The Guardian Knight of Affection-Starved Young Ladies

81 – Dancing at the Ball (14)

082.

A banquet is fundamentally about eating and drinking.

Among them, it is just a matter of continuing relationships that happen to meet.

The basic framework is to eat and drink happily.

After Sinat’s speech, people thought to themselves.

They were divided into those who had experienced the greatness of Dranus and those who had not.

They think about the fact that the name has been reestablished in the Claire Empire.

Those who know the greatness also know what an opportunity this banquet is.

Not only the children of many influential families but also, occasionally, the heads of families themselves attended.

Usually, such families would not have such a high reputation.

Those desperate for opportunities must seize even that.

Elegant laughter echoed throughout the banquet hall.

They do their best to prove their worth here and to move on to other paths.

The two most bustling places were significantly so.

“Kallen!”

Eliana, Selassie, Sinat, Laris.

Even one of them would be hard to approach, but they were all gathered in one place.

At the center was a boy they had never seen before, even for those who considered the social world another home.

The four young ladies of the five great families.

Since the remaining family had no daughters, it was no exaggeration to say that all the young ladies of the five great families were gathered around that boy.

Even just seeing such a scene would be surprising enough.

Someone called out to Kallen in an excited voice.

When a few people turned towards the sound, they saw two young ladies gracefully walking towards the boy.

They must have been astonished once again.

Although they were not as impressive as the previous four young ladies, they were still from families worthy of admiration.

Daphnis and Richesa.

The prestigious Ecclesia Salon of the social world.

Before Eliana, Selassie, and Sinat joined together.

It was Daphnis who carried on that reputation.

Richesa was also a capable person who steadfastly supported her.

Could it be them too?

Those watching the situation looked at them with a sense of disbelief,

and Daphnis and Richesa finally arrived in front of the boy.

“Hello, Lady Daphnis, Lady Richesa.”

“Oh, hello, ouch…”

“…Lady Daphnis. Is your tongue okay?”

“Yes… it’s fine…”

The ladies who led Ecclesia were no different.

They approached the boy named Kallen and greeted him with elegance.

They conversed amicably.

Although it did not feel as deep as with Eliana, Selassie, and Sinat,

it still seemed close enough to be called ‘friends.’

Thus, the six young ladies.

And they were from incredibly prestigious families.

No one expected that there would be a boy who received their attention.

And even more so, that it would be just one person.

The boys looked on with envy.

The young ladies were scheming.

Except for Laris, they were all members of the Ecclesia Salon.

In the social world and in the families they came from.

They lacked nothing, yet they were trying to talk to just one man.

Is there something?

Something so great that such amazing women would be interested in just one scholar.

It wouldn’t be bad to get acquainted.

If I could somehow get close to Ecclesia, it wouldn’t be a loss at all.

So the young ladies began to glance at the boy in the center.

From that point on, even people like the head of the family started to take an interest.

*

“…Lady Richeza. Did I do something wrong?”

“No.”

“Do you have any complaints about me?”

“No.”

“…”

Callen looked at Richeza, who didn’t take her eyes off him.

It’s not a prejudice or anything, but.

It can’t be denied that Richeza has a sharp impression.

But maybe because of that sharp impression, sometimes when she looks at me like that, it feels like she’s glaring.

Even though we haven’t known each other for that long.

Anyway, Richeza’s gaze feels a bit awkward.

Callen closed his eyes a few times and then turned his gaze to Daphnis.

“Is your tongue okay?”

“Yes… Ugh…”

Embarrassed about biting her tongue.

Daphnis’s cheeks turned a little red.

Callen decided not to bring up the mistake any further.

He casually asked the two young ladies.

“You came to the banquet.”

“Yes, of course. That bet…”

“Bet?”

“Ah.”

Richeza, who was answering nonchalantly while patting Daphnis, realized her mistake.

A Bet.

Surely, such a promise was made.

Riche quietly glanced at Eliana, Selassie, and Sinat.

Sinat entered Ecclesia.

It was a promise made when she talked about the banquet and ball in front of everyone.

To ask Kallen for a dance.

To be chosen by him.

