NRAL | CH 14

Chapter 14

 The Man in the Black Bird Mask

“Who…” Eleanor mumbled absentmindedly but quickly closed her mouth. At a masquerade ball, it was considered impolite to ask about someone’s identity, especially when they were so thoroughly concealed. 

She blinked up at the man standing before her. He was waiting patiently for her to respond.

She felt a bit flustered. She had thought it was embarrassing to just stand against the wall like a wallflower, but that didn’t mean she had been hoping someone would ask her to dance. Especially not a mysterious man like this. She hadn’t expected someone she couldn’t even identify to extend a hand toward her.

‘Should I refuse?’ 

A few weeks ago, she couldn’t have hesitated for a second. She didn’t want to dance with a man she didn’t know, and more than that, she didn’t want to stir up trouble with Arlo. It could become a problem if she did.

But now she found herself hesitating.

Remaining a wallflower might protect her from some attention, but if she danced with someone who wasn’t Arlo, it would definitely attract more curiosity. Even those who hadn’t witnessed the earlier incident would start wondering why Lady Astria was dancing with someone other than her fiancé. People would talk.

However, she also worried about the man in front of her.

He was offering his hand to help the poor Lady Astria. But if they actually danced, Arlo would certainly take note of it. This man would end up on Arlo’s bad side.

She couldn’t use a stranger for her own purposes. She was about to politely refuse him when something caught her eye.

Someone with fiery red hair was pushing through the crowd near the food and drink table.

It was Arlo. Seeing him approach, Eleanor instinctively froze.

At that moment, the man reached out his arm.

Their gloved hands brushed lightly against each other. His hand was much larger and warmer than hers, at least two finger joints bigger.

Surprised, Eleanor stared at their hands. Despite extending his arm, the man didn’t grab her hand. He just touched it gently, as if waiting for her permission.

She swallowed nervously, then carefully took his hand.

As soon as she did, lively and grand music began to play.

She stepped in time to the music. The man hesitated for a moment but quickly caught up with the rhythm.

Now that they were standing face to face, she realized the man was taller than she’d expected. His shoulders were broad, and his chest, hidden beneath his shirt, was solid and strong. He seemed like someone who worked out a lot.

‘Who is he?’ As far as she knew, there was no one like him in Cardiff society. It wasn’t the kind of physique you saw every day. His long legs, his V-shaped upper body—everything about him was perfectly sculpted.

If she had to compare him to someone…

‘The Duke of Royster?’ A flash of memory passed through her mind—of the man who had appeared among the blue lupines.

But she quickly dismissed the idea, embarrassed.

What a ridiculous thought.

The great Karsian Royster attending a masquerade ball and asking her to dance? Just imagining it made her feel guilty for even entertaining the thought.

She spun with the music, twirling gracefully.

As she turned, she caught a glimpse of Arlo watching her with a look of pure fury. His golden eyes practically burned with anger.

He had refused to dance with her, yet now he was enraged because she was dancing with someone else. He was as crazy as ever, even after all these years.

Arlo wasn’t the only one watching them. Lady Rive, the host of the ball, and many other guests were also staring at them with interest.

In a way, it was a satisfying outcome.

This dance was an effective way to show everyone that things weren’t going well between her and Arlo. It would also stir up Arlo’s jealousy.

Not that she had ever wanted him to be jealous, but it might come in handy later when she planned to bring Nora down.

‘I feel bad for this man, though.’ Eleanor glanced up at the man’s mask.

It was a black bird mask with a beak, completely covering his face and even his hair. The design was so striking that it stood out, though it didn’t seem to be the latest fashion, judging by the other guests’ masks.

Even the eye holes were small, making it impossible to see his eyes.

Without realizing it, Eleanor found herself focusing on the tiny holes, trying to see his eyes.

Suddenly, she felt certain they were looking at each other.

“Thank you. I don’t know who you are, but thanks to your kindness, I was saved from being a wallflower.”

She smiled, pretending she hadn’t been staring.

The man didn’t respond. He simply continued dancing with her, holding her waist gently.

‘He doesn’t want to speak.’ It was a smart decision. Who knew who might overhear and report back to Arlo? The man was right to keep everything about himself hidden.

“I don’t know if you asked me to dance because you know I’m Lady Astria or not, but as soon as this song ends, you should leave before the Crown Prince notices. He’s… very possessive.”

Her advice was sincere.

Arlo hated losing anything he considered his—whether it was status, power, popularity, or women. Even if it wasn’t something he truly wanted, if someone else showed interest, he’d hold onto it tightly.

That was why he was jealous now, even though he had tried to discard her before.

“I’m sorry I caused you trouble.”

Even though the man had offered his hand first, she had ended up using his kindness for her own revenge. She felt guilty, so she lowered her head slightly in apology.

But just then, the man did something different for the first time.

The beak of the mask slowly moved from side to side. He shook his head.

‘It’s fine.’ In that small gesture, she felt as though she could hear a kind voice saying those words.

