99 – coming-of-age ceremony
Two days later, the day of the coming-of-age ceremony finally arrived.
Originally, the hall, which was quite empty as if to represent the character of Yulken, the owner of the castle, and the view of the castle, which felt somewhat cold, became somewhat warmer.
If the guests feel that the hospitality is neglected, it will damage the reputation of the Loveheim family.
That’s why the best preparations were completed, from the decorations to suit their taste, the music played calmly in the hall, and the meals made for them.
If so, who are the people who can be called today’s protagonists who will receive this kind of treatment?
Most people would of course assume that all the people invited to the coming-of-age ceremony belong to that category, but those who gathered here were aware of it.
The main character who will truly shine this place has not yet appeared.
While pretending not to be everyone like that, on the inside, he often glanced at the huge door where the main character would appear, filled with anticipation inside.
“Her Highness Loveheim will be able to see you today… … ?”
“Will you show your face once in a while? I think you will be very impressed… … .”
“It may be difficult to see him because he is so busy with construction. But if possible, I would like to see you too.”
And Yulken was also included among the people they begged to meet.
A few days ago, people from each family to participate in the coming-of-age ceremony arrived one after another, but he barely showed his face and only went around greeting Ariel and Helene.
Of course, it wasn’t because he was a mystic and didn’t want to show his face to others.
It’s just that after the coming-of-age ceremony, all authority will pass to Ariel, so there were things like that in the mindset of saying hello beforehand as a rehearsal, and things like that didn’t fit the schedule.
But even so, there were times when I showed my face during busy official duties.
And at that time, the opportunity came across and the people who met would bring up the conversation with Yulken like a saga, and every time they were busy focusing the attention of all those who participated in the coming-of-age ceremony.
“Is Ariel not coming out yet? Sally.”
“Isn’t it probably taking a long time to prepare? Let’s wait a little longer.”
On the other hand, among those waiting to meet Ariel, there were people with a slightly different reason than others.
A representative example was Sally and Gria, who had made a pact with Ariel to call each other by their first names at the debutant ball the other day.
After that, they talked quite a bit in correspondence, but they spent about four years without seeing each other’s faces.
Since it’s been a long time since we’ve met, the anxiety that we might face each other might build up, but rather than that, I was full of my heart that I wanted to meet you soon.
Above all, seeing as Ariel, whose beauty was so prominent even when she was young 4 years ago, I was most curious about what she would be like now.
“Oh, it looks like you two are on good terms with Princess Loveheim.”
“Yes… !? Oh no… . To that extent… … !”
A woman who overheard the conversation intervened between the two, despite the conversation being held in low voice.
Embarrassed by this, Sally shook her hand and head at the same time in denial, but she seemed unwilling to listen.
“I envy you… ! How did you become close with the princess of Loveheim? Oh, is it rude to ask such a question?”
The woman, who had closed the distance with her pink hair flowing, was busy asking and answering questions alone to the extent that the expression pouring out fit perfectly.
To put it bluntly, even Sally, who is usually quite outgoing, was overbearing and couldn’t keep up with the topic.
“Poem, excuse me, and I’m not so open-minded… that, right? Gria.”
“Yes, yes. that’s right.”
Ariel readily called her by her first name, but the two of them thought that they hadn’t gotten close enough to her yet.
That would also be the case, because the time we actually met and talked was very short, and most of the time we exchanged each other’s current situation through letters after that.
I was worried that if I expressed that I was friendly with only a title, I would be beaten.
Indeed, in social circles, it is quite common for members of relatively unknown families to brag about their connections with people of high status whom they do not actually know very well.
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Later, when it is revealed, it becomes the target of criticism to the extent that it is difficult to show its face again, and this was what the two were worried about.
“ah… Then, should I interpret it as saying that you carelessly call someone you are not familiar with?”
“… Yes?”
At the moment when the two of them laughed awkwardly while denying the extreme, the other person suddenly changed his attitude and asked in a somewhat harsh tone.
To this, Sally thought that her ears were wrong, and she replied in a stupid voice without realizing it.
