Since When Did You Have The Illusion That You Don’t Have Magical Powers?! - CH 14

Characters in this chapter:

Sapphiras Perfectio, 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge

Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier

Aurora Steinfeld, daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield

Liliana, daughter of a Viscount, Aurora’s lady-in-waiting

Casey Morgan, son of Viscount Stuart

Martin, an Earl’s son

“What? A tea party?”

“Yes, there will be a tea party at our ducal home. My father wants to introduce Sapphiras sama to the other members of the family for a possible fateful connection. He has also asked Percival sama to attend. Of course you will attend, right?”

A few days after the outrageous exercise.

Casey and Martin were suspended and sent home. However, the majority of the opinion is that what he did was too serious to avoid being expelled from the academy. Certainly, there would have been deaths if things had gone wrong.

The faces of the two men were pale as they were taken away by the knights. It is too late to realise the gravity of the situation. This time, it’s more than just a matter of shame. The family will not be destroyed if I am exposed as the shame, but the family will be held responsible for that blunder, even though it was done by a child.

The baron’s son, whose arm Aurora had healed, is now well enough to wield a sword. He thanked Aurora, bowing his head so low that his forehead might touch the floor, that he had not lost his path to knighthood.

I think this healing was a good experience for Aurora. Instead of just sliding magic on the surface of the body, she used magic to work on the inside of the body.

Urla even managed to heal an adventurer whose limbs had been blown off. I believe that with training, Aurora will be able to reach that level. The second prince of this country made a very rare person his fiancée. I hope he will at least take good care of her, since she was forced into the position of fiancée by royal pressure anyway. I want her as a member of the party, so badly that a hand could come out of my throat1.

Anyway, Aurora’s invitation to tea came just as I was thinking that the academy had finally calmed down.

Aurora handed me an envelope with the duke’s double-headed eagle stamped on it in gold, which looked really awesome. It was addressed to me, of course.

“I don’t know anything about etiquette when it comes to tea parties, only a rough future comes to mind……”

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t want to say this, but Sapphiras sama has a very beautiful appearance, and as long as you keep a smile on your face, there’s no problem. The costume is also from our ducal family. I will prepare it for you, so Sapphiras sama should be able to participate in the tea party without any worries.”

……I feel nothing but distress.

I’ve spent most of my life in captivity, and in my previous life I was a commoner. I’m baffled by the idea of being told to smile amongst the aristocracy who are invited to the duke’s. Even so, she invited Percival to play a supporting role for me, as expected of the duke’s daughter. No mistakes.

The day after receiving such a depressing invitation, I was summoned to the duke’s house to have my costume size adjusted. They said they would pick me up in a big carriage as usual, so I politely declined and went over with a transfer. I didn’t have much time, it was supposed to be a simple job of fitting a ready-made garment to my body shape, but my body is too slender, so there were more things to fix than I thought, and it took quite a long time.

I was exhausted, and Aurora gave me some delicious cookies as a gift. They were cookies made with lots of butter. There were also some with berry jam on them. I gratefully took the box of cookies home.

Despite the slapstick preparation, it was finally the day of the tea party. I remember going to a tea party with my mother when I was really young, but it was only a small gathering of acquaintances. I had no experience of having a big tea party with many guests.

The arrangements were to be made at the duke’s house, the magnificent carriage arrived early in the morning to pick us up. When I said I was going by transfer, His Excellency the Duke asked me to come by carriage today. I not sure what’s going on, but I can’t refuse him if he asks me to do so.

“Are you all right?”

Percival, who sat in front of me, calls out to me with a concerned look.

This is the first time I have seen Percival in formal attire. The simple silver-grey 3 piece looks great on him. I heard that the academy has parties every season and most of the students have outfits for them. I didn’t know that because I didn’t have a single piece of clothing like that in my closet. Even if it was part of a school event, they either didn’t want me out in a public place, or they didn’t think I was worth preparing for it.

Well, I don’t have to think about it, it’s probably both.

“…….I don’t feel too okay.”

Free-spirited and broadminded as I am, a delicate tea party for a nobleman does not suit me. I’ve had a few royal audiences in my previous life, but never as depressing as this.

This feeling right now must be a sapphiras’ sensation.

“It’s as Miss Aurora says, Sapphiras will be fine as long as you just smile.”

When I arrived at the duke’s house with Percival telling me that, I was dragged into the preparation room and tossed around a lot by the maidservants. I had my hair, which I had neglected to cut myself, carefully trimmed, showing my forehead, which is usually hidden behind my long bangs. Dressed in formal attire, I was completely the son of some kind of nobleman. Certainly, until a little while ago, I was the son of a noble.

