Chapter 92

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Led by his father, Arthur was chatting with the high-ranking guests of the knights' assembly when he felt a strange sensation as if a part of the venue had suddenly become brighter.

Perhaps because it was a sudden evening gathering, the young ladies who were invited seemed a bit tired.

Some had hastily added ribbons and other decorations to dresses they had already worn, others wore dresses that were clearly of poor quality, and still others wore dresses that were obviously the wrong size. Despite the seemingly glamorous evening gathering, the air was heavy with the young ladies' hard-earned efforts and their feelings of embarrassment.

In one spot, however, a soft and gentle atmosphere prevailed.

There, his sister Marion and her close friends were gathered.

Despite her insistence on wearing a knight's uniform, a dress from the Rothschild Trading Company had arrived from the Stewart family.

The dress, which had been tailored to fit her perfectly, fit her better than any dress that had taken hours to measure and make.

When her beautiful sister wore the dress, she transformed into a dignified lady.

And now, around her sister, her friends were similarly adorned in dresses that fit them perfectly.

In the center, Emma of the Stewart family, dressed in a pure white, pristine dress, was generously spreading her gentle smile.

It was harder to stand out than to blend in.

For the young ladies, the evening gathering was a battlefield, and those who had come without proper preparation were on edge. In contrast, the young ladies who wore well-tailored dresses that complemented their individual styles and personalities, while exuding a gentle atmosphere, stood out starkly.

Who could stop all eyes from being drawn to them?

Even if the Earl of Stewart, who was glaring at and intimidating the young men who were sending admiring glances at Emma from the back, was present.

If this were a battlefield, the outcome would already be decided.

And yet, the evening gathering had not even begun.

"Emma!"

Then, a refined cream color entered the scene.

For a moment, everyone held their breath.

When the Stewarts, who had bowed in unison, saw the gentle smile, the entire venue followed suit.

It was the concubine, Rose Alicia Royal.

Although it had been rumored that Rose's dresses had changed about a year ago, and she had been seen at several evening gatherings, this was the first time anyone had seen her up close.

A smooth cream-colored dress with delicate gray embroidery.

Her shoulders, chest, and legs, which she had previously exposed without hesitation, were now hidden, and the heavy jewelry had been reduced to a single pearl earring.

Frankly, it was a plain dress.

The accessories were overly simple.

Yet, why was she so beautiful?

The strong allure that seemed inappropriate for a mother of a classmate made one dizzy.

Despite not exposing any skin, and the dress fabric being of a subdued color, her ample breasts stood out even more because they were hidden.

Was this lady... this beautiful?

Not only Arthur, but many of the guests re-evaluated Rose's beauty.

"Rose, that dress suits you so much! You're always so beautiful!"

Although it was acceptable to use informal language after the bow, Emma whispered in Rose's ear, mindful of the formal setting.

"Oh! Thank you. You're so cute, Emma!"

Rose hugged Emma tightly.

Due to the height difference, Rose's ample chest pressed against Emma's cheek with a happy elasticity. It was bliss. She had received the ample breasts.

The embrace of the elegant and well-endowed concubine and the innocent and delicate young lady had a destructive power that no glamorous evening gathering could match, and it even gave birth to a concept that did not exist in this world: yuri (lesbian) fans.

"What... a beautiful scene..."

"The goddess and the angel together..."

"Why? I want to keep watching..."

"No, I want to protect them..."

"No, I want to support them!"

"What is this mix of excitement, palpitations, and heartwarming feelings?"

"Rose... I've been misunderstanding her all this time..."

"Beautiful. Noble."

"That delicate Emma is so close to Rose..."

"Rose... She must be a good person. No doubt about it."

"Emma's smile... Rose, she must be a good person."

With just one embrace with Emma, Rose's popularity, which had been at rock bottom until a year ago and had recently been gradually recovering, soared dramatically, unbeknownst to the two of them.

"......"

"......"

"Hey... William... This is before the evening gathering even starts, right?"

"Is my sister... does she have a condition where she has to gather everyone's attention at least once during an evening gathering?"

Georg and William, with their familiar expressions, compared the embracing pair and the surrounding reactions. If it were a condition... they sighed in resignation.

"Come on, Emma, let's go? I came to pick you up!"

Rose, looking happy, took Emma's hand and led her to the front of the venue.

"Huh? Huh? Rose?"

"Come on, Georg, William, and the Earl of Stewart too."

With a question mark over their heads, the Stewarts were being led by Rose to an even higher stage-like area at the front.

"Um, Lady Rose? What is this...?"

When called by the concubine, they had no choice but to follow, but they looked at Rose, hoping for an explanation from Leonardo.

"Don't be shy, because today's evening gathering is all about the Stewart family."

"......What?"

Rose's incomprehensible words left everyone speechless.

"Didn't the king finally approve the Stewart family's reward last week?"

"......"

"......"

"......Oh!"

That's right... Georg seemed to remember something, covering his mouth with his hand, looking regretful.

He remembered that when the king came to the Stewart family, he persistently talked about the reward, and to avoid the trouble, he had casually told Emma to give a response later, without actually telling her.

"......Brother...?"

The king was not the type to wait for a response from Emma.

Looking around the evening gathering, it was clear that the high-ranking nobles and the young men who were close to the three brothers from the academy were invited.

This was a包围网 (encirclement) from which it was impossible to escape the reward.

With ninjas, his mother's imperial business trips, dresses, and real-life social life, he had completely forgotten... There was no way to escape.

"Emma... sorry... the king's reward... you'll have to handle it."

Although he knew it was an unreasonable request, the former commoner Tanaka family did not desire any higher titles... no, they could not bear them.

Further expansion of their territory... had no appeal.

Money... they had already earned enough, and receiving more would only complicate their relationships with other nobles.

"......What?......Brother...? What?"

The consequences of his casual response were coming back to him at this evening gathering, filled with nobles from the royal palace.

As expected, the king was determined to make the Stewart family accept the reward.

And yet... the only card the Stewart family had was the unconventional Emma.

"Hey? Brother? What? Reward? What?"

With Rose leading her by the hand, Emma climbed the steps to the stage.

Georg's behavior was strange.

It always happened this way.

He only realized it later.

Communication is important.

It had been a while since he had seen Lady Rose.