I almost can’t believe it.

Idarus found the girl, and successfully invited her to talk with us. I even learned her name—Katariah Silver. Such a pretty name for her.

We found a small table near the back of the ballroom to sit at, away from others.

Katariah immediately sat at the far end of the table, which faced the rest of the ballroom. I sat down to her right, and Idarus took her other side. Jasmine took the only seat left, facing Katariah.

Idarus, knowing that it was best to shape glass while it was still hot, immediately started a conversation in the hopes that Katariah would feel more at ease.

“So, what sorts of things do you like doing, Lady Katariah? I, for one, am a war buff. I enjoy learning about past battles, and what strategies worked best in certain situations.”

She sat in silence for a moment, then gave a small shrug.

“I enjoy making things.”

“What sort of things? Is it embroidery? Maybe something like making dresses?”

“No.”

…

…

…

“O-oh. I see.”

Huh, Idarus seems flustered. Is it because she doesn’t seem to be reacting to his charm, like every other lady would? She’s given such curt answers, as well.

“Well, I mentioned that Joseph here is the Paragon for this generation, right? He was able to break through level one-hundred at only twelve years old, and set a new record in the kingdom.”

Is it just me, or does Katariah look less than impressed? I don’t think she finds this topic very interesting. I try to divert the conversation in another direction, one that seems less like us just trumpeting our strength to her.

“Please, Idarus. Anyone can become strong through hard work. To become good at something, only require diligence. Sort of like how you became very good at chasing skirts, due to the amount of girls you’ve pursued.”

Well, that one got a snicker from Jasmine, but Katariah still seemed as expressionless as ever. This is bad—she seems to be getting bored very quickly.

I decided to ask the obvious question, in order liven up the conversation.

“What brought you to this ball, Katariah? I’ve never seen you outside the palace before now, so I assume you just recently came here, right?”

For a moment, I was afraid that she wouldn’t answer my question, or answer like she had been—with a short and clipped sounding response.

But, to my relief, she properly answered, even if her voice sounded a little bitter.

“I was dragged here by the person who had taken me in. She’s been taking care of me since I arrived here a few weeks ago.”

“Where were you before that?”

“Somewhere far from here. There was a little accident involving a teleport.”

Jasmine gave a little gasp of surprise, due to what Kai said.

“Really? You must be lucky then—most don’t survive a botched teleport, since they can end up anywhere.”

Katariah nodded.

“I am indeed. Though, not lucky enough to end up back home, it seems.”

“You can’t be that far from your home—” I said, “—I mean, your accent is very similar to ours. It stands to reason that wherever you came from cannot be that far away. You could be home before you know it!”

For some reason, she smiled slightly at that, and spoke a soft, but non-committal thank-you. I was so entranced by her smile, that I didn’t ponder the meaning of her words.

The conversation continued on, and I got more and more anxious, since it seemed like only Idarus and I were speaking. Kai just seemed disinterested, while Jasmine looked like she was…sulking? I wonder what’s wrong with her?

While I was frantically thinking up more conversation topics, things just seemed to be getting worse.

I had forgotten to account for the stubbornness of the various noble scions here, at the ball. I had also forgotten the effect a beautiful woman will have on them, whether or not she’s in the company of a Prince and the Paragon.

I only remembered these things too late, when a shadow loomed over the table.

I looked up, and the conversation paused. Everybody else turned to the person who was disturbing this awkward atmosphere.

I groaned inwardly, due to who had come.

“Oh? I can’t help but see that a beautiful flower has been planted in a field of manure. Why don’t you ditch those that would drag you down, and join me?” Said Carlton Gibraltar, first in line for the Gibraltar Duchy.

“Carlton, if she wanted to leave, then no one here would stop here. However, we also wouldn’t force her to bed any of us.” I said, referring to some incidences pushed under the rug by him and his father. I had been disgusted to learn of them, and even more disgusted to learn that this was something normal for some noble families. 

Carlton sneered in my general direction, not even looking at me.

“Shut it, peasant boy. A conversation between people of equal standing is nothing for you to butt in on. Now, what do you say, young lady? Why don’t you join the future Duke of Gibraltar, for a little fun?”

I stood up, fuming from anger, and I registered Idarus doing the same.

“Oh? I thought that only 'people of equal standing' could talk to each other. I do not recall ever saying that we were of the same social class, future Duke.” Said Katariah in the same indifferent and bored voice.

“Well, that makes things easier then. I command you to come with me, girl.” he said, his attitude towards her taking a 180 degree flip.

Ah. She made things worse, didn't she? 

However, you wouldn’t know that by looking at her. She had actually smiled slightly. Under normal circumstances, that smile would look absolutely lovely. Now, however, I distinctly felt a small part of me grow cold upon seeing that smile. I suddenly got the feeling that now, Katariah was no longer quite so bored.

“Didn’t you hear me, stupid girl? Let’s go somewhere more…private, and away from these idiots. Who knows, I may even make you a mistress of mine.” He said, a lecherous smile on his face. 

