The Third Ball (3)
The murmur of voices drifted toward us from afar. Soft music, laughter, conversation, the clink of glasses. Sounds that tightened my chest without warning and sent my heart pounding. Asena led the way. Kirsi followed. And I brought up the rear. We had walked arm-in-arm from the garden, but Asena’s… somewhat baffling insistence that we not draw attention had arranged us in this single-file line.
The doorman glanced down at us from the top of the stairs. A few more steps and we would step into the heart of high society.
Asena looked back. No—directly at me.
“...The goal is to stay quiet and leave. Don’t forget.”
I nodded. For some reason Kirsi didn’t. She simply stared at me the same way Asena did, making it feel as though the warning had been meant for me alone.
Asena turned and started up the stairs. We followed.
Soon the doorman announced us in a booming voice and threw open the doors. Light spilled out. Only the music grew clearer; every other sound was smothered at once. The entire hall had frozen at the arrival of the Freister family.
I had to fight back an absurd laugh. It really did feel like the villains had just stepped onto the stage.
Even the musicians seemed to be watching us—the melody gradually faded. In contrast, the sharp click of Asena’s heels against the marble grew louder with every step.
She stopped at the center of the ballroom. She endured the countless eyes fixed on her—on us—then accepted a glass from a waiter who stood rigid as a statue and continued toward a quiet corner without another word.
Kirsi and I did the same. We each took a champagne flute and trailed after her into the shadows.
The moment we sat down, the murmurs and music swelled again. I could feel the stares, but I refused to acknowledge them.
Asena kept her expression cold. She didn’t seem particularly pressured. It looked entirely natural on her. Perhaps that was the difference between a ducal heir and the rest of us.
Kirsi, on the other hand, looked slightly tense. Maybe it was simply strange to see her without a smile. After all, I had spent years coaxing laughter out of her.
Still… there was no reason she couldn’t smile now.
“...Kirsi.”
I leaned in as though about to say something important and whispered in her ear.
She glanced at me, then answered seriously.
“...What?”
“...Cheers.”
I quietly offered my glass. Kirsi’s face softened at once. A natural smile bloomed. When I smiled back, she clinked her flute against mine.
Just as I thought—when my little sister was nervous, I wanted to be the person she could lean on.
.
.
.
The power of the Freister family was undeniable. Just as Asena had predicted, nobles approached one after another to introduce themselves. We didn’t have to move an inch. This family’s second son. That family’s third daughter. Even tucked in a corner, the visitors never stopped coming.
Yet through all those different faces… I never spoke a single word.
“...Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue and drained my glass.
Why was my unease never wrong? The treatment I received was even worse than I had feared, and it left me stunned. At the same time, I felt like a fool for daring to hope.
I hadn’t only thought negatively on the way here. I had tried to stay optimistic. Maybe the reason they told me not to fall behind was so they could introduce me to various houses. After all, I was the champion of the jousting tournament; I had earned a certain status. Perhaps they were proud of me.
But look at me now—sitting alone in the shadows like a ghost, nursing drink after drink.
I had enjoyed the atmosphere and the music at first, but that moment passed quickly. I did nothing. I simply sat behind the twins.
Once again that unpleasant feeling crept in, squeezing my chest.
It had only been a few days since they told me they loved me. Even though I tried to think well of them, I couldn’t make sense of this. The suspicion that they simply wanted to keep me visible yet under control hardened into certainty. I felt like a dog on a leash.
Was this truly the strategy they had chosen for the family? I wanted to believe it, but it didn’t feel that way. Couldn’t the twins imagine how I would feel? They had asked me to cherish them. Yet they did this anyway.
Many who came to greet Asena, the Duchess of Freister, tried to greet me as well, but they all gave up after reading her expression. Since I stood behind them like a child being punished, no one bothered to engage me.
It was the moment I stopped being the champion of the jousting tournament and became the Freister family’s discarded adopted son once more.
My hand kept drifting toward the glass. With nothing else to do, I was already on my fifth.
