The Guardian Knight of Affection-Starved Young Ladies

88 – The Secretive Prince (04)

089.

The selection process for Ecclesia had been going on for quite some time.

And for good reason, it was Ecclesia after all.

Even without considering its rapidly growing reputation, it had always been a prestigious salon.

The top salon in the city of Mland.

Bringing in new members there was no easy task.

Moreover, there were too many applicants, and to put it simply, some of them were not up to the mark.

Those who were far behind in entering Ecclesia had tried to get in by relying on its fame.

Distinguishing them delicately was not an easy task either.

It was a wise decision to book a separate inn for Ecclesia.

“Ugh… When will this end…”

On the morning of the third day at the inn, the women who practically ran the salon appeared.

No one could match their elegance and beauty, but it wasn’t enough to hide their fatigue from the third day of work.

When Sinat, walking at the front, grumbled softly, Daphnis and Selassie nodded in agreement.

The selection process didn’t just end with checking some documents.

Of course, they had to verify that the contents were true and that there were no exaggerations or fabrications.

Praying for such a series of processes to end in an instant was close to impossible.

If they weren’t as sharp as they were, it would have taken twice as long.

The young ladies with relatively clear backgrounds were better off.

For example, Laris was a distinguished young lady, so much so that her name was listed among the five great families of the empire.

Even without meticulous verification, the mere mention of ‘Laris Flache’ was proof enough.

The problem lay with the young ladies of baron and viscount rank.

In normal circumstances, they wouldn’t have dared to fill out an application, but they had to be weeded out as they had cunningly applied with the support of their families.

It was hard to believe that their families supported them, but it was true.

The current trend in society naturally led to the unrivaled monopoly of the Ecclesia Salon.

Even when the three cities of Mland, Clamenia, and Peltz maintained a proper balance, the salon was overflowing with competitiveness.

Daphne, Richeza, Belle, and other prominent young ladies guarded the place, and the balance began to crumble when Eliana appeared.

Lacatus and Hyat.

Even Dranus, which recently joined the ranks of the five great families.

The fact that three of the five great families were affiliated was already astounding.

Impression.

That word changed everything.

Eliana, Selassia, Sinat.

These three young ladies were regarded as something of a fantasy in both society and the magical world.

Moreover, their impressions were so beautiful that the jewels worn by the emperor’s wife seemed like mere street stones in comparison.

The five great families of the empire.

Beautiful impressions.

These young ladies, who possessed all of that, belonged to a single salon.

It was said that anyone who considered themselves a noble and had a foot in society couldn’t be unaware of this.

Even knowing it was impossible, they had to manipulate their applications with ‘family help’ to get into Ecclesia.

Thus, the selection process became more meticulous and detailed than usual.

Naturally, it took more time and involved more meetings.

No matter how excellent the exclusive inn of Ecclesia was, it couldn’t compare to the mansions of each family.

The young ladies of Ecclesia, who endured such inconveniences, truly deserved applause.

Kallen, who had been watching all this from the side…

“What do you think, Kal?”

He could meet the gazes of dozens of eyes looking at him.

That too, inside the tea room of the Ecclesia Salon, a strictly forbidden area for men.

“If it’s at the count level, there’s no need to exaggerate…”

“No, Kallen. Normally, you would be right… but now, even those who wouldn’t have applied originally, like viscount and baron level ladies, have applied, and many count and marquis level ladies from other salons are considering transferring.”

“…”

“…Yes. Think of it as the standards have risen…”

Kallen swallowed his bitterness and looked out the window beside the wall.

Why was Kallen himself in this forbidden area?

Not outside the tea room door, but in this place full of ladies.

This situation had only occurred a few days ago.

At first, he had spent time outside the tea house as he always had, but from two days ago, he was forcibly brought here.

The Eclesia ladies were busy with selection, so Kallen spent most of his time with Laris.

There was also the matter of the incident at the banquet, and among the ladies staying at the inn, she was the only one who was not from Eclesia.

Kallen didn’t particularly like noisy places and rather enjoyed quiet atmospheres.

Waiting quietly outside the tea house all day long was too boring.

So he usually spent time with Laris.

He remembered when Selasia suddenly came and told him to come inside from the next day.

He heard that Eliana suggested it and Sinat actively agreed.

Of course, Selasia strongly approved, and Daphne was not much different.

