BVWG 33

chapter 33

The orchestra happened to be playing a minuet—a piece that perfectly matched Mor’s playful smile.

Soon, Mor and I began lightly moving our feet in time with the music.

Mor was a man with a remarkably graceful dance style. Aside from his sociability, he seemed to lack nothing.

“Barrett seems to like Miss Asha very much. I’ve never seen that stiff fellow extend his hand to a lady first like that,” Mor commented.

“Really?” I responded with mild curiosity.

Mor smiled faintly at my reaction, then leaned toward me and whispered so only I could hear.

“And everything I said earlier about your charms was sincere. I decided to be genuine with you, Miss Asha.”

I could feel that he had truly opened his heart to me.

From then on, dancing with Barrett was very proper and orderly, just like his personality.

“Sir Barrett, you managed to restore the land around the palace quickly.”

“Yes. With the Founding Day ball coming up, all imperial personnel were mobilized,” he replied.

“You’ve worked hard. And again, thank you for protecting me and my nanny with your aura that day.”

“Thanks to your quick thinking, Princess Asha, we were able to minimize casualties. I also learned a lot from your attitude,” he said warmly, smiling at me. The stiffness in his expression softened, making him seem almost like a different person.

After finishing dances with both of them, my feet ached. I excused myself and went alone to the balcony, plopping into a chair and slipping off my shoes.

The cool night air felt pleasantly against my skin. I suppose my body had heated up from dancing so energetically earlier.

I rested for a moment, letting the distant music and the chirping insects serve as a backdrop.

As I relaxed, the image of a silver-haired man I didn’t want to think about returned. To clear my mind, I shook my head.

Then, the balcony curtains swayed slightly, and a tall man suddenly stepped through.

His hair was a lustrous dark green. I felt a wave of disappointment. Apparently, I had been unconsciously expecting the silver-haired man who had occupied my thoughts.

As soon as I realized this newcomer was unfamiliar, I felt a surge of irritation.

Normally, one doesn’t enter a balcony uninvited because romantic encounters often occur there. His actions were undeniably rude.

My expression must have reflected my displeasure. Perhaps sensing my guard, the flashy man lowered his head slightly.

“Pardon me, Princess Esperanza. I didn’t think there’d be a chance to meet you alone at this ball, so I…”

This extremely courteous man was Clepta Desdemota.

“And why go to such lengths to meet me alone?” My tone was cold.

No matter that he was one of the game’s candidate suitors; I had no reason to act kindly toward someone so rude at first meeting.

His sudden intrusion would surely not have escaped the attention of gossip-loving noblewomen. Our encounter, which looked like a secret rendezvous, would soon be the talk of the ball.

‘I didn’t want my first meeting with him to be like this.’

The pressure to succeed in the Devil’s Game mission kept me from shouting at him and forcing him off the balcony. I was exercising tremendous self-restraint to suppress my natural temperament.

“I don’t know either. When I saw you from afar, I thought of the letters we exchanged,” Clepta said, stepping closer.

“I just felt an urge to be close to you,” he added.

“Then why not just greet me inside the hall?” I asked.

“I was watching for an opportunity,” he said, flashing a sly smile. It was a beautiful smile, assuming one didn’t try to read his thoughts.

“But seeing you dance with the Emperor and the empire’s celebrities made me impatient without realizing it,” he admitted.

“Am I supposed to accept such reckless behavior from you just for that reason?”

“I admit it was a mistake driven by impulse. I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you, Princess. Please be lenient,” he said, softening his proud expression to appear pitiful. He knew exactly how to win favor.

This man was so self-confident and imposing that it almost felt uncomfortable. A man like him could be approached strategically without unease, especially for a mission.

I had planned to approach him anyway as one of the game’s candidate suitors. Since the situation was already unfolding, I decided to make the best use of it.

“It seems Sir Clepta has already caused a stir. Very well, I’ll give you a little time—but if you stay too long, gossip about us will spiral out of control.” I gestured coldly to the chair beside me.