As the ball reached its peak, so did the flush on my cheeks.
Asena and Kirsi were busy talking and left me completely alone. Everyone else danced, greeted one another, laughed. Even the twins conversed with the people who approached them. Only I remained unable to speak to anyone, hidden beneath the shadows.
Of course I remembered they had told me to stay quiet and leave… but this was the silence of a mute.
I couldn’t understand why they were treating me like a ghost in plain sight. As irritation piled up, I drummed my fingers on the table—until a woman approached hesitantly. She was the one who had greeted us earlier… the third daughter of some count, I thought.
“...What is it?” Asena asked.
Even I could see the embarrassment flooding the woman’s face. Her cheeks burned crimson and her gaze darted everywhere.
Asena and Kirsi shifted, blocking me more completely from view.
“Ah… it’s not that… I wanted to speak with… Sir Caiden Freister…”
My name. My mind snapped into focus. I lowered my glass and looked at her.
She was a lovely young woman who, while not on the twins’ level, clearly bore the polish of careful upbringing.
Kirsi and Asena turned to stare at me.
A smile began to spread across my previously frozen face.
Yes. Finally, something I could—
“—My brother has nothing to say to you. Please leave.”
I had been rising, but Asena’s words stopped me cold. I looked at her, trying to understand what was happening. She showed me only the back of her head. She wouldn’t even meet my eyes.
“......”
I closed my eyes. My breath caught in my throat. But I couldn’t attack the family head in front of a guest, so I clenched my teeth and looked away. I simply lifted my glass again and drank.
It might have seemed rude to the young lady who had reached out, but I had no composure left to smile and apologize. She hesitated, offered an awkward apology of her own, and retreated.
Only then did I grab Asena’s shoulder, pull her close, and whisper.
“...Asena, what the hell are you doing?”
“...Why?”
“Why?” I nearly laughed in disbelief. “Are you seriously asking?”
“.....”
“...She was my guest. Why did you chase her off?”
“Did you know her?”
“...No, I didn’t.”
“Then isn’t it fine?”
“What part of that is fine?”
“You said we should stay quiet and leave.”
“Was I going to shout? I could have spoken quietly.”
“...That’s not what I meant, brother. Who knows what she might have said?”
“I’m not an idiot… I could have handled it.”
“...Enough, brother. It’s already over.”
“Are you deliberately keeping me on the sidelines?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ha…”
I set the glass down. The clear ring of crystal cut through the air. I was beginning to feel like a fool. If this was how it would be, why had I dressed up? If I was going to be treated like a ghost anyway, had I even come to the ball? Wouldn’t it have been better to stay behind?
“I’m going to get some air.”
I stood.
“Let’s go together.”
Kirsi and Asena rose at the same time.
“.....”
There it was. If they weren’t trying to manage me, why follow so closely? How little must they trust me?
I looked at them and swallowed the words. Before they could follow, I walked away.
I crossed the ballroom, passed through beautifully decorated corridors, and moved toward the growing quiet. Several balconies were already occupied, so I headed for the farthest one.
Even there, two couples were quietly conversing while enjoying the night view. They glanced at me, tried to resume their conversation, then straightened when they saw the women following me.
“Brother. Come with us.”
At Kirsi’s voice the couples read the room and left. Soon only the three of us remained on the balcony.
“Huuu…”
I drew in a deep breath of cool night air, trying to calm the frustration in my chest. But my mouth moved faster than my heart could settle.
“Am I embarrassing to you?”
“...Huh?”
“I asked if I embarrass you.”
Asena’s face hardened. “Why would you think that?”
“You won’t let me speak to anyone. You make me sit behind you like a decoration. What is this?”
“I told you to stay quiet and leave.”
“Since when does ‘stay quiet and leave’ mean ‘sit behind us like a folding screen’?”
Kirsi hesitated. “...Brother. We already talked about this… If you act like this now…”
“Haa…”
Was I the fool? Had I truly misunderstood?
