Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Ball (4)
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Before the music cut off and the next piece began.
By the time I entered the ballroom with Elysia, gazes were already turning our way from all around.
-What's that?
-Kline the Young Master dancing with another lady?
-Is that even allowed? The princess herself invited him first, you know.
-Yeah. As expected of the Leonhart Ducal Family, huh? Looks like he can rack up girls without a care.
Every last one of them was talking about me first.
It was inevitable.
I'd danced with Adelheit during the very first piece, after all.
And she'd been the one to suggest it, a woman no less.
Yet here came the man in question, Kline Leonhart, escorting another lady.
Naturally, all eyes converged on us.
-But who's the one next to him?
-Some lady who isn't famous. Can't remember her, at any rate.
-Ah, I remember now. It's that "Elysia" lady.
-Oh, her?
-To pick her of all people. Young Master Kline sure has peculiar tastes.
The comments that followed were all sizing up Elysia.
Outwardly, she was one of the most beautiful girls you could count on one hand.
But she was so timid herself, and had no clue how to dress up, letting all that beauty go to waste.
Elysia was shrinking up like a quail at the reactions buzzing around her.
"Ugh... M-My stomach hurts..."
"Why are you getting worked up over something like this? You were the one who asked to dance first, weren't you, Elysia?"
"T-That's true, but... Actually thinking about holding hands with someone from the Leonhart Ducal Family and dancing... it feels so burdensome..."
"Keep that up, and I'll let go."
"A-Ah! No! You can't!"
"Then quit cowering and walk tall. I've got a saying for you: Walk confidently anywhere. Give it a shot."
"I-It's hard..."
Elysia tried to straighten her back at my words.
That did it—a massive blob of fat thrust its presence forward.
'Hmm...'
Adelheit was like that, and now Elysia too. Where the hell did they stockpile all this fat?
"Hoo, huu."
We faced the ballroom.
I extended my hand first, and Elysia grabbed on tight.
Well, "tight" wasn't quite right.
She was panting raggedly, her hand trembling like a leaf in the wind.
It felt like an earthquake had hit.
"You won't fall. Ignore everyone else's eyes. Just focus on me."
"S-Saying that is a problem... People might misunderstand..."
"We're out here to dance—what's there to misunderstand?"
"Even so... W-We aren't anything to each other yet..."
I looked at her, wondering how to ease her tension, but her eyes were already spinning like mad.
That's when I realized it.
Ah, she's properly freaking out.
Her soul's already flown the coop.
The music began then.
I took the first step to snap Elysia out of it.
"Hya!"
I pulled her hand lightly, and she let out the dumbest yelp.
I smoothly led her startled, clumsy steps.
My dance skill wasn't on Adelheit's level, sure.
But that girl was an exception, raised as a princess.
I was plenty good enough to guide a total beginner.
"Don't step on my feet. There you go. Now step back with the opposite foot. Perfect. You're doing great."
"Hehe... Really? Do I have some talent?"
"No. None at all. What are you talking about?"
"Ugh..."
A little teasing, and she turned pouty right away.
Ah. Cute.
Teasing someone this fun to mess with never gets old.
We danced along with the music.
She was starting to get the hang of it now, staying quiet.
Mouth clamped shut, following my steps.
Hmm.
No conversation, and it's getting boring.
Still, a guy and girl dancing together ought to chat.
"I've got something I'm curious about."
"Y-Yes?"
"Why'd you come to the Cluster of Stars? With your personality, skipping it entirely wouldn't raise eyebrows. What changed?"
"T-That's..."
Elysia's eyes darted every which way.
She really couldn't hide a thing.
Avoiding my gaze like crazy, her lips twitched.
"...They said if I didn't join the Cluster of Stars, I had to leave home."
"Huh?"
"M-My parents... They said if I never attended a single social event, what was I going to do with my best years... They wouldn't support me if I didn't go..."
"..."
Wow.
Talk about a brutally realistic reason.
The kind of thing that could happen in any ordinary household from my past life.