Riche didn’t like it.

Of course, Kallen was the only man she could communicate with, but she didn’t like the idea of being chosen by a man.

She couldn’t fully participate in such a childish game because she couldn’t give up Daphnis.

With eyes like a girl who fell in love at first sight.

If she left it as it was, Daphnis would be taken away.

So she participated.

But when it came to it, she couldn’t help but care.

If she didn’t dress up nicely because she didn’t have feelings for him, and Kallen chose Daphnis…

Riche clenched her fist secretly.

What was that man?

He made her put on makeup she didn’t usually wear except when going out with Daphnis.

Moreover, she even reduced her sleep to choose a dress.

It was too humiliating.

Riche’s dissatisfaction with Kallen grew.

At the same time, she looked at the outfits of the four young ladies, including Daphnis.

She would be the most beautiful anyway.

But it wouldn’t hurt to check.

Surely, that was her thought.

Elegant and beautiful banquet dresses, one by one.

No, they seemed more suitable for a ball than a banquet.

At a glance, it looked like they had spent at least a whole day worrying about it, and Riche thought unconsciously.

This might be a bit dangerous.

From the beginning, the three young ladies of the great family had extraordinary appearances.

It means that her appearance is so beautiful that it deserves the description of being special.

Just like Kallen.

The women, dressed in perfectly fitting clothes, look as if they are shining.

She wanted to look good to the man she gave her heart to.

Her beauty was dazzlingly beautiful.

It means that everyone is sincere about this bet.

Richeza felt a desire to compete for the first time in a long while.

“Yes. There is such a thing.”

She deliberately cut off Kallen’s words coldly.

So that he could not have any doubts about what would follow.

And she speaks.

As if casually, as if probing his intentions.

“Sir.”

“Yes.”

“By any chance, are you good at dancing?”

And at that moment.

The atmosphere around them changed.

Richeza thought it was chilling, yet quite enjoyable.

She could feel that everyone, except for the lady with the murky gray eyes, was focused.

Thinking that there was no one left to probe.

Richeza continued.

“While enjoying the banquet, I had such a thought. Would you be able to enjoy yourself well if you attended a dancing banquet instead of this kind of banquet? Well, that’s what I thought.”

It’s not a breach of promise.

What they promised was not to reveal the fact of the ball to Kallen.

The core of it is not to inform him that someone must be chosen at the ball.

Without saying that there is a ball.

Since she used the assumption of “if that were the case.”

While probing his intentions, she could also obtain quite useful information.

It seems that everyone thought similarly.

Everyone, except for Laris, who was staring blankly at Richeza, was focused.

It wasn’t a provocative question like, “Who would you choose?” so there wasn’t any tension.

But it was still an interesting topic.

“Dance…”

Kallen seemed to ponder over the words.

Then he tilted his head.

Can he dance well?

Has he ever danced at all?

Of course not.

Kallen was just a b*stard taken in by Blamia.

He wasn’t the type to dance wildly in a fit of excitement.

Even when he was learning various manners, it was for the sake of knowledge.

He had never seriously learned or danced before.

“I don’t know. I’ve never danced before.”

“Ah…”

Never danced before.

If it were any other young lady, she would be looking forward to the picture painted at the ball.

Dancing to the quiet and serene music.

Matching steps with a wonderful partner.

Before long, the surroundings would fade away.

As if only the two of them were left in the world, gazing into each other’s eyes.

But that is only possible if the partner is familiar with dancing.

The dance between nobles is more complicated than it seems, not something a beginner can easily attempt.

So, it’s one of two things.

Either be humiliated, or the woman leads the dance overwhelmingly well.

“I see.”

Riche nodded.

It seemed sufficient for now.

Everyone would be busy racking their brains.

Riche also began to worry about how to guide Kallen.

For the upcoming ball.

The atmosphere of the banquet was gradually reaching its peak.

In a moment, the long-awaited moment would come.

It was the thought of all the young ladies surrounding Kallen, except for Laris.

For some reason, Kallen could only stand awkwardly among the suddenly quiet ladies.

And then.

A gaze directed towards Kallen was present in another shining part of the banquet hall.