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Chapter 21
If it stays here, it’ll end up being released into the summer hunting grounds and die anyway.
Still, would that be safer for people? But watching it, it didn’t seem like an aggressive young creature. If it could return to its own forest and live without clashing with humans again, that would be better.
Neither for monsters nor humans could bloodshed be a good thing.
“I need to go back now and get my homework checked.”
The monster had just finished the bread I gave it and was now starting to eat what looked like chicken from the bowl. Chicken, of all things. Even we knights, followers of the goddess who protects mercy and harmony, were providing it with rather faithful meals, despite occasionally questioning whether this was truly right.
“Thank you for the meal. I’ll be heading in now, Mila. Take your time coming back.”
“You’re leaving already? Oh no, please take me with you, my lady!”
After finishing the short picnic, I stood up and brushed myself off.
I still had plenty to do in the afternoon. I had to write a book report on imperial history, attend a lecture on accounting, and then briefly show my face at a ball hosted by Countess Silvier.
In fact, the matter of the Silvier ball had already been answered with a firm response from Kagan stating, “Due to circumstances, the Duke and Duchess of Weiriver will not attend.” But we had also received a follow-up reply asking us to honor the event with even a brief appearance if circumstances changed.
Naturally, it would be better if I went and offered a few kind words.
I opened a pure white parasol that shone like clouds above my head and glanced toward the storage building. The monster, which I had assumed would be happily eating chicken, had already retreated into a corner and curled up in the shadows.
That was when something shiny on the floor in front of the storage building caught my eye.
What is that? Did I drop an earring while throwing bread earlier? I carefully felt around my ears. Then I checked my necklace, rings, and even the decorative buttons on my dress—but everything was still in place.
“Wait a moment, Mila.”
I turned and walked back toward the storage building. Jeff, who had just been about to close the door, paused and waited for me.
The monster remained still in the corner of the storage space, while Jeff and Mila watched in tense caution as I carefully bent down and picked up the object from the ground.
“…What is this?”
Is it a piece of glass? Did a chandelier ornament fall off somewhere? But it felt heavier than ordinary crystal. I examined the round, flat glass-like object more closely.
Its transparent golden glow reminded me of flower candy I had once bought. Its surface had a shell-like texture with small, even ridges, and one side was gently rounded while the other tapered slightly—forming a teardrop shape.
I was sure it hadn’t been there before.
“It looks just like a scale, Duchess.”
“A scale?”
“Yes.”
Jeff pointed toward the monster.
Mila and I both followed his fingertip with our eyes.
“Doesn’t it look similar to the scales on that thing’s body?”
“Oh.”
At that moment, the monster slightly raised the scales along its back in the darkness. The teardrop-shaped scales briefly became clearly visible before settling back down in unison, hiding their form again.
“Oh, it really does.”
The piece I had picked up was indeed similar in shape and size to the monster’s scales. The only difference was its color—a beautiful, luminous gold, unlike the dull greenish tone of the creature’s body.
“How fascinating. Where did it come from?”
“Isn’t it from that thing? There was nothing there just a moment ago,” Jeff said decisively, without hesitation.
“But the color is completely different.”
“These creatures are strange by nature. There are even ones that disguise themselves as humans. A scale changing color after falling off its body wouldn’t be strange at all. That dull body color is probably camouflage.”
“Ah…”
That made sense. So this beautiful object really was one of its scales? Did it change from camouflage green to its original golden color after detaching?
But I had never heard of a monster with such a beautiful hue.
“And what if it is? It was destined to end up in the Duchess’s hands anyway. Even I, an uneducated man, think it’s quite pretty.”
Encouraged lightly by Jeff, Mila nodded as well.
“It really is as beautiful as a jewel, my lady. It even feels like a lucky four-leaf clover.”
“May I keep it? It wasn’t dropped by another knight, was it?”
“The finder keeps it, haha.”
I shot Jeff a light glare, smiling at his irresponsible joke. But he insisted again that knights stationed at the guard post did not carry decorative items, so it must be unclaimed.
