"Good to see you, Tenma. Thank you for coming, Merlin."
"Thank you for the invitation, Albert—next Duke."
"No, perhaps you should drop the 'next'? I mean, you are hosting the Duke family's first New Year's party, after all."
My grandfather and I had been invited to the Sanga Duke family's first New Year's party, but the one hosting it wasn't the Duke—it was Albert.
In other words, it was safe to say that the generational transition within the Duke family was fast approaching.
Well, it would probably still take a few more years, but my grandfather seemed to think it wouldn't take even ten.
I'd never attended any of the Sanga Duke family's parties before, but this year—
—or rather, given that I was essentially one of the main attractions at this party, I had no choice but to attend.
"No, not yet. Father still needs to stay active for another ten-odd years... and, well... there are still people who haven't acknowledged me."
"I see. Some of the guests take one look at your face and completely change how they talk to you. I suppose that can't be helped."
"Don't say that, Ten... brother-in-law."
"Not yet! And besides, is it really okay for the host to let the party's secret slip like that? You'll make the Duke angry!"
Albert almost let his true feelings slip, but quickly covered it up with his usual facade.
Probably because even if he inherited the ducal title right now, he'd be looked down on for having no real accomplishments to speak of, and there were plenty of people who would try to take advantage of him.
On top of that, inheriting the title would also mean he could no longer enjoy himself the way he did now.
When I pointed out what had been bothering me in a teasing manner, Albert responded with a teasing tone of his own.
So I decided to push a little further, and—
"Tenma-sama, Merlin-sama, please wait here. I'll have someone show you to the waiting room."
"You two will be introduced as guests, after Cain and Lion."
"At that time, Father will announce your engagement to my sister."
He started addressing me with "-sama" as well and his language became more polite. But more than that, I was so focused on the fact that the engagement announcement was approaching that I forgot to tease Albert. After all, the engagement announcement was to be made by Duke Sanga, so there was probably nothing he could do about it since Albert, as the acting head, didn't have that authority... or so I thought, when—
"Actually, I'm planning to announce my marriage to Eliza at the same time as Tenma-sama and my sister's engagement. So, I might not be able to provide proper support for Tenma-sama. In that case, Father would have to act as a substitute for the substitute... returning to the usual arrangement, so please understand."
The reason was that there was an announcement even more important for the ducal family than our engagement. In other words, Albert was the host, the main character, and the one who would be teased... no, congratulated... by everyone—a terribly busy position, he explained. If Albert couldn't manage the party's proceedings, it would revert to being hosted by Duke Sanga mid-event.
"If that's the case, wouldn't it be smoother if the Duke handled everything? Also, stop teasing me already, and go back to your normal way of speaking. It's creepy."
I wasn't trying to find fault with the ducal family's methods, but I couldn't help wondering if things would run more smoothly if Duke Sanga took charge of it all.
"What a rude thing to say, calling it creepy. At noble gatherings, it's more common to spend the time like this. Well, setting that aside for now, this time it's a party centered around 'the next head of house and those who will support the kingdom in the future.' Not just the heads of the Royalist Faction families, but also their heirs and families, and while not many, heads from other factions, and acquaintances who are commoners like Tenma are also attending."
"Aside from the question of whether I'm a commoner or not... so this also has the implication of a matchmaking meeting, then?"
Not just me, I thought, but even my grandfather couldn't be called a commoner. But if this party was as he said, then announcing my and Primera's engagement early on would be—
"To prevent anyone from approaching me or Primera during the party with that kind of intention?"
"Exactly. If Tenma or Primera didn't know about each other's engagement, they'd be top-tier candidates for marriage. No fool would dare suggest switching fiancés after the ducal family has made such a grand announcement."
So there really are fools who would say such things... I thought, and—
"Albert, please escort Tenma-kun and Merlin-sama to the waiting room already. The other participants will be arriving soon."
"My apologies. Father, would you mind escorting them?"
Duke Sanga accepted his son's request without hesitation and led me and my grandfather to the waiting room. The Duke had apparently intended to escort us from the start, as he had come to the entrance, so the transition from his appearance to the escort was very smooth.
"Tenma-kun, Merlin-sama, this is your waiting room. Primera and Albert will likely come for a briefing later, so please try not to draw too much attention."
