At Elis's suggestion, the young ladies began their introductions in order of their family standing—naturally, this meant starting with the highest noble rank.
Since Elis had prioritized personality when selecting her guests, not all of the eight attendees came from high-ranking families. Cornelia, the daughter of Count Sharon, held the highest rank among them, and thus it fell to her to lead the way.
Standing up so she was clearly visible to Kaito and Kuromueina, Cornelia’s mind raced with tactical calculations.
(This is a heavy responsibility. As the first speaker, my introduction will set the standard for everyone else—failure is not an option. This isn't just a formal greeting; I need to keep it concise and skip the usual flowery noble etiquette. But how much personal detail is too much? If I speak for too long, I'll bore them. If I speak too little, I won't leave an impression on Kaito-sama or Kuromueina-sama. I must ensure they remember my name and face without being tedious...)
As the daughter of a Count, she was well-versed in the social circles of the capital. She was also talented enough that Elis had made it a point to brief her beforehand. Within seconds, Cornelia composed herself and offered a graceful smile and a slight bow.
"If I may lead the way... I am Cornelia Sharon, the eldest daughter of the House of Count Sharon. As my brother is the heir, I do not hold a claim to the succession. Though I am but a youth of eighteen years, I frequently assist with the operations of our family’s trading company and possess some modest knowledge in that field. I sincerely hope our meeting today proves beneficial to us all. I look forward to your acquaintance."
It was an exemplary introduction—brief, yet managing to touch upon her age and her family’s primary business interests. Cornelia felt she had handled the impromptu moment well, providing a perfect template for the other ladies. However, internally, she was in the throes of a panic attack.
(Just now... Kaito-sama’s expression clouded with suspicion for a second... It passed quickly, but did I somehow offend him? Was it a mistake to mention the family business? No, the look of doubt appeared the moment I started speaking... Where did I go wrong? What did I do?)
Indeed, despite her practiced facade, she was trembling inside. The cause of her distress was the fleeting "Huh?" that had crossed Kaito’s face the moment she opened her mouth.
Kaito was the type whose emotions were written plainly on his face, and that tiny flicker of doubt had struck Cornelia like a physical blow.
In reality, however, Kaito hadn’t found anything wrong with her greeting. He had simply remembered something. During the Arclesia Empire’s Founding Anniversary Festival, Cornelia had acted on Elis’s information and visited Kaito’s stall to buy ceramics. She had been wearing a simple disguise and they had barely exchanged more than a few words, but they had indeed met.
As he looked at her, Kaito had thought, "Wait, have I seen her somewhere before?" before deciding, "Maybe she was just someone I passed by at Chris-san’s palace." He had dismissed the thought and let his expression return to normal. He harbored no dissatisfaction whatsoever, but Cornelia had no way of knowing that. She sat there feeling like a prisoner waiting for the executioner’s axe, dreading whatever words he might speak next.
"You're the girl from the Sharon Trading Company, right? We’ve never spoken directly, but I remember seeing you around a few times," Kuromueina said, her voice warm and smiling.
It was a lifeline. Cornelia’s heart practically leapt with gratitude.
"Y-yes! I have had the honor of catching sight of Kuromueina-sama at the company before. It is truly a privilege to speak with you today."
Seeing that the ice was broken, Kaito decided to satisfy his own curiosity once the exchange between the Underworld King and Cornelia finished.
"Is it alright if I call you Cornelia-san?" Kaito asked.
"Of course."
"Um, Cornelia-san... have we met somewhere before? I'm not trying to use a cheesy pick-up line or anything, but you look familiar somehow..."
"Ah... I see. It might have been during the Founding Anniversary Festival of the Arclesia Empire. I was fortunate enough to purchase some pottery at your stall. I was wearing a hat that day, so I must have left a different impression than I do now."
"Oh, that’s right! That explains it... Thanks, I was trying to place where I knew you from. I feel much better now. Also, please feel free to call me by my name."
"Then I shall call you Kaito-sama. The pottery I purchased that day is truly exquisite. I treasure it to this day."
Kaito beamed, his curiosity satisfied, and Cornelia let out a long, silent sigh of relief.
(Thank goodness... I was terrified I’d made some horrible mistake...)
Relieved as she was, Cornelia failed to realize the gravity of her situation. In fact, she couldn't have known... but by "praising Nebula’s work," she had just made a move that resonated deeply with Kaito.
Without knowing it, she had just secured an express ticket to stomach pain by skyrocketing Kaito's initial affection for her. The revelation of what that entailed was still some time away.
Serious-senpai: "The most effective way to boost Kaito's favor right out of the gate is to praise his pets or Nebula... but once his favor goes up, you've opened a direct route to getting your stomach punched by social chaos. That's a hell of a trap, isn't it!?"