They never told him the ‘reason’ until the end.

After bringing him in, they often asked difficult and troublesome questions, making Kallen think that the boring times were better.

Moreover, other ladies would glance at Kallen, so he couldn’t completely relax.

The official reason was to prepare for any unexpected attacks.

Looking out the window, Kallen wondered if there was anyone who would dare to target such noble beings.

*

“So. You said it was hard?”

“…Not exactly hard…”

“That’s the same thing. Really… No matter how much I’m the one asking for a favor, why am I listening to such worries?”

“…”

“Just kidding. Don’t look so downcast. That’s a bit dangerous… No, anyway.”

On the fifth night of the selection.

Kallen was rarely alone with Laris.

Due to the unexpected difficulties, the young ladies of Ecclesia gathered in Selassia’s room to continue the selection process.

Thus, Kalen, who had nothing to do, was resting alone in his room.

Laris came to Kalen’s room.

It was not strange for Laris to come to Kalen, as she could not disturb the focused young ladies.

Laris had also asked for a favor, and they often spent time together when bored, so it was not particularly awkward.

Laris, well-versed in spending time alone due to her etiquette classes, was not bored.

Eventually, Kalen naturally began to talk about what had happened today.

“Even if I try to help, you probably don’t know much. It’s only natural.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. Rather than that, how about thinking about what I asked for?”

Laris sat on the soft bed, gently swinging her feet back and forth.

Since Kalen, the owner of the room, had given up the bed, it was a natural reaction as she got comfortable.

At the same time, there was anticipation.

In fact, entering Ecclesia might not matter much.

Compared to the wish Laris had longed for, for a very long time.

Kalen, who held the only solution, was more precious than anyone.

Laris fixed her gaze on Kalen’s slowly opening mouth.

“Hmm…”

The decision was mostly made.

Kalen wanted to know ‘me.’

Following Felicius and Tiasse to the spirit world was for that reason.

From the beginning, Blamia had said it was a hellish image.

Why the young ladies associated with him awakened to the image, why they simultaneously mastered different attributes of magic, and why they easily grasped the higher realms.

Kalen believed there was something unknown about himself.

For now, that was all he wanted to do.

Helping Laris, if she also awakened to the image, might lead to something more.

It was a deep contemplation he had several times a day after hearing Laris’s request for help.

“Alright.”

“Ah…!”

Srrk-

The bedspread rustled, and Laris let out a gasp.

Her eyes widened, indicating that Kalen’s answer had surprised her.

She swallowed dryly and calmly asked again.

Her voice was slightly trembling.

“Really…?”

“Yes. I also have something I personally want to know.”

“Something you want to know…?”

Looking at Laris, who was starting to get teary-eyed, Kalen could roughly guess the extent of her desperation.

The young lady, who had been speaking with a bit of a joke until just now, quickly became nervous and excited.

Watching her calmly, Kalen could vaguely understand, if not exactly.

“I can’t tell you the details. Just as you don’t tell me your reasons.”

“Ah… that’s…”

“It’s okay. If you want to tell me later, you can.”

Even when they first met at the banquet hall, Kalen was curious but well aware.

That there were untold stories, and that they were connected to some deep wounds in the heart.

Although Kalen wasn’t sure if Laris was the same, looking at her expression, it felt like it was true.

Kalen spoke as if it was nothing.

Laris blinked quietly and slightly bowed her head, thanking him for his consideration.

As the atmosphere gradually calmed down.

“But… did you get permission from them?”

Kalen looked at Laris, who asked the question as if she was purely curious.

Them.

Permission.

He pondered the meaning, but Laris continued.

“The young ladies of Ecclesia… they were very worried about you at the banquet hall.”

“Ah.”

Indeed, the young ladies had shown signs of concern at that time.

Although he had reassured them that he would think it over, now that he thought about it, he wondered if he really needed to get permission for everything.

In the end, the choice was Kalen’s own.

He would make sure they wouldn’t worry, even if they weren’t on close terms.

In the end, the decision is made by oneself.

Kallen spoke calmly, and Laris looked at Kallen intently before covering her mouth and giving a faint smile.

“You must have had a hard time.”

A hard time, indeed.

Surely, the young ladies have deep hearts, so it could be possible.

Kallen thought so and followed Laris with a small smile.

But he did not realize what Laris’s words truly meant.