Chapter 7
The sound of tearing fabric rang with horror in her ears.
“Oh, no… … .”
I could see long, torn lace fluttering across my chest. Diana’s face went white as her breasts were almost half exposed.
“Let go, let go… .”
Diana resisted with all her might. Striving to her feet, she kicked the man on his shin.
“Ack!!”
The man’s face was distorted in pain after being hit by a pointed shoe tip.
“You damn bitch!”
It was a moment when the man’s eyes behind the mask sparkled. The man reached out and grabbed Diana’s hair.
“Ahh!”
As Diana screamed in pain, the man raised his hand and covered her mouth.
“Be quiet, you cheeky one. If you treat me well, I’ll know that you’re grateful. Do you know who I am? I don’t dare even look at you… Ugh!”
Suddenly, the arm of the man holding Diana’s hair was bent at a strange angle.
“Evil! Ahh!”
Diana, who was suddenly released, did not know what was going on, but she was sighing in relief because she felt like she would survive just because her hair was released.
“Let go, let go of this!”
The man was doing the same thing that she had been screaming for life like earlier. When Diana raised her head, a strange sight appeared in her dazed vision.
The person who grabbed the pervert’s arm was a man wearing a black mask. Because it was a mask that completely covered the face, not a half-mask, the man’s face could not be seen. Since it
was a mask that resembled the image of a devil, the sight looked quite bizarre.
It took me some time to realize that it was the man I had encountered earlier while running away.
“… … .”
Diana could not do or say anything. It was as if her mouth was stuck together and no words came out. A pervert is encountered in a corner of the garden, in a pitch-black place, and a man wearing a devil mask subdues the pervert.
“Who is it, who… … .”
The pervert tried to resist by fluttering his free arm in the air, but it was of no use.
“Who could it be?”
A cold voice came out. It was a very soft and low voice like velvet. The man who suddenly appeared was handling the pervert with great ease.
No matter how hard the man tried, the man wearing the devil mask was able to easily subdue the pervert with just one hand.
Oops, the pain-suppressed moans got louder. Perhaps because of the extreme pain, the man could not scream as much as he wanted. Diana felt like that man’s arm would break if he did that, so she stopped him from doing that.
“Stop, stop… … .”
However, the force to twist the arm only became stronger. The pervert who was holding onto his arm made a gurgling sound as if he was about to run out of breath.
“Save me… … .”
Diana became truly scared as she looked at the man with his face turning white. Then a thought crossed her mind that she was going to be in really big trouble. It was not because she was worried about the person holding her arm, but because she felt like the man wearing the devil mask would save her and put her in a difficult situation again. Besides, that man seems to belong to a fairly influential family.
What should I do if that man ends up getting hurt while trying to help me?
“I’m okay since you saved me. But please, I don’t like it if you get caught up in something like this….”
“You have a big heart.”
The man looked down at Diana and said. Looking at the bright blue eyes shining behind the mask, Diana unconsciously stepped behind.
The man was still holding the pervert’s arm. The masked man looked down at the man, who was shaking as if his arms had gone numb, and slowly released his hands.
Tuk.
The man who fell to the floor twisted for a moment, then got up and ran away. Diana watched that with her blank eyes as the half-folded body ran as if crawling, then lifted her gaze.
“Thank you.”
I tried not to tremble, but my voice started shaking without me realizing it.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am okay….”
Diana, who was frantically answering questions, suddenly found the hem of her clothes torn and tattered, and covered her
breasts with her hands in shock.
“That, it’s okay.”
While she was embarrassed, the man took off the cloak he was wearing and draped it over Diana’s shoulders.
Diana looked at her benefactor again while he was straightening the loose ends of the oversized cloak.
“Ah… … .”
The man standing under the moonlight gave off quite a strange vibe. He was more of a sinister looking masked devil than a prince charming, even though he had saved her from a thug. For some reason, I swallowed dry saliva and unconsciously stepped back.
The man, who was watching her reaction with an astute gaze, opened his eyes wide as if he suddenly realized something.
“Ah.”
The man reached back, untied the straps that held the mask to his face, and lightly shook out his hair. Her blonde hair was of a faint silver color, beautifully shining under the moonlight.
“This mask is scary looking.”
The smiling face of the man holding the mask in his hand was extremely beautiful. His face, with his gently disheveled hair, was something anyone could gaze at with fascination.
Blue eyes, a straight nose extending below the eyebrows, soft curved lips, and a well-groomed jawline. It was like a masterpiece of God, carved very delicately.
The benefactor was a very handsome young man, so much so that I was ashamed of having been afraid of the hideous mask he was wearing.
“It’s because it was made in the image of the devil. Maybe it’s because the craftsmanship is so good, but it’s crafted to look quite scary.”
The man turned the mask around and nodded as if he fully understood Diana’s reaction.
“No. You helped me… I’m sorry.”
Diana was even more at a loss for his nonchalant words and attitude. She was embarrassed that she was even momentarily scared by the person who saved her.
It’s just a mask.
“It’s amazing. I deliberately chose this because I don’t like people approaching me.”
“Then why do you go to the masquerade ball… .”
Diana bit the inside of her lip at the question she had thoughtlessly asked. What is the importance of that?
“So, lady, did you have fun at the ballroom?”
“I… am.”
Diana’s face was turning red as she remembered the hasty escape from earlier.
“I heard a woman screaming though… … .”
“That’s…”
“Weren’t you ruining a good time?”
“But I was desperate.”
The rumbling sound started to get closer. Before I had time to do anything, a mixed group of men and women appeared.
The partygoers looked at Diana and the man alternately, exchanging puzzled glances. Their eyes landed on the front of Diana’s torn dress.
“Oh my goodness.”
Diana’s face flushed with embarrassment as people suddenly gathered around and started making noise. While she was panicking, the man pulled Diana closer and hid her behind him.
“Oh my, Duke?”
At the words someone shouted, gasps erupted from the mouths of all the people gathered.
“Oh my god.”
Duke? Diana, who was hiding behind the man’s body, opened her eyes in surprise at their conversation.
Duke, duke.
“My goodness, it’s an honor that Duke Serwell came to this ball.”
Someone shouted something in an excited voice, and the murmur grew louder again.
“Anyway, is she okay?”
Diana’s face was maskless. She quickly looked around. All she could see was the sight of her mask being thrown and fallen on the grass, with its strings broken.
“The lady….”
People’s curious gazes were all focused on Diana. Diana crouched down to avoid their gaze. Even so, she couldn’t completely escape from people’s gaze.
It seemed like everyone was looking at them and whispering.
Everyone caught the sight of her with a man with her clothes disheveled. She didn’t know what to explain, but her mind went blank and no words came out.
At that moment, a large hand wrapped around Diana’s shoulder.
“This is the young lady I am dating.”
“… … .”
The sound of words coming from above was buzzing as if heard from underwater.
“Isn’t that right? Diana.”
