「Hmmmmmmm…. Hmmmmmmmmmm…」

Leaning forward, Straf rubs his chin, humming louder and longer the more he looks at Cycelia. Her dress is elegant, luxurious, refined. Its scarlet textile repeats floral pattern of gold, though it's far from random. The flower motif is very precisely mirrored along the dress, and while it's low cut, it's far more decent than Nona's black gown. Cycelia's generous breasts are barely contained, and very obviously tightly packed. At her neck, there is a tasteful, two-toned, frilled black and red collar, apparently a part of the dress, secured with a little button of solid gold a little off to the side.

「….Hmmmm…」

「Straf?… Don't just hum… It's making me anxious that I maybe should have picked something else… Eheh…」

Cycelia breaks the intense eye contact, blinking her emeralds aside with a little blush on her cheeks. She lets go of its sides, and the volume of its wavy fabric below her waist becomes apparent. The dress has been tailored in such a way, that it flares outward the lower it goes, practically doubling in diameter by the time it reaches her ankles, like a flower in partial bloom.

「No, it's good. Obviously the empress would steal the show.」

Straf straightens out, and nonchalantly places his hands in his pockets as he shrugs. Lily pouts, crossing her arms and retreating to the back of the crowd.

「I agree with the minister, your highness. May I ask for your opinion on my choice of attire?…」

Sir Vinis nods, and presents himself with one hand.

「Tsk… Already making this about yourself?」

Turning his glare to the magnate, Straf clicks his tongue.

「You look rather dashing, Sir Vinis…」

Cycelia nods her head with a smile, and turns her emerald eyes back to Straf.

「…It's still a little early, but I believe we can start now? Just a little bit, before everyone else arrives.」

She looks over her shoulders at the maids, who nod their heads.

「Understood, your highness…」

One of the maids replies as she lowers her frilled head, and most of the group quickly splits off to share the directive, then head out of the room. Two by her sides remain to attend her.

「Everyone else? Who?」

Straf furrows his brows, narrowing his eyes.

「Hmmm… Everyone Sir Vinis wanted to invite, the local counts around the capital, a few magnates, the government of course…」

Cycelia places her scarlet, elbow-gloved finger on her chin, and looks up at the fancy ceiling as she thinks.

「Eh?… So it's not a small, private party?…」

Straf's shoulders slump, and he lets out a defeated sigh.

「It is a ball, minister… I believe you had the wrong idea from the start. This is a good time and place to make connections. Some very important people are coming, you see.」

Sir Vinis nonchalantly explains, smirking slightly with a shrug of his hand.

「Um, Straf… If you'd like to spend some time with me… In private… We could… Do that later…」

Cycelia plucks her silver medallion out of her cleavage, and fidgets with it. Her voice quiets down, and trails off into silence as she averts her gaze.

「Huh? What was that?」

Straf's brows rise as his head perks out of his slump.

「No, nothing.」

She quickly replies with a tight-lipped grimace, and her eyes keep darting away with her cheeks reddened.

The band begins playing a calm tune, fit only for a slow dance, or perhaps just for simple ambience. The groups' attention briefly shifts to them, before returning to Cycelia.

「…What do you even do at a ball?」

Alicia asks, chiming in. Lily scoffs in the background.

「Well, you dance, talk, have a seat and eat…」

Cycelia shrugs her shoulders, gently tilting her chestnut head. The maids return with silver trays, some holding bottles of alcohol in buckets of ice.

「…A drink, your highness?」

One of the maids asks, lowering the silver tray with tall, narrow-necked glasses full of fizzy liquid for Cycelia.

「Ah… I'll have one glass, I suppose…」

She replies, plucking one of them off the tray with a little nod of her head. With a nonchalant, expressionless face, the maid presents the tray to the rest of the group.

「Why, thank you…」「I'll have some…」「Tsk… Whatever to get me through the night…」

Sir Vinis, Will, and Straf all reach for the tray at the same time. After their turn, Nona, Alicia, and the foreigner siblings take one each as well.

With his brows lightly furrowed, Shien sniffs the contents, and immediately recoils in disgust.

