How quick. Kisa clicked her tongue inwardly after seeing Daniel’s brazen face.
Although she was bound to run into this person after coming here, she hadn’t expected to encounter him right at the entrance to the banquet hall. On top of that, to hear such absurd nonsense.
Who exactly was getting dressed up to see whom? She wanted to kick him in the shin, but there were too many watching eyes here.
Kisa ignored Daniel and spoke only to Countess Habertz.
“There seems to be some misunderstanding. I’m simply attending to enjoy the banquet and contribute even a little to the Habertz family’s noble charity work.”
Then, with an elegant gesture, she held her skirt and gave a slight bow.
“Thank you for inviting me anyway.”
“Ah, I see.”
The Countess looked somewhat disappointed, and Daniel glared at me as if in contempt.
“Oh, this is my partner Richard. He works as my father’s secretary.”
At Kisa’s introduction, Richard bowed politely.
“I’m Richard Atson. This is truly a splendid banquet.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Atson. I was wondering who Miss Kisa would bring, and it turns out to be the Count’s secretary.”
Having introduced her companion to the host according to custom, there was no need for further formalities.
Before Daniel could become more annoying, Kisa tried to enter the hall with Richard. However, Daniel quickly blocked their path and addressed her.
“Kisa, we need to talk.”
Kisa replied without even looking at him.
“I don’t think so, Lord Lowens.”
“Are you going to keep up this pointless pride? You came all the way here for a reason.”
“Your memory seems poor. Did you forget what I just told the Countess?”
“Why not be a little honest? You desperately need my help.”
Kisa looked at him with slightly tired eyes.
“Good grief…”
From the moment she decided to come here, she’d worried Daniel might develop another strange misunderstanding, and sure enough, how does this man never fail to exceed expectations in all the wrong ways?
“Think about it. This is your last chance.”
“Enough. Let’s stop talking.”
She turned her head, intending to ignore whatever Daniel might say. But then he changed targets, pretending to be friendly as he placed his arm on Richard’s shoulder.
“It’s been a while, Richard.”
“Yes, it has, Young Master Daniel.”
There was no need to address him that way at an occasion like this. But having treated Daniel as a guest of the Vansfelt family for so long, the title “young master” seemed to have stuck to Richard’s lips.
Daniel grinned and whispered in Richard’s ear.
“I’m sorry, but I need to have a word with Kisa alone. May I borrow your partner?”
“Ah… well, that’s…”
“Is that all right?”
Well, would you look at that? It was quite unsightly to see him harassing Richard because Kisa was ignoring him.
Just as Kisa was about to intervene, Richard hesitantly continued.
“Y-Young Master Daniel, Miss Kisa has… already refused to speak with you.”
“What did you say?”
“And Miss Kisa isn’t an object to be… ‘borrowed,’ as you put it. That seems inappropriate.”
Faced with this impeccable logic, Daniel frowned deeply.
“Ah, yes. How very proper of you.”
After sarcastically remarking, he moved away from Richard and approached Kisa again.
“Come to the garden before the banquet starts.”
Then he whispered in a voice only she could hear.
“If you don’t want to be an old man’s plaything, you’d better cling to me now.”
Afterward, he simply passed by Kisa and leisurely disappeared outside, away from the banquet hall.
“Oh, Daniel! What about the banquet?”
Countess Habertz called after him, but his only reply was that he would get some fresh air and return.
“That boy. Abandoning his partner and running off…”
Standing beside the complaining Countess, Kisa irritably touched her ear. It was a gesture to erase the unpleasant sensation of his breath against her fine hair. Why did he have to whisper like that?
“Are you all right, Miss?”
As Richard looked at her with concerned eyes, she pulled up the corners of her mouth pretending nothing was wrong.
“I’m fine. Now, shall we go in?”
Looking around, she noticed five or six guests lingering outside the banquet hall, stealing glances at them instead of entering.
Well, there probably wasn’t a more interesting spectacle. After all, two people who had broken off their engagement amid sensational scandal were meeting publicly for the first time. Each with different companions, no less.
Though it seemed unlikely, Kisa hoped that Daniel wouldn’t return. Let him keep waiting in the garden for someone who wouldn’t come.
Once inside the banquet hall, the two attracted far more attention than before. Some people blinked as if they’d seen something unbelievable, surprised by Kisa’s appearance.
“Oh my, Lady Vansfelt.”
Some of them immediately approached to greet her.
