Scene Stealer
“Kyaaaah! Kong, higher!”
The social gathering of the empire's noble ladies.
In that space that should have been the epitome of elegance,
a scream completely out of place erupted.
“Uoooo!”
And following it, a beast's mighty roar.
Precious jewels glittered beneath the chandeliers,
while untouched feasts cooled on the tables.
A place no commoner could ever dream of entering in their lifetime.
But now, the atmosphere at the heart of that lavish space had utterly transformed.
“What… is that?”
“No way, a pet…?”
The young ladies' gazes locked onto one spot.
The center of the ballroom.
A little noble lady was soaring through the air.
More precisely, she was being tossed upward.
“Kyahaha! Higher!”
“Uhoooo!”
The one hurling her skyward wasn't human.
A colossal frame that could be mistaken for a giant's.
Arms that looked like they could rip a person apart with ease.
An overwhelming physique shrouded in black fur.
A bizarre beast unlike any they'd ever laid eyes on.
It was common for nobles to bring pets to social gatherings.
Ones that were cute, beautiful, and utterly charming at a glance—
perfect for brightening the mood around them
and flaunting their wealth.
Indeed, small dogs and cats were wandering around the tables,
basking in their owners' affections.
But that was something else entirely.
The escort knights simultaneously rested hands on their sword hilts.
They didn't draw their blades, but they were poised to strike at any moment.
Cold sweat trickled down their backs.
“Is that thing… under control?”
Someone whispered in a trembling voice.
Atop the head of the monster commanding all that tension and terror
sat a frilly little tiara, absurdly out of place for any pet.
“Kong! This time spin me around—let's dance! Hee!”
“Uoooo!”
The girl flashed her teeth in an innocent, beaming grin, utterly carefree.
Once a prominent house in the empire's south,
now whispered to have fallen from grace.
The lady of Count Bellentia's house.
Aria Bellentia.
Unlike the other ladies with their powdered white skin,
she was a tomboyish standout with sun-kissed, bronze-tinged complexion.
Even as the ballroom's air turned to ice,
she paid it no mind whatsoever.
She was simply
playing to her heart's content
with her pet—who was also
the most precious friend in the world to her.