Debutante Ball (3)
Charlotte's rebuttal was undoubtedly more logical than Sara's.
"You've been saying you've sent invitations to Sara this whole time! But I've never heard anything about my friend Sara being invited to a western noble gathering!"
"W-well, maybe you just didn't hear! Sara might've hidden it from you!"
"No!" Charlotte cried out. "Sara would never hide something that important from me! We're best friends!"
"!!!"
I... best friends...!
The young ladies exchanged glances. Charlotte Petaconia, daughter of the count...! She wasn't just any backup!
"But... we definitely sent an invitation to Lady Sara Aision of the Aision count family..."
"Even if you sent a hundred invitations! If Sara didn't receive them, it's the same as not sending any!"
"!!!"
"If you really sent a hundred invitations! Then it must be your servants' mistake that they didn't reach Sara!"
"Th-that's impossible! Apologize to our servants!"
"If you apologize to my friend Sara first! I'll personally buy a gift and have the young ladies' servants receive our apologies!"
"..."
Lady Raquelra gritted her teeth, then casually brushed her hair back as if nothing had happened.
"In that case, the culprit is clear. It was a mistake by the Aision count family's servants. Yes. I admit it. Lady Sara Aision bears no fault."
"..."
"But! Showing up in a blue dress without a word to us, acting on her own—that, we cannot forgive!"
Charlotte shouted, "Don't nitpick! How many young ladies at today's ball have matching dress colors? Even my red dress—I've seen at least ten more in red today!"
"Don't make excuses! The Raquelra of the west and the Aision of the west—both maritime families. Do you think I wouldn't notice the intent behind wearing the same blue?!"
"That's why we yielded the stage to you!!!"
Indeed. The moment Charlotte first saw Sara's dress, she thought of Lady Raquelra. She'd probably wear something blue. If it matched Sara's, there might be trouble.
But. ...Should we yield?
Charlotte just let Sara wear the blue dress. Why should Sara have to watch out for Lady Raquelra's feelings? Especially when it looked so stunning on her! This was a once-in-a-lifetime debutante ball. Sara had the right to wear the most beautiful dress.
...And sure enough, Lady Raquelra appeared in blue. So Sara yielded first. She let Lady Raquelra take the stage ahead, and Sara went later. To avoid comparing two ladies in the same color.
But...
"Yielded? You, who threw such a tantrum on stage?!"
"..."
Finally, Charlotte caught on to Lady Raquelra's true intent.
That wicked girl...!
Sara had danced better than Lady Raquelra. Drew more eyes...! That's why she came to torment her!
"How... vulgar and low-class. Lady Talain Raquelra."
"Wh-what did you say?!"
"I refuse to accept that a vile, greedy woman like you is a noble lady like me!"
Charlotte pointed her finger high and declared, "You're a fake noble lady!"
"!"
"Come on, my friend Sara. A lady's time is precious. No need to waste it on these street rats."
Sara quietly pushed Charlotte aside.
"Sara...?"
Then she said to Lady Raquelra, "I... don't have your experience in high society."
"..."
"I didn't know the matching dress colors would hurt you... If you're angry because of me, I apologize."
"..."
"I don't want to fight with you. Especially not on a wonderful day like today."
"..."
"Later... I'll invite you to our house. Say whatever you want then, okay?"
Sara turned and trudged away.
Charlotte muttered coldly with icy eyes, "That's a real noble lady."
"..."
"..."
"..."
A few young ladies blushed. Especially—Lady Raquelra could no longer contain her boiling rage.
That...!
Sara had won, and Lady Raquelra had lost. The 14-year-old girl couldn't accept it.
Acting all goody-goody to the end—!
If Sara had yelled or gotten angry, it wouldn't have infuriated her this much. But Sara... kept up the 'nice girl' act to the very end.
Who does she think she is, acting so superior? So pure? So noble?
Fine, if that's how you want to play it?
Lady Raquelra gave a signal with her eyes. The prearranged cue.
The young ladies hesitated—but one acted. She stepped on the hem of Sara's dress with her shoe heel.
Riiip—!
"...Huh?"
Sara startled and looked back—but the dress was already torn.
"Oh dear, sorry!" the lady apologized. "I accidentally stepped on your dress, milady!"
Sara froze, unsure how to react—and Charlotte was dumbfounded.
"What... what are you...!"
Once one started, the rest was easy. The young ladies swarmed, trampling Sara's dress.
"W-wait! Don't step on it!!!"
"Sorry!"
"The path's too narrow!"
Even Charlotte couldn't stop it.
"What are you doing?! Have you all gone mad?!"
Charlotte screamed, but the 14-year-old girls, blinded by revenge, couldn't be stopped by anyone.
"Stop...!" Sara cried. "Stop it!!!"
Right then.
From the sky, a pitch-black bug fluttered down.
"...Eh?"
"...?"
"...?"
The black bug landed lightly on Lady Raquelra's blue dress.
And it wiggled its black antennae, greeting her.
[Hello there!]
"..."
[What fine weather today! Perfect for flying, wouldn't you say?]
"...!!!"
[Ah! I'm Ba Teacher. A name too grand for a lowly creature like me, but our esteemed Teacher Dante bestowed it upon me!]
Lady Raquelra gathered mana from her dantian and screamed explosively.
"Kyaaaaaaaah—!!!"
The young ladies screamed in resonance.
"Kyaaaaaaaah—!!!"
"Kyaaaaaaaah—!!!"
"Kyaaaaaaaah—!!!"
