Chapter 56
“Count Chrysis’s carriage has arrived. They’ll be entering the ballroom shortly.”
“Is that so? Then go tell Viscount Benito that his awaited guest has arrived,” Enoch instructed, sending the servant off to inform the viscount. He then approached Camille and Angela.
“Young ladies, it seems our evening’s entertainment is about to begin.”
“Oh my! Rinia Chrysis has arrived?”
“Just in time to add some excitement to the party, wouldn’t you say?”
Since Rinia knew no one at the event, she’d undoubtedly head towards Angela, who had sent her the invitation. Enoch planned to escort Viscount Benito over at that moment, making her an offer she couldn’t refuse to set her up as Benito’s partner.
Enoch, along with Camille and Angela, were filled with anticipation.
Just then, the entry doors opened, and Rinia stepped into view.
“Wha…?”
The three of them let out unintentionally foolish noises, stunned by what they saw.
Rinia Chrysis wasn’t alone.
She was arm-in-arm with a tall, strikingly handsome man, beaming with a radiant smile.
“Who… Who is that…?”
“I don’t know! I’ve never seen him before.”
“No… He looks familiar somehow…”
They squinted, trying to recall the man’s identity. But if someone that attractive had been seen in high society, they’d surely remember.
Camille eventually scoffed, crossing her arms.
“Hah! It’s probably one of those ‘escort services.'”
“Escort service?”
“A cheap job some of those fallen nobles take up. Good-looking men go with women who have no partners to attend these events.”
“What? You’re saying he’s a male escort?”
“Something like that.”
Angela shook her head in disgust. However, Enoch, now troubled about what to tell Viscount Benito, inspected Rinia’s companion with a more desperate gaze.
“Strange… His face looks so familiar…”
As they continued their hushed conversation, Viscount Benito, who had been hovering near Rinia, approached Enoch with a sour expression.
“Young Master Bliss. Is the ‘awaited guest’ you spoke of really Lady Chrysis?”
“Ah, well, yes, but—”
“This wasn’t what we agreed on! You said she’d come alone!”
Camille and Angela, seeing Enoch falter, quickly chimed in.
“Calm down, Viscount. She probably felt awkward coming alone, so she must’ve hired an escort.”
“An escort? What on earth are you talking about? That man is Count Chrysis!”
“What?”
“You all have terrible eyes. He may have shaved his beard and cut his hair, but that’s clearly Laszlo Chrysis.”
Camille and Angela gasped, their eyes widening in shock, while Enoch finally recognized why the man’s face seemed familiar.
“It really is Laszlo Chrysis!”
Sure enough, it was him.
But he looked so transformed that it was no wonder they hadn’t recognized him.
Gone were his wild, tangled hair and the disheveled clothes lacking any semblance of propriety. Now, his slicked-back black hair, strong brows, well-defined features, broad shoulders, lean yet firm waist, and elegant, understated attire painted a completely different picture.
Laszlo, who once seemed intimidating in a crude way, now exuded a more refined danger that was undeniably alluring. The way several women fanned themselves to keep cool was all the evidence needed.
“Young Master Bliss! Was this your idea of a joke? Did you intend for me to embarrass myself by proposing to a lady accompanied by such a man?”
Enoch snapped back to his senses at the viscount’s outraged tone.
“N-no, of course not! This is all just a mistake by one of the servants! That young lady I mentioned isn’t this guest!”
“Is that so? But these young ladies here were saying with certainty that Lady Chrysis was the guest.”
“They were simply mistaken as well, Viscount. The guest I spoke of seems to be running late. Please, just a little more patience!”
“Hmm… Don’t disappoint me, young man. I’ll give you another thirty minutes.”
With a doubtful expression, Viscount Benito left, still not entirely convinced by Enoch’s explanation.
Enoch felt like the ground was crumbling beneath him.
“Angela! Camille! What’s going on? This wasn’t the plan!”
