IDIBC Chapter 32

Count Enehaz’s Evening Party (5)

At first, Ricardo doubted his own eyes. But once he became certain he wasn’t seeing things, he set down—practically threw—the glass he was holding onto a tray.

“Try being a bit more adventurous. The way you avoid women is causing strange rumors to… Ricardo?”

Ricardo left the Crown Prince behind and broke into a run. He could no longer enjoy what was happening on the lower floor as if it were a play.

“Hey! Ricardo!”

Stuart’s voice calling after him grew more distant, but it felt as though the gap between him and the first-floor hall wasn’t closing at all. Enough to agree, for the first time, that the Chaplin family’s ability to move freely through space had some usefulness.

Arriving on the first floor out of breath, Lienne’s figure immediately caught his eye.

Along with the gazes of men pouring toward her.

Suppressing the inexplicable irritation rising in his chest, he ran his hand through his hair. He took a slow breath and began walking toward Lienne.

Their eyes met directly as she looked around her surroundings.

The sight of her red lips slowly parting in an ‘Ah……’ of admiration captured his gaze.

He could feel the emotions tangled in her eyes changing one after another.

Confusion, surprise, delight, and finally, relief.

The moment he saw Lienne like that, Ricardo came to realize something.

The fact that even while having various conversations with the Crown Prince whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, he had thought of her from time to time.

For instance, when hearing words like god, or death, or love.

Under the chandelier lights, she was about to take a step toward him, her neck exposed so pale it was almost transparent, when—

Thud. Suddenly Walter stumbled into her as if collapsing, and the yellow rose Lienne was holding fell to the floor. Even though he wasn’t the one who collided, Ricardo’s body flinched for a moment.

“Stay right there, don’t move.”

He called out, but whether his voice was heard in the chaotic situation was uncertain.

Walter picked up the rose that had fallen to the floor and handed it to Lienne. The two’s eyes met, and Lienne’s hand moved toward Walter’s hand holding the rose. The moment their hands touched, Walter and Lienne vanished like smoke before his eyes.

“Damn it.”

Ricardo spat out a harsh curse and immediately approached Julian. Then he grabbed the back of Julian’s neck as he was smiling at Countess Sullivan like honey about to melt.

“H-hey.”

Julian resisted, but Ricardo dragged him near where Walter and Lienne had been standing, then pointed his finger at each person who had witnessed the two disappearing, one by one.

“Here, here, here, and over there.”

Julian shook his head. Of course, he had seen it too. Walter disappearing like smoke along with some woman.

Julian quickly turned around as if he had seen nothing. When had getting involved in another ducal family’s affairs ever ended well?

But while he could fool others, fooling Ricardo was impossible. It was spine-chilling how he had already identified everyone who had seen Walter disappear.

“Erase it.”

Ricardo said to erase people’s memories as if giving an order to kill, then glared at Julian as if urging him on. Ricardo, so angry his chin was lifted and his breathing rough.

Julian’s curiosity began to stir at the dramatic change shown by the man who had been like an emotionless wax figure.

It was truly strange.

Why was Ricardo personally stepping forward and trying so hard to protect Walter’s secret? Even if it weren’t him, the Chaplin family would step in and handle the situation.

Julian felt curious about all of this.

Of course, being the opportunist that everyone acknowledged him to be, he didn’t miss the opportunity before him.

“3000 denions per person.”

Ricardo gave Julian a glance with unconcealed contempt.

“Bill it to Rochester.”

Julian immediately used his family’s ability while looking into the eyes of the people Ricardo had designated. Those who met his eyes couldn’t remember at all what had just happened.

“What about the Second Prince? I think he saw it from over there too.”

At Julian’s slightly excited question, Ricardo answered through gritted teeth with an impatient face.

“Ten times that.”

“Good.”

“Hurry. I need to go to Chaplin estate right now.”

“Now? No way. I’ve only just started enjoying the party.”

Even under Ricardo’s fierce gaze, Julian didn’t move readily. Somehow he was certain he could make big money this time.

“That ship that sank in the sea recently—I’ll salvage it for you.”

