“…”
Ah, right. This place is a masquerade ball.
Pristin looked embarrassed when she found the black butterfly mask in front of her. The fact that her face was also hidden behind a mask was comforting.
Pristin spoke with the utmost politeness.
“Thank you.”
“Oh no, it’s nothing.”
The man’s voice was calm, low, and had a strangely captivating quality to it. Pristin unconsciously thought that the man had a charming voice.
“I actually trespassed first, so I should be the one apologizing.”
“Not at all. The situation couldn’t be helped, well…”
“You must have been surprised.”
“Yes. A little?”
Pristin awkwardly chuckled and spoke.
“I’ve never seen such a scene before.”
“It seems you’ve grown up sheltered.”
“I suppose that’s what happens at a masquerade ball.”
Pristin retorted with a hint of annoyance.
“I guess you’ve seen a lot of that kind of thing then?”
“Not a lot, but I’m not surprised to see something like that, unlike you.”
The man examined Pristin closely and asked. Pristin subconsciously touched her face, wondering if her mask had come loose.
“Or maybe it’s your first masquerade ball?”
“…”
“Looks like I’m right.”
“Please don’t make assumptions.”
“If I’ve offended you, I apologize.”
Even though he spoke politely, there was something about it that didn’t sit well with Pristin. She narrowed her eyes slightly and then quickly bowed her head, as if deciding to leave.
“Anyway, thank you. I’ll be going now.”
And without looking back, Pristin walked back into the ballroom. She went back to where she had originally been standing against the wall.
“Ugh, I’ve only seen embarrassing scenes.”
She had tried to avoid going back there, in case something similar happened again. It was when Pristin was about to get a cocktail from a passing waiter, while watching the people dancing and passing by.
“Ah…”
Suddenly someone put a cocktail in Pristin’s hand. As Pristin raised her head in bewilderment, a masked man stood in front of her. It was a different man from the one she met on the terrace earlier.
Pristin looked at the man with a mysterious face, and he smiled and said to Pristin.
“This was the best. Have it.”
“Oh, yes… Thank you.”
Pristin thanked the man and hesitantly took a sip of the cocktail. However, even after she had emptied half of the glass, the man didn’t leave. Pristin cautiously asked him if he was looking for someone.
“Excuse me, is there anyone you’re looking for…”
“Who would I be looking for at a masquerade?”
“Yes?”
“You’re not very perceptive, are you?”
The man looked straight at Pristin and said.
“I was going to ask if you wanted to dance with me. You didn’t come with someone, did you?”
“Uh, no, I…”
“I’ve been watching you since earlier. What do you say?”
“No, I don’t want to…”
“Oh, how boring you are.”
The man frowned slightly and asked.
“So, you came all the way here just to watch others dance and leave?”
“Whether or not that’s my intention, it’s none of your business.”
Thinking that the man would not leave first, Pristin moved to leave. However, as she took a step, a dizziness struck her and she lost her balance, staggering.
“Ah…!”
Startled, Pristin looked at the man, leaning against the wall. He was still smiling, and even though he was wearing a mask, she could sense his wickedness.
Only then did Pristin become frightened. And instinctively, she realized that something other than the man’s seemingly kind gesture was mixed into the cocktail he had given her.
“What have you done…”
“You should always doubt what strangers give you.”
The man chuckled, licking his upper lip like a snake.
“I guess you didn’t learn it from your parents, lady?”
“Uh…”
The dizziness began to get worse. Even though Pristin was touching the wall with both hands, she was distressed by the feeling that the whole world was spinning.
Before she knew it, dizziness had eroded her world to the extent that she could not support her own body with both legs.
She heard the man laugh.
“Just accept it without resisting. It’ll be easier that way, won’t it?”
But if she lost consciousness here, no one would take responsibility for what happened next. Despite feeling dizzy, Pristin struggled to regain her composure and focus her eyes.
This caused her to give the man a stern look, but he remained unfazed, seeming unconcerned by a woman like her who was under the influence of drugs.
“So in a little while… Ugh!”
At that moment, the man screamed and doubled over in pain. Even though Pristin’s vision was blurred due to her dizziness, she was able to vividly see this moment.
With a bewildered expression, Pristin looked to the side. It was the man she had met on the terrace earlier. The Black Butterfly.
“Are you okay?”
“How did…”
“What’s important is, are you okay?”
“No, I’m not…”
Before she could finish her answer, Pristin staggered even more. She could feel the man supporting her.
Pristin tried to gather all her strength into her legs, but it was not enough. In the end, she sat down and remained supported by the man.
“Hey, are you okay?”
At least, it seemed that this man was not her enemy, as she heard a voice filled with confusion.
It was a ridiculous turn of events.
Just moments ago, she was terrified and frightened, but she now felt an unwarranted trust that this man would not harm her.
Although they were both masked and their identities were unknown, for some reason, she felt that the man who had just collapsed was much more sinister, making this man relatively trustworthy.
