Chapter 89 The Banquet of Flowers and Fleeting Love
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Elenor would return to the Royal Palace, change into her dress for tonight’s meeting, and join me at the theater.
After seeing her off from the estate, I started on my own preparations.
Out in the courtyard, I summoned about twenty goblins. One by one, I fitted each of them with [Substitution Collars], just to be safe.
After all, I was about to hold talks with that “Explosion Killing Angel,” Princess Liliana. I’d be meeting her on my home turf, but I had no idea what kind of cards she might play. No amount of insurance could be too much.
As I stored the ready goblins in a sturdy monster cage, my slave and maid Lilia came to tell me I had a visitor.
Her face looked slightly tense—probably because of that cage full of monsters right in front of her. The air around the cage was chilly, and the shadows across the floor only made it worse. I’d once put her inside that cage as a joke, just for a little while. Apparently, she still remembered.
I pulled her into a gentle embrace.
”Don’t worry. I won’t do it again.”
The evening sun streamed into the Grimlock Margrave estate courtyard, lighting up her relieved face. With Lilia in tow, I headed to the reception room.
Waiting for me in the reception room were Cecilia and Lizel.
They’d been quite worried, since I’d been caught up in that explosion at the Royal Palace and missed three days of school. I’d sent letters letting them know I was safe, but they still couldn’t ease their minds.
I honestly—and happily—accepted their feelings.
”I have a meeting with Princess Liliana later, but if you’re both free, how about we grab a meal together before that?”
I decided to take these two dear girls to a restaurant. The theater had plenty of combat-ready staff, and security was tight. No one could plant explosives. The two of them would be safe during the meeting.
Cecilia and Lizel readily accepted my offer.
Since we were at it, I decided to bring Lilia, Lizel’s dedicated slave Kai, and Kai’s little sister Mina too, and treat everyone to a good meal at my theater.
After sending word to the restaurant about the extra guests, we all boarded the carriages.
Two carriages. The one carrying me, Cecilia, and Lizel led the way, and the one with Lilia, Mina, and Kai followed quietly behind.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, I, Cecilia, and Lizel waited for Elenor’s arrival in my special VIP room on the second floor.
Lilia, Mina, and Kai were having their meal prepared in the large staff cafeteria downstairs.
In the bedroom of the estate, there would be no issue, but outside the bedroom, rank still mattered. People of different standing simply could not dine at the same table in the same room.
Eventually, right on schedule, Elenor arrived.
In my fancy VIP room, with golden-haired Elenor, fiery red-haired Cecilia, and bright pink-haired Lizel, it looked like a garden of beautiful flowers.
One rich dish after another arrived, and we enjoyed them while watching the show on the stage below.
”That said, for Elenor-sama to go out of her way to attend a meeting like this… you really are worried about your dear little sister-princess, aren’t you?” Cecilia asked.
”Indeed. After that horrific explosion, it is only natural to worry as a sister, my dear,” Elenor replied.
Cecilia and Lizel made some harmless small talk with Elenor.
”You two, that’s just the official story,” I said. “The real truth is, this Elenor is head-over-heels for me. She keeps finding excuses to come to my side like this. Honestly, what a troublesome woman. Haha.”
When I said that in my usual joking way, Elenor’s beautiful face flushed bright red as she glared at me.
”…Who would ever—! You’re far too full of yourself, you fool!”
Seeing us like that, Cecilia and Lizel seemed to grasp the general situation.
”Oh my… Even Elenor-sama has fallen victim to Xenos-sama’s clutches…” Cecilia murmured.
”You really have no scruples at all, do you?” Lizel added.
The two of them looked a little put off.
”Can’t be helped,” I said with a shrug. “I mean, I’m pretty good-looking, after all. They just ended up falling for me before they knew it.”
”Don’t say such arrogant things! I don’t have even the slightest bit of affection for the likes of you!” Elenor shot back.
When I said that, Elenor denied it with all her might. But Cecilia and Lizel looked like they thought, “Well, if it’s Xenos, I suppose that’s just how it is.”
”I won’t deny that Xenos-sama is a charming person, but…” Cecilia began.
”Still, with Elenor-sama, eventually, it’ll only be a fleeting relationship, won’t it…” Lizel finished.
The two of them suddenly voiced such serious concerns.
Elenor was a princess of this kingdom. Unlike Cecilia or Lizel, whose futures held political marriages to other nobles, she and I would never end up together.
Lizel’s engagement to that Luca Dalton had been annulled long ago. It was already decided she would become my concubine.
That poor Luca, ever since his rampage at the Academy, was still under house arrest at his family estate.
As I may not look it, I am heir to a high-ranking noble house. A count’s daughter with a broken engagement could be taken for my own with some force.
But when the other party is a princess, even I can’t manage that.
I could tell Elenor’s expression had turned slightly lonely.
As if to break the somber mood—someone knocked on the door.
