The Guardian Knight of Affection-Starved Young Ladies

78 – Dancing at the Ball (11)

079.

In fact, if you ask whether Eliana and Selassie get along well, it is difficult to say ‘yes’.

Basically, both ladies have personalities that hate to lose.

It cannot be denied that there is a common topic of conversation called Kallen, but their feelings for Kallen are of a kind that cannot coexist.

Each of them had memories with Kallen.

Memories of entrusting their lives to each other are vivid.

For some reason, they don’t like seeing other people, especially women, sticking to Kallen.

And that feeling reached its peak at Ecclesia.

For the first time, she saw the boy she adored with another lady.

Only then could Eliana and Celacia face their own hearts.

I don’t want to lose him.

Just like that time when she shared an ecstasy with the boy, she wants to be alone with him.

Meeting again with such a realization, it was impossible for their relationship to be good.

They weren’t devoid of intimacy, as they had helped Dranus together.

Soon, Dranus would be tied to the five great families, so they couldn’t show it outwardly.

Thus, it was even more irritating that the two ladies were not on bad terms.

If they had known each other’s flaws and hated each other, they could have been selfish with ease, but Eliana and Celacia knew each other’s strengths clearly.

So, these thoughts came to mind.

Eliana, Celacia.

If they used their strengths to gain Kallen’s attention.

How would they turn that attention back?

They couldn’t answer that properly.

They couldn’t ask Kallen to only look at them with ease.

There were already three ladies who had received his favor.

If there were none, it would be different, but in such a state, if they acted spoiled, they would be branded as annoying women by Kallen.

Both ladies refused that.

Men dislike annoying women, and although Kallen is a man, he is kind enough to take care of them.

However, that feeling would surely be different.

Not truly seeing them, but merely soothing their stubbornness.

Such a dreadful relationship.

For that reason, Eliana and Celacia did not reveal this irritating feeling outwardly.

What they had to do was clear.

Divert Kallen’s attention and gain time until that feeling turned into love.

Eliana and Celacia naturally realized this fact without anyone telling them.

And soon, it led to action.

From noble mtl dot com

“Kallen. When will you come to the north?”

“Ah.”

Selassie won the succession civil war of the Hyatt family.

That meant she would soon become the ruler of the North.

The North she leads will surely be different from before.

When Kallen visited the North, he encountered such a monster in the Hyatt Mountains.

If the civil war continues in the same form, it is certain that there will be great trouble.

In that sense, it was fortunate that Selassie took the lead and safely ascended to the position of head of the family.

The question of when she would come to the North is a favor to Kallen, who helped her win the civil war.

Given the distance, it is difficult for Selassie to come and go freely.

Once she safely inherits the Hyatt family, it will become even more difficult.

“I will visit once while staying in Dranus.”

“Hmm…”

Kallen knows all too well that he is indebted to the Dranus family.

It would be better if he were indebted to the Hyatt family instead of Dranus.

He doesn’t want to see Kallen, who is not a Northerner, shivering in the cold.

So, although he is very happy with the words that he will come to the North.

Selassie lifted her heels shyly without showing it.

Comparing the heights of Kallen and Selassie, Kallen is naturally taller.

Selassie is also quite tall for a woman, but Kallen is incomparable to men of his age.

So naturally, Selassie’s lips reached Kallen’s ear.

With a faint breath, Selassie whispered.

“…I’m working hard on making alcohol…”

“…”

The traditional liquor of the North.

The North has its own traditions.

And the tradition related to traditional liquor…

As Kallen vaguely recalled what happened at the traditional festival, Selassie lightly clasped her hands behind her back and stepped back.

Her ruby-like eyes curved beautifully, and her unique relaxed smile was pretty.

Selassie rolled her ruby eyes between her beautifully curved eyes and looked at Eliana.

A cold expression, eyes trembling slightly.

But Eliana, who noticed the gaze, did not react much.

He just moved, letting out a sigh so quiet it couldn’t be heard.

Swoosh-

Feeling something grab his wrist, Kallen turned to look beside him.

There, Eliana was holding his arm, looking up at him.

“Kallen… I…”

“Eliana?”

“When will you come to Lacatus…”

Eliana felt a bit anxious.

