The participants for the tea party had already gathered on the terrace of the Hamilton Marquis House villa, mingling and conversing as they waited for Kaito to arrive.
By way of a message from Elis included with their invitations, they had been instructed to assemble earlier than the guest of honor. Naturally, they had arrived well ahead of schedule, but they remained standing, chatting amongst themselves rather than taking their seats.
This was a deliberate gesture of courtesy. They knew Kaito would be the last to arrive, and they worried that if he walked in to find a room full of people already seated and waiting for him, it would only add to his nerves. By remaining on their feet, they hoped to make it seem as though they, too, had only just arrived.
"I must admit, considering who our guest is, it is impossible not to feel a bit high-strung."
"According to Lady Elis, his sensibilities are essentially those of a commoner, much like the former Hero-roles. We should probably interact with him without worrying overmuch about noble customs or implicit etiquette. Not that I have any personal experience speaking with a Hero-role, mind you."
"Is that not true for most of us? Given our ages, even those with the most experience have likely only seen the Hero Festival twice at most..."
There were eight noble daughters in total. For a noble’s tea party, it was a relatively small group, but the guest list had been strictly narrowed down to account for the fact that this was Kaito’s very first time attending such an event.
Cornelia and the others had been selected primarily for their character. They seemed quite intent on conducting themselves with the utmost consideration, keeping in mind Kaito's lack of experience with noble society.
"The reaction at home was quite something, though. The pressure to be liked by Miyama-sama was visible in everyone's eyes; just leaving the house felt like walking through a gauntlet."
"It is unavoidable, given his influence. My own fiancé went so far as to say, 'I would gladly agree to dissolve our engagement if it helps you secure his favor—so please be sure to introduce me afterward.' It was so appalling I honestly wanted to take him up on the offer and end the engagement right then and there."
"Setting aside the hope of forming a friendship, the idea of wanting him to 'lay hands' on us is utterly vulgar. I certainly have no intention of approaching him with such disrespectful ulterior motives, but even so, I am struck once again by the sheer weight of Miyama Kaito-sama’s influence."
Much like Cornelia, it seemed the other ladies had been sent off by their families and connections with the desperate hope that they might catch Kaito’s eye.
Given the meteoric rise of the Ducal House of Albert and the Hamilton Marquis House, such ambitions were perhaps inevitable. However, Elis had spent a great deal of time vetting these women; not one of them seemed interested in trying to win him over through crude seduction.
As she watched them, Cornelia reflected on her earlier conversation with Elis.
(Elis-sama was so anxious, but at the moment, there is no sign of trouble brewing. Every noble here is from the Reformist Faction and the Hamilton Marquis House’s inner circle. Their backgrounds—and their families—have been thoroughly investigated by Elis and the Marquis House. To my eyes, these ladies are all sociable and possess excellent characters, free of any elitist notions. At the very least, I don't see any of them doing anything that might incur Miyama Kaito-sama’s displeasure.)
Since the selection had prioritized personality, the group included second and third daughters, or even those further down the line of succession, rather than just heirs. As long as they were judged to have superior temperaments, they were welcome. There was no one here likely to cause a scene with Kaito.
(If that is the case, then things should proceed smoothly. While it’s important to prepare for various possibilities, there’s no point in being overly defensive. I should just relax and approach this with a clear head.)
Just as Cornelia reached that conclusion, several maids appeared. They looked somewhat flustered as they began adding seats to the table.
In itself, that wasn't an issue. They had been warned that Kaito might not understand the traditional nuances of a "companion" and might bring a guest rather than a guard. They had already been told that the staff would simply add a seat to accommodate any unexpected arrivals.
However, the maids’ behavior was strange. They weren't just adding chairs; they were re-checking the entire table setting with a level of frantic precision, exuding a tension that suggested even the smallest mistake would be unforgivable.
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, the ladies turned their attention toward the table. One of the maids looked over at them and spoke with a shaky breath.
"...Everyone, please, steel your hearts and listen. Arriving as Miyama Kaito-sama’s companion is... the Underworld King-sama. She will also be joining this tea party."
"““““““““...!?””””””””
The announcement hit them with the force of a physical blow. Shock and terror washed over the ladies' faces in an instant.
"Th-th-the... the Underworld King-sama!?"
"Wait, please. The Underworld King-sama has never once attended a noble’s tea party in all of history..."
"Is she coming right now!? I... I haven't had time for any mental preparation!"
"I'm not ready for this! I haven't prepared myself to sit at the same table as a Six Kings-sama!?"
Thus, a truly cataclysmic bomb was dropped. Though they didn't scream, the ladies were visibly trembling. It was only natural. Kaito’s fame was one thing, and meeting him was a significant event they had spent days preparing for, following Elis’s detailed letters.
But they had not expected, nor were they remotely prepared for, the actual top of the Demon Realm to join their little gathering.
Despite their panic, there was nothing they could do now. In the brief interval before Kaito and his party arrived, the noble daughters whispered in frantic, hushed tones, the atmosphere on the terrace descending into absolute pandemonium.
Serious-senpai: "He’s finally graduated from targeting individuals to utilizing an area-of-effect stomach blow that strikes the whole group at once. These nameless noble daughters got their stomachs punched the very moment they appeared on stage... How tragic."