As soon as she left Juke and went out on her own, Deanna noticed a difference from last year. Last year, when Deanna was alone, she was constantly asked to dance by men with evil intentions in their hearts, but this year, there were far fewer such calls. Apparently, Juke's strategy of "befriending the Red Rose, what about the Queen?", which he is currently carrying out at the Outer Palace, is serving as a shield to protect not only Juke but also Diana. I guess there aren't many men who would dare to play with a woman whom His Majesty the King is thinking of as his wife. Thanks to this, I was able to observe the situation in the hall much more calmly than last year.

(Although it's still a bit crowded, ...... overall it's better than last year, right?

　Last year was the first year of the establishment of the Imperial Palace, and due to the intransigence of the Liliane faction, the relationship between the innovators and the conservatives was at its worst. Even though they were in the same hall, the distance between them was far, and sparks were flying here and there. ...... This year, although the trend is the same, the atmosphere of bickering still seems to be calm. It seems that the conservatives are still bitter about the innovators, but the innovators are letting it go without taking it head on.

"Red Rose, may I have a word with you?
Yes.
"I'm sorry to call you here while you're enjoying yourself. I just wanted to say hello.

　As you can see, even if you are stopped, it is not to ask for a dance, but to greet the innovator nobleman. Not only families with daughters in the rear court, but also people who had never had relations with Diana or the Cresta family, came to greet them one after another.

(It helps that there are fewer applications for the dance, but the busyness is much the same as last year. ......)

　) In fact, it's more tiring than last year because the conservative aristocrats, who sensed that the innovative aristocrats had started to fawn over Diana, have been showering us with hatred. The Earls of Crester are supposed to be neutralists who are neither poisonous nor medicinal, but how did this happen?
　But still, I couldn't feel the malice that I was prepared for. As she was greeted and searched her surroundings, Deanna realized the cause.

(Oh, so that's what it is.)

In terms of position, the group is on a diagonal line from where Diana is now, through the center of the hall. Today, the Marquis of Strelia is still acting as a guide - in effect, a guard to prevent any more unnecessary actions from being taken, and the prince of the Stanza Empire and his attendants are the focus of obvious anger and hatred from conservatives and innovators alike. It's a good thing. It's also a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for, and what you'll need to do to get it. Elgrandians, especially the nobility, traditionally don't show their true emotions to unfamiliar people in a straightforward manner. The reason why the malice Deanna feels is better than expected is simply because there is someone in the hall who is even more annoying and hateful than Deanna.
　Not only the conservative nobles, who were not friendly to the Stanza Empire from the beginning, but even the innovative nobles, who originally wanted to establish a reasonable relationship as business partners, do not actively talk to the prince of Stanza. Not only that, even the neutralists, who are always on the fence, are acting as if they are out of sight. As a result, the prince of Stanza tells the Marquis of Stresia who he wants to greet, and the Marquis acts as a go-between, and social relations are somehow established. If you're looking for the best way to get the most out of your wedding, then you need to look no further than your wedding dress. ...... First of all, it is unusual that Juke, who is also a member of the royal family, does not want to have anything to do with the prince after the initial greeting.

It's not often that the words "self-inflicted" and "self-sown" are so aptly applied to a situation. ......

　--The Elgrand, of course, had planned to treat the prince on par with its own royalty as it welcomed him as a state guest. They had set up a seat for the prince next to Juke, and had made arrangements to introduce them widely and express their welcome to everyone. The reason why all of this was "cancelled" was, of course, due to a number of outrages on the part of Stanza.
　They ignored all the plans that had been agreed upon at the beginning, came to the palace earlier than scheduled, walked around the palace as if they owned it, and even entered the inner palace, which was supposed to be closed to men except for the king. ...... was so outrageous that not only the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but also the entire royal court was furious. This time, the factions are not so important. If anything, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the innovative aristocrats who have been working hard for Stanza's sake are more deeply angered.
As the opinion that "those people don't need to be treated as guests of honor" permeated the entire royal court, the story of how the prince of Stanza treated the Red Rose, the first in his entourage, as a lowly guest of honor in his palace reached the upper echelons, including the king, and Juke and Volz finally decided to change the treatment of the Stanza Imperial Goodwill Mission from "guest of honor Juke and Volz decided to downgrade the treatment of the Stanzas from "state guests" to "guests of the royal court. If they persisted, we were considering deporting them on the grounds of disrespect for the first in line to the royal family, but as expected, the Stanza side understood their disadvantage and apparently did not complain about the notice.
　If they were mere guests of the palace, they would be treated in the same manner as when inviting domestic nobles to the palace. Therefore, I was able to drastically reduce the amount of manpower I had to devote to them, and I was able to skip the whole arrangement of welcoming the prince at today's soiree. There was no need to thank them, which a guest of honor would have to do, and in the proper sense of the word, the figure of treating them as if they were not there was completed. The insidiousness of aristocratic society has always been a problem for Deanna, but for once, she has to admit that this insidiousness is doing a good job.