I looked at Elysia for a moment.
She had her head hung low, utterly mortified.
It was embarrassing enough that even I felt secondhand shame.
But I'd asked first, so I felt bad.
Time to comfort her.
"I get where you're coming from, Elysia."
"...Huh?!"
"There are nobles who hate these formal events—rare, but they exist. I've got a similar personality myself, so sorry, but I'd take your side over your parents'."
"R-Really?! I'm not weird?! Everyone's like that, right?! Everyone hates going out and thinks the world beyond the blanket is dangerous?!"
No. I didn't go that far.
Quit sparkling your eyes like that.
You're not that kind of character.
The music was winding down.
Time to wrap up the dance.
I slowed my steps, and Elysia's face visibly relaxed.
I figured we'd end it there, but she spoke up first this time.
"Um, Young Master Kline."
"Yes."
"You're... a really mysterious person."
"How so?"
"W-Well, truth is, I can't talk casually with others like this... N-Not sure how you'll take it, but I'm not brave or smart or anything..."
Why drop a tearjerker like that out of nowhere?
"B-But... You're mysterious. You probably think I'm weird too, right? Not attractive at all. And yet you treat me so casually."
"Of course. You can't go discriminating over stuff like that."
"That's... exactly it. You're, um, different from other people somehow. And I think that's infinitely positive."
"Sudden compliments are tricky to handle. You trying to seduce me or what?"
"No, I'm not?! ...Hic. Anyway, I think that side of you is special. So..."
I like that about you too, Young Master.
Elysia mumbled it.
I looked down at her quietly, and her face looked ready to erupt like a volcano.
Evidently embarrassed after saying it herself.
I mulled it over after hearing her out.
'What do I even say back?'
Is this a confession or something?
Feels like two girls flirting with me in one day.
Both top-tier beauties, no less.
I hardened my expression and thought seriously, startling her.
"D-Don't think about it so seriously! I just meant I respect you as a person! Yeah! Absolutely no ulterior motives!"
"That's even sadder. Am I so lacking in charm that not even those can't form?"
"N-No...! That's not it! I think you're very attractive..."
"Thanks. I figured."
"...Grr."
She caught on that I'd tricked her and glared daggers.
Right then, the music ended perfectly.
"Catch you later."
"..."
She was too mad to reply.
I smirked and whispered to her.
"You're attractive too."
"Hik! I-Informal speech...?!"
"Why freak out? I'm older."
"A-Aha. Aha. Right? Yeah. Right. Yes. Yes."
I left her mumbling like a broken record.
Dancing twice had worn me out.
I'd accomplished what I came for today, so time to rest.
I headed to a corner to grab some food.
Click-
Someone's heels clicked as they entered the ballroom.
Every noble's gaze snapped over.
A high-ranking noble would normally have a herald announce them.
But no herald spoke.
Meaning a non-noble had entered the ballroom.
That's why, in this reversed situation, all attention poured in.
"Oh my. Hello, everyone."
A far more mature figure than any noble here.
The leader of the Red Mask Merchant Association, Bloodyd, greeted them with a bewitching smile.
"Oho! Leader, what brings you here?"
"Beautiful as ever. You hold your own against our nobles."
"You're making good use of the accessories. I especially like the glasses."
The nobles swarmed her, striking up conversations.
Elysia had mentioned earlier that Bloodyd's Red Mask Merchant Association provided major backing to various nobles.
So they couldn't afford to slight her.
No—they actively cozied up to her.
More ass-kissing meant more money flowing to their houses.
"Ufufu. Thank you all. I'm thrilled you're all wearing the glasses I gave you."
I watched Bloodyd from afar.
I still found her suspicious.
Just a gut feeling, but I trusted my instincts.
The thought that she might be the "big-money client."
Which also meant she could be a vampire.
I had no way to gather separate intel from within this imperial palace right now.
So I'd held off for the moment, but I'd talked to Marvin recently, so he'd...
'Huh?'
