While I was lost in thought, Raphael spoke up. “All you need is to do your hair and makeup on the way. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Lord Raphael.”
I obediently followed him out of the mansion. By the time I was fully dressed, the sun was beginning to set. We rode in a carriage to the party venue, a large mansion with a luxurious exterior.
Before stepping out of the carriage, Raphael pulled something out from his coat. “Here, wear this. It’s a shame to cover your pretty face, but it can’t be helped.” He handed me a half-mask that covered only up to my nose. Raphael also wore a black half-mask, which suited him quite well.
I carefully put on my mask.
“Shall we go, Lady?” Raphael stepped out of the carriage first and extended his hand to me. His tone was polite and smooth. It felt a bit excessive but not entirely unpleasant.
I carefully took his hand and stepped out of the carriage. Raphael then pulled my arm through his, linking us together. I could see his eyes smiling through the mask.
…Why do I feel a sense of déjà vu?
As we entered, elegantly dressed men and women, also wearing masks, stood at the entrance. “Ah, welcome! Have a lovely evening!” They greeted us in a leisurely tone.
Phew, I feel much more at ease with the mask on.
Inside, under a grand chandelier, many people were dancing. Others sat on sofas scattered around, enjoying drinks. We found a place to sit, and a servant passed us each a glass of champagne from a tray.
“Shall we dance?”
“Ah, I’m not very good at dancing.”
“That’s a shame. Then let’s just talk.”
Hearing him mention dancing reminded me of the time I danced with Isaac on the terrace. That was fun. It would have been nice if he had come with me today too…
As I thought about that, I heard a faint moaning sound from somewhere. Huh? What’s that noise? It doesn’t sound like someone in pain…
I looked around and soon found the source. There were several curtained rooms at the party venue, and the sound was coming from one of them. What are those rooms for?
While I was glancing around, I caught a glimpse through a gap in the curtains. I couldn’t help but gasp. A man was slowly lifting a woman’s dress, revealing her bare thigh.
I quickly averted my eyes and lowered my head. What… what is this?! Even with the curtains, how could they do such things in a public place? And there were multiple curtained rooms. Is everyone in those rooms doing the same thing?
In one of the rooms, I noticed a faint smoke rising, which made me feel even more uncomfortable.
“Mia, what’s wrong?”
Raphael, however, remained calm. Did he know this party would be like this when he brought me? Surely, he didn’t intend to do something like that with me, did he?
As I stayed silent, Raphael glanced toward the rooms and spoke. “Is it because of that?”
“…Yes.”
“Hmm. Should we leave, then? I didn’t know it would be this kind of party either.”
Huh? He’s suggesting we leave so easily—it seems he’s fine after all…
As I started to relax a little, Raphael chuckled softly. “It seems people become more open when they wear masks. Maybe it’s because no one knows who they really are.”
“I suppose so.”
“In that case, maybe I should take advantage of being masked and have a talk.”
What does he mean by that? I looked at Raphael curiously. The feeling of déjà vu returned suddenly.
“Mia. As you probably know, I’m fond of you.”
Right, that unexplained fondness. Last time, he mentioned something about me being the person he had been looking for.
“I want you to become my maid, but you’re still hesitant, aren’t you?”
“…Yes, I’m sorry.”
“Then let me make you another offer. If you do me a favor, I’ll pay off all your debt.”
His green eyes, visible through the mask, looked unusually vivid. There was something hypnotic about them.
“What favor?” I found myself asking, almost entranced.
Raphael’s lips parted, and his beautiful voice flowed out. “Kiss me.”
The moment I heard those words, I snapped back to reality. What did I just hear?
Raphael was still looking at me calmly. He usually wore a smile, but now his face was completely neutral. “Give me three kisses. That’s my request.” No, he was more serious than I’d ever seen him.
Does he really like me…? Or is this just his way to seduce the maids? I should have refused, but his expression was so earnest that I couldn’t immediately say anything.
As I stared at his face, that sense of déjà vu grew stronger. Why does this feel so familiar? Where have I seen this expression before? I definitely remember seeing these lips…
“Ah.”
I finally realized the source of the familiarity. I had seen these lips before—in the mansion at night. The grand duke, who wore a mask, looked strikingly similar to Raphael. Realizing this, I suddenly felt short of breath.
Raphael is the grand duke? If that’s true, then he must be a demon. A demon had been by my side all along.
I shot up from my seat. Raphael watched me calmly.
“I can’t fulfill that request. I’m sorry. I… I need to go.”
“Mia?”
I heard him call my name, but I bolted out of the room. My heart was pounding wildly. What on earth is he thinking? Why is he here at this mansion?
I ran in a panic, but my heel broke, and I fell to the ground.
“…Ah.”
Even if I tried to escape, I’d have to ride back in the same carriage as Raphael. But there was no way I could ride with him now. Should I just walk home? But with my shoes ruined, that wouldn’t be possible either. What should I do…?
“Mia.”
At that moment, someone called my name. To my surprise, the person standing before me was Isaac. I didn’t know why he was here, but seeing him instantly calmed me down—even though he was the one who had killed for me.
Isaac knelt on one knee to check on me. “Mia, are you alright?”
“Master, how are you…?”
He didn’t answer, just looked around. His eyes were burning white.
“What happened inside?”
Why did he look so angry?
I shook my head. Nothing had really happened, after all. “No… nothing happened…”
“Then why did you run out like this?”
“It’s just… inside… they were…”
I couldn’t bring myself to explain what was happening in there. And I definitely couldn’t mention that Raphael was the demon.
Isaac didn’t press further and helped me to my feet. “Let’s go home.”
“…Yes.”
I let Isaac help me into the carriage. As the wheels clattered into motion, I couldn’t stop thinking about Raphael’s face. Did he follow me? Was he watching this scene? I was too scared to even look out the window.
* * *
Even after returning home, Mia remained in a daze. Isaac asked the maids to look after her before retreating to his room. He sat in his office, biting his lip.
What did Mia see to make her react like that? He knew about the depraved acts that nobles committed while wearing masks, and while Mia hadn’t said so explicitly, it seemed to have shocked her. But Isaac had seen something else on her face—surprise, confusion, and fear. She was scared.
Of what? Had Raphael done something to her?
Bringing Mia to such a dangerous place in the first place was a mistake. It was fortunate that Isaac had followed them.
As he dwelled on these thoughts, there was a knock on the window. By now, Isaac knew exactly who it was. He opened the window, and Raphael stepped inside. As usual, he was smiling, but his eyes weren’t.
“Isaac, I didn’t expect you to pull something like this.”
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