Chapter 15 Party Conversation
"Ha... Perfect...!"
After finishing the opening ceremony (?), there was a brief moment of standing around, waiting for the participants to greet each other.
I felt a definite sense of accomplishment from the opening ceremony I had planned.
In this world, it seems magic is hardly used for anything other than military purposes.
So, using it for show like this must have been quite rare.
The lower nobles, who were scheduled to greet later, seemed to be having a lively conversation.
All of this is thanks to my Elder Brother, who helped me with my special training.
But...
"Yumie, even though it's the prince, you can say you don't like something, okay? If you want, you can even slap him!"
I wish he would stop ostentatiously wiping my hands with a handkerchief right in front of the prince.
As I grimaced, the prince started laughing.
"Ahahaha! Wow, you two really have gotten along well. It's hard to believe you were fighting just a little while ago."
"W-wait, what are you suddenly saying!?"
Elder Brother hurriedly tried to stop Prince Sigurt from saying that.
Elder Brother and the prince have known each other since childhood and often exchanged letters even when they couldn't meet...
It's a relationship that could easily stir up enthusiastic cheers in certain circles, but I can easily imagine what was written about me in those letters just by looking at Elder Brother's reaction.
That's why I couldn't help but laugh along.
"Hehe. Yes, Elder Brother is very kind to me. He practiced a lot of magic with me... I love him."
I grabbed the hem of Elder Brother's clothes and shamelessly said what I felt.
In reality, Elder Brother seems to be the type who becomes very sweet to those he gets close to, and this is not an act; it's a genuine "love."
...Of course, as a brother, right? No matter how much my body has changed to that of a girl, I have no interest in that kind of thing.
"O-oh... thanks, Yumie..."
However, it seems that Elder Brother was unexpectedly flustered by being told that, as his face turned bright red.
As I laughed at Elder Brother, Prince Sigurt cast a warm smile our way.
"When it comes to magic, was that 'thing' earlier done by Lady Yumie all by herself? If there's any trick to it, I'd really like to know the secret."
"Ahaha, it's not really a big deal, I just made a little adjustment."
I'm what you might call a "failure," just as my family used to say.
In terms of raw magical power, I apparently don't even reach one-tenth of Elder Brother's.
So, I made up for what I lacked with cleverness.
For example, the magic I used to hide the food...
If I tried to make it completely invisible by casting an illusion over it, it would take an enormous toll on my energy.
Complete invisibility is surprisingly difficult.
So, I placed a high, pure white illusionary table over a plain white table.
Instead of making it transparent, if I just covered it with a solid white cloth, it would blend in well enough since it's the same color as the table, and it's a simple magic that doesn't consume much energy.
I also used the same technique to blend in the decorations and the chandelier lights with the ceiling and walls.
This also has a slight insulating effect, which helps keep the food warm.
Then, by adding a flashy light magic effect and dispelling the magic, it would look like those items suddenly appeared.
The light isn't just for show; it's also a trick to prevent anyone from noticing that the height of the table changed when I dispelled the white illusion.
"I call this performance magic, (Decoration) ──That's the name I gave it."
I proudly announced the name of the magic, striking a cute pose.
Even if the magic isn't that impressive, giving it a grand name makes it seem like an amazing technique.
Every magic I used this time has a name that reflects my inner middle schooler:
- Keeping the venue slightly dim, I release a light from my whole body as I enter, drawing everyone's gaze towards me with a magic──(Light Wrap).
- I keep the scent of my perfume subtle, guiding it to gently waft towards the person in front of me with the wind, using magic──(Wind Wrap).
- Without raising my voice, I let my small voice resonate gently so everyone in the venue can hear it, thanks to magic──(Echo Amplification).
With the help of Lisa and Elder Brother, I practiced and prepared various magics, incorporating Mother's opinions.
This enhances the original charm of the lovely Yumie.
After hearing all this, the prince murmured, "Wow," as if impressed.
"I didn't know magic could be used so intricately. As expected of the Granbell family, the daughter is remarkable. I respect you."
"Hehe, thank you very much."
There might be some flattery in there, but it still makes me happy to be praised like this by someone other than family.