Even Gria, who was listening by her side, was speechless with her eyes wide open and her eyes wide open.
However, the pink-haired woman who accepted this positively said, ‘Huh.’ He snorted, added a comment with a chilly attitude, and immediately disappeared.
“I don’t know which family they belong to, but I hope you’ll be careful from now on because it’s in front of many people. Enough then.”
The two people who were left like that looked at each other with round eyes and asked with their eyes what the situation had just happened.
Of course, there was no answer back.
That’s why the attitude has changed so suddenly.
The feeling of being hit in the back of the head with a blunt instrument forced the two of them to remain dumbfounded for a while.
Sigh.
By the time light entered their minds again, a pair of men and women appeared with the sound of the huge door opening.
Although their facial features have changed somewhat over time, what is clear is that they are the same people Sally and Gria met four years ago.
* * * * * * *
It wasn’t that someone gave a word in advance or announced that she had appeared.
Just when the door to the hall opened and she appeared, everyone’s eyes were fixed on one another, and only silence lingered.
Even in that heterogeneous scene, she didn’t even change her expression, she just walked on her own path.
It wasn’t that someone stepped forward and told her to leave, but the place she went was busy with the crowd splitting left and right one after another.
It was probably because, apart from the prestige of the Loveheim family, the atmosphere and presence emitted by a woman named Ariel were so great and unique.
“That person is Princess Ariel… … .”
“As I’ve heard, you have an extraordinary presence.”
“Who is the man next to you?”
“Listening to those who came earlier, they said they looked like attendants. I don’t know why I came with you to a place like this.”
The silence that seemed to last forever came to an end, and the crowd started buzzing again.
In the meantime, there were remarks that made Ariel’s eyebrows twitch, but she decided to close her eyes for today and moved on.
It’s a mouth that will soon be closed anyway.
It wouldn’t be that hard to give yourself a break for a while.
“Ed, let’s go over there.”
“Why? Who could be there?”
“Yeah, the person I need to meet is just over there.”
Edgar tilted his head at Ariel’s request as she suddenly tugged at her sleeve.
Sylvia would be here too, so he thought he was referring to her, but Sylvia, who was sitting on the other side, caught his eye.
Then, if not Sylvia, who should I meet?
He just wondered if he had any acquaintances he didn’t know.
While Edgar was escorting Ariel and walking along the road she wanted to go, a woman suddenly appeared and blocked the road.
I don’t know the two of them, but it was the pink-haired woman who had just finished talking to Sally and Gria in a rather cold tone.
“Excuse me. Are you by any chance the princess of Loveheim?”
“Yes, I am right. You seem like an unfamiliar person… Who are you?”
A not very pleasant voice came out of Ariel’s mouth because the road he was on was blocked.
However, the other person didn’t even notice that her heart was uncomfortable, and continued to speak cautiously with a trembling voice.
“My name is Mirabel Cefer of the Cefer family. I wanted to meet you at least once, so I took the risk of rudeness and greeted you.”
“I see. You probably already know the name, but it’s Ariel Loveheim. I have someone I need to meet first, so is it okay if we continue talking later?”
“Yes? Oh, ok… ! But which department… … ?”
Ariel pointed her chin at Sally and Gria behind her.
Then, Mirabel’s expression changed subtly, and she asked Ariel with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“Those people… Are you friends with the princess?”
“They are my friends. Do you have any problem?”
“Oh, no… ! What’s the problem? We apologize for inadvertently disturbing you. So, next time you get a chance… … .”
“Yes, it is.”
Ariel wanted to know why Mirabel was so embarrassed, but before she had time to answer the question, she hurriedly left as if to hide her pink hair.
Ariel tilted her head at this and slowly approached Sally and Gria.
Eventually, when she arrived in front of her face, the two of them looked up at Ariel with expressions of great emotion.
“Ariel… … !”
“You were thinking of us as friends… … !”
“… … ?”
Ariel, who unintentionally directed a wonderful scene, had to listen to the crying voices of the two without knowing why.
The tumultuous yet quiet coming-of-age ceremony began to open in earnest with the night.