The time for the tea party was finally approaching. After performing one last check of the arrangements and her own appearance, Elis settled her mind and waited quietly for the moment to arrive.
Kaito had already notified her that he would be arriving at the Hamilton Marquis House via teleportation magic. In preparation, Elis had provided him with the world coordinates for the area just outside the gate leading to the villa. She had also shown the gatekeepers a portrait of Kaito, instructing them to contact her the moment he appeared.
(I have limited today's guest list to the children of nobility belonging to the Hamilton Marquis House Faction. To prevent any accidental encounters with Kaito-sama at the gate, I asked them to arrive early; they are all present and accounted for, so that's one problem solved. Since I couldn't find any suitable young lords, the group ended up being entirely young ladies... but given Kaito-sama's status and influence, he has no need to go looking for mistresses at a tea party. There shouldn't be any strange rumors. That is also fine. My only true concern is his companion, but surely it will be alright... it has to be.)
As she ran through these thoughts to reassure herself, a magic tool on her table let out a chime. It was paired with the one held by the gatekeepers; its ringing signaled Kaito’s arrival. Elis moved swiftly, touching the teleportation magic tool she had placed in the room.
The distance from her quarters to the gate was not particularly long, but she was determined not to keep Kaito waiting for even a second. Since she was already registered within the barrier, she was unaffected by the teleportation interference tools and arrived in front of the gate instantly.
Catching sight of Kaito the moment she materialized, Elis turned toward him with a smile.
"Thank you for waiting, Kaito-sama. Wel... co... me..."
She had intended to offer a graceful greeting, but the words died in her throat as her eyes fell upon the person standing next to him: Kuromueina. Elis froze. She looked at Kaito, then back to Kuromueina, then back to Kaito again.
It was a full-power, desperate double-take from the woman hailed as the most brilliant mind of her generation.
(...Chrome-sama is here... What? Why? Why is she here!?)
The shock was enough to shatter her composure entirely. Her mind became a chaotic storm of panic, yet a tiny fragment of her professional ego managed to remind her that she was in the middle of a sentence. Even through the confusion, she forced herself to finish the greeting.
"P-please excuse my lapse. Once again, welcome. I am honored by your presence."
"Hello, Elis-san. Thank you for the invitation," Kaito said. "You mentioned I could bring a companion, so I came with Kuro."
"Hello, Elis-chan," Kuromueina added with a bright smile. "It’s been a while since the last party. I'm happy to see you again."
"W-w-welcome, Chrome-sama. The honor is entirely mine."
That she managed to maintain any semblance of etiquette was a testament to her mental fortitude. Nevertheless, as she looked at the Underworld King's cheerful expression, Elis’s mind raced with high-speed anxiety.
(A c-companion!? Why would he bring Chrome-sama...? And from the look of it, not just Kaito-sama, but even Chrome-sama has no idea what 'companion' implies at a noble's tea party. She came as a literal guest... but how? No matter how many invitations she has received in the past, Chrome-sama has never accepted a private tea party. She only ever attends imperial functions out of social obligation. This has to be her first time participating in something like this... This is becoming far too big a deal. This is light-years beyond my expectations...)
If word got out that the Underworld King had made her private tea party debut here, Elis’s reputation as an organizer would skyrocket to terrifying heights. She was already at a point where she wanted to hide from the public eye; this new development was enough to make her stomach twist in agony.
And yet, Elis proved her toughness. Even amidst the internal chaos and the growing pain in her gut, she slipped a hand behind her back and sent a rapid series of hand signals to the maids waiting behind her.
It was an order to add a seat immediately. She had prepared for the possibility that Kaito might bring a literal guest instead of a guard and had pre-arranged the hand signals so the staff could react without a word being spoken.
"Sorry for the surprise visit," Kuro said. "But if it's a tea party hosted by you, Elis-chan, I didn't want to miss it."
"I... I am truly honored to hear you say so."
Kaito’s high praise was certainly a factor, but Kuromueina also seemed to genuinely like Elis for her sincere and upright personality.
While it was an incredible honor, it did nothing to soothe the agonizing cramps in her stomach. Doing her best to ensure her smile didn't start twitching, Elis began guiding Kaito and Kuromueina toward the terrace.
Serious-senpai: "Her stomach is taking such a beating that I'm genuinely worried she won't be able to keep the tea and cakes down..."