It was Princess Liliana’s guardian knight, Serena Crystalight. With her silver hair, she made the room even more beautiful.
(I thought there was still a bit of time until the meeting with the princess…?)
Her early arrival puzzled me.
—
Summary:
Xenos prepares goblins with [Substitution Collars] as insurance before meeting the dangerous “Explosion Killing Angel” Liliana. He dines with Cecilia, Lizel, and Elenor at his theater, where their conversation reveals Elenor’s romantic interest in him despite the impossibility of their union due to her royal status. The social tension about Elenor’s fleeting relationship is interrupted by the unexpected early arrival of Serena Crystalight, Liliana’s guardian knight.
—
Trivia:
Xenos was caught in a Royal Palace explosion and missed three days of school.
Lilia was once put inside a monster cage as a joke and still remembers the experience.
Lizel’s engagement to Luca Dalton was formally annulled and she is now destined to become Xenos’s concubine.
Luca Dalton has been under house arrest since his rampage at the Academy.
The restaurant has a VIP room on the second floor and a staff cafeteria in the basement.
Xenos keeps his goblins in a sturdy monster cage with chilly air around it.
The [Substitution Collars] are used as insurance for the upcoming meeting.
Elenor is a princess and cannot realistically end up with Xenos due to political marriage expectations.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Elenor – Princess Elenor, the haughty, analytical “Saint of Light” and sister to Liliana, is a silver-blonde swordswoman and healer with gray-blue eyes. Though a noble princess and Grimlock’s fiancée, she is the protagonist’s submissive, magic-sealed slave. A tsundere torn between royal dignity and affection for Xenos, she balances sharp retorts with intense devotion, often appearing in revealing cosplay.
• Liliana – Known as the “Angel of the Asgard Kingdom” for her golden hair and sky-blue eyes, this princess is the younger sister of Prince Liam and Elenor. While maintaining a refined, angelic public facade, she is a manipulative mastermind who wields explosion magic. As Serena’s liege and the true culprit behind recent assassination attempts, she carefully hides her dark nature behind whispered, noble asides.
• Lilia – Xenos’s fiercely loyal, trauma-resilient Head Maid is a lovely, pale, busty woman with long dark hair, a chest tattoo, and a nullified crest. Dressed in a black uniform, she maintains refined, icy elegance when disciplining others, especially Elenor. While formal and efficient with guests, she masks deep, jealous anxiety for Xenos, finding her greatest joy in serving him and sleeping by his side.
• Grimlock – Xenos’s family name.
• Cecilia – The eldest daughter of the Vermillion Duchy and a former saint, she is Xenos’s fiancée and one of his romantic interests. Known for her flame-red hair, blue eyes, and pet, Lumiá, she possesses a cold yet playful nature. Though she rejected Prince Liam, she adores Kuuko and teases Lizel. Lilia shows no jealousy toward her. She occasionally uses a ring to adopt a revealing dancer’s disguise.
• Lizel – A petite, graceful Blanchet count’s daughter, wind mage, and academy student with pink twin-tails, purple eyes, and a signature smirk. Known for her protective, anxious tsundere nature, she is Luca Dalton’s fiancée, Grimlock’s classmate, and Cecilia’s friend. Disguised in a dancer’s costume, she walks the “Path of Light” and is one of Xenos’s devoted romantic interests whom Lilia does not resent.
• Mina – A personal maid for the Grimlock estate, serves Xenos with childlike devotion. With soft brown hair and a playful bunny kigurumi over dancer’s attire, she uses cheerful gyaru speech and remains oblivious to tension. She shares a loving bond with her brother Kai, cares for Lumiá, Kuuko, and the estate kitten, and holds a deep affection for Cecilia, recently announcing Serena’s arrival.
• Kai – Job: Lizel’s dedicated slave; Relationship: Brother to Mina; Note: Accompanied the group to the restaurant.
• Xenos – Job: Heir to a high-ranking noble house; Relationship: Owner of Lilia; Has romantic connections with Elenor, Cecilia, and Lizel; Item/Magic: Summoning magic, [Substitution Collars]; Note: Was caught up in a Royal Palace explosion and missed three days of school. Pragmatic and calculating personality. Job: Noble of Grimlock family, protagonist; Relationship: Manipulator of Princess Liliana, pursuing Serena; Item/Magic: [Ring of Transformation]; Note: Reincarnated villain with game knowledge, calculating and arrogant. Job: Theater Owner and noble of Grimlock family; Relationship: Fiancé to Cecilia; Item/Magic: Game knowledge/metaknowledge; Note: Reincarnated villain protagonist who knows the original game script.
• Serena – A competent, intellectual knight of the noble Crystalight family, this personal guardian to Princess Liliana is distinguished by long silver hair and an elegant, formal bearing. Deeply devoted to the princess yet easily flustered by unexpected advances, they have just arrived earlier than expected to the VIP room.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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