Chapter 63: The Night After Baptism, The First Ball (1)
Euclid bowed, as though wishing good luck.
Upon the announcement of the Saints arrival, even those who were dancing stopped and turned their heads towards the entrance of the hall.
As the butlers voice confirmed the entrance, a figure emerged from the lobbys door.
Ah
A young man with strikingly pure white hair walked in.
Although he was said to be fifteen, he looked more like a young man with most of his youthfulness faded away.
His blue eyes brimmed with confidence, and his steps were steady.
He wore an ordinary suit, yet there was something distinct about him compared to the rest.
In the stifling atmosphere, he slowly walked towards them.
Were they not commoners? Judging by the way he walked, his manners were unparalleled to theirs.
His casual demeanor made it impossible to consider him as a commoner.
The image of the Saint they had previously ridiculed shattered into fragments.
A captivating voice reached their ears.
Nice to meet you, everyone. I am Ray, the newly appointed Saint.
The way he smiled while speaking was irresistible.
Beris, the representative of the group, awkwardly rose and greeted.
Ni-nice to meet you. I am Beris, the eldest son of Duke Herold.
He was at a loss for words. The Saint he had envisioned was nothing like this.
He had thought the Saint would be a fifteen-year-old boy, nervous and tense at the prospect of facing the nobles.
But look at the Saint now. There was no trace of nervousness; instead, he moved with elegance. It was not the skill of someone who had faced nobles just once or twice.
Young master Beris.
Ray glanced around at the others as he spoke.
Thats when Ceres quickly intervened.
Its an honor to meet you. I am Ceres from the Krelan Duchy.
Nice to meet you, Miss Ceres.
She was in an exceptionally good mood.
She had thought of winning the Saints heart to amass more wealth and power than she currently had. Even if she didnt like the Saint, once they were married, she could live separately and independently.
But the Saint she had seen just now was completely to her liking.
Not to mention his looks, his unapproachable aura had made her feel charmed.
From the looks she received from those around her, she knew there were others eyeing the Saint besides her, but she didnt care.
Hoho. Whether its looks or family background, I have the upper hand.
Just as Ceres was about to say something to Ray, another person interrupted.
I am Greyan from the Count Grain household. Its an honor to meet you.
Nice to meet you, young master Greyan.
She had expected a rush of people, but surprisingly, it was quite quiet.
But that wasnt because they were polite and well-mannered individuals.
It was simply because there were only a few families that could afford to speak to Ray, given his position as the Saint.
Ceres thought in the gap.
Nows the chance to ask him for a dance without any interference.
Usually, at balls, its the men who ask women to dance. Of course, that doesnt mean women cant ask men, but such cases are extremely rare.
Yet she felt the urge to ask.
No, she felt she had to ask.
Because, except for the time he was receiving greetings, he hadnt spared her a single glance.
Ceres secretly gritted her teeth.
He sees me and still doesnt pay attention? There cant be such a man in the world.
The only man who remained indifferent even after seeing her was Zik of the Duke Tray family.
Of course, aside from such a special case like him, all the other men were desperate to catch her attention.
Even Verisma often glanced at her from time to time.
Maybe he likes men
But that was a thought that Celes could entertain because she didnt know Ray.
Ray had seen enough of the elves, known as the race of beauty, in their village.
But that wasnt all. He had watched Aira, the epitome of beauty among those elves, for a month straight from beside her.
Watching her perfect appearance, as if a god had sculpted each strand of her hair, at close range every day, he found it no wonder that he felt nothing for Celes.
Moreover, Iriel was as pretty as an elf, and her actions had cute aspects, which made her enjoyable to watch.
Since all the women around him were so beautiful, Rays standards naturally rose. Celes was perceived as a completely ordinary girl in comparison.
She was attractive, but there was just too much difference when compared to Aira.
In fact, comparing her to Aira was a humiliation for Aira.
Celes gave her most beautiful smile. If she showed such a smile, surely the other partys heart would flutter.
Up until then, there hadnt been a man who didnt fall for her after she glared at them.
Is this your first time attending a ball, Saint?
Her smile was perfect enough to be featured in a textbook.
Ray smiled back at her.
Im embarrassed to say, but its my first time. So there might be some inadequacies. Hahaha.
His appearance, which had made the hearts of numerous priestesses flutter even when he was just sitting by a bonfire, became a painting under the grand light of the chandelier.
His slight smirk and charming smile instead made Celes heart flutter.
Th-Thats so
Her face turned red, making it impossible for her to engage in a proper conversation.
Although she had made others hearts flutter, she had never felt this way about anyone before, so she was even more flustered.
