episode_0062

After the other nobles who had approached the Blackwood family in an attempt to connect with them retreated at Ethan’s word, the banquet hall fell silent.

In the quiet corner of the hall where we had settled, Ethan and I continued our conversation.

Since Ethan had made the excuse of spending time alone with his partner to avoid people, I thought it would be better to create a more intimate atmosphere between us.

“It’s rare to have a gathering like this, so it’s okay to be in a secluded place like this, Ed, right?”

“…You keep using that title even when we’re alone.”

“Well, the Huang Palace has many unseen eyes and ears, so it’s basic to be cautious, right? Or did my title suddenly become awkward for you, Ed?”

“Oh, no… I didn’t mean it that way.”

He didn’t mean it that way. It was clear from his expression that he felt awkward.

It was a strangely satisfying moment for me to have discovered Ethan’s vulnerability after a long time.

“He probably can’t bring himself to ask me to change my title because it feels awkward for him.”

After all, it was quite an unusual request to stop me, who had been called in to act as his fiancée and was fully immersed in the role.

In fact, from Ethan’s perspective, he should be grateful to me, considering all that I had done for him.

It was quite audacious for a maid to even think of creating a nickname for a duke and acting as his fiancée.

Any maid who dared to do so might be crossing a line that even lower nobles would hesitate to cross, out of fear of committing a disrespectful act.

As his personal maid, I had witnessed his growth to some extent, which allowed me to take such bold actions.

The characters in “Luminor Academy” may have good or bad personalities, but most of them were well-developed in terms of consistency.

Although Ethan was originally a villain in the original work, he was a character who remained consistent until the end, saying, “Even if I die, I will never hand over Lillis.”

Considering all the things I had done to Ethan so far, creating a nickname was not as serious as some of the other things I had done, so it was strange that he was only getting upset about this now.

“Sometimes he gets angry out of the blue, but I’ve already realized that it’s all part of his political maneuvers, so there’s nothing to fear.”

As we discussed the topic of the nickname I called him, Ethan suddenly fell silent beside me.

I continued to look around the Rose Hall in the evening, diligently following the motives behind my attendance at today’s masquerade ball.

The main purpose was to find prospective new students who would be characters in “Luminor Academy.”

Of course, even though I was looking for them, it was impossible to engage in conversation or interact with them directly.

But at least I could admire them from a distance, right? After all, I had finally entered the world of my favorite game.

Since I couldn’t attend the academy and experience the main story, I wanted to enjoy as many elements of the game as possible in this way.

However, even with my keen “gamer’s eyes,” it was quite difficult to find characters other than the August siblings.

Naturally, even the characters who should have been there didn’t seem to be present, leading to a growing sense of doubt in my mind.

“While it’s understandable that other characters may have variables, at the very least, Agnes Elizabeth Blaze should have attended.”

Agnes Elizabeth Blaze.

As some may have already noticed from my previous mentions, this character was also a character in “Luminor Academy.”

That was not just any ordinary character, but one of the main heroines, and she was so popular that she was often taken along even if she wasn’t part of the strategy, thanks to her decent performance.

Just by the nickname “Flame Hell,” it was clear that she specialized in fire magic, making her a natural noble heroine in this world of mages.

Of course, it wasn’t just because she was a noble that she attended this banquet.

I simply mentioned that there was a high possibility she attended when speculating about Agnes’s background, being a child of the Elizabeth family branch and learning magic with the support of her family.

Agnes despised crowded places like this, but she knew it would be troublesome to go against her family, so she reluctantly attended events like banquets.

Especially since this masquerade ball was hosted by the royal family, it was a priority event compared to others, and if she belonged to the Elizabeth Viscount family, she would have naturally received an invitation from the royal family.

So, unlike other characters, Agnes definitely had to attend this event.

As she observed people moving around, wondering if there might be someone dancing among them, she heard Ethan’s low voice from the left.

“Lily.”

“….”

“…Lily?”

“….Were you calling me Lily, Ed?”

“….Yeah.”

…I thought I had met someone with a similar name to mine.

Well, until recently, I was quite distant from social events like this, so it’s unlikely that Ethan has noble acquaintances of the same age who could recognize him by his face.

If he had made a pen pal friend in a place I didn’t know, that would be another story, considering his personality.

Besides, I was the one managing all the letters sent to Ethan, so I couldn’t help but know.

“So, what about Lily?”

“Lily said it would be better to address you with a closer title.”

“What?”

“She said it’s better to address you with a closer title if you’re pretending to be engaged. And Lily has been calling me Ed since earlier.”

“…I see.”

So, that’s what it means.

I’ve been the only one hearing awkward and uncomfortable titles all this time, so it’s unfair that it’s only happening to me.

So, he boldly insisted on calling me by a nickname too.

