The concert hall is designed as a place where dignitaries from various countries are invited to attend banquets. It is very luxurious. As long as you look up slightly, you can see several sparkling chandeliers.
The floor, which should be made of marble, is also very novel and shiny. The overall feeling of the entire hall is dazzling.
In the spacious hall, round dining tables covered with snow-white tablecloths are placed at equal distances, in the form of a standing party, where participants can move freely in the middle.
(Except for the hangar, I have never stepped into such a high space...)
Whether it's the vast and splendid space in front of him or the well-educated people walking leisurely and striding as usual in daily life, in Theon's view, the world they live in is too different and can't help but become distant.
"...Xion, are you okay?"
I sighed softly, not letting the people around me notice, and with the slight sound of high heels, Natsumi looked at my face with concern.
Although she is a familiar person to Xion, the blue dress she tried on yesterday and the light makeup she wore may have given her a completely different impression because she was attending a party.
In this way, she did not flinch like Theon, but was very familiar with the scenery of the hall.
Aki and the other three people were similar. They mainly went to greet the people in the human army.
Only Xion and Natsumi, who was in charge of surveillance, were waiting at a less conspicuous table in the hall, because things were likely to get complicated there.
"It doesn't matter. Just being in this space will make your neck and shoulders stiff as hell."
"Well, it seems to be Theon."
I don’t know anything about etiquette or anything like that. Just dressing up in a rigid suit is incredibly stressful.
To be honest, I really want to use magic to escape to "Miststan" right now.
"Maybe we can even eat luxurious food. I'm such a fool."
"You can just take it and eat it. Isn't it good to eat it?"
"The instructor said: "You may eat a lot by yourself, so you are not allowed to cook. "
Just like Natsumi said, various high-end-looking dishes were placed against the walls on both sides of the hall, but Anna got there first.
Indeed, he was able to banish all the desserts in buffet style, and unfortunately, Theon had no room for rebuttal.
"Can you bear it for a while and control it to the level of an ordinary person?"
"No, I don't have confidence."
"You are not a child anymore, you have to work hard on this..."
"Anyway, I'm a brat with no rules and a sweet tooth."
Why do you have to endure eating, especially your favorite sweets, in front of you?
Theon, true to his heart and desires, was intolerable.
Natsumi sighed in front of the erratic Xion, and left the table with only "Wait a minute".
There was nothing special to do, so after waiting for a while, Natsumi came back with a few desserts on a plate.
"...Are you eating sweets in front of me who want to eat but can't, or are you a devil?"
"No! This is Theon's."
He said and took the plate that was handed to him.
If you look closely, you will find that the desserts chosen are all favored by the varied Theon.
"The problem is probably overeating, right? At this level, the instructor should forgive me, right?"
"Are you... a god?"
Natsumi smiled bitterly and said, "That's why you thank me so much." But in Xion's view, this was simply a favor from God.
While expressing your gratitude properly, pay attention to the eyes of those around you, and slowly enjoy the dessert on your plate.
"Is it tasty?"
"Well, it's indeed a party where dignitaries gather."
"It took a lot of effort to get here, let me eat some too."
After Xion finished the dessert, he put the plate on the table. Looking at her happy look, Natsumi seemed to be interested in her and planned to go get the food again.
However, Natsumi let out a slight scream as she walked and suddenly lost her balance.
"Ah, beech..."
Fortunately, I immediately stepped forward to help, so Natsumi didn't hit the floor.
This fact made her temporarily relieved, she said to Natsumi who hugged her tightly.
"Are you okay? Is your foot twisted?"
"Ah, well, it doesn't matter..."
Maybe I was startled by what happened suddenly, and my reaction was a little slow, but I was relieved to hear that there was no abnormal response from my body.
(Too thin, it may be dangerous if not caught)
Facing the thin body that was still stiff in his arms, he had this feeling.
Although we meet many times every day, we rarely have the opportunity to have such close contact, so I realized it for the first time.
"...But, I seem to have an impression..."
Staring at Natsumi's face in her arms from an unprecedented distance, she felt a little worried.
She stared at her face intently, trying to find out the true identity of the sense of déjà vu, but she couldn't find the answer.
"T-Mr. Sheehan?"
"...Ah, I'm sorry."
Natsumi's confused voice brought Xion back to her senses, and she immediately stood up.
"…………"
"Ah, he's the one who can touch girls easily."
"That's true, but it's not..."
Natsumi tilted her head at the subtle reaction, and something moved in the corner of her vision in panic.
"...Small man?"
Judging from his age, he is a little boy of five or six years old.
Some of the partygoers came with their families, so it was not surprising that he was here, but his eyes were wandering and he looked uneasy, making him appear suspicious no matter how he looked.
Natsumi and I looked down at him. Natsumi seemed to notice him a little late. He suddenly lowered his head forcefully as if he had made up his mind.
"I bumped into you, I'm sorry!"
For a moment, I thought what was going on, but when I recalled the series of events, I realized that he was the reason why Natsumi fell.
He probably bumped into Natsumi while running around.
The young man seemed to know clearly that it was his fault and looked up at him uneasily. Xion quietly knelt down and met his eyes.
"It was indeed the one I bumped into...but it's amazing that you can apologize properly."
If you consciously speak softly, your uneasy expression will change into one of surprise.
He found this change a bit funny and couldn't help laughing.
"What's wrong? Are you afraid that I will scold you?"
"……Um."
"Hey, if you run away without apologizing, I might scold you, but running away without apologizing is a good thing~~"
"Yes. Thanks to Tosien, nothing will happen to me, no problem."
Then Xion and Natsumi also greeted the boy gently.
Despite this, he still looked nervous. Sayoko gently touched his head, and the boy finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Having said that, not everyone is as tolerant to their children as we are. We can't run around anymore in the future."
"Well! Thank you, brother and sister!"
Although he answered energetically, he still obeyed Xion's instructions and left without running.
Although he is a bit naughty, he should be a good child who grew up under the careful education of his parents.
"...Xion, surprisingly sweet to someone so young."
"What's the accident?"
"Aren't you usually mean and ruthless to your classmates and older people?"
When I was told this, I had corresponding thoughts in my mind, so I couldn't refute it.
Indeed, if compared to her appearance, younger people might think she is too naive.
"Of course, it should be good for the child, right?"
"Aren't Theon and I still children in the eyes of the world?"
"Even so, he is younger than us. In that case, we should love him and protect him, right?"
"I always feel that this statement is a bit like a parent's perspective."
"……Maybe."
After she answered briefly, Xiaojing and the others came back, and Natsumi's consciousness shifted there.
So when she opened it unnaturally before answering, she didn't notice Theon's expression.
Natsumi, who is somewhat mysterious in her "parental gaze", probably has no other meaning.
I think I felt that way purely because of Xion’s words.
(You are very perceptive in strange places)
Staring at Natsumi's back, Xion gently let out the breath he was holding.
Anna, who came back with Aki and the others, stared at Xion intently, her eyes slowly moving from her feet to her head.
"...Hmm. He seems to be very honest. It seems that he has adapted to this situation very well!"
"You are very smart and know me well, which is better than anything else."
