It wasn’t too difficult to picture Stella at about this time in her previous life.

Unlike my life now, where human relationships are abundant, most of my academy life was filled with days with Lulu or Stella.

In particular, if it was originally going to be around this time, senior Xian would have already graduated and returned to the Forest of the World Tree, Saint Claire would have taken a leave of absence due to the side effects of the battle with Hemes, and by the time Delfina, she would not have even entered the academy at all. .

Among his few memories, it wasn’t too difficult to recall a past conversation with Stella.

‘fiance?’

‘Yes, Mr. Conrad. Not too long ago, my father suggested that I should find a partner now that I’ve reached the age of getting a fiancé, so I’ve been thinking about that.’

‘Is there anything to worry about? Maybe it’s because I don’t like the other person’s conditions?’

‘No, the opponent has not been decided.’

‘yes?’

‘The other party told me to join the returning noble ball and find it myself. Someone who can patiently wait for me to reach the level of a sword master, and in addition, a person with a good mind and personality.’

‘… Stella, to your personality? It must be very difficult.’

‘Don’t make fun of me, Mr. Conrad. That’s why I’m worried too.’

At that time, Stella’s personality was not very good for seducing men even with empty words.

Her personality, which was a little blunt to those who saw her for the first time, but on the contrary, quite cheerful among close friends, was in many ways different from a typical noble lady.

… Come to think of it, this isn’t much different now than it was back then.

Anyway, thinking that I would solve her concerns, I continued this conversation with her at the time.

‘I’m just going to ask you once, Stella, do you think you need a fiancé like your father said?’

‘I don’t think so. Although I am the daughter of Count Arwen, my foundation is always a swordsman. I don’t want to worry about dating or engagement until I reach the sword master, which is the highest level as a swordsman.’

‘Well, if it’s your personality, I think you’d say that.’

After hearing that answer, I remember that I probably made this suggestion to Stella, who was worried about her fiancée.

‘Then should I participate in the aristocratic ball instead?’

‘Yeah?’

‘If that aristocratic ball is the imperial family’s ball during the national holiday, then my schedule is also empty.’

‘Ah, come to think of it, Mr. Conrad was also a nobleman.’

‘… Anyway, as long as I participate in the prom as your partner and show you a moderately good relationship with you, Stella, won’t your father think you’ve found a partner and move on? Even if they don’t actually get engaged.’

‘Somehow, I feel like I’m cheating on my father, so I feel strangely guilty… .’

‘It doesn’t actually mean that you won’t get married in the future. I mean I’ll help you with delaying the engagement, Stella.’

‘All right. Then I will accept Mr. Conrad’s offer.’

Hmm, right. That’s pretty much what the conversation was about.

Perhaps, given that they were similar in terms of timing, there was a high possibility that Stella then and Stella now had the same concerns.

The only difference is that while Stella at that time easily confided her concerns to me, Stella now for some reason doesn’t want to talk about it at all.

Read at noblemtl.com

Judging from that attitude, it might be that he was thinking about something different from what I thought, but for now, I decided to try a rhyme about the aristocratic ball.

“stellar.”

“Yes, Senior Conrad.”

“Did the invitation to the ball hosted by the imperial family fly in front of you by any chance?”

“… … That’s right.”

Seeing that he spits out an answer after a short thought, it seems that what I expected was correct.

“Are you going to participate?”

“… Perhaps, it will.”

“Doesn’t that mean that you will participate with your own will?”

“My father said how to participate, so… .”

Stella deliberately evaded the latter part, as if she wanted to hide the fact that she had talked about making a fiancé at the ball.

I don’t know why, but it’s probably because of circumstances.

Looking at this troubled attitude, it seems that I also vaguely feel that I don’t want to make a fiancé.

He must have thought that, just like in his previous life, he was hindering his swordsmanship training.

“Stella, then… .”

As soon as the suggestion of taking me as a partner passed through my mind, I suddenly realized that an invitation to a ball hosted by the imperial family had arrived.

An invitation to a ball hosted by the imperial family that you received for the first time in this lifetime, which you did not receive in your previous lifetime.

In a way, it was natural.

Based on my previous life, the present Perdalos family was a mediocre viscount family, and I was also an ordinary wizard before I rose to prominence.

If invitations were sent to all the Confucius from such a distant viscount family, even if the largest room in the imperial palace was used as a stage, the number of people would not be enough.

On the other hand, in this lifetime, the Perdalos family became a family that received a lot of attention in various ways thanks to Delphina and I, and I personally gained a reputation as a 6th-circle mage.

