episode_0063

Meeting Princess Seraphine as a commoner maid named Lillis was a situation that made me feel tense in some way.

Of course, the biggest reason for my inability to control my emotions was not because Seraphine was a princess, but because she was the main character in my favorite game.

Even though she played the role of a triggering character in the story of “Luminor Academy,” it was only because it hindered the progress of the game story that she felt like a triggering character.

Being someone who was now a person of fate, one step away from me and unrelated, I couldn’t harbor any negative feelings towards Seraphine.

Just as I was able to reduce my anxiety towards Edan after being convinced that he had lost his rational interest in me.

Facing Seraphine without any personal emotions, she was just like any other main character in my favorite game.

I tried to maintain a calm and unaffected expression as if I were attending a fan meeting with a character from a game.

…Well, I made an effort to do so.

“Are you enjoying the ball, miss?”

“Yes, th-thanks… Oh, no… I mean, I’m enjoying it…”

“You don’t have to be so nervous. I’m just another guest at the masquerade ball.”

“I-I’m not nervous…?! I-I never thought of you as a p-princess… Oh, no… I mean…”

After a slip of the tongue due to nervousness, I continued to babble in the next conversation.

It was hard to stay calm when Seraphine’s aura in front of me made my heart race.

Moreover, Seraphine, who I was facing, was truly breathtaking.

It was no wonder she was the top choice in the popularity vote unless she was a triggering character.

Even with a mask covering her eyes, her beauty was undeniable. I wondered how much more beautiful a face was hidden behind that mask.

It was unbelievable that I wasn’t nervous seeing such a person in front of me.

…But I had to calm down. If I acted more nervous here, it would only make Seraphine uncomfortable, and it would be a nuisance to Edan, who brought me as his partner.

*Deep breath*

Placing a hand on my chest, I calmed my racing heart.

With a composed expression, I continued to play the role of a noble lady with Seraphine.

“I apologize for showing you such an embarrassing sight, miss. Your beauty, even felt under the mask, made me nervous.”

“Oh my?”

“I’m enjoying myself with my partner. It’s my first time visiting the palace, and it’s such a beautiful and lovely place that just exploring it makes time fly by. Isn’t that right, Ed?”

“L-Lillis?”

Lastly, I naturally linked arms with Edan and added a casual smile.

As if I really were Edan’s fiancée and a noble lady.

“I’m glad to see you’re enjoying yourself to your heart’s content.”

Observing me in that state, Seraphine exchanged a few more words with Edan before disappearing into the crowd.

Surprisingly, our meeting was nothing more than a short conversation.

Being a princess, she was naturally busy to engage in lengthy conversations.

And as the host of the masquerade ball, she couldn’t just talk to us alone.

The fact that she even approached me, a mere maid, was an exceptional case.

Of course, knowing her personality, it felt perfectly natural to me.

Anyway, I would have been relieved if I could have observed the situation from afar, but just having a conversation with her made me feel uneasy.

As she disappeared and I took a deep breath once again, Edan approached me.

“Lily, are you nervous?”

“Not at all, Ed.”

“But it seemed like you were stuttering awkwardly in front of the princess.”

“Wouldn’t anyone feel that way when having a one-on-one conversation with royalty? Even though you ordered me to act as your fiancée to the commoner debt maid, you’re expecting too much from a commoner.”

“…That means you were nervous.”

“I wasn’t. Besides, the princess left, so how long are you going to keep holding my arm?”

“You’re the one who grabbed it when Lily arrived…”

I didn’t want Edan to find out that I was nervous about seeing the princess, so I maintained a brazen attitude and changed the subject.

Edan seemed to have no intention of pressing further and changed the topic of conversation.

“Still, it’s amazing that Lily recognized the princess at first sight. Have you met her before, even from a distance?”

“She just exuded an aura of a high-ranking person. Grace, appearance, and other aspects.”

“Recognizing that at a glance is quite a talent. Isn’t Lily suited for the role of a noble lady?”

“Who told me I wanted to? Ed, you know better than anyone that it’s nonsense.”

“…But if Lily really wanted to be a noble lady, it’s not entirely impossible.”

“Sorry, Ed. I didn’t catch that, could you repeat it?”

“…No, it was just a thought.”

Geez, how bland.

For some reason, Edan avoided eye contact with me and turned his head for a moment.

I once again scanned the crowd to find the whereabouts of ‘Inferno Agnes.’

Having a conversation with the towering Seraphine princess was already satisfying enough.

But I felt that confirming Agnes’s presence would make me even more content.

Agnes herself probably thought she was dragged into an annoying situation and would try to hide as much as possible, likely lurking in a corner rather than the center stage.

Or perhaps she was waiting for the event to end while looking out from a terrace.

Maybe she was completely concealing her identity with a mask that covered her entire face…

‘…Ah.’

The moment I reached that conclusion, I realized how foolish I had been all along.

Yes, there was no way Agnes, even as ‘Inferno Agnes,’ would attend an event like a masked ball with just a single mask dangling.

