I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace - Chapter 2333: The Promised Tea Party ②
In the room of Eris, the heir to Hamilton Marquisdom, she sat quietly in a chair, deep in thought. Invitations had already been sent to the selected noble youths, including Kaito, and it could be said that the die had been cast.
Even so, Kaito was far too formidable an individual to approach without caution, and Eris genuinely wanted to prepare as much as possible.
(……As I thought, the main concern should be the matter of his attendant. First, I need to consider whether Kaito-sama knows the significance of an attendant at a noble tea party…… Honestly, this is my own oversight. If I had casually brought it up during our past conversations, mentioning that attendants at such events are mainly meant to be guards, then I wouldn’t have to worry about this now. But of course, I can’t go so far as to insert an explanation of “what an attendant means” into the invitation. Doing so would surely give some people the excuse to gleefully accuse me of treating Kaito-sama as ignorant or being discourteous. And even setting that aside, it would simply be rude.)
Eris was intelligent enough to consider the possibility that Kaito might not fully understand the meaning of “attendant” in the context of a noble tea party. However, if there was also the possibility that he had learned it from someone like Lilia, then assuming he didn’t know and explaining it outright would be disrespectful. She regretted not having subtly confirmed it in earlier conversations.
(Well, it’s too late for that now, so I should prepare for both possibilities. If Kaito-sama does know the meaning, then there’s likely no problem. In that case, the most likely attendants would be Anima-sama, his Head Retainer; Illness-sama, a capable maid and one I heard was also his lover; and Sieglinde-sama, who serves as Duchess Lilia’s guard and should be well-versed in noble functions…… These three would be strong candidates.)
Since this was Kaito’s first noble tea party, Eris predicted that he would most likely choose either someone knowledgeable about noble culture or someone he relied on emotionally.
(And the real issue is the scenario where he doesn’t know the meaning of an attendant…… Ideally, I would have liked to make an exception, allowing only Kaito-sama to bring a noble. In that case, he would almost certainly choose Duchess Lilia, which would put my mind at ease. However, if she were to attend a tea party, one specifically excluding heads of noble houses and those with official posts, it could be taken as favoritism toward the Albert Duchy. Even if it’s a tea party I am personally hosting, it is still connected to the Hamilton Marquisdom. As the leader of a faction, the Hamiltondom must avoid creating a situation where it looks like we are blatantly favoring nobles from another country, as that could damage the faction’s standing.)
Personally, Eris would have been grateful if Lilia could attend as Kaito’s attendant, but from the standpoint of the Hamiltondom’s position as one of the Four Great Nobles, even without that intention, it could easily be seen as prioritizing foreign nobles over those within her faction.
Since she had already decided to exclude heads of noble houses and those with official posts, inviting Lilia was impossible. Thus, the “no nobles allowed” note had been necessary.
(……Still, even if Kaito-sama doesn’t know the meaning of an attendant, I think there’s a high chance it will work out fine. If I put myself in his position, this tea party, aside from me, would be full of strangers. Given the choice, he would surely want to bring someone along. And the selection criteria for that person would naturally lean toward someone knowledgeable about noble culture and tea parties. However, with nobles excluded, he might not immediately think of anyone suitable. In that case, Kaito-sama would likely seek someone’s advice…… And the person he would turn to would, of course, be well-versed in noble society, have attended many tea parties, and be easy to consult with as his lover…… Duchess Lilia. If so, he should also learn the meaning of an attendant from her.)Eris’ assumption was not exactly wrong. If Kuromueina hadn’t happened to visit at that timing, Kaito would likely have been left wondering who to take as his attendant, gone to consult Lilia, and in doing so would have learned that an attendant was essentially meant to serve as a guard.
(Thinking along those lines, the possibility of him bringing someone truly extraordinary as an attendant is extremely low…… However, I’ve dealt with Kaito-sama many times before. I understand that letting my guard down here would be a mistake…… Yes, I should consider even Phantasmal King-sama coming with him as a possibility. Still, if it were Phantasmal King-sama, since they aren’t widely recognized, I could probably just ask them to refrain from revealing their identity……)
With a sharp, focused expression, Eris tried to account for the worst-case scenario. However, she could never have foreseen the string of coincidences that had occurred, at the exact moment the invitation arrived, Kuromueina had just happened to drop by for a visit, and, unusually for her busy schedule, had some free time.
As a result…… Kaito chose his attendant without consulting Lilia at all, and that attendant, though she had attended many parties, had never once been to a noble tea party, and thus knew nothing of what “attendant” meant…… That this person turned out to be Kuromueina was something even Eris could never have imagined.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [Eris is doing her best. She’s really doing her best, but…… the problem is her opponent. No matter how much she prepares or anticipates, he’s the kind of person who somehow manages to slip through everything, right on the mark……]
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