Chapter 42
“…Focus on the plan, Mori. I can’t stand seeing you screw it up by getting distracted by other things,” Cession grumbled.
Gremory simply nodded.
“Got it. I’ll stick to the plan.”
The three of them boarded the carriage, which finally began its journey to the Imperial Palace.
About four hours later, they entered the capital city.
Fireworks shot into the sky, signaling the beginning of the pre-banquet festivities. Boom—bright fireworks exploded, scattering in all directions. Gremory stuck her head out the carriage window to take in the view.
“Wow.”
The vibrant colors of the fireworks lit up the night sky beautifully. It was a sight that could not be seen in the Demon Realm.
In the distance, the Imperial Palace itself looked as magnificent as ever. Despite the dark night, the palace stood shining brightly, as if it were daylight.
‘The human world really is beautiful.’
Isollen, noticing Gremory’s shining eyes, smiled faintly.
“It’s a bit rustic, isn’t it? First time seeing fireworks?”
“Yeah.”
“We have fireworks every year in the Grand Duchy too. You can watch them up close next time.”
“When?”
“Every fall.”
Cession, who had been listening quietly, thought about making the next fireworks display even grander.
Finally, the carriage passed through the gates of the Imperial Palace. The three of them entered the grand banquet hall, and a servant announced their arrival.
“His Excellency, the Grand Duke of Edel, Cession Frilliant de Edel, has arrived!”
Cession Frilliant de Edel—his full name excluded the royal family’s surname ‘Frilliant,’ but Cession didn’t mind. He entered the banquet hall, flanked by two maids. Behind them walked his new assistant, Chris.
Cession’s popularity, especially after halting the witch hunts, was immense. The crowd quickly thickened around him.
“Oh my, it’s Grand Duke Edel! Rachel Conrad, it’s been so long!”
“Ha ha, my savior, who rescued my daughter, has arrived! Do you remember me?”
Cession comfortably greeted the crowd, while Gremory felt an overwhelming dizziness. The darkness of so many humans clashing in the air made her head spin.
Isollen caught her swaying form. Cession, noticing Gremory’s condition, ordered Isollen to take her somewhere quieter.
“I’m fine. Just take her somewhere calm. Chris can handle things here.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Gremory was nearly on the verge of fainting. Isollen dragged her through the crowd, finally finding a quiet spot at a secluded table.
“Ugh, country bumpkin. Is this your first time in a crowd like this?”
“Huuuu…”
“You’re going to foam at the mouth at this rate.”
Isollen helped Gremory settle down at the table. After a while, Gremory managed to calm herself, pressing her temples with both hands.
Isollen, worried, asked, “Mori, are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just feeling a bit dizzy…”
As Gremory was catching her breath, a group of three noble young women approached their table.
At the front of the group was Catherine Ortega. She was followed by several maids.
“Who’s this? Isollen? It’s been ages!” Catherine exclaimed.
Isollen shot her a cold glance. Based on the way Catherine and her entourage were dressed in everything from Oriennite, it was clear they were trying to make a spectacle of Gremory and her—probably plotting revenge for the tea party incident.
“Oh, Catherine. You’re here too.”
“May I sit? Let’s talk for a while!”
The noblewomen casually took seats at Isollen and Gremory’s table, while their maids stood quietly behind them.
Catherine’s friend, a pink-haired noblewoman named Ellie, eyed Gremory with interest.
“Who’s this? I’ve never seen her before.”
Catherine smirked and said, “Introduce yourself. She’s the trash His Excellency, the Grand Duke, picked up.”
Isollen’s lips twitched. She was irritated, but knew she couldn’t act out—this was all part of the plan. Creating unnecessary chaos would be a problem.
“What are you talking about? Our Mori is talented and quickly rose to the position of my equal, a maid.”
“Is that so? You’ve fallen to the level of a picked-up girl, haven’t you?”
“Excuse me, what’s with the sudden hostility?”
“Just thought I’d warn you. You’ve been acting clueless about your place. Just now, you didn’t even greet me properly, did you? And Mori? What’s up with her? Is she dizzy from the crowd? So uncouth.”
Catherine smirked, eyeing Gremory like she was prey, then turned her gaze back to Isollen. Isollen let out a frustrated groan.
“That’s just the situation…”
“So pathetic, Isollen. By the way, isn’t the Grand Duke’s current partner not you? You tried so hard, but it looks like you got dumped, huh?”
“Enough, Catherine.”
“You really don’t know when to stop. You should be more careful with your actions. After all, if it weren’t for me, who would warn you about this?”
With a sneer, Catherine made her move. Her eyes then landed on Gremory.
“How vulgar.”
Gremory, having regained her composure, spoke.
Catherine’s smug expression shattered.
“…What?”
“You talk about giving advice like you’re some kind of expert, but who doesn’t gossip behind people’s backs?”
“What… What did you just say?!” Catherine yelled, her anger rising.
“Before acting so smug about giving advice, maybe you should learn how to take care of yourself. How does it feel, being an old woman who can’t even keep herself safe and drags maids everywhere?”
“!!”
Gremory hit where it hurt most. Catherine froze, trembling with her fists clenched, unable to speak a word.
“And you haven’t even improved. After being humiliated last time, you’d think you’d have learned something, but you’re still as uncouth as ever…”
Isollen, noticing things were getting out of hand, quickly covered Gremory’s mouth.
“Catherine! I’m sorry! Mori, the ball’s starting soon! Let’s go dance!”
Isollen hurriedly dragged Gremory away.
There was a silence at the table.
“Oh my, how pitiful.”
Hanna, one of Catherine’s companions who had been silent, lightly laughed and left the table. She had been waiting for a chance to distance herself from Catherine, whom she disliked.
Ellie, the pink-haired noblewoman, also hesitated before following Hanna.
“Hanna! The necklace Isollen was wearing, it was so pretty, like Oriennite. Do you want to go ask her where she got it?”
“Sure.”
With Catherine left behind, she remained at the table, sobbing uncontrollably. Her maids were exhausted, trying to comfort her.
Isollen took Gremory to a deserted terrace.
“Mori! What was that?! We agreed we would maintain decorum no matter what!”
“She didn’t maintain it first, so I figured it didn’t matter.”
“…I suppose I didn’t prepare you for this situation.”
“…Sorry.”
Gremory apologized sincerely. Isollen, who had been angry, now found herself unsure how to react to Gremory, who had shrunk so meekly. It seemed odd that she’d gotten so timid over such a small scolding.
“It’s okay. Just don’t do it again next time.”
Gremory’s shoulders lifted slightly. Isollen smiled.
“Now, let’s go to the Grand Duke. The ball is starting.”
“Yeah.”
Cession was still surrounded by people, so he glanced at the large clock on the wall.
“The ball is about to start. Everyone, please move aside.”
The crowd quickly parted, allowing Gremory to approach Cession without the usual headache from the crowd.
Soon, music began to play. Cession expertly led Gremory into a dance, though she ended up stepping on his feet more than once, despite her practice.
The pain from the heel of her shoe hitting her foot should have been unbearable, but Cession only smiled.
“I made sure to put in steel protection inside my shoes for this.”
“Good thing.”
“Honestly, even during practice, my feet were nearly crushed. They were completely bruised. If I step on them more, I might really get hurt.”
“If it hurts too much, I can fix it.”
“How?”
“I’ll eat the pain.”
“…? Mori, why would you eat your feet?”
“No, I mean I’ll eat the pain.”
“…Our Mori is quite creative.”
Cession brushed it off with a laugh and continued the dance.
Meanwhile, Isollen, standing alone, stared at them from afar, pretending to be jealous, as planned.
