Ding~
In the grand hall shimmering with golden light…
The clear clink of crystal goblets echoed as the sweet and mellow wine rippled within.
One elegant noblewoman after another, along with young ladies clad in magnificent gowns, exchanged toasts and engaged in conversation about recent events.
At this moment, the young lady stood just behind the stage curtain.
She wore a dark red, backless short dress—a bit too mature for someone her age. Her white hair was casually draped down her back, with a small braid woven at the side.
She was holding a glass of red (pomegranate juice), her expression blank as she observed the people below through a gap in the curtain.
These folks… individually, they might not amount to much, but gathered together, they formed the most reliable intelligence network among the upper echelons of the Crystal Capital.
Truly, appearances can be deceiving… So, this is the stage of this world?
She took a light sip from her glass.
Ileya caught sight of a figure at the entrance of the venue out of the corner of her eye.
Hm? She blinked in surprise, then narrowed her eyes to scrutinize that person’s back…
That was…
At the entrance to the banquet hall—
“Excuse me… I’m very sorry, but please change into formal attire and present your invitation before entering. Guests without an invitation will not be admitted today.”
Bena, dressed in a black-and-white server’s uniform, stood at the entrance of the banquet, helplessly blocking a few foul-smelling individuals…
This was a security job the Hunter Blade Mercenary Group had taken on—a good gig.
Guarding the venue tonight basically just meant standing watch, and the pay was decent.
Compared to going out to hunt monsters or kin, this was easy money—earning a living just by standing around…
However… the job of a guard wasn’t just to ensure the safety of the guests inside, but also to keep unsavory characters from coming in…
Like this group in front of her. They looked as though they’d just crawled out of a garbage heap, the smell alone was unspeakable…
Weren’t all the guests at this ball female?
Though this group was dressed in women’s clothing, anyone could see at a glance they were men… Some hadn’t even bothered to shave…
And the reason she was speaking so calmly… was that this was a gathering of nobles.
She really didn’t want… to raise her voice.
“Get lost! Do you know who I am? I’m telling you, I’m a VIP guest at this banquet! Let me in now!”
The man in the lead wore a tattered dress, his eyes feigning composure as he looked at Bena.
“Sigh…”
Bena could only let out a slow sigh, stepping down from the stairs and slowly approaching, her movements drawing a look of confusion from the man.
With a low voice, she “advised” him.
“I [Aminos] you little [CENSORED], no matter who sent you [seems to be trash], if you don’t scram now…I’ll [elegantly CENSORED] you. Got it?”
Crack!
Even as she spoke, Bena’s hand darted out, gripping the man’s shoulder!
With a slight twist of her wrist…
His arm dislocated instantly, hanging limply at his side.
“Ugh?!”
Thud! The group really did seem to be nothing more than a gang of local ruffians. Frightened by Bena, the leader fell to the ground, while the others turned and ran!
“Tch…”
Seeing the leader scurry off in a panic, Bena clicked her tongue.
What a bunch of [trash], utterly lacking in combat ability.
She’d hoped for a little action… but it was a letdown.
With that thought, Bena was about to return to her post at the entrance…
But as she turned, she realized that the little mute who had been standing with her was nowhere to be seen.
Huh?
Where did that one go…
Since the other didn’t like to talk, Bena had specifically brought them along as a doorman, just to check invitations—no need to interact with anyone as long as she was there…
But in the blink of an eye, that one had vanished…
Just as Bena was wondering—
Reliel, dressed in server’s attire, her pale gold hair tied back in a neat ponytail, was holding a large black tray filled with wine glasses, expressionless as a group of noble guests beckoned her this way and that.
“Waiter! Over here~”
“Waiter~ A glass for me, please! To our friendship!”
“Waiter…”
How did things end up like this… Reliel’s face darkened as she briskly hurried along.
Earlier, when Bena went to deal with those thugs, she had been standing in place.
Then someone suddenly rushed out from behind, claiming she really needed to use the restroom and begging for help… before dumping the tray into Reliel’s hands and running off without a second thought.
Now… she’d gone from doorman to server…
Whatever…
Reliel didn’t like to speak much, and her temperament was a bit like a jellyfish… drifting wherever fate took her~
As she “drifted” around, she observed those nearby.
She did notice some…
People who didn’t quite fit in with the banquet.
At the center was a gaunt woman in a gray dress; the group around her looked anything but happy.
No… their expressions weren’t just unhappy—they were almost venomous.
Noble grudges, perhaps… hard to understand.
These thoughts flashed through Reliel’s mind as she hurried to the guest who had called for her…
Hm?
At that moment, Reliel suddenly sensed a gaze upon her… Not the casual glances of a crowd—
But a focused, intentional stare.
She followed the gaze… and saw a girl in an extravagant golden gown, with exquisitely done makeup, surrounded by everyone at the center of attention.
Her golden hair was softly curled, cheeks fair, neck slender, eyes pure.
Like a princess from a story, waiting for the prince to invite her to dance.
But right now, this princess… was staring directly at her, her expression somewhat lost.
The others followed the “princess’s” line of sight.
In an instant, the previously invisible server became the focus of everyone’s attention.
“President Jenny, do you know this server?”
A young lady asked in a soft voice.
“Ah… No, I don’t. She just… looks a bit familiar, that’s all.”
No, no, no! How could she lose composure like that.
But… why does this server… look so much like the young lady?
Upon closer inspection, though, their eye color and temperament were completely different from the young lady’s… Just a coincidence, right?
But Jenny, who had just become the leader, didn’t realize that her gaze could attract trouble.
Especially since at this ball, there was someone who was extremely displeased with her…
Phew…
Just as Jenny smiled kindly at Reliel and withdrew her gaze—
Tap, tap, tap… A woman in a dreary gray dress had already made her way to the little mute’s side, and was walking directly toward her!
Step! Huff…
But Reliel spun around even faster, dodging the woman’s collision with an elegant and fluid movement, not pausing for even a moment as she briskly walked away to the side.
“?”
The woman who had tried to bump into her was left standing there in shock, veins throbbing at her temples…
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