On the sofa, Retina got up and put on the scattered dress on the floor. She lifted the top to conceal any traces hidden beneath the dress and tidied up her disheveled hair.
Approaching her from behind, Herald gathered up Retina’s long, flowing hair and adjusted the loosely tied corset. Making sure the knots were secure enough not to come loose even with vigorous movements, he then pressed his lips against the exposed nape of her neck.
“There’s a curtain next to the study. If you lift it, there’s a staircase connected to the first floor. I’ll go out through the door, and you use that passage to leave.”
For some reason, Herald, who knew the secret passage of the venue, informed Retina.
“If you leave from here, when will we be able to see each other again?”
Turning around, Retina faced Herald, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. It was a poignant moment as they prepared to part ways.
“I’ll do my best to see you as soon as possible.”
They ascended towards the recently descended second floor. Perhaps due to the rumor of the arrival of the crown prince, there was a larger crowd on the second floor than in the hall on the first floor.
Despite the bustling atmosphere, everyone couldn’t take their eyes off the crown prince. While observing the crown prince interacting with people from a distance, Retina turned her head and met a gaze that was precisely directed at her.
“Where were you? Young lady suddenly disappeared, so we looked for you!”
Holding a glass and wandering around, familiar masked figures approached her. Spotting them easily, Retina allowed them to grab her arm, and she followed as they led her somewhere.
“The crown prince has arrived. Lately, he’s rarely seen aside from the swordsmanship competition, so everyone went to see him. We looked for you for a long time to go with Young lady and watch, but we couldn’t find you. I was worried that you might have been caught by some bad guy.”
“Even if you cover half of your face, you can’t help but recognize someone with their own halo.”
Basilius, who couldn’t break through the crowd and had found a spot from a distance, held up a peacock feather and stretched his neck. It wasn’t only Basilius who was making an effort to catch a glimpse of the crown prince’s unexpectedly revealed face amidst the crowd.
“You can still see only the prince even from this distance.”
“Young Lord would be jealous, Isabelle Young lady.”
“Is he similar to the prince?”
“The competition for the position of the crown princess is being held privately. I don’t mind a strategic marriage; I want to marry the crown prince.”
“Simply the number one man to marry in Ruthenium. He’s perfect with his looks, power, and exceptional sword skills. If he advances to the semifinals in the swordsmanship competition?”
“He always stopped at the runner-up whenever he reached the finals. This time, it feels different. His determination towards winning is remarkable.”
“Ah, regardless of who it is, I envy the crown princess already.”
People with splendid masks covering their faces openly shared their thoughts. Among them, some embarrassing remarks were also heard. She missed the touch that once embraced her, as if it had been ages since they parted ways.
“Oh my, look at what this woman is doing.”
“She must have deliberately chosen a trailing dress for this performance.”
Someone fell, pretending to run towards the crown prince, and the people around murmured. The crown prince, catching the flying Young lady like catching a ball, stood her back on her feet. Despite the emotionless movement, the surroundings went wild.
“Whoever it is, they seem to have a strong crush on Helen Young lady.”
“That’s right. There’s a rumor. Mari Young lady, who tried to win the crown prince’s heart with lies, has disappeared without a trace. She followed the marquess after he left to heal his illness, but honestly, she ran away, right?”
“That’s true. Even if she had made her debut as a debutante, leaving the capital before the social season is barely half over. It seems that Helen Young lady did something. There are even people who claim to have seen Helen Young lady harassing Mari Young lady.”
“Oh my, really?”
“Have I ever told you about the rumors I spread? I’m talking about reliable information. Even the marquess’s Young lady, who puts her heart as she pleases, what about other people?”
Continuing with Mari’s story, Retina focused on their voices amid the loud noise. Two women with masks that elongated like a bird chirped like birds.
“Oh, there was one Young lady who couldn’t be touched recklessly.”
“Whoever it is, it seems like Helen Young lady has made quite an impression.”
“Yeah, you know the rumor. Mari Young lady, who pretended to be interested in the crown prince’s feelings, disappeared without a trace. They say she left the capital due to a serious illness, following the ladyship after leaving her entertainer life. But honestly, she probably just ran away, don’t you think?”
“That’s right. Even though she just debuted at the debutante ball, leaving the capital when the social season has barely begun is quite unusual. They say it’s all because of Helen Young lady. There are even those who claim to have witnessed scenes of Helen Young lady tormenting Mari Young lady.”
“Oh my, really?”
“I’ve mentioned the rumors circulating around, haven’t I? Since it’s credible information, I’m sharing it. Even the daughter of a marquess like Young lady, who is supposed to be well-behaved, is freely expressing her emotions. How do you think others would act?”
Continuing Mari’s story, Retina focused on their voices amid the noisy surroundings. Two women with long-nosed bird masks chattered like birds, discussing the affairs of their social circle.
“Oh, there was one Young lady that no one dared to mess with.”
“But she hasn’t had many partners, except for a few dances with the crown prince, right? If she had shown a little more closeness to the crown prince, that Young lady would have been in big trouble.”
“Probably because she took Helen Young lady’s place as a partner.” Listening to their conversation, Retina felt somewhat embarrassed. It seemed like they were talking about someone who might be her. Even though there was no one who recognized her, she felt sweaty. To be discussed so much just because she attended a few parties with the crown prince.
While she often heard rumors about others at parties, Retina, who had never heard rumors about herself, subtly turned her head. ‘It’s fortunate that I didn’t step forward when the Crown Prince was looking for a lady.’
And she sighed. It didn’t feel as good as she thought. Being always entangled with the crown prince, who was always the center of attention, felt like this. Always being evaluated by others, having such a person love her felt unbelievable.
“The Crown Prince is here. Too bad.” Herald, who considered himself somewhat of a spectacle, bypassed the crowd and moved forward. With each step he took, the people in front of him automatically made way.
Swept away like a wave among the people, Retina, separated from the Young lady’s, was pushed alone to the end of the stairs. Due to the jostling crowd, it was impossible to find her companions.
“It’s clear that there are ghosts in the capital. Otherwise, incidents of almost falling down the stairs like this wouldn’t happen frequently. Retina looked back. The stairs were crowded, making it impossible to grab the railing. However, openly falling could lead to a major accident. Even if there was a risk of a head injury, she tried to throw herself into a less crowded area.
“Oh, that was close. It could have been dangerous.”
Someone grabbed her just as she was about to tumble down the stairs. Wearing a blue mask, he held the railing and supported Retina’s waist with his arm.
“Th-thank you. Thanks to you, I avoided hitting my head.”
Retina expressed her gratitude to the man who saved her, stepping back on the stairs with both feet. Her heart, which had just settled in relief from not falling, began to beat rapidly.
“Retina Young lady?”
A man who was intently observing Retina as she straightened her dress and sighed softly asked. In response to the sudden mention of her name, Retina, without realizing, looked up at the man. He had black hair, and a blue mask covered his face. Although she had never seen him before, the eye color and voice visible through the mask felt somehow familiar.
“You wore a wig… I see.”
Retina, who easily recognized who he was, pretended to be familiar with him. The man who saved her was none other than Norden.
“Yes. If I don’t wear a wig, there’s no point in attending a masked ball. It seems Young lady also wore a wig. It suits you well.”
Although Retina stood in the center to avoid rolling down the stairs again, Norden still did not let go of her. Concerned about possible misunderstandings, she awkwardly smiled and placed her hand on his arm, just as the Crown Prince, coming down the stairs, met them.
