ERTHMB Chapter 90

Mistake

 

Instead of reluctantly accepting the dress, Helena gestured for Lily to bow her head.

 

“Then I have a gift to give you in return.”

 

“Again?”

 

“That was Gelda’s gift.”

 

Sakin and Lily both leaned in at the same time. Helena whispered as if carrying out a secret mission. Soon both their eyes sparkled with mischievous light.

 

“Great! This is the best game I wanted!”

 

“Although Aide Dion draws the best, I’ll do my absolute best!”

 

Helena turned around, saying they’d see each other in a little while. However, Lily, who had jumped down from Sakin’s shoulder, quickly blocked her path.

 

“Wait! There’s still something left to do!”

 

****

 

About an hour later. Sakin and Lily grinned and high-fived each other. Before their eyes was a masterpiece that made the hour of effort feel worthwhile.

 

“Not bad.”

 

“You’re not bad yourself, mister.”

 

Helena, who had suddenly become their collaborative artwork, sighed and stood up.

 

“You two get ready quickly too. I’ll leave with Kamel. See you at the venue, Lily.”

 

Lily waved her hand, her pale pink chiffon dress fluttering. Helena walked, lightly holding the mikado silk that draped down to her feet.

 

A gentle breeze stirred the stray hairs that peeked out below her ears. Her hair was currently braided in an elegant style and coiled up high. The round bun was decorated with white lace flowers.

 

She wore no accessories at all. Because of this, her exposed long neck enhanced her pristine elegance.

 

No one disliked their dressed-up appearance. Helena inevitably felt excited. It had been so long since she’d dressed up like this that she felt embarrassed too.

 

As she walked with quick steps, she encountered the man who had distributed Gelda’s prized liquor. As soon as he saw Helena, he immediately burst into admiration.

 

“Well I’ll be, now I see you’re not a princess but a goddess.”

 

At the pure compliment, a shy sound escaped through Helena’s teeth. Helena bowed her head slightly in greeting, then quickened her pace. She foolishly looked forward to what kind of face he would make.

 

And Ian indeed showed a reaction that exceeded those expectations.

 

“……”

 

“……Why aren’t you saying anything?”

 

“……”

 

It had already been five minutes since she’d met him, but he hadn’t said a word. He seemed like someone who had forgotten how to make sounds with his mouth. Helena stepped closer to him as he stood there dazed with his lips half-parted.

 

“You’re not sleeping with your eyes open, are you?”

 

“……Who did your hair?”

 

“Sakin. He said having four younger sisters made this a breeze.”

 

“……”

 

Silence descended again. Helena was about to wave her lace-gloved hand in front of Ian’s eyes but stopped. She couldn’t give him the opportunity to do something wicked like… suddenly pressing his lips to her palm like last time.

 

Meanwhile, Ian finally awakened from his statue-like state. He broke the difficult silence by running his hand down his stiff face.

 

“……Helena.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I was thinking that perhaps you were born for this moment.”

 

……Even though she had expected it, it was truly difficult to digest such words. Helena barely managed to stiffen her lips that wanted to twitch and responded.

 

“……I can tell you like it, but aren’t you valuing your life too cheaply?”

 

“Could there possibly exist anything in this world more precious and valuable than this moment?”

 

Another compliment came rushing forward without a trace of shame. Helena’s lips finally relaxed.

 

“Of course there is.”

 

“……What would that be?”

 

Helena exhaled a breath mixed with laughter and slipped her arm through Ian’s.

 

“My time enjoying the festival with you today.”

 

****

 

Arriving at Spencer Castle, Helena quietly looked around.

 

Round tables covered with pure white tablecloths were placed here and there, with richly colored flowers decorating each center. The scene of pretty-colored desserts mingling with green shrubs had a sweet liveliness.

 

Since it was still daytime, the atmosphere was dominated more by food and conversation than dancing. Well-dressed young people had gathered in one place enjoying dice games.

 

The adults moved around carrying low-alcohol cocktails and such. Helena naturally blended into them with appropriately light conversation.

 

Before long, Vivian appeared. Thanks to her voice full of vanity, she was easily noticeable.

 

“How wonderful the weather is. The sky must have known the Count was coming.”

 

Laughter that was pitched even higher than what Helena knew of her rang out continuously. She was with a man dressed neatly in formal wear. A man anyone could recognize just from rumors alone.

 

MacBurden Borneu. He was unchanged from memory. His appearance seemed to mirror his character exactly.

 

The blue-gray suit and neatly styled formal hair emphasized a polished and urbane image.

 

Helena was checking Vivian’s movements when she made eye contact with him.

 

“……!”

 

MacBurden showed a momentary look of surprise. Helena quietly tapped the corner of her mouth with her folded fan, sending a silent signal. He slightly tilted his chin. It was a perfect answer that he would pretend not to know her.

