After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 14
Chapter 14: Graduation Party
The banquet hall attached to the Royal School is bustling with graduating students and their partners. One by one, names are called, and students enter the hall with their partners. The higher the academic achievement, the later the call, and the female magic department’s top student, Annaliese von Freudenstadt, is called last.
“Graduating as the top student of the Magic Department! Miss Annaliese von Freudenstadt, with her partner, Lord Ludwig von Freudenstadt!”
After some discussion, my sister ultimately chose me as her escort for the party. She seemed to have taken a liking to my proposal for a new way to use water magic, and she started getting involved with me quite a bit. I’m not really interested in parties, but I was forced to come here, hearing things like, “If you’re going to live as a stallion, you should make as many young ladies remember your face.”
Sister Liese and I step into the venue with our arms linked. Today, she is dressed in a light blue dress fitting for a water attribute, with her light pink hair half-up. Standing tall with a slight smile, she looks quite impressive, even for my sister. Despite the murmurs of admiration reaching our ears, there are more spiteful whispers.
“Well, she’s extravagantly dressed for the occasion… What an unpleasant woman.”
“Even if she’s the top student, she’s just a dud attribute, right? She’s going back to the countryside without any job offers. If that’s the case, she should have given the honor of finishing to Lady Constanze with the fire attribute.”
“Bringing a child as a partner… She must have been rejected by a good stallion.”
“Despite being the successor to Hero Hildegard, she’s quite a plain girl. I wonder if she’s really the child of the hero… Or maybe the quality of the stallion wasn’t up to par?”
These hushed conversations, almost audible to us, carry not only distasteful gossip but also vulgar slander. I instinctively clench my fist, but if I lose my temper here, it will only further damage my sister’s reputation. Besides, Sister has been enduring this kind of malicious talk for five years while continuing her training. Probably to avoid tarnishing the honor of Mother, hailed as a hero.
Ignoring the gossip as if she can’t hear it, Sister maintains a serene composure and gracefully smiles at the friendly friends. When some annoyed young ladies try to throw more aggressive words, a loud announcement echoes through the hall.
“The shining sun of Belzenbruck, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, has arrived!”
Sister, I, and even the girls who were bad-mouthing us all bow simultaneously.
—
After the Queen’s brief congratulatory speech, the hall is filled with cheers.
“…After completing five years of learning, let us offer words of celebration, hoping that the young people gathered here will become swords and shields to protect the people, fertile land and nourishing rain at times, and at other times, mothers and fathers who will support and protect Belzenbruck for a long time to come. Congratulations today, and let’s enjoy to the fullest!”
“Hail to the Queen!” “Queen, you’re splendid…”
“Glory to Belzenbruck!”
“Blessings to our future!”
Queen Elizabeth, in her early forties, a year or so older than Mother, with her golden hair tightly tied and deep emerald eyes directed straight at the audience while she gracefully responds to the applause, is incredibly beautiful and charming even from my perspective as a child. Speaking of which, there was the second princess of the Royal School two grades above, who was an extremely cool beauty. I wonder if she will become like this when she grows older.
The party is a standing-style event, but the tables to be occupied are mostly predetermined. Sister and I are seated at the front table, reserved only for the top and second-ranking students of each department. Well, Sister rightfully earned her place at this table through her abilities, but I’m just a person brought along as a random escort. In such a glamorous and stiff place, it’s uncomfortable, to say the least.
Moreover, there’s a young lady who has been sending piercing glares at Sister since earlier, making the atmosphere even more unpleasant. Most likely, she’s Constanze-sama, the daughter of the Orltenburg Marquis, who has perpetually held the second position thanks to Sister’s presence. While not as vivid as Mother, she has fitting red hair for a fire attribute, sharply raised blue eyes, and overall prominent features, creating a striking appearance. It doesn’t quite suit my preference for the cute type, but if she were more ordinary, she would probably be considered quite beautiful. Emphasizing the “if” she were more ordinary.
“Oh my, Miss Annaliese. You seem to have put an unusually strong effort into today’s attire. Usually so plain… oh, pardon me, consistently modest in your choices, so I wondered if you dislike flashy fashion…”
There it is. I’m in trouble. The party has just started, and I have to endure this spiteful attack for how much longer?