Although Kallen’s attitude towards her hadn’t changed,

Seeing Selassie talking to him made her feel somehow left behind.

“Alright. Then I’ll stop by Lacatus too.”

“Okay… Thank you…”

This should be fine.

Eliana, having received the answer she wanted, glanced sideways with clear eyes.

“You… Since when did you start speaking informally?”

Selassie’s relaxed expression remained the same.

But the ease in it seemed to have slightly diminished.

Eliana slightly raised the corners of her mouth, so subtly that no one noticed.

She turned her gaze back to Kallen, trying to meet his eyes as much as possible.

“When we met earlier, I did. It seemed like Eliana didn’t like formal speech.”

She doesn’t like formal speech.

Despite that, Eliana never had an issue with formalities when they met in Ecclesia.

Even when meeting other noble ladies in private, she never dropped the formalities.

.

In the end, it meant she didn’t want to hear formal speech from Kallen alone.

Seeing through Eliana’s heart in an instant, Selassie clenched her fist tightly.

“Kallen.”

“Yes?”

“I don’t like it either.”

“…Formal speech?”

“Yes. So let go.”

Kallen was quite flustered.

He always tried to stay calm and composed.

Thanks to that, even when he was flustered, it was only for a moment.

But this time, he was quite flustered.

The strange atmosphere he had been feeling since earlier was the reason.

Specifically, after meeting Eliana and Selassie.

He started to feel suffocated, as if he couldn’t breathe.

He couldn’t understand why this was happening all of a sudden.

Since Selassie also disliked formal speech, there was no reason to continue.

Of course, unlike Eliana, she was older, but it was strange to do something she disliked.

Just as Kallen was about to respond.

Selassie quickly interrupted.

“…Sister.”

As if embarrassed to say it herself.

Her hands, clasped behind her back, fidgeted where Kallen couldn’t see.

“Call me… Sister. Not by my name.”

He remembered the festival.

For some reason, Kallen was very drunk.

The smell of alcohol was strong, and Kallen seemed out of his mind.

In front of everyone, he had fallen with her.

The whisper that echoed in his ear at that moment was sweeter than anything.

She didn’t like being called by her name.

It felt like she was being treated the same as Eliana, and she wanted to differentiate herself.

So, Sister.

Selassie looked at Kallen pitifully.

Eventually, Kallen’s mouth slowly opened.

“Alright. Sister.”

“…Yes…”

There is a significant difference between what one does when sober and when not.

Whether one speaks consciously or not makes a difference.

Kallen’s mind is clear right now.

Hearing him call her “sister” sends a thrilling sensation that feels almost addictive.

Selassie felt her legs weaken slightly and nodded blankly.

And then Kallen.

Squeeze…

She turned her head at the pressure felt on her arm.

“Eliana.”

“…”

“…Eliana?”

“…Ah…”

There was a clear handprint on the arm Eliana had gently grabbed.

For some reason, her gaze was fixed on Selassie.

When her name was called, she finally turned her head back.

“Ah… sorry… I’m sorry…”

“…”

Eliana quickly released her arm and stepped back.

For a moment, she felt a headache and her vision seemed to flip.

When she came to her senses again, she realized she had been gripping Kallen’s arm tightly, and stepped back, thinking she had hurt him without realizing it.

She expected to hear harsh words from Kallen, but.

A gentle tone flowed from his lips.

“Are you okay?”

“…”

That tone felt like it took her back to that time.

When Eliana was helplessly trapped in a room, it was the same as the boy she had once met.

Matching her gaze, asking if she was okay.

Everything.

Eliana stopped thinking at those words and held Kallen’s hand with both of hers.

Then she brought it over her head and placed it there.

“…Just one more time.”

Kallen’s thick and warm hand rested on Eliana’s head.

He couldn’t see what expression she was making.

“…while stroking.”

At that sincere request, Kallen, who had been looking down at Eliana for a moment, slowly moved his hand.

Swoosh… Swoosh…

“Are you okay?”

Flinch.

At the same time, Eliana’s hand, which was holding his wrist, trembled.

A voice, as if something was being forcibly suppressed, leaked out.

“Yes… I’m okay…”

The banquet was in full swing.