“Thank you for your generosity, Princess,” he said.

“I didn’t say I was being generous. Even now, I’m still deciding whether it’s wise to build a friendship with you, Sir Desdemota,” I replied.

Of course, as a candidate suitor, I had no choice but to interact with him. Winning the genuine affection of any of the three suitors would be no easy task, so all three needed to be approached at least for now.

Still, I had to tame this arrogantly confident man to some extent—a form of establishing dominance.

Despite my cool reaction, Clepta’s composed face lit up with a smile. The way he looked was strangely tempting, reminding me of a devil I once knew.

“I hope you make a positive decision regarding me. I wish to gain your attention,” he said.

“I’m not so sure about that,” I replied.

“If you meet me often, won’t you find yourself gradually fond of me? Give me a chance to make up for my mistake. You’ll see I’m actually very charming,” he added.

Clepta, with his striking looks, charisma, and genial aura, was undeniably attractive—but he was also painfully aware of it.

I instinctively turned my gaze away from him.

“I don’t think I’d easily be swayed by you. I’m surrounded by many exceptionally charming people,” I said.

I had inadvertently provoked him. But the other candidate suitors, Morpheus and Barrett, were also formidable in charm and far from inferior.

Besides, my standards had been raised by Count Kairus and the Emperor—I wasn’t easily impressed by handsome men anymore.

Clepta smiled at my words, but his golden eyes briefly flickered with a competitive glint. That look, treating me like a desirable prey, was quite unpleasant.

“Then I must work to make you want to meet me more,” he said, combing back his hair in determination.

“Perhaps I could make you a business proposal, since charm alone won’t suffice,” he added.

Unexpectedly, curiosity overcame my irritation. I met his sparkling golden gaze once again.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“The pink diamond jewelry you’re wearing comes from mines owned by the Desdemota family,” he explained.

I had already heard this from my usual jeweler, so I tilted my head slightly as I observed him.

He blushed faintly, even under the soft night lighting, showing a side that contrasted with his usual bold demeanor.

“Inside the hall, I noticed that most young ladies envy your beauty and are interested in everything you wear,” he continued.

I hadn’t realized it, busy fending off attacks from noblewomen and dancing repeatedly.

“Our family now plans to sell diamonds, previously supplied only to the royal family, to regular nobles,” he said. His golden eyes seemed to meet the world itself.

“So before expanding the business in earnest, I want to attract noble attention first,” he added.

“Do you mean to supply these jewels regularly to jewelers catering to nobles?” I asked.

“Yes. First, I want to spread the rumor that the Desdemota family is releasing diamond stock to regular jewelers,” he said, smiling charmingly.

“Then I hope you’ll help, Princess,” he continued.

I, with no business experience, silently listened.

“I want you to wear our diamonds regularly and appear in public, praising them,” he explained.

“How would that help your business?” I asked.

“The diamonds supplied to jewelers will generally be of lower quality than those for the royal family. Everyone knows this, of course,” he said.

I nodded silently.

“Nobles might not be interested in such diamonds,” he acknowledged.

It made sense; nobles always desired the best.

“But if you wear them, Princess, the situation changes,” he added.

I looked at him skeptically.

“Nobles who admire you will want whatever you wear. The same goes for the diamonds supplied to jewelers,” he clarified.

So he wanted me to advertise his diamonds… I wasn’t sure if people would react positively to me wearing them, given my notorious reputation.

“Do you really think so? If I did that, it might actually harm the Desdemota family’s business,” I said.

“I’m a pragmatist. In the world of nobles, no one surpasses my family in business sense. Trust me,” he said.

“I will not take responsibility for any potential harm,” I warned.

“Understood,” he replied with a grin.

His golden eyes shone as if he felt things were going exactly as he hoped.

Business is a two-way street; what you give, you must also receive. I wasn’t inexperienced in business, thanks to Count Kairus’s thorough lessons.

“Then what benefits will I gain if I accept this business proposal?” I asked.