Chapter 22: On the Eve of the Party

Ren’s days became hectic again.

He hurried to have the Platinum Feathers worked into a present while also returning to the cleaning of the old manor that he had neglected.

Several days passed, then several more.

A few days before Licia’s birthday party, a message arrived from the owner of the shop where Ren had bought the white dress. The hair ornament was complete.

“Thank you again for entrusting this to me,” the shopkeeper said when Ren arrived. “I nearly lost my composure when I first saw the material, though part of me also thought that such a thing was somehow believable where you were concerned.”

He smiled across the counter.

“Your good fortune continues to astonish me.”

“I was astonished as well.”

“Main God Elfen must favor you. Now, allow me to present the item you requested.”

The shopkeeper set a small wooden box on the counter.

“When I trained in the Imperial Capital, I once heard of a child discovering a Platinum Feather. Such chance finds do occur. Even so, the fact that you were the one to obtain these makes the affair feel almost destined.”

He pushed the box toward Ren.

“And it’s been some time since I was able to enjoy my true profession.”

“Your true profession? I thought you made clothes.”

“My specialty is jewelry. I learned sewing so that I could inherit this shop, but ornaments remain the work at which I excel.”

That explained why he had accepted the unusual request without hesitation.

The fee was far from small, but learning that the work lay within the shopkeeper’s specialty only increased Ren’s anticipation.

(It’s fortunate that I defeated those Steel-Eating Gargoyles.)

The price was high enough to make that thought unavoidable. Since the material itself was extraordinary, however, Ren had expected the crafting cost to match it.

He had the money, and that was enough.

At this point, nothing mattered more than whether Licia liked the result.

“Please, take a look.”

Despite the short notice, the shopkeeper had completed the ornament in roughly one week. Makeup concealed some of the fatigue around his eyes, but not all of it.

Mentioning that exhaustion would have been tactless. Ren bowed in gratitude and carefully lifted the lid.

The ornament emerged little by little from the shadow of the box.

Its beauty was worthy of adorning the hair of Licia Clausel, the White Saint.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Ren remained busy after receiving the gift.

Night after night, servants instructed him in party etiquette in the main residence’s kitchen. He wanted to avoid embarrassing Lessard, his liege lord, through ignorance.

The lessons continued until the night before the celebration.

“There’s something I’ve been wondering, Lord Ren,” said the attendant who had just completed his final lesson.

“What is it?”

“Why did you also ask the butler how guests should be received?”

“For tomorrow’s party. I’m only the son of a knight, so I thought it would be useful to learn in case I was asked to help.”

Nobody had assigned him such work, and he doubted they would. Still, he preferred being prepared.

The attendant touched one cheek and tilted her head.

“Were you not told? The evening celebration at the Clausel residence has no outside guests.”

“What?”

“If this estate stood near the Imperial Capital or another major city, nobles would certainly be invited. Clausel is far from other large settlements and territories, however.”

Merchants passing through town, officials, and acquaintances sometimes visited during the day to offer congratulations. They generally departed before the evening party.

The nighttime gathering wasn’t a formal ball for visiting aristocrats. It was a private celebration for the household—the family, servants, and knights who lived or worked at the residence.

“At least the lessons were valuable,” Ren said after recovering from the revelation.

“I enjoyed them as well. You studied so earnestly that teaching you was rewarding.”

The effort hadn’t been wasted, even if his imagined duties didn’t exist.

Now he understood why there had been no elaborate guest preparations or ostentatious decorations in the hall.

“I’m glad I could help,” the attendant said. “That concludes tonight’s lesson. Is there anything else?”

“No. Thank you very much.”

She smiled and left the kitchen.

Ren followed, intending to return to the old manor.

“I’m exhausted.”

In addition to the etiquette lessons, he had been managing the old manor, arranging Licia’s present, and studying Imperial Swordsmanship under Weiss. If he relaxed for even a moment, he felt he might fall asleep where he stood.

(Other sword schools…)

Imperial Swordsmanship was useful, but Ren would welcome opportunities to experience different styles. The same was true for Licia.

Becoming stronger remained one of his goals.

The style he most wanted to understand was the Mighty Sword Style—the school whose terrifying attacks had left such strong memories from the game.

Finding a teacher would be difficult. Few practitioners existed, and the ones Ren remembered had been enemies. Other users must exist somewhere in this world, but without the proper connections, he couldn’t reach them.

He didn’t even know whether he possessed the required aptitude.

As Ren considered the problem, he noticed the girl already occupying his thoughts.

Licia was peeking around a corner and watching him intently.

He could hardly ignore her, especially since she stood in the corridor leading toward the old manor.

“Licia?”

She withdrew when he approached, but when Ren reached the corner, he found her leaning against the wall beyond it.

“Oh, Ren. What a coincidence.”

“You were looking directly at me.”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“…I see.”

Her suspicious behavior puzzled him, but if she refused to explain, there was little he could do.

He was about to continue on when Licia spoke.

“Why have you been going to the kitchen every night?”

So that was what had concerned her.

Ren had no reason to hide the answer. He explained the lessons and admitted that learning there would be no outside guests had left him feeling slightly foolish.

“You should have asked me! I wanted to teach you.”

Licia puffed out her cheeks, and Ren could only smile awkwardly.

“Were you hiding there because you wanted to ask about that?”

She nodded at once.

“I wanted to talk with you before bed, but I couldn’t find you.”

Her upward glance contained a loneliness too clear to mistake.

Tomorrow was her birthday, and she should probably sleep early. Telling her to leave, however, felt unreasonably cold.

“Would you care to see the results of my lessons?” Ren asked.

“What do you mean?”

“The attendants taught me how to prepare tea as well as etiquette. I have absolutely no confidence that it’ll satisfy you.”

“I’m happy that you invited me, but I didn’t expect you to declare your lack of confidence so proudly.”

Ren’s frankness drew the complaint from her before she could stop it.

“I have only practiced for a few days.”

“Yes, yes. I’m still looking forward to it.”

They returned to the kitchen together.

To Ren’s relief, Licia received the tea more favorably than he expected.

“It’s delicious. Perhaps just a little bitter.”

She smiled despite the mild criticism and drank every drop.

Licia never told Ren that when the cup became empty, she felt strangely reluctant for the moment to end.

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