Chapter 104: Popular Figure

The preparations for the tea party were complete. Now, all that was left was to wait for everyone to arrive. Oh, I almost forgot to set up the magical tools and potions.

While I asked the servants to bring them, Rosalia arrived with Mira.

“Brother, how do you like this dress?”

“Huh?”

Rosalia was wearing a glamorous dress made of light yellow fabric. It was adorned with numerous ribbons, accentuating her inherent delicate cuteness. Her hair was also tied up with ribbons. Although she didn’t wear any jewels, she still looked remarkably charming.

“It suits you well. You look like a princess from any angle.”

“Kyuu!”

Rosalia smiled gracefully, and Mira let out a joyful sound as if asking to be looked at. Mira… She also had a ribbon around her neck. Is that really necessary? But it seems like she’s happy with it…

“Mira looks adorable too. It suits her well.”

I stroked Mira’s head. She responded by gently butting her head against my hand, indicating her happiness. I heard that there is no gender distinction among holy dragons, but Mira might lean more towards the female side.

If that’s the case, maybe I should interact with her in that direction from now on?

I arranged the magical tools and potions brought by the servants. Rosalia offered to help, but I refused because I didn’t want her dress to get dirty. She muttered, “Choosing this dress was a mistake.” It seemed like she wanted to showcase the magical tools herself using her own magic.

Mira was gazing at the magical sprinkler with sparkling eyes, as if stars were about to burst out of them. I can’t let her touch it and get soaked, so I won’t allow it, Mira. Observing her, I moved with her in my arms to the table seating area. Everyone should be arriving soon.

“Brother, I found some potions I’ve never seen before. What are these?”

“Oh, those are the facial toner and hand cream. I made them with the intention of getting Fabienne, Natalie, and Melissa interested in potions.”

“Hand cream?”

“Yes. When you apply it to your hands, they might become beautiful.”

Uh-oh. If I mention this to Rosalia, she’ll start begging me for it, and then it will reach Mother, and… Just thinking about it is terrifying. I glanced at Rosalia, who was staring fixedly at the facial toner and hand cream.

“Brother…”

“R-Rosalia, I think it’s still too early for you. You’re still a child, so you don’t need it.”

“Brother, I am no longer a child!”

Out came the classic statement of “I’m not a child anymore” that children often make. A child who can’t even take a bath alone doesn’t become an adult! Besides, her chest is flat as a pancake. She’s far from the Great Plains. Rosalia puffed up her cheeks like a pufferfish, but I didn’t press the issue further.

“Julius-sama, Edward-sama has arrived.”

“I’ll go greet him immediately. Rosalia, Mira, be good girls and wait here.”

Saying that, I patted their heads and headed towards the entrance. It’s quite a handful to have two children.

A carriage had already arrived at the front entrance. It seemed like they made it on time. Edward got off the carriage as soon as I approached.

“Welcome, Edward-dono.”

“Thank you for inviting me today.”

We exchanged formal greetings and patted each other’s shoulders.

“I’m glad we could hold this tea party before winter fully sets in. I have something I want to introduce to everyone.”

“Is it a new magical tool? I’m looking forward to it. I heard you went to the capital.”

“Yeah, well… My grandfather and grandmother were poisoned before I arrived… They both passed away.”

“…I see. That’s unfortunate.”

Edward’s shoulders slumped, and we walked together towards the courtyard. With Edward, who mourned alongside me, it seemed like we could become good friends.

When Edward entered the courtyard, he stopped in his tracks. He looked in the direction where Rosalia and Mira were sitting and opened and closed his mouth repeatedly. He resembled a nutcracker doll I had seen in a video once.

“Julius-sama, what’s that…?”

Edward suddenly lost his vocabulary. I barely managed to hold back my laughter. I can’t burst out laughing. It would be rude.

“Let me introduce you. This is Mira, the holy dragon who has become a new member of our family. Today, I organized this tea party to introduce her. Look, Mira, say hello.”

“Kyuu!”

Mira raised her hand as if to say, “Yo!” Who taught her that? Rosalia, perhaps? Edward, seeing that, struggled to contain his laughter, his mouth twitching with amusement. It seems like something resonated with him.

“Y-You mean she understands words. Um, could I touch her?”

“Kyuu.”

Before I could respond, Mira extended her head towards Edward. It seems she wants to be petted. He reached out his hand slowly, savoring the moment, and gently stroked her head. His face contorted with unbridled delight.

There, there. It seems like Mira won’t be feared by others. Well, she does look like a moving stuffed animal at first glance. She won’t be an object of awe.

After that, more and more friends arrived. Each one was introduced to Mira, and they all reacted similarly to Edward.

It seemed like she was incredibly popular. I, the host, was being ignored while everyone fawned over Mira. It’s a little lonely.

Amidst all that, I did what I had to do. First, I introduced the magical tools.

“You’ve created new magical tools in such a short time. Is this a magical tool that makes watering plants easier? Our gardener at home would appreciate it.”

“Is that so? Maybe there’s more demand for this than I thought. It might be available in magical tool shops someday.”

“More importantly, I want to try making it myself.”

Edward, Billy, and Platon had sparkling eyes. I didn’t intend to monopolize them, so I decided to give them the blueprints. Although it’s difficult to process without the ‘Craft’ skill, they might acquire the skill during the process, so it won’t be a waste.

All three of them were extremely delighted. Rosalia, one of the developers, and Edward engaged in an enthusiastic conversation about magical tools. Yeah, this is going well. If they become good friends, I can expect great things in the future.

“Julius-sama, could I try this facial toner and hand cream?”

“Of course, go ahead.”

Oh, they’re hooked on this one. As expected of girls. There aren’t many girls who aren’t interested in beauty. I called one of the servants.

“When you use the hand cream, your hands become like this.”

I showed the servant my hands. They were glossy and shiny, without any signs of dryness.

“Until recently, my hands were really dry. But thanks to the hand cream you gave me, they became like this overnight.”

She said with an exuberant voice. Fabienne, Natalie, and Melissa, who saw her, applied the hand cream to their hands.

Although the three of them already had beautiful skin, I didn’t expect the effect to be even more pronounced. The effect might be a bit too strong…

“Julius-sama, could I also try this facial toner?”

In the dim light, Fabienne, with eyes sparkling like a cat in the dark, asked on behalf of everyone.

“Uh, um, sure, go ahead.”

I felt a bit overwhelmed by her gaze.

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