I scanned the ballroom.
I checked the faces of the young nobles who looked about ten years old.
And it hit me.
He was gone.
Marvin was nowhere to be seen.
The guy who'd been super excited about this ball.
Hadn't come.
Thud!
I shot to my feet.
And headed straight for Bloodyd.
"The glasses have a very special effect. Ufufu. I can't tell you now, but you'll find out soon enough."
"Is that so? Now I'm curious..."
I wedged through the chatting nobles and planted myself in front of Bloodyd.
"..."
My actions right now were a blunder.
I knew it.
I should've stayed calmer, more cautious.
No guarantee Marvin's absence was her doing.
And even if it was, no guarantee she'd spill it meekly.
If she really was a vampire, I might be setting off a bomb I couldn't handle.
But.
'The big-money client said they kidnapped kids.'
What happened to those kids?
If Bloodyd was a vampire, what fate did they meet?
...Right now, was Marvin's body lying cold somewhere?
The moment that thought crossed my mind.
I couldn't hold back and called out to Bloodyd.
"Hm? Young Master Kline. Do you need something from me?"
"Where's Marvin?"
"..."
Bloodyd's expression didn't change.
Just the tiniest stiffening of her face. For a split second.
But my eyes caught it clear as day.
She shrugged it off with a playful air.
"...No idea what you're talking about."
"I know. Marvin Druesk. I saw how thrilled he was at the chance to meet you."
"I said I don't know what you're talking about, Young Master Kline."
"..."
I fought to cool my boiling rage.
Calm down.
The more I lost it here, the more weakness I'd show her.
I gritted my teeth and forced myself to speak evenly.
"...Yes. My apologies. I wanted to ask if you knew a noble named Marvin Druesk."
"Marvin Druesk... Never heard the name."
Bullshit.
You yourself said you sponsored this event big-time.
You, who knows every name on the list?
But.
Bloodyd's next move was worse than I'd imagined.
"Everyone. Do you know a Sir Marvin Druesk?"
"Huh? No, I don't."
"First I've heard of him."
"I don't even get why Young Master Kline's acting like this. Why bring up some random noble we've never heard of...?"
What?
I frowned and glanced around.
The nobles were all cocking their heads at me.
'What the hell?'
No way all these nobles were in on it together?
Impossible.
Turning this many nobles into accomplices would go beyond villainy.
That'd make Bloodyd the disaster, not Ariel.
So not accomplices.
Which meant...
'Manipulation.'
Memory manipulation, or perception tampering.
Someone had altered the imperial palace nobles' memories of "Marvin Druesk."
Yeah. That made sense. Even if they messed with Marvin, they couldn't touch the Druesk family outside the capital.
I was certain.
'Bloodyd.'
She's a mage.
"I have no idea what's gotten into you... Young Master Kline, is something wrong?"
"..."
I took a step back.
Pure self-defense instinct.
Having clocked the enemy before me as a blatant "unknown threat."
Bloodyd placed a hand on her cheek and murmured pityingly as she watched me.
"Really, whatever your issue is, I'd love to make it go away."
"...!"
The moment Bloodyd finished speaking, something jolted through my head.
Dizzy for a second, I staggered.
In that gap, she continued.
"Marvin Druesk... Never heard of him. Right, Young Master Kline?"
"..."
I wrestled with it in a flash.
Why was Bloodyd asking that?
What was that zap in my head?
Why had the nobles forgotten Marvin?
I understood instantly and made my call.
"Yes. No clue what got into me. I said something weird."
"...Hehe. Right?"
"Sorry. I made a fool of myself. Excuse me."
I turned and left the ballroom.
First things first—get out of here.
Think after.
Poking Bloodyd any further was dangerous.
'And.'
I had to find him.
Where Marvin was.
If he was even alive.
"Goodbye, Young Master Kline."
A voice called from behind.
I glanced back, and Bloodyd's face in my sight...
Lick-
She ran her red tongue over her lips, glaring at me with dangerously seductive hunger.