The Masquerade Ball
Seowoo nearly jumped out of his skin when Lucia, the head of the house, suddenly appeared at his lodging.
When he opened the door to go see Lize, he was met face-to-face with her long, flowing silver hair.
His mouth fell open, his brain spinning wildly.
Why was Lucia here at this hour...?
Weren't today's the last day of the weekend?
Or had a separate summons arrived?
He couldn't possibly have mixed up weekdays and weekends.
While every possible thought raced through his mind, Seowoo reflexively lowered his head.
"Lucia-nim, hello..."
"...I'm sorry for suddenly showing up on a holiday."
If you're sorry, don't come.
It's really hard to get along with people...
Fortunately, it seemed he hadn't mistaken the holiday.
"May I ask what brings you here?"
"Ah, I had a feeling I was a bit over the top last time... I wanted to give you something, Seowoo."
That must be referring to when I went to borrow the outing permit.
If so, just staying put would have been the best help.
"Ah, haha... I'm sorry. That's my fault. If it's something you've been holding onto, you don't need to worry about it."
"..."
Seowoo, who had no desire to get entangled with Lucia, politely expressed his refusal.
But strangely, the woman who usually forced her will on him seemed hesitant.
It felt like there were many thoughts swirling inside her.
"...I understand."
Surprisingly, Lucia turned back obediently.
The unfamiliar sight left a bitter aftertaste.
Hah... I don't like this kind of thing.
Although Lucia was a person close to evil in Seowoo's eyes, he felt uneasy sending her away as is.
The back view that had distanced quite a bit in a short time.
Lucia, walking quickly without showing it with small steps, had a heavy heart.
Yes, it was already too late to reverse it.
There were accumulated karma and a past.
Even if her feelings changed, it didn't change the other person's feelings.
Just from tomorrow, return to the Lucia Earlgrey everyone knew.
Thinking that way.
Seowoo's voice suddenly rang out.
"Lucia-nim!"
"Yes?"
Seowoo ran to her and looked straight into her eyes without lowering his head.
Lucia unconsciously avoided the gaze.
"I'm sorry for retracting my words. May I receive Lucia-nim's goodwill again...?"
The frozen heart melted instantly upon hearing his words.
He had felt happy for a moment, which made him a bit ashamed.
"Okay."
Lucia gave a dry answer to not let emotions leak out.
Then she looked at Seowoo's attire once more and opened her mouth again.
"Then, how about changing that outfit first."
"Outfit? Ah."
The gown and black shirt, wrinkled pants he changed into every day.
It looked a bit shabby even to him.
"But I don't have separate outdoor clothes... or should I go to Kamil to buy some...?"
"No, there's no need. I have separate clothes."
The two went to the top floor.
Seowoo cautiously asked out of pure curiosity.
"Hey, Lucia-nim."
"Yes, speak."
"Did you wait in front of my room for a long time?"
It was a bit past noon time-wise because on the weekend he had slept messily, done everything, and gone out.
"...No?"
"I see..."
He couldn't say he had stood for six hours.
"...Did I mishear you?"
"Ah, no! I'm sorry."
With sharp eyes toward Seowoo, he hurriedly lowered his head.
Seowoo didn't take long to realize Lucia's words were false.
Because the assistants who couldn't go out all day on the holiday due to the director guarding the corridor spread their sorrows.
"Fortunately. If you had stood for a very long time, I would have felt a bit sorry..."
"It's fine."
Lucia, who was startled inside, changed the topic without changing her expression.
"More importantly."
"Yes."
"We're going to the upper city 'Frida' today. Everyone there will think of us as members of our family, so keep your head up."
"I understand."
Lucia's words meant to behave appropriately since she was vouching for his status.
If Kamil was the city of lower vampires.
'Frida' was a city of at least mid-ranking vampires.
It was a fact that Seowoo alone couldn't go there, so he was a bit tense.
It was also a fact that he was looking forward to what she would show him by going to Frida.
Due to Lucia's words and actions being softer than usual, a calm atmosphere formed rather than a desolate one.
So, Seowoo, instead of trying to flatter, spoke as his heart moved.
If he had been like this earlier, he wouldn't have hated her as much as now, right?
"Here we are."
"...Is this a bedroom?"
"If you go a bit further inside, there's a separate dressing room."
"I see."
Because he always had to watch Lucia's cues, he hadn't seen the interior of the bedroom properly, so the dressing room was unfamiliar.
The two-story structure with clothes racks stretching endlessly to the left and right was very luxurious.
From casual clothes to party dresses.
The dressing room was truly a harmonious mix of daily life and work.
Lucia, as if intending to coordinate, walked without saying anything and stopped repeatedly.
She looked at Seowoo's body once.
His face once.
His upper body once.
His lower body once.
She alternated carefully selecting.
After hesitating for a while, she handed the chosen clothes to Seowoo.
A white coat reminiscent of the usual gown he wore.
A white double-breasted suit that matched the outerwear.
And the black turtleneck to wear underneath.
"Try it on."
"I understand."
When he came out in the clothes that fit her taste perfectly, Lucia waiting outside looked satisfied.
The look with simple and dandy feel that the clothes had wings was satisfying to him.
"Good. It suits you well."
"...Thank you."
Seowoo, who heard unfamiliar praise, scratched his head because he felt very awkward.
Most praise was all about abilities.
"You can just take the clothes. After all, I'll have no chance to wear men's clothes."
"...I'll wear it well."
Seowoo almost refused but stopped.
He remembered refusing Lucia's suggestion before coming up to the bedroom.
She nodded her head and slowly approached to organize the clothes.
"It won't matter if I go with you, but just in case."
Lucia attached a card with the Earlgrey family emblem near the chest of the coat.
"Is this like a guarantee ID?"
"Yes. Seowoo, please wait a moment? I'll change into the clothes and come back."
"I see. Understood. Go slowly."
Seowoo thought where to sit and wait, then shook his head.
Although she looks gentle today, where will her true nature go?
If she deliberately sets a concept and really enjoys it as a game?
Although her reaction to Lucia was uncomfortable, and she responded to his expectations, if it's not a situation to worry about life preservation, there's no reason to get close to her.
When Seowoo was thinking that.
She, as if having seen the clothes beforehand, changed quickly and came out.
"How is it...?"
Lucia lifted the hem of the new white dress slightly and asked Seowoo for his opinion.
Seeing her face slightly flushed as if she had never said such words before, a slight sense of disharmony came.
"...It suits you."
It was not an empty compliment to look good.
It was just a pure exclamation at her appearance.
If a woman like that had spoken to him in the human realm, he would have been so happy he couldn't say anything.
He reminded himself repeatedly not to be deceived by the vampire's outer appearance.
"Today in the evening, Seowoo, I tried on clothes to go to a ball with you."
"A ball...?"
"Yes, it's just a ball, nothing more than a social gathering for nobles."
Was this the goodwill Lucia was trying to give?
He had heard it before.
To rise in status or build social standing in Nectar, one must be invited or recognized at their social gatherings.
But does that really apply to humans?
Or is it the groundwork to integrate them as family members?
While doubts arose, he felt a chill.
Had he taken his heart too lightly?
Was following Lucia the right choice?
'Whatever, since I already chose it.'
He had no choice but to hope it flows well.
"Then, shall we start?"
"I understand."
Seowoo, who was about to follow Lucia's back, looked at her who didn't move after saying to go.
"...?"
With a hesitant look somewhere, Seowoo's head tilted.
"...Please escort me."