They had made me feel like an idiot earlier, and now they were trying to smooth it over with cuteness. I no longer knew how to respond. It even felt as if they knew exactly what they were doing and were using it as a weapon. Because I yielded, they wielded charm like a blade.
Even though I had left the ballroom for the balcony, I still felt trapped in a cage. I wanted to be away from the twins, even for a moment.
“...I’m going to the washroom.”
They turned as though to follow.
I had run out of patience. “Am I a child? Do you need to follow me to the washroom too?”
The warning in my tone froze them in place. Before I could see the hurt on their faces, I turned and walked away.
The moment I left the balcony I leaned against the nearest wall and slid down. I hadn’t actually needed the washroom. I simply needed to breathe.
I sat on the floor, elbows on my knees, face buried in my hands.
Why was a path that had looked so easy suddenly so difficult? I only wanted to live happily with the twins. I only wanted to build my strength, prove myself, and become their support.
The way they saw me was so different from what I wanted that it hurt.
A stain on the family. Someone who must be hidden. Someone who shouldn’t step forward. Someone for whom being a Freister was itself a problem.
In the few weeks since arriving at the Academy, those were the only perceptions I had received.
Then Kirsi’s voice reached me.
“...Today’s been hard.”
She sighed.
I held my breath.
“...Brother looks like he’s struggling today too.”
I slowly closed my eyes. Of course they knew. They had known all along and simply pretended otherwise.
Asena remained silent. I couldn’t tell whether she was nodding or shaking her head.
“...We should have just left him in the territory. I’ve been thinking that a lot lately.”
My heart plummeted. Just as I feared—once I was out of sight, the words that cut me open came without hesitation. There was no mistaking Kirsi’s voice.
My fist slowly clenched.
The truth I hadn’t wanted to believe. The suspicion I had tried to deny. They really did see me as a burden.
Everything they had done at the ball today wasn’t a strategy for the family after all. It was a strategy to hide and control me.
Asena’s voice sounded.
“...Don’t say that to him.”
“Of course not. Why would I say something like that to him? But you feel the same way, don’t you, sister?”
Asena didn’t answer, but Kirsi’s next words told me everything.
“See? I knew you’d agree. It would be so much better if brother simply didn’t show himself in front of others.”
If there was any comfort to be found, it was that they at least considered my feelings. They never said such things to my face. Perhaps that counted as respect.
“....”
A bitter laugh escaped me.
Even now, I was instinctively searching for the twins’ good points. No greater fool existed.
“...But he seemed really angry today. What should we do? I hate it when brother is angry…”
“...It’ll be fine. Let’s just get through tonight.”
I doubted my own ears. I wasn’t fine—so what exactly was “fine”?
Kirsi gave a small laugh. “...Right? It’s scary, but… it’ll be okay, won’t it? Hehe. Now that I think about it, you’re right. Brother is a fool. He only knows us… He swore he wouldn’t hug us for the rest of his life, yet he did it after only five days.”
“.....Brother definitely loves us.”
I laughed despite myself.
“......Ha.”
It wasn’t wrong. But from the position of the one who had forgiven them, it was infuriating. They had no idea what it had cost me to forgive them. I hadn’t done it because I was a fool. I had done it because I loved them.
The fact that they had begun using my own feelings as a weapon disgusted me. Perhaps this was my karma for indulging them too much. They treated me as though I had no emotions of my own.
I had endured. I had endured a great deal.
First—Asena’s betrayal.
Second—Kirsi’s betrayal.
Third… the twins’ betrayal.
I stood.
Yes. To summarize:
One. The twins did not hate me. I had thought they did… but apparently not. There must still be affection from having raised me. The way they had clung to me, the kisses on my cheek—those hadn’t been lies. They watched my mood and disliked it when I was angry.
Two. However, they were ashamed of me. For their own sakes or the family’s, they cared nothing for my reputation. They spoke ill of me, tried to expel me from the family, sabotaged the jousting tournament, and told me to remain invisible at the ball. They were killing me socially.
