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Rudolf should've known by now that calling attention to himself was a gateway to fresh hells he'd rather not enter. It was a certainty that he forgot about every time he received some condescending pep talk that he should be more social, and was harshly reminded of on a regular basis. Doing so in present company might've been his worst blunder yet, however. The Vestra girl knew him from... somewhere. He squinted at her briefly. Where had he seen her face before? Some formal event or another, surely. Or perhaps she knew his brother and guessed his identity from that. 

Whatever the case, he didn't see any fun to be had in staying in this already-painful conversation or meeting anyone he hadn't already been forcibly introduced to at a ball, let alone the backward inhabitants of Fódlan's other great nations. That was exactly what the Empire needed to project strength: him. Worse, she knew he was a mage - hopefully that was an obvious guess and his false reputation didn't extend so far that everyone had heard - and wanted to compare notes. He sucked at magic. Certainly didn't have a [i]passion[/i] for it, in any case. She'd probably be worse off after they were done. 

[color=b300b3]"I, uh, I'm not sure if you'd find them very helpful,"[/color] Rudolf tried to wave her off, [color=b300b3]"I'd think House Vestra's knowledge of dark magic would run pretty deep."[/color]

Though, if 'Viddle' was a new layer of hell, Princess Adelaide was the fiery pit down at the bottom. She glared at him searchingly, surely picking apart his pathetic existence now that her eyes could find proper purchase on his form. She remembered him too, which Rudolf was convinced was more curse than blessing, and then- Saint Cichol above, why was she extending her hand like that?! That was not a greeting motion! That was- she wanted him to- but they didn't even- No, he couldn't. He wouldn't. He would have to simply pretend he misunderstood and offer her a strange, limp handshake.

Crimson eyes settled on the extended hand in horrified silence as Her Highness continued, the words passing by his ears unregistered. A more masculine voice carried in from somewhere far away, equally as unintelligible. Probably right next to him. Rudolf couldn't find the strength to raise his head and see where it originated anyway. A trembling hand reached up to meet Adelaide and lingered there for a moment as Rudolf built up the courage to defy her. Or comply with her. There really was no winning here. Against his better judgement, Rudolf dipped and placed his face against her knuckles in an act that could only be called a kiss in the most generous interpretation of the word. More like he jabbed his nose into the back of her hand and his lips kind of stiffly hung there until they brushed skin. The moment they did, he dropped her hand abruptly, as if it had shocked him, and jolted upright. Were the boy capable of getting any paler, he surely would've in that moment.

Thankfully, the glance he spared to the princess' face showed her attention was no longer on him, despite his embarrassing conduct, and now laid on the newly-arrived man. What'd she call him? Johann? Oh, good, now it was his turn to kiss the hand. Was this going to be a regular occurrence? Rudolf didn't think his heart could take another one of those. 

[hr][@Asura][@McMolly][@Hero]
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