[V7C7] Urgent Matter

The banquet held on the night of Princess Cecilia’s arrival was exceptionally grand.

In fact, it turned out to be a much bigger event than anticipated. The guests included many of the most important people in the country, who were generally on the elderly side.

Since so few attendees were at Monica’s age, her presence stood out even more.

Either way, the Silent Witch was known for hardly ever appearing at social events. Though incomparable to Princess Cecilia, Monica had a great deal of attention directed at her.

(Ugh, I-I’m s-so nervous…)

Monica was currently standing off to the side, keeping an eye on Princess Cecilia from a slight distance away.

Today, Monica wore a navy blue dress robe made by Lana.

The Seven Sages were allowed to participate in formal events wearing the ceremonial robes provided by the country without being considered impolite. However, Monica decided to blend in with the attire of the other guests since she was here as Princess Cecilia’s guard.

Her glossy blue dress robe was designed for evening parties, featuring more neckline exposure than daytime dresses. Lace adorned the exposed areas, giving her an elegant and tasteful appearance.

Taking into account her previous mishaps, Monica opted for comfortable shoes with moderately sized heels.

She had never been good with crowded parties, but wearing the outfit Lana made for her gave her courage.

Monica wanted to be worthy of the lovely clothes that her friend made for her——that was her goal.

(Posture, posture…)

While reminding herself to keep her back straight, Monica kept a watchful eye on Princess Cecilia.

The princess was currently dressed in a light purple dress with a lace stole, getting visited by prominent figures from Ridill one after another.

Despite dealing with nobles who were easily old enough to be her grandfather, Princess Cecilia behaved gracefully and flawlessly.

Her audience with the king earlier today was the same. Princess Cecilia constantly maintained a calm demeanor. She never fumbled her greetings or bit her tongue like Monica would.

(We’re only a year apart. She’s amazing…)

As the impressed Monica continued to observe Princess Cecilia, someone interrupted with a greeting of, “Good evening, Silent Witch-dono!”

Monica turned her eyes towards the source, who was a tall middle-aged man.

She remembered his face. He was Viscount Daryl, the man who had approached her during the social gathering after the unveiling of new magical devices and robes, and one of the country’s leading mine operators.

Monica consciously straightened her back, then recited the words she was about to say before opening her mouth.

“Good evening, Viscount Daryl.”

“Oh, you remembered me! What an honor, hahaha!”

Viscount Daryl cheerfully played with his mustache, a wide smile spreading across his large face.

“The attire you wore during our previous meeting was lovely, but tonight’s dress robe is magnificent as well. Is that from the Flux Company?”

“Yes, it was tailored by President Colette.”

“It suits you very well.”

“Thank you.”

Monica couldn’t speak as fluently as Louis, and her responses were not particularly witty. Even her smile seemed awkward.

Nevertheless, she made every effort to be polite and maintain a good posture during the exchange.

Changing the subject, Viscount Daryl spoke in a slightly quieter tone.

“By the way, Silent Witch-dono, if you are free, would you consider attending a dinner at my residence?”

Monica blinked a few times, caught off guard by the unexpected invitation. Meanwhile, Viscount Daryl continued with a deepening smile.

“My third son is close to your age, so I think you two would make a great match. He graduated with excellent marks from Minerva, making him very knowledgeable about magic. In addition, he manages multiple magical tool workshops and…”

The sudden turn of events caused Monica to grow tense.

Although she didn’t care much about her position, the title of Mage Countess made her a woman of great influence. Marrying her would undoubtedly boost the power of her husband’s family, especially if they were associated with the magical tool industry.

As she listened to Viscount Daryl’s unending praise for his son, Monica felt a cold sweat trickling down her forehead.

(Um, w-what am I supposed to do in these kinds of situations…? Um, um, uhhh…!)

“My son has also expressed a fervent desire to speak with you…”

As Monica remained frozen stiff, a woman snuck up behind Viscount Daryl.

She wore a flashy rose-patterned dress and had freckles on her fair face. Her bright red lips were twisted into a malicious grin.

“Oh, if it isn’t Viscount Daryl. Good evening.”

Grinning——or rather, sneering——behind Viscount Daryl was the Fourth Thorn Witch, Melissa Roseberg.

Viscount Daryl turned around energetically towards the source of the greeting, but he quickly took a step back with the color drained from his face.

