Episode 46

“The Crown Prince is entering!”

The loud voice of the servant standing at the entrance announced the identity of the person now entering.

However, it was clear even without the announcement.

Black hair and golden eyes.

A robust physique that seemed almost threatening and the leisurely, relaxed gait typical of the imperial family.

It would have been more strange not to recognize him.

He did not hide his displeasure.

His brows were deeply furrowed, and his hand, wearing white gloves, slowly rubbed his brow bone.

He exuded an air of having come to the wrong party.

A valet standing nearby hurriedly ran over and handed him a mask.

But it was already too late for that.

“When was the Crown Prince invited?”

“Last evening. Hence his current demeanor.”

The princess laughed as if amused.

Seeing her smile, it seemed this was her own form of revenge.

“You are quite mischievous.”

“Of course. He is the only person I can be this childish with.”

The relationship between Kenneth and the princess had a subtle edge to it.

Watching them, one could sense they were true family in every sense of the word.

They teased each other but maintained proper decorum, never crossing the line.

Their demeanor was quite different when dealing with the empress.

The Crown Prince, wearing a black mask, looked like a menacing black lion.

Above his brightly shining golden eyes, a distinct anger simmered.

Turning his head, he instantly spotted his younger sister and strode towards us with an angry gait.

“Ulysses Zerkis.”

Kenneth’s voice was chilling to the bone.

“Oh my, who is that? I don’t know that name.”

The shameless princess pretended not to know him.

As she calmly tried to turn away, she bumped into a valet passing by.

Clink.

The glasses on the tray clinked together and made a clear, cheerful sound as they shattered.

Despite the significant collision with the princess, the well-trained valet didn’t drop a single glass.

He slightly bowed his head and apologized to the princess.

“Oh, I didn’t see where I was going. I’m sorry.”

Wearing a mask befitting a masquerade, he nodded lightly once more in courtesy before departing.

I quietly watched his back as he fluidly weaved through the crowd, then turned my head.

“What are you standing around for? Run away quickly!”

Ulysses grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.

Had it been a normal banquet, we would never have run in such a place to save face.

But since it was a masquerade, we wove in and out of the elegant and opulent garments.

Because we both wore silk gloves, we lost our grip on each other’s hands several times due to the slippery fabric.

“Pri… Prin…”

Each time, I called out to her, but somehow it felt wrong to call her princess.

The princess glanced back at me.

“Yuli.”

“Call me Yuli from now on.”

She said with a bright smile and ran ahead.

I was buried among dresses and cloaks.

“Yuli!”

I called out to her, but the voices of others and the music in the banquet hall were louder.

She must have thought she was holding my hand, but no, it was my glove.

It was absurd to see my bare hand without the evening glove.

I watched the back of the princess running away with a bewildered expression, but she didn’t stop.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I covered one arm and headed towards the wall.

I leaned against a pillar by the window and sighed.

As I adjusted my mask, which had gotten disheveled in the crowd, someone approached the pillar shortly after I showed my bare face.

I hastily put on the mask, but it was useless as the person seemed to recognize me already.

“Evelyn?”

When I lifted my head to the soft voice, I saw a beautiful woman in a white mask, a white dress, and long, flowing blonde hair approaching. She looked just like a swan.

She shone in the lights of the hall, walking towards me with the light at her back.

As she got closer and slightly lowered her mask, I realized she was someone I knew well.

“Eunice.”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Among the members of the reading club, she was someone I met relatively often.

She was often seen wherever I went.

“It’s a splendid banquet.”

Her cheerful voice sounded.

I thought she would just greet me and leave, but she stood beside me, leaning against the wall.

“I saw you at the ‘Soul of the Flower’ last time, but I couldn’t greet you. You were with the host in the reception room…”

“Oh, I see.”

The conversation did not continue.

An awkward silence passed for a moment.

Whenever she smiled and spoke to me like this, I was engulfed in a sense of awkwardness.

I felt endlessly small and narrow-minded for not being able to accept her.

“Didn’t the Duke say he was attending today?”