(Despite Rita's concern, it seems unlikely that the prince will speak to us at this rate.

　(Rita was worried about me, but it looks like the prince won't be talking to me. Thanks to you, I'm tired, but I can still do my best.

Excuse me. --Red Rose, may I have a word with you?

　Suddenly, a familiar, soft voice sounded, and the crowd quickly broke apart. The people who approached them were the Eustace siblings, Yolanda and Abel, with beautiful red hair and emerald eyes. The figure of Raia could be seen standing close to them.
　When Yolanda came up to Deanna, she gave her a gentle smile that she often gave in social situations, one that did not make the other feel uncomfortable.

Thank you for what you said earlier, Red Rose. I'm glad you had such kind words for my brother.
"What do you mean, Master Suzuran? What do you mean, Master Suzuran? It is only natural to welcome a younger brother of yours. --Congratulations on your coming of age.

　With a not-so-actual smile, Diana congratulates Abel. Today is the first time I've met Yolanda's brother Abel, but I've heard Yolanda and Raia talk about him from time to time, so I don't feel like I'm meeting him for the first time.
　Abel seems to be the same way, and is not intimidated by the evil face of the Crestor family tradition, which he should have seen for the first time, and responds with a soft smile, much like Yolanda.

"Thank you, Master Red Rose. I am truly honored to meet you and to hear your words.
"It's my pleasure. It's a pleasure to be able to exchange words with the young prince of the Marquis of Eustace, a man of great promise.
You're very good. --May I have the honor of sharing a song with you?

　Abel asked me to dance, probably because the current song was about to end. In social etiquette, it is customary for a man to ask a woman to dance, regardless of her age. Abel's demeanor was well-behaved, and I was impressed that he was indeed a young lord of the Eustace family.
　Diana smiled and nodded, as the people around her secretly laughed.

"With pleasure.
"Thank you.

　During the interlude, the current dancers are replaced. She smiled at the stares that were flying at her, and began to step to the music. Abel's lead was indeed very familiar and very easy to dance.

"You're very good, young man.
Please call me Abel. I'm afraid to be called by my sister's friend.
Is that so?
I'm afraid to call my sister's friends by their honorific titles." "Is that so?" "Actually, there aren't many 'friends' that my sister wants to introduce to her family.

　Abel continues with an annoyed smile.



My sister seems to have changed for the better since she went to the palace. Until now, the only friend she could really trust was Master Rhea, but when she came home the other day, she mentioned many names of other noble ladies. But when she came home the other day, she mentioned a lot of other girls' names, especially the Red Rose.
"She also called me Diana. The honorific title of "Red Rose" is not appropriate for me.
I'm sure you're more than fulfilling your duties as a Red Rose, from what my sister tells me. ...... It's certainly not pleasant to be called by a position you don't want.

　Apparently, Deanna's situation has been relayed to the Eustace family via Yolanda. I'm not particularly surprised, since I expected it most of the time.
　The conversation between Diana and Abel continues as they continue to dance smoothly.

"You and your sister are very close, aren't you? You must have missed Yolanda-sama when she left for the palace.　You must have been worried about her.
"I think we're quite normal sisters. It would be a lie to say that I didn't feel lonely, but I knew that my sister would be safe no matter where she went, so I didn't worry about her. I was probably most surprised when my father told me that my sister had made a big stand for a friend in the House of Lords at the end of last year.
...... I apologize for the inconvenience.
No.

　No," he said, with unmistakable joy in his emerald eyes, similar to Yolanda's.
　Abel smiled with boyish glee.

