Chapter 341 – Preparations for the Ball 

The King and Queen of Bartel—Ailia’s parents—were set to arrive in Krentz on the day of the ball. 

At Phil’s request, Ailia agreed to meet them, but there was a slight issue with the arrangements. 

「If you’re going to attend the ball, you’ll need to groomed appropriately desu wa.」 

It was Charlotte who made this declaration. 

As a young lady of the Blaffer family with prior experience attending such events, she vehemently opposed the idea of Ailia showing up in her adventurer attire. 

However, with the ball just one day away, there wasn’t much time to spare. 

Though Ailia wouldn’t be dancing, I had hoped we could find a way to arrange a meeting with her parents outside the main event. Unfortunately, according to Phil, that didn’t seem feasible. 

Of course, they were the King and Queen of another nation; it wasn’t as though they could casually move from place to place. 

That left the ballroom as the only suitable location for their meeting. If Ailia was to stand in such a formal setting, she’d need the proper attire. Charlotte seemed ready to take charge of this matter. 

「Ailia-san and I have similar builds, so I’m sure one of my dresses will suit her perfectly desu wa.」 

「Huh? B-but, are you sure?」 

「This is an important moment for a dear friend. There’s no need to hesitate desu wa.」 

「T-thank you so much, Charlotte!」 

With that, the dress issue was resolved. 

Kiara sent her familiar to the Blaffer household, so the dress should arrive at Krentz Castle by early tomorrow morning. 

—That said, we couldn’t afford to sit back and relax either. 

「If we’re heading to the royal capital tomorrow, we’ll need to get ourselves ready too.」 

「If you’re coming with me, Bale, shouldn’t we arrange formal attire for you as well?」 

Ailia’s question made me realize something important. 

She was right—I’d been so focused on her that I’d completely neglected my own preparations. 

「But Bale, given your family background, surely you already have—」 

「K-Kiara!」 

「What? I was just—oh.」 

Kiara was cut off by Martina before she could finish. I understood why—it was about my connection to the Orlando family. 

「It’s fine, Martina. And you too, Kiara. I don’t have any issues with my family… The problem is the clothing.」 

I’d have to figure out a way to secure something appropriate by tomorrow evening as well. 

Good grief… Tomorrow was shaping up to be a hectic day.