Chapter 82

082.

A banquet, at its core, is about eating and drinking.

Occasionally, relationships formed by chance carry on from there.

First and foremost, the underlying principle is to eat and drink joyfully.

After Sinath’s speech, people thought to themselves.

They were divided into those who had experienced the greatness of Drannus and those who hadn’t.

They contemplated the fact that his name had once again been established in the Claire Empire.

Those who understood the greatness also knew what kind of opportunity this banquet represented.

There were numerous heirs of influential families present, and it wasn’t uncommon for the heads of households themselves to attend.

Typically, those families wouldn’t be ones of such high stature.

But for those who desperately sought opportunity, even this was something to cling to.

Sophisticated laughter could be heard throughout the banquet hall.

Here, people were doing their best to prove their worth and find other paths to progress.

Most notably, there were two particularly lively spots.

“Kalen!”

Eliana, Serasie, Sinath, Laris.

Even encountering one of these women alone would be intimidating enough—and there they all were, gathered in one place.

At the center of it all was a boy who was unfamiliar even to them, despite their frequent presence in the high society.

The four young ladies of the Five Great Families.

Since the remaining one of the five families didn’t have a daughter, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say all the young women of the Five Great Families had gathered around this boy.

Even this alone was enough to be astonishing.

But then, someone called out to Kalen with excitement.

When a few people turned to look, they saw two young ladies elegantly walking toward the boy.

This might have shocked them again.

Though not on the level of the first four young ladies, they were still more than deserving of admiration, hailing from prestigious houses.

Daphnis and Licheisa.

The venerable Eclecia Salon of high society.

Before Eliana, Serasie, and Sinath formed their bond, Daphnis carried its legacy.

And Licheisa was the capable woman who steadfastly supported her.

Surely not these two too?

The onlookers, who had been watching the situation, couldn’t believe their eyes as Daphnis and Licheisa eventually arrived before the boy.

“Hello. Lady Daphnis, Lady Licheisa.”

“Ah, hello there… ugh…”

“…Lady Daphnis, is your tongue alright?”

“Umm… It kinda hurts…”

Even the ladies who led the Eclecia Salon were no different.

They approached this young Lord Kalen, gracefully greeted him, and engaged in casual conversation.

Although their connection wasn’t quite as deep as that of Eliana, Serasie, and Sinath,

it was still clear that they were on friendly terms.

Thus, six young ladies.

All from remarkable families.

No one had imagined that one young lord would capture the attentions of so many.

And it was even more surprising that this particular person was the only one.

The other young lords cast envious glances.

The young ladies, on the other hand, were deep in thought.

With the exception of Laris, all of them were undoubtedly members of the Eclecia Salon.

Among high society and even their own families, these were women who seemingly lacked nothing, yet they were all trying their best to strike up a conversation with one man.

Must there be something special?

Something extraordinary that these great women find worth caring about in just one lord.

Starting a relationship wouldn’t be a bad idea.

If they could even get closer to Eclecia, there would be no harm at all.

Thus, the young ladies discreetly began glancing at the boy in the center.

And at this point, even the heads of houses started to take notice.

*

“… Lady Licheisa, have I done something wrong?”

“No.”

“Do you have any grievances with me?”

“No.”

“…”

Kalen looked at Licheisa, who wouldn’t take her eyes off him.

It wasn’t due to prejudice or any such thing,

but one cannot deny that Licheisa was sharp in her features.

Perhaps that was why it occasionally felt like she was glaring at him when she looked at him like that.

They weren’t close enough that he’d be familiar with her expressions, but this feeling was undeniable.

Her gaze made Kalen feel slightly uncomfortable.

He closed his eyes a few times and then turned his attention to Daphnis.

“Is your tongue alright?”

“Yes… Umm…”

Daphnis’s cheeks turned a little red, embarrassed by biting her tongue.

Kalen, deciding not to delve further into this mistake, casually asked the two young women:

“You’ve come to the banquet…”

“Of course. That bet…”

“Bet?”

“Ah.”

Licheisa froze mid-reply, realizing her mistake.

There was definitely some kind of bet involved.

Licheisa silently glanced at Eliana, Serasie, and Sinath.