“Is it all right for you to be out like this now? I heard your heartbreak was quite severe…”
Even without mentioning the specific word, everyone’s interest converged on one thing: the broken engagement.
“Yes, I recovered well after resting at home. I couldn’t stay dejected forever, could I?”
Kisa managed her expression while answering the questions with composure. She revealed herself as the victim in her relationship with Daniel while trying not to appear as though her life had ended because of it.
They seemed to want to probe further but couldn’t quite bring themselves to do so out of politeness, and instead offered words of comfort.
“I see, that’s good.”
“Yes, it’s nice to see your face again.”
“Lady Vansfelt has no reason to hide. From what I’ve heard, Lord Lowens was quite terrible.”
Yet they subtly tried to draw out more information by mentioning rumors and Daniel.
“Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad I decided to return now.”
Kisa properly ignored their wishes.
Though she could spend all night criticizing Daniel, gossip in such settings never worked in one’s favor. Even Melissa, who had been so close to her, wasn’t on her side, was she?
“…Haha, yes. But who is this gentleman beside you?”
“This is Richard, who works as my father’s secretary. He kindly agreed to be my partner.”
“Ah, I see.”
Still unable to abandon their curiosity, they showed interest in Richard, but upon learning his identity, they couldn’t hide their disappointment. They had apparently been hoping he was Kisa’s new lover.
Afterwards, about 70% of those who approached Kisa were curious about her broken engagement.
Sadly, the remaining 30% weren’t people expressing genuine pleasure at seeing her after so long.
“Oh, Lady Vansfelt. How long has it been? For a moment, I thought an angel had descended from heaven.”
Kisa forced a smile at the man offering such excessive flattery.
“It’s nice to see you, my lord. Come to think of it, the last time we met was at the Opera House.”
He was the man who had persistently flirted with Kisa on the day she had gone to the Opera House with tickets gifted by Seyard.
“You’ve always been beautiful, but you’re especially radiant this evening. If I were to name the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom of Sorbi, it would be you.”
He briefly glanced at Richard standing beside Kisa, then arbitrarily took her hand and kissed the back of it. He had apparently already judged Richard as an insignificant man.
Since he was someone who had openly tried to seduce Kisa even before her broken engagement, his behavior was even more outrageous now that her fiancé was gone.
“That’s too much praise. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”
Feeling no need to tolerate such rudeness, Kisa didn’t hide her displeasure as she quickly pulled her hand from his grasp.
At her uncharacteristically cold response, he momentarily looked confused, but he didn’t back down easily.
“I’ve heard what happened. How painful it must be for you. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to comfort your lonely heart.”
His intentions were so obvious that she didn’t even feel angry.
“I’m fine. It’s all in the past.”
“Come now, aren’t you lonely without a fiancé? I think Lady Vansfelt and I could form a good connection.”
“Pardon? A good connection? But don’t you already have a fiancée, my lord?”
When Kisa asked with an innocent face, the man’s eyes twitched.
“No, that’s not what I meant—”
“Then what kind of connection are you referring to?”
When she raised her voice further, those around them turned to look.
“…Never mind. I’ll see you again.”
With that, he clicked his tongue and left almost like he was fleeing.
Even after that, people like him kept appearing—outwardly pretending to care about Kisa’s loss while trying to satisfy their own desires.
They seemed to think that a woman who had recently broken off her engagement would easily fall for them with a little consolation, drooling at the thought.
The more she dealt with such people, the more she thought of Seyard. She missed his consistently straightforward attitude. His presence had always shone, but it was in his absence that his true worth became apparent.
‘Seyard, when will you come?’
As if in response to her curiosity, the crowd began to stir. It was about five minutes before the banquet was due to start.
“We greet Her Highness the Princess.”
“Princess Arta, have you been well?”
“It’s been too long since we’ve seen you.”
The crowd instantly surged toward the entrance. The actual protagonists of this charity banquet had arrived.
“It’s nice to see you all, everyone.”
Princess Arta entered with a faint smile, receiving everyone’s greetings. Naturally, one hand was placed on the arm of the man standing beside her.
“They truly make a splendid couple.”
As someone remarked, the youngest princess and Duke Hillan were exceptionally well-matched.
Feeling her heart tighten for some reason, Kisa found herself among the group of people greeting the couple before she even realized it.
“Hello, Your Highness.”
At that moment, the princess’s eyes were filled with surprise upon seeing Kisa. And the same was true for the man escorting her.