Had a commoner’s presence in House Freister truly been such a terrible sin?
Love had blinded me. Perhaps the twins had always been this way. I had been too close to see their true nature. Only after these events created a crack could I finally see the whole picture.
As expected, the family came first.
Since they were characters from the novel, perhaps they were not villainesses I could change.
Suddenly I lost the will to keep trying. I had given everything, yet they still wanted to hide me. There was nothing left for me to do.
If they were going to be ashamed of me no matter what, I would act as I pleased. I had resolved to want nothing and simply be their support, but when effort went unrewarded, it became unbearable.
The twins’ duplicity felt like betrayal. It was cowardly. In front of me they spoke of love and affection. Behind my back they were ashamed and tried to conceal me.
…As if I couldn’t do the same.
I began walking.
“I’m back.”
I announced myself loudly as I stepped onto the balcony. Kirsi jumped in surprise. Asena’s head snapped toward me instantly.
“Ah… B-brother, you’re back?”
“Yes.”
I approached them with a bitter smile, then spread my arms and pulled them both into a hug.
Even after everything… it was astonishing that I could still find love for them in a corner of my heart. But now the pain was there too. If I hadn’t loved them, this pain would not exist. Because I loved them, it hurt enough to break me.
“W-why suddenly, brother?”
Kirsi squirmed. Asena froze for a moment, then quietly hugged me back. While doing so she whispered to Kirsi.
“...I told you…?”
She seemed to be referring to her earlier assurance that everything would be fine. Kirsi nodded.
Because they knew I would forgive them, they had acted however they pleased until now.
…I had overlooked it many times.
I wet my lips and spoke.
“.....I’m sorry about earlier. I guess the stress of staying quiet got to me. That’s why you two handle the politics while I train with the sword. Right?”
Kirsi kept nodding inside my embrace. Asena offered a suggestion.
“...Let’s go somewhere fun next time. Just endure a little longer today. I’m sorry, brother.”
I shook my head.
“No, it’s fine. Ah, but kids.”
I gently pushed them back and put on a regretful expression. After a long pause, I continued with difficulty.
“.....Ah… we promised to dance together today.”
“R-right. Brother, actually I’ve been looking forward to it… I practiced a lot. Dance with me before sister.”
Kirsi took my hand. Her eyes sparkled. When I glanced at Asena, she said nothing but seemed to be anticipating it too. As noble young ladies, they had clearly been cherishing the monumental first dance of their debut ball.
I clicked my tongue once.
“....Let’s do it next time. Not today. All right?”
Kirsi blinked her bright eyes once, twice, then wore an expression of open disappointment. Asena’s face didn’t change much, but it seemed to stiffen further. Still, neither protested. They probably thought I was still angry.
But this wasn’t revenge. There was simply no reason to dance with people who were ashamed of me.
“Understood?”
“..........”
I asked the downcast Kirsi, who still hadn’t released my hand.
“...Understood?”
She nodded silently. Asena closed her eyes twice in acknowledgment.
We returned to the ballroom. The atmosphere was still lively. Connections of all kinds were forming everywhere.
The twins headed back toward the corner. But I turned my head, searching for someone. The moment I found her, I walked straight ahead without hesitation.
“..Brother?”
Kirsi’s confused voice came from behind, but I ignored it. As I walked I snatched a glass of wine. All eyes began to turn toward me.
‘Uh, what’s this? He’s moving.’
‘I thought he was going to stay quiet and leave?’
I downed the drink while walking, then set the empty glass on a table. Just like when our family had first entered, the entire space grew quiet.
‘Uh?..Uhh?’
‘Wow… Is this really happening? So romantic…!’
Those with quick wits didn’t block my path. A lane opened. At the end of it sat Daisy, blinking rapidly.
I extended my hand.
“Daisy Hextor. Will you dance with me?”
“...Pardon?”
“The first dance should be with you.”
From somewhere behind me, I thought I heard the twins voicing their confusion.