Chapter 27: The Goodwill Party

The last day of the Founding Festival featured a goodwill party, with the two resident princesses, from the Prélude Kingdom and the Minuet Queendom, as the guests of honor. The party invited not only the two Princesses but also their escorts, the Goodwill Ambassadors from both countries, and even foreign residents stationed in the Sinfonia Empire. Of course, most of the nobles in the Imperial Capital from the Sinfonia Empire, or their children, were permitted to attend. However, since this party involved foreign dignitaries, any slight offense could escalate into an international incident. Due to this background, there was an unspoken agreement that mostly high-ranking nobles would partner with the guests from the two nations. If anything went wrong with a low-ranking noble, their house could be ruined. No one wanted to risk poking the tiger.

The party was a garden party held in the castle’s largest garden. The nobles of the Sinfonia Empire and their children were already there, conversing and waiting for the arrival of the main guests. I had already arrived and was picking up a perpetually hard cookie from one of the buffet tables. It wasn’t too unpalatable, and it was quite filling. Munching on the cookie, I surveyed the garden that was the party venue. Sinfonia Castle has several gardens, and this one is the largest. It is a scenic spot with flowers blooming everywhere, along with several fountains and large ponds. Water lilies blossomed amongst many lotus leaves in the pond, and fish were swimming there. Carp, maybe? I can’t see well through the lotus leaves. Although this was the goodwill party for the Prélude Kingdom and the Minuet Queendom, Luca and Tifa hadn’t appeared yet. Well, the guests always arrive last. Mother and Grandfather have been entertaining a stream of nobles coming to greet them. They’re having a tough time, as usual… I’ll have to do that too once I debut in society… how troublesome. Father is not here. He’s probably busy dealing with ‘that information’ I obtained yesterday. I hope things work out somehow… Even so, there aren’t many children my age here… Since this is an international party, bringing noisy small children might cause problems. Even a minor blunder could become an international incident.

“Sakuraile-sama!” “Eh?”

As I was floating in the sea of my own thoughts, I heard a familiar voice. I looked up and saw Estelle running toward me in a pale mint-green dress.

“Estelle!?”

Estelle rushed up and hugged me with full force. Eh!? Why is Estelle, who should be in the Euphonium territory, here!?

“Why are you here? Weren’t you in your territory…” “I really wanted to thank Sakuraile-sama directly, so I rushed back! Look! Mother is here too!”

Estelle turned, and behind her stood a woman in her late twenties, wearing a pale green dress similar to Estelle’s. Beside her stood Baron Euphonium, Estelle’s father. Ah, this is Estelle’s mother. She looks kind but also like she has a strong core. Perhaps because they are mother and daughter, she slightly resembles the sixteen-year-old Estelle I saw in the game.

“Pleased to meet you, Sakuraile-sama. I am Yulia Klein Euphonium, Estelle’s mother. I apologize for causing you so much trouble on my behalf…” “Oh, no, no! It was nothing major…! I am just glad to see you are well!”

Estelle’s mother bowed deeply to me. I felt embarrassed to be treated like that by my friend’s mother. According to Estelle, Yulia recovered completely right after Tanya Celesta left. Her previous sickly state was gone as if by magic, and everyone around was surprised at the miracle. Estelle’s [Holy Miracle] is a top-tier healing [Gift], after all… Of course, it looks like a miracle. After hearing the whole story from Estelle, Yulia insisted on meeting me to thank me, convinced a reluctant Estelle’s father, and the whole family rushed to the Imperial Capital. I was worried that she might be pushing herself, given she just recovered from an illness, but Yulia looked completely healthy. The muscle she lost due to illness had even been fully restored to her prime, showing what a formidable [Gift] it is. As expected, the protagonist heroine’s title is not just for show. It also speaks to the strength of Estelle’s feeling. This wouldn’t have happened if the subject was a complete stranger. Following Estelle’s mother, Baron Euphonium, her father, also bowed to me.

“Thank you so much for everything…! I will definitely repay this favor someday…!” “No, um, I didn’t do much…! It was all Estelle’s hard work…”

I truly just happened to remember, so being thanked so much makes me feel guilty. If I hadn’t remembered at that time, Yulia would have passed away. How much will the game scenario change now that Yulia is alive? At least Estelle and Elliott’s Founding Festival date is gone… is that all? Yulia is not a main character in the game, and her existence doesn’t deeply affect the scenarios of the capture targets. I think it will be fine… yes, it will be fine. No, wouldn’t it be better for the scenario to break down completely? But then, another doom flag might rise as a result… If the scenario breaks down, there’s also the disadvantage that I won’t be able to predict the future… In any case, I’m glad she recovered.

As I reached this self-conclusion, the nobles near the garden fountain began to buzz. It seemed the guests of honor and the Royal Family had arrived. I could see His Majesty the Emperor, Elliott, Luca, and Tifa in the distance. Mother and Grandfather were talking with Estelle’s parents, the Euphonium Baron and Baroness. Estelle and I moved a little away from them and sat on a bench placed in a corner of the garden.

“There are so many people here… But there aren’t many children like us. There were quite a few at the Crown Prince’s birthday party.” “That’s because Elliott was the guest of honor then. Children of similar age were invited. This is a formal party inviting foreign dignitaries, so usually, they don’t bring anyone who isn’t the heir of the house. But look, there are a few here and there.”