Plus, since the prince said he respects me, I feel confident that I've done something worthy of the Granbell Family name.
"The dress is quite innovative and cute. Could it be that you designed it too?"
"Ahaha, that's a surprise! I had the owner and their child from a boutique based in Granbell design it for me. Isn't it lovely?"
I pinch the hem of the dress and twirl around just enough to not look improper.
This dress, designed with a bit of a flowy size, might look a bit thicker than the usual trends, but on my naturally slim child's figure, it gives off a healthy and light image, making it look even cuter.
Moreover, since I'm not wearing any constricting corset-like gear, I have a wider range of motion, allowing me to bow smoothly, and even with my still somewhat childish manners, it looks quite good.
"Ah, it's very cute. I almost want to take you away to the castle just like this."
"Hey, Sigurt, let's keep any further discussions through me first, okay?"
"Hahaha, just kidding, just kidding."
Elder Brother, who firmly grabbed my shoulder, received a calm smile from the prince in return.
"Um, Prince? I feel like my shoulder is creaking. Elder Brother, why are you taking social niceties so seriously? Please calm down a bit."
"...Everyone seems to be having fun, right?"
At that moment, a new person appeared.
A young lady with bright red hair, about my age.
In these situations, greetings are supposed to be done in order of rank, so considering her appearance...
"I am Monica Belmont. Lady Yumie, please allow me to introduce myself."
"Nice to meet you, Lady Monica. Thank you for attending our family's party today."
Ah, right, the Duke Belmont family.
They are practically number two in the country after the royal family.
I heard that the head of the family couldn't make it due to being busy, so his daughter came as a representative.
"The magic performance earlier was truly wonderful. It was lively like a circus... Lady Yumie, it seems you could make a living in that field too. I'm quite envious."
"No, no, my magic is still lacking. I can't do the powerful destructive magic that you, Lady Monica, are known for. It's a shame that I won't be able to see your magic in a setting like this."
The kind of magic I did, which just emphasized a glamorous side, is nice, but flashy explosive magic is also cool.
Honestly, if this weren't a party venue but a hunting festival, I would beg to see it.
"Ah... heh, you certainly have a way with words."
As I was thinking that, for some reason, Lady Monica's gaze turned sharp.
Huh, why?
"Speaking of magic, Lady Yumie, your sense of fashion is quite unique as well. Is it trending in the town of Granbell?"
"No, this is a dress that was popular about ten years ago, and it has been arranged in a modern style. If you ask Lady Monica's mother, she might feel nostalgic about it."
Mani (the daughter of the boutique) also said that the fundamental design idea came from a dress his mother designed when he was young.
It seems Lady Monica didn't know, but the Duchess would surely know.
"...Oh, ten years ago. Oh."
Huh? Lady Monica's gaze is getting more and more intense? Why is that?
"It's important not just to chase the latest designs, but also to look back at the old ones. Still, I feel this one is a bit too childish for my taste... but it suits you very well."
"Oh, can you tell? I think the latest dresses that Mother wears are beautiful and really lovely, but I feel like the latest ones are a bit too mature for a child. It gives off a vibe of trying too hard to grow up... I believe there should be dresses that highlight the unique charm of a child, so I requested something like this."
If you emphasize too much sexiness on a child's body type, it just becomes unbalanced and awkward.
Noticing that right away shows that Lady Monica is indeed a promising Duke's daughter.
She has a wonderful aesthetic sense.
"Ugh...!! That's enough, I'll be leaving for today!!"
"Huh? Oh, um... take care...?"
Just like that, Lady Monica suddenly shouted and hurriedly left the venue.
I wanted to talk a bit more about fashion...
I wonder if she's not feeling well? I'm worried.
"Ugh, heh heh heh...!"
While I was thinking that, the prince, who had been listening to the conversation nearby, started laughing heartily.
Next to him, Elder Brother looked surprised, his eyes wide as he stared at me.
What's going on?
"Wow... you really did it, Lady Yumie. It's the first time I've seen Lady Monica get backed into a corner like that. I'm definitely more interested in you now."
"...Huh?"
I really couldn't understand what he was saying, so I tilted my head in confusion.
The prince continued to gaze at me with a smile that was both cheerful and full of meaning.
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