Once I had finished greeting Rosmiel-san, it turned out that they had specially reserved prime spectator seats for us here as well. The others headed over ahead of me, but since there was still a bit of time before the show, I decided to stay behind and chat with Rosmiel-san for a while.
"Are the stage preparations all finished?" I asked.
"Yes. I only appear briefly during the middle and the final act to sing."
Rosmiel-san spoke in a normal tone when it was just the two of us. It was only when strangers were around that her social anxiety kicked in, reducing her voice to a timid whisper.
"Will you be... all right?"
"As long as I keep a bit of distance... Besides, I don't have to talk to anyone; I just have to sing."
That made sense. I had noticed she tended to back away if people got too close. Maintaining some personal space was likely her coping mechanism. As I was thinking that, Rosmiel-san stood up gracefully.
"Kaito-kun, would you like some black tea?"
"Eh? Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to make you go to any trouble."
"No, don't worry about it. I can't linger too long because of the performance schedule, but there should be enough time for a quick cup."
As she spoke, Rosmiel-san manifested a magic circle in her hand, and a round table and chairs appeared before me. Once I took a seat, she immediately brewed some black tea and served it.
"Thank you. By the way, your show will be the last of the Seven Princesses' performances I'm visiting. I was wondering where to go after this. Do you have any recommendations?"
"U-Um... Looking at when the next show wraps up..."
In response to my question, Rosmiel-san pulled out a pocket watch with a rose design. After checking the time, she looked back at me.
"I think the area in front of Lilliwood-sama's castle in the center would be best. Between evening and night, Lilliwood-sama will be singing in front of the castle several times... It's essentially the main attraction of the Harmonic Symphony, so I think you should go see that."
"Ah, I see. It certainly makes sense that there would be a performance by Lilliwood-san as well. Thank you for the tip."
"I'm glad I could be of use."
In hindsight, it made perfect sense. Since all of the Seven Princesses were holding performances as representatives of their camps, it stood to reason that Lilliwood-san would have a showcase of her own as their leader.
I knew Lilliwood-san was a talented singer from when I heard her on my birthday, but back then, she had devoted herself to a supporting role for Isis-san. This would be the first time I heard her sing as the lead, so I was really looking forward to it.
"Oh, Kaito-kun. By the way, you're also invited to the tea party, right?"
"Yes, I intend to participate."
"I see. I've always been bad at those tea parties... b-because so many people I don't know or haven't talked to show up. But if you're going to be there, Kaito-kun, I think I'll feel a bit more at ease."
"That's true. You're an executive on the hosting side, Rosmiel-san, so I imagine many people come to greet you."
It was just a feeling, but perhaps partly due to her previous visit to my house, I felt as though Rosmiel-san had opened up to me. At the very least, she seemed to view me as someone she could talk to without getting paralyzed by nerves.
"I don't know much about the tea party myself. What usually happens there?"
"It's basically free-form. There are tables prepared with various tea sets; you can act as a host and serve the tea you brought, or you can visit a table someone else has prepared. The main focus is just on socializing."
"I see. Does that mean the Seven Princesses each handle a specific table?"
"No, there's no rule like that. I don't think we'll all cluster together, but we'll probably group up to some degree... I-I'll basically be with Lia, I think. If Lia isn't there, I won't be able to handle it because I'll be too scared."
Listening to Rosmiel-san, I was able to form a general image of the tea party. It didn't sound like an overly formal event, and the Seven Princesses seemed to have a fair amount of freedom. However, just as she had said, the sheer number of participants sounded daunting.
I checked the time as I pondered this... and realized it was almost time for the curtain to rise.
"It's about time. I should head over to the spectator seats. I'm really looking forward to the musical."
"U-Um, yes. Thank you for keeping me company. I was happy to chat with you, Kaito-kun... I'll do my best so that you enjoy the show."
"I'm sure I will."
I gave a polite bow to Rosmiel-san, who smiled softly and waved. I stepped out of the waiting room and made my way toward the audience.
Serious-senpai: "Oh, that makes sense. There’s no way Lilliwood wouldn’t show up for an event hosted by the World King Faction."