Chapter 94: The Hand they will notice.

Because I wasted time in the bathroom, by the time I came out, Philius had already dressed himself in formal attire.

Wearing only a gown over my naked body, I approached him. Kneeling at his feet, I retied his shoelaces and tidied his pant hems. It was just when the slightly disheveled pant crease found its place. Philius bent his knees, disheveling the pant crease again. But he stood me up without caring.

“I want you to receive treatment befitting you.”

“You serve me too.”

I scanned his attire. The cravat wasn’t crooked, nor was the shirt wrinkled. The only thing to correct was matching the collars of the vest and coat. As I reached out to tidy the collars, he frowned with one eye as if disapproving of my stubbornness.

When I took my hands off him, a sudden kiss landed. While matching the movement of his tongue splitting my lips, I didn’t know what to do with my hands floating in the air. I couldn’t wrinkle his formal attire with my hands, so I helplessly clenched my empty hands into fists. As if wanting to put me in more trouble, his tongue moved more boldly. Sweeping the tender flesh inside my mouth, scratching the roof. When he poked under my tongue, I eventually grabbed his hands.

As my fingers rubbed over his ring, the kiss deepened further. Sucking my tongue making explicit sounds.

“There are times when I realize I am also full of nasty Alpha habits.”

Rubbing my face, which was disheveled again, Philius whispered.

“I want you to be treated most preciously.”

His lips went down along my neck.

“And while I hope everyone knows you are by my side.”

The disheveled gown couldn’t stop him. A stinging pain arose on my collarbone.

“Sometimes greed soars, wishing I could lock you up like this and only I could see you.”

His lips drew a semicircle along my neck. Following the marks left like chains from licking and sucking plenty last night too.

Finally, I could understand his feelings.

“You feel sorry to me.”

I stroked his earlobe. For the man saying he sometimes wants to lock me up, ironically, I felt affection.

In just a moment, he will stand before reporters filling the banquet hall. To convey the news that the manufacturing method of synthetic diamonds has been completed.

Although it was news shocking enough to the gem market following the depletion of Pigeon Blood, reporters would be more attentive to the ring on Philius’s hand than how synthetic diamonds were made and used. Not only the King’s side but also the Prime Minister’s side. Since the King’s Brother, who had no engagement or light romance stories until now, is indirectly admitting that the rumor with the recessive Omega is true.

There was a quite busy preparation process for the large-scale event held for the first time in the mansion.

Originally, decorating the banquet hall is the lady of the house’s job. Although there were those who acted as proxies if there was no one to supervise or if capability was lacking.

Although an official lady of the house was absent in this mansion, the person who oversaw everything in the banquet hall was me. I selected and ordered curtains, carpets, lighting, flower decorations, food, and tableware according to a consistent concept. I discussed seating arrangements with Philius, but he didn’t express opposition to my decisions.

Those invited to this event with the unfamiliar name of an official press conference all sent replies of attendance. Those who didn’t receive invitations even sent letters saying they wanted to attend this event.

Those belonging to the latter were all nobles. They even expressed resentment at the fact that the first event held at the King’s Brother’s mansion was open only to reporters. Because a significant number of reporters were Betas lucky enough to study up to university.

Although I provided the basic idea for synthetic diamonds, my name is not scheduled to appear in today’s conference. I asked for it to be so.

It wasn’t the time to highlight the name of a Beta jeweler.

Nor was it a place to step forward as Liberalis Sella. Today’s conference is, anyway, a place to announce the completion of synthetic diamond manufacturing technology. It is also clear that indirect suggestion through the ring would be more effective than suddenly announcing an fiancé. It’s the same logic that paparazzi shots looking like they were taken secretly sell better than pictorials taken together by celebrities in a public relationship.

“That’s not wrong either, but.”

Philius left the same mark on the opposite collarbone. As if saying he feels sorry for the current situation where he cannot fully reveal my existence, but it is also true that he feels satisfaction in the fact that only he knows me.

But I also know he won’t tie me down.

Even if his greed is true, I also know the fact that confessing those words to me now is to lighten my heart.

“It was my choice.”

Philius licked my Adam’s apple vibrating with my voice. Lips tracing back up the neck found my lips again. I also opened my lips and welcomed his tongue.

Only the sound of tongues tangling echoed in the silent room. We immersed in the kiss as if only we were left in the world.

As if left in a world completely separated from the already bustling banquet hall.

Would the announcement about synthetic diamond manufacturing technology be finished by now? Still wearing only the gown, I gauged the time.

Although no one would carelessly come up to the floor where the bedroom is from the banquet hall, I had to prepare for the one in ten thousand chance. Moreover, now I had taken off the necklace too.

The thought occurred belatedly that I should find the necklace. The last memory is it being taken off and thrown somewhere last night.

I was amazed at myself being calm even not knowing the whereabouts of the necklace, which would cost a tremendous figure just by price.

Walking around the room barefoot, the texture of the cool marble felt foreign.

The fact that I became completely accustomed to this world approached anew.

The necklace was found under the tea table. If we had started the day sharing tea together as usual, we would have found it earlier.

