"Their best bet at getting to them is actually when they come out to an event like this that's not in the Imperial Palace in Lona," Camellya said, concluding her explanation.
"They're coming because of their little sister, right?"
"Yep. She just came of age."
As Camellya answered his question, Leon looked up the socials of the Clemons family heirs, Tom and Grace, and he could already see pictures of them with their younger sister, Vivian, taken from the Doyle estate where he and Camellya were headed right now.
"Even if they know you're around," Camellya suddenly said, pulling Leon's attention from his phone to her.
"As long as they only aim for their targets and avoid attacking you, they'd be fine. They wouldn't want your father's sword turned their way, after all."
Leon scoffed at her words, locking his phone screen and looking out through the car window.
"Even if I do get injured, my father won't take action."
Hearing this, Camellya snapped her gaze toward him, and feeling her stare, Leon continued speaking.
"Take a moment to think about why I've got 6th Classes as guards when the Raviaz Knight Order has stronger Knights."
"It's not because of the Empire's regulations?" she asked, her tone filled with skepticism, and Leon turned toward her with a raised eyebrow.
"Really? Regulations?"
Clearly, that wasn't the reason, so Camellya took a moment to sink into her thoughts and ponder the matter.
After a few seconds, she arrived at another answer.
"Controlled danger for growth?"
"Bingo," Leon said, confirming her guess.
"The man wants me to handle my own problems unless things go completely out of control. He wants me dealing with real pressure, figuring things out myself instead of hiding behind stronger protection."
"That's quite Spartan," Camellya remarked, earning a short laugh from Leon.
"It is. But that's just how my father is," Leon responded. "There's a lot more to the man and my relationship with him than Deity Rising told us about."
"I see… where is he anyway?"
At Camellya's question about his father's location, Leon unlocked his phone and opened his chat with the man, holding the device up in front of her so she could see the message sent the previous night.
[I'll be done with the dwarves tomorrow.]
"Dwarves? So he's on Vernyar, the Dwarven Continent?"
"Yep."
Just as Leon responded and locked his phone, their car came to a stop, and there was a knock on the window from outside.
Camellya silently put her kitten heels back on, and Leon then said, "Alright, Camellya. Ready to step into the battlefield?"
"Unfortunately," she replied with an exasperated sigh.
Leon chuckled as he knocked on the glass, and the door immediately opened for him to step out.
The sound of camera shutters immediately filled his ears, lights flashing all around, and he buttoned his coat before turning back toward the car and extending a hand toward Camellya.
"Alright, my lady."
"You have no idea how much I'm resisting the urge to roll my eyes," Camellya quipped, taking his hand and stepping out of the car.
At that moment, one of the many reporters on both sides of the red carpet, taking pictures along with dozens of others, screamed.
"THOSE ARE RAVIAZ KNIGHTS!!"
Instantly, the number of cameras aimed at Leon tripled, a cacophony of voices drowning out the sound of camera shutters, and faced with the constant flashes, Camellya grumbled.
"The amount of flashing lights here can make someone epileptic."
Some reporters and journalists interviewing other nobles in attendance rushed over toward them, with some even trying to jump over rope rails at the sides of the red carpet, but Leon's knights quickly moved to stop them.
Even so, the reporters continued stretching their hands out with microphones, their cameras flashing nonstop as they shouted questions.
"Why wasn't your attendance announced, young master?!"
"Who is the lady with you?!"
"Is the Raviaz Family taking an interest in the Noble Heirs Meeting this year?!"
"Lady, could you state your name and family?!"
Hearing some of the questions the reporters were throwing out, Leon leaned closer to Camellya and said, "10 bucks says they'll be calling you my girlfriend by tomorrow."
"20 bucks says fiancée," Camellya shot back.
And right after she said that, more questions reached their ears.
"What is your relationship with him?!"
"Are you engaged to Young Lord Leon?!"
"Is the Raviaz Family forming any new alliances tonight?!"
Leon blinked in mild surprise, and seeing his reaction, Camellya held up her phone and said, "I take bank transfer."
"Pfft…"
The moment Leon laughed, the number of pictures being taken doubled, and noticing this, he glanced toward the door to the building that was only a few feet away and suggested,
"How about we let them have a few shots?"
"No," Camellya immediately refuted, but Leon had already slid his hand around her shoulder and pulled her closer, turning a smile toward the cameras as he whispered, "Say cheese."
Camellya resisted the urge to roll her eyes and smiled for the cameras, and after a few rounds of photos, they turned and stepped into the building, the knights standing guard bowing their heads.
The Doyle family mansion was as large and expansive as expected of the residence of a great noble family that had existed since the Russell Empire's founding over a millennium ago.
Polished marble floors stretched across the entrance hall, reflecting the warm glow of grand chandeliers hanging from a high, intricately patterned ceiling, while the walls were lined with gilded frames and centuries-old portraits that silently watched over every guest passing through.
Camellya's heels clicked softly against the marble as they moved forward, the space opening further ahead where a pair of twin curved staircases rose symmetrically along the sides, their railings decorated with fine carvings and subtle gold inlays.
Between the sweeping curves of the staircases was a set of tall closed doors, with knights stationed on either side and a chamberlain holding a tablet displaying the night's guest list.
Upon spotting Leon and Camellya, the man's eyes widened, and he quickly looked down at his tablet, confirming that Leon's name was indeed on the guest list.
'It wasn't there when I checked this evening!?'
The man quickly composed himself and bowed to greet Leon before pressing the button on his collar to activate his microphone as he began speaking.
[Representing House Raviaz, Count Leon Raviaz, accompanied by Lady Camellya!]
The muffled sounds of music and conversation lightly filtering through the doors from within grew louder the moment the doors slid open, and over a hundred pairs of eyes immediately snapped toward the entrance, many faces showing expressions of shock and surprise at the announcement they had just heard.
Leon's phone began to vibrate in his pocket, and as he walked in with Camellya, he pulled it out and unlocked it, showing her the screen.
"Look, my official accounts are already getting tagged across all my socials."
Scrolling down the screen, Camellya could see the pictures they had taken less than two minutes ago already uploaded by multiple entertainment news agencies.
"And they're already calling you my girlfriend, too. No sign of 'fiancée' anywhere," he continued. "Looks like I might just win this bet, after all."
As Leon locked the screen, he glanced at Camellya and repeated her earlier words back to her.
"I accept bank transfers too."
"You said tomorrow morning, not tonight," Camellya instantly retorted.
Just then, a waiter fast-walked over to them with a tray holding two glasses, extending it as he bowed and spoke.
"Your Lordship."
Leon raised an eyebrow at the form of address before shrugging and picking up both glasses, handing one to Camellya, and as the waiter bowed and stepped away, he spoke.
"Lordship, huh?"
"Aren't you a Lord?"
Leon took a sip of his drink, then shrugged lightly as he replied.
"It's just courtesy. I don't actually have the title."
It was possible for titled nobles to hold multiple titles, but they were addressed and styled by their highest-ranked title.
In such cases, their appointed heirs were often courtesy styled by their lower-ranked titles, and in Leon's case, where his father was also a Count, Leon, as his heir, was officially styled as 'Count Leon Raviaz'.
"Well then, Mr Courtesy Count, it's time you greeted your host for the night."
Camellya gestured lightly with her glass as she spoke, and Leon turned in that direction, his eyes catching sight of a young man who was quickly making his way toward them.