“Then I’ll keep it for now. If someone reports a lost item, please let me know.”
“Yes, of course!”
I left after receiving Jeff’s playful salute. Mila followed with a disrespectful fist raised instead of a formal knightly salute, but I simply laughed without being startled as I had before.
The golden scale placed in the jewelry box looked no less valuable than the rings lined up beside it. Just looking at its warm glow made me feel strangely uplifted, and I quietly hoped it truly was an ownerless item dropped by the monster.
That evening, as dusk fell, I arrived at Count Silvier’s ballroom. Instead of my husband, the Duke, I was accompanied by Ben, the Duke’s aide, and received an overwhelmingly grand welcome.
The ladies in particular were extremely enthusiastic—though I was certain at least some fraction of that excitement was due to Ben.
“Thank you so much for coming all this way, Duchess!”
“How kind of you. The Duke is away, so you must be even busier, yet you still made time for us.”
“I first met Sir Ben two years ago. He’s as handsome as ever—no, I mean as devoted as ever. Heehee.”
It was only after coming to Weiriver that I confirmed the rumor that imperial ladies were weak to black-haired handsome men. In Tesenia, black hair was practically nonexistent.
“We shouldn’t offer the aide alcohol, right? We just received some excellent champagne…”
“Yes, that is not permitted.”
“But he will dance, won’t he? In gatherings like this where gentlemen are scarce, even the Emperor’s aide is said to dance.”
“No. That is not permitted.”
Compared to Kagan, Ben was actually quite soft in temperament, like a willow leaf in the wind, yet whenever he stepped outside, he turned into a stone-faced man even more rigid than his own lord.
As expected of master and subordinate.
“You’re as stern as ever.”
Despite any frustration one might feel toward such knightly behavior, Countess Silvier’s eyes remained bright with a smile.
“Still, the knights of House Steinway have this heavy, steadfast charm. No, I mean that as praise for their admirable discipline and silence. Heehee.”
Before the ball even properly began, Ben already looked exhausted, while I felt energized just by watching the lively gathering.
My first ball since my wedding. I drank a crisp chilled beverage, danced waltzes with others, and even sang a song to respond to the neighbors persistently cheering for “our beloved Duchess.”
Meeting people was enjoyable. So enjoyable that it erased the fatigue I had felt on the carriage ride here. I had always liked singing and dancing since childhood, even if I had never properly learned either.
“Oh my, I feel like I might cry from emotion. That was the most heartfelt voice I’ve heard in years. Don’t you agree?”
“Her husband is the god of beauty and war, Keor, and she is the goddess of beauty and healing, Sestia. What a perfect destiny.”
“Good heavens… I may be a duchess, but I’ve never seen such outrageous flattery before.”
“Oh, Duchess! How can you call it flattery? After saving our reclusive lord, are you not truly a goddess of healing?”
I couldn’t stop laughing among the kind neighbors. Whether or not their intent was to flatter someone of higher status, the other ladies were also warmly socializing among themselves.
So this is what social life can be like. A ball that seemed nothing like the dark, scheming battlefield I had been warned about.
I didn’t understand why Kagan worried so much about me attending such a gentle gathering.
“One more song, Duchess!”
“Please, Duchess Sestia, we beg you!”
“Are you all drunk? Wouldn’t it be better if you rested?”
“Please don’t refuse!”
Until the golden moonlight spread like daylight into the farthest corners of the sky, I sang and danced with everyone.
Was Kagan dancing somewhere too? I heard the Delphonia charity event was larger than most royal balls. Would he be waltzing with others there?
But even at our wedding, he had seemed reluctant to dance…
What would he say if I showed him the golden scale I had found? Would he agree with Mila calling it a lucky scale, or disagree? Would he even know?
Next time, I should come to a ball with him. Would he notice that my waltz skills had improved a little?
Smiling happily, I found myself thinking of him more than anything else—my family, my husband who now lived with me.
I wish he would come back soon.
When would we go on a picnic together again?