「…Elder sister, you shouldn't drink this. It's poison.」

Shien remarks, alarming just about everyone in the group. They stare at him with their eyes narrowed, and some with their heads tilted.

「Oh? It's been poisoned?…」

Lian asks, peering through the liquid with her chin between her thumb and finger, tilting her head.

「No, elder sister. It's entirely poison.」

He replies with a shake of his head, remaining as frigid-faced as always. Will and the rest let out relieved or fatigued sighs, with exception of Lian, and take small sips.

「Hmpf. That's the point, my silly little brother…」

With an amused huff and a smirk on her face, she takes a quick gulp. His head perks up in surprise.

「You'll intentionally drink poison!?- Ah, I see…」

Shien remarks with his voice raised in surprise, though his expression is very muted, with only his brows raised, and his almond-shaped eyes widened.

「Hmmm… Get it yet, dear brother?…」

With her smirk growing smug, Lian asks as she glances at Will, tilting her head a little. She takes another, smaller sip.

Slap!

Greaves reaches for the tray, only to get his wrist slapped by Alicia. An angry glare from her keeps him from trying again, and he crosses his arms like a petulant child.

「…Ingesting small amounts of poison to build up immunity. I needn't do this due to my detoxifier gland. May I return this-?」

With a serious look on his face, Shien nods his silken black head in enlightenment. He raises his glass, holding it up towards the maid with the tray.

「Just drink it already! Stop embarrassing me, idiot little brother!… Good grief!…」

Lian exclaims, wrapping her arm around her brother's neck and looking at him with a smirk, albeit bearing subtle hints of frustration.

Shien looks at the contents of his tall glass, and quickly splashes it into his mouth. He winces heavily in disgust, clenching his teeth as if he just stubbed his toe.

「Ahahaha, come on now! It's not even that strong!」

Pat! Pat! Patpatpat!…

Lian laughs, amused by her brother's reaction, and she slaps him on his furry back.

「Tsk… I want to try it too-」「No, Greaves. Be patient. It's not good for you, anyway…」

Greaves grumbles, and Alicia quickly shuts him down, taking a small, embarrassed sip herself.

「It's just a social thing, Greaves… It's good, but you're seriously overestimating by how good.」

「My, I am injured…」

Will remarks, and Sir Vinis chimes in with a little sigh. The magnate quickly finishes his glass, and sets it back down on the tray.

Slam!

One of the doors is thrown open by a plumed guard, who runs into the ballroom.

「Your highness!… Your highness, big trouble!…」

「Hm?」「Eh?」「Tsk… What now?…」

Sir Vinis, Cycelia, and Straf all turn their eyes to the panicked man as he shouts.

「It's!…」

He's about to exclaim something, but then notices the amount of bystanders listening in. With an uneasy face, he steps closer to Cycelia, and speaks something in a hushed tone.

「Huh? What?」

She blurts out as her head perks up with a shocked expression on her face. Her emerald eyes turn to Straf, blinking at him while the man continues speaking into her ear. After a few moments, he backs away, helplessly shrugs his arms, and waits for Cycelia's response with his armored hands held in front of himself with a nervous grimace on his face.

「…Straf, we are being invaded.」

Cycelia says with a serious expression, furrowing her brows.

「For fuck's sake…」

「Huh!?」「What?」「Again?」

Will, Sir Vinis, and Nona perk up at the news, while Straf rolls his eyes in frustration, and pinches the bridge of his chiseled nose.

「…I guess that means the party is cancelled, huh?」

With his mouth slanted, Will remarks, and lets out a sigh.

「Nope…」

Clink.

Straf takes a swig of the remainder in his glass, and sets it down on the tray. Placing his hands back in his coat's pockets, he lets out a large, frustrated sigh as all eyes are on him.

「…I'll handle it. Who's invading?」

He asks, shrugging his shoulders with a massively displeased tight-lipped grimace on his face.