Our waiting room was located deep within the ducal residence, near the private zone, so, barring some extraordinary circumstance, party guests wouldn't approach. However—
"Hey there! Tenma! Merlin-sama, good work today!"
"Hello, Tenma, Merlin-sama. Lion, doesn't your greeting sound a bit odd?"
These two exceptionally casual individuals entered the waiting room as the Duke left. Well, since both of them were close with the Sanga ducal family and the Otori family, they probably weren't included in what the Duke called an 'extraordinary circumstance.'
"The day has finally come... Welcome, Tenma! To the 'Married Men's (Male) Club'! The members are just me, Albert, and Tenma, but someday Lion will be too... The members are just me, Albert, and Tenma, but let's all get along!"
Cain looked at Lion and cut his sentence off mid-way, then turned his gaze back to me and started over. It was probably... no, it was definitely intentional. In response to such Cain, Lion turned away with his arms crossed,
"F-Fine! They say marriage is the grave of life, after all! You two had better not regret it!"
he started saying, but from the open door behind Lion—
"Oh my... Lion, are you calling my sister, Sierra, and all married women 'graves'...? What splendid nerve you have."
"Lion-niisama, I think that's going too far, even for you."
Albert and Primera were peeking in at us. Albert's interpretation seemed quite different from what was actually said, but Lion himself clearly hadn't thought too deeply about his words—he went pale the moment Albert pointed out his slip of the tongue. And the one making Lion's panic even worse was Primera, who wore a smile on the surface but wasn't hiding her displeasure at all.
Lion alternated between looking at their two faces, flustered,
"I am truly sorry!"
He prostrated himself on the floor. Not only that, the moment he did, he'd put so much force into it that there was an audible *THUD* as his head hit the ground—the prostration was that violent.
For a while, the scene continued with Lion remaining face-down on the ground while Albert watched him with cold eyes (Primera had quickly averted her gaze and come over to greet me and Gramps), when—
"Pardon the intrusion... Hmm, what exactly is the situation here?"
"Excuse us... Oh my..."
The arrival of two new visitors—Caesar-sama and Tida—in me and Gramps's waiting room instantly transformed the atmosphere of the room.
Albert and Cain immediately dropped to one knee in a subordinate's bow, while Primera stepped back a pace from where me and Gramps were and bent at the waist without kneeling to lower her head. As for me and Gramps... we couldn't very well perform the same formal bow as Albert and the others, so we just gave a light nod of the head for the time being. And as for Lion, who was still prostrated on the floor... he was quite late in noticing Caesar-sama's arrival, and Albert, who was right beside him, along with Cain, who had shuffled over, forcibly lifted his upper body and guided him onto one knee.
"Judging from the way Tenma and Merlin seem to be taking it, this appears to have been some lighthearted horseplay... but do keep it in moderation."
"Y-Yes! We deeply apologize for our unsightly display!"
"I'm truly sorry!"
Caesar-sama, who already knew the three's relationship and had roughly grasped what had happened, admonished the three, at which Albert and Cain both offered words of apology in unison, with Lion following a beat behind them.
"So, why are Caesar-sama and Tida here?"
"Tenma, we are the core of the Royalist Faction. And I am the next head of the royal family, while Tida is a leading figure among those who will one day support the kingdom. It wouldn't be strange for us to attend this party, would it?"
That was certainly true enough, but he still wasn't fully convinced. Caesar-sama seemed to see right through that thought,
"Actually, my mother declared she would be attending this party. My father is coming along as well, naturally. Having both Their Majesties attend a party like this would cause quite the uproar. So, Tida and I are attending in a role that suits the purpose of this event. Well, Lyle could have attended as well since he's unmarried... but if it were Lyle, it might cause the opposite kind of commotion."
