The sight of young noblewomen in elegant dresses standing in a rigid, straight line was undeniably surreal, yet under the circumstances, it was perfectly understandable.
Had Kaito been the only guest, the situation would have been far less complicated. Elis had sent letters in advance describing his personality and providing advice on how to treat him. If he had been arriving alone, the girls likely would have lounged about and engaged in casual conversation, pretending they had only just arrived so he wouldn't feel guilty about keeping them waiting.
But Kuromueina’s presence completely upended the plan. While it was true that Kaito exerted a staggering amount of influence and possessed an overwhelming social circle, in terms of sheer rank, he was just an otherworlder—an immigrant whose status was closer to that of a common citizen.
Kuromueina, however, was one of the Six Kings, the pinnacle of the Demon Realm and its actual representative. Though she was known to be as gentle as the World King, Lilliwood, not a single soul present had actually spoken to her. They had no idea how to interact with her, and because her arrival had been announced only moments before she appeared, they’d had no time to prepare. Standing in a formal line to ensure no unintentional disrespect occurred was their only viable option.
"Everyone, I believe the maids have already informed you, but Kuromueina-sama will be attending this tea party as Kaito-sama's companion. I'm sure you all wish to introduce yourselves, but doing so while standing would take quite a bit of time. Let us take our seats first. Right this way..."
As expected of Elis, she had regained her composure by the time they reached the group and took firm charge of the event as its host. Realizing that having each lady introduce herself one by one while everyone was standing would make things awkward for Kaito and Kuromueina, she urged them to sit down.
With Elis providing clear leadership, the noble daughters looked relieved as they moved toward the large table.
"Kaito-sama, Chrome-sama, please, have a seat here."
"Thank you."
"Thanks. Well then, don't mind if I do."
Elis subtly guided Kaito and Kuromueina to sit side-by-side, then took the seat directly next to Kaito.
(I agonized over the seating chart for a moment, but sitting next to Kaito-sama should be correct. It’s a given that Kaito-sama and Chrome-sama should be together, but my choice was between sitting next to Chrome-sama or Kaito-sama... Considering the others' nerves, I probably should have sandwiched Chrome-sama between Kaito-sama and myself. However, this is Kaito-sama's first tea party, and he’s likely anxious. Prioritizing his support is the best move... I think.)
It was the correct choice. Machina, who had been spying from a distance to ensure no one was rude to Kaito, watched her prioritize Kaito over a Six King and nodded in approval. "She understands the fundamentals," she muttered, raising Elis’s evaluation—a fact the girl would never know.
"Once again, thank you for attending my tea party. While I’m sure all of you are familiar with Kaito-sama and Chrome-sama, I imagine they see many new faces before them today. If it’s alright with the two of you, I’d like to have everyone give a brief self-introduction. Would that be acceptable?"
"Yes, I'd certainly appreciate it if we could start with introductions," Kaito said.
"Me too," Kuro added. "I think I recognize a few of you, but I've never spoken to you directly. I'd love to know your names."
Had Kaito been alone, the introductions might have been more formal. But because Kuromueina was there, Elis opted for efficiency. It was a mercy for the noble daughters as well, who were desperate for guidance on how to navigate the Underworld King's presence. Without any objections, they prepared to begin.
Machina: "Mm-hmm. Prioritizing my beloved child is a basic requirement, of course, but staying focused on him without being swayed by the title of a Six King is a good sign. She's a noble who understands the basics. I'm relieved."
Serious-senpai: "And Elis gets another high evaluation that will probably end in a stomach ache... She really is competent, but somehow, I just feel sorry for her."