Elis’s ideal plan had been to wait in silence for the conversation between Kaito and the Seven Princesses to conclude, keeping her distance just like the escort maid standing further back. In fact, that was exactly what she had expected to happen.
There was no direct link between Elis and the Seven Princesses. As the daughter of a mere Marquis, she could never dream of addressing them herself. In this situation, the only way she could possibly join the conversation would be if the Seven Princesses addressed her first or if Kaito introduced her.
The former was virtually impossible. The Executives of the Six Kings weren't individuals one could interact with so casually. Even the Seven Princesses, while they might acknowledge her father, Marquis Hamilton, would normally have no reason to bother with a self-introduction to a girl who was merely the young lady of a Marquis house.
Thus, the only way she might find herself speaking with them was if Kaito introduced her—but even that should have been out of the question. Kaito and Elis had only just met, a shallow acquaintance at best; they certainly weren't on the close terms required to be introduced to the inner circle of the Six Kings... or so she thought.
W-Why has it come to this? If any other nobles see this, they’ll misunderstand! They'll think I'm favored by Kaito-sama and that we're on intimate terms! If that ends up causing Kaito-sama any trouble, the Hamilton Marquis House won't have a future to speak of...
In her heart, she wanted to flee the scene immediately, but now that she had been introduced, failing to offer a greeting would be both unnatural and an act of lèse-majesté.
Elis desperately maintained her crumbling smile while performing a curtsy with exquisite grace.
"My greetings to the Fair Princesses of the Demon Realm. I am Elis Dia Hamilton, as Kaito-sama has graciously introduced."
She pointedly avoided mentioning the Hamilton Marquis House. Bringing that up might be interpreted as her family seeking a formal connection with the Seven Princesses. She kept her introduction as brief as possible, framing it strictly as a personal greeting from herself as an individual.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am one of the kin serving Lilliwood-sama... My name is Camellia. Since it would take too long for everyone to speak individually, I shall introduce them on their behalf. These are Tiltania, Erial, Rosmiel, and Jutia."
After receiving Elis's greeting and exchanging a brief look with the other Seven Princesses, Camellia stepped forward to return the introduction.
The reason she had spoken for the group was to avoid an awkward atmosphere; she knew that Rosmiel, given her social anxiety, would never be able to introduce herself to a stranger like Elis, which would have led to a painful silence. Furthermore, Camellia had sensed from Elis's name that she was a noble and was gauging the appropriate distance they should maintain.
"Kaito-kun-san, Kaito-kun-san! Is Elis-san your friend?"
Watching Tiltania ask Kaito in such a casual manner, Elis breathed a silent sigh of relief. The Seven Princesses, Camellia included, were clearly accustomed to dealing with the aristocracy. They were maintaining a polite, measured distance appropriate for a noble lady they had encountered by chance.
Thank goodness. Now, as long as Kaito-sama denies it, the matter will end as nothing more than a brief exchange during a chance meeting. I’ve managed to pull through somehow... The Hamilton name might even leave a positive impression on the Seven Princesses now. That's a more than sufficient gain.
Elis felt relieved, believing she had safely navigated the crisis. However, had Lilia been present, she surely would have looked at the girl with eyes full of deep, profound pity.
"Oh, yeah. We only just met, but I consider her a friend."
"!? !?? !?"
The moment she heard those words, Elis nearly cast aside her lady's mask and screamed.
K-K-K-Kaito-samaaaaa?! What are you saying?! Please, I beg of you, realize the weight of your own influence! The moment you say that, the entire nature of this conversation changes completely!
Indeed, Kaito's remark had changed everything. Until that moment, Camellia had been acting as the representative and keeping the introductions minimal because the Seven Princesses were treating Elis as a "noble lady met by chance."
But Kaito's words had upgraded Elis’s status to "Kaito’s friend." And because of that, the response of the Seven Princesses shifted instantly.
"Is that so! If you're Kaito-kun-san's friend, then Til wants to be friends too! Elis-san, I look forward to getting to know you!"
"A-Ah... H-Haha... Yes! The honor is mine, Tiltania-sama."
"Oh, please just call me 'Til'."
"Y-Yes... Til-sama..."
Upon hearing Kaito’s confirmation, Tiltania spoke to Elis with a beaming smile. Being naturally sociable, she had wanted to be friendly from the start, but had held back out of consideration for her rank. But if this girl was Kaito’s friend, those barriers vanished. She began chatting with Elis, looking genuinely delighted.
"I should greet you properly as well... In other words, Camellia introduced me, but I'll say it again. I'm Erial. Nice to meet you."
"My, my! If Til and Erial are introducing themselves again, then I suppose I should as well. I am Jutia. A pleasure, a pleasure!"
"..."
Following Tiltania’s lead, Erial and Jutia offered their self-introductions once more. This was the ultimate proof that they no longer viewed Elis as a mere noble lady, but as a peer and friend of Kaito.
Of course, Rosmiel remained as she was, merely staring with a frozen expression and sharp eyes... but regardless, it goes without saying that Elis was screaming at the top of her lungs in her heart.
Serious-senpai: "This girl is a natural-born Stomach Pain Warrior talent, right up there with Kaori... That aside, it seems like Rosmiel is the only one who realized Elis was terrified from the start and actually understands her."
???: "Rosmiel-san is quite sharp, so she likely grasped Elis-san’s state of mind perfectly and is worried about her. Though the only result is that she’s glaring at her..."
Serious-senpai: "So her Shyness MAX is backfiring as much as humanly possible?!"