Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Calm Before the Storm (3)
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Meeting the Seraphine Imperial Princess as a mere commoner maid named Lilith was a situation that couldn't help but be incredibly tense, no matter how you sliced it.
Of course, the biggest reason I couldn't keep my composure wasn't because she was an imperial princess, but because she was the main character from my favorite game.
No matter how much of a frustration-inducing character she played in the story of Luminor Academy, that was only because she got in the way of the "game's story progression."
From one step removed, as someone whose fate had nothing to do with mine, I couldn't harbor any ill feelings toward Seraphine even if I tried.
Just like how, after becoming convinced that Ethan had lost his rational interest in me, I no longer felt the same anxiety toward him.
With personal emotions set aside, facing her felt just like encountering the main character from my favorite game.
I tried to keep my expression as calm and nonchalant as possible, like a fan meeting a character from the game.
...Or rather, I was putting in my best effort to do so.
"Are you enjoying the ball, miss?"
"Y-Yes, th-thank you... Ah, no... I-I'm enjoying it just fine...?"
"No need to be so tense. I'm just one of the guests here at the masquerade ball, after all."
"I-I'm not tense...! I-I never even thought of you as the p-princess... Ah, no... I mean..."
Once a slip of the tongue from nerves escaped, every subsequent conversation was just a mess of unorganized words.
Seraphine's aura shimmering before my eyes was making my heart pound way too hard.
And the Seraphine right in front of me was breathtakingly beautiful, enough to stop my breath.
No wonder people said she'd top the popularity polls if she weren't such a frustration machine.
Even with a mask covering her eyes, her beauty was this stunning—what kind of gorgeous face was hidden behind it?
It was impossible not to be tense standing face-to-face with her in the flesh.
...Still, I had to calm down. Making a fuss here would just make Seraphine uncomfortable, and above all, it'd be a nuisance to Ethan, who brought me as his partner.
"Huuuuh, fwooo..."
Hand on my chest, I managed to steady my racing heart by a beat.
Then, with the calmest expression I could muster, I met Seraphine's eyes and continued my "noble lady act."
"Sorry for the embarrassing display, miss. Your beauty shining even through the mask got the better of me, and I tensed up."
"...Oh my?"
"I'm having a great time with my partner. It's my first time at the imperial palace, but it's so pretty and splendid that just sightseeing makes the time fly by. Right, Ed?"
"...Li-Lilith?"
For the finale, I naturally hooked my arm through Ethan's and flashed a natural smile.
As if I were truly his "fiancée" and a "noble lady."
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourselves to the fullest."
Observing me like that, Seraphine met my eyes once more, exchanged a few words with Ed, then vanished into the crowd.
Surprisingly, the encounter itself was just a brief, uneventful chat.
For one, her status as princess meant she was far too busy for leisurely conversations.
As the host of the masquerade, she couldn't spend all her time just talking to us, after all.
The fact that she, an imperial princess, even spoke to a lowly maid like me was already extraordinary.
Of course, knowing her personality, it felt perfectly natural to me.
Anyway, in any other situation, being able to glimpse her from afar would have been lucky enough, but actually talking to her one-on-one was more than I could ask for.
As she disappeared and I caught my breath again, Ethan spoke up.
"Lilith, were you nervous?"
"Not at all, Ed."
"You seemed to stumble over your words in front of Her Highness, though."
"Anyone would do that talking one-on-one with royalty as a commoner, wouldn't they? Even if you ordered me to play your fiancée, expecting that much from a debt-bound commoner maid is asking too much."
"...That's basically admitting you were nervous."
"I wasn't. More importantly, Her Highness is gone—how long are you planning to keep your arm linked like this?"
"You're the one who grabbed on when you came over..."
I didn't want Ethan knowing I'd been nervous about the princess, so I stuck to a brazen attitude in front of him.
Ethan didn't press further and changed the subject.
"Still, it's impressive you recognized Her Highness at a glance. Have you seen her from afar before?"
"She just had that aura of someone high up—her elegance, her looks, all of it."
"Spotting that in one go seems like a real talent. Maybe you actually have a knack for playing noble lady?"
"Who said I wanted to? You'd know better than anyone that's nonsense."
"...If you really wanted to be a noble lady, it's not like there'd be no way."
"Sorry, Ed, I didn't catch that. Could you say it again?"
"...Nah, just talking to myself."
What a letdown.
I set aside Ethan, who avoided my eyes and turned his head for some reason.
