Chapter 231: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (24)

I grabbed the wine glass and made my way to the reception room.

Inside, a female knight with impeccably arranged blue hair sat poised. Even in the dimly lit room, her beauty, accentuated by the absence of her jet-black hood, shone like a polished gem, casting a radiant glow.

Of course, the woman’s allure was not just limited to her flower-like beauty.

She bore the weight of her position within the esteemed Imperial Guard and was a member of the prestigious Lupermion family, one of the Empire’s five major noble houses.

Irene Lupermion.

She was also the person fervently sought after by the Empire’s fifth Imperial Princess, Cien.

For a brief moment, I had forgotten about her, but encountering her at the Percus manor was a surprise even to me, despite having already heard from the Imperial Princess.

No one could have predicted her visit.

Dame Irene’s presence here had brought an undeniable sense of disruption.

The mysterious swordsman, famed for her skills, knelt before the host of the banquet.

Ned’s enthusiastic cheers bordered on tearfulness, while Ria was rendered speechless with shock.

She simply oscillated between casting disbelieving gazes at me and Dame Irene.

Such was the weight of having an affiliation with Dame Irene.

Considering the unique atmosphere of the academy, forging connections with the Saintess, Senior Elise, and even Seria were possible.

However, Dame Irene was different.

As a graduate of the academy and a holder of an official title, it was inconceivable that such a skilled individual would address a younger man as ‘Master’ without hesitation.

Logically, this was something that would never happen.

When an undoubtedly exceptional individual used honorifics to refer to me, it implied one singular fact:

It meant that I had surpassed Dame Irene in strength.

Ria stuttered, managing to utter a single word.

“…C-could it be an ‘Expert’?

It was a question that left the subject unclear, leaving us unable to discern whom Ria had in mind.