I looked around, trying to find some possible allies. Idarus looked like he would become violent anytime now, and we needed someone on our side to avoid this looking like us hurting Carlton. He may be a detestable guy, but he still has way more influence than he should, and is fully capable of causing us no end of trouble.

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I could see many people covertly watching this end of the ballroom, and I realized why this was happening. The nobles wanted to test Katariah. There were curious, envious, and threatened by the unknown short girl who sat at the same table as the Royals, and wanted to see who she was, and why she was here. More than that, how much power she wielded. I found it interesting that they all seemed to either dismiss, or forget about the woman who had disappeared into a backroom with the nobles.

Well, except for the oldest, and best, nobles—The ones who still followed the nobleman’s laws to the letter. They looked at Katariah with wary eyes.

And, even more importantly, they looked at Carlton with pity. It was this that convinced me that no matter what happened, there would be no big reprisals.

So, I followed my instincts, and my bloodlust.

I punched Carlton right in the face, sending him sprawling to the floor with a broken nose.

Immediately, gasps of horror resounded from the nearby tables, and someone screamed “You killed him!”

Please. I used less than a quarter of my strength. He’s what, level fifty or so? Not bad for his age, but I would only need half my strength to obliterate him. I sighed, and sat back down.

Jasmine was looking at me with sparkles in her eyes for some reason, while Idarus was looking at me, aghast. I typically keep a level head in tense situations, so me punching someone in the face without warning was atypical for me. Normally, he was the one to do stuff like that.

Katariah didn’t even seem to react to me, though. Her smile had disappeared, and she had leaned back in her chair in an unlady-like fashion. She didn’t look the least bit relieved, nor did she hop up and hug me, thanking me profusely while she did so, like in the fantasy that I had played out just before the punch.

Eh, I guess I have to take things slowly with her.

Meanwhile, various people rushed over, some of them literally dropping plates of food on the ground in order to check on Carlton. One of them took out a handkerchief, and tried to use it in order to stem the flow of blood coming from his nose. The thin lace immediately turned crimson red, rendering the thing useless. Seeing this, the noble flung it to the side, and looked at me in disgust.

“How like an uncouth peasant-boy to lash out at your betters. Guards! Can someone arrest this idiot?”

The man in charge of security walked over, having long since seen the commotion.

“Yes, how might I be of service, Count Hopal?” The man’s lips twisted in a grim semblance of a grin, making the long and ropy scar running down the side of his face stand out even more. I had heard that the Captain of the Royal Guards was a fair man, who would listen to both sides of an argument before making an arrest. This noble was sorely mistaken, thinking that the Captain would do anything to us. After all, Carlton was clearly in the wrong in this case.

His eyes swept over all of us in an instant, before falling on one person in particular.

“Ah, Lady Kai. I should have realized you would be involved with this. Are you attracting too much attention for your liking in that dress? It suits you well.”

Huh? The Captain is speaking to Katariah as if they were close friends, not even calling her by her full name. Do they know each other somehow? And, he complimented her dress??

“Thank you, Djorn. I didn’t have a choice in the matter—got cornered by the maids.” She replied, with what seemed to be a genuine smile on her face. I could see the expressions of people around us loosening at the sight of it, struck by her beauty and cuteness.

The Captain winced in sympathy.

“Know what you mean, there. Those girls can be vicious when it comes to clothes. Now, you mind telling me what happened here? I’m afraid that the inheritor to a Duchy, knocked unconscious and bleeding, is kinda a big deal to some people.”

Is he thinking that it isn’t to others? And why do I get the feeling that Katariah is included in that ‘other people’ category?

“Oh, this idiot? He tried to coerce me into ‘having fun’ with him. Joseph here took exception to that, and knocked him once in the face.”

The Captain turned to me, and ran me over with his eyes appraisingly.

“Joseph Connolly—The twenty-fifth Paragon? You train with my lieutenant, right?”

I nodded, slightly overwhelmed by his attention and presence.

“He has nothing but praise for you, boy. No need to be so tense—it seems like this one instigated the whole thing anyway.” He said, nudging Carlton with his boot.

And then, I swear I heard him whisper under his breath after that.

“Sides, it’s Kai we’re talking ‘bout. ‘S lucky she didn’t get pissed off.”

She? Is he talking about the woman Katariah had walked into the ball with?

“Anyway, I’m sure that this will be no big deal. You kids just go back to eating and talking, okay?”

He waved over another guard, and told him to take Carlton to the infirmary, which I think was letting him get off lightly. Then again, Idarus is always telling me that my sense of justice is slightly warped. I wanted to see him suffering for a bit, since he had been an annoyance to Katariah. Nobody treats a girl badly! Especially not one that I’m attracted to!

I sighed, and tried to not look at Katariah while the Captain cleared all the nobles away, making them go back to their usual activities. I half succeeded too. I mean, at least I didn’t look at her face….

...

...

...

Agh, that’s worse, isn’t it?

Jasmine’s kicked my shin under the table for some reason. I look up at her, and try to not make my face bust out into flames. I see a disapproving look in her eyes, letting me know I was caught. 

I feel like a lecture was coming after this was done…