「Aside from our vassals and Rankor Kingdom… Everyone, Straf. Their diplomats delivered declarations of war one after another, all citing the desire to curb our expansionism, or so they said.」

Cycelia replies with a calm tone, though her face is visibly anything but. She tries to maintain a mask of neutrality, but concern and nervousness easily slip through.

「Everyone?… Tsk…」

Clink.

Straf rubs the back of his neck as Cycelia sets down her half-empty glass down on the tray.

「I'll order the marshal to mobilize the troops-」

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

「No, you stay here. Welcome the guests, and ignore everything that's going on. I said I'll handle it.」

Shaking his head, Straf insists as he cuts in, interrupting Cycelia.

「But… But Straf, this is all too much. You can't defend the entire kingdom all by yourself-」

Cycelia protests, raising her elbow-gloved hands, pointing one of them at the door as she tries to reason with him.

「I won't. But I'll need to make a speech first…」

Straf shrugs, cutting in again, and placing his hands back in his pockets.

「Your highness, if I may… I will inform the marshal in your stead-」

The palace guard chimes in, bowing slightly with his gauntlet on his dragon-adorned breastplate.

「No. Nobody is mobilizing shit… Where is the fucking cat when I need her?… Tsk…」

Straf points at the man, shutting his suggestion down, and quickly looks around the room for Stripe. She's not present.

「…Whatever. You. You're going to be my little elf helper.」

「Eh?…」

Briefly rubbing his neck, with a resigned shrug, Straf points at the man again. His plumed helmet perks up, and his brows furrow.

「Go tell the people I have something very important to tell them, and the presence is mandatory or else I will find them, and rearrange their furniture so that they stub their toes.」

Straf nods at the door and points his thumb at it with his heavily mouth aslant.

「Eh? Uh… Yes, minister!…」

The palace guard salutes, and runs out of the ballroom as fast as he can. With a massive sigh, Straf turns for the door as well.

「…Straf! Is it really okay!?… For you to handle it alone, today!?」

Cycelia calls out when he nears the door. He makes way for one of the other ministers, who arrives with his wife in his arm.

「I said I'll handle it!…」

Straf replies, spreading his hands, and disappears into the hallway outside. Cycelia lets out a troubled groan as Sir Vinis moves to welcome the minister…

…

Less than fifteen minutes later, on the address balcony…

A massive crowd is gathered under the balcony, given that most of the work today ends early. The citizens look up at Straf with disinterested gazes and crossed arms, waiting for him to begin. Straf quickly looks around, as if searching for someone specific, then showily clears his throat.

「Ahum!… Okay!…」

With his lips narrowed into thin lines, he throws his arms up.

「…You're probably wondering, what is this for? Well, let me tell you!… We've made major strides in a lot of things lately! Remember the out of control prices!?」

Straf asks, shrugging his hands. Some of the people in the crowd nod with complete lack of enthusiasm.

「Well, I fixed it! Everything's cheap!… We've got cheap food, cheap fuel, cheap steel… By the way, get in on the action with Strafsteelworks bills!…」

He continues, raising his finger for a quick intermission message.

「…We have cheap labor, cheap goods, cheap lives… I could go on forever! Recently, the stock market reached its all time high! The economy is doing great!…」

As Straf continues counting up on his fingers, throwing his hand up with each count, a few sparse claps come from the crowd.

「…By the way, want to know something that will change the economy forever!? Well, get ahead of the curve! Buy the latest issue of my magazine!…」

Straf exclaims with his index finger raised, and pulls out one copy of the photo magazine.

「…Do you remember the cat maid handing them out!? There's raunchy photos of her in here! An animal-eared slave girl who can't say no, and slowly warms up to her master!…」

He asks, and quickly flips through the pages featuring embarrassing, suggestive photos of Stripe for the crowd to see. The attention of the men in the crowd is entirely captured.

「…I was going to have her hand them out again, but… She's unavailable! The palace guards at the gate will handle it! Leave it to them!…」

Straf throws the photo magazine back in, flashes a quick shrug of resignation with his hands, then points in the general direction of the palace gate.

「…Not yet! Not yet!… After I'm done talking, stupid!…」

He shouts when he notices a large portion of the crowd oozing out of its main mass. The men stop, and turn their eyes back up to the balcony.

