The Guardian Knight of Affection-Starved Young Ladies

77 – Dancing at the Ball (10)

078.

“Eliana… this is troublesome.”

“…No. I held back then, so you hold back too, Kallen.”

No matter what anyone says, the protagonist of this banquet is undoubtedly Sinat, who will become the master of Dranus.

The heads of the influential families of the empire, their heirs, and the prince.

The revival of Dranus means that it has a ripple effect that everyone should pay attention to.

Because Sinat was to be the master of such a place.

Most of the gazes at the banquet are directed forward.

Sinat was doing well despite his trembling, so it was hard to notice Eliana embracing Kalen.

“Kalen… the clothes suit you well…”

“…Thank you.”

“You’re also wearing what I gave you well… although there are many things I haven’t seen before…”

Flinch.

Kalen’s body trembles.

Eliana found that appearance cute for no reason and laughed.

Of course, since she had turned her head over Kalen’s shoulder, he wouldn’t know that.

After holding Kalen for a long time, Eliana gently let go.

Thump, thump, thump.

Her still trembling heart had not yet calmed down, but now her desire to see Kalen was greater than her embarrassment.

She couldn’t just hold onto this precious time forever.

When she let go of Kalen, he met her gaze.

Eliana liked that look very much.

“Kalen… I’ve been curious for a long time… why do you always match my eye level like this…?”

“Ah.”

She could roughly guess.

But nothing is more certain than hearing it directly.

“It became a habit when your eyesight and hearing were poor, Eliana.”

“Why…?”

“So that you could understand what I was saying.”

Kalen is blunt.

Sometimes he even feels a bit cold.

But Eliana knows.

She knows what warmth lies within him.

Such consideration is one of them.

That’s why Kallen matched his eye level.

Accepting it as an obsession.

It’s a kind of confirmation.

That his relationship with Kallen hasn’t changed.

A sign that he still cherishes her.

Eliana shyly covered her reddened cheeks and whispered.

“I’m healthy now…”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“No… I didn’t say it to make you apologize… Just… I wanted you to know that I can dance without any trouble…”

“Dance?”

Why did she emphasize the word dance?

Did Eliana develop a hobby of dancing?

As Kallen guessed the meaning, Eliana stroked Kallen’s cheek.

When Kallen was startled and stepped back, Eliana chuckled and asked.

“Kallen.”

“Yes.”

“How long are you going to keep using formal speech…?”

Hearing her words, a memory came to mind.

Eliana also disliked formal speech when she first went to Ecclesia.

At that time, there was a relationship of guard and guarded.

It was reluctant for a mere guard to use informal speech to the young lady of Lacatus.

But even so, Eliana wanted Kallen to speak informally to her.

It seemed that formal speech created a sense of distance.

Looking back, one could say that Eliana and Kallen shared their lives.

When she was suffering from the symptoms of mana overheating, Kallen stayed by her side until the end.

He didn’t mind being covered in Eliana’s sweat and vomit.

Even after hearing about the effects of mana overheating on those around, he stayed.

It was more than just a debt of life.

To Eliana, Kallen is the most trustworthy person in the world.

Such a person appeared as her perfect ideal type.

There is no such thing as a bearable lady.

Kallen, who was already handsome.

With very light makeup and well-groomed hair.

And a ball gown that fits so well that it’s unimaginable to think of anything else.

Eliana’s heart didn’t know how to stop.

Hearing her words, Kallen thought it would be okay now.

“Eliana.”

“…Yes. Kallen.”

Eliana almost lost her mind because the resonance was so sweet.

Seeing her like that, Kallen thought she might like it too much.

“How do I look…? Does it suit me…?”

Swish-

Eliana, who turned around in a blue and white ball gown, asked Kallen.

If you ask if it suits her, of course it does.

Especially the ball gown that matched her clear eyes felt like it was made just for Eliana.

“It suits you well.”

“…Thank you.”

Eliana, who seemed to have gotten the answer she wanted, smiled brightly like her clear eyes.

That unchanging appearance deeply touched Kallen.

It was the moment when Eliana and Kallen were sharing a deep reunion.

“Kallen?”

From somewhere in the banquet hall, a voice calling Kallen was heard.

Following the sound, he turned his gaze and saw a girl with hair resembling the color of wine approaching.

