Chapter 81

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At the royal party, those with lower social status who were invited enter first, and the members of this room, who are the royal family, naturally enter last.

The family of the assistant, known as the Margrave, is a baronial family, but since they guard the border with other countries, they are considered to have a status equivalent to a marquis.

What I'm trying to say is that nobles of a higher status than the Margrave are called by name before they enter.

They are very noticeable.

Jiro and Shell have already entered and are not here.

I'm a bit regretful for not following them then.

I'm not nervous, but I don't like being unnecessarily noticeable.

In front of the large double doors that are closed, a loud voice from inside says,

"His Highness, the Third Prince of the Ryugnath Kingdom, Alshain, and Lady Keta of the Fairy Race, please enter."

The doors open, and amidst the applause of many people watching, Alshain walks in slowly.

Short cheers from young ladies can be heard from all around.

Many curious eyes are also directed at me.

I stand on the step below where the king's throne is placed.

Next, Cavendish, then Princess Cremona escorted by Ingrid, and the king and Queen Leetoria enter together.

The king, Queen Leetoria, and Princess Cremona sit in the highest position, while Ingrid, Cavendish, and Alshain stand on the step below.

When all the royals are in place, all the men place their hands on their chests and bow, while the women curtsy.

Further down, the prime minister and the general are standing.

The party attendees are in the area one step lower.

In the center of the hall, in front of the royal family, are the young people dressed up, but still somewhat awkward.

The children who are making their debut tonight.

"Please raise your heads."

At the king's clear voice, everyone raises their heads.

The king then gives his greeting.

"I am delighted to welcome new young nobles this evening. I hope you will not be too harsh and will be good guides for those who will carry the future of this country. Enjoy the feast."

Cheers and applause ring out, and the orchestra's music begins to play.

The king and Queen Leetoria take each other's hands and start dancing in the center of the hall, a scene that looks like a scene from a movie.

After one dance, they don't separate and move on to the second dance.

The second dance is joined by Ingrid and Princess Cremona.

After the second dance, the king and Queen Leetoria return to their seats, and Ingrid and Princess Cremona also return to their seats.

The third dance is when the children who are making their debut start dancing with their partners.

Some occasionally bump into each other or fall, but the surroundings watch with a smile.

From the fourth dance onwards, adults also join.

Those who don't dance line up to greet the king and others.

It's a long line, and some even make snide remarks in a noble manner, which is incredibly troublesome!

But I thanked them all with a smile.

Shell was secretly laughing behind me.

After the long, long greetings ended and we were dismissed, we were still not allowed to leave, but we were free to walk around.

Yugram does not attend noble parties.

Digray is a commoner and does not have the qualifications to attend.

So, there are almost no familiar faces.

A few young ladies boldly approached and tried to talk to Alshain, but for some reason, they were all confident and flashy young ladies, and the conversation didn't flow at all.

For some reason, I ended up being glared at in the end.

While drinking the fruit water with carbonation that Shell brought me, I leaned against the wall.

"Hein, Hein, the young ladies who come to Hein are scary, aren't they?"

"Yeah, the ones who come on their own are all carnivorous!"

Since there was no one around, Jiro replied.

"The young ladies who only watch from a distance seem to find it difficult to speak to Prince Hein."

Shell joined in with a laugh.

"Sorry for being so aloof!"

"If you're aware, then please improve."

"Ah, if I do, I might end up producing a bunch of mistaken young ladies."

"......Indeed, that would be troublesome. So, is it better to stay as you are?"

"You guys are playing too much!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Knowing that Alshain wouldn't get angry, the two of them were fooling around when,

"Hehehe, everyone seems to get along so well?"

The light and cute voice that rang out like a bell belonged to Eliza Slimea, the daughter of the prime minister.

Behind her was a young man with a white rose pinned to his chest.

"Eliza-san"

Alshain scratched his head and called out.

"I'm sorry to interrupt such a fun moment. May I introduce my brother?"

"Sure, I'll accept the introduction."

"Thank you. This is my brother,"

Eliza stepped back half a step, and the young man bowed before saying,

"I am Chrisdell Slimea, the eldest son of Ringlard Slimea, who serves as the prime minister. I have heard of your achievements, Your Highness Alshain. It's an honor to meet you."

He looked like a younger version of Eliza, a rather handsome young man.

"Ah, I'm the Third Prince Alshain. Congratulations on your debut, and nice to meet you."

Alshain smiled slightly, and the usual stern impression softened, allowing his natural charm to seep through.

His sister and brother blushed slightly, but that was all.

However, a few young ladies who were paying attention to him turned bright red and looked like they might faint.

Shell was silently laughing at the sight.

After a brief greeting, Eliza was looking at me and fidgeting.

"What is it?"

"Ah, if you don't mind, Keta-sama, could I hold you?"

Relaxing his stern expression, he fidgeted shyly, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor! A perfect tsundere!

"Sure."

I held out my hands, and he gently picked me up, trembling slightly.

"Hehehe, Keta-sama is so light!"

"It's because I'm a fairy."

"You're so small, but your neck is well-supported."

