Ch.18The Crystal Palace Below (2)

“…why me of all people?”

That was the first question that came to mind.

The Crown Prince’s ball—why would I be the one to have the honor of accompanying her?

When Rofena first told me about it, I thought she would be going with her fiancé.

But then she asked me to be her partner. How could I not be surprised?

“Of all people,” she said.

She stared at me intently, then slightly furrowed her brow as if something displeased her.

“Do you dislike the idea?”

“It’s not that I dislike it, but don’t you already have a fiancé?”

I lowered my head to hide my flustered expression. Why would she choose me?

Normally, one would attend such events with their fiancé, wouldn’t they?

But she had made this proposal to me, so it was natural to have questions.

“A fiancé is just a fiancé. Not someone who must always accompany me.”

Her voice was suddenly so cold it made me flinch.

A shadow fell over her previously pleasant expression, and her eyes filled with frost as she looked at me.

Had I misspoken? But no matter how I thought about it, I hadn’t made any mistake.

So it must be the word “fiancé” that was the issue.

I only knew a few things about her from descriptions in the novel, so I had no idea what her relationship with her fiancé was like.

I only knew she had been engaged to someone since childhood.

Adel Roman, her fiancé, had no apparent flaws.

He was handsome, known for his exceptional talent with the sword, and they had been engaged since childhood.

Though their relationship wasn’t detailed in the novel, I had assumed they would be on good terms since they’d known each other since they were young.

It seemed my assumption was wrong.

Judging by how her gaze turned cold at the mention of her fiancé, she probably didn’t think highly of him.

“…Would it really be all right?”

Truly, would it be acceptable for me to accompany her? When I asked cautiously, she nodded once and answered.

“It’s fine. This is just a casual event, so don’t feel too burdened.”

Though she answered nonchalantly, the slight worry that had risen in me wouldn’t easily disappear.

I wasn’t sure if it was really okay. Of course, she could choose her ball partner as she wished, but was it right for me to take on such a role?

I let out a soft sigh as I watched Airin’s retreating figure.

#

“My lady, a letter from Roman…”

“I’ll read it later.”

It was undoubtedly a letter from him. I had no desire to read it.

It would contain the same content as always, plus an invitation to attend the ball together. I turned my gaze away from the letter and picked up my teacup.

Flutter—

My hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

Recalling what I had said to my knight earlier, I felt my face grow warm with sudden emotion.

I had merely asked him to be my partner for the ball. It was something I had done before, something I had proposed to others several times.

Why was I trembling so much?

Was asking someone to attend a ball together such a difficult thing to say?

I clenched my hand in the air and then released it, recalling Evan’s surprised expression.

His wide eyes, as if doubting what he had heard, were quite amusing.

…This was clearly an impulsive decision on my part.

I had asked my knight because I wanted to avoid my fiancé at such an event, even if just for a while.

I wondered if Evan found it burdensome.

Regret suddenly welled up, but I shook my head to dismiss the feeling.

It wasn’t such an important event, and I couldn’t always attend every function with my fiancé.

For this ball, I simply wanted to attend with a more comfortable state of mind.

“…Ha.”

A hollow laugh escaped me at what I had just thought.

Since when? Since when had I come to see Evan as such a comfortable presence?

The fact that I felt more at ease with him than with my fiancé, whom I had known since childhood, or even some of the young nobles I knew, was quite amusing.

Though his presence was burdensome the more I tried to push him away, paradoxically, I felt comfortable when I was with him.

Was the green flame I saw at the festival—that only I saw—born from such feelings?

Yes, I preferred him. Far more than my fiancé.

My brow furrowed at the thought of my fiancé from the Roman family.

Though he had no particular flaws, I was somehow averse to him because of his inscrutable inner thoughts.

He always smiled at me, but his heart seemed pitch black, as if painted with ink. I always kept my distance when I saw him.

Perhaps the difference between my fiancé and Evan was a difference in nature.

If his smile was a false one, Evan’s smile was always a comfortable one that came from the heart.

-I’m already busy enough just looking after you, my lady.

My hand holding the teacup trembled at the sudden memory.

When I heard those words, even I, who considered myself rather emotionless, was quite surprised.

Though I quickly regained my composure after understanding the meaning of his words, the aftereffects still made my eyes twitch slightly.

If other young ladies had heard such words, they would have been delighted, misinterpreting them.

Since that tea party, he had received numerous letters. His handsome appearance must have captivated the young ladies.

The letter he was holding today was also from a young lady, wasn’t it?

For some reason, recalling that elegantly wrapped letter made my mood sink.

What did they find so appealing about him to send such letters? He was my knight.

How could they act so thoughtlessly, sending him love letters when he barely had time to properly guard me?

A wrinkle formed between my slightly furrowed brows.

That sticky emotion directed toward my knight somehow felt uncomfortable.

The usually fragrant scent of Darjeeling tea now tasted only bitter.

#

“Hehe.”