This time, the imperial family must have thought that I was a person worthy of being invited.

I thought that by using this, Stella would be able to naturally break down the story of her fiancé that she was hiding.

“… What were you trying to say, Conrad?”

Stella asked with a questioning expression as if wondering why I had stopped talking in the middle, and I answered her hiding my true feelings.

“I also received an invitation and was contemplating whether to participate or not. Why don’t we participate together?”

“… … Yeah?”

“Because it’s easier for me to have a familiar face as my partner. Do you think so too?”

“Uh, uh, uh uh, uh… .”

“stellar… ?”

She uttered only one syllable, and her reddened face barely nodded.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

For reference, I didn’t have much experience participating in exchanges with nobles.

This was the same story throughout both lives.

In his past life, including the ball he attended with Stella, there would have been only four or five, and in this lifetime, it was only one exchange event he participated in as an escort knight for Saint Clare.

Even when he participated in the past life, there were many times when the purpose was for the other side rather than promoting friendship among nobles.

There were even pretending to be servants, hiding their identities, in order to contact nobles who were presumed to be related to the Dark Church, or to gather information.

That’s why I couldn’t be sure that I knew very well the etiquette at the aristocratic ball itself.

At least I was confident that I was more familiar than Stella.

“AA AA AA… .”

Because, right now, she was sitting in the seat next to me, her legs trembling with great tension.

Inside the carriage heading to the imperial palace, Stella was very nervous, spitting out only one syllable.

For her, who has no memory of her past life, it is not unreasonable for her to be nervous as this ball will be her first actual meeting with nobles.

… Even taking that into account, I think I’m shaking a little too much.

“No, Senior Conrad… . Am I really participating like this? Are you going to show up at your first ball as a partner with senior Conrad?”

“Come to think of it, is it really bad for me to be your partner?”

“Da, Dada, that is outrageous! I-I don’t mean that, Kon-Konrad-senpai, the fact that I’m your partner is, uh-so… .”

I remember not being so nervous the first time I attended a prom with her in my previous life.

Now, it was hard to figure out where the past had changed and her attitude had changed.

Well, anyway, the purpose of not making Stella a fiancé at this ball was achievable, so it wouldn’t matter too much.

In fact, when I first received the invitation to this prom, I had thought of sending a rejection letter without much thought.

Because I didn’t have enough free time to participate in all these small events.

However, if this becomes something to do with Stella, the story will change of course.

It was because, while I wasn’t attending the ball, if Stella seduced a clumsy man into getting engaged, I’d be in trouble.

Because she was destined to become a hero in the future.

If I can’t focus on swordsmanship due to external factors, many parts of the future I planned will be displaced.

I was a person who still thought that Stella’s power was needed to defeat the Demon God Cardia.

Stella was the only one who could slash Beldrial’s thick scales with a single sword, or buy time by clashing swords against a death knight.

If she had a fiancé, and her awakening as a sword master was delayed because of that, it would have an adverse effect on the strength of the demon subjugation force that would soon be formed.

It had to be prevented somehow, so this time, they came together to block that obstruction.

And, personally, I also wanted her to never have a fiancé.

… I don’t know why, but it was anyway.

“Come on, Senior Conrad. When entering, is the first step with the right foot? Or is it from the left foot?!”

“… Start with your right foot. And you don’t have to be so nervous. Take it easy.”

“I’m sorry. Thinking of taking on the role as Conrad-senpai’s partner, I couldn’t be more nervous… .”

At this rate, it was obvious that she would show such an unseemly attitude even after arriving at the imperial palace, so I spat out a light compliment to help her relax.

“stellar.”

“Yes Yes!”

“The dress you wore today is pretty.”

“Oh, today’s mouth… Yes Yes?!”

I continued to praise her, not caring about her excessively embarrassing reaction.

“The dress suits you really well, and the braided hairstyle too. Of course, the usual Stella is also pretty, but today you are so dazzlingly beautiful that anyone can see that you are a noble noblewoman.”

“… … .”

By the way, when it came to compliments, they weren’t empty words, they were sincere.

Stella, wearing a sky-blue dress with golden embroidery, with her hair braided up and rolled back, looked like a noble lady full of culture.

Even to me, who knows the true nature of the contents, it is this pretty, but it probably looks even more so in the eyes of others.

“AA AA AA… .”

After hearing my words, Stella began to spit out one more syllable, as if she didn’t know what to say.

Her legs, which were shaking from tension, fortunately subsided at some point.