Unedited
Soon, the main melody transitioned to a variation, indicating a brief separation from our partners. I took half a step away from Jaden Spencer, who was daring to put on airs in front of the notoriously wicked Ariel Dalton.
“Oh, really? Did you by any chance have any vegetables left over on your plate this morning?”
I snapped sarcastically, then spun sideways at the next beat. Suddenly, my wrist was grabbed. The force with which he touched and clasped my hands was so strong that my entire grip tingled. The owl mask that was coming towards me hesitated as if he were embarrassed. After wandering around for a while, he headed towards the squirrel mask that had also lost her partner.
All partners except us have changed. Jaden didn’t let go of my hand, not for the next turn, not for the next turn after that, not until finally the music the orchestra played changed from a polonaise to a waltz.
“See?”
Because of his shameless shrug, I almost forgot my ‘unknown viscount’s daughter’ persona. I pretended to feel dizzy, buried my head in Jaden’s chest, and laughed for a very long time.
The Spencer Duke’s banquet hall had a balcony where the stairs connecting the first and second floors branched off on both sides. It was easily visible from anywhere, whether it was from the dancing space or the areas where guests enjoyed card games or refreshments. So when the band retreated, it became the stage for the girlfriend selection contest.
A large donation box was placed right under the balcony. If you liked the stage, you could drop in a donation. It was a vulgar but fun idea. Plus, it was for a good cause. So, a cloud of people quickly gathered around the balcony while there was a long line of talented contestants like me at the bottom of the stairs.
Most of them, including the woman wearing the eagle mask, played musical instruments or showed off their honed singing and dancing skills. The donation amounts varied, but it seemed that a minimum of nine pixies was the standard contribution.
The criminal who smuggled Arachne was wearing a fox mask with a horn in the middle of the forehead. The tapestry they displayed was evidently exceptional, earning the most coins collected so far. Considering that she successfully hid the fact that she didn’t make it herself, it was definitely an achievement that deserved recognition.
Annoying Jodie appeared in a deer mask and recited a poem by Clemence McCoy. Probably to show off, the three cousins of the Green Viscount family, who were even more annoying than Jodie, tossed gold coins. I roughly counted them with my eyes, and there were forty. In order not to embarrass myself as the ‘unknown viscount’s daughter’ who accompanied Jaden Spencer, I had to earn at least twice that much.
As I anxiously awaited my turn, a peacock approached me. She started chatting about how she had tried sitting in all the chairs on the second floor and concluded that there seemed to be no green peas. Soon, the topic changed from the comfort of the furniture made in Milua to the good taste of the Duchess Spencer, to the pretentiousness of the Illestian nobles compared to the simplicity of the Miluanian nobles. to the two men wearing the same mask.
“Isn’t that Chase Tucker? You know, from <The Hotties>. What a comparison! How did they end up buying the same thing?”
The tension I was feeling was broken by Brianna Mosley, who was clearly a parrot, not a peacock. I laughed out loud, then suddenly became serious and spoke.
“Bree, from now on, my future aspiration is to be an asshole.”
“What? Why? So suddenly?”
It wasn’t particularly sudden. I was thinking about that all the time while dancing the waltz and Polonaise with Jaden.
Unlike the polonaise, the waltz steps have always been difficult for someone as stiff as a wooden doll. However, when we agreed to use pseudonyms, we also agreed to dance the waltz. Prince Spencer, who was roughly the seventh noblest person in Milua, moved without difficulty, even with me riding on his shoes. In fact, he looked more at ease than when my feet were on the ground. This filled me with a slight sense of self-loathing.
I was also quite relaxed. My body, at the least. There was no need to make a big fuss anymore just to avoid breaking my partner’s foot. However, my mind was not at ease. I constantly thought about the various romances that suddenly came into my life. And whether I deserved it.
On one hand, whether I deserved it or not, I was in a position where I had to enjoy it. It was to push out Rosemary Blossom and break the system. In that sense, what I was doing now wasn’t just being an asshole, but a righteous one.
Being positive was my only strength. If you can’t avoid it, it’s better to enjoy it. I decided to actively become an asshole.
“It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
“What do you mean ‘Right’? If you said that during career counseling, Professor Humphreys would surely faint.”
Thanks to Bree, who scolded me for being pathetic, the waves crashing in the sea of my thoughts finally calmed down. Now there was only Professor Humphreys floating there, forever shuddering at her student’s shocking confession.
Tormenting the disciplinary professor was a highly noble mission for the pranksters at Fitzsimmons. I now had a reason to look forward to the start of the semester.
