Chapter 35
Translator: True Detective
The Ball
『The young miss made The Saintess cry!』
『It's a scandal, a scandal!』
『It is time to repay the Viscountcy's grace! Dedicate your hearts and cover it up!』
Fortunately, such an uproar did not occur.
Because Irina, who soon regained her composure, wiped her tears and asked to keep today's matter a secret since she had shown an embarrassing side.
Noel, who hadn't imagined she would actually cry because of a fairy tale, gladly replied that she would do so.
'Her sensibility is extremely delicate. I should be careful.'
It was certainly a sad fairy tale, but Noel was also greatly flustered because she didn't think she would cry.
Reaching a tacit agreement that it would be best to bury this for each other's sake, the two decided to talk about something else.
"How is the story? With this, it should be helpful for what you are doing, right?"
"Yes! I am certain those who encounter this beautiful and sad story will show much interest in the children around them."
The Saintess nodded repeatedly, saying it would sell well and that interest in socially disadvantaged children would also rise.
Thinking it was a relief that she seemed to like it, Noel decided to slowly resume dance practice.
There wasn't much time left until the ball, so she had to practice diligently.
Especially since she said she wanted to try dancing herself rather than just watching.
'She seems to learn faster than me... Since she's got the basics down with this much, shall we slowly go Spartan-style.'
The Saintess, who simply hadn't had the opportunity to learn things like noble socializing but wasn't particularly bad at using her body, learned quickly.
Thanks to that, her dancing skills improved enough that she wouldn't be embarrassed by the time the party was held.
Noel thought this was enough and was planning to enjoy some free time until the party, but...
"I heard the rumors, Miss Noel── no, Author. You are writing a new work, I hear?"
She became unable to do so.
She didn't know from where or through what channel it had spread, but Sophie Ember appeared after hearing the rumors.
As if saying she couldn't just stand by as an editor-in-chief regarding this, Sophie barged in to ask Noel about The Little Candy Girl.
'No, where did she hear that?'
Noel, who had intended to write it leisurely since it wasn't urgent, was flustered seeing Sophie with sparkling eyes.
"Th-That is..."
Seeing that she didn't deny it, Sophie, realizing the rumor was true, spoke as if asking how she could do such a thing leaving out her, the editor.
"What kind of story is it this time? A sad and noble love like The Diary Inside My Heart? Or a messy and bitter love like The Bridges of Imperium Town? Or if not that, a completely different genre?!"
Calming down the seemingly excited Sophie Ember first, Noel spoke.
"It's a fairy tale, a fairy tale. Just, since The Saintess said she was collecting donations for the orphanage children, I thought about participating in a good cause..."
Noel simply stating the circumstances, leaving out unnecessary details.
"All the profits from sales for a certain period of time as a fund?!"
"Yes, well, excluding things like printing costs, just the net profit."
"Even so, it is an incredibly meaningful endeavor."
Sophie admiring as if saying a genius's method of donating is also genius.
"Such a good deed cannot be delayed! When will it be completed?"
"Pardon?"
Writing it itself could be done quickly.
Because she had only intended to roughly write this work to the extent of localizing the original fairy tale to fit this place.
However, for Noel, who had planned to rest during the short time left until the ball, she felt bewildered by Sophie's attitude, which seemed to ask what she was doing not writing it quickly.
"No, well... it's not particularly urgent, so──."
"But you are doing a good deed, aren't you? I think the faster things like this are done, the better."
This wasn't a wrong statement either.
Since Iliad Publishing Company also had things to prepare, it would be good if she completed the manuscript quickly and gave it to them.
'Hmm, well, the volume isn't much anyway, so let's write it quickly, hand it over, and rest.'
Thinking it would be better to just quickly finish the fairy tale, hand it over, and rest, Noel began writing as Sophie requested.
Since the scenario was already completely finished while telling the story to The Saintess, she just had to refine it into text and transfer it.
Since it turned out like this, let's finish it quickly and rest.
Noel, who started writing with that mindset... as she actually wrote, contrary to her thought of 'let's write it roughly, roughly,' things that felt lacking kept catching her eye, so as she revised and supplemented, she focused on writing the fairy tale without noticing the time passing.
Night came before she knew it, and Noel, who was writing while rubbing her sleepy eyes...
"Done...!"
The moment she put the final period, she couldn't resist her eyelids closing on their own.
She collapsed face down on the desk just like that, falling fast asleep without even thinking to let go of the pen in her hand.
In that way, the fairy tale that cannot be read without tears, The Little Candy Girl, was born.
A meaningful masterpiece urging a warm hand of interest towards pitiful children had seen the light of day.
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'My back still hurts...'
The morning of the day the party was held.
Noel, who was getting dressed in a cumbersome dress, grumbled inwardly like that.
It was because the aftereffects of accidentally falling asleep face down on the desk after staying up all night a few days ago were still tormenting her.
She had used magic, but the pain still remained.
Even so, to receive the help of The Saintess, who was a specialist in healing, for something like this was a bit...