For that brief moment, everyone else disappeared. Arlo, the nobles, and the entire ball faded from her mind.

All she could focus on was the black bird mask, the warm hand supporting her waist, and the faint scent of fresh air that surrounded him as they moved.

Thud.

The man suddenly stopped moving.

Only then did Eleanor realize that the first song had ended. For a brief moment, she had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed. How foolish of her.

She gave the man a small nod of thanks and turned to leave, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

‘For a moment there, I felt like that man was on my side. All just because he shook his head once.’

She scolded herself for having even the smallest hope, especially when she didn’t know anything about him. How could she, after everything she’d been through, still be so naïve? Was it because, deep down, she was still feeling lonely after her friends’ betrayal?

Whatever the reason, she found herself utterly pathetic. Shaking off her self-pity, Eleanor walked away quickly.

“Ellie!”

As if he had been waiting for the song to end, Arlo suddenly appeared from the crowd and grabbed her arm roughly. His hand was large, though smaller than the man’s who had just danced with her.

“Who was that guy?”

His voice was harsh, though he wasn’t swearing. He was clearly trying to control his temper, but it was obvious he was on the verge of exploding. It wouldn’t take much to set him off.

“He was a stranger. I didn’t recognize his voice.”

“Then why would you dance with some random guy? I was right here!”

As expected, Arlo’s voice quickly rose. So absorbed in his own anger that he hadn’t even noticed that the nearby Marchioness had an unhappy look on her face.

Glancing around, Eleanor could see nobles wearing masks, their ears perked up, clearly listening in.

‘How convenient.’

Eleanor silently thanked Arlo for making things even easier for her. He was serving up a perfect scene on a silver platter. All she had to do now was enjoy it.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to look sad.

“Arlo, you were the one who turned me down first,” she said softly.

“No matter what…!”

“You’re being so… cruel.”

Her voice trembled with emotion, and then hot tears streamed down her pale cheeks, hidden under her mask.

The reaction was immediate. Arlo and the others around them were visibly shocked. Eleanor Astria, who was always composed and graceful, was crying—because of her own fiancé, the Crown Prince!

“Is it… Nora again? Did she tell you not to talk to me, not to dance with me?”

Her next words left everyone even more stunned.

The nobles were now openly gawking, mouths hanging open.

Nora? Who was Nora?

Did the Crown Prince have a mistress? And was that mistress so powerful that she forbade him from dancing with his own fiancée?

“How could you do this? You still say I’m your fiancée…!”

“Ellie!”

Arlo, his face now pale, hurriedly cut her off. It seemed he had finally realized the gravity of the situation.

Mentioning Nora in front of all these nobles at the ball? She must have gone mad.

‘Has she completely lost all sense of family honor? How could she be this jealous?!’

Even now, Arlo was blaming Eleanor for the situation. He didn’t even consider that this mess was entirely his own doing.

“Come with me. Let’s talk somewhere else,” he said, frowning and grabbing her arm.

But Eleanor yanked her arm away.

She glanced around. The man she had danced with was nowhere to be seen. It seemed she had bought him enough time to escape.

“No. I’m going home,” she said firmly.

“What?”

“You weren’t going to dance with me anyway, were you?”

Her words left him speechless. His lips moved, but no sound came out. He had no answer for her.

Eleanor didn’t wait for a response. She brushed past him and walked away quickly. She moved so fast that Arlo didn’t have time to grab her again.

Soon, she was gone, leaving Arlo standing alone in the middle of the crowd. The roles had reversed from before the dance.

‘Damn it…!’

Arlo clenched his fists, feeling the weight of the stares on him.

Because of that brief conversation, he now appeared to be the scoundrel who had abandoned his fiancée of eight years for a mistress. That wasn’t the worst part, though.

It wasn’t a big deal for a man to have a mistress or two—that was expected.

What truly stung was that he now looked like a weakling who was under the thumb of his mistress, unable to even dance with his fiancée. The great Arlo Fernandite de Juvenile, Crown Prince of the mighty empire!

Pfft. 

A quiet snicker came from somewhere nearby.

Arlo’s eyes narrowed as he searched for the culprit.

“Viscount Mckenzie. Did you just laugh?”

“N-No, Your Highness! I would never!”

“Then are you saying I’m hearing things?”

“N-No, that’s not what I meant…!”

Snap!

Arlo’s hand shot out and grabbed the shorter viscount by the shoulder. His voice was dangerously low.

“Something must have made you happy. Why don’t you tell me what it was, hmm?”

Wrong place, wrong time. The viscount’s face turned deathly pale.

He shot a desperate look at Lady Rive, silently pleading for help. But she simply looked away, as if to say, “You’re on your own.” No one knew better than she how short-tempered the second son, Crown Prince, is.

‘I should never have invited him…’

Lady Rive sighed in regret.

She couldn’t imagine how the ball’s atmosphere could get any worse.

She had no idea what was about to happen next.