Capítulo 77: Chapter 77 – Wings (7)
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Looking at Eugene and his companions, the unease from the promotion exam returned for some reason. Regardless of how much I thought about it, the fact that he was placed in Class-C, the same class he was in before receiving Iris's instruction, was ridiculous.
According to what Eugenia had shared last time, Eugene had missed advancing to Class-B by a narrow margin. Although his skills had improved since the original story, he still seemed to lack something in terms of proper education.
It was as if he had stopped studying halfway, but Eugene was a person who doggedly pursued anything he started. So, there was no way he would have stopped on his own accord.
Today, all the other heroines were gathered there, but Iris was nowhere to be seen. If she was coming to the ball, she would surely have come with Eugene.
Perhaps the two of them weren't that close yet?
"Hello, Eugene," Eugenia greeted lightly after confirming her counterpart. Her tone carried a subtle sense of curiosity.
"….It really is you. I had my doubts… I didn't recognize you at all…"
Eugene's face was still frozen in shock, his cheeks slightly flushed.
Was he unable to adapt to his childhood friend's unexpected transformation? It was understandable, considering Eugenia's current appearance was in no way inferior to anyone in this venue.
"Eugene…"
On the other hand, Patricia, seeing Eugene's reaction, called his name and lightly grabbed his arm. And she cast a slightly wary look in Eugenia's direction. As if she was facing a romantic rival.
Judging from her reaction, Patricia seemed to be gradually realizing her own feelings. In that case, she must be feeling uneasy.
As the main character, Eugene was equipped with some insensitivity, so it would still take quite a bit of time for him to understand Patricia's feelings.
{T/L – look who is talking about insensitivity?}
With the other girls already attached to him, she must already be feeling overwhelmed. The addition of a potential rival was something she did not want at all. Perhaps thinking the same thing as Patricia, the orange-haired Leta also gave Eugenia a not so kind look.
However, Claudia with red hair was a bit more calm. She glanced at Eugenia with penetrating eyes, then quickly turned her head the other way. Although her only interest was in the pursuit of magic, she had once said that Eugene had become her top priority after meeting him. It was hard to tell what she was really thinking.
Among Eugene's group right now, this woman was probably the person I needed to pay the most attention to.
"Uhh…"
Eugenia must have felt the wary gaze directed at her, so she subtly retreated behind, hiding herself. Considering her personality, such confrontations were still challenging for her.
And perhaps Eugene didn't quite pick up on that vibe, as he stepped back and proceeded to introduce his companions.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Eugenia. This is your first time seeing the people behind me, right? This is senior Patricia. And here are Claudia and Leta. These are the people I said I would introduce to you last time."
"…Hello."
Even as Eugene introduced his companions, Eugenia's expression remained somber.
"…Because you were playing with those people, your childhood friend…" Eugenia muttered softly, her tone now veering beyond mere reserve to a hint of irritation. Did memories of lonely days past come flooding back? Especially considering the recent runaway incident, perhaps her anger now felt entirely justified.
"But Eugenia, who's the person with you?"
And Eugene's innocent question only fueled her ire further. Originally, just looking at him would have already made me irritated, but now I feel like Eugenia was representing my feelings.
"This person? He's my best friend."
Eugenia wrapped her arm around me and spoke loudly to Eugene as if to emphasize her point; and when Eugene heard those words, a look of shock and astonishment appeared on his face.
"Best friend? But that's me…"
"Not anymore? You hang out with them. I will hang out with my friend."
"Eu… Eugenia…"
"That's enough. Let's go."
She ignored Eugene's pleas and turned her head away; a look of satisfaction across her face.
She dragged my arm and headed toward the inside of the banquet hall, and from behind us, I could hear the angry voices of Leta and Claudia, and Patricia's voice trying to calm them down.
"What's her problem? Eugene was just trying to introduce us! He's your friend, right?"
"… That's right. I don't think I can just ignore this."
"Wait…! You guys…!"
* * * * *
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to cause you trouble…"
"It's okay. To be honest, it was kind of refreshing."
"…I actually felt good too… He really deserves to be scolded. He's such a jerk, really."
Eugenia smiled shyly at my words, which were half serious and half joking; the fierceness didn't last long, and she quickly returned to her usual shy self.
Then, as if belatedly realizing what she had done, she tried to pull away her arm, but hesitated for a moment. Eugenia looked up at me and asked carefully, "I… I'm sorry for holding your arm without permission… Was it uncomfortable..?"
"Not really? I heard a lot of people do that when they hang out with their partners."