“Well, well! It’s wonderful, Sapphiras sama! No wonder you are rumoured to be the Spirit of Twilight.”

Wearing a pale rose dress and a white rose hair ornament, Aurora let out an unusually lively voice.

“Eh, what’s that?”

“Ara, you don’t know?”

I’ve never heard of it. What in the world is the Spirit of Twilight?

“It’s a rumour exclusively in the Academy. The two of them are Percival sama, the Knight of the Sun, and Sapphiras sama, the Spirit of Twilight. The sight of the two of them side by side is just beautiful,”

I look at Percival without thinking.

“It seems so.”

Percival nodded nonchalantly. Oh my God, he knew my embarrassing nickname and yet he kept silent.

“Ehhh……”

Although they thought that I’m a beautiful boy2, being called the Spirit of Twilight is embarrassing as expected.

When I involuntarily looked into the distance, a maid came to guide me and took Percival to the venue first. After greeting His Excellency the Duke, I head to the venue. After all, from head to toe, the duke’s family had provided me with everything I needed. I think the first thing I should do is to thank him.

“Today is a standing garden party. Our garden is beautiful at this time of year. I’d love for you to come and see it.”

Aurora leads me to the Duke of Bloomfield and a Duchess who looks a lot like Aurora. I bow my head and express my utmost gratitude.

“Thank you very much for inviting me to such an occasion today. And on top of that, you have prepared such a splendid outfit for me, for which I am extremely grateful.”

“Umu, thank you for coming. It’s your first time meeting my wife, Mr Sapphiras. Let me introduce you, this is my wife, Luciola”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duchess of Bloomfield. My name is Sapphiras.”

“I have heard rumours of you from Aurora. It looks like my daughter was in your care the other day.”

She looks like a goddess when she says that and smiles. She is so bright that I almost squint my eyes.

While I was somehow dazzled by the glare, the invited guests began to gather, and the nobles who seemed to be particularly close greeted the duke and his wife.

“……Who is that?”

The lady of the couple who came to say hello turned her gaze to me. I don’t know who the nobles are at all, but since they’re having a friendly conversation with the Duke like this, they must be quite a person. I’m not bragging, but even if I had relatives, I wouldn’t know.

“I’ll introduce him again later, but he’s one of the outstanding academy students that our ducal family is helping.

“I bow with a smile.” I was told that all I had to do was keep quiet and smile, so I smiled and nodded as I was told.

……I would like to think that I probably didn’t do anything foolish.

When I exchanged such simple greetings with a smile several times, Aurora invited me to have some tea, so I obediently followed her.

Apparently, the greetings where it would be better for me to be there seem to have come to an end around here.

“We have some delicious pastries.”

Percival is at the table Aurora leads me to. He is being sent autumn waves3 relentlessly from younger ladies. A good man like Percival would be the centre of attention from the ladies looking for a partner. I am impressed by Percival, who is so cool and collected, ignoring the heat of their eyes. This is something he is quite used to.

“Percival.”

The Percival who had a clear face until just a moment ago smiled at my call. The Knight of the Sun. When I squinted at the brightness of his smile, Aurora laughed next to me.

“Have you finished greeting His Excellency the Duke?”

“Yes, for now.”

As soon as I took my seat, tea and sweets were served. Several small, bite-sized cakes. The colourful cakes looked like a row of jewels. The sweets, carefully made one by one, are so beautiful that it is no exaggeration to say they are works of art, and it would be a waste to eat them. However, I have experienced first-hand that a waste is a waste, so I eat them without reservation.

I have recently realised that I like sweets. Until now, my life has been good as long as I could eat, so I couldn’t say anything about my food preferences. I have to eat, whether it tastes bad or not. Since I’ve been able to eat what I like as much as I like at the academy, I’ve been able to feel that I like this taste or that I don’t like it so much. I guess that means I’m in a luxurious environment now where I can think about such things.

While I was enjoying the pastries, Miss Liliana came and left the table with Aurora.

“Do you want to eat my share too?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,”

“Then, I won’t hesitate!”

The food is all delicious and can only be described as quintessential. I was enjoying Percival’s share, and was wondering if I could take some home with me if I had any left over, when a familiar, gruff voice called out to me.

“Why are you4 here?”

melon: sorry guys, late update today. There was a convention on Sat and I had a Christmas performance yst and I was utterly exhausted.

Much more relaxed after a good sleep

Happy advent!

expresses a feeling of irresistible desire, so much that you cannot control yourself.

bishounen

refers to amorous glances from women.

the rude form of you (omae) is used here.