Party (1)
The aptitude evaluation, where every second had stretched into a minute, was finally over. Mana had run dry, a brawl had broken out with the top student, and though the road there had been full of twists and turns, I'd managed to finish with above-average marks. The biggest hurdle was behind me.
They say when the labor is done, the worker should depart—or something like that—so all that remained was to savor the afterglow of success. I'd assumed we'd do what people do after a company dinner back in my old world: rent out a corner of some restaurant, share a meal, and catch up.
There was one thing I'd failed to account for, though: the people I traveled with were among the most prominent nobles in the nation. And that this noble had staked her life on the evaluation.
Now that her goal was achieved, Chloe's mood was riding sky-high, and she lavished us with extravagant hospitality, basking in the joy of her triumph.
"Is the fit uncomfortable at all?" the servant beside me asked.
I smoothed the crease near my elbow with my palm and checked the mirror. "I think it's fine. You don't need to go to any further trouble for me."
"Allow us a moment to look you over."
The servants swarmed to my side like a column of ants. I insisted I was presentable enough, but they ignored me and combed over my attire for the slightest flaw.
"Thank you for your patience. Now, let's move to the hall—I'll escort you."
The servant stepped out of the temporary dressing room and gestured toward the way ahead. I fell in behind him with an unburdensome, businesslike smile.
Getting treated like this is a strange feeling.
They'd dressed me in garments that could easily run into a small fortune, and dozens of them had flocked around to assist with my makeup down to the finest detail. I marveled inwardly at the artistry that could make a street thug look like the young master of a wealthy house. I knew that a man dressed up became a different person, but I hadn't expected a transformation of this scale. Even the cherished child of another family would rarely receive treatment like this.
"Which just goes to show how serious they are about this party."
I'd expected Chloe to give us some kind of reward as thanks for our efforts during the evaluation, but I hadn't imagined it would be this elaborate. To think she'd gotten the Headmaster's permission in advance, brought in outside staff, and rented out a venue for the whole thing. I'd been planning to discuss with the girls which restaurant to hit up—turns out there was no need. They'd even had the invited guests styled to match the party's level of formality.
There wasn't even an event like this in the original story.
As I walked down the corridor behind the servant, a window set into the wall caught my eye. Beneath the sunset-lit glass, the city sprawled out in full view. Towering high-rises embraced by grass and sea. Nature and city in perfect harmony—so this was Dilmun, the island nation, I thought.
"So this is what it takes to call yourself the next head of the Opal family, huh."
So this was the power of connections? It struck me anew that Chloe was the daughter of the Sword Saint, a woman called the Headmaster's closest friend. I'd confirmed as much in the novel the Writer had penned, but it had been hard to grasp just what tremendous influence that really was. I'd only just felt its full weight with my own skin.
"We're here. Please, go on in."
At the end of the long corridor loomed a massive door barring the way. When the servant took hold of the fine hardwood door and swung it open, a red carpet greeted the guests beneath soft, muted lighting. A long table stretched out, wide enough to seat dozens. Above it, a gorgeous chandelier blazed with light. Servants in suits and maid uniforms bowed their heads in deference.
"There you are."
Chloe, seated on a sofa in the corner of the room, rose when I made my appearance. She was slowly turning a glass of wine in her hand. Having swapped her academy uniform for a vintage red dress with bare shoulders, she struck a graceful pose befitting a noble daughter and slipped into the atmosphere like she'd been born for it.
"She's pretty, all right."
Clothes make the man, as the saying goes—and it was no empty phrase. When the girl who was already the academy's premier beauty dressed herself up like this, she transformed into a fairy descended straight from the heavens.
Ha, seriously, lol. My cock has gotten quite firm, I must say.
"Hmm, it suits you. I'd say this passes inspection."
"That's all thanks to the people who helped me. They sat beside me for the better part of an hour doing my makeup while I just stayed in the chair."
"That's their job. They'd be in trouble if they didn't work hard at it."
You're paid, so deliver work worthy of that pay. Such was the law of capitalist society. I knew the principle well enough, but when it came from the mouth of a noble blessed with wealth and power, even that simple remark carried an air of refinement.
"You look happy."
"It's thanks to you. You pulled Marin's written score up to above average, and you kept her spirits up even while she wasn't feeling well."
"Glad to be appreciated, truly."
The girl who nagged and fussed at everything I did was thanking me now. Nothing short of a monumental leap forward. I genuinely wondered if this was the Chloe I knew.
"Throwing such a lavish party, too."
"I was planning to hold this regardless of the exam results. Of course, if the scores had been bad, my expression right now would have looked very different."