I put the necklace around my neck and activated the cognitive interference magic circle. Only after checking my appearance in the mirror did I go out to the balcony.

Wheel tracks remained dizzyingly on the pavement stones that were always clean. Carriages that reporters filling the banquet hall rode would be densely parked behind the mansion. Just then, the sound of horses neighing was heard from afar.

Although the sunlight is still stinging, time didn’t stop in summer. A few pansies blooming out of season stood out in the garden which was all green.

A sudden wind blew. As the gown hem fluttered, I hurriedly bent my waist.

Bare feet were visible under the gown hem.

Although the gust was momentary and the air became calm again, I hurriedly returned to the room. It was time for me to prepare too.

Walking to the end of the room, I opened the door to the dressing room. Clothes clearly different in size from Philius’s filled one side densely. My newly tailored clothes seemed to have increased more in a few days.

I chose and wore a shirt with the most splendid lace on sleeves and collar. I wore a black vest and pants and tied a dark red cravat around my neck. Choosing and wearing glossy black wingtip shoes, I finally put on a coat with a calm navy blue color but splendid woven pattern.

Although the tone didn’t match the dark brown hair and eyes, it was an outfit perfectly fitting my original gray hair and green eyes.

Above all, it matched well with the ring on my ring finger.

After checking my appearance, I left the room. Stepping onto the stairs, noises erasing the silence began to be heard.

Arriving at the floor where the banquet hall was, the noise became louder.

“Any questions?”

Piercing through the unorganized noise of people shouting what they wanted to say, Philius’s voice was heard clearly. I walked the long corridor without making footsteps.

Following Philip pointing someone out, a stranger’s voice followed. Due to poor vocalization, it wasn’t heard as clearly as Philius’s voice, but the content was grasped to some extent. It was a question asking if he can guarantee that synthetic diamonds really have utility equal to real diamonds, and if he is sure unexpected things won’t happen.

I had told Philip acting as the moderator to point out a reporter from the King’s side. And the designated reporter asked a question not deviating a bit from expectation. Thankfully.

Although we could have given a script to a reporter from the Prime Minister’s side and asked to ask exactly as written from the beginning, such a question became a much more natural picture when asked by someone from the King’s side.

“O-oh, you came.”

Ian, guarding the banquet hall door, greeted in a tense posture.

“Any unexpected situations?”

“So far proceeding as scheduled.”

“Okay.”

Ian answered blinking his eyes, perhaps still unfamiliar with my face with the cognitive interference magic circle activated.

Ian inherited the position of exclusive servant I quit. Originally, Ian should have worked following the King’s Brother’s movement with Philip as I did, but now Philius was handling a considerable number of tasks himself. Including taking care of me.

Even Philip could enter the bedroom only when called using the short message transmitter.

Ian’s shoulders looked stiff, perhaps finding it not easy to adapt to my position completely changed from a servant status. As scheduled, I shouldn’t be here. The person who decided so was me. It’s obvious Ian is thinking ‘please go,’ but I pretended not to know and leaned against the door. Philius’s voice answering the reporter’s question was heard more clearly.

“Internal experiments showed no abnormalities, which is a natural result since it’s a mineral perfectly identical to natural diamond from the start. But I know reporters like you will say internal experiment results cannot be trusted. Since ceaseless spirit of inquiry is a reporter’s duty, you are an excellent reporter.”

A scoff came out. The one designated by Philip was the King’s trumpeter. Although the majority of reporters in the banquet hall rely on power, he was a particularly unusual and noisy one. Laughter poured toward the one blatantly smearing shit.

“So I decided to conduct a verification everyone can understand before market release.”

“By what method?”

I felt like I knew what expression Philius would be making now. He must be wearing a picture-perfect smile holding people’s gazes.

As if my guess wasn’t wrong, the murmuring sounds subsided at once.

“The night scenery of Noberten is beautiful. When looking at the night sky from the jungle of the New Continent, I used to miss Noberten’s night view.”

It was the first time the King’s Brother, still holding the status of Commander-in-Chief of the expeditionary force, mentioned the New Continent matters directly. I became curious about the scenery beyond the door. I wanted to see what expressions the reporters listening to Philius’s words breathlessly were making.

“But I knew only after returning. That unfortunately, there exist places unable to light up, unbefitting the fame of the beautiful capital Noberten of great Henia.”

As if the silence just now was a lie, reporters raised their voices in unison. Because they interpreted Philius’s words highly politically.

“There were no streetlights in the Beta residential area. I plan to set up streetlights there. Just one of this synthetic diamond can light up the entire Beta residential area. I expect it will be sufficient verification for performance.”

Philius’s following words silenced the reporters again. In the moment of silence, Philius’s footsteps resonated. Realizing it was the end, reporters started shouting competitively.

Before the banquet hall door opened, I reached out first and opened the door. I extended my left hand wearing the ring inside the door.

The very next moment I felt the footsteps grew louder, my left hand was grabbed. Following that, I was hugged into Philius’s embrace almost trapped.

“Please relax your strength a little.”

“Why?”

“Because I have to show the left hand, to them.”