Karez Alucard, the second prince of the neighboring country of Varseil, appeared to be around Magdalene's age, yet possessed a remarkably mature and refined demeanor. His warm, smiling words had successfully left the lovely young girl blushing with embarrassment.
"It's wonderful to meet you, Princess Magdalene."
Blush.
Magdalene could only stare at the prince with a crimson expression, and, of course, she couldn't stop screaming in her mind.
"What's happening! Why am I the one who's embarrassed! This is just like the stories in the comics I read! Aaah!!!"
She thought to herself, "His name is Karez, right? Wait. He said he's from another kingdom, right? That means diplomatic relations? But that annoying Earl Ventela is quite impressive."
Magdalene regained her composure and replied to the prince's greeting, "Nice to meet you again, Prince Karez."
Aliester looked at his two new guests and asked, "Have you met Earl Ventela?"
"We haven't met him yet," Karez replied. "We decided to meet with Your Majesty first because of our earlier encounter with Princess Magdalene, and I caught a glimpse of Your Majesty, King Aliester, from afar."
"I see. Thank you for taking the time to meet me first. I think it would be awkward if you didn't meet Earl Ventela soon."
Karez occasionally glanced at Magdalene, sometimes flashing a thin smile, and other times struggling to look away. The little girl's charm seemed to hold a special value for him.
After satisfying his gaze, the young prince finally responded to Aliester's question. "We'll go look for Earl Ventela. Because of that–"
"Your Highness!!"
Just then, Earl Ventela arrived with his daughter, Lady Ventela. They looked slightly panicked, perhaps mirroring a feeling of anxiety.
Both Aliester and his little princess, Magdalene, as well as their two new acquaintances, Prince Karez and Aslyn, were taken aback by the host's sudden arrival.
Aliester quickly stood up from his seat as Earl Ventela approached, but Magdalene remained silent, showing no intention of greeting them.
Like a naive child with delicious food on her plate, she ate calmly. However, Karez and Aslyn were different. As soon as Aliester stood up to welcome the host, they quickly rose and greeted Earl Ventela.
"Good evening, Earl Ventela," Karez said respectfully. Aslyn also bowed to greet Earl Ventela and his daughter, Lady Bernadette.
"Good evening, Earl Ventela. Good evening, Lady Ventela-Bernadette. I am Aslyn Astaford, the personal assistant to His Highness Prince Karez Alucard of Varseil."
The Earl and Lady Bernadette greeted them politely, but it was clear that wasn't their true intention. Their forced smiles and hasty words of welcome made it obvious.
Karez and Aslyn didn't comment on it, however. Instead, their attention was drawn to Lady Ventela's face, which seemed to have been crying recently. Her eyes were red, and occasionally, a faint sobbing sound could be heard, which she tried to cover up with a smile.
Magdalene glanced at the woman. She could easily guess what was going on.
"Ugh, trying to play the victim, huh? How shameless!"
"I'm sure before I arrived a while ago, Daddy must have said something that she didn't like."
"She probably ran to her father and tattled. Let's see what the Earl has to say. What drama will they create tonight?"
Aliester also noticed Lady Bernadette's demeanor as she stood slightly behind her father. She appeared slightly subdued, and they could see that she seemed to be grieving.
He could guess what was happening here.
"That woman probably complained to her father about my remark a while ago."
"How interesting. I wonder how Earl Ventela will defend his daughter?"
"It's not my fault if I told her to leave. Her behavior isn't like that of a typical noblewoman. She needs to be reeducated!"
"At the very least, she shouldn't try to flirt with a widower of higher status in public. Especially when the one she's trying to flirt with is her own king!"
"How foolish of her!"
But did they notice the faint, thin smile she was trying to conceal?
Of course they didn't.
Aliester was only trying to get rid of them to avoid getting entangled in trouble. His act as a kind king began.
"What brings you here, Earl? I should be the one visiting you if you need something."
"Am I not a guest in this place?"
Earl Ventela's face looked incredibly tense upon hearing Aliester's words. Behind his words, emotions were hidden. Of course, Earl Ventela knew that.
He forced a smile to conceal his fear and anxiety. A faint laugh accompanied his demeanor, "Ahahaha, Your Majesty is too humble. You are still an honored guest. Besides, I wanted..." Earl glanced at his daughter and mustered the courage to ask Aliester, "Does Your Majesty refuse my daughter's company for the evening?"
Aliester's cold gaze began to emerge. A sense of discomfort started to arise. This was because Earl Ventela's question was so direct and could be overheard by some people who happened to be nearby.
For instance, Karez and Aslyn were both taken aback by the question. The inquiry could be interpreted as having a more intimate connotation. Clearly, the term 'accompany' could be understood as either a conversational partner or a romantic partner for the evening.
Of course, Earl Ventela's intention behind 'accompany' was to be a romantic partner for the evening.
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Your Majesty."
"But isn't...isn't this an opportunity for us, the Ventela family, to provide the best for all our guests? Of course, this could also strengthen the ties between the royal family and ours."
"My daughter has already shown her best appearance for you, Your Majesty."
"Would...would Your Majesty refuse to accompany her, even for a brief moment?"
How shameless. That was what Aliester and Magdalene thought. Both of their faces looked equally displeased. Especially the princess, Magdalene.
She nearly threw away the cake on the table after hearing Earl Ventela's words, which seemed overly forceful.
"How dare he speak like that with such confidence?"
"I really don't care about my body as Magdalene."
"Sorry, Magda. I'm so furious! How dare they say that to your father!"
"I'll use this body to make them regret it!"
"Just watch, I—"
Just as the little girl was about to get up, carrying a small plate of cake, Aliester responded to Earl Ventela.
"Excuse me for making Lady Bernadette sad, but I think you've forgotten one thing."
"I've already said that I don't want to get entangled in rumors. I thought coming here would give me some leeway to tolerate your behavior, Earl."
"But...it seems I've made a mistake."
"This might be a grand celebration, with many important guests attending. But I think it's just creating an atmosphere that shouldn't exist."
"Lady Bernadette is indeed beautiful, I acknowledge that. However, I've never gotten to know you or your family any closer."
"A Lady shouldn't openly approach the king as if she's received permission from me."
With a cold gaze and a tone of annoyance, Aliester seemed to press the issue, "When did I ever give her permission to claim me as her partner?"
The tone of his voice reflected Aliester's current emotions. In front of newly met guests, in front of several people who were paying attention, making them the center of attention, Aliester looked angry.
Moreover, Aliester's piercing gaze underscored his emotions. "I will not repeat myself. I have never granted your daughter permission to approach me, nor do I have any reason to escort her at this gathering."
"In addition, your daughter lacks a credible reason to accompany me at this party."
"Don't make me say something even harsher, Earl. I think you understand what I mean."