Chapter 22: On the Eve of the Party.

While working hard to process the platinum feathers I’d acquired, while also cleaning up the old building, which had remained untouched, my daily life was again passing by in a flurry.

Before I knew it, several days passed, and then several days again.

Eventually, a few days before Licia’s birthday party was to be held.

Ren received a message from the owner of the store where he had bought the outfit, saying that the hair ornament was ready.

“Thank you very much for the other day. I was so surprised that I almost lost my mind, but there was a part of me that thought that if it was you, Ren-dono, then …….”

The owner of the store smiled at Ren as he said this.

“I’m amazed at your luck, Ren-dono.”

“Ahahah… I was surprised myself.”

“I’m certain you have the blessing of the Lord Elfen, Ren-dono. —- Now, then, for the item you requested.”

The owner of the store placed a small wooden box on the counter separating the two of them.

“The first time I heard of a platinum feather, was when I was training in the imperial capital. I heard of a child finding one. It’s not surprising when you think about it, but when it was found by none other than Ren-dono, I feel a sense of destiny.”

He held out the crate to Ren.

“And besides, it’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed my day job.”

“Huh? Your day job isn’t making clothes?”

“In fact, my main business is the production of jewelry. I learned sewing in order to take over this store, but I am good at what I do.”

That’s why the store owner accepted Ren’s request to make hair ornaments.

The cost of making them wasn’t cheap, but hearing that it was his main business fueled his anticipation.

(It’s a good thing I killed the steel-eating gargoyles.)

It was a worthwhile job as you might think.

However, since the material was rare, I was prepared to pay for it.

If it was worth the expenses, it was a good thing.

So I decided not to think about the details.

If Licia was happy, that was all that mattered.

“Well, Ren-dono. Please take a look.”

The shopkeeper asked him to check the hair ornament.

The hair ornament he had completed in about a week, despite the short notice.

If you look closely, you can see that the shopkeeper’s eyes are made up, but even so, there are glimpses of tiredness, such as dark circles, that cannot be hidden.

However, Ren thought it would be tactless to mention this, so he took advantage of the shopkeeper’s kindness and bowed his head quietly.

Ren reached for the lid of a wooden box on the counter and quietly opened it.

Between the lid and the crate, the figure of a hair ornament gradually comes into view.

———It was a beauty worthy of the hair of Saint Licia.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Ren spent the rest of the day busy.

Night after night, he learned party etiquette from the servants in the kitchen of the main residence, trying to save lord Lessard’s face.

This continued until the night before the party.

“By the way, I have a question for Ren-dono.”

The servant who was giving Ren the last instruction that night said.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to ask you why you also asked the butler how to welcome our guests?”

“Of course, it’s for tomorrow’s party. I’m only a member of the Ashton family, so I thought I might have the opportunity to learn and help with those things as well.”

I haven’t been asked to do any work yet, but I couldn’t help but learn if no one was available and I might be asked to do something.

Basically, I don’t think so, but it was just a precaution.

But—

“Oh dear?”

The servant put his hand on his cheek and tilted his head in trouble.

“I’m not sure if you’ve heard this but as for the birthday party here at Clausel, there’ll be no guests from the outside.”

“—-?”

“If it had been held in a town near the capital, Guests would have invited without a doubt. But Clausel is far from any large town or territory…..”

In the meantime, merchants and others who visit this town sometimes come to say hello.

However, they only visit until the night of the birthday party, and those guests generally finish their visits during the day.

In other words, it’s not an event like a night party where aristocrats gather.

It’s a gathering for those who are in the main residence to celebrate.

“In any case, I had a lot of good experiences this time…..”

“I had a lot of fun. Ren-dono was very enthusiastic and it was worthwhile for me to teach you.”

The learning experience itself was not bad.

Although Ren was slightly taken aback, he bowed to the servant.

(Come to think of it, no one had a job like that.)

It all makes sense now.

No wonder there were no preparations for guests and no ostentatious decorations in the hall.

“I’m glad I could be of help. Now that we’re finished for the day, is there anything else on your mind?”

“No, I’m fine.”

The servant smiled and left Ren after he shook his head and said, “Thank you very much for today”.

Ren also decided to return to the old building shortly.

He exhaled and followed the servant out of the kitchen.

“Fuuwaaa ….sleepy …….”

These days, in addition to the time he spends learning from the waiters, he’s also busy managing the old house and preparing the gift for Licia, as well as the Imperial swordsmanship that Weiss is teaching him.

Perhaps because of this, he felt like he could fall asleep at any moment if he let himself.

(…… A school, huh?)

I’m now being instructed in imperial swordsmanship, but it would be a good experience if I had a chance to be exposed to other styles. Especially for Licia.

Ren also has one of his goals to become stronger, so he would welcome the opportunity.

The question is when that opportunity will be —-

(As someone who knows that strength that planted bad memories in my mind, I’d love to learn the hard sword technique.)

If this is the case, I’d have to ask someone who uses the hard sword technique to teach me how to use it, but I felt that it would be difficult because there aren’t many people who use it. There must be people other than those in the game era who can use it, but it seems to be difficult if you don’t have any connections with them.

I’m not even sure if I have the aptitude for it in the first place.

As I was thinking about —- I saw Licia who I’d been thinking about earlier.

(She’s looking at me so hard.)

Licia was gently peeking at Ren from the corner and asking him how he was doing.

Naturally, she cannot be ignored.

In the first place, she was in the corridor where Ren was heading to the old building.

“Excuse me, Licia-sama?”

Licia hid her figure as he approached, but when Ren came to the corner, she was standing with her back against the wall at the end of the corridor.

“Oh, Ren. What a coincidence.”

“I mean, you were looking at me just now, weren’t you?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“……”

I wondered what was wrong with Licia’s behavior, but if she wouldn’t talk, I had no choice.

So, just when I was about to give up.

“Hey… why have you been going to the kitchen these days?”

Apparently, Licia was just curious about what Ren was doing.

As he didn’t have to hide anything from her, he answered honestly.

He told her about what he was renting the kitchen for and how he was slightly shrugging it off because there were no guests.

“Huh! Then I would have taught you!”

Licia’s lips pouted cutely, and Ren smiled indescribably.

“I’d like to ask you a question.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“You were just trying to make sure of that, weren’t you?”

Licia immediately nodded.

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

The way she sulked today was even cuter than usual.

(What should I do?)

Tomorrow is the day of the birthday party, so I feel Licia should go to bed early.

However, I thought it would be harsh to tell her to go to bed here.

“If you don’t mind, would you like to see the results of what I’ve learned?”

“What do you mean?”

“Apart from various manners, I also learned how to make tea from the servant. By the way, I have no confidence that you’ll will be satisfied with my performance.”

“I’m really glad you invited me, but I didn’t think that you’d say you didn’t have any confidence.”

In front of Ren, who said it as if he had reopened the door, Licia let out her true feelings.

However, there is also something very Ren-like about that freshness.

“Actually, I only learnt it for like a few days.”

“It’s okay. I’m looking forward to it.”

After hearing the answer, Ren returns to the kitchen with Licia.

Later, Ren’s demonstration of his tea skills was surprisingly well received, which secretly relieved him

“Delicious. But it might be a little bitter.”

Licia was smiling despite her assessment that the tea might be a little bitter.

She didn’t tell Ren, but by the time she had finished the tea, she felt a lingering regret about it.

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