Just as expected. Julian grinned wickedly, then approached the Second Prince. After showing particularly deep respect to the Second Prince, he instantly earned the value of a ship that had recently sunk in the sea, then immediately followed Ricardo.

****

The maid who came with me in the carriage to the party for a long time was very taciturn. She was kind, but didn’t seem willing to readily answer my various questions.

Still, I found out the most important fact.

The meaning of taking a handkerchief bearing the family crest to find a man.

Because of that, I could tell that the Duchess was still quite serious about my engagement to Ricardo.

‘I’m very sorry to disappoint the Duchess.’

Of course, the prickly personality of the Duchess’s son wasn’t entirely my fault. Even if I had coddled him, really, what was with saying such mean things?

Saying it’s difficult to set aside matters of taste? What’s wrong with me!

Of course, his taste is his own, so it’s not my place to interfere. Still, when I’m just pretending to be his fiancée for a moment, to refuse so firmly.

Then again, he’s been lacking promise since childhood, so that personality wasn’t going anywhere…….

“We’re almost there.”

While I was cursing Ricardo in my mind, the carriage reached the main gate but didn’t even slow down.

They said Rochester was the law itself, and indeed, just the carriage’s crest was enough for safe passage. When I slightly opened the curtain and looked around, with a slight exaggeration, I could see hundreds of carriages lined up.

“The carriage will stop at the very front.”

“Yes…….”

It seemed there were designated places where carriages could stop according to rank.

Count Enehaz’s estate was so splendid that the entire mansion could be called a ballroom rather than a house.

Just as I was wondering how they made those colorful lights on the huge fountain, the carriage gradually slowed down.

“I’m only to guide you inside the ballroom and will return immediately.”

So that’s why another small carriage was following.

“But I won’t leave right away. Until you find the young master, I’ll be somewhere in the ballroom.”

The woman who introduced herself as Countess Corhena said that since she wasn’t officially appointed as a chaperone, she couldn’t stick by my side like a real chaperone the entire time.

“Even now, could I appoint you as my chaperone……? That’s not possible, is it?”

She was sparing with words, but her eyes conveyed much. If it was any consolation, I wasn’t the only one who was worried and anxious.

“You’re no longer in a position to have a chaperone accompany you.”

What on earth did this mean? Well, if she served as chaperone for a family lady without a title, her reputation would be more than tarnished. They say it’s all for the order of noble society, but the Dermeier Empire’s social circles were more complicated and unkind than I imagined.

I must have looked quite sullen. Seeing Countess Corhena gently pat my hand.

“Don’t worry too much. Once you go in, present your invitation to anyone. Then find the young master immediately. Once you deliver the handkerchief, the young master will take care of everything after that.”

When I felt comforted, my lower lip unconsciously jutted out.

“No, not that expression.”

At the stern words, I quickly hid my lips.

“And don’t shake your legs either.”

“Yes…….”

As I stopped the leg I didn’t know was shaking, the carriage stopped as well.

When I entered the brightest and largest building with Countess Corhena, an attending servant approached. She judged that I didn’t need to attract people’s attention, so she forbade them from blowing the kopel to introduce me.

I thought that was quite fortunate.

After quietly entering, she looked around and immediately pointed to one spot with her finger.

“It would be good for you to stand there.”

The place she pointed to was the center of the hall. I wanted to hide behind a pillar until the party ended, but I had a task to accomplish.

“If you stand there, the young master might see you first, or if not, someone will surely approach you.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I’ll also ask people where the young master is. If I find him first, I’ll bring you there.”

After giving various explanations, she immediately moved away from my side. I felt like I was floating in the vast ocean holding onto a single buoy, but I steeled myself.

After all, wasn’t the social circle of the Dermeier Empire just a place where people lived?

Ignoring three or four people glancing at me, I kept my gaze forward. Soon, a brilliance that seemed to blind me overwhelmed me first.

The most impressive thing was undoubtedly the fresco painting drawn with such vigor it seemed to fill an entire wall.

I recognized the subject of that painting at once. He was a man I had seen with Ricardo before. Of course, I had seen him in gigantic form carved into a cliff.