A party thrown by a hideous demon-granny. The discomfort of sitting on a cushion of thorns.
"Good thing you earned that score with your life on the line, then."
Just imagining it was horrifying.
"Would've been even better if that woman weren't here, though."
"You mean Ter?"
"Yeah, that outsider you and Marin invited."
Chloe tapped my chest with the tip of her finger. It felt like she was telling me to read the room.
"Well, I didn't expect to eat somewhere this grand either. And if you're that jealous, you could let me grope your chest too."
"If that's your dying wish, I might consider it."
Expecting a fist to come flying first, I tilted my head back slightly—but uncharacteristically, she let it slide. Apparently when Chloe's in a good mood, she'll overlook this level of sexual harassment. Noting that down for future reference.
"So this is the party hall. Someone spent some real money on it, huh?"
"Keke, Chloe! So this is where you were."
"Everyone, come on in."
While Chloe and I were talking, the others finished their preparations and began drifting into the room one by one. Each wore a dress of her own choosing, picked on the servants' recommendations, one that showed off her personality.
"Eva, you're gorgeous. Like a princess from the stars come down from outer space."
"Hehe, th-thank you."
Eva flushed red at Chloe's sincere words. Clutching the hem of her white dress, which glittered all over with sequined ornaments, she fidgeted, at a loss from embarrassment. A living legend of purity, right before my eyes.
For someone like me, who wanted their relationship to fall apart, it wasn't a pleasant sight—but I wasn't about to throw a tantrum, so I let it go.
"Oh my, look over there. A total star, just dripping with honey. Absolutely scrumptious."
Ter entered on bold, self-assured footsteps, trailing behind Eva. In a yellow dress with a plunging neckline that put her voluptuous figure on full display, she seized every gaze in the room. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the bosom that swayed with each step she took.
"My, my, staring so openly is a problem, you know. Yupy will be terribly disappointed if she sees you like this?"
"It's easier to beg forgiveness than permission. I trust she'll understand this much."
I was merely admiring Ter's dress, that's all. My conscience is clear. I harbor no dark intentions whatsoever. Probably?
Squeeze!
"Hm?"
"Am I pretty?"
Marin had crept up beside me at some point. She shuffled over in small, fidgety movements and leaned her head against my waist. She wore a blue dress that fit her petite frame perfectly, its airy fabric emphasizing her innocence, and I gave her hair a gentle stroke.
"It really does suit you."
"..."
Marin hung her head low. Was she embarrassed to be in a dress? And yet this was the same girl who thought nothing of showing me her naked body. Eh, whatever. There's a reason, I'm sure.
"Everyone looks so excited."
"It's a party. Of course we should enjoy it."
Arlan gave a soft smile at my answer. She wore a modest green dress that matched her calm, gentle nature. Compared to the others it lacked a certain liveliness, but precisely because of that, Arlan's own image stood out all the more amid all the splendor.
Now that all the guests had arrived, it was time for the party to begin. The moment we took our seats, the servants—as if they'd been waiting for exactly that—began bringing out the food.
"The dishes you ordered are served."
A separate private room, prepared for the guests. On the long table, dishes of every variety filled the surface to bursting. Foie gras, caviar, lobster courses. My mouth watered involuntarily at the parade of high-end cuisine, each plate easily worth a full-price meal. The only shame was the portions. The tiny servings set against those oversized plates were a bit tacky, honestly.
To me, a Korean raised on Grandma's table and its generous, overflowing spreads, this was a deception difficult to forgive. But when the plating servant spun a fancy tale—the journey the ingredients had taken, the master chefs proven under rigorous oversight, the dishes they had long yearned to create—it added a story to the food, and my judgment, which had been tilting toward disapproval, softened a little.
"Miss, we will take our leave now. If you require anything further, please call for us."
"Thank you all for your hard work."
The servants withdrew, and only we remained in the hall. No more watching eyes—now it was time to go absolutely wild!
"Cheers!"
Clink!
The rims of the glasses met with a clear, ringing chime. The liquid inside swayed, spilling over the edge and then not, wobbling on the brink. I drew my glass toward me and downed it in one go.
"Mm."
The prickling carbonation slid refreshingly down my throat. Bitterness filled my mouth, and the alcohol's warmth rose to my head. It was the best. This is what a party is. This is what sex is! Booze, food, and women!
Intoxicated by that trinity of food, wine, and women, I kept pouring drinks into my empty stomach one after another. The others, too, grew drunk on the party, laughter blossoming all around—haha and hoho in equal measure.
Just as the mood was ripening to its fullest—
"Shall we play a game?"
Out of nowhere, Ter posed a proposal to everyone seated at the table.