The Imperial Party
The gentle melody flowed through the hall. Scadia sat alone in a corner of the ballroom, savoring a glass of wine.
"Haaah…"
She was enjoying the lingering bitter aftertaste and rich aroma when her eyes suddenly locked onto the center of the stage. A man and woman stood there. Even among the many couples, their presence was striking, drawing every gaze in the room. Though they were siblings, they complemented each other better than any other pair. With every movement, their black hair swayed and silver eyes intertwined. The affection in those gazes was far too intense to be mere familial love. It was unbearably hateful.
'Why?'
Luan had changed. The scoundrel from a year ago was gone. The man filled with inferiority, always chasing after women with twisted obsession, had vanished. In his place was a sincere, kind man—just as she had once imagined, even if not quite as grand. She had barely managed to cut him out completely, and now he appeared like this. It felt like a cruel joke of fate.
Scadia's hatred extended to Isis as well.
'That shameless woman.'
She already knew the full story of what had happened. She understood the situation Luan had been in and how everything had unfolded. Watching the woman who had once openly avoided and isolated Luan now dancing happily with him, as if forgetting all of it, made every negative emotion surge within her.
She wanted to expose their relationship and drive it to ruin. She wanted to tear off their disgusting masks, make them unable to lift their heads again, and drag them into the same misery she felt.
Yes. Right now, she was miserable. She had thought ending everything would bring relief, but it hadn't. After breaking off the engagement with Luan, she felt empty. It was as if she had lost something precious, leaving a gaping hole in her heart. Over the eight years, the ice that had wrapped around her chest had slowly melted, allowing her to feel regret. She wasn't sure what she regretted. Even now, she didn't truly love Luan, nor did she want to restore their relationship. So there shouldn't be any lingering attachment, yet her heart refused to accept that. Her mind was in indescribable turmoil.
"Pah!"
Frustrated, she downed the wine in one gulp. The alcohol warmed her stomach and numbed her mind along with its distinctive aroma. Then, a voice spoke.
"My lady. May I join you?"
A nobleman who had been lingering nearby approached her. His eyes scanned her entire body. Sensing his gaze, Scadia frowned in displeasure and, without thinking, glanced at Luan. Watching him dance joyfully with Isis stirred defiance within her.
'You should suffer too.'
She wasn't sure if any lingering feelings remained, but she hoped seeing her with another man would at least annoy him. She wanted him to feel the same emotions she did. Besides, if he tried anything, she could simply freeze him. No problem.
"Have a seat."
"Haha! Pardon the intrusion."
The man sat down, and the drinking session began.
*
"Luan. I'm going to the restroom for a moment."
"Really? Then I'll go too."
"It'll take a while since I need to fix my makeup. Go ahead and eat something first. Alright?"
"Yes. See you later."
After thoroughly enjoying the ball, Isis and I parted ways toward the restrooms. Just as I reached the entrance, I overheard voices.
"That fucking bitch. She acts so expensive, doesn't she? What's the point of joining if she won't even let me touch her?"
"Just make her drink it. One dose and it's over. Huh? Women love that stuff to death."
The conversation was impossible to ignore.
'Smells rotten.'
My instincts as a serial rapist caught the scent of crime. It seemed a decent woman was about to be forcibly violated tonight. Meanwhile, the men emerged. They were ordinary-looking nobles, the kind you could find anywhere.
"Are you kidding? If we get caught, we're done for."
"Ah, we can just threaten them a bit—oh! Ah, I'm sorry."
They had been plotting their crime in earnest when they belatedly noticed me and panicked. Both bowed their heads and quickly left. I watched their retreating figures for a moment before entering the restroom as if nothing had happened.
'No time to worry about that.'
I felt sorry for the woman who might be targeted, but I couldn't sacrifice my time with Isis to prevent a crime that might not even happen. While I was using a urinal in the corner, the door opened and a man entered. Glancing over, I recognized Ethan. He started urinating beside me. Pretending not to care, I observed him. He had a handsome face and a large member. Of course, it was still inferior to mine.
'No match in girth.'
According to some survey, once length exceeds a certain point, it doesn't matter much, but girth correlates with higher female satisfaction. An inexplicable sense of superiority washed over me. Just as I smiled in satisfaction, Ethan suddenly spoke.
"Young Master Luan. It's been a while."
"Ah, yes. First time since the counter-battle."
"Indeed. I apologize for not greeting you then. I was focused on magic and had no room for anything else."
"It's fine. I was the same."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"……"
Silence followed the brief exchange. There had been silences with Isis too, but never one as awkward and uncomfortable as this. I couldn't understand why he had bothered speaking to me in the first place. Then he asked a meaningful question.
"You attended with Lady Isis. Your relationship seems much better now."
"……Do you know about us?"
"Of course. You're quite famous. Personally, I think it's a good thing. Close sibling bonds mean a bright atmosphere in the household. Has there been some change of heart?"
His blue eyes pierced into me as if trying to read my thoughts. At the same time, I realized something.
'He's probing me.'
Ethan Gloucester was suspecting I might be a possessor. In the game, I had been nothing more than a scoundrel expelled for attempted rape, yet now I was close to the mainstream. He didn't seem to think I was the current-day possessor because of the clock tower incident, but he had apparently left open the possibility of a third party. His intuition was quite sharp.
