Episode 16
“If you knew there was a guest, you should have left.”
What kind of situation is it to come in and close the door?
Even after I said that, Vincent approached with a sly smile.
‘What’s with the suspicious look?’
I cautiously stepped back, keeping my guard up.
“Are you afraid of me? Why do you keep retreating?”
“You must know that the current situation is extremely impolite.”
In response to my sharp remark, Vincent waved his hand, as if trying to dispel any misunderstandings.
“I simply want to become friends with the young lady. I just wanted to sit and have a conversation…”
Having a private conversation in a room not even five square meters?
Who would believe that statement straight up, and who would view it as just simple friendship?
There was no way the gears in that head were turning like that.
He was clearly enjoying seeing me cornered, evident from his expression.
“If you want to talk, let’s do it outside.”
“Perhaps the young lady finds me uncomfortable…”
“Yes, to be honest. I do find it uncomfortable.”
Why bother asking the obvious?
As I bluntly stated my opinion, Vincent narrowed his eyes and forced a smile.
“It’s too noisy outside, and there are too many people clinging to me. This is the optimal place for the young lady and me to have some time alone.”
And he’s well aware that it’s the perfect place for eavesdropping as well.
The intention was clear.
The social scene was highly conservative. Especially when attending a party, even if your partner isn’t your lover, it was never allowed to be alone with someone of the opposite sex inside the host’s house. It was an implicit understanding that doing so would be considered a betrayal of your partner.
‘They’re targeting Ludwig, not me.’
It seemed like this man wanted to portray Ludwig as someone who couldn’t even protect his partner. There would be no better opportunity to tarnish his reputation than at this party.
The Karsian Council had always been actively trying to undermine Rudvich. They likely had plans to remove him from the successor position someday. In fact, many had already pledged their loyalty to the Council rather than to Rudvich, who was the heir apparent.
Simultaneously, the rising successor candidate was none other than this man, Vincent Kardashian, a young marquis who enjoyed absolute support from the Council. However, recently, the way people looked at Ludwig had started to change.
Starting from the incident where he took off his mask that caused a lot of controversy to saving the life of a frail young lady, and today, his unusual attendance at the Karsian party seemed to signal a more active role. The Council and Vincent were undoubtedly feeling threatened by Rudvich’s recent actions.
“Don’t play games with me; step aside right now.”
“I won’t move until the young lady asks me to.”
Where did he get the audacity to think I’d accept him with such unwarranted confidence?
“To be honest, I fell for you just now after seeing you. Since I’ve seen you, no one else catches my eye.”
The eerie way he spoke with those eyes made me shiver in disgust.
‘Ugh… Do I have to endure this to the end?’
I didn’t want it to come to this point, but there was no other choice. My ability was still incomplete, and using it to attack someone was a serious crime, one that could land me in a royal court. The Karsian Council was known to have close ties with the royal family, and if things went wrong, I could find myself in a difficult situation.
“So, is there another way?”
I took a step closer to Vincent.
“Hehe, do you finally feel like having a conversation? Since the door is locked, relax and come over here…”
“Shut up.”
“What?”
Reaching out and trying to force his lips on me, I used all my strength to kick between the man’s legs.
Thunk!
‘Oh, that hit the mark.’
“Aaaaah! You, you crazy woman!”
Vincent writhed in pain and fell to the ground.
“That’s what happens when you don’t back off when you’re told to. I’ll officially protest this incident with the Drenihan family, so be prepared.”
I shook my head in disgust and walked towards the door.
Or at least, I tried to.
Vincent suddenly grabbed my ankle.
“…Let go of this.”
He had grabbed my ankle so tightly that I couldn’t move it at all.
At that moment, due to Vincent’s sudden strong pull, I lost my balance and fell to the ground.
Vincent didn’t miss this opportunity and quickly got on top of me.
“How dare you reject me? Who do you think you are?”
I felt a sharp sensation in my wrist where he was holding me.
“Do you know that you’ll die of an incurable disease when you’re around twenty? That’s why you don’t even have a marriage proposal. I pitied you and wanted to have some fun, but you trampled on my kindness like this!”
Bang!
The door was forcefully thrown open with such force that it almost broke.
“…?!”
Both Vincent and I turned to look at the door simultaneously.
