Chapter 10
Ugh, poor Chief Aide. Not only does he have to deal with the threat of early hair loss, but he also has to cope with his shattered love life, so the Duke of Flame and Fury should give him plenty of bonuses.
While Mr. Chaplin and Valentina tried to hold back their laughter by covering their mouths, our poor Mr. Pavel looked disapprovingly at the two but then cleared his throat and composed himself.
"Well, Miss Sasha, you look very beautiful... And Valentina, you too."
"Oh my, it seems you added that reluctantly?"
"Does that even matter? The center of attention today is not you."
"Because you speak so hatefully, even if you write just one love letter with..."
"C-can't you stop?!"
Seeing this, they seem quite friendly. In any case, neither Mr. Chaplin nor Mr. Pavel seemed surprised that Valentina accompanied me. It would be expected.
Escorted by the Chief Aide, we descended the stairs designated for the bodyguards and reached the hall, which was packed with a huge crowd. I felt overwhelmed and full of energy.
"It's amazing."
"It truly is. It's just unfair that some people get to enjoy it while others are barely getting by."
"I think it's even more spectacular than what I saw when I was young. Was it like this every year?"
"It seems a little more crowded today. Everyone is full of curiosity..."
"Curiousity?"
"Because of Miss Sasha. As you might be aware."
It was a joke, but as Mr. Pavel said, the glances directed at us were unusual. Of course, it's not solely because of that, but rather, people naturally turned their eyes toward me and Valentina.
Some innocent-looking gentlemen even wore bewildered expressions with their chins half-dropped. Oops, are they drooling...?
"I think it would be quite fun to pretend to be Sasha's classmate."
I chuckled and nodded at Valentina's soft whisper. But that was before.
"Sasha! Our beloved elite designer!"
Oh, you startled me. Are you already drunk?
I heard Mr. Pavel's low groan. The banquet was about to begin, but he must have had several glasses already. So, I tried to smile calmly as Lethias approached me with a rather condescending look.
"Happy birthday, Duke."
At this, Lethias halted his arm mid-extension towards me, suddenly stopped, and then tilted his head with a genuinely puzzled expression. Given his size, it was quite a cute gesture.
"What is it, Sasha? Why are you acting this way all of a sudden? Are you mad at me?"
...It looks like he's already drunk. I'm starting to worry about how the party will go.
Fortunately, before I could think of a response, he beamed brightly and changed the subject as if nothing had happened.
"But what about my birthday present?"
"That will come later..."
"All right, good. I mean, today is my birthday. Isn't it our first time since then? So, let's have the first dance of my 24th birthday together."
I didn't know how we arrived at that conclusion, but anyway, I was led by Lethias without much choice.
The dance floor on one side of the banquet hall was still empty, and as soon as we reached it, all eyes turned our way.
"But you look stunning today. It's worth seeing how everyone is taken aback."
Lethias was no exception. Dressed in a white tailcoat and wearing a splendid blue eyepatch, he looked truly impressive. Only that he was slightly drunk.
"Do you remember what I taught you back then?"
Suddenly, the slow melodic music stopped, and a lively waltz began playing. I pretended to snort when Lethias playfully whispered and pulled me closer.
"How could I forget that? I also learned it at school."
"Really? I thought the tuition was unnecessarily expensive, but I guess it's worth it. Did you attend many parties there?"
"Just a few times. I wrote about it in the letter—it was rather boring."
"Did you? I can't remember. Maybe that's one that got stolen."
I paused for a second before taking a step forward. Regardless of whether or not I looked at him suspiciously, Lethias continued to speak while holding me by the waist and pulling me closer.
"Ah, there's nothing to be surprised about. I suppose the servants were pretty curious about you. They secretly opened your letter in the middle and then returned it."
"What? God, how did it go?"
"They are dead now."
"Really? I didn't even know that... Please don't joke about such things!"
"Okay, sorry. We just fired them. Then we replaced all of the servants at once."
A strange bitterness flashed in his eyes as he giggled, but it quickly disappeared.
It seemed evident what he was thinking. What if that incident wasn't merely caused by the servants' curiosity? What if someone was trying to spy on us behind the scenes?
... It might have been exaggerated speculation, but for us, no suspicion was too far-fetched. Excessive disbelief is much better than naive belief.
Whew. In any case, I'm relieved that I've never mentioned the past in a letter before; otherwise, it could have been a big deal.
"When was that?"
