It was meant to be a simple inspection. A routine monthly visit to look over the books and check the general state of the store—no meetings about new products, no big campaigns, nothing out of the ordinary.
At least, that was how it was supposed to go.
"Wh-Why is Kaito-sama here?!" Elis thought frantically. "Jutia-sama has visited before, but Kaito-sama shouldn't have any record of coming here. For that matter, I've barely heard of him visiting anywhere in the Arclesia Empire besides the capital. There were rumors he visited the Winged Race's Village, but he should never have come to a trade city like this!"
Naturally, Kaito’s status as a global singularity meant the Hamilton Marquis House kept a close eye on his movements. While they didn't assume he would stay in the capital forever, having him appear at this exact shop was a coincidence beyond all calculation.
Even so, Elis was a woman bred on the strict etiquette of high society and groomed as the heir to her house. Despite her internal chaos, she sprang into action immediately.
She grabbed the membership card that had been hastily prepared for Kaito and headed for the sales floor. Under normal circumstances, she might have stayed in the back, but there was no way the owner could ignore the presence of someone like Kaito or a high-ranking guest like Jutia.
She reached the sales floor a moment later and swept her gaze across the room, noting the positions of her targets and the other customers.
"Excluding the attendants... there's one noble from our faction. He'll be easy to manage," she analyzed. "The problem lies with the two from outside our circle. The second daughter of a viscount and a countess... they're the real threat. Then there are those two commoners—they might be merchants, but they definitely aren't nobility."
Elis had the names and faces of every major Arclesian noble—and even their third-born children—memorized. Dealing with her own faction was easy; she could simply demand their silence.
The rival faction was a different story, especially with a countess present. High society lived for gossip, and nobles were voracious for it. Word that Kaito had visited Elis’s store would be halfway across the empire by nightfall.
"Still, it’s a blessing that Jutia-sama is with him," Elis reasoned. "Her presence makes it look like they just happened to stop by together. I'm already under enough scrutiny after the last incident... I have to maintain the perfect distance so I don't cause Kaito-sama any trouble."
She finalized her plan, composed herself, and walked toward them with the practiced, elegant grace of a high-born lady. However, as she drew near, Kaito noticed her. He turned toward her with a bright, genuinely happy smile.
"Ah, Elis-san! Hello."
In an instant, every careful plan Elis had just formulated was pulverized.
"Kaito-sama?!" she screamed internally. "Why... why are you making such a happy face?! Why?! I mean, it’s an honor, and I'm happy on a personal level, but not now! Not like this! People are already whispering that we’re lovers, and this is just going to pour oil on the fire!"
Despite the denials from Elis and the Hamilton Marquis House, the rumor mill insisted that Kaito had a special interest in her. There was no evidence, of course, and much of it was the typical exaggeration of bored aristocrats, but romantic scandals were always in high demand. Even with the political weight of a Marquis house, completely silencing the talk was impossible.
Watching Kaito beam at the sight of her, Elis felt a phantom pain in her stomach. At this rate, the rumors would only grow more intense.
If one were to ask if Kaito actually liked Elis, the answer was a resounding yes. She was gentle and kind-hearted, lacking the overwhelming intensity of many others he knew.
In Kaito’s mind, she fell into the same category as Sieglinde, Camellia, and Kaori—people who were exceptionally easy to talk to. His affection for her was quite high.
Furthermore—unbeknownst to Elis—the fact that she was twenty years old made her a rarity. Among the residents of Trinia whom he knew, she was one of the few younger than himself, which unconsciously made him feel more relaxed around her.
Of course, Elis knew none of this. She stood there with a mental storm of question marks swirling around her head.
Serious-senpai: "Ah, so she's in the same group as Sieg, Camellia, and Kaori. Kaito really does seem to have a high baseline of affection for those types. I guess you could say they're his 'type' in a way."
???: "Also, in terms of people from Trinia, it’s actually quite rare for Kaito-san to interact with anyone younger than him. That probably makes it even easier for him to open up."
Serious-senpai: "Now that you mention it, aside from the junior duo from Earth, younger characters are a rare breed. Anima's age is weird if you count her time as a monster, so that leaves Orchid, Amalie, Cattleya, Vulpecula... and that's about it, right?"