"Kyaaaaaaaah—!!!"
If their eyes weren't deceiving them... that was...!
C-c-c-c-cock...! Anyway, something you must never name!!!
"Kyaaaaak! Kee-yaaaaaaaah!"
The young ladies shrieked and fled in a stampede.
[My, where are you off to in such a hurry?]
Ba Teacher clung to Lady Raquelra's body.
[Teacher Dante instructed me to scare the young ladies if things got heated... But I'm still new at this—what should I do?]
Ba Teacher wiggled its antennae... then slipped into the folds of Lady Raquelra's dress.
[Will this scare her a bit...?]
Of course—Lady Raquelra collapsed in terror. Literally.
"It... it went in—!!!"
Into her dress. A cockroach had crawled in...!
"Help me! Somebody help! Please—!!! Save me—!!!"
Anyone hearing her tearing screams would think she was moments from being devoured by a monster.
In fact—the knights rushed over at the sound.
"What happened?!"
"That's... Lady Raquelra?!"
Lady Raquelra screamed, "Strip me—!!!"
"???"
"The dress—! Take off the dress!!!"
"..."
The knights glanced at each other. Uh... um... what the hell is going on?
"A cockroach—! Went into my dress—!!!"
"!!!"
The knights jumped in shock. Any human, any person, could empathize!
No...! Such a horror!
"We must save the lady at once!" one knight shouted.
But another held him back. "Don't act rashly!"
"But sir!"
"How dare a strange man touch a lady's body! Don't you know our hasty judgment could leave her with an unforgettable nightmare?!"
"Ah...! You're right! So wise, sir!"
Touching a debutante and facing the fallout later? No thanks.
The knights just stood there blankly, watching Lady Raquelra.
If it wasn't a monster attack, just a cockroach... she wouldn't die.
Lady Raquelra rolled on the floor, screaming.
"Kee-yaaaaak—!"
Help me now—!!! This moment is my nightmare, you idiots!!!
Ba Teacher quietly slipped out of the dress. But no one noticed.
Bugs were like that anyway.
[That should do it. I'm off! Have a good day, miss!]
Ba Teacher scurried away into the shadows with a rustle.
But Lady Raquelra kept rolling. Anyone watching would think she was mad.
...Her partner did.
"Oh no! Milady!"
He rushed over, but had no solution either.
"Someone! Help Lady Raquelra!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Of course, not a single young lady stepped up. Most had fled... Sara and Charlotte just glanced over.
"Strip me! Brother!"
"..."
"Hurry!!!"
The partner squeezed his eyes shut and untied the fastenings at the back of her dress.
The knights scattered.
The last courtesy for Lady Raquelra...
She flung off the dress and shook it desperately.
Pat! Pat! Pat!
"..."
But Ba Teacher was nowhere to be seen...
"Th-that...! Damn cockroach! Where the hell did it go!!!"
Lady Raquelra cried out, but there was nothing to be done.
Bugs... vanish like that sometimes...
"Milady..." Her partner said in a trembling voice. "Please... put your clothes back on..."
"..."
Already, onlookers gathered. Men couldn't approach, but the young ladies whispered and glared at Lady Raquelra shaking her dress.
Her face flushed crimson as she redressed.
Then—with blazing eyes—she stared at one person.
"Lady Raquelra?"
Sara Aision. The root of all evil!
Raquelra strode toward Sara.
Sara opened her mouth toward the approaching Lady Raquelra, nobly and calmly. "Lady Raquelra. Did it bite you anyw—"
Slap!
Lady Raquelra backhanded Sara's cheek.
And shouted, "It's your fault!!!"
"..."
"All of it... everything because of you...!"
"..."
"If I... hadn't gone to the garden because of you...!"
Sara bit her lower lip—then raised her hand.
Smack!
A shockingly loud crack echoed.
Sara had slapped Lady Raquelra's cheek!
Sara might be timid and a bit of a loner, but she was damn good at physical stuff. Inherited from her knight father.
A perfect wrist snap.
The watching knights murmured in admiration. Such a simple slap, yet with profound technique...! No, no! Not the time...!
Sara yelled, "What the hell are you talking about, you crazy bitch!"
"You... you hit me?!"
"How's a cockroach on you my fault! Did you pop some pills or what?!"
"You... fucking bitch!"
Finally, Lady Raquelra grabbed Sara's hair.
The worst choice, of course.
"Aaaack!"
Sara twisted her wrist—Lady Raquelra screamed and crumpled.
...Sara's physical prowess was top-notch.
"St-stop that!"
"Let go, miladies!"
As panicked people rushed in—
"...?"
The bugs swarmed.
"What... bugs are these...?"
Small black swarms emerged from the bushes, circling the young ladies as if awaiting someone.
"..."
Sara saw the bugs and released Lady Raquelra.
Raquelra tried to lunge again but froze at the swarm filling the area.
Clack, clack...
Footsteps echoed.
A boy walked down the hall. Crisp suit, measured gait. At 15, nobility was ingrained in him.
As the boy appeared—the bugs dispersed like an illusion. Dante Aision's command.
He was a bug tamer, rare even in the empire.
"Oppa...!"
Sara ran into Dante's arms.
Dante patted her back.
But his sharp eyes stayed fixed on Lady Raquelra.
"Took me a while to get here. What's all this?"
"Th-that's..."
But Dante wouldn't interrogate her.
A more fitting person had arrived.
"!"
"!"
Princess Esilia. The ball's hostess, approaching with her attendants.