Instead, I scanned the crowd again for "Blazing Inferno Agnes."
Having chatted with the biggest VIP, Seraphine, was plenty satisfying already.
But since I was here, spotting Agnes in person would make it even more worthwhile.
Agnes herself probably saw this as an annoying obligation and wanted to stay out of sight, so she'd likely be tucked away in some corner rather than center stage.
Or maybe out on a terrace, staring outside and waiting for the party to end.
Or perhaps hiding her identity completely with a full-face mask...
...Ah.
The moment that thought hit me, I realized just how stupid I'd been.
Right—there's no way Agnes of the Blazing Inferno would show up to a masquerade with just a simple eye mask.
Even if she was "Blazing Inferno" Agnes, her magic wasn't limited to flames.
Among them was her signature transformation spell, perfect for disguise, which she'd used several times in the story.
The premise itself was wrong from the start.
Agnes was probably hidden somewhere in this ballroom, quietly waiting for the event to end.
She'd have the standard eye mask like everyone else, but underneath, a face altered by transformation magic.
She hated drawing attention or chatting with others, after all.
With her exceptional magical talent even before enrolling at the academy, transformation magic would've been child's play for her.
In the game, it was one of the spells you could use with her as a companion.
Though useless in combat, it popped up occasionally in story episodes.
So... finding her would be basically impossible.
Unless her mask slipped off, picking her out by other traits alone, with both disguise magic and a mask? No way.
Plus, as Ethan's partner today, I couldn't roam freely to scout around.
Nothing for it. I'd have to be content with meeting Seraphine.
As that thought crossed my mind, my gaze naturally shifted to the nobles dancing in the center of the ballroom.
It was decent entertainment to pass the remaining time.
These were nobles invited by the imperial family, after all—their dance lines were solid at least.
High nobles were used to high society, so dancing came naturally.
Lower nobles had probably practiced hard for a rare invite like this.
With identities hidden by masks, dancing was likely their best shot at impressing high nobles.
In reality, it was all just a scripted networking event.
I wondered how many viscounts and below had slaved over dance practice to catch a high noble's eye.
Lost in those thoughts while watching the dancers, Ethan's voice called out again.
"Lilith, can we finish that conversation from earlier?"
"Huh? What conversation?"
"Nothing much—just wondering if you'd like to dance, if you're okay with it."
"...Me?"
"Yeah."
"With you, Ed?"
"...Yeah."
"Hmm..."
...What to do. I wasn't confident in dancing.
I'd come to play Ethan's fiancée, not to learn noble etiquette.
I'd only learned about attending the ball about 12 hours ago.
In that rushed time getting dressed and riding the carriage, no way I'd properly learned noble dances.
I shook my head, not wanting to embarrass myself.
"No thanks. I'd just end up as a laughingstock."
"It's fine. They already know you're my fiancée, so they won't mock you for bad dancing."
"You know that's not what I mean. Don't want to step on your feet or anything—why not ask some other ladies if you want to dance?"
"Hmm. I think I'd rather dance with you than anyone else."
"......"
Well, considering why he'd brought me here, that made sense.
Making me play fiancée at a masquerade was his way of fending off annoying suitors.
If he danced with other ladies while leaving his "partner" behind, all that buildup would crumble.
One lady could turn into five or ten—that was the pull of being a Blackwood heir.
Even picking a dance partner meant minding others' eyes.
Being a noble in a medieval fantasy world was such a hassle.
"Really, no interest at all?"
"Hmm..."
He was asking so persistently—it seemed he genuinely wanted to dance but had no one else.
Makes sense. After pushing himself non-stop for the past year, stress would've built up inevitably.
Going from tubby pig to somewhat muscular in just over a year? That effort was no joke.
If dancing here could relieve even a bit of it, no real reason not to oblige.
I was his personal maid, bound to the Blackwood family for three more years anyway.
If he snapped from stress and reverted, it'd be my loss.
They say weight lost quick comes back quick.
"Alright. Let's dance, Ed."
"...For real?"
"Only if you can lead a total newbie like me who knows zilch about dancing."
"...That's fine. Head Maid taught me solid. Just follow my lead, and you'll be good."
"For the record, I'm not doing this because I want to. You're so desperate to dance, and I'm the only option, so I'm humoring you."
"Got it."
"Good."
With intentions confirmed, we headed to the center of the dance floor as the next song began.
We clasped hands to the flowing music and rhythm, and began to move.
...It was only moments later that I learned that time was a serene instant before the storm.