Rofena laughed with her eyes curved into crescents as she watched me sigh with my face covered by my hands.

Was it funny that I was going to the ball with Airin? As her partner, no less?

Come to think of it, it was amusing. A noble lady leaving her fiancé behind to attend a ball with her knight as her partner.

How was I supposed to understand this unprecedented situation?

“Just think of it lightly. This is just a casual event, so others won’t think too deeply about it either.”

“I hope so.”

A sigh escaped through my fingers covering my mouth. Though it was a ball hosted by the Crown Prince, it was just one of many social gatherings.

It wasn’t always possible to go with one’s fiancé, and occasionally people attended with family members or close friends, so perhaps it would be fine.

-I’m speaking to Evan Fried, not Knight Evan.

As the second son of Count Fried, my status wasn’t too low.

And I was her knight, after all.

Though the feeling of burden wouldn’t easily disappear, it was better to accept the situation as it was.

As I ran my hand over my face, Rofena, who had been watching me, spoke.

“By the way, how did you do it?”

“…Do what?”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen the lady be so comfortable with a knight. I’ve been here for six years, and during that time, she didn’t particularly like her knights. Seeing that she chose you as her ball partner instead of her fiancé, she must really be comfortable with you.”

I could only smile bitterly at her words. Was that really the case?

But whether she was looking at me or someone else, her gaze was still cold.

I still wasn’t reflected in those eyes, and the mask of indifference covering her face didn’t show even the slightest crack.

Though she hadn’t shown that gloomy expression I saw at the festival again, I sometimes worried about it.

And judging by her expression earlier, Airin didn’t seem to be on good terms with her fiancé,

so she might have chosen me simply to avoid going with him.

My thoughts were interrupted by Rofena’s bright voice. My expression relaxed, and I looked at her with a gentle smile.

“By the way, shouldn’t you be preparing what to wear?”

“Clothes, huh.”

I usually only wore casual clothes when not handling a sword,

so I thought I might need to wear something quite fancy this time. I would need to dress appropriately to stand beside Airin.

“But I don’t have any suitable clothes.”

The wardrobe only contained a few sets of everyday clothes.

It seemed the person I had possessed wasn’t interested in socializing either, as there were no fancy clothes for attending parties.

The ball was tomorrow, and I couldn’t go get clothes tailored in time.

As I made a troubled expression, Rofena waved her hand dismissively and spoke.

“I think we might find something if we look. What are your measurements?”

“…Even if I tell you my measurements, would there be clothes that fit me?”

When I asked with a puzzled expression, Rofena smiled and nodded.

“There’s a saying in the capital: ‘There’s nothing you can’t find in Yuris.’ Just wait. I’ll find you some clothes.”

I could only stare blankly as Rofena suddenly left. Would there really be something suitable for me to wear?

As I was passing time looking at the sky, I soon heard light footsteps in the distance.

Rofena was probably the only person in this mansion who would run like that.

I raised my head to look in the direction of the sound, and Rofena waved both hands high, telling me to follow her.

“Did you find something?”

When I asked, Rofena nodded and answered.

“I told you. There’s nothing you can’t find in Yuris.”

I let out a sigh of relief at the fact that there were such clothes, though I didn’t know why they would be in a place with only one child, Airin.

If I couldn’t go because I didn’t have clothes, Rofena would have laughed at me for a long time.

And it would have been awkward for Airin too. I didn’t want to cause her trouble due to my mistake, so it was truly fortunate.

Following Rofena, who was lightly stepping with excitement, she entered the dressing room and soon brought out a garment.

A deep blue that looked almost black at first glance, appropriately mixed with a black reminiscent of obsidian—a uniform.

A white sash diagonally crossing the middle blended well with the outfit, making it quite stylish.

The golden flowers embroidered on the white sash were eye-catching, but they harmonized well with the overall look.

This would be my first time wearing such a uniform, and I wondered if it would suit me.

“Try it on quickly. It’s quite an expensive outfit. If you wear it, you’ll attract everyone’s attention.”

“I don’t particularly want to attract attention.”

After giving Rofena, who was urging me, a sidelong glance, I took the clothes and began to put them on over my casual wear.

It was an uncomfortable outfit to wear, so I probably wouldn’t wear it except for special occasions like this.

With awkward hands, I buttoned it up one by one, and when I was fully dressed, the reflection in the mirror looked quite good.

The uniform fit snugly, clearly showing the contours of my chest muscles, which was the only thing I wished I could change.

As I pushed my golden hair back and looked at the mirror with slightly languid eyes, I thought that the wearer really makes the clothes.

In the past, such a sight would have made me nauseous, but with this appearance, such an expression suited me quite well.

“…Wow.”

Rofena exclaimed with wide eyes, apparently surprised by how I looked in this outfit.

At least I wouldn’t look out of place standing next to Airin.

However, every time I thought of the word “ball,” my thoughts became complicated, and my expression in the mirror was slightly distorted.