If it were Lyle, every woman at the party would likely flock to him, and the nobles who weren't attending would probably demand similar opportunities. On that front, Caesar-sama was already married with an heir, so no one would see him as a potential marriage partner. And if any noble were brazen enough to suggest taking a concubine, they would be making an enemy of the royal family. The relationship between Caesar-sama and Isabella-sama was that solid. As for Tida, he had a fiancée—well, an intended—in Amy. She wasn't officially his fiancée yet, but she was the sole candidate recognized by the royal family as the most fitting prospect. If someone were to approach Tida before the wedding and say, "How about taking my daughter as a concubine?" they would earn the enmity of every sensible noble (though who knew how many of those actually existed). Beyond that, they would be making enemies of the Ootori family, Duke Sanga's household, and above all the Sylphide family. Oh, and incidentally, also Maria-sama of the royal family, who held Amy in high regard. So no one would dare take such a risk at this party. Well, such proposals might come up after the two were married, but that would be a matter for that time.
"The reason being as I've explained, and by having Tida and me attend, it lends prestige to the engagement and marriage of Tenma and Primera, as well as Albert and Elizabeth. Even if you have certain reservations, you would do well to accept it as simply the way things are."
There were clearly various circumstances at play, but it seemed Caesar-sama had no intention of explaining further. Well, it felt less like "has no intention" and more like "doesn't want to," but since being told more could only lead to troublesome matters, he decided not to press any further.
"If Caesar-sama says so, I'll just chalk it up to the usual 'insect repellent' going off... By the way, who are Caesar-sama's and Tida's partners?"
"Naturally, Isabella and Amy. Both of them are in separate waiting rooms having their dresses fitted and makeup done. I told them there was still plenty of time, but they seem to be in quite a hurry."
Apparently, Isabella-sama was in the waiting room assigned to the royal family, while Amy was in the Sylphide family's waiting room.
"If Isabella-sama has already started changing into her dress, the start time might be moved up a bit... Primera, you should go change as well."
"Yes, Brother. Then, everyone, please excuse me. Tenma-san, I'll see you later."
After Primera left the waiting room, Tida's demeanor somehow softened.
"I think it would be a bit awkward to just keep standing. If you have the time, why don't we sit and talk?"
When he made that suggestion, Caesar-sama was the first to move to the seat at the head of the table, and then the rest sat down in turn. The table was just the right size for about eight people, so with seven there was a bit of extra room, but Albert and the others were visibly tense with Caesar-sama sitting so close.
"Come to think of it, Tida hasn't said a word since we came into the waiting room. Is something on your mind?"
He addressed Tida in an effort to ease the tension among Albert and the others, and Tida replied with a somewhat bashful expression,
"No, it's just... I'm not really used to these kinds of things, so I'm a little nervous..."
He smiled shyly. Seeing that, not only Albert and the others but even Caesar-sama looked at Tida with puzzled expressions.
"Well... I've attended plenty of normal parties and engagement celebrations, but this is the first time I've been present at an engagement announcement for someone who feels like family, so it's giving me a strange feeling..."
Hearing that, Albert—who seemed to have shed some of his own tension upon seeing Tida like this—remarked,
"Come to think of it, Tida-sama did meet the conditions for the men's gathering too."
He grinned. "What conditions?" Tida asked, and with Caesar-sama looking on with keen interest, Albert continued—
"It was shortly before you two arrived. Once Tenma got engaged, he ended up in a position similar to mine and Cain's, so the talk turned to how Lion was the only one left out of the group."
As the two listened with evident enjoyment, Albert went on to recount the events that followed. And so—
"Hmm, with that way of putting it, it's no wonder Isabella, Amy, and even my mother could be seen as part of the cause for the 'graveyard.'"
Caesar-sama had added three more names to the "graveyard" tally. Tida wore a slightly displeased expression—on the surface, at least—since Amy's name was among them. In truth, he was pinching his own side and thigh to hold back his laughter, putting on an act of teasing Lion.
At the sight of the two of them, Lion panicked once more, flustering about. Just as he stood up and was about to bow his head to the floor—
"Ha ha ha! What, it was just a little joke!"
"Ku fu fu fu!"
Caesar-sama and Tida burst out laughing.
"Well, I understand that frustration can make you say things you don't truly mean. But to someone who doesn't know Lion—or who dislikes him—those words become more than enough ammunition. You need to be able to stay composed in that moment and clearly explain the intent behind your words. That is the challenge you must overcome before you can inherit the Border Count title."
"You're right. If I didn't know Lion's personality, I would have been angry too."