“Oh, yes.”

So that was her purpose.

It was straightforward in a way, but her words made me feel down.

It was a blatant question.

“But strangely, I haven’t seen him yet. How is he disguised?”

“I don’t know how he disguised himself either.”

I replied quietly.

“Is that so? Anyway, you look very beautiful today.”

It was amusing coming from her.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

When it came to elegant beauty, Eunice was probably the most beautiful in the empire.

“Did you want to rest? Then I’ll leave you to it.”

Eunice waved her hand with a friendly smile.

I thought she would ask more about Igon, but it was strange that she didn’t.

Maybe I was overthinking it.

Reflecting on the moment alone, I felt a bit uneasy.

I decided it was no good and went out to get a glass of champagne.

Bubbles rose in the golden liquid.

It looked delicious, but as soon as I took a sip, the sweetness and the alcohol aroma made me frown.

As expected, I wasn’t good at drinking, and I regretted taking it.

I put the half-finished champagne back on the tray.

Feeling a bit sorry, I looked up at the valet and froze.

“…Igon?”

He held the tray without responding and quietly turned away, blending into the crowd.

Was I mistaken because of the alcohol?

No, I wasn’t.

Eyes filled with a mix of joy and excitement.

The only person who looked at me with such eyes was Igon.

I hurriedly followed him.

His long legs easily widened the distance between us.

Even so, he seemed to stop and wait for me as if expecting me to catch up.

I followed him all the way up to the third floor.

Climbing in a dress full of lace was no easy task.

“…Where did he go?”

Once I reached the top, I couldn’t find him and looked around.

Leaning against the railing, exhausted, a man dressed as a pirate approached me.

“Oh, there you are! My lark!”

His exaggerated manner of speaking, grand gestures, and the clearly drunken red face were obvious.

Oh, please.

This isn’t a lark, it’s a kingfisher.

I considered correcting him out of respect for the tailor who stayed up all night for this concept but remembered the dangers of a drunk man and quickened my steps to escape.

However, before I could flee, the man blocked my path, moving right when I moved right and left when I moved left, mocking me.

I frowned as hard as I could.

I remembered the princess’s words.

Ignore them, or rebuke them.

“How rude! Step aside immediately!”

My voice came out louder than usual, probably due to the alcohol.

Startled by the unexpected loud voice and refusal, the man hesitated.

I glared at him sharply.

“S-Sorry…”

I didn’t listen to his mumbling apology and brushed past him.

As I walked forward, I heard a dull thud.

“Ahhh!”

A single scream followed.

Turning my head, wondering if he was pulling some strange stunt to get my attention, I saw the drunkard who had been hitting on me lying on the floor.

In front of him stood Igon, dressed in the black suit typical of valets.

Igon had placed his tray on the railing and was pouring a drink over the man’s head and coat collar.

The alcohol’s smell wafted through the air as it splashed.

With cold eyes, Igon looked down at the man, then stomped on his back and kicked his head.

Igon didn’t seem to be exerting much force, but with each blow, the man’s body jerked, and the sound of something breaking was vivid.

“…Stop… stop it!”

I hurriedly stopped Igon.

He roughly pushed the beaten man in front of a pillar and walked towards me.

Despite having just brutally beaten a man and kicked him to his feet, Igon’s demeanor was gentlemanly and noble.

The contrast between his recent violence and his current gentleness was stark.

I looked up at him with wide, surprised eyes.

Before I could say anything, he knelt on one knee.

Like a polite servant, he raised his hand.

Then he took my ungloved hand and pressed his lips to it.

Whether it was the alcohol or something else, the sensation of his lips on my bare skin felt much more explicit than usual.

“I greet the esteemed lady.”

He wore a wig; his original platinum hair was now black.

The black hair suited his naturally pale skin better than most men.

Wearing a white mask and with his shirt buttoned up to his neck, he looked stern and ascetic.

Of course, that was until you met his cold, fiery eyes.

As I stared at him, lost in thought, a chuckle brought me back to my senses.

I realized he was teasing me for losing focus.