Impromptu After-Party (2)

This was the second time I had visited Seraphine’s VIP Room.

Of course, the magnificent building of the Imperial Dormitory didn’t become familiar just by seeing it twice.

From the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows that must have cost dozens of Gold Coins to process, to the chandeliers hanging in rows almost every ten steps, and all the other jewel-encrusted decorations throughout the house.

It was a place that didn’t quite suit Seraphine, who hardly indulged in luxury apart from maintaining her dignity.

Of course, it was a space used by the entire Imperial family, so it had nothing to do with Seraphine’s personal frugality.

“As expected of the VIP Room… It’s as magnificent a building as I’d heard…”

“I’m not sure if someone of my status should be visiting a place like this. I hope I haven’t intruded awkwardly into the nobles’ banquet…”

“What are you saying, Gwyn-ssi? I invited all of you in my name as a member of the Imperial family, so who would dare question your qualifications here?”

“You’re right. That was a slip of the tongue.”

“…As expected, the Imperial family’s accommodations are certainly different.”

Even for the scions of Ducal families, a room with a bathroom in the Dormitory was the maximum, so the VIP Room, which was designed for only two members of the Imperial family to use the entire building, was certainly a structure that couldn’t help but pique interest upon first sight.

Especially when even commoner Gwyn, and Lizzie and Ethan, who were as good as any noble scion, expressed their admiration.

“Welcome, everyone. Seats have been prepared inside. Please make yourselves comfortable, and if you have any inconveniences, feel free to tell me at any time.”

As I entered further into the VIP Room, Luke, who had been preparing, guided the guests, dressed not in her usual uniform but in a traditional Maid Uniform for the first time in a while.

Still, as a heroine, she looked truly beautiful in the Maid Uniform.

Although it wasn’t my original intention, making Luke my Exclusive Maid was perhaps an excellent choice.

“I hope you’ll all consider this just a casual get-together today and enjoy yourselves without any pressure.”

“Thank you for arranging this gathering, Seraphine-hoejangnim.”

“You don’t need to praise me excessively. This gathering was simply created for all of you who worked hard throughout the semester.”

…Yes, that’s a good point. Everyone did go through various hardships while leading the Student Council for a semester.

However… why did Seraphine’s remarks feel so contrived today?

And the fact that she deliberately created such an ambiguous event like an after-party at such an odd time couldn’t help but raise suspicions in many ways.

It might seem ridiculous to be suspicious just because she held an after-party, but that’s something only people who don’t know Seraphine’s character well would say.

As I mentioned earlier, Seraphine was a character who didn’t indulge in luxury.

So, there was no way she would privately host such an expensive banquet. If she had any money left over, she would probably have donated it to the poor or to an orphanage.

Yet, if there was a reason to hold such a banquet, it was likely related to the Hero….

“Lady Lillith, please accept this as well. It’s a Blue Curacao Cocktail.”

“…Ah, yes. Thank you, Luke-ssi.”

I carefully took the cocktail glass that Luke had brought before my eyes.

After confirming that everyone, including myself, was holding a glass, Seraphine’s toast immediately followed.

“You all worked very hard this semester, Student Council members. I look forward to working with you next semester, and perhaps even for the Student Council in the coming years… Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

In the slightly boisterous atmosphere, the sound of several glasses clinking together could be heard.

It was such a peaceful atmosphere that one couldn’t imagine any problems arising.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

…And that peaceful atmosphere was shattered in less than 30 minutes.

All due to my failure to anticipate the drinking habit of a certain character who never appeared in the original game.

“Lillith-eue…. I’m sorryyyy….”

“…August Young Lady, you should try to maintain your dignity.”

“I-I…. didn’t even know Lillith was such a cool young lady-ho… *hic!*”

“Please….”

Lizzie, who suddenly became incoherent after her second cocktail and clung to my arm.

The atmosphere had felt strangely off even after her first glass, and by the second, she was completely out.

‘…If I had known this would happen, I would have stopped her after the second glass somehow.’

I never imagined she’d pass out after just two cocktails, not even whiskey or cognac. Even if her alcohol tolerance was trash, it made no sense.

This isn’t some novel or game… Wait, now that I think about it, it *is* a game, right.

Still, it was my first time having drinks with Lizzie, so expecting me to predict her drunken antics was too harsh.

“Lizzie-nim. You should rest for a bit. There’s a servant’s bedroom in the next room, so you might want to get some sleep…”

“Shut up…! Let gooo…!! No one can interfere with Lillith and me-mo-tae-ae…!”

“Lizzie-nim….”

Lizzie Lynn August refused Luke’s touch and clung even more tightly to me.

The tears streaming from her eyes slowly dampened my uniform.

‘…I really want to just throw her to the floor like this.’

No, wait. Should I just secretly hit her in the solar plexus and knock her out? If I do it right, no one might see.

Karaham isn’t even here anyway, so should I just do it? Should I just shove her away?

‘…No, I should restrain myself. There’s no need to ruin the mood on a good day.’

From the start, I owed Lizzie many favors, so it was hard to simply push her away even with her shameless drunken behavior.

In the first semester, she personally got me the book ‘Understanding Magical Flow,’ which was hard to obtain on my own, and I also got several cups of coffee from her.

