*****

When Viscount Rishua returned home, the mansion was in utter chaos. Maids were scurrying left and right, and even the butler was running around frantically as they yelled things like, 「Flowers! Sweets! No, wait, flowers!」 The entire estate had been turned completely upside down.

「...What in the world is going on?」

Following his usual daily routine, he headed straight to his daughter's room immediately after getting back. To his utter bewilderment, the entire space was buried under a mountain of dresses and one-pieces, looking as though she had dragged out every single item from her closet.

「I—I saw her!」

His wife, who was normally quite mild-mannered, lunged toward the Viscount with her brown eyes completely wide open.

「S—Saw who?」

Completely overwhelmed by her intense aura, he swallowed hard, his throat making an audible gulp.

「The young lady of the Gilmore family!」

「Huh?」

「Lady Magnolia Gilmore!!」

Faced with his wife's terrifyingly intense expression, the Viscount's brown eyes shrunk into tiny dots. Violet, watching this unfold, silently praised her own judgment, thinking it was a truly fantastic choice not to invite her straight to the house.

The three of them eventually moved to the salon—the pride and joy of the viscount household—to have some tea. They managed to catch one of the running maids to brew a pot for them.

This was all so they could calm their racing hearts while discussing the beautiful girl they had crossed paths with at the royal palace.

「...So, let me get this straight. You spotted Lady Magnolia at today's royal tea party, struck up a conversation, hit it off, and now you're invited to their estate?」

Since they couldn't exactly tell him the truth—that they were secretly spying on the royal tea party from the bushes and just happened to stumble into her—they glossed over the details with some vague excuses.

「And... did she seem to be doing well?」

Even though it had been two years since her formal debut, rumors about the young lady—whom nobody had actually seen in person—were a complete, contradictory mess, so he asked with genuine concern.

「Let me tell you, she was an incredibly beautiful, incredibly well-mannered young lady!」

「...Is that so?」

「Yes. She was a child more gorgeous than anyone I've ever laid eyes on.」

「W-Well, that's good to hear then.」

(Ah, so that's why they were sorting through clothes...) he thought, finally understanding the disastrous state of the room earlier. Just as he relaxed and the tense atmosphere began to soften, there was a knock on the salon door.

When the Viscount gave permission to enter, the Rishua family's steward stepped inside, clutching an envelope and a magnificent bouquet of flowers in his hands.

「...A messenger from the Azenda Margraviate arrived just moments ago. They stated that you made arrangements with the young lady for tomorrow, so they have brought a confirmation and a formal invitation. They mentioned a verbal response would suffice to let them know if tomorrow is inconvenient. However, if it proves difficult, they ask that you provide an alternative date and time...」

「「...Tomorrow?!」」

「Ah, yes, we did make that promise.」

「「＠＃＄＃?％＆＆＃＄％＆％...!!!!?」」

With that single sentence from their daughter, the parents' souls practically flew out of their bodies. Though they were nouveau riche, they lived quietly and modestly, so the wall that was the Gilmore family—the highest of high nobility—seemed intimidatingly high to them.

(Boy... they sure are a lively pair of parents.)

Gai let out a sigh from inside the ceiling space, where he had slipped into without a hitch. He had been shown to a waiting room and immediately sprang into action, but their security was so loose it practically screamed "come on in!"

Since they had originally risen through the ranks from a merchant family, he had expected someone sharp and clever like Colette. ...But they seemed to be just a pair of incredibly good-natured, easygoing low-ranking nobles.

Their family dynamic was close, giving off the cozy vibe of a commoner household. Also, their overwhelmingly, excessively gold furniture and decor was an eyesore that made his eyes and heart ache.

There was no sign of anyone else like him up in the rafters—just a couple of mice and spiders scurrying about.

(Looks like digging into them isn't gonna turn up a single thing, huh.)

Gai shrugged his shoulders and decided to head back to the waiting room he'd been shown to.

Since things were in a chaotic frenzy downstairs, it would probably take a little while longer before he got his answer. Not that they would ever turn down the invitation unless something truly extraordinary happened.

Until then, he figured he might as well sip the tea he'd been served and wait around leisurely.

*****

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