Chapter 73
A banquet hall engulfed in shock and silence.
Hero Zion approached me in a panic and clung to me, while the nobles stared at us, lost for words.
“Zion, Zion!”
“Yes?”
“Get a grip, Zion. Do you know where you are?”
Fortunately, it seemed like Zion regained his senses as he nestled in my arms.
Glancing around, Zion said, “It’s the ballroom.”
Then he looked me straight in the eyes.
“There are dignitaries gathering behind us. You need to let go of me for now.”
“…….”
Even though he mentioned the audience behind us, Zion just continued to look up at me blankly without turning around.
Is he still not fully back to reality?
This is problematic. If he keeps clinging to me or leaning in, how on Earth will I respond?
A feeling of icy dread resurrected within me, reminiscent of the time Naou collapsed toward me at the center.
“Right, I should let the teacher go.”
Thankfully, Zion willingly distanced himself and sat back down.
What’s going on? How did it come to this?
Anyway, this works out. Now that Zion’s let go, I can somehow manage.
“It seems Zion was a bit hurt when entering. Thank you all for your hospitality; please enjoy the rest of the event.”
As I explained the situation as calmly as I could, the nobles nodded and began chatting among themselves again.
Are they not finding this strange? Anyway, I can breathe easier for now.
But what condition is Zion actually in?
The nobles’ reactions mattered, but Zion’s state was far more crucial.
Sitting upright with his hands on his knees, Zion was staring blankly at the ground without any expression or response.
“Zion, are you okay?”
“…….”
No response from Zion. Something feels off.
He came looking for me the moment we entered the hall, but now that I tell him to let go, he does so quietly and no longer shows any interest.
Has something changed during the five weeks I was too busy preparing for the ball to take care of him?
Since I can’t figure out his state from his attitude, I have no clue about Zion’s condition.
Does Zion… want me? Or not?
“Zion, I’m going to step out for a bit.”
Even when I stood up to speak, Zion remained silent.
Since he seemed quiet for now, I made my way down the stairs, crossing the hall toward Zion’s waiting room.
Naou, Serin, and Hanamana must be getting ready to come in.
I should ask what condition Zion was in while waiting…
“Hey, Director Hop.”
Suddenly, someone called my name. I turned around, surprised that someone would call me so familiarly among the crowd at the ball.
It was none other than…
“Pope Silane IV. You’re here.”
“It’s been almost a year. This time, I came looking for you?”
Pope Silane IV was here.
Was the Pope actually at the ball? For real?
How on Earth did this person end up in such a position?
“Where are you rushing off to?”
“Uh, um…”
How should I respond? Should I say I’m going to the bathroom or something?
‘No, he’s the Pope. A flimsy lie wouldn’t work on him. Nor would it be necessary.’
“Sigh…”
Since I decided to be honest, I took a breath to compose myself. It’s a huge faux pas to sigh, but he’s the Pope, so I hope he understands.
“I’m worried about Zion’s condition. I’m heading back to the waiting room to ask Hanamana and the others what happened.”
“Really? That sounds serious. He can’t fall ill before a major announcement.”
As he finished speaking, he glanced at me with concern while putting roll bread into his mouth.
Of all things, roll bread? No, that’s not the important part. Major announcement? What on Earth could that be?
“A major announcement?”
“Haha, pretending not to know even to me? You must really want to surprise everyone!”
This middle-aged Pope, over six feet tall, wore a grin that seemed oddly sinister as he looked down at me.
“What do you mean by that…?”
But I genuinely had no clue what he was talking about. As I became sincerely flustered, the Pope’s expression began to stiffen.
“Director Hop, you’re not seriously thinking that we’re oblivious, are you?”
“What? What do you mean by that…”
“Sigh, Director Hop. I usually try to see your work positively, but I must advise you about this one thing.”
The amiable Pope Silane IV suddenly changed to a serious expression and continued.
“If you truly think that your center’s nursing maids are aware of something we aren’t, then that’s a huge misconception. What matters most in high society is information. Keep that in mind, or you might face serious consequences.”
Do the nursing maids at our center know about it?
I was getting increasingly confused by the Pope’s words…
‘Oh!’
Suddenly, a spark of realization hit me, and I felt like the scattered puzzle pieces in my mind were clicking together.
He specifically mentioned the nursing maids, and I was just desperately trying to hide something.
That’s why the Pope called me over!
“Pope, you know what kind of relationship Zion and I have.”