…It’s kind of cute.

If he calls me by a nickname, should I just act awkwardly and make it awkward for both of us?

It would be a pity for Ethan, but of course, that wouldn’t happen. After all, no matter what he says, Ethan wouldn’t feel awkward.

I casually replied, meaning that he could call me by a different title if he wanted.

“That’s a nice nickname, Ed.”

“Is it, really?”

“If you want to call me Lily, go ahead. Even if you do, I won’t stop calling you Ed.”

“Thank you, Lily.”

“…You’re welcome, Ed.”

…Somehow.

…It’s hard to explain why, but I feel a bit uncomfortable.

Even though there was only one letter difference from Lillis, I suddenly felt like Ethan and I had become much closer, and even a slightly awkward feeling started to creep in.

It even gave me a slightly embarrassing feeling.

Now I understand a little why Ethan reacted strangely every time he heard the name Ed.

If he felt this way every time he was called Ed, it’s not hard to understand why he couldn’t stand the awkward attitude.

Of course, I wouldn’t be so blatant as to show off or give up the title of Edra so easily, but I won’t stop calling myself that. The one who gives up first loses.

“So, Lily.”

“What’s wrong, Ed?”

“If you’re okay with it, would you like to dance together…?”

Just as Ethan, looking tense, was about to suggest something, a voice from the opposite side interrupted him, causing his words to naturally stop.

“Hehe, here you are. I finally found you.”

‘Ah…’

…Why is it that even though I haven’t seen her face yet, the image of this character is already forming in my mind?

In fact, for me, it was a natural occurrence. As a heavy player of “Luminor Academy.”

Having spent almost 1000 hours out of a total playtime of 2000 hours with the main characters, including Lily, one of the main heroines.

As soon as I heard her voice, which I was so familiar with that it had become tiresome, I could naturally confirm which character had appeared.

Turning my head, I was met with the expected sight of Princess Seraphine standing there as if it were the most natural thing.

“Hello, to the unknown nobleman and lady?”

‘No, you just said you finally found me.’

Perhaps wanting to maintain the masquerade party concept, Seraphine shamelessly greeted Ethan and me as if she didn’t know us.

The response that Ethan and I had to give in front of her was practically predetermined.

“…Greetings, to the unknown nobleman.”

“…Nice to meet you, beautiful lady.”

Simply responding to her masquerade party concept.

A noble who recognizes Princess Seraphine and starts introducing herself out of joy is third-rate.

As Seraphine planned the masquerade party herself, she likely takes pleasure in “interacting without pretense.”

By addressing them as “the unknown nobleman and lady” in the first greeting, she openly stated the manner of interaction she desired.

If you have some sense, you’ll naturally adjust your concept to match hers.

Fortunately, both Ethan and I were discerning individuals, and recognizing Seraphine was not enough reason to flatter her.

‘Well, I had a feeling you would come.’

If I hadn’t mentioned it beforehand, Ethan had said himself that I would be attending.

Perhaps from Seraphine’s perspective, she wanted to confirm whether a commoner maid had really attended her party as a noble partner.

Given Seraphine’s personality, she would need to see it with her own eyes to satisfy her conscience.

But aside from that…

‘She’s really damn pretty.’

Even though she wore a mask covering her eyes like everyone else, Seraphine’s appearance was not something that could be concealed by such a mask.

Not only the visible parts of her face but even the parts covered by the mask seemed to radiate her beauty.

It felt like witnessing a scene where radiance emanated from her appearance.

If you couldn’t recognize her as Seraphine even after seeing her face, it was no different from walking around with slime cores instead of eyes.

‘Calm down, Lilies. Even though it’s my first time meeting a main heroine, there’s no need to be nervous.’

After all, we’ve seen game characters before, haven’t we? Isabelle, Ethan, the Auguste siblings, they’re all game characters.

Of course, Seraphine was a key figure in the game and a main heroine who appeared consistently in the main story, so she was different in terms of class from other characters. However, if you really had to nitpick, the same could be said for Release.

So, without being nervous, just casually strike up a conversation…

“Oh, the weather is really nice today, isn’t it?!”

“……?”

“……?”

Ah, damn it.

This idiot is for real.

Not only did she choose a topic that would make the listener feel awkward, but she also started off with a clearly awkward acting tone.

It was only natural that the atmosphere quickly became uncomfortable.

“…Lily, isn’t that topic a bit out of place? It’s already nighttime to talk about the weather.”

“…Haha, looks like you brought an interesting partner…. Uh, the esteemed guest whose name I don’t know….”

Edan looking at me with a pitiful expression and Seraphine forcing a smile while turning her head away.

Perhaps because they knew my true identity as a common maid, their subtle consideration made me feel even more self-conscious.

I seriously want to die, damn it….