Chapter 17: Opera is the Best!

"Ahaha♥️ Hey, could you pass me that champagne?"

Ahh, what a great mood I’m in.

To think I can drink such fine liquor—and as much as I want, too!

As Princess Sonia, there were always concerns about appearances, public image, and dignity—so many reasons why I rarely got to drink my fill. At banquets and parties, I always had to pace myself, keeping things proper and modest.

But tonight…! To drink freely, without a single restriction—it’s been ages since I’ve felt this liberated.

Honestly, sipping elegantly from a glass has its charm, but just downing it all and letting it wash through you feels way better!

"Ains, you should really pace yourself. That’s a bit unseemly."

"Ehh, but it’s sooo good, you know?"

The ever-dull Demon Lord sitting beside me clicked his tongue in disapproval.

Tch. Come on, man—loosen up a little. Enjoy yourself!

To my right, the Demon Lord sipped his wine with irritating grace, and I couldn’t help but grumble inwardly. Still, I had to admit—the wine here was pure. No additives. Clean flavor, rich aroma, and just a hint of sweetness. Truly top-tier stuff.

Compared to the parties back in the Sugarcreek Kingdom, everything here screamed luxury. They must’ve spent a fortune on this feast.

To be invited to something this extravagant… I really am lucky. As expected of the Merchant Guild’s financial power.

Thinking back, I really was an idiot for saying I didn’t want to see an opera earlier.

"Here you go, Ains-san."

Seated to my left—opposite the Demon Lord—Zex kept refilling my empty glass one after another.

Zex, you’re a good one!

"This particular drink comes from the Progure region…"

And on top of that, his little tidbits about each drink and snack were surprisingly interesting. Turns out, even in this world, every wine and appetizer has its own story—its origin, its name, its tradition.

"Wow, thanks♥️"

I accepted the drink gratefully. No one stopped me, no matter how much I drank, and my wallet stayed untouched. Pure bliss—even in my past life, I never experienced luxury like this.

At some point, I’d taken off the hat and glasses I was wearing—they just got in the way. But honestly, I didn’t care.

I felt free. So free.

Even though we were chatting loudly, the booming music and powerful singing from the opera stage drowned everything out. No one outside could hear us anyway.

Right now, we were watching the performance from one of several balcony-like private boxes built into the sides of the opera hall, looking down at the stage.

Well… not that we were actually watching much. We were mostly just drinking.

Still, the chorus in the background made for some fine BGM.

Ahh, this really is heaven.

"Opera truly is a wonderful thing, isn’t it, Zex-san?"

I—I mean, I, from the bottom of my heart, praised Zex.

Words of gratitude cost nothing, so I gave them freely. If a simple smile could earn me another invitation to a night like this, that was a bargain I’d take any day.

Truly, this was the best possible outcome.

"Hehe. Thank you. In that case, I’ll make sure to send you an official invitation next time."

Oh? Sounds like Zex was planning to invite me again.

"Thank you very much. In that case, I’d be delighted to attend next time as well."

Talk about a stroke of luck! Maybe I really am a fortunate person after all.

Though, as always, Zex’s smile gave nothing away. It was impossible to read what was going on behind it.

And then I noticed—our knees were touching.

…Close. Too close.

I quietly scooted a little to the side.

"Ah, by the way, Ains-san. There’s something amusing I’d like to show you."

Zex smiled thinly.

"Take a look at the balcony across from us."

He pointed toward the opposite wall. Following his gesture, I squinted and peered at the other balcony.

"…Ah."

It was dim, hard to make out details—but as my eyes adjusted, I could clearly see him.

There sat my father, King Merkuma, surrounded by young women, drinking and laughing merrily.

So much for regal dignity. His face was flushed and loose—just another lecherous old man enjoying himself.

"…"

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

"You see, this is how influential figures are ensnared—no matter the country. Ains-san, consider this a valuable social lesson."

Though Zex’s mouth curved in a smile, his eyes were anything but friendly.

A wave of unpleasant sweat burst across my face. In an instant, the alcohol’s warm buzz vanished.

As I watched my father indulging himself across the hall, I couldn’t help but imagine being in his position—and suddenly, the whole situation felt terrifying.

Flustered, I hurriedly put my glasses back on. Not that it would help much at this point, but still.

"By the way, Ains-san—you’re Princess Sonia’s attendant, aren’t you?"

Zex’s cheerful smile didn’t falter as he changed the subject.

"Y-yes, that’s right."

The moment he mentioned Princess Sonia, my guard shot straight up.
Wh-what’s he planning to ask?

"Hehe, no need to be so wary. Tell me, from your perspective, what kind of person is Princess Sonia?"

"What kind of person…?"

"Hmm. That’s something I’d like to hear too. Ains, explain a bit about Sonia’s character."

Great. Now even the Demon Lord was getting involved.

Ugh… Sonia, huh?
It’s hard to view her objectively. How am I even supposed to describe her?

"U-uh, well… I think she’s a very beautiful person."

I started with the safest, blandest answer I could think of.

"That’s a boring reply. I’m not asking about her looks—what about her inner self?"

The Demon Lord immediately cut in.

Hmm… inner self, huh?

"U-um. Her inner self… right. Well, from my point of view, I’d say she’s hardworking. Yes, very much so."

Especially when it comes to trying to live peacefully without getting dragged into all of your nonsense!
…is what I really wanted to say.

"Hehe. So Princess Sonia is quite the diligent one, then?"

Zex nodded, smiling gently—but that smile was anything but trustworthy.

"Y-yes, that’s right."

Backing down now would feel like losing—though I couldn’t even tell what I was losing to.

"…Come to think of it, there have been rumors before—claims that Princess Sonia is headstrong, lazy, and a hopeless dreamer. But it seems those were completely baseless."

"Hmm. Is that so? All I ever heard were comments about her figure and appearance, nothing about her personality."

"Y-yes, well… Lady Sonia has many enemies, you see. It’s likely those rumors were spread by her political rivals to discredit her."

"Hehe. I see. That does make sense."

Zex nodded as if everything suddenly clicked for him.

Wait.
What’s with that reaction?
Don’t tell me—does he actually know something about Sonia that I don’t?

"Oi, Ains. Isn’t there anything else? For example, that Sonia possesses military talent, or excels in intelligence gathering, decision-making, or leadership?"

Huh?

Let’s see… Sonia as a military commander or leader? Not a chance. And me? Even less so.

In that case, the answer’s simple.

"No, I think she’s just an ordinary person."

"…How peculiar," the Demon Lord muttered, frowning in thought.

Huh? What’s so strange about that?
Did I say something wrong?

"Hehehe. Well, let’s leave it at that for now. Though personally, there are a few things I find rather curious."

Eh? Eh?
What the hell are you two even implying?
I answered honestly, didn’t I?!

Thankfully, the conversation about Princess Sonia ended there. The rest of the time, I focused quietly on the opera performance.

As I watched, I realized the story was based on an ancient legend—a tragedy about humans who stole the fruit of forbidden knowledge from the almighty god and were cast out of the heavenly realm of Eden, forced to live on their own.

"Hmm. Experiencing music in such a venue is quite an interesting custom. And this opera’s motif must be… ‘The Creation of the Autonomous Territories,’ I’d wager."

The Demon Lord nodded in admiration.

"Hehe. An excellent observation," Zex said, smiling his usual unreadable smile.

…Wait a second.
At some point, my knee had brushed against the Demon Lord’s.

Too close.

I inched away again.

Seriously, could you both not sit so close to me?!