The Princess was surprisingly accommodating. She was easygoing and eager to show Ardyn around. It was as if she was fascinated by the fact that someone like him was here in this world and wanted to introduce him to everyone she knew.
"By the way, what's the cover story? I didn't get to attend the meeting earlier," Elyana asked Mathias in a hushed tone.
"He's a royal friend of the Prince from the Sapphire Kingdom," Mathias told her calmly. "We'll call him Chris, a Guardian from the House of Hanswell."
They had talked about it during the meeting earlier. Ardyn recalled saying his full name — Adrien Christopher — and Evan proposed that he would be called 'Chris' during the banquet.
Elyana's features lit up. "That's a nice name! Chris!" She looked thoughtful for a moment. "So if we say he comes from the Hanswell family..."
Mathias nodded. "It won't make him stand out too much."
"Okay. Got it." Elyana turned back to Ardyn. "Well? Are you ready to meet some nobles?" she asked teasingly.
Ardyn managed a strained smile, not knowing how else to respond. Was he supposed to seem cold and distant as a 'royal', or bright and friendly? This role was starting to get confusing.
He was also a bit puzzled by Elyana's treatment of him so far. She wasn't like Clay, who was wary and suspicious, or Gideon, who was polite but subtly cautious. She was more like Ansel in fact, but still, she was a royal. Shouldn't she be a little dubious about his presence instead of being welcoming?
I still don't know what to think...
"Come!" Elyana urged, taking his arm and squeezing it gently. "Don't worry. I'll take care of everything."
"Are you sure that His Majesty won't mind you being here at the moment?" Mathias asked her wearily. He sounded like he had been through this several times before.
Ardyn felt a flash of pity for him. It seemed that Evan and Elyana were a handful for poor Mathias.
But he couldn't help but feel amused as well. Their interactions were interesting, to say the least.
"Of course it's all right!" Elyana insisted. "His Majesty and Her Majesty are even walking around right now, talking to the guests. The official celebration will start later when they begin their speeches, but they're all busy eating."
Mathias sighed, but this time there was an indulgent smile on his face.
"If you say so, my Lady."
The two of them followed behind her as she chatted briefly with a few nobles. They seemed to be congratulating her. Even a few citizens came forward to offer their best wishes without hesitation.
"They all love her," Mathias said. "She visits town every now and then just to spend time with the citizens. She's one of those genuine royals."
Ardyn nodded slightly. "I can tell."
Suddenly, Elyana walked in their direction and took Ardyn by the arm once more.
"Chris, I want to introduce you to a few of the aristocrats," she said. "Some are curious about your identity since they've never seen you before, so let's go and diminish their suspicions!"
Ardyn didn't even have time to respond before she started dragging him towards a group of royals, with Mathias following closely from behind.
Come to think of it, it's a little jarring to hear someone call me 'Chris', he thought absently.
Nevertheless, Ardyn found himself following Elyana's lead, delivering the prepared speech that had been running through his head just before he entered the grand hall.
They had discussed it beforehand in the private room; since Ardyn would be assuming the role of a royal, caution was of the utmost importance. Posing as an upper-class noble was out of the question. His cover would be blown immediately.
Therefore, the best approach was to pose as a lower-class noble, someone nearly inconspicuous in the social hierarchy, like the House of Hanswell. Mathias had explained that there were numerous low-class nobles throughout the four kingdoms, making it wise to blend in seamlessly with that segment of society.
This was no problem for Ardyn, given his outgoing nature back in his world. Though a bit introverted, he had no trouble mingling with people, even those he had just met. It just required more effort on his part.
However, he had to tone down his casual nature because the culture here was very different. It would be a good idea to restrain himself lest he say something wrong.
There were some interesting people. The first noble he met was a distant relative of the royal family named Lady Talia Zenith. She was a kind woman in her late forties and was apparently known for her charitable efforts.
"Greetings to you, my Lady," Elyana said with a graceful cursty. "It's a pleasure to have you here."
"The pleasure is all mine, Your Royal Highness." Lady Talia's eyes turned to Ardyn, who managed a smile at her and a polite bow. "And who is this dashing young lad? I noticed that he has been by your side for a while."
"Yes!" Elyana said. "He is a good friend of the Prince. I've taken on the role of showing him around."
"I see," Lady Talia said.
"Greetings, my Lady," Ardyn said, starting to recite the words that he had memorized. "My name is Chris Hanswell, a Royal Guardian from the Sapphire Kingdom. It is an honor to meet you."
Did I do that right? Unbeknownst to the woman, he was sweating profusely from his back, feeling the clothing stick to his skin uncomfortably. We don't talk this formally back in my world! What is this, the medieval era or something?
Thankfully, Lady Talia only acknowledged him briefly before turning back to Elyana.
Dodged a bullet, Ardyn sighed internally in relief.
There was also the head of House Ironhawk named Duke Georj Ironhawk. His house was known for its expertise in blacksmithing. He had a gruff exterior and couldn't seem to stop talking about his commitment to the kingdom's military strength.
He barely even minded Ardyn's presence, too engrossed in his own speech. Elyana listened to him attentively, nodding every now and then.
These people are really like from the old ages, Ardyn thought to himself, sighing inwardly.
It was intimidating to introduce himself to these nobles. He didn't want to seem overly suspicious, but he guessed that he might be doing something right because none seemed to pay too much attention to him. Evan and Elyana were the stars of the day, so they were the ones the people — including the nobles — were truly interested in.
At that moment, Elyana led him to someone standing nearby. He was a tall man with an imposing figure and a deep frown on his face, as if he were unhappy about being brought to this party.
As they approached, Ardyn could see that the man had short dark hair that was elegantly combed back, and slanted eyes that were surprisingly a bright orange, resembling the blazing color of fire.
He was dressed in regal attire consisting of a dark blue waistcoat, fitted leather pants, a long shoulder cape, and brown boots. On his left shoulder was a prominent red brooch that seemed to indicate his rank in the aristocracy.
He seemed to sense them coming towards him because he slowly turned around and greeted Elyana with a slight bow.
"Good evening, Princess," he said politely.
"Good evening, Your Grace," Elyana greeted back. "It is a pleasure to have you attend this grand celebration."