The mock battle between Marten Mask and Rabbit Mask, who had a ridiculous height difference—whom I could bet were Kendra Bradley and Mia Peterson—was so well-matched that it was immensely entertaining to watch. The next performer, right after the duo who received thunderous applause, was none other than the ‘Anonymous Viscount’s Daughter.’
As I stood awkwardly near the center of the balcony, the bustling hall became quiet. I just glanced around and made eye contact with at least 20 people. The anxiety that Brianna-Parrot-Mosley had managed to suppress rose again.
Fortunately, the talent I would show off was short but impactful. After sweeping my chest and taking a deep breath, I poured some of the Dwarven wine I had prepared in advance into my mouth. It was not my intention to gain courage through alcohol. I knew that when I was drunk, I displayed recklessness rather than courage.
Back in May, I spent a few days under Professor Chapman’s care. During that time, Edgar would hang from the third-floor window every day. Our interactions were mostly frivolous, but occasionally there were moments when they were as nutritious as beans sprouting in a drought.
Eddie, a genius wizard, taught me his favorite magic out of boredom. It was a spell that caused a pillar of fire to rise from a circle of magic. I practiced it to death with the sole intention of burning that bastard Walsh to death. But only Edgar Ramos had enough mana for a pillar of fire, and for someone like me with almost no mana, the best I could manage was a flame the size of a fingernail.
With the Dwarven alcohol, a fingernail was enough. I focused intently on the spark that slowly rose towards the sky. After a while, it reached eye level. I saw Brie giving me a thumbs-up from a distance.
The symbol of the House of Spencer has been the dragon ever since the day the duke, who was thought to have disappeared in the Sandshell Valley, returned riding a dragon. My mask resembles that of a dragon. The sheer fabric hanging from the back looked like wings at first glance. When I forcefully spat out the alcohol, a fairly large flame burst forth. It was a fantastic fire breath that Bree and I had created together after three days and nights of planning.
In our imagination, the audience reaction was undoubtedly positive, but reality was harsh. A sharp scream rose up like a round song, and then a breathtaking silence came. I wondered if someone had cast a spell to stop time. Just as I began to fight the urge to set my own head on fire—
—the sound of leisurely handclapping rang out. I looked down on tiptoes and made eye contact with the man standing in front of the donation box. It was the lion mask dancing polonaise with Brianna Mosley. He took something out of his pocket and turned it over on top of the donation box.
Gold coins poured out. Endlessly. The amount was unbelievable, considering it came from a slim leather pouch. The donation box, already half full, quickly filled to the brim.
Nevertheless, the lion mask’s hand showed no signs of being withdrawn. The overflowing gold coins from the donation box formed a shallow pile on its flat top.
It felt like I had seen a similar scene before. As I was going through my memories, I looked up and saw that he was still looking at me.
The eyes gleaming under the mask were a mysterious mix of red and purple. His smile, exposing his teeth, was both refreshing and chilling.
There stood the genius wizard, Eddie.
***
“Miss Dalton, may I speak with you for a moment?”
“You’ve got the wrong person.”
“Do you think I’m stupid? You’d better come with me while I’m asking nicely.”
“This is asking nicely?”
“Want to see me ask not so nicely? Here, right now?”
The man in the lion mask, Edgar Ramos, started tapping his throat lightly, casting a voice amplification spell. I clenched my fists and followed him.
There was always an animalistic aura around Edgar, making him and the lion mask seem like one entity. When I commented on this out of a slight sense of flattery, he seemed somewhat affronted, claiming he could have worn a much cooler mask if he had prepared it himself.
His tone suggested something unusual, so I asked about the origin of the lion mask. He replied that, apart from the Spencer family, he didn’t know much about the nobility of Milua. For a moment, I pitied the unknown person who had been extorted by a foreign prince.
After walking for a while, we arrived at a balcony that overlooked the outside. It was a place hidden behind curtains that covered the entire wall—a location I hadn’t realized existed. His confident steps made me realize he was quite familiar with the layout of the Spencer mansion.
“You seem to come here often?”
“When I was younger.”
Edgar replied shortly. I got the feeling he didn’t want to talk about it any further. Nodding vaguely, I rummaged through the salad bowl I had picked up on the way. It wasn’t a large portion, but there was more crab meat and mashed potatoes than lettuce or red cabbage, making it perfect for satisfying hunger while maintaining appearances.
“Now, let’s hear about how you and my magic end up at Jaden Spencer’s girlfriend contest.”
It’s amusing how Edgar also refers to the whole mess as a “Jaden Spencer girlfriend contest”. My situation, however, was far from amusing.
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