Neither Estelle nor I have siblings. If no younger brother is born, we will inherit the titles as Duchess and Baroness. How is a woman a Baron? If Estelle were to marry Elliott and become the Empress, would the Euphonium Baronet House become extinct? Well, in that case, they would probably adopt a cousin or a relative’s child to be the heir. However, Estelle doesn’t seem very interested in Elliott. Is the Elliott route gone now…? Yes, I might have destroyed it. In the Elliott route, I am a hardcore villainess. Mmm, when I think about it that way, I feel incredibly guilty, as if I interfered with Estelle’s opportunity for a prestigious marriage… like I stole Estelle’s happiness for my own.

“I will support Estelle so that you can be happy!” “W-what’s wrong, suddenly…? I’m already happy, so it’s alright.”

Estelle smiled gently as she said that. What a good girl… really a good girl… Well, maybe when puberty hits, the way she looks at Elliott might change a little? Probably.

“Oh, it’s Sakuraile.” “Gah.”

A familiar voice reached me as I was feeling warm and fuzzy. This voice is…! I turned my gaze and saw Jean Ludra Staccato, one of the capture targets, standing there. Ugh, I didn’t want to run into him… Since we’ve met, I guess it’s unavoidable in places like this.

“…Good day, Jean-sama.” “I told you not to use honorifics. I don’t like formality.” “Then, Jean. Are you here alone?” “No, I came with Bianca and my sister, but we got separated. I saw you when I was looking for them.”

So Bianca, the villainess from the Jean route, is here too… Wait? I thought Bianca was the fourth daughter of the Serenade Viscount House? And Jean’s sister… I think her name is Cecil. Cecil Ludra Staccato. A genius with a talent for swordsmanship, two years older than us. She later joins the Knight Order and becomes a female knight. She’s only talked about in the game, never actually appearing. Neither Bianca nor Cecil are the heir, so why are they at this party? Well, it’s apparently not strictly forbidden to bring them.

“By the way, that candy the other day was delicious! Don’t you have any today?” “Well… I do, but…”

It’s a different kind from the last time. I took out a small tin of drops from my pochette. I dropped one into Jean’s hand. An orange candy fell out. I gave one to Estelle too. This one is red.

“Yeah, it’s not as sickly sweet as the candy sold in town. I prefer this one.”

The candy sold here is often like solidified sugar. This one isn’t as cloying, so it might be easier to eat.

“By the way, shouldn’t you be with Elliott?”

Jean has the position of Elliott’s guard apprentice. Since it’s not an official position yet, he might not need to be with him all the time, but my honest opinion is that I wish he would just go away.

“In formal settings like this, he has official knight escorts. It’s frustrating, but I’m still just a cadet, you know? I’m not entrusted with that much. But today, everyone, including my father, has been on edge since this morning.”

Albert Ludra Staccato, Jean’s father, is the Knight Commander of the Imperial Knight Order. He is a top-class knight with the alias ‘Tiger of the Empire,’ on par with my Grandfather, Margrave Einsatz, who is called the ‘Lion of the Empire.’ He has the full trust of His Majesty the Emperor and sometimes serves as his personal guard. He’s probably involved with ‘that matter.’ To be honest, Jean is probably considered a hindrance this time. Looking closely, there are a few people who don’t look like nobles. They barely talk to anyone and are carefully observing the surroundings. Could those be people from the Knight Order? Hidden security? But those people have such sharp eyes. Jean talked to us for a while, but he seemed to have spotted an acquaintance and went over there. I sighed in relief that no unnecessary developments occurred, and Estelle, next to me, chuckled.

“Sakuraile-sama seems to dislike Jean-sama?” “It’s not that I dislike Jean; I just dislike noisy people. I don’t really like parties like this either.”

I revealed my true feelings, knowing it was safe to talk to Estelle. I just want to live my life in peace and quiet.

“What about you, Estelle? Is Jean your type?”

I probed Estelle. If Estelle were to fall for Jean, his childhood friend Bianca might interfere and demand a ‘duel with Estelle!’ If that happens, Estelle would be on the express route to the Jean route. I would have to keep my distance from both of them to avoid being dragged in. I want to support my friend’s love, but I might die if things go wrong… Please forgive me. Ignoring my worries, Estelle gave a troubled smile.

“Um… Like Sakuraile-sama, I don’t really care for people like that… Although I think being energetic is a good thing.”

Score! I fist-pumped in my heart. Estelle has no feelings for Jean right now. In that case, she probably won’t enter the Jean route. Well, you never know what might trigger love, so caution is needed. No, I’m definitely not planning to interfere or anything!

I firmly grasped both of Estelle’s hands and leaned in close.

“Hwah!?” “If you ever fall in love with someone, tell me immediately! Okay? You really have to tell me, don’t keep it a secret!” “Eh!? Ah, y-y-yes, yes. Um, I don’t think that will happen, though? …With a gentleman.”

Estelle seemed to have murmured something softly at the end, but I didn’t quite catch it. Her face was flushed bright red; was it because we talked about love? She is a child, so maybe it’s too soon for her to be in love with anyone. The capture targets seemed to be her first love in the game. A first love at sixteen seems a bit late, though. I glanced at Estelle’s father and thought that her protective father would probably scare off any boys who tried to approach Estelle. My Father seems to be the same way. Are all fathers like that?