TVWD 58

Chapter 58

Count Ikel and I—Marquis Levian stood on opposite sides from me.

Halfway there, near the palace, the carriage came to a brief stop. Another companion had joined us today.

“Hello, Roa.”

“Welcome, Silla.”

Stella and Pony, who must have been tipped off in advance, greeted Silla without surprise.

“It’s an honor to be in the company of two ladies.”

Silla, who was sitting beside me, responded politely as always.

“Silla, Merina said she wants to apologize to you for offending you.”

“Isn’t this a masquerade? How exactly is she going to find me and apologize?”

When Silla looked puzzled, Stella and Pony burst into laughter at the same time.

“We’re wondering that too. Ah, Miss Ikel has a knack for spotting a handsome gentleman at once — she might even find the Master of the Mage Tower.”

“That would be an impressive skill in its own right.”

Silla’s surprised reply didn’t look pleased.

I’d worried she might take an interest in the strange affair, but Silla showed a strange reluctance toward Merina.

That worked in my favor.

“Miss Ikel might separate you and me. No — I think she will separate us. So be careful.”

“Isn’t it you who should be careful, Roa? That woman seemed to hate you a lot.”

I turned my gaze to my two friends.

“That’s why I called my side. And even if they’re not completely on my side, I’ve called people who’ll help me for at least today.”

When I explained that there were several accomplices and that their clothing and hair color matched mine, Silla’s eyes sparkled.

“Hmm, I’ll remember that.”

Before long we arrived at Count Ikel’s estate.

I had been here two and a half months ago, but counting all my visits it was a place I’d come to more than a hundred times and so I was familiar with it.

“Welcome.”

We took the masks handed out at the entrance and entered the ballroom. All the masks were the same design.

They covered half the face, and from the part connecting to the hair hung about a span of fabric so at a glance it looked like hair was hidden as well.

“Remember how I look and how I’m dressed, Roa.”

Unlike usual, Silla, dressed in gentleman’s clothes instead of her robe, changed her hair to silver and her black coat to dark green by magic.

Even if a servant went to report Silla’s outfit to Merina, it would be useless now.

There were already ladies in the ballroom dressed like me with dyed black hair, and people were whispering as they looked at us.

“This feels like we went on an adventure instead of coming to a party. It’s so much fun.”

Silla looked thrilled, and Stella and Pony, swept up by her mood, were excited too.

“Is everyone here?”

The person who approached us was Lady Klenn. She looked extremely pleased at the thought of making Merina uncomfortable.

“Shh, keep quiet. If you speak we’ll get found out.”

“Oh, of course. Hoho, I must have gotten so excited I said that out loud without thinking.”

I subtly stepped away so staying close to Silla wouldn’t reveal who I was.

Fortunately, including Silla, the others didn’t seem to be paying much attention.

When a certain number of people had gathered, a slender woman stepped forward.

“Ladies and gentlemen, who have come together tonight — I hope tonight you’ll be free of the burdens that weigh on your shoulders and enjoy a pleasant evening.”

Her nightingale-like voice belonged to Merina.

Because everyone’s face was hidden at a masquerade, people tended to indulge more in their base desires.

Those who usually suppressed themselves out of decorum as proper ladies and gentlemen could let loose at an event like this. Someone who usually laughed quietly might laugh out loud; someone who usually restrained from dancing might sweep across the floor. And sometimes, unable to resist stronger urges, a man and woman would take each other’s hands and slip into a secluded garden. Signs directing people to rooms as if inviting such things were conspicuously posted.

It was a ball that suited her perfectly.

Normally at this point Merina would already have been intimate with at least two of the male leads, but she wasn’t.

Not Lexian or Calvin — at most perhaps the crown prince. But from the prince’s reaction it was clear she hadn’t spent the night with him either.

Merina is the type who gets extremely anxious when she can’t take the man she wants.

From the looks of things, her current target seemed to be Silla, but Silla was not someone to be easily toyed with.

“There’s a special drink prepared for the ball, too. If you want a more unusual time, please try it. It’s champagne that makes you feel good.”

Where Merina pointed stood a server holding glasses of yellow drink.

It didn’t look like ordinary champagne, so don’t drink it.

“Then let the party begin!”

When the masked orchestra started to play, couples took hands and moved onto the floor.

Silla’s eyes landed on me, and when I gave a slight shake of my head, he sighed and offered his hand to the person next to him.

He looked excessively amused, so it was probably Violet or her friends.

Silla’s expression as he headed to the dancefloor was full of excitement.

Certainly, plotting to make someone you dislike uncomfortable like this wasn’t something an ordinary young lady would do.

“Don’t drink the yellow drink. It feels off.”

“I was going to avoid it anyway. That woman with flowers in her head couldn’t have prepared anything decent, right?”

Stella and Pony agreed with me, and they warned Violet and her friends as well.

Since we were here anyway, we decided to enjoy the party and scattered among the crowd.

I planned to slip away at the right moment.

Because I intended to steal Count Ikel’s treasure while I had the chance.

To summon the map from the Mirror of Truth I needed a very pure mana stone, and that mana stone was at Count Ikel’s estate.

The white mana stone called the “Snow Queen.”

I thought about asking Silla to make the mana stone for me, but if he asked what it would be used for that would be troublesome, and if a mana stone made by Silla failed to call the map that would also be a problem.

I couldn’t risk it, so I chose a sure method.

After three or so dance numbers the atmosphere became rowdier. Slipping toward the inner part of the building, a man stopped me.

“Lady, would you dance with me?”

“Sorry, I’m not good at dancing.”

“Then would you do something else with me? I know a private place.”

The man drew close and made an impure suggestion.

“No, thank you.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. Weren’t you planning to go to a room anyway?”

He didn’t seem like someone who would back down easily, and his friends were all on the floor.

If I shouted to reveal my identity here, nothing good would come of it — what should I do with this guy?

The best plan seemed to be to take him to a room, kick him in the groin, and run.

“All right. Lead the way.”

I lifted my chin and offered my hand; the man grinned lecherously.

As soon as we entered the room he’d probably be unable to use what hangs between his legs anymore.

I was considering the right moment when someone cut in.

“I was the one who had business with this lady first, so get lost.”

A hand in a white lace glove firmly grasped the leech-like man’s hand that had been reaching for mine.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I already claimed this lady.”

The new man didn’t say anything but tightened his grip.

With a crisp cracking sound, the leech-like man screamed.

“Ugh!”

But the upbeat tune being played meant no one seemed to notice the noise he made.

We were away from the ballroom and everyone else looked too wrapped up in the festivities to care.

The leech-like man clutched his hand and slumped down, and the newly arrived man lightly kicked him.

Then, looking down at the man who was clutching his hand and crying, he delivered a cold remark.

“Know your place.”

Before the newcomer could take an interest in me, I quietly stepped back.

I was going to blend back into the ballroom and then go steal Count Ikel’s treasure as planned.

But as if there were eyes on my back, I hadn’t even taken a full step before the man called to me.

“Where do you think you’re going, Rosia?”

Damn it — Lexian Risiansh.