“Look at you! You genuinely thought no one knew? No one here is unaware of it!”
“Then the reason everyone went silent just now was…”
“They were surprised to think there’d be an announcement soon. Quite shocked, I’d say?”
So, that’s how it is.
If that’s the case, then the ‘major announcement’ the Pope mentioned must also be regarding mine and Zion’s relationship, and the reason the nobles were so astonished was not just because Zion clung to me, but because they were wondering if a huge announcement was imminent right at the start of the party?
“So when is the announcement going to happen?”
“Pope, the truth is, I wasn’t planning on making such an announcement…”
“You’re still messing with me. Do you really think the dignitaries gathered here are just here for the amusing reason of a ‘discharge celebration’?”
“…….”
W-What?!
Does that mean all the key figures from various countries gathered here for…
‘Zion’s discharge celebration is merely the surface reason for bringing everyone together, and he seems to be planning to shock everyone with a surprise engagement announcement, playing it cool!’
‘This is a disaster. How did things end up like this…’
I felt lightheaded.
I merely held the ball to fulfill a promise with Zion, but now the world’s most distinguished and high-ranking individuals are waiting to hear our engagement announcement?
“Anyway, if Zion is not feeling well, it’s a problem. Sorry for holding you up. You should go.”
“Y-Yes… Thank you, Your Holiness.”
“May the Creator prepare a path for your future.”
I stumbled out of the main hall with trembling legs.
It feels like I’m the one who’s unwell, not Zion…
Anyway, it’s still morning, and the party has just begun, so I had to solve the problems one by one.
First, let’s check on Zion.
I need to talk to Zion to come up with a plan to deal with this situation.
“Serin, are you here?”
“Wah!”
“Se-Senpai?”
As I entered Zion’s waiting room, Naou, surrounded by attendants getting her makeup done, and Hanamana standing by were startled and turned to me.
“How did you get in here, Senpai? Oh, I guess they didn’t stop you because you’re Senpai. I almost asked a silly question…”
“More importantly, what’s going on? You look so pale, rushing in like that.”
“Where’s Serin?”
“She’s probably with Zion. She’s an attendant after all.”
So, she went to where Zion is.
I was worried about leaving Zion alone, so it’s good to hear that.
What should I do now? Should I return to Zion?
No, I got the chance to talk to Naou, so let’s chat a bit.
Zion is important, but figuring out how to proceed and wrap up today’s ball is another crucial issue.
Since Naou is from the royal family, she’s at the top tier regarding social skills and etiquette; she might give me some helpful insights about my situation.
“Your Highness.”
“Go ahead.”
Naou responded while calmly facing forward, trusting her attendants.
“Your Highness, do you happen to know what the main event of today is?”
“I can’t say I know for sure, but I’d say I have a pretty strong guess about what it is.”
“Could it be… about me and Zion…?”
Not sure how to phrase it, I trailed off, and Naou just briefly glanced at me, gauging my reaction.
“An engagement announcement or something similar? Isn’t that it?”
“So you think so?”
“You’re acting like it’s not true…”
“Uh, that’s just…”
I took a moment to gather my breath and began explaining my situation step by step to Naou and Hanamana.
I had promised Zion that I’d offer my hand during the ball, and I only held the ball to keep that promise. I was in quite a troublesome situation since neither Zion nor I had ever thought about gathering the audience for some major announcement.
“You really pulled in this many dignitaries just for that reason?”
“Honestly, I didn’t expect it to blow up to this extent. I just thought of inviting several people, but because I included Zion’s name on the invitation, it escalated uncontrollably…”
There’s an unspoken rule in high society that you can’t choose your attendees, and this is the result of that.
Serin warned me it would be quite a party, but I never anticipated they would come to hear about an engagement announcement.
Serin probably didn’t foresee it either. She’s just a retired special agent, after all, not someone who has been part of the aristocracy or social scene.
“Well, I guess two people who have lived their lives in medical settings and battlefields wouldn’t know much about this, but to think it became such a big deal…”
“Is that a big deal…?”
Hanamana, looking puzzled, had a different expression than Naou.
With her not being involved in society, does she not think this is serious?
“It’s a huge deal. If this party just ends without anything happening…”
“Could we just let it be a given?”
“Huh?”
What is this elf talking about?
“Just do it already, Director Hop. You’re not seriously thinking about saying you’ll never be able to take responsibility for Zion for a lifetime or something, right?”
