."
When I readily extended my hand to him, he led me with an extremely proper posture.
Through the thin lace gloves, I could feel the solid texture of his hand.
* * *
Anneli was beautiful.
Samuel gazed at Anneli standing before him with new eyes. What further expression was needed? Whatever adjectives one might bring, the intended meaning would ultimately be the same.
Anneli, who had dressed up elaborately to attend the banquet, was truly beautiful.
Unlike usual when she always kept her face bare, today she wore bright makeup, which gave her formerly pale complexion a lively appearance.
Her red lips shone especially brightly from the wine she had been drinking until moments ago, and her violet eyes rippled mysteriously whenever her long, thick lashes blinked.
The silk dress that rustled with every movement was a deep blue, beautifully adorned with golden embroidery, making it extremely splendid.
Black lace shirring was layered over it, so when she twirled, it spread open like a flower.
The dress exposed her neck and shoulder line, and perhaps because of the deep color, Anneli's white skin stood out prominently. As did the scar on her neck.
'She deliberately exposed her neck.'
Having elegantly swept up her hair and fixed it with a hair ornament, she had adorned herself with earrings, a bracelet, and a ring, yet wore no ornament whatsoever on her neck.
Thus, the scar clearly remaining on her neck looked almost like an accessory.
In other words, even this scar served to make her stand out.
'Was she always like this before her resurrection?'
Samuel had never longed for high society or harbored attachments to noble society. He had been greatly satisfied with his clerical life and believed he would remain so for his entire life.
But today, for the first time, he grew a little curious about the social world he hadn't known. About Anneli's appearance as she would have actively participated in that world.