Since it wasn't like her mobility was particularly impaired or that it would cause problems for the party today, she used magic one more time secretly with the feeling of applying a pain relief patch and moved on.
'I was crazy. I could have just changed a few things from the original work roughly and left it at that, what was I doing revising this and that...'
In a way, since she brought it upon herself, she couldn't blame anyone.
I will never do this again.
Resolving so, Noel tried to wear the suffocating dress as comfortably as possible.
She had lived as a woman for over 15 years, but she didn't know about other things, but she simply couldn't get used to this full makeup dress equipped down to the corset.
This was why Noel hated stepping out into high society.
Because a formal dress code was essential in such places.
"Can we at least skip the corset..."
This is bad for health too!
To Noel protesting like that, the Head Maid who was dressing her only said one thing.
"It is the Madam's order."
"Kugh...!"
If it was the Viscountess's special order, there was nothing she could do.
Noel enduring while holding back tears.
Noel was already slim and beautiful enough without having to do this, but there was no stopping the parents' greed to definitely find a live-in son-in-law candidate taking this opportunity.
The Viscount, who was a fool for his daughter, was saying carefree things like, "Marriage for Noel? Isn't it still too early? Our eldest daughter should stay a bit longer── ahem." but he immediately shut his mouth when Natalie, the actual power holder, glared at him.
Well, due to such a relationship, Noel ended up getting full makeup filled with her mother's expectations.
Indeed, that beauty was incredible.
Since she went out of her way to give birth to her this beautifully, but the child wasn't living up to her looks and still didn't have a single fiancé, it was understandable that Natalie, a typical noble lady, would be burning inside.
Her daughter's marriage prospects that simply wouldn't unfold easily.
Natalie was determined to make her the protagonist of today's ball and appeal strongly to the strictly selected and invited son-in-law candidates, but...
"Miss Noel, will you give me the honor of the first dance?"
"Sister Noel, as expected I am too nervous... may I ask for a dance?"
"Noel! Even if I generously yield the second dance, I cannot yield the third dance partner."
"Kyaaah! Author Homer, please dance with me...!"
"Step aside! The author will dance with me!"
"Ohoho! It's cute how everyone is spouting nonsense while leaving me, the daughter of a Marquisate, aside. Isn't it natural that I would be the one dancing with the author?"
Everyone has a plausible plan until they get punched in the mouth.
It seemed Viscountess Natalie hadn't properly realized how popular her daughter was among the young ladies.
Young ladies swarming around Noel to the point where one couldn't tell if this was a noble ball or an author fan meeting right now.
Among them were nobles and daughters of wealthy major merchants, it was very diverse.
And blocked by that wall of people that naturally unfolded, the men were unable to even approach properly, contrary to their desire to at least make an impression, bewitched by Noel's reputation and beauty.
Should one say the area around Noel right now was in a state where it felt like the very circulating air, atmosphere, and world were completely different.
There was no brave soul here who could squeeze their way in there.
No, there was someone who tried to attempt it, but──.
"Is there anyone to go and deal with that tactless gentleman over there who can't read the room?"
"I will deal with him, Lady Clara."
With a cold gaze, Clara gestured to her followers to clear them out, and they were dealing with all of them.
If Viscountess Natalie had known these circumstances, she would have shed tears of lamentation.
However, for Noel, it was a truly thankful matter.
Her back hurt from the aftereffects of sleeping face down, and on top of that, she was in a state where the corset was tightly squeezed.
She had intended to roughly decline even if they asked her to dance anyway, so how thankful was it that they were cutting them off on their own.
Thanks to that, she could sit comfortably, wet her throat, and just chat with her fans.
"Author Noel, Enya and Lawrence..."
"What happened to Elise after that..."
"Is love between a human and an elf truly possible? Inevitably, the issue of lifespan..."
"I truly received a deep impression reading The Elf and the Woodcutter..."
The topic of conversation was naturally stories about the works Noel created.
The ladies pouring out the questions or emotions that arose from reading the novels and comics as if giving testimonies.
Among those people, there were not only those of Noel's age, but also madames who already had children.
As if saying age was no obstacle in the face of a fan's heart, regardless of whether they were girls or women, they put Noel in the middle and let stories about the works bloom.
The funny thing is that although they were talking with Noel in the middle, even if Noel didn't particularly speak, they were excitedly talking about the works and interacting among themselves.
For Noel, it was a truly good thing, and while giving appropriate reactions, she just wished this boring party would end quickly.
'Haa, rather than spending time doing this, writing── no, not that. It would be nice to just look at the comics the artists practiced.'
While she was having such thoughts and dealing with the young ladies gathered around her with a business smile.
"Excuse me for a moment."
There was someone approaching, piercing through the women's flower garden.
"I must interrupt the ladies' chat as I have a matter I must urgently discuss with Author Homer."
It was the Director of the Imperial Arts Academy.
"My name is Geppetto Clark."
If it was an Empire citizen with even a little knowledge in literature, they might think it was a somewhat familiar name.
That's right.
Baron Geppetto Clark.
He was a descendant of the great writer Gepper, who left his name in the Empire's history.
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