And in the second semester’s Hunting Festival, I was able to use the potions I got from Lizzie effectively to finish with a decent score alongside Ethan.

Since we were in the same year, even if our departments were different, we were bound to see each other for all four years. If I needlessly made an enemy of her, the remaining three years would only become tiresome.

And well, honestly, this level of drunken behavior was tolerable even in my previous life.

Clinging to someone, whining, and being annoying didn’t really cause any material damage.

Of course, it would be a problem if people of opposite sexes did this, but between people of the same sex, hugging and rubbing faces was somewhat understandable.

And in fact, there were only two characters in this world who absolutely should not be given alcohol.

Natalie of the Swordsmanship Department. And Agnes of the Magic Department.

The former possessed ‘sparring drunken antics,’ and the latter ‘rage drunken antics.’

Natalie, a commoner swordsman who was usually well-liked by others for her amiable personality, would transform into a crazy sparring demon, getting tipsy after just one sip of alcohol and immediately thrusting her sword at anyone, demanding a duel.

Agnes, on the other hand, would become a hysterical chihuahua, screaming curses at her family and main household for hours until the alcohol wore off.

Well, compared to those two, Lizzie’s drunken behavior was quite mild. …Not that I’d ever have a chance to see their drunken antics in my life, anyway.

…Wait, now that I think about it, I’m getting annoyed. Even though I’m Ethan’s Exclusive Maid, today I came as Seraphine’s guest, just like Lizzie, right?

But do I have to keep doing maid duties, dealing with someone else’s drunken behavior even at a gathering like this?

Maybe not a punch to the solar plexus, but I could definitely pinch her side….

“Seraphine-nim, the guests have arrived.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll handle the introductions, so please guide them, Luke.”

‘……Huh?’

…Guests? Now?

Although their conversation was somewhat quiet, the moment I clearly heard that guests had arrived, a question naturally arose.

In a gathering ostensibly created as a Student Council after-party, the conversation about other guests arriving naturally sparked questions.

The thought suddenly crossed my mind that Orion might have joined late, but given his personality, if he were to join late, he’d already be wandering around the party hall, concealing his presence.

If not Orion, then who on earth would suddenly join this after-party banquet….

“Lil, Lis~! Call me by my nameee…. You can drop my surname and all titles~!”

Lizzie kept interrupting me, clinging to me and speaking loudly whenever I tried to think of something else.

I barely managed to hold back the fist that almost flew out before my words, calming myself as much as possible before replying.

“…That’s out of the question, August Young Lady.”

“Lillith, you’re still holding a grudge about that time, aren’t you?! You said you accepted my apology back then, but you still hate that I dirtied Lillith’s clothes, don’t you?!”

“No, that’s not what I’m trying to say….”

…I take back what I said earlier. This bitch was also a trashy drunk, no less than Natalie or Agnes.

Come to think of it, I’ve never had to see Natalie’s or Agnes’s drinking habits in this world, so doesn’t that make this bitch right next to me the number one worst drunk by my standards?

Just as I realized that fact and my fists genuinely started to throb and ache, Ethan, who had been trying his best to avoid interfering in what seemed like a women’s matter, cautiously began to subdue Lizzie.

“Lizzie Lynn August. Up until now, I’ve tried my best to tolerate it because you are the August Family’s Young Lady, but I can no longer overlook your continuous harassment of Lillith….”

“Lillith, take this. Quickly, pour this on me!”

“……Huh?”

“I’ll take the cocktail and everything, just like Lillith did back then! Pour it on me as much as Lillith wants to vent her anger!”

…What kind of uniquely crazy bitch is this, seriously.

Does this bitch seriously think that’s possible?

Me, a baronet’s noble daughter, pouring a cocktail on a Border Count’s Daughter?

Could it be that this bitch is actually still holding a grudge against me for what happened back then?

Is she pretending to be drunk and acting like a nuisance just to create an excuse to drag me down to hell, and then when she sobers up, she’ll shamelessly demand compensation?

I had intended to overlook it due to the favors I owed her, but no matter how I thought about it, becoming close with this crazy bitch seemed quite impossible.

-Kkwaaaak.

“Ugh, guh….”

Meanwhile, Ethan calmly held Lizzie’s arms behind her back, subduing her so she couldn’t cause any more trouble.

As the banquet-like atmosphere continued amidst the somewhat chaotic situation.

Seraphine, who had heard something from Luke, turned her gaze towards us and delivered a surprise speech that seemed slightly impromptu.

“Everyone, actually, the reason I arranged this after-party today isn’t just for the Student Council members to conclude the semester.”

‘……Huh?’

“Actually, besides all of you, I have specially invited other guests to today’s banquet. They are the ones who made the greatest contributions in this Final Hunting Festival.”

‘…Ah, no way.’

“It’s none other than Kyetmajosyegigot the Hero-nim and the members of his Hero Party from the Hunting Festival! Please come in~!”

Along with Seraphine’s somewhat exaggerated welcome, the Hero Party entered from outside.

The moment I saw the Hero and the figures following him, I couldn’t help but quietly realize it in my heart.

…This after-party, no matter how I thought about it, didn’t seem like it would end well.