房客(糙汉)何璐程曜坤

"It's either that people became a lot shyer from the last time I was at a similar party... or they got a lot ruder."

Elsby nodded to Benevirau and added on her own.

"Even if it's my fault for that turn of events, previously they at least had the guts to say that they feel disgusted by someone like me."

She shrugged her shoulders and snickered mockingly.

"Well, those ones here don't know that you are an assassin s there you have it."

"Eh...? What do you mean?"

Zoemi turned to Elsby and guessed completely serious, which took the jet-black-haired young woman aback.

"They aren't disgusted because they don't know you are an assassin."

The black-haired boy raised his brow and explained, surprised that he needed to do that in the first place.

"You think that people of the past were disgusted by me because I was an... assassin...?"

Elsby asked, blinking repeatedly.

"Yeah...? Nobles tend to look down on people they send to get their dirty job done."

Zoemi nodded, confused about Elsby's reaction.

"...pffft...! Did I tell you that I adore how thick-headed you are sometimes, family head?"

The jet-black-haired woman snorted and had to block her nose to not burst out into laughter before nodding up at Zoemi with the biggest grin.

"Dad is thick-headed?"

"His head looks normal to me though..."

Even if the other sentinels didn't take after Zoemi in terms of cluelessness, both Ettemi and Oemir were the exception to that as they looked at each other and wondered.

"Going back to the subject of not getting talked to – technically speaking, as the ones in the higher position in the hierarchy, we are the ones who ca n choose whether we want to begin interacting with someone or not."

Zoemi who still wasn't sure what got Elsby in such a good mood said and turned around.

"..."

As he said that, he noticed a person in front of him flinch and glance back discreetly as of caught red-handed on doing something they should not.

"Even though – shouldn't they be wanting to talk to you anyway? With Benevirau here being the only one without a surname, they should flock to him in hopes of getting introduced or at least noticed by you and chosen to have a conversation."

The jet-black-haired woman entertained the thought and then glanced over at the dark-blue-haired man and pointed it out.

"That's also not so simple – those who realize who he knows that his position is actually equal or even higher than mine, Those who have no clue most likely think that he is a commoner – because of his hair and eyes being different colors – and are too proud to talk to a person of low birth like that. And finally, those who would be willing to try anyway are held back by the social pressure from everyone who keeps their distance."

Zoemi's face lighted up with a smile when he got the chance to flaunt the knowledge he gained during the time of his attendant training. Things weren't easy for nobility – especially the high nobles who had to constantly watch out for what they do, what they don't do, and how others around them act.

Well... they should do that as long as they didn't want to get shunned out of their friend circle that is.

"I see... things didn't get even a slight bit annoying since the last time I was around..."

Elsby scoffed lightly and shook her head.

Zoemi smiled lightly and shrugged his shoulder, not choosing to talk to the noble in front of him even though the other one looked more than keen to talk to him as long as he got the chance.

After all, the black-haired boy was introduced as the best friend of the king, attempting a conversation was well worth the risk.

As long as the topic wouldn't be offensive, the worst thing that could happen to such a risktaker would be getting ignored.

If someone wasn't willing to at least do that, then their loss.

Zoemi wasn't a polite attendant who thought of others first anymore.

...he still thought of others first, but at least now they were his friends and family – which was a major improvement...

"Representing the Mojena family! Lord Vianee Dorraz Moyena and lady Aerena Poivre Moyena!"

While the Banemor group conversed, the herald announced the arrival of another pair- this time the Moyena siblings that Zoemi briefly met and even dueled during his first time in Banemor territory.

Truth be told, he never expected to see them like that – usually, when the head of the family couldn't show up, the first person in line to inherit the position would be chosen to represent the family. The rivalry among the Moyena siblings was always strong, but that turn of events couldn't have a simple explanation. For the oldest out of Moyena brothers to miss a chance like that, something serious must have happened.

On the other hand, though, Vianee and Aerena showing up together like that, with the youngest sibling offering his arm to help his sister descend the staircase and not trip on the troublesome ballroom dress, might have been an attempt to reaffirm the damaging rumor going around that those two see each other as something more than just brother and sister.

"...now that I think about it, it is very plausible that the oldest Moyena sibling is the one spreading those rumors..."

"...pardon...? What rumors?"

Zoemi muttered to himself, and Elsby picked up on it and curiously looked the way that the black-haired boy was focusing his attention.

"Ah, the Moyena siblings. Indeed, I briefly looked into them when they were bothering me in the Banemor mansion before your return, and that seems to be the case indeed."

Benevirau didn't have to turn around to check the mana signature of the entering pair to know what Zoemi was talking about, and nodded with a serious expression.

"Every family has its issues, but there should be a limit to everything - isn't gossip like that damaging to their name as a whole? What is the perpetrator thinking?"

The black-haired boy breathed out, watching the red-haired man and the blue-haired woman whisper to each other while going down the stairs.

They both were glancing his way and must have noticed him right from the start.

"What rumors and gossip? Can I be let in on the situation – it sounds interesting."

Elsby straightened her back and asked, glancing between Zoemi, Benevirau, and the Moyena siblings.

"Aerena canceled her engagement, people think that it was because she is way too close with her younger brother and that their relationship isn't morally correct – which is untrue according to a trustworthy source."

The black-haired boy explained without taking his eyes off the pair that seemed to be aiming to skip the queue...

"Lord Banemor. It's nice to see you in good health."

Although that guess was soon proved to be false when the pair stopped and the blue-haired woman curtsied and greeted the black-haired boy first.

"I would very much like it to be so, but honestly I've been better. It's a pleasure to meet you, lady Moyna and your brother in a situation where you do not want to challenge me to a duel."

Zoemi snickered and raised his crystal cane a bit to get the attention of the siblings towards it, before nodding his head at Aerena and then at Vianee.

"We did not have the opportunity to apologize for that incident..."

"...and we honestly don't feel like doing so now. What's done is done. You've beaten us up fair and square and maybe we could leave it like that?"

Aerena furrowed her brows and tilted her head to the side troubled by Zoemi's words, to which Vianee couldn't stay quiet and stepped in protectively.

"If that is what you wish for, then why not? I am not keen on making enemies."

The black-haired boy agreed without thinking about the matter too much – the encounter between him and the Moyena siblings felt like it happened a lifetime ago.

There really was no reason to keep bad blood between them while there was a chance for clearing things up...

...at least as long as the peace offer was sincere...

"Wait... really...?"

Funnily enough, Vianee was the most shocked person among them, despite being the one to propose swiping the matter under the rug.

"See? Reo did say that lord Banemor is never the one to strike first unless he or people close to him are in danger."

Aerena breathed out and smiled, tugging on her younger brother's arm.

"..."

Still, that meek front she was showing at the moment certainly didn't match her hotheadedness that she showcased in full during their previous brief meeting – and Zoemi looked over at her with a slightly amused expression.

"Ah, please, pardon the rudeness – sir Benevirau, lady Elsby, young Ettemi and Oemir. It's a pleasure meeting you here."

The blue-haired girl could not withstand the gaze for too long and so she hurriedly changed the subject, trying to get the attention away from herself.

"Likewise."

The dark-blue-haired young-looking man raised his brow, to some degree amused by how calm and collected the two Moyenas were only because they weren't aware that he was a sage.

As for the other three, they all partially followed Zoemi's suit and nodded lightly in response, but didn't say anything out loud - for the moment, at least...