Despite some awkwardness, he held me firmly to prevent me from falling.

"My sister, who married into a neighboring country, is returning to give birth, and I've never taken care of a small child before. I thought it was impolite, but after meeting Keta-sama, I really wanted to hold you!"

The beautiful woman with a stern impression is hugging me with a bashful smile! I'm the one being hugged!

It's very cute.

It reminded me of my sister from my previous life.

"Looking forward to the baby, huh?"

"Yes!"

Yeah, it's cute.

After that, perhaps intrigued by the conversation, my brother was also allowed to hold me, but his grip was a bit too strong! If it were a real baby, it would cry! I educated him on that.

After the Slimea siblings left, a few cheerful young men and their friends came to greet us, and I watched Ingrid talking to Eliza from a distance with a smile, and Cavendish parading by with a young lady in tow, looking proud.

Since I was bored, I went to the food corner, and a group of young people were swarming around a mountain of fried chicken.

The chef proudly brought out more plates of fried chicken, which were quickly devoured.

Fried chicken is popular.

Despite the fancy party, it has a simple appearance.

While poking at the plate that Shell had arranged neatly, I absentmindedly observed the surroundings.

Suddenly, I caught a familiar, nostalgic scent, and my nose twitched.

A fragrant, nostalgic smell.

Following the scent, I floated over and bumped into a wall.

Instinctively, I clung to someone wearing a strange ethnic costume, a man with a mask.

I almost fell, but the masked man supported my bottom, so I didn't fall.

"Are you the fairy child who was with the prince?"

"Yes, I'm Keta, a fairy."

"Do you need something from me?"

"I smelled something nostalgic."

"Hmm?"

"Keta!"

I was captured by the collar.

It was Jiro.

"I apologize."

He bowed deeply and passed me to Alshain, who was behind him.

Alshain looked surprised when he saw the person.

"You are Prince Susana of the maritime nation Amate, Keta was rude to you."

Alshain also bowed slightly.

"No need to apologize, it's just a child. However, Keta-sama said something, but unfortunately, I didn't understand."

He looked at me, and everyone else did too.

"Keta, why did you suddenly cling to Susana-sama?"

"I smelled something nostalgic."

"Nostalgic smell?"

"Yes, the smell of soy sauce."

"Huh? Keta, are you serious? That's it!"

"? Why are you so excited, Tiktakus?"

"Eh? Ah! I'm sorry!"

Jiro apologized for getting excited and showing his true self.

"Well, it's fine, but what does nostalgic soy sauce mean?"

Prince Susana looked directly at Jiro,

"Um, soy sauce is a type of seasoning, a black liquid with a fragrant aroma."

"......A fragrant black liquid? Could this be it?"

Prince Susana showed a small bottle of reddish-brown liquid.

The faint smell of soy sauce wafted from the bottle,

"That's it! Soy sauce! I've been looking for it!"

Surprised by my enthusiasm, he hesitated but then offered the bottle,

"If you've been looking for it, I'll give it to Keta-sama."

"Really? Thank you so much!"

I jumped for it!

"Can I get soy sauce if I go to Prince Susana's country?"

"......I'm sorry, Keta-sama's words are difficult for me to understand."

"Keta is asking if he can buy soy sauce in Prince Susana's country."

"Hmm, I thought we only had silk to sell, but could soy sauce be a good product?"

"Please do!"

"I see, I think it's a flavor not very familiar here, but I'll consider it."

Prince Susana fell into thought, and Alshain took the opportunity to speak.

"Keta, is it okay to say that so easily? It's a matter of national trade."

"I have money, you know?"

"True, but importing it and distributing it in the country is not that simple."

"Chicken will taste better with soy sauce."

"What! Is that true?"

Prince Susana, intrigued by the fried chicken,

"Will the fried chicken I just ate become even more delicious?"

His plate was piled high with fried chicken. He must have liked it.

"Soy sauce-flavored fried chicken is delicious!"

"Soy sauce-flavored fried chicken, it sounds delicious! I want to try it!"

Despite his fierce appearance, he's a big foodie.

But it's a party, so I can't treat him now.

The foodie prince looks very disappointed.

Prince Susana says he will consider exporting soy sauce!

"Do you have rice in Prince Susana's country?"

"Keta is asking if there is rice in Prince Susana's country."

"What is rice?"

"White grains, chewy and a staple food!"

"White grains that become chewy when cooked?"

Jiro's explanation is vague because he hasn't seen rice in this world.

"White grains? If you mean chewy, there's a vegetable called rice that's similar."

"That's it!"

I shouted, and he flinched,

"But rice is a vegetable, not a grain, and is used in salads after boiling."

"The way it's eaten is different, but it's probably what I wanted!"

"I see. I have some in my luggage, so I can share it."

"Thank you so much!"

We made a promise to exchange it later, and then parted ways with Prince Susana.

Feeling satisfied, I was caught by Princess Cremona, who pinched my cheek and said, "Cute!"

It was a tiring but fruitful party!

Alshain used my drowsiness as an excuse to leave the party early, so we went back to the room and went to bed.