Since Sinath had joined Eclecia,

and when they had all gathered before, a promise was made during a discussion about banquets and balls.

To ask Kalen for a dance,

and leave the choice in his hands.

Licheisa didn’t like it at all.

Sure, Kalen was the only man she could truly communicate with, but the idea of being selected by a man wasn’t appealing.

Also, because she didn’t like this childish game,

and simply couldn’t bear to let Daphnis go.

That girl had looked at him with eyes like those of someone who’d fallen in love at first sight.

If left unchecked, she’d surely lose Daphnis.

So she joined in the agreement.

But now that it was happening, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

If Kalen were to choose Daphnis due to not having feelings for anyone…

Licheisa discreetly clenched her fists.

Who did he think he was?

He was the reason she had to start putting on makeup, which she hadn’t done since going out with Daphnis.

And she’d even sacrificed sleep to choose a dress.

The shame of all that…

made Licheisa simultaneously resent Kalen, while also glancing at the clothes the other four young ladies were wearing.

Sure, she was probably the most beautiful anyway.

But it never hurt to confirm.

That was her thought at the time.

Elegantly dressed in banquet-worthy attire—no, these dresses were more suited for a ball.

Clearly, they had spent at least an entire day carefully choosing them.

Seeing their preparations, Licheisa couldn’t help but think:

This might be a bit dangerous.

To begin with, the three young ladies from the great families were already striking.

Beautiful enough to be described as such.

Like Kalen.

Dressed in clothes that suited them perfectly, they practically shone.

It was their way of making a good impression on the one they cherished.

Their beauty was dazzling.

This all meant they were taking this bet seriously.

Licheisa hadn’t felt this competitive urge in a long time.

“Yes, there is.”

Kalen’s words were deliberately interrupted coldly.

She cut off whatever he might have said next without giving him any room to doubt.

And then she spoke, casually dropping hints, probing for his intentions.

“Lord.”

“Yes.”

“Are you good at dancing, by any chance?”

In that moment,

the atmosphere around them changed.

Licheisa felt a chill, yet she also found it quite enjoyable.

She could sense everyone’s focus on them, save for Laris who stared blankly.

While she believed no one had guessed the hidden stakes of this yet,

Licheisa continued speaking.

“Since I’m enjoying the party, it made me wonder. Even if you had attended a party that required dancing, would you have enjoyed it? Something like that.”

She hadn’t broken their agreement.

They had promised not to reveal the fact about the ball to Kalen.

The key was not to inform him of the need to choose someone at the ball.

By not mentioning the ball’s existence,

and speaking hypothetically,

she could still probe his intentions while obtaining useful information.

The thoughts of the ladies around her seemed to mirror her own.

Everyone, except for the bemused Laris, focused on her.

Though the question wasn’t provocative enough to cause tension,

it was still something of great interest.

“Dancing…”

Kalen pondered that for a moment,

then tilted his head in thought.

He wasn’t just wondering if he was good at dancing,

but if he’d ever danced before.

Of course, he hadn’t.

Kalen was merely adopted into the Blamia family as an illegitimate child.

He wasn’t the type to spontaneously burst into a wild dance.

During the time when he was learning various forms of cultured refinement, it was more out of necessity than genuine interest,

and he had never formally learned or danced before.

“I’m not sure. I’ve never danced.”

“Ah, I see…”

Never having danced,

the young ladies probably imagined the perfect scene for the ball ahead.

Dancing gracefully to serene music.

Perfect harmony with one’s partner.

As the surroundings fade away,

it would feel as if only the two of them existed, gazing into each other’s eyes.

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

Noble dancing was more complicated than one might think, not something an amateur could easily participate in.

There were two possibilities.

Either suffer embarrassment or have the woman skillfully lead and guide.

“I see.”

Licheisa nodded, feeling that this was enough information.

People would surely be thinking hard now.

She herself began to contemplate how she could guide Kalen.

With the upcoming ball approaching,

the atmosphere of the banquet was quickly reaching its peak.

The thoughts of all the young ladies surrounding Kalen, except Laris, centered on this.

And because of their sudden silence, Kalen awkwardly stood there.

And then,

another gaze, one from the other side of the brilliant banquet hall, landed on Kalen.