Taira paraded Jet around the ball, introducing him to those who greeted her and her acquaintances. Her appearance and position as the Lady of House Nu made it difficult to foster close relationships in the already socially harsh climate of elite society.
It was relatively quick business, and once it was over, she was free to feed him the delicacies prepared by the imperial chefs until the crown prince arrived.
The crown prince was a busy man, so no one blamed him for arriving slightly late. He was the highest-ranking at the party, too. Slightly late wasn't a big deal.
However, he was more than slightly late, and he showed up with tousled hair, and his collar slightly askew.
Still, he was greeted warmly by the guests, who bowed. Some even took a knee with a hand over their chest as the most beautiful man Jet had seen entered the hall while waving to everyone like the main attraction at a parade before striding over to his seat on the raised dais on one side of the room.
Jet raised an eyebrow but followed suit and mimicked Taira's greeting.
Then, she immediately headed over to where the crown prince sat to give proper regards. After that, they could leave the ball.
"I offer my greetings to the rising star of the Munter Empire. It brings me joy to see you so lively, Your Highness." Taira bowed slightly before rising and looking the seated prince in the eye.
"Oh, please, you know how stressful official duties can be. So what if I take some time to relax? It's not like you were waiting for me, not with this fine piece of meat by your side." The crown prince looked Jet up and down with an appreciative gaze. He had been worried about what kind of man Lady Nu had suddenly picked up from the side of the road without any warning. But it seemed his worries had been for naught.
"I am still upset that you did not take my offer seriously. I am convinced that the union of our Houses would have brought great prosperity, even if it goes against the Nu family's traditional values," The crown prince lamented.
Jet frowned. Taira's bland expression didn't change as if she was used to the prince's words.
"A well-intentioned offer is only as good as the odds of it coming true. "
The prince pointed at Taira with a lazy finger.
"You got me there, Lady Nu. So, are you satisfied? Does he live up to the Nu standards?"
"The only complaint so far is that he only listens to me."
"Some would call that a virtue."
"I never said it wasn't."
"..." The prince rolled his eyes and looked at Jet.
"Women, eh?"
Jet's frown deepened.
"I don't follow, Your Highness."
"..." The prince looked at Jet for a moment before turning back to Taira.
"You didn't lie. Well, at least he's handsome. I heard he was coming on the Expedition next week. I thought he was a farmer. Can he fight?"
"We won't burden the party, if that's what you're worried about, Your Highness."
"..." He wanted to say that he was worried about the two of them, not the party, but he had a feeling that a certain someone's frown would turn into a glare if he said that. And glaring at the crown prince would make a certain someone else a little upset.
"As long as you know it," The prince sipped his drink and dismissed them with a wave. A little informal perhaps, but neither Jet nor Taira minded.
Taira and Jet bowed politely and excused themselves from the party.
The crown prince was still curious about Jet, but he wasn't rude enough to force the newlyweds to stay at a boring ball, not when he would get all the chances in the world next week to poke and prod the mysterious commoner who seduced the Empire's flower with a glance.
The crown prince's eyes glimmered with a playful glint as he looked at Jet's back. Someone the great Lady Nu found interesting was bound to be a worthwhile pastime.
"So, uh, is that guy also coming on this expedition thingy?" Jet asked as soon as they were in the carriage back to the Nu estate.
"That guy is the Crown Prince of this Empire, and while he may not look or act like it, he deserves respect. Even if not for that, you should treat him with respect for your own sake. His bodyguards can be pretty overprotective. Well, I say 'bodyguards,' but it's mostly Serea.
"If you ever see a woman in black with black hair and eyes, wielding a pair of bright green daggers, that's Serea. At that point, it's probably too late, but at least you'll know you've succeeded in making her very angry."
"Alright. The Crown Prince. Got it. Watch out for his bodyguards. Got it. And Serea is even more dangerous. Got it. But why would it be too late by the time I see her? Too late for what? And what does that have to do with making her angry?"
"Serea doesn't show herself, even when 'getting rid of obstacles.' The only exception is when she wants her targets to feel fear, pain, and regret before she removes them from the board."
"..." Jet gulped. Taira was speaking like it was no big deal, bit she was talking about an assassin going around killing people because they upset her or disrespected the prince.
"But it should be fine. She owes me, so she should let it go once or twice, depending on what you do."
"I-I'll keep that in mind."
"That's probably for the best, at least until you learn how to control your facial expressions in front of people."
"Did I do something bad?"
"Well, glaring at the prince like he owes you money isn't exactly good."
"I'm sorry, Taira. It feels like I only made mistakes today." Jet hung his head in shame.
Taira sighed and moved over to his side of the carriage. She leaned her head against his shoulder. She wouldn't be able to look at his face as easily like this, but she felt his warmth instead.
"It's fine, Jet. You've been a farmer your whole life, and I tossed you into a snake pit before you've gotten any antidotes. If anything, I should be the one apologizing."
"Not at all! If I want to embrace my position as your husband, I have to be able to handle something like this. Just…give me some time to get used to it, alright."
"Let's focus on having you survive the upcoming Expedition first, mmkay?"
"Will that be difficult?"
"More so for you than for me."
"Good. I wouldn't want you to suffer because of me."
"..." Taira stayed silent. It was nice talking to Jet. But it was also nice to just close her eyes and rest against his solid arm.
She had no idea why she, who had avoided men her entire life, felt so comfortable and at peace with a man she had known for a week. But she wasn't complaining.
The only thing she found worthy of complaint was how short the road home was.