The nobles who adored her glared with anger in their eyes.
How dare you make Lady Celes
We can never hand over Lady Celes.
Their defensive operation to protect Celes began.
They hurriedly changed the topic.
A tall young man spoke.
Saint, I see your cup is empty. Ceronias wine is famous for its deep flavor. Would you like to try a glass?
Jealousy was evident in his voice. It was so noticeable that others could tell he was hastily changing the subject. But to Ray, his words sounded like a heavenly chorus.
Gulp Alcohol
He hadnt drunk a single drop of alcohol since arriving in this other world. His lips were practically screaming for it.
He swallowed his saliva. Ray cleared his throat and slyly said,
Then, shall we?
At his gesture, a passing waiter handed Ray a cup.
Unlike the Silia Kingdom, in the Holy Kingdom, one could drink alcohol from the age of fifteen.
Contrary to his assumption that those who served the god would abstain from alcohol, it was actually more accepted here than in the Silia Kingdom.
Ray brought the cup to his lips with emotional eyes.
Gulp-
The sweet taste swirled in his mouth and cleanly disappeared down his throat. The wine was truly fantastic.
He even wanted to learn the brewing process that could produce such a taste.
Celes smiled as she watched his emotional expression.
Is this your first time trying wine, Saint?
Thats right. I never thought there could be such delicious wine.
Even as he spoke, his throat moved continuously as he swallowed.
So cute.
While Ray was savoring the taste of alcohol he hadnt experienced in a while, a voice echoed from outside the lobby.
The saintess makes her entrance!
Is Iriel here too?
As Ray, with a glass in his hand, looked at the entrance, sure enough, Iriel walked in with a clinking sound.
Her dazzling appearance and sacred aura made her beauty shine even brighter.
Indeed, the young mens eyes were fixed on Iriel, unable to look away.
She walked gracefully under their gaze, and then looked at the glass in Rays hand with a surprised expression.
Is that wine?
Ray lifted the glass as Iriel spoke.
The fragrance is deep. Its the best wine Ive ever tasted in my life.
Pff. You say in your life, but youre only fifteen.
Dont sweat the small stuff. Youll get wrinkles.
Wrinkles! Where do you see wrinkles on my face?
Iriels face, as she leaned in while talking, was truly bizarre.
Celes slightly frowned as she watched the two talking as if they were close friends.
Had the cold saintess changed this much?
Until she went to find the saint, she had been known to emit coldness, making it impossible to approach her.
But now, she appeared like a friendly sibling to Ray.
Beris thought the same.
Beris looked at Ray with piercing eyes.
The saintess is my woman. Do you think I, Beris, would let you have the woman I marked as my only equal and partner long ago?
Possessiveness rose in his eyes.
Ray also sensed Beriss emotions.
There was so much malice coming his way, and among them, the malice from Beris was almost murderous.
With his sensitivity enhanced by mana, there was no way he could miss it.
He will show his true colors soon.
Just as he expected, Beris spoke to him.
I heard that you were a commoner before becoming a saint.
There was no malice in his tone, as if he was merely curious.
Even those around them didnt find Beriss words strange.
Ray answered.
Yes, I was a commoner before I was chosen as a saint.
Beris let out a mocking smile disguised as a grin.
Ah, then this must be your first ball, since commoners cant attend.
His words were barbed.
Ray looked at Beris and tilted his head.
Why was he so eager to die?
But Beris hadnt said those things because he had a death wish.
He had his own calculations. For starters, the saint hadnt received divine power yet, so he was just a powerless commoner. Plus, he had just finished the initiation ceremony.
He couldnt have made connections with other nobles. No power, no connections, and young enough not to know the ways of the world.
What an easy toy to play with.
But that was what Beris thought because he didnt know Ray.
Power? He had been a great wizard who could cast a giant meteor during a speech and stop it mid-air. There had been countless nobles who wanted to exchange even a word with him.
A single word from him could have dealt a significant blow to the Duke Harolds family, no matter how prestigious it had been in the Holy Kingdom.
But to those who hadnt witnessed that scene, the saint had been just a handsome and polite young man.
Ray nodded.
This was my first time, as you said. Commoners couldnt attend balls.
While speaking, Ray had led Beris to say something even harsher.
He had known these types very well. Ray had slightly grumbled in response, knowing that Beris, feeling triumphant, would try to crush him.
Hahaha. You were right. You werent a commoner anymore, so it didnt apply to you. But if filthy, uneducated fools held a ball, it lost its value.
That was it. Keep going just like that.
Ray grinned.
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