In fairness, he hadn’t done anything wrong. Angela and Camille were the ones who had asked him to find Rinia a suitable partner, thinking she’d come alone.
But Angela and Camille were just as flustered.
“Why is Count Chrysis here? And what’s with that look? Of all days, why did he have to show up transformed?”
Camille watched with a scornful glare as Rinia, the girl who’d once insulted her, entered arm-in-arm with the most dashing man at the party, gracefully greeting everyone.
Angela, however, had a different perspective.
*“Who knew Laszlo Chrysis could look like that…”*
A count, stunningly handsome, and now the center of attention—he was bound to become the hottest topic in high society soon enough, with countless marriage proposals likely heading his way.
*“When an opportunity presents itself, you’ve got to strike first.”*
Angela smiled behind her fan. A solution to the problem that had troubled her for years was standing right before her.
First, Angela decided to calm down Enoch, who was in a bind.
“Brother, do you have anyone else you could pair up with Viscount Benito in place of Rinia?”
“I’ll have to find someone. Damn, but where am I supposed to get a woman on such short notice…”
“In that case, see that woman over there? The one with brown hair in the yellow dress.”
Enoch squinted in the direction Angela pointed.
“The one standing next to the girl in the pink dress?”
“Yes, that one. She’s a baron’s daughter from some rural place, staying in the capital with relatives to find a match.”
A young lady from a small, insignificant family—Enoch had briefly greeted her at another party and had thought her rather unremarkable, making her a perfect fit for this situation.
“The relatives she’s staying with, they don’t hold much influence, right?”
“Look at her dress. Does it look like they do?”
“True. And since she’s here to find a suitor, she might be perfect for Viscount Benito.”
Relieved, Enoch decided to ask his mother for assistance in introducing the young lady to Benito and left.
With Enoch’s crisis resolved, Angela then turned her attention to calming the grumbling Camille.
“Camille, now that it’s come to this, let’s go greet Lady Rinia.”
“What? She should be the one to come greet us, not the other way around!”
“If she were alone, yes, but she’s with Count Chrysis. He outranks even my brother, so we should approach her first.”
Although Angela had a point, Camille looked less than pleased.
Still, with her own objective in mind, Angela confidently took Camille by the wrist and headed straight for Rinia.
“Welcome, Lady Rinia! You remember me, don’t you?”
Angela greeted her warmly, and Rinia responded with a gentle smile and a slight curtsy.
“Miss Angela Bliss, of course! You’re the one who sent me the invitation.”
“Technically, it should be my cousin, the host, coming to greet you, but he’s been terribly busy. I hope you don’t mind me welcoming you instead?”
“Not at all! Lady Emerson, how are you?” Rinia greeted Camille brightly.
Camille, momentarily forgetting her earlier disdain, gave Rinia a charming smile.
“Lady Rinia! You look stunning tonight! And what a handsome companion you have with you! Would you care to introduce him?”
Rinia, smiling proudly, looked at her brother.
“Brother, say hello. This is Lady Camille Emerson and Miss Angela Bliss. Lady Emerson, Miss Bliss, this is my brother, Count Laszlo Chrysis.”
The introductions were made with polite nods and slight bows.
*“He’s even more handsome up close,”* Angela thought, not bothered by the slight coldness in Laszlo’s gaze. To her, what mattered was that his presence could very well shake up the ranks of high society with his looks and style. She was pleased by his impeccable, sophisticated attire.
Angela gave him a warm smile.
“From what I know, this is your first time at a party, Count. Is that right?”
“Yes. It just turned out that way,” Laszlo replied curtly.
Angela clasped her hands together in delight, undeterred by his short response.
“How wonderful that your social debut is at our family’s gathering. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, may I introduce you to my grandfather and father?”
Angela’s soft, kind demeanor was one that could easily win over anyone. Yet, despite her politeness, Rinia found herself feeling slightly irritated.