I was really happy. I was very happy that my sister, who has always chosen the 'safe' path, did something reckless for someone else. Until now, the only person who could make her do something crazy was you, Raia. The only person she felt that way about was you. But... in the palace, my sister was able to find someone else to care for. I'm really happy about that.
"Lord Abel: ......
I've always wanted to thank you. --"Dear Diana, thank you so much for being my sister's significant other.
Shouldn't I be the one thanking you for thinking so much of me, ......?
In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use this site, please do not hesitate to contact us. I'm not sure I understand what it means to trust someone, even though I'm saying this in a big way. This is why I'm as happy as I am about the encounter my sister had with .......
I'm sure I'll be punished if I don't thank you and cherish the trust and affection you've given me.

　Abel's words made me realize. Abel's words made me realize the magnitude and depth of what Yolanda had given to Diana. It was a difficult position to believe in someone, and yet, beyond that position, Yolanda, the Eustoles, chose to believe. To bet on the future that Juke was aiming for, and to remain Diana's friend.
　With a natural smile on her face, Diana spoke to Abel once again.

"Thank you, Abel Eustace. You've made me realize something very important.
I don't know what to say. ...... You really are what my sister told me you were, Diana.
For what it's worth, what did you think of me, Yolanda?
"Contrary to popular belief, she is sincere and humble, a sycophant who is always looking out for others and never defends herself, the worst type.
...... I don't know, there are so many compliments, but I don't feel like I'm being complimented much.
It's a rare compliment for a sister to receive. ...... Well, I guess you're right about the "badass" part. I'm sure you're right about that. I also think that Deanna is the type of person that my sister can't leave alone.
I don't think I'm that straightforward of a person. ...... That being said, Abel is the one who seems to be very straightforward.
"Yes, exactly. I'm sure you're not the only one who has inherited the traditional raccoon art of Eustace from your father. I'm trying to do my best, but I'm still not as good as you, let alone my father.
"You don't have to be a raccoon to have your own way of socializing. Even I can't socialize like my mother and brother.
My mother once told me that she was very impressed with the Countess's social skills.
If you'd like, I'd be happy to meet her. If you'd like, I'd be happy to take you in. ...... Although my mother's social skills are not very "safe".

　It's almost the end of the dance piece. As she took the last step, Abel glanced around.

"...... Dear Diana. I've been told by my sister that we should take a break after the dance. I've also been assigned a location.
"...... Are you sure you don't want to spoil it?
Yes. The place will be connected with Ria-sama until she returns.

　That's Ryiah and Yolanda. They seemed to have seen through the fact that Deanna was getting tired. They must have arranged the dance with Abel so that they could have an interval.
　At the end of the dance piece, Diana bowed, clasped hands again, and returned with Abel to the crowd. Normally, they would have been escorted by a man to the appropriate table and then separated, but Abel took a clever route around the table to the end of the hall. At the same time, a new dance seemed to have started in the center of the hall, and people's eyes turned to it.

"...... Has anyone come out?
If it's on schedule, His Majesty and his sister will probably be dancing.
If everything goes as planned, His Majesty and his sister will probably be dancing.

　If the unmarried king dances with his aide, it is only natural that he will attract attention. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　--We were led to an empty corridor, with a door leading out through a gap in the hall's banners. There was a small table and a sofa at the end of the hall, which was open to the public as a resting space, but since it could only be reached through the door behind the curtain, it was a hole in the wall for those in the know.
　I thought the place was unoccupied, but there were several people there.

"Oh, Deanna!

　One of the figures seemed to have noticed Deanna and Abel coming and called out to them. Deanna also approached with a smile.



Claude, you're tired.
It's you who's tired, Deanna. Come with me. I've prepared something to drink and something to eat.
Did ...... steal food and drink from the hall for me, by any chance?
No one noticed, did they?　Hey, assistant manager?
Yes, sir. Most of the food served at the soiree is dropped off without being eaten. It doesn't hurt to take some.
It's not against etiquette to bring food from the hall down to the break room.

　The other figures in the room - Norton and Keith - also looked cool. I'm not sure what to make of that.

It's not a bad idea to bring your own food to eat, but I don't think it's a good idea to make other people do it for you.
"It's fine since Deanna-sama didn't make you do it, but the people around you did it on their own. Sit down, please.
...... I'll sit if you'll sit.

