For some reason, it felt like it had been a while since she last met his gaze. On the day of the dress fitting, she was too busy avoiding his eyes, and on Tuesday, he left right after the performance, so they didn’t have a chance to interact.
Was he leaving her alone because she was being compliant? But then, wasn’t there a time when he used to subtly irritate her, causing her a lot of frustration? Emilia slowly approached him and lightly her fingertips touched the large hand extended in front of her.
His body temperature was still high. Even with just this slight touch, she could feel it. It was so different from his cold demeanor. He gently grasped her hand.
As she looked down at her held hand, she allowed a faint smile to grace her lips and looked up at him as he turned away. Well, it wasn’t anything new. To her, he had always been an inherently different person.
* * *
A magnificent palace, stacked in gold, was softly enveloped in the blue moonlight. Carriages arriving one by one and people gathering at the ballroom were all adorned with luxuries on their bodies.
Among those lavishly dressed, some women, particularly adorned to the point that even their masks were intricately designed, entered with their skin exposed, seemingly unbothered by the cold.
A man, barely concealing his desires, clung to a woman who flaunted her figure while attempting to hide her goosebumps with a thin scarf.
It was a gathering of the upper class that they called noble in their mouths, but as if everything was hidden by a single mask, they enjoyed tonight’s party at ease.
“It’s better than I expected? I was going to go back if it was a boring party.”
The woman with a red mask raised the corners of her mouth smoothly, watching each person enjoying themselves as soon as they entered the masquerade.
Beside her, Alessandro, a man with a silver mask with huge horns, let out a soft laugh.
“I wanted you to enjoy yourself at ease while you were here. Anyway, haven’t we already talked about what we want?”
“That’s right. I have gained some freedom for a while, and you have gained an excuse.”
Vivian Carrent seemed very satisfied. As the first princess of the Kingdom of Carrent, with a bold personality and a penchant for debauchery, she quite enjoyed such clandestine parties.
TL/N: VIVIAN CARRENT IS THE SAME PRINCESS THAT ALESSANDRO HAD INVITED BUT I MISSED UP HER FAMILY NAME AFTER LOOKING BACK AT IT AND ACTUALLY READING IT. LONG STORY SHORT I’M GONNA STICK W “CARRENT” AS HER FAMILY NAME.
The problem was that the king, aware of her tendencies, was reluctant to send her abroad. However, Alessandro’s invitation under the pretext of fostering harmony was difficult to refuse, leading to this situation.
Receiving the unexpected invitation, Vivian wondered what it was about when she was invited to the Treano Kingdom. Its request for exclusive rights to certain components in exchange for occasional invitations to such decadent parties was more than satisfying for her.
Of course, if the royal family of Carrent knew about this, they might have had some objections about granting such rights for mere parties. However, giving exclusivity to Treano wasn’t a significant loss and thus posed no problem.
The Carrent Kingdom, being the first to invent the train, was accumulating wealth daily and wasn’t short of money. In an era where science was rapidly advancing, giving away a small part of their train components in exchange for a share in newly developed automobiles wasn’t a bad deal.
‘We can’t invent automobiles at this point. It’s better for successful innovators to buy our parts, fostering strong alliances in the process.’
Alessandro received champagne from the tray of a passing waiter and handed one to Vivian. Vivian accepted it with a seductive smile, hiding her true feelings behind her painted red lips.
“To your success.”
“To your freedom.”
Since they were refraining from using titles to hide their identities, the conversation was more unrestrained. Vivian took a sip of champagne and slowly scanned the surroundings.
“Come to think of it, didn’t you say you had someone to introduce me to?”
“Yes, he will be there soon. Anyway, if you have to have an arranged marriage, it’s best with someone who won’t interfere with your freedom, don’t you think?”
“Well, that’s true. But who is it?”
“Who is it… Oh! There he is.”
The figure was noticeable even from a distance. Alessandro smiled as he saw Enrico enter, but his expression stiffened when he saw the woman entering with him.
Despite wearing a mask, Vivian couldn’t help but notice the imposing aura of Enrico. Observing him glance down at the woman beside him, she downed the rest of her champagne.