"About last year? Let's stop talking about unpleasant things. Anyway, did you properly prepare my present?"
"Oh, of course. Of course, but..."
"But what?"
"Why can't I see Benya?"
"Ah, why are you always looking for him? It's my birthday...!"
"When did I do that? I'm just asking because I can't see him!"
"He always shows up late on purpose, always pretending to be the main character."
"Well, that's true. Still, it's your birthday, so it was a bit much."
He smiled and stepped back, slightly bending his knees and offering a greeting.
As soon as the main character's first dance was over, applause erupted from all sides, and others began joining the dance floor one after another.
"Yeah, you're right. Let me introduce you to my fiancΓ©e."
It's nice to hear that. I feel like I'm losing my mind.
As I followed Lethias and glanced back, I saw Valentina taking to the dance floor with the Chief Aide. Judging from the look on her face, she seems to be enjoying herself quite a bit.
"Alfonsina?"
"Ah, Duke..."
As I approached one of the tables where the young ladies were gathered, I noticed a woman who seemed to be sitting alone.
She was a young lady who looked more like a girl than a woman, with her black hair like the night sky, silver eyes, pale, and somewhat delicate features, and a small body.
"Sasha, this is my fiancΓ©e, Lady Orsini. Alfonsina, this is our Sasha, the one I mentioned earlier."
The Comital Young Lady Alfonsina di Rosa de Orsini.
In contrast to Lethias, who spoke with unrestrained cheerfulness, Alfonsina showed no signs of speaking, only blinking her large eyes and pursing her lips.
It seemed that she was at a loss due to sheer shyness rather than being class-minded or offended by something. That's what I observed.
Our Duke of Flame and Fury didn't seem to see it that way.
"Alfonsina?"
"Oh, that..."
"It's an honor to meet you, Lady Orsini. I've heard a lot about you."
When I quickly stepped forward and greeted her warmly, Alfonsina looked up at my face as if she was a little surprised, then hurriedly nodded.
"Yeah, me too, nice to meet you. Well, I've heard a lot about you too. You... look really pretty."
"Oh, thank you. I'm nothing compared to the young lady. But why are you sitting alone? Are you uncomfortable?"
"No, I... I'm waiting for a friend..."
Waiting for a friend.
Being the daughter of Count Orsini and the fiancΓ©e of Duke Serpente was enough to make her the center of attention in the social world, but there were always exceptions everywhere.
Could it be because of her excessive shyness, which could lead to misunderstandings, or maybe her fashion style that didn't quite fit the occasion? Perhaps it was a combination of both.
Her hair was styled in two braids, her bustle dress with swollen shoulders was quite outdated, and her makeup, which seemed to be just thick powder covering her face, was not the best choice.
I don't know who is advising her, but it's quite remarkable how they managed to turn a naturally cute girl into this.
Things might turn out to be easier than expected.
Swallowing those thoughts, I looked back at Lethias with a mischievous smile. Sensing the mischievous glint in my eyes, he was understandably taken aback.
"W-why?"
"My Duke… Isn't it unbecoming of a gentleman to leave their fiancΓ©e alone?"
"No, I, well, you…"
"Come~come, go ahead and dance a song with the two of you. Hurry."
With that, the two engaged couples held each other's hands tightly (?) as I had suggested and headed to the dance floor, unable to speak.
It was a moment of satisfaction as I sipped a cocktail handed to me by a passing attendant.
"Uh? Ah!"
That's quite an extraordinary exclamation. I guess she must be the friend Alfonsina was talking about…?
A young lady emerged from nowhere, found an empty table, glanced around a bit, and finally turned her gaze toward the dance floor, sighing.
She had a doll-like appearance with snow-white hair and pink eyes.
I couldn't help but stare at her without realizing it. It seemed like she felt my gaze too, as her pink eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked back at me, and then she spoke in a cheerful voice.
"You are..."
"Princess Parke?"
"Oh, right. Nice to meet you. Are you Sasha? I saw you dancing earlier."
The young lady who greeted me with a bright smile was none other than Princess Adriana di Amor de Parke.
I expected it, but when I actually encountered her, I could understand why the original Lethias wanted her for himself.
There was a lively yet good-natured aura emanating from her. It complemented her family crest, and her lily-like expression suited her perfectly...
She was a completely different image from Alfonsina. I wondered if she really was her friend. It seemed like it would be fun to see the hidden beauty of a black rose bloom and surpass the lily.
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