　I really appreciate your concern, but I would like to ask you what kind of a queen you are, sitting alone with others standing around you. We are all exhausted from socializing, so we should all take a break here.
　With Deanna's words, the three members of the outer court and Abel also settled down on the sofa, and everyone was able to sit down safely. There were more than enough drinks for everyone, which Norton and the others had picked up at random, so each of them took a glass of their choice and quenched their thirst.
　Abel, who had led us this far, put down his glass, which was half full, and said.

Abel, who had led us here, put down his glass, which was half empty, and asked, "Did my sister ask you to bring food and drink here?　If so, I apologize.
"No, no, no. It was the unanimous opinion of all concerned that it was time for Diana to rest. His Majesty chose the location and we took care of the setup. We in the outer court are accustomed to working in a low-key manner.
"...... Am I really that tired?
Oh, no, not at all. No, not at all. You were really a magnificent "Red Rose". It's just that your family and friends know you well enough to sense your unseen fatigue.

　Deanna nodded quietly as Norton admonished her with a hawkish smile. I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it. I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.
　--By the way.

"Did you and Abel-dono know each other from the outer court?
Yes. I was introduced to them by your sister a short while ago.
I see.

　As expected of a royal soiree where nobles from all over the kingdom gather. There is no better place to make acquaintance with someone you don't usually have contact with. Yolanda's social sense is also top-notch, as she makes the most of this opportunity.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and how you can use it. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that Claude's sister is also in the palace, and as I have an older sister who also lives in the palace, I would be very happy if we could become friends.
"Yeah, yeah, is it me?

　I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.

In the event that you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.
In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can contact us at the following web site: .......
It's true, but ...... are you okay with that, Mister Eustace?
If you're asking if it's okay for you not to be lifted up as a member of the Marquis family, I'll say yes, of course. In the first place, if you care about such things, you will not be able to cross over to the next generation.

　The tone of Abel's voice was unruffled, and I could sense that he was accepting the changes of the times with flexibility. The new wind blowing in the ...... kingdom seems to be felt more clearly by young people and children than by adults.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I've been studying all my life to become a government official, so I don't have any friends my own age. I'd be happy and reassured if I could make friends with Mister Eustace.
"You can call me Abel, if you like. No need for titles and honorifics, Claude is older than you, isn't he?
You're older than me, aren't you? - If we're making our social debut today, we're practically the same age. --You can call me Claude too, no need for honorifics.
Are you sure?
Sure.

　The boys were laughing cheerfully, and it brightened our spirits as well. Deanna smiled and looked at Keith.

That's reassuring.
Yes, it is. It's great to see the younger generation growing up.
"You're talking like an old man, you're still young.
Yes, I'm still a novice compared to you.
Ah!　You just called me an old man, didn't you?　I'm not even forty yet!
From the point of view of Abel-dono and Claude, you are old enough to be an old man.
How dare you talk to your boss like that. ......

　Abel and Claude giggled at the exchange between Keith and Norton. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

I think it's very cool to have a wild little father like you in the office. It's because of this that Mrs. Pajero always prepares outfits that suit him.
"Well, ...... I don't think so. My wife certainly has good taste, though.


I see you're not here today. How are you?
Yes. I'm at home, I can't leave my young daughter alone. I told her I could afford to hire a nanny, but she dismissed the idea that a woman's formal evening attire is a waste of money.
It's a relief to know that you have a strong wife.
That's true.

　By the way, the Countess Pajero, the wife of this large Norton, is quite small. She is about two heads shorter than the average height of an Elgrand woman, and her baby face caused a bit of a commotion at her debutante, saying that a child had been mixed in with her. When they were married, they were ridiculed as "the couple of a beast and a doll," Edward told me.
　The outer court had been in league with the Cresta family before Diana entered the inner court, so Diana knew Norton, but it had been a long time since they had seen each other and talked at length. She was relieved to see that Norton was as devoted to his wife and children as ever.

I'm not sure what to make of it.　I'm sure she'll be lovely.
"Yes, she's starting to talk a lot. She loves to draw.
I think it's time for you to stop displaying her drawings on the walls of the outer court. It's making that area look unnecessarily fancy.
"You can't just leave something that Sally gives you as a gift, can you?
Why don't you put it up in your room at home?
My room is already filled with Sally's drawings!

　The conversation between Norton and Keith soothed Deanna as she enjoyed a brief respite.