The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

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Our gazes collided.

The reflection of my face shimmered in her jewel-like, beautiful purple eyes.

For a moment, she seemed to take in every detail of me, as if trying to gain insight.

‘What could possibly be so interesting to look at?’

It’s not like my face is so stunning that it would captivate a princess.

Sure, I’m not exactly a face to hide away from, but I’m not good-looking enough to steal the attention of someone of royal stature.

At least, that’s my gut feeling.

Adelhaite seemed to be searching for something deeper than mere appearances.

The princess’s intense interest.

Nobles from the outskirts or central nobles eager to ride her coattails might find it a glorious honor.

But for me…

‘I’m suffocating here.’

For me, such heated gazes feel like a radiation that shortens my life.

‘Isn’t she staring a bit too long?’

For someone else, it would be just a fleeting moment, but for me, this brief time felt like an eternity.

Locking eyes with Ainel, the head of the Count’s House, is intimidating enough, but now I have the attention of a princess, focusing solely on me.

What kind of pitiful being gets to experience such a chilling interaction?

Moreover…

‘…Why is her expression crumpled like that?’

Wasn’t the princess supposed to be looking at me with a dignified demeanor?

Joining her coming-of-age ceremony along with Shione, I’ve heard tales of her reputation.

A woman said to embody a sage, above it all, radiating extreme boredom with the world written all over her face.

A princess who remains unfazed even when her mother devises countless difficult trials.

That respected figure known widely as Adelhaite was now wrinkling her expression while looking at me.

‘So much for having a nice life.’

Meanwhile, Peira Feiosha eyed us as if disappointed that she couldn’t engulf Shione and me.

Just the fervent interest from the princess felt like a massive boulder weighing me down.

Who would’ve thought that the princess would become such a passionate fan of mine?

‘Ugh… my head is spinning…’

I forced my drooping smile upwards.

No matter how ridiculous the situation is, it would be madness to make it obvious I’m about to die right in front of a princess.

At least, I can consider myself lucky.

“Hoo…”

In that fleeting moment, her purple-eyed gaze finally shifted away from me to someone else.

For some reason, I felt as if she had read a sense of regret as she let go of her focus on me.

Nevertheless, the significant point was that the princess’s interests had moved from me to some other noble.

Just as I was breathing a sigh of relief over that thought…

Shione, who had quietly approached me, carefully chimed in.

“U-Um, Ray. I think we’re attracting a bit of attention.”

Attracting attention?

“What do you mean by that?”

“Just what I said. It seems like several nobles are watching us. For instance… like that princess over there.”

I turned to look at the princess Shione mentioned.

Sure enough, as she said, I could see her glancing at Shione and me intermittently.

And it wasn’t just her.

Those who were perceptive had caught wind of the princess’s fleeting change of expression and were pretending not to, while they kept their eyes trained on me.

“…It does seem so. I’ll need to pay more attention to my words and actions.”

“Indeed… We should.”

Shione was on high alert as she spotted those who were interested in us.

The scene resembled a lioness watching over her prey, ensuring her territory remained intact.

“Is it okay if I don’t chat with Lord Noah any longer?”

“Noah said he’d be talking to my mother for a bit. Since the princess is here, I suppose he’s trying to make some connections with Count Beleria.”

“Right… Then we should also make a move.”

“Make a move? What does that mean?”

“Ainel suggested I compile a list of those who might be deemed worthy of your conversation, based on your interests. They are all individuals who would be well worth speaking to, given our connections.”

“Hmm… If Mother said that…”

After a moment of silence, Shione nodded.

“Okay, can you tell me who they are?”

“Of course.”

I scanned the room, observing the guests.

Among those present at the banquet, the individuals Shione should meet would be…

Ah, there she is.

“The daughter of the Alenarr Marquis, Lady Aria Alenarr from the northern kingdom.”

A sleek figure with ash-gray hair cascading to her shoulders, her cold and detached appearance was strikingly beautiful.

The chilly northern knight, Aria Alenarr.

“And then, the daughter of the Rephelia Duke, Lady Leona Rephelia.”

With every elegant motion, she caught the eye effortlessly, with her dazzling blonde hair and serene aura leaving an impression of nobility.

A devoted mage sworn to the brilliant royal family, Leona Rephelia.

“And… there’s also Peira Feiosha of the Feiosha Marquis family.”

She had been watching us with a look that suggested she wasn’t quite pleased, even now.