Lion stood there, dumbfounded by the pair's sudden change of heart, but once he grasped the situation, he slumped to the floor on the spot.
"Hmm... This time it ended without incident, but I must be more careful going forward. Especially in places like this, where who knows what stranger might be listening in."
Grandpa wrapped things up with that and urged Lion to sit back down. In the end, Grandpa had gotten the final word, but Caesar-sama didn't seem bothered in the slightest.
"Everyone, the starting time is drawing near."
After that, there was little more conversation as they spent their time in a relaxed manner, until the duke's butler arrived to inform them that the party's start time was approaching.
Of course, even though it was approaching, there was still plenty of time—but for Albert, who would be overseeing the party as the duke family's representative, one could say the real work was about to begin.
"Caesar-sama, Tida-sama, I apologize, but I must take my leave for now. I'll see you again shortly."
"In that case, we should head back as well. Well then, Tenma, I'm looking forward to the engagement announcement."
No sooner had Albert stepped out than Caesar-sama and Tida departed as well. However,
"This time before the party starts is so boring, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it really is... Once you know the start time, the wait until it actually begins feels forever, doesn't it?"
The remaining two showed no signs of heading back to their waiting room — they were completely sprawled out. The backlash from having Caesar-sama and Tida around until just now was probably catching up with them, but to be able to let themselves go this much in someone else's estate was either an impressive talent in its own right, or a testament to how good their relationship with Albert was... Well, on top of those two factors, there was probably also the fact that these two were pretty thick-skinned.
"Are those two always like that? Oh, and while you're at it, could we get some tea too?"
When Grandpa called out to the maid waiting in the hallway, she began preparing tea while glancing over at Cain and Lion,
"Whenever they visit our household, they always relax in that manner."
and let us know that this was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Shouldn't you two start getting ready soon?"
While men's grooming doesn't take as long as women's, the two had been lazing about a bit too long, and when I spoke up, I got "Just about ready" and "It's fine, don't worry" in response. The words probably came from a place of familiarity with parties, but what made it interesting was that while Cain had the cool confidence of someone experienced, Lion's relaxedness felt more like optimistic nonchalance — a reflection of their different personalities. Well, even Lion headed back to his waiting room when Cain told him to, so there probably wouldn't be any trouble with punctuality.
"Tenma, are you about ready?"
Just before the start time, Duke Sanga arrived at the waiting room accompanied by Primera.
"Well then, Tenma — I'm leaving my daughter in your hands."
In front of the door leading to the courtyard where the party was being held, Duke Sanga parted ways from Primera and me. Waiting near the entrance were Lion, Cain, Tida, Ami, Caesar-sama, Isabella-sama, the two of us, and Grandpa. The eight of us assigned to accompany Primera were apparently the special guests for this occasion.
"Oh! Professor! ...and Primera?"
Ami seemed puzzled by the sight of me and Primera together, looking at Tida's face beside her, but Tida just smiled without offering an explanation.
While Ami was still slightly confused, the party's start time must have arrived, because the door slowly opened.
"Well then, Tenma — after you."
"See you later."
Among the special guests, Cain and Lion's names were called first, and the two headed toward the venue. Then, without much of a pause,
"Tenma Ohtori, Primera von Sanga, and Merlin Ohtori — now entering."
It was finally our turn. The venue's murmuring swelled at the unusual sight of me being called alongside Primera, but when Caesar-sama and the others' names were announced right after, the noise grew even louder — some nobles even sent their attendants running off somewhere. Perhaps because of the impact we and Caesar-sama's group had made, Amy standing next to Tida didn't draw all that much attention, though a few of the women seemed to be whispering about it among themselves.
"To all our distinguished guests, allow us to make a brief announcement on behalf of our house. It has been officially decided that Albert von Sanga, eldest son of Duke Sanga's house, and Elizabet von Sylphid, daughter of Count Sylphid's house, shall be wed. A formal date has yet to be determined, but the ceremony will be held on a fine day in spring."
Most of the attendees reacted to the sudden marriage announcement with an 'As expected!' sort of expression. However,
"We would also like to announce the formal engagement of Tenma Ohtori and our Primera von Sanga."
The Duke Sanga's next declaration caught nearly every guest completely off guard, and the venue erupted into an uproar.