“No, I’m not okay,” Pristin replied, her face filled with confusion and fear.
And before she could finish her sentence, Pristin completely lost consciousness.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
‘After that…’
“Young lady.”
She was immersed in the thoughts of the past, and a strange voice came from the side.
When Pristin raised her head reflexively, a man in a mask was looking at Pristin.
Pristin stared at the man with a stunned expression.
“Are you alone? Would you like to dance with me?”
That question reminded Pristin of unpleasant memories from the past. But she managed to control her expression to avoid giving off any unnecessary discomfort and softly declined.
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
“Oh, is there someone you came with then?”
“Yes.”
Pristin lied to prevent any further complications.
‘If you really think about it, it’s not totally a lie.’
After all, she did come with Aruvina.
“Well then, if you would just let me go…”
“It’s all right!”
Pristin looked at the man with confusion in her eyes.
“Isn’t that the charm of a masquerade? No one will know we’re dancing.”
“…”
Pristin was at a loss for words.
‘What is this, a blatant invitation?’
Pristin shook her head as if to dismiss the thought.
“No, it’s okay. Please leave.”
“No, can’t you reconsider just once?”
The man didn’t give up until the end and asked.
“It’s because your voice is my type.”
“…”
Pristin was once again speechless because of the man’s reason. And the man who accepted it in resignation and affirmation suddenly grabbed Pristin’s wrist.
Pristin looked at the man with a flinch.
“What are you afraid of? After tonight anyway…”
“That hand.”
Then, an unexpected voice cut off the man. Pristin, with an even more bewildered expression, looked in the direction of the voice.
“It would be best to let go.”
The man wearing the mask was approaching.
Although his expression was not visible due to the mask, the intimidating atmosphere emanating from him was palpable enough for the man who had grabbed Pristin’s wrist to sense.
The man spoke in a terribly low voice.
“Unless you want it to be severed.”
The fact that it was Jerald was as simple for Pristin as a basic arithmetic problem.
“Ah, uh…”
The man hurriedly let go of Pristin’s hand with a bewildered face. Pristin unconsciously smoothed her wrists.
Witnessing this, Jerald’s eyebrow twitched.
“Oh, uh, that, your husband…”
“Yeah.”
Suddenly, Jerald approached, reaching the two of them.
“Do you still have the audacity to speak?”
Jerald approached the man menacingly and issued a warning.
“Get out of here immediately. If you don’t want to die.”
There was no need to take risks at a masquerade ball. The man quickly realized the high possibility of danger, considering that the motive for many murders could be due to affection, and promptly fled.
Watching the man flee in a panic, Pristin wore a bewildered expression. Even now, she couldn’t believe it. However, Jerald seemed to have a different idea when he saw Pristin’s expression.
“You’re not disappointed, are you?”
Pristin was about to argue that she would never want to dance with a man like that, but quickly changed her mind and gave a vague answer.
“Well, I’m not sure.”
Those words caused Jerald’s gaze to shake significantly.
“Do you really think I was interfering? Is that what you think?”
“It’s not like that, but…”
Unable to tell more lies, Pristin changed the subject.
“Why did you lie about being my husband?”
“That’s how he’ll leave easily.”
“…”
Already, Jerald’s threatening appearance alone seemed sufficient to scare him off, but Pristin didn’t bother to mention it. Pristin muttered after a brief moment of contemplation.
“It reminds me of that time.”
“Thinking about that time?”
“Yes. When we first met in the Perk Empire.”
Then Pristin looked at Jerald. He was still wearing the black butterfly mask he had worn back then. But now, it was even more extravagant and beautiful. As if the mask itself revealed his true identity.
“You saved me back then too. I didn’t expect I would end up in a relationship with Your Majesty.”
“Well.”
Jerald replied, a strange smile forming on his lips.
“Maybe I already knew.”
Curious, Pristin stared at Jerald as if asking what he meant.
“That was because you were the first woman to truly catch my attention.”
“Should I be honored?”
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
Jerald spoke, gazing at Pristin intently.
“I just… have nothing more to ask for other than for you to dance with me, just one song.”
“…”
“Just one dance?”
As he reached out his hand, Pristin silently stared at it.
As she lifted her head slightly, she could see the face of the man behind the mask with a faint smile. It was strange, even though his face was covered by the mask, it felt like she could still see all his expressions.
“…”
Pristin raised her hand silently and grabbed Jerald’s. Jerald’s expression got brighter.
Pristin made excuses for no reason.
“I’m allowing it because you got rid of the bothersome guy.”
“Did someone say something?”
Laughter could be heard in the questioning voice. Jerald held Pristin’s hand with more strength, and she couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions, thinking that this was the first time they had held hands since their reunion.
“Let’s go.”
It was just one dance. Others wouldn’t even know who they were.
Pristin unconsciously tried to justify her actions and slowly nodded her head.