 

“Count, you must dance the opening dance of today’s festival with me, absolutely.”

 

Vivian’s extremely excited voice drew Helena’s attention again. Helena spread her fan to half-cover her face. She hid her obvious gaze and observed her.

 

Vivian’s face was powdered even whiter than when she’d seen her before. Perhaps because she had a desire to show off, her taste ran to excess in everything. Helena thought this, and before long she could understand the reason.

 

Vivian turned red as a beet constantly. And each time, MacBurden was beside her.

 

When he raised his wine glass with congratulations and their gazes met, when he extended his hand for an escort, even when he leaned down to whisper a brief answer in her ear.

 

Vivian reacted colorfully to each of MacBurden’s trivial actions. Her carefully made-up face would flush hot as if it had swallowed burning steam.

 

‘She really likes him.’

 

At one time, she too must have made such a face whenever she stood before Eugene.

 

Regardless of the bitter feelings she had toward Vivian, the face of a woman in love was touching.

 

Of course, that touching quality didn’t become grounds for forgiveness.

 

“Ah!”

 

A young girl behind Vivian let out a single scream. She had stepped on the hem of her long dress and fallen.

 

Vivian whirled around. After checking the child’s face, she reflexively lost her temper. She had regained her original sharp tone of voice.

 

“What, it’s you again? What are you doing barging in here so carelessly?”

 

“Ow, ow……”

 

The child got up with pained moans. MacBurden strode over at the sudden small commotion.

 

“What’s the matter, Vivian?”

 

Only then did Vivian, recognizing MacBurden’s presence, hastily change her sensitized expression.

 

“Oh, it’s nothing, Count.”

 

It was then that Helena stepped forward. She lightly tossed the invitation onto the table beside where Vivian had set down her wine glass.

 

“Since I was invited, I merely responded. Was it perhaps an empty promise? It seems Spencer makes promises they can’t keep.”

 

“You…!”

 

Vivian was seen trying to regain her true nature but barely swallowing it back. That won’t do. Lily dusted the dirt from her palms and ran to Helena, throwing herself into her arms.

 

“That lady hit me again where she hit me before, sister.”

 

Just one sentence had considerable impact.

 

“Wh-what, lady? You still haven’t fixed that way of speaking?”

 

Vivian’s eyes widened as she swelled with rising anger. Helena embraced Lily even more protectively, as if shielding her from the threat.

 

She deliberately acted as if Vivian were some kind of angry beast. Lily filled her eyes with glistening moisture and whined even more.

 

“Waaah, it still hurts, and even when I washed my face I had to be careful because it hurt… What if the kids tease me again calling me an angry frog……”

 

Lily lifted her bangs with both hands. Red flesh was swollen up like a lump. For something she’d been unsure about, Sakin’s makeup skills were excellent. It also magnificently captured MacBurden’s gaze.

 

His previously straight brow was now slightly furrowed. Seeing him, Vivian hastily blocked Lily’s front.

 

“Oh my, how ridiculous. Hey, that was so long ago, why are you blaming something you hurt somewhere else on me? You just fell by yourself just now.”

 

“……So there was such an incident, Vivian?”

 

“Ah……!”

 

Vivian belatedly covered her mouth. She turned around with a face that couldn’t be any paler and stammered.

 

“I, that is, Count……! It was a mistake, a mistake……! Everyone makes a mistake once in a while.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

MacBurden answered unexpectedly readily. Vivian’s anxious expression softened. However, she dropped her jaw at his next words.

 

“Then did you also apologize?”

 

“Yes……?”

 

“Did you apologize?”

 

“Count……! No, even so, how could I apologize to such a brat?”

 

This was what Helena had wanted to give Lily as a gift today besides the dress. An apology for hitting Lily last time.

 

But Vivian was more shameless than expected. In front of someone she liked, she would similarly want to show only her good side. Even if pushed from behind, the apology Helena had hoped for showed no sign of coming.

 

The courtesy Helena had hoped for came from an unexpected person.

 

“They say a married couple becomes one body when they make a hundred-year pact.”

 

MacBurden, stepping forward past Vivian, knelt on one knee.

 

“Since Vivian’s fault is now my fault too, would you please accept my apology, young lady?”

 

MacBurden politely asked, taking Lily’s hand. Lily’s cheeks reddened like ripe plums. Vivian couldn’t contain her shock.

 

“Count!”

 

A shrill scream rang out in the bright space. Just then, Garta, who had been coming out through the curtains, approached directly.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

However, he had his own obstacle. Gelda ‘accidentally’ blocked his swaying body.

 

“Oops, mistake.”

 

Splash. Red wine scattered across the garment decorated with gorgeous embroidery. Garta couldn’t respond immediately to the considerable shock. Gelda grinned while roughly brushing off her clothes.

 

“But everyone makes a mistake once in a while. It’s okay, right?”