「…Moving on!… The magazine also touches a little on the subject of Ministry of Fortune, slated to open next year!… Sometime!… Soon!」

Straf shrugs as he speaks, grimacing slightly, then throws his hands up again. He then leans forward, placing his weight onto the balustrade.

「…Fish!」

He exclaims, greatly confusing the crowd. They mumble amongst each other, furrowing their brows, shaking their heads and shrugging their shoulders.

「What!? You don't know why I'm suddenly talking about fish!? Seems random, doesn't it!?… It's not, I assure you!… There's a good reason I'm talking about… Fish!…」

He shouts the word again, pausing before he does.

「…Why am I talking about… Fish!? Well, let me tell you!… Our fishing industry is doing great!… And it's not due to the Minister of Fisheries! Fuck him!…」

Straf spreads his arms, grinning. He then violently throws his arm aside as he curses the minister out.

「…Citizens! You are truly privileged to be able to taste fish without mercury in them! The future generations won't be so lucky! Tailings will eventually make into the waters!…」

He exclaims, throwing his arms up. The previously excited expressions are now extinguished, and the people in the crowd patiently listen with bored faces.

「…I will make sure we're the first to accomplish that! It's inevitable, so why should we be the last ones to do it!? Our mining industry deserves to grow!…」

Straf wags his index finger as he shouts. A few burly and thick-armed men clap their large, calloused hands with approving nods.

「…In any case, better eat your fish before that happens! One day, isolated tribes will be dying of mad hatter's disease, and that's without knowing what a hat even is!…」

He continues, and the people in the crowd murmur amongst themselves quietly, nodding slightly to each other.

「…You may live to see horrors beyond your comprehension!…」

Spreading his arms, Straf adds. The people's faces grow a little unsettled at the declaration.

「…Provided you get health insurance! Only losers die to preventable diseases! It will be mandatory next year, so better sign up now!…」

Straf adds, and the people sigh with relief, smiling slightly. Only a select few appear to be deeply troubled by the crowd's reaction as their eyes dart side to side, growing greatly unsettled.

「…Anyway!… The next year's gonna be wild!…」

With a massive grin on his face, Straf leans onto the railing again.

「…You'll miss the days where you weren't woken at 3 in the morning by an advertisement cat maid shouting outside your window for you to come and visit, but you'll have a great time!…」

Straf assures the people with a confident tone, and they begin to clap quietly.

The few unnerved ones are now visibly experiencing a form of existential terror, staring at Straf with dread on their faces. He smirks.

「…There will also be cash rewards for the people who don't know what an autowagon is by the end of the next year!… It will be verified by the Ministry's head interrogator!…」

He adds, straightening out, taking a step away from the balustrade.

「Also, the empress-」

「Hail empress! Hail empress! Hail empress!…」「…Hail empress! Hail empress! Hail empress!…」「…Hail empress! Hail empress! Hail empress!…」

Before Straf can even finish his sentence, the crowd breaks out into ferocious cheers and clapping the moment Cycelia is brought up. With his fists on his hips, he lets out a resigned sigh.

「…Hail empress! Hail empress! Hail empress!…」「…Hail empress! Hail empress! Hail empress!…」「…Hail empress! Hail empress! Hail empress!…」

「…You guessed it! Feast!…」

Straf shouts over the cheers, just barely audible as the crowd drowns him out.

「…That's all for tonight!… So long!… And be grateful for all the fish!」

Snap.

With a snap of his fingers, Straf walks away, smirking as he points at the crowd.

「…Hail empress! Hail empress! Hail empress!…」「…Hail empress! Hail empress! Hail empress!…」「…Hail empress! Hail empress! Hail empress!…」

They continue shouting and cheering, feverishly waving their hands at the empty balcony.

With a fatigued sigh and rubbing the back of his neck, Straf returns to the balcony room.

「Well, that should solve the invasion problem. Now where is that slave…」

He shrugs, and casually places his hands in his coat's pockets as he turns to leave…