No Such Thing as a Chaste Man! Just Give It Ten Tries! - Chapter 12
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“The Saintess of Sol, the Slayer of the Black Dragon, the Savior of Genève… Lady Seo-ah makes her entrance!”
As Seo-ah entered the Grand Hall, announced passionately by the herald, the gaze of all those who had arrived earlier turned to her. Her figure, entering with Ephelinus’s escort, her hand on his arm, was unfamiliar to them all. A silent commotion swept through the hall.
‘This will be an important political message too. It shows that you’re prepared to live in Genève as an independent individual, not just as the Saintess protected by the Holy Kingdom. You’re not here as a saintess, dragon slayer, or a special hero, but as an ordinary woman ready to put down roots.’
Recalling the earnest advice from Lady Istel when they discussed her attire for the evening, Seo-ah tried to remember the etiquette she had hurriedly learned from her.
Though she wore a dress instead of the Holy Order’s ceremonial attire to make a visual impact on Ephelinus, it also served to subtly influence the public opinion needed to persuade the New United Government in the future.
Determined, Seo-ah lightly squeezed Ephelinus’s arm and took each step forward down the red-carpeted stairs.
Since they entered through an interior door of the Sun Palace, not the main entrance, they had to descend a spiral staircase to reach the banquet floor. Thanks to this, Seo-ah’s figure, dressed as a noble lady, was showcased from various angles as she descended.
Upon reaching the bottom of the two-story staircase, her shoes, adorned with soft pearl corsages, touched down on the marble floor of the banquet hall.
“Dame Seo-ah, welcome.”
A middle-aged man in fine attire approached. He was the leader of a group of middle-aged men waiting at the base of the stairs.
It was Duke Remus, the Speaker of the Senate. The very person leading the Senate’s push for the reverse summoning under the pretense of it being in Seo-ah’s best interest, though he found her presence burdensome.
Suppressing her instinctive aversion to him, Seo-ah forced a smile and greeted him with the etiquette that kept slipping her mind.
“It’s been a while, Duke Remus. May Sol’s everlasting glory be upon you.”
“Sol’s everlasting glory.”
“Haha, it’s also been a while since I last saw you, Your Holiness. It’s been some time since you’ve been in the capital, hasn’t it?”
The Speaker’s gaze held a hidden meaning as he addressed Ephelinus next. It was a sinister look exchanged among conspirators.
After all, the Senate was benefitting from Ephelinus’s reverse summoning spell in their efforts to send Seo-ah away.
Everyone’s gaze fixated on Ephelinus’s chiseled form, akin to a sculpture embodying nobility. Yet, he kept his lips firmly closed, his gaze lowered beneath long lashes, giving no reply. Let the silence stretch as it may.
No. His Holiness completed the reverse summoning spell for my sake, not to support your regime.
Seo-ah wore a satisfied smile as she glanced around at the Senate members.
“Ahem, haha…”
The Speaker broke the awkward silence with a hearty laugh.
“In any case, having Genève’s hero grace this gathering brings deeper meaning to this banquet, where all races of the Genève Union come together. Who knows when we’ll have another occasion like this…!”
“Oh, please. How could I not attend such a meaningful event as a resident blessed by Sol here in Genève? As long as I’m here, Sol’s forge and Mount Romi will always be part of this world.”
Reciting the prepared line, Seo-ah noticed the Speaker’s face stiffen. First, he hadn’t expected her to respond so fluently. After all, they viewed her as a foreign girl with no understanding of rank or manners, akin to a barbarian.
It wasn’t entirely incorrect. This line was one Lady Istel had crafted for her. Had Seo-ah been left to respond on her own, she would have just laughed it off with a hearty chuckle.
But the part that truly made the Senate members uncomfortable…
…was that Seo-ah hinted at a ‘next’ time.
The foreign hero who had secluded herself in the Holy Kingdom to avoid conflicts and focused on persuading Ephelinus had now made a glamorous official appearance, hinting at a future in Genève and asserting her influence.
‘I’m not leaving without a fight.’
Seo-ah’s smile grew as she firmly set her resolve.
Tonight, she would show that she belonged in Genève without causing discord. Even if she failed to seduce Ephelinus, she would secure her place here by turning public opinion or, if necessary, through force, and ultimately subdue the Senate.