Three princesses were in attendance at the banquet.

“The Alenarr Marquis, Feiosha Marquis, and Rephelia Duke… not a single Count among them is a bit much, isn’t it?”

“Though the Shianella family is indeed a Count family, you must not forget that we hold power comparable to a Marquis. Moreover, following your will, we will inevitably have to converse with Count figures in the future, so don’t worry about that.”

“Hoh…”

Shione released a tired sigh, almost as if she were already exhausted from the thought.

Well, Shione’s social circle consists of just me, Siabel, and Noah, who harbors a rather deluded perception of her.

For Shione, who has lost all sense of socializing while dwelling in the corner, this would not be an easy or pleasant task.

But what can we do? Ainel insisted.

And with the bet at stake, Shione had no way to escape.

“Then which one should we meet first?”

“In that case… it might be best to speak with the daughter of the Feiosha Marquis first.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Even if my ties with the Feiosha family aren’t the same as yours, the relationship between Shianella and Feiosha is rather amicable.”

“Hmm…”

Considering her response, Peira Feiosha’s reaction was quite unusual.

Having shown little affection from the moment we entered, I pondered whether it would be better to delay our conversation with the somewhat prickly Peira.

But seeing Shione’s determined look, it seemed she had already made up her mind, so I quietly nodded.

Well, it doesn’t matter. The one slogging through all this is Shione, not me.

I’ll just watch from the sidelines.

If it looks like Shione might mess up, I’ll quietly step in and pull her back or poke her.

“Do as you wish, Shione.”

Shione nodded at my words.

As Shione calculated the perfect moment to engage, Peira approached us first.

I took a step back and began watching their conversation unfold.

“You must be the second daughter of the Shianella family, Princess Shione Shianella, correct?”

“…Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Peira Feiosha.”

Peira, who resembled a copy of Yulia, squinted at Shione while sipping a glass of wine.

Gulp.

With her gaze meeting Shione’s directly, she continued speaking with a steady, even tone.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from my only little brother, Evan.”

No matter how calm Peira’s expression appeared, the weight behind her words and the atmosphere felt heavy.

“Even if it’s a political marriage, over the years, despite writing to him each season, I never received a single response.”

Peira tilted her wine glass, watching the violet liquid swirl within.

“Yet here you are, proposing a grand break-off in the garden of the Feiosha family. What gall do you have to come here?”

The fury bubbling beneath Peira’s calm demeanor was palpable, she poured the remaining wine over herself.

“Moreover, while you’ve remained indifferent toward Evan, I can see you’ve been rather lively chatting with other men here.”

Peira’s gaze drifted towards me, who had been standing quietly behind Shione.

I bowed my head to Peira and suddenly realized why she had been glaring at Shione, me, and even Noah.

Her wretched fiancé had just left nothing but hurt behind after kicking Evan to the curb.

Not to mention, she seemed to have a bitter memory of the fiasco where Shione was happily chatting away with two good-looking guys—me and Noah.

That’s undoubtedly how Peira had begun to perceive Shione.

“Lady Shione Shianella. Don’t you think we have matters to discuss?”

The scene started to feel like one of those morning dramas.

Shione, sensing the intensity of the situation, began to sweat coldly.

Watching their standoff, it looked like the head of the Beleria had just concluded his conversation.

“Shione, who is this…?”

Even Noah found himself stepping in between Shione and Peira.

The smile on Peira’s face grew even wider.

‘This is going to be a bit challenging.’

The situation was getting tangled up too much.

At this rate…

Building a close friendship with Peira Feiosha might be off the table, so it would be best to develop relations with other noble ladies from different families.

For now, I decided to just observe and see how things turned out.

It felt like watching an episode of a morning drama.

“…This is getting tedious.”

“Indeed. The Peira Feiosha I met at the social gathering was not one to smile easily. This is shaping up to be quite the entertaining situation.”

“Isn’t it?”

From a distance, it appears comedic, but up close, it feels tragic.

That statement perfectly encapsulated the feeling.

Somehow, the girl who responded to me seemed to share the same sentiment…

Huh? Responding?

I suppressed my surprise and turned to see who had spoken.

Standing there was…

“Wait a moment, can I have a bit of your time to talk?”

“Your Highness, the Princess…?”

The First Princess, Adelhaite Aisiliah, was gazing at me with eyes sparkling with curiosity.