Elena's voice did not carry any particular force behind it.
And yet, it cut through the surrounding noise with an almost mysterious clarity.
At the party venue, many guests were chatting with fellow nobles or ordering maids to bring them food and drink, creating quite a din.
But even amid all that noise, Elena's voice reached every corner of the hall without question.
"Wh-what is it?"
Lirin, who caught those words from right nearby, still managed to collect herself and respond—likely because she was envious of Elena. It was a woman's pride, the refusal to show an unseemly side before the very rival she envied.
Thanks to that pride, Lirin retreated a few steps without realizing it, pushed back by the sheer weight of Elena's words. She did not, however, do anything more embarrassing than that.
Still, that did not mean she could face Elena head-on. That answer was no.
Lirin's words were faintly trembling, and the look she directed at Elena held fear—though she would absolutely never admit it herself.
Receiving that gaze, Elena realized she had put too much force into her voice and let out a breath to relax.
With that single action, the pressure-like atmosphere that had settled over the surroundings vanished.
"Lirin, I know you find me disagreeable. But using that as a reason to slander Rei is something I will never tolerate."
"...What of it?"
Those were the only words Lirin could manage in response.
She likely had plenty more she wanted to say. But faced with Elena, she could not bring herself to say any of it.
Elena gave Lirin a brief glance, then suddenly noticed music drifting through the party venue. It was a dance tune.
"Rei."
Elena murmured that single word and turned her gaze toward him. Rei, understanding what that look meant, shifted his attention to Lirin.
"Is it alright?"
"I care not. Once they see you dancing with me, no one will dare say such foolish things. What I cannot forgive is Rei being mocked. Or... do you not wish to dance with me?"
Elena turned eyes toward him that wavered ever so slightly.
Elena had seen countless people who whispered behind her back out of jealousy or made cutting remarks. If Lirin's jealousy had been directed at Elena alone, she would not have grown this angry.
But when Lirin realized her words had no effect on Elena, she shifted her target to Rei.
If it had only been herself, that would have been one thing. But to have such a thing done to the person she held dear—there was no way Elena, known as the Princess General, could endure it.
That was precisely why she wanted to show everyone them dancing together, to make it clear that Rei belonged at this party.
...Granted, Rei had trained enough with Elena to dance competently, but in truth, he could only dance with her. With more time spent practicing, it might have been a different story. For now, though, Rei was essentially Elena's exclusive dance partner.
To Elena's gaze, Rei naturally nodded.
"No, of course I welcome the chance to dance with you."
Saying so, he extended his hand to Elena. Lirin's figure had already vanished from his field of vision.
"...Mm."
Elena, too, completely pushed Lirin out of her sight and took Rei's hand.
The two of them headed toward the center of the dance floor, matching the music flowing through the hall.
"Eh? Hey... wait..."
"You're kidding. Lady Elena is dancing? And her partner is... who?"
"Look, it's him. Duke Kerebel's guest, Crimson."
"No, but... can a mere adventurer even dance?"
The nobles who had been chatting rather than dancing watched Elena and Rei stride to the center of the floor, then began whispering among themselves.
Most assumed that Rei dancing with Elena was wildly inappropriate given the difference in their stations, and that he probably could not even dance properly. But once the two actually began, those murmurs naturally faded away.
"How beautiful... they're both dancing with such lightness, as if they're soaring through the sky."
A woman—likely some noble's daughter—murmured as she watched them.
Indeed, Rei and Elena's dance was unquestionably set to the music, but it was more than that. Their rhythm and tempo were different from the other dancers around them. And yet, they did not stand out in a jarring way; they blended in seamlessly. If anything, without anyone noticing, they had begun to lead the surrounding dancers, and Rei and Elena had become the center of the floor.
"Huh, as expected of Rei. I never thought he'd show me a dance this impressive."
Watching the pair, the man raised his wine glass and murmured with a smile.
Ranigus Myuzei. The second son of Baron Myuzei's House, which belonged to the King's Faction.
He was naturally acquainted with both Elena and Rei....Though, given that he had gone along with Gaiska to approach Rei, Elena, and Ara, Rei's impression of him was by no means favorable.
Ranigus had been gathering intelligence, conversing with Noble Faction nobles as a member of the King's Faction. He had taken a breather from that work and was sipping wine to wet his throat when the dance began.
Finding it a fine accompaniment to his drink, Ranigus enjoyed the performance while savoring his wine... and relished the sight of the surrounding dancers being drawn into their pace.
"My, what an amusing place to run into each other."
A voice called out from behind him. Turning toward the familiar sound while still enjoying his wine, Ranigus found a single beautifully dressed woman.
The second daughter of Count Myruzu's House—Telese Myruzu.
Naturally, she was an acquaintance of his.
"Hey, Telese. Take a look at that."
Ranigus gestured toward Rei and Elena with his wine glass, and Telese followed his direction.
"Lirin apparently got entangled with Lady Elena. And she insulted Rei, from what I hear."