Even though she excelled in fire magic, she had skills in disguise magic that made it easy for her to hide her identity, as she had utilized in the story several times.

‘The premise itself was wrong from the start.’

Agnes was probably hiding somewhere in the ballroom, quietly waiting for the event to end.

While the mask covering her eyes was like everyone else’s, she would be wearing a changed face using transformation magic underneath.

She had always been averse to drawing attention or engaging in conversations with others.

Given her exceptional magical talent even before entering the academy, transforming her appearance was probably basic for her.

In fact, in the game, bringing Agnes as a companion allowed the use of transformation magic.

Although it was not usable in combat and was more of a story-related magic that occasionally popped up in episodes.

‘In that case…it’s practically impossible to find her.’

At the very least, if the mask was removed, it would be understandable, but trying to identify Agnes based on other features while wearing a disguise spell, including a mask, was an absurd idea.

Furthermore, today, as Edan’s partner, it was not easy to freely roam around and observe here and there.

There was no choice. Today, just meeting Seraphine was satisfying enough.

With that thought in mind, my gaze naturally shifted towards the nobles dancing in the center of the ballroom.

It wasn’t too boring to spend the remaining time watching.

‘Nevertheless, since they were invited by the royal family, the nobles here must have some dancing skills.’

High-ranking nobles, well, they probably frequented social gatherings like this, so they must have no hesitation in dancing.

Lower-ranking nobles, on the other hand, must have practiced dancing as much as possible since they were invited to such a prestigious event.

In a situation where one’s identity was hidden behind a mask, the best way to show one’s charm when interacting with high-ranking nobles was probably through dancing.

‘In reality, it’s just a pretentious social gathering.’

How many lower-ranking nobles must have practiced dancing diligently to catch the eye of high-ranking nobles?

As I pondered over such thoughts, a voice calling me from Edan’s direction echoed once again.

“Lily, would it be okay to finish the conversation we didn’t get to earlier?”

“Yes? What conversation were we having?”

“It’s nothing much, but I was wondering if it’s okay with Lily, would you like to dance with me?”

“…Me?”

“Yes.”

“With Eda?”

“…Yes.”

“Um….”

…What should I do? I’m not confident in dancing at all.

I only came here to participate in acting as Edan’s fiancée, not to learn the etiquette of real noble ladies.

Moreover, I only found out about my participation in this ball about 12 hours ago, and during the busy time of dressing up and riding in a carriage, I certainly didn’t have time to properly learn the dances that nobles do.

I shook my head and expressed my refusal, fearing that I might embarrass myself if I went out.

“It’s okay. If I were to go and dance, I would definitely be a laughingstock.”

“It’s fine. Everyone already knows that Lily is my fiancée, so they won’t mock you just because you can’t dance.”

“I didn’t mean it in that way. You know, if I went out with you and accidentally stepped on someone’s foot, if you really want to dance, why don’t you look for other ladies?”

“Well, I think dancing with Lily is better than with other ladies.”

“….”

Well, considering the reason why Edan brought me to the ballroom today, it makes sense.

After all, bringing me to a masked ball and even having me act as his fiancée is a clear expression of his intention to push away the annoying forces vying for his fiancée’s position.

In the midst of this, if he were to witness his partner dancing with another lady, all the buildup he had accumulated so far would crumble into nothingness.

Starting to dance with one lady could easily lead to five or ten more, given Ed’s position as a nobleman of the Blackwood family.

In any case, even in choosing a dancing partner, one had to be mindful of others’ gazes as a person of noble status.

Being a noble in a medieval fantasy world was indeed quite a bothersome status.

“Are you really not thinking about it?”

“Um….”

Seeing him persistently asking like that, it seemed like he really wanted to dance but had no one to dance with, so he was trying to coax me into it.

Well, given that Edan had been pushing himself so hard for the past year, almost running forward with blinders on, it was inevitable that he would accumulate a lot of stress, whether he realized it or not.

Considering that he had managed to transform from a chubby pig into someone with a bit of muscle in just a year, the amount of effort he put in was truly commendable.

Dancing in a place like this was a way to relieve some of that built-up stress, and there was no reason not to indulge in it.

After all, I was Edan’s exclusive maid, and for the next three years, I was bound to work under the Blackwood family.

If Edan were to suddenly revert back to his original state due to stress one day, I would be the one to suffer the consequences.

They say that weight lost quickly can easily come back.

“Alright. Let’s dance together, Ed.”

“Really?”

“It’s a story of when you can lead someone like me, who knows absolutely nothing about dancing.”

“That’s fine. I learned it properly from the head maid. Lily can follow along just by following my lead.”

“Just to clarify, I’m not saying this because I want to dance with you. It’s just that you seem to really want to dance, and I’m the only suitable partner for you.”

“Got it.”

“As long as you understand.”

With our intentions confirmed, we moved towards the center of the ballroom as the next song began.

We held hands and started moving our bodies to the flowing music and rhythm.

It was only later that we realized that that moment was the calm before the storm.