“What on earth is happening here?”
The one who had opened the door was none other than Ludwig.
His icy voice, which I heard for the first time, sent a chill down my spine.
Ludwig’s face was filled with such deep anger that it seemed to exude coldness.
He walked over with wide strides, grabbed Vincent’s backside as he was about to get up, and threw him away.
Thud!
“Now, you, how dare you…”
Ludwig approached the fallen Vincent and punched him in the face with a dull sound.
Thwack!
“Aaah!”
The punch must have been so intense that blood started trickling from Vincent’s nose.
Even as Ludwig panted heavily and stared at Vincent with flames in his hands, it was clear that his anger had not subsided.
The moment I saw flames flicker in his hands, I rushed forward and restrained Ludwig.
“Ludwig, stop!”
As I grabbed his arm, the flames disappeared from his hands.
Vincent, trembling, looked up at Ludwig.
It must have been the first time that Vincent had looked at Ludwig with fear in his eyes, instead of his usual arrogance.
At that moment, a commotion could be heard outside the door as people gathered and raised their voices in confusion.
“W-What’s going on here? Why are Lord Karsian and Vincent fighting…?”
It was because of Vincent’s earlier shout that the nobles had flocked to this place like a cloud.
Seeing this, Vincent got up from his place and patted his swollen cheek while saying, “Lud… Ludwig, this is a misunderstanding.”
“…”
“Well, you see, I knew you had a partner, and she tried to seduce me. Even though I rejected her, she suddenly pulled me, and I fell over.”
‘What’s he saying now?’
If that’s his excuse, he must have picked the wrong person.
I buried my face in my hands, trying to appear as pitiful as possible.
“Sob…”
I didn’t forget to sob.
“Threatening me wasn’t enough for you, so you had to tell such a lie?”
As my voice trembled, the gazes of those watching shifted towards me.
“He came into this parlor, where I was alone as a guest, and suddenly locked the door…”
Acting skills at their finest.
I let tears flow down my cheeks and wiped them away with the back of my hand, sneaking a glance at Ludwig.
My headache intensified.
‘He looked really angry earlier… Oh, we made eye contact.’
In that fleeting moment when our eyes met, tears welled up for some inexplicable reason.
As the murmurs of the crowd grew louder, Vincent continued to make excuses with a flushed face.
“Well, normally when women don’t like it, they reject you. How am I supposed to tell if she has feelings for you?”
“……?”
“That’s right. I asked your cousin for an introduction because I had feelings for you. She said you were lonely and shy, so if I approached you actively, you’d like me soon!”
Lonely…? Shy…?
What was he talking about?
My forced tears stopped flowing.
When I wiped my tears away as if to say, “What are you even saying?” Vincent looked at me with an incredulous expression and continued to argue.
“I heard this from your cousin, so are you going to deny it now?”
From the beginning, he kept mentioning my cousin.
What did it mean…?
“Jeria?”
Why was she suddenly here?
Come to think of it, Vincent had been talking to Jeria before coming here.
The person who saw me heading to the parlor alone was also Jeria…
“Jeria, come out from there.”
There was no way Jeria, who had orchestrated this, wouldn’t be nearby watching.
As I spoke with a sinking voice, the people gathered around discreetly backed away, glancing elsewhere.
Then, Jeria, who had been hiding in the meantime, revealed herself.
She looked as if she’d been caught red-handed, like a thief with nowhere to run.
“Would you like to explain what that guy just said? Why would I make up something that didn’t happen in a place where nothing happened?”
“W-well, you see…”
Jeria tried to justify herself with a flustered expression.
“It’s a misunderstanding! I just… Sienna seemed so lonely at home without even an engagement partner. She’s not good at expressing herself, so I just wanted to help…”
“No, was that a lie then? Is that why you told Sierra Yeongae not to say anything?”
When Gacent asked, looking bewildered, Jeria hunched her shoulders even further.
So, was that what they were talking about earlier?
Just as my anger was about to boil over, a refined voice came from somewhere.
“Lady, it’s true that Young Lady was a bit reckless, but did you really think it would come to this?”
It was Lady Iris, the hostess of the Creya Marquessate, Jeria’s aunt by marriage.
“She may have made a mistake in her youthful enthusiasm, but please forgive both of them with generous hearts.”
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