"Ah... I see. So that's what this dance is about. Well, I can more or less grasp the flow of things."
Ranigus muttered with a touch of exasperation—likely because he knew exactly what kind of person Lirin was.
A girl posturing as the flower of high society.
No, normally Lirin was undeniably a beauty, and rather than merely posturing, it would not have been strange for her to actually be treated as such. But when the other party was Elena—whose radiance was so dazzling it would not be strange to call her the Goddess of Beauty—the odds were against her.
Standing beside Elena, even someone who prided themselves on their looks had no choice but to become a foil.
In Lirin's case, she possessed a beauty that was merely passably pretty and had been fawned over by everyone since childhood. She could not bear becoming Elena's foil.
That was why she harbored such intense jealousy toward Elena.
Even so... Lirin challenging Elena was like a lizard challenging a dragon. There was no way she was any match for her.
That was evident not only in beauty, but in personal charm as well.
"To insult Rei in front of Lady Elena... that's something anyone would rightly call recklessness beyond one's station."
Telese smiled even as she expressed her exasperation. Granted, that was something only Telese, who had actually met Rei and Elena, could say. Had she known nothing, she could not deny the possibility that she too might have made remarks insulting Rei in front of Elena.
Then again, even gathering a little information would have made it obvious to anyone that Rei and Elena's relationship was a close one.
What was careless on Lirin's part was likely that she had not bothered to gather such information.
No, to be precise, Lirin did know that Elena had returned to her family's estate—though that expression might not be quite appropriate—alongside an adventurer named Rei. Yet she still uttered words insulting him, probably because she never imagined Elena held such deep feelings for the man.
(What a foolish girl.)
Telese internally mocked Lirin, yet there was almost no contempt behind the thought.
Lirin was someone who, under normal circumstances, could unquestionably become the flower of high society. But Elena existed. Thinking of that misfortune, the emotion Telese felt toward Lirin was closer to pity.
Tearing her gaze from Rei and Elena—whose dance was captivating everyone around them—she looked toward Lirin.
There, she saw several female flunkies gathered around the girl.
It meant that Lirin's posturing as the flower of high society was by no means a self-satisfied delusion; she was genuinely liked by others.
...Granted, that was purely among the younger generation, from teens to twenties. The older set—specifically, the wives of nobles—formed their own separate groups.
In any case, gazing at Lirin and her entourage... Telese hoped that the rest of the party would become at least a little more bearable.
Those impressed by Rei and Elena's dance included Elena's parents—Liberte and Arcadia.
Seeing their daughter dance at a party was not a first by any means. But even so, watching her look this happy while dancing was a first for Liberte.
"To think Elena would dance with such enjoyment."
"That's right. But that's because her partner is Rei, you know?"
Arcadia responded to Liberte's murmured words, which had slipped out before he realized it.
Liberte could not help but reluctantly acknowledge Arcadia's point. He had accepted Rei's relationship with Elena, but even so, as a father, there were complicated feelings about his beloved daughter bringing her lover home.
"Still..."
Likely judging that continuing this conversation would put him at a disadvantage, Liberte looked around once more before speaking.
"Elena and Rei's dance is splendid. I admit that. But... after those two finish, do you think there will be anyone with the nerve to follow them onto the floor?"
"That would be... a bit difficult."
Arcadia hid her mouth behind the fan she was holding.
A dance that magnificent—wonderful even in the eyes of people like Liberte and Arcadia—was being displayed before them. There should be few people reckless enough to try dancing immediately after that concluded.
"In the worst case... you and I dance, I suppose?"
Originally, Liberte was not particularly skilled at dancing. He possessed above-average technique as a matter of noble refinement, but even so, he could not perform a dance that drew people's eyes the way Elena and Rei were doing now.
But that was precisely why Elena's parents—himself and Arcadia—needed to take the floor and prevent the atmosphere from dying down.
In that sense, Liberte and Arcadia dancing was undoubtedly the perfect solution.
"That's right. I've been thinking I'd like to dance with you again for the first time in a while, you know?"
Arcadia's gaze, carrying a lustrous light, settled on Liberte. Lately, perhaps owing to their nighttime activities, that luster burned with an intensity one degree stronger than the look he was familiar with.
Liberte, receiving such a gaze, was momentarily at a loss for words... and, as if to cover it up, raised the wine glass in his hand to his lips.
While that was happening, the dance reached its climax. At the center of the floor, Rei and Elena each supported one another firmly, yet still pulled the other along as they continued to move.
Then, when the dance reached its absolute peak, Rei drew Elena by the hand into his embrace... and the music ended.
The party venue fell silent for an instant, before the sound of applause suddenly shattered it.
Many nobles cast glances to see who was clapping. When they saw that it was Liberte and Arcadia, the rest soon joined in.
Having confirmed that, Liberte quietly offered his hand to Arcadia, who had been applauding beside him.
"Would you do me the honor of a dance?"
"Yes. Of course."
Arcadia wore a radiant smile and gently rested her hand over the one her husband had extended.