A girl with eyes as beautifully red as rubies.

Selacia approached Kallen with a wine glass in hand.

“Ah… Wow…”

“Lady Selacia.”

Selacia froze as she got closer to Kallen.

Because there was something she couldn’t see from afar.

No matter how far away he was, she could recognize that he was Kallen.

I didn’t imagine such a splendid appearance.

Kallen is an incredibly wonderful person in himself.

In the end, I forgot all the actions I was going to take after meeting Kallen.

Selassie could only stand there, frozen.

The reason wouldn’t be much different from Eliana’s.

“Selassie.”

It was Kallen’s call that snapped her out of her daze.

Startled, Selassie shook her head, trying to stay calm.

As an older sister to Kallen, how could she show such a side?

Instead of leading the conversation smoothly,

Her heart pounded at every word from Kallen’s voice.

No, it wasn’t just that.

“Ah, yes… Sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

His appearance was so shockingly attractive.

Her heart, which had started racing as if broken, clearly began when she faced Kallen properly.

Saying she was thinking of something else was a lie.

From the moment she saw him, her mind was filled with nothing but Kallen.

To ease the embarrassment, she hurriedly spoke.

“You met Eliana first, didn’t you?”

Selassie glanced at Eliana, who was looking at her indifferently.

That gaze, as if looking at an intruder, was annoying, but talking to Kallen was more important now.

At the same time, Kallen was surprised.

Because Selassie didn’t address Eliana with honorifics.

Reading that expression, Selassie smiled leisurely.

“I’m older, and we got close while helping Dranus.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Yes. And this isn’t Ecclesia.”

To maintain its dignity and status,

Ecclesia members basically use honorifics with each other.

It’s to protect each other’s authority and to avoid hurting feelings.

However, for now, it was just a banquet to announce the revival of Dranus.

There was no need for Selasia, who was older, to use honorifics.

Unless they were personally acquainted, they had a common topic of conversation in Kalen and Dranus.

“Anyway, Kalen. There seems to be a lot of food over there. Have you tried it?”

“Oh. No.”

“Do you want to go with me? We can catch up on some things…”

Selasia did her best to hide the sound of her heart pounding like a broken machine.

She wanted to say it.

That the clothes suited him so well, and if she could be a bit more greedy, that he was close to her ideal type.

But it bothered her.

She wanted to move because Eliana, who was staring coldly from the side, bothered her.

Selasia was also glad to see him.

She wanted to share all the stories she had missed in Ecclesia, but she couldn’t.

So she wanted to seize the opportunity when they were alone like this.

However, Kalen alternated his gaze between Eliana and Selasia, responding apologetically.

It meant he felt sorry to leave Eliana behind and go alone with Selasia.

That reaction was a bit disappointing, but she liked it.

It was a very Kalen-like consideration.

In the end, it was Eliana who bothered her.

Selasia smiled as if she understood and took out a dessert that looked like she had brought it to eat.

“This is delicious.”

“What is it?”

“Fruit dessert.”

“It looks delicious.”

“Right?”

It was a good reaction.

A reaction exactly as Selasia had thought.

Then, smiling brightly, Selasia picked up the fruit dessert.

And brought it close to Kalen’s mouth.

Kalen was flustered by the sudden action.

Even such a reaction felt cute to Selassie.

“Do you want to try…?”

“…Lady Selassie. I will…”

“Here. Ah~.”

“…”

Kallen tried to take the fruit dripping with juice from Selassie’s hand.

But she smiled, as if she wouldn’t give it to him.

In the end, Kallen had no choice but to reluctantly accept it.

Selassie confirmed that her thumb and index finger briefly brushed Kallen’s lips and swallowed dryly.

Then, in an exaggerated tone.

“Ah… the juice got on you.”

Looking straight at Kallen, she brought the fingers that had touched his lips to her mouth.

Chup.

So that he could be aware of this action.

She lightly licked the juice off her fingers.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

Her heart pounded much more violently than before.

But it was a worthwhile decision.

Because behind him, she could see Eliana’s expression, colder than cold, staring this way.

And that expression was something Kallen couldn’t see.

Selassie, looking at Eliana’s cold expression, leisurely licked her lips with her red tongue and smiled.