Lilia looked a little bewildered at the unusual request, but she quickly regained her composure and began greeting Gurin and An with practiced grace.
This was a testament to her true capability. While Lilia was a kind woman who didn't act like a typical noble, she was a veteran of evening parties and tea ceremonies. She was more than accustomed to high-society gatherings of this sort.
I usually saw her flustered simply because she was pitted against the wrong people far too often. Seeing her handle guests with such poise reminded me that this was likely her natural state.
"...So, Lilia-san. Regarding Gurin-san here, she mentioned being interested in high society. Since I don’t know much about those circles, I was wondering if you could show her the ropes? Of course, I know you have your own responsibilities, so only if you have the time."
"............"
"Um? Lilia-san?"
When I broached the subject after the introductions were over, Lilia blinked blankly for a moment. Then, her eyes began to sparkle. She didn’t look annoyed or troubled; in fact, she seemed genuinely thrilled. Why?
"I see, so that's the situation... Yes, certainly! Please, leave it to me. I could never refuse a request from you, Kaito-san. Gurin-san, I heard this is your first time at such an event, so you must be feeling quite anxious. How about this? Why don't you stay with me for the rest of the party? I can teach you the basics, and it would be a fine opportunity if you plan on entering social circles in the future."
"T-That would be more than I could ever hope for, but are you certain it’s all right, Duchess Lilia?"
"Yes, of course. This is a request from none other than Kaito-san. You can leave everything to me."
I wasn't sure what was going on, but she seemed genuinely giddy. She had accepted the task with incredible enthusiasm. For my part, I was grateful; I still had to make my rounds, and I’d feel much better knowing Gurin had Lilia looking after her. Still, why was she so eager—almost aggressive—about it?
As I was puzzling over her behavior, Luna-san approached with a wry smile and spoke up.
"I think I know what you’re wondering, Miyama-sama, so allow me to explain. Milady has just acquired the ultimate defensive measure for this party."
"Huh?"
"Until a moment ago, Milady was being overwhelmed by the Six Kings' executives who kept approaching her one after another. Since there's a chance the Six Kings themselves—with whom she is acquainted—might drop by, she was already at her limit. She had likely given up on enjoying the party quite early on. However, she has now obtained the strongest card in the deck: 'Guiding a commoner at Miyama-sama’s request.' It’s a shield that allows her to cut conversations short even with the Kings."
"A-Ah, so that’s why she’s so happy."
"Indeed. Being directly entrusted with a task by you is effectively the strongest card one can play at this party. Anyone would recognize that monopolizing Milady for a long conversation would go against your wishes, Miyama-sama."
In other words, by asking her to look after Gurin, I had inadvertently saved her? I was happy to help, but since most of the reasons she was struggling in the first place could be traced back to me, it felt a bit like I was solving a problem I had caused. Well, Lilia was happy, so I decided not to overthink it.
"All right then, I'll leave Gurin in Lilia’s care. An-san, what about you? If there's anyone you'd like to meet, I can introduce you."
"...Well, then, this might be a bit bold of me, but if you could introduce me to someone with connections in the mining industry... A jeweler would be fine, but I would be truly delighted to meet someone influential in the field of magic crystals."
"Oh, I know just the person. Leave it to me."
If we were talking about magic crystals, it had to be Tre-san. After all, she was the Special Advisor for the Magic Crystal Department of the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company. Her personality also made her an easy person to introduce, which was a relief.
Serious-senpai: "This is one of those moments, isn't it? An is probably picturing the head of some small-to-medium-sized trading company like Akane’s. Is she going to be okay? She’s about to meet the head of the magic crystal department for the largest trading company in the world..."