房客(糙汉)何璐程曜坤

But that didn't mean that the few days remaining for the party would be a walk in the park.

"(Is that so? Then we will definitely show up before the ball. Even though showing up there with the approval of the king would be in line with what my sponsor is hoping for, the risk outweighs the possible reward.)"

Although there was some delay from the original time he was supposed to do it, Zoemi did contact Surou about the time he and the woman who gained quite a high position in Vexzi city in Atreterve.

"|I understand the worry, although I can assure you that we made sure to prepare the best defensive measure we could. As long as the guests will not actively try to sabotage our actions, everything should go smoothly. Not to mention, we aren't even completely sure that this kind of attack will even happen.|"

The black-haired boy was talking to the blue-haired second prince via the message spell while doing some light exercise to keep his body in the best shape he could.

"(I appreciate the effort you all are putting into it, but relying on others to complete your own plans is just asking for something to go wrong. No thank you. Is it okay to arrange the meeting two days before the ball?)"

Surou merely scoffed and even though the visuals were not transferred through the spell, Zoemi could tell that the blue-haired prince was shaking his head and hand dismissively while saying that.

"|Sure, Horeo said it was okay anytime and to just notify him of our decision. Burushi said that unless she will get some emergency patients, she should have time before the ball too.|"

Zoemi didn't feel a particular need to argue with Surou so he simply agreed. He already was prepared for that outcome, which was mostly due to his experience as an attendant – even though he personally wanted something else to happen, a different outcome could not mess up his plans just like that.

--------

The scheduled day arrived and with it came the anxiety about the ever-looming grand ball and the possibility of the hostile takeover of power.

"You would not believe how many people suddenly try to contact me about changing their appearance. Some even try to mask it as an actual medical emergency!"

Burushi was walking behind Zoemi, talking about the few past days in an annoyed and tired voice.

"Do you know how infuriating it is to hurry to a patient after being told that she has suffered some internal injuries, just to learn that in fact you were only called in to be asked whether I can shrink the size of her waist...?! It's even more annoying when they are acting clueless and innocent! They know what they are doing! Hell! How shameless can one get? I thought that the aristocrats were supposed to have some pride!"

The blond-haired girl groaned, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Some of them do, but it is often in the most negative twist you can think of. As for the rest... well, despite your usefulness, you are considered a commoner. You will not get the same treatment as another member of the nobility."

Zoemi shrugged his shoulders and explained before stopping in front of one of the doors in the long hallway with the portraits of every heir of the Banemor family hanging.

"You are the first to show up – do you have any request for Surou and his guest to show up? Like, you know, calling at them from behind, waiting for them and being the first thing they see, or something like that?"

The black-haired boy asked, walking inside the cozy room prepared especially for the conversation between the five people.

The round table with five glasses and a few bottles of various beverages, the five comfortable chairs, the lighting that was more fit for the meeting of villains in some work of fiction than a reunion between acquaintances...

"It's fine. I'm not all that into theatrics like that anyway."

"(Smells like bullshit~)"

Burushi waved her hand dismissively and tapped Zoemi's shoulder before taking a seat and pulling a glass and one of the bottles towards herself, completely ignoring the voice of the small sentinels that poked half of its body out of her shadow and snickered.

"Whew, juice. Lucky~! I was worried that you would serve alcohol."

The blond girl opened the bottle and smelled the inside before her face brightened up in a relieved smile as she poured the amber liquid generously into her glass, filling it to the brim.

"I actually hope that I will be done with talking before the king shows up. Knowing the customs and manners this world has, a commoner like me would have to smash their face on the floor the moment his majesty shows up within half a mile radius or something."

Burushi took a big sip of the juice and breathed out, looking up at the black-haired boy.

"I notified him about the meeting and he said that he will teleport here as soon as he can, so I cannot promise you anything in that regard."

Zoemi furrowed his brows, rubbing his chin in slight distress.

"Nah, it's okay. I was joking anyway. With you around, even if Horeo would want to show off, he will not be actually dangerous to me. Isn't that right, bestie?"

The blond girl snickered, leaning back in her seat, and motioned at the black-haired boy with her mostly full glass.

"There is also the number of favors you did for his two attendants, so I think that even without my intervention you will be fine."

"Yah. True that."

Zoemi pointed out and Burushi smirked and nodded with a proud expression.

"(Dad! They say they are ready? How are things on your side?)"

Just as Zoemi was about to sit down by Burushi to talk some more before the others would arrive, one of his sentinels called out to him via the message spell.

"We are ready too, you can get them in here."

"(Okay~!)"

The black-haired boy said out loud and his sentinel answered with excitement as if taking part in Zoemi's plans was the best thing that could happen to it.

"Bring them in. Let's see the amazing woman who captivated the second prince after he has been freed from the mind-controlling hex, or whatever."

Burushi waved her hand welcomingly, before unbuttoning her blouse one-third of the way through, unleashing the ridiculously disproportional chest.

Liking theatrics or not, someone looked like she had chosen conflict.

"He did say that it is not like that... although he is different than you remember him, without anything controlling him, he is just like he was in the game."

Zoemi gulped down his saliva, feeling the threatening aura but being unable not to glance down at the dreadnaught-class assets consciously and very proudly presented by the girl with a deadly-serious expression.

"I know. You told me about it. I am not angry... just highly competitive."

The blond girl's smile grew even more as she put down the juice, and used one hand to prop up her chest, exposing it even more while using her other hand to tuck a stray flock of hair behind her ear.

*WHOOOM*

"...?"

Saving Zoemi the need to react to that, the entire wall in front of the two of them turned murky-black, and a blue-haired youth passed through it in hesitant step, carefully looking around...

"!!!!!!!"

And stopping right in his track, frozen solid the moment that he laid his eyes on the blond girl by the table.

"Oh...? Zoemi, our guests have arrived, take your seat~"

Burushi squinted her eyes for a split second before reaching out toward the black-haired boy, grabbing his hand and pulling him down, making sure that his arm visibly rubs against his breasts.

"Hmph~"

And snickered to herself when she saw the look in Surou's eyes.

"Royto...? Is something wrong...?"

But when it comes to surprises, the one that the blue-haired second prince had in store for Zoemi and Burushi had an even greater effect.

Because the person that came through the shadow gate after Surou, and called out to him using the fake name that he was living under in the city of Vexzi, was a familiar-looking blue-haired girl.

She wore different clothes and her hairstyle has changed a lot, but Zoemi recognized her immediately, as the unpleasant memories tend to stick out more.

Honestly, it was really close for Zoemi to react in an obvious way just like Surou did – but it also seemed like Burushi didn't recognize the girl at all.

"Nah, nothing is wrong, Mrs. It's nice to meet you though, I was not expecting such a nice, modest-looking woman..."

The blond-haired girl was straight up going for the throat – the modest comment was made while Burushi was obviously staring at the other girl's chest - and if Zoemi wasn't so shocked, he would begin regretting letting the two meet just about then.

"Meet me...?"

But the girl was not only not bothered by the obvious provocation, she even tilted her head in confusion and asked in a worried voice.

"Yah. It is. I've heard that you are using your position to help out a lot of people and..."

For a moment, the blond girl lost the track of the mean-girl role that she had chosen for herself, and nodded her head with an honest expression, before she flinched and puffed out her chest even more.