“W-Well, if it isn’t the Fourth Thorn Witch…”

“Ohohoho, it’s been a while. By the way, how was the medicine I gave you the other day?”

As she said this, Melissa scanned the venue. Her eyes narrowed meaningfully once they fell on a certain noblewoman.

“…Did it liven up the festivities?”

“W-Well, um… W-We can discuss that another time…”

Having grown very uncomfortable, Viscount Daryl glanced between Melissa and Monica, before saying, “Excuse me,” and hastily making his departure.

“Um, Onee-san, what was that about…?”

“See him talking to the wife of a baron over there? Those two are having an affair, so he requested a drug from me to spice up their night.”

Melissa explained this with a particularly wicked grin.

Although Monica felt a bit sorry for Viscount Daryl, Melissa’s actions had saved her. Monica bowed her head in gratitude.

“Um, thank you. You really saved me.”

“Huh? Saved you? From what? More importantly…”

Immediately dismissing the unfortunate Viscount Daryl, Melissa fixed a sharp gaze on Monica.

Apparently, Melissa was here to discuss an urgent matter with Monica, one much more important than Viscount Daryl.

As Monica held her breath, Melissa peered into her face and spoke with a serious expression.

“Moni-Moni, you know…”

“Y-Yes?”

“That dress robe of yours is pretty cute. Tell me the workshop which tailored it.”

Monica froze, dumbfounded. Meanwhile, Melissa grabbed the sleeves of her dress robe and nodded while carefully observing the details.

“This lace is from Randall, right? Those are pretty trendy right now. Look, the embroidery is so delicate and cute, isn’t it?”

“Uh, y-yes…”

“There aren’t many craftsmen who will add lace to robes, so I’ve had to sew it on personally.”

Come to think of it, robes with lace were indeed a bit unusual. While it wasn’t uncommon to see a little lace on the edges for women’s robes, extensive use of lace was rare.

Melissa went on to point at Monica’s waist with a sparkle in her eye.

“And here, it’s rare to see such well-done gathers around the waist. Mage robes always look so loose, you know?”

“Gat-gathers?”

“Gathers, yes. Did you really put it on without knowing that?”

Giving Monica a stern look, Melissa crossed her arms and sighed.

“Most dress robes in high society are just robes with a gaudy amount of decorations. But this one, the silhouette is proper for a dress. It’s nice. Very cute.”

Melissa was praising the dress robes designed by Lana, which made Monica genuinely happy.

Since Monica herself was not well-versed in fashion, she could only offer Lana simple compliments like “cute” and “wonderful”. However, Melissa went into much finer details, providing valuable feedback.

(I should tell Lana what Onee-san praised her about. Um, gathers, gathers…)

As Monica repeated the unfamiliar word in her mind, Melissa lifted the corner of her mouth into a smirk, having come up with the perfect prank.

With a grandiose gesture, Melissa opened her fan and spoke in a tone as sweet as honey.

“Regarding the incident with those airheaded weasels the other day, Cyril-sama sent me a lovely silk fabric as a thank-you gift. Truly exquisite, as expected of Cyril-sama. Thus, I want to use it to make a fabulous dress robe.”

Monica returned a nod, and for some reason, Melissa’s expression turned serious.

“Hold on. Shouldn’t you be more like, Kyaa, I’m so jealous! I should beg Cyril-sama for some too!?”

“…Huh?”

Monica couldn’t fathom what Melissa was exasperated about, so she tilted her head.

During the incident involving the white dragon, Melissa was the one who contributed the most. There was nothing wrong with Cyril expressing his gratitude to her. Moreover, Monica had already received a splendid coat. What more could she wish for?

However, Melissa frowned and shook her head.

“Ugh, nevermind. You’re completely hopeless. Oh well.”

“Um, s-sorry…”

“So? Where did you get this dress robe?”

At Melissa’s question, Monica’s face lit up again.

Leaning slightly forward, she explained.

“Um… I had it made at a friend’s trading company!”

“A friend? From Sazandol?”

“Yes! It’s called the Flux Company…”

After Monica explained the name and location of Lana’s company, Melissa returned a satisfied nod.

“Alright. I’ll place an order soon, so go talk to your friend.”

“Got it!”

When Lana hears that the Fourth Thorn Witch is coming to the shop, she will surely be surprised.

The realization that Lana’s efforts were being recognized brought a smile to Monica’s face.

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