"Oh… Then… is it okay if I keep doing this..?"
"Do you want to? If you want to, then do it."
"Yeah… hehe…"
She smiled brightly after hearing my answer. And she pressed her arm even closer. It was a bit hot, but wouldn't we eventually fall apart anyway?
It was already indoors, and the temperature would only rise once the ball started in earnest. Then, even if we wanted to stay close, we wouldn't be able to.
And as if she was already feeling the heat, Eugenia's face was already flushed red.
{T/L – how can someone be so dumb?}
"Ugh…Why is it so hot…? Is it because we're inside…"
"Wait…"
Eugenia, who was about to pick up the glass in front of her, gave me a puzzled look at my gesture.
"What is it..?"
"This is alcohol. The drinks in the wide-mouthed glasses are alcohol, and the ones in the narrow-mouthed glasses are water."
"Ah… Right… I almost made a big mistake… I'm really weak to alcohol… Thank you.."
Eugenia breathed a sigh of relief and replaced the glass.
As we were chatting idly for a while, a sudden commotion broke out at the entrance of the hall; the largest of the three doors swung open, and the booming voice of a guard filled the hall.
"Her Imperial Highness Alcmene Lucetta Canias, the First Princess of the Empire and Master of Florin Palace, enters!"
At the guard's shout, the noisy interior of the banquet hall instantly became quiet. And then someone appeared through the open door — there, dressed in a gorgeous dress, was a woman. Two maids followed her like shadows on either side.
Although her face couldn't be seen because she was covered with a thin veil, her blonde hair, as brilliant as gold, caught the attention of everyone who saw it; the sound of heels echoed throughout the hall. The woman confidently walked down the center aisle of the hall — at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too slow.
After exchanging light greetings with a few nobles, she proceeded to climb the stairs. And finally, she stood on the high platform that had been prepared there.
The princess looked around the audience for a moment, and soon her mouth opened.
"Welcome, honored guests, and my dear fellow students. It is an honor to grace this occasion. Through this event, may we celebrate the boundless prosperity and development of our empire and academy…"
"Wow…is she really the princess…? It's fascinating…"
"…Uh, yes…"
Eugenia's eyes were wide with wonder as she gazed at the princess, but my heart was filled with mixed feelings.
I had expected the crown prince to attend. In the original story, he had been quite prominent, but the first princess had only been mentioned as a student at the academy, never making an appearance.
Perhaps she would have appeared if the story had progressed further, but she was a character who didn't exist in my memory.
"That's the one His Majesty dotes on so much…"
"They say she has a large scar, so she always wears a veil."
"No, it's not a scar. They say she's so beautiful that they cover her face to protect her."
"They say she's so sickly that she's only enrolled in the academy and spends most of her time in bed."
And as I listened to the whispers of people around me, it seemed like the information they had was not much different from mine. So it wasn't just that she was never mentioned, but that she was a person largely shrouded in mystery.
"…St. Clifford's Academy has been faithfully fulfilling its role throughout its long history of over hundreds of years. Its contributions are too numerous to mention…"
Although I was a little curious about the real face behind the veil, this person was not directly related to me. She wasn't a particularly important person. It's not that I was not interested at all, but I don't think there was any need to pay much attention to it.
"…Following in the footsteps of our seniors, we will also strive to learn and practice…practice…"
The princess, who had been speaking without hesitation, suddenly trailed off and suddenly stopped speaking.
A little murmur began among the people, but the princess still remained silent. And the next moment, she turned her head to a certain point in the hall. That was the area where Eugenia and I were.
The princess still didn't speak. Although I couldn't see her face clearly through the veil, I had the feeling that she was looking right at us. And then, a sudden chill ran down my spine. It was as if an eerie cold air had enveloped the entire room.
"…to learn and practice, and to contribute to the revival of this country in the future…"
A moment later, the princess resumed her speech as if nothing had happened, and the strange feeling that had permeated my body disappeared along with it.
"…Then I shall conclude my remarks here. Please enjoy yourselves to the fullest."
As the princess's speech came to an end, the audience erupted into applause. Some cheered enthusiastically, while others merely clapped perfunctorily. Just by observing this scene, one could roughly guess the different factions present.
The princess, instead of joining the other nobles, headed for a private room on the second floor, accompanied by her handmaidens who followed her like shadows.
And then, the orchestra began to play, marking the official start of the ball.
If you want to read the first 25 chapters for free and read up to the final chapter for a cheap price patreon.com/Makima02
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