“It looks like he already has a partner.”
With a disinterested chuckle, Vivian handed her empty glass to a passing waiter and glanced at Alessandro.
Alessandro, who had seemed in good spirits just a moment ago, now seemed to be in a low mood. With a feeling that she would get involved in something tiresome if she stayed here, Vivian quickly backed away.
“I don’t have any intention of getting in between someone else’s relationship. I’m busy enjoying myself with men who approach me first, so why bother?”
She shrugged, raising her hands and then pointed to a spot she’d been eyeing for a while, waving her hand.
“I’ll go enjoy myself over there. Please make some excuses for me for your kingdom for a while.”
Alessandro’s gaze remained fixed on Emilia, who was standing next to Enrico. His violet eyes darkened.
As soon as Vivian left, Count Vallemont, who had been watching from a distance, approached Alessandro. Despite his thick white hair and eyebrows, his brown eyes which were curved up playfully, held a sinister glint.
“Is the princess planning to stay long?”
Apparently, Count Vallemont hadn’t noticed Enrico’s arrival and was focused solely on Vivian. Alessandro turned his head slightly towards the Count.
“Get a grip, unless want to be eaten alive.”
Pic
“Yes? What do you mean—oh… Duke Michele.”
Vallemont had been avoiding a direct encounter with Enrico, but now that he was right in front of him, the Count forced a wide smile to mask his discomfort.
“Ah, you’ve arrived.”
Given the need for anonymity, formalities were skipped. Vallemont, stepping slightly behind Alessandro, grinned at Enrico.
“You’re late. There was someone I wanted to introduce to you.”
“Ah– I arrived late on purpose to avoid that introduction.”
“…Haha, but weren’t you supposed to come alone? I didn’t expect you to arrive with a partner.”
Our uncle preferred to be alone, didn’t he? Alessandro whispered very softly.
“Well, I should have informed my dear nephew.”
“Not necessarily, but I am a bit surprised.”
Alessandro turned to Emilia, who stood by uneasily, and addressed her kindly.
“Even with a mask, your beauty is unmistakable.”
“…Thank you.”
Emilia felt awkward as she received the compliment. Initially unsure of who was speaking, she realized from their conversation that the man in the horned mask was Crown Prince Alessandro.
But where is Count Vallemont? Emilia’s eyes briefly scanned the surroundings. Reading her thoughts, Enrico leaned in and whispered into her ear. The sudden sensation of his breath made her shoulders twitch.
“The old man right in front of you is Vallemont.”
Enrico wrapped his arm around her rounded shoulder and gently stroked it as if to soothe her. Emilia, shivering from the chill running down her spine, glanced nervously at Count Vallemont.
Count Vallemont, who apparently had no intention of hiding his identity, wore a very small mask. With his unpleasantly glistening brown eyes, he looked Emilia up and down before slowly stepping forward.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Would you do this old man the honor of a greeting?”
His wrinkled hand was extended towards Emilia. Just as she hesitated and began to move her hand slowly,
“……!”
Enrico’s hand, which had been on her shoulder, slid down her arm and grasped her wrist. Instinctively, she found herself pressed firmly against his chest. Startled, she tried to pull away, but he applied a gentle yet firm pressure, preventing her from moving.
“I have no intention of sharing.”
His words, though spoken with a polite smile, carried a cold sarcasm. It wasn’t just Emilia who was shocked by his sudden action. Count Vallemont’s mouth hung open in surprise, and Alessandro narrowed his eyes, clenching his jaw.
“Both of you are being quite rude. This lady is not an object to be shared or discussed.”
Alessandro’s voice, initially gritted with tension, softened towards the end, sounding almost gentle. Enrico tilted his head slightly, his lips under the lion-shaped white mask curling into a lazy smile, as if curious to see how far this would go.
“If you have been offended, I will apologize on his behalf.”
“…It’s fine.”
“My uncle tends to be quite cold. I thought I’d introduce him to someone who might match him well. It’s a pity.”
Suddenly? That wasn’t something to just gloss over. Emilia blinked and glanced at Enrico.
* * * *
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