"It was just a misunderstanding that happened to be cleared by chance."
"A misunderstanding?"
"Yes. I can't say more than that. It's personal."
"A shame. I'm quite interested in the Priuli family's story. Well then, I'll take my leave."
"Yes. Take care."
Ethan gave a curt bow, washed his hands, and left. A sigh of relief escaped me.
'Good. He didn't figure it out.'
He might not have completely dismissed his suspicions, but he wouldn't be certain I was a possessor for now.
"By the way, this is a bit annoying, isn't it?"
I shook off my lower body. I had entered before Ethan, yet I ended up taking longer to finish. It wasn't that my stream was weak. It was just that after taking the elixir Roxana sent, my size had increased, so the volume of urine per session had grown as well. Of course, that also meant stronger ejaculation volume and force, which was a good thing overall, but right now it was nothing but a nuisance. If I had finished quickly, I could have ignored Ethan and left. With a small complaint, I washed my hands thoroughly and returned to the ballroom. While I was picking at some food, a persistent gaze stabbed the back of my head. Turning around, I saw Scadia. She was enjoying wine with a stranger at a table. She had clearly been glaring at me, but now she was laughing and chatting with the man as if nothing had happened.
'What? Was I imagining it?'
I tilted my head and looked away. As I scanned the surroundings, I realized Alissa was nowhere to be seen.
"Where did she go? Did she already leave?"
Only an hour had passed since the party started. No matter how much she disliked parties, she needed to stay longer to avoid unnecessary criticism from her family. Puzzled, I suddenly remembered Alissa had gone out to the balcony earlier.
'Maybe she's still there?'
Unable to contain my curiosity, I approached the balcony. There, I found Alissa leaning against the railing, gazing up at the night sky. Her back looked lonely. Standing apart from the crowd, isolated, evoked sympathy. She seemed to be yearning for the stars—wanting to reach something unreachable, only able to watch. The contrast between the brightly lit, music-filled ballroom and the darkness-covered balcony heightened the impression. Unconsciously, I reached for the balcony door, then flinched.
'What am I doing?'
What did I plan to do by going out there? Alissa was a woman who hated me and lashed out with violence at every opportunity. Whether she looked lonely or sad, I had no obligation to comfort her. Yet, because of the memories surfacing in my mind, I couldn't just turn away from her.
-It's dangerous!
Her face came to mind—the one who had shielded me without hesitation in a life-threatening situation, smiling at me even as her body burned in black flames and she endured terrible pain. Her faint breaths, the warm and soft touch of her lips—everything was vivid. After a moment of hesitation, I removed my mask. Then I took off my watch and all identifiable accessories. Finally, I pulled a mask from my dimensional pouch and put it on. No one was paying attention to the balcony anyway, so there was no need to worry about being seen.
"Huu…"
Taking a deep breath, I carefully opened the door and stepped inside. The moment my feet touched the balcony floor—
"Sorry, but I'm not interested."
Alissa declared her refusal without even turning her head. It meant this had happened many times before. But I paid it no mind. Approaching slowly but steadily, she eventually turned to face me.
"Huh…?"
Her irritated expression shifted to surprise upon seeing me. She blinked her ruby-red eyes blankly for a moment before a beautiful smile graced her lips.
"Hyun!"
Alissa came running over. Standing right in front of me, she clutched her dress like an excited girl and asked,
"How did you get here?"
"……"
"I get it! You were a noble? Did you come because you saw me?"
Her barrage of questions tickled my ears.
'Was she always this loud?'
She hadn't been this excited the last time we met. Her energy had risen dramatically since then. I answered her question with one of my own.
"Why are you alone?"
"…Me? Well, of course… Don't tell me you don't know? Um… Do I really have to say it?"
She looked flustered. It made sense—this was probably the first time someone had asked her so directly, given her status as a somewhat famous figure. More than anything, she likely didn't want to expose her own vulnerabilities. I had asked the wrong question.
"If you don't want to say it, you don't have to."
"Ah, no. I'll tell you. But no preconceptions, okay?"
"……"
When I answered with silence, Alissa began sharing her story. Her explanation was brief. She simply said she was an illegitimate child and had fled to the balcony to avoid unwanted advances.
"That's it. …Did you start to dislike me?"
Alissa glanced at me nervously, as if worried I might look down on her for being illegitimate. I looked up at the night sky.
"Not really. Things like background don't mean much."
"Do you really think that?"
"Yes."
"…I see."
Alissa smiled bashfully. She seemed pleased that I didn't look down on her like other nobles. She returned to her usual self.
"Then it's your turn, Hyun!"
"…My turn?"
"Yes! I told you my story. Now you have to tell me yours."
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. I couldn't bring myself to refuse in front of that gaze. I set a condition.
"Only if I can say it."
"That's fine!"
"So what do you want to ask?"
When I urged her, Alissa glanced around cautiously before whispering softly.
"D-Do you have a partner?"
"What?"
"I mean… Do you have a fiancée?"
It was an utterly random background check. Though I wondered if it was necessary, I revealed only half the truth.
"I don't have a fiancée."
"Really? Yes!"
Suddenly, Alissa let out a cheer.