Meanwhile, Jeffrey wasn't the only one who was confused. The nobleman, who was about to greet Auston with the chandelier's light behind him, widened his eyes in surprise and covered his mouth with one hand.
“Oh my, Mr. Dosler. You don’t look well.”
“...Oh, it’s just that I haven’t been sleeping well lately. Don’t worry about it.”
Auston waved his hand with a noticeably pale face and picked up the glass that was on the table. He had been so distracted lately that he hadn't even noticed the magic formula Sylvia had given him.
'The woman...'
The reason was because of Rubia. On the picnic day the other day. Auston was amazed by Rubia's appearance, which he had never seen before.
"By the way, Your Majesty, what is your ideal type?"
Auston rubbed his eyes, wondering if he had misunderstood the bright smile that appeared on his icy face.
"Isn't it okay to be curious?"
He never thought she would reveal her affection for the Crown Prince so openly.
"... Ha."
Thinking of the smiling Rubia, Auston felt uneasy and gulped down the champagne with his mouth twisted. However, his low mood still did not improve. In the past few days, Rubia and the Crown Prince were sitting in his dreams and showing affectionate appearances, which made him even more crazy.
'What on earth does that woman have to do with me!'
Auston was so touched that he even ate the canapé, which he usually wouldn't touch, in one bite. The spicy taste of the spices spread in his mouth, and he felt like he was coming back to his senses a little. After regaining some composure through the food, Auston returned to his usual cynical attitude.
'Anyway, I guess they just hang out together.'
Auston snorted silently. His hazel eyes were filled with hostility toward the nobles. Recently, he had almost thought that Rubia’s personality might not be so bad. But Rubia was Rubia. After all, the only people who would catch the eye of such a noble woman were noble nobles or royalty, who were considered the best in terms of bloodline.
'I think she went this way.'
Auston paused in the hallway leading to the break room and frowned. He looked around for Rubia, then stopped when he heard a small conversation coming from the corner of the hallway.
"...Move."
“Don’t do that, just once. Just once is enough. Is that so hard?”
Rubia's irritated voice and a man's voice were mixed together. The conversation seemed serious, so Auston walked towards the place where the conversation was heard, keeping his footsteps quiet. Looking closely, he saw a small gap in a corner of the hallway. Auston leaned against the wall at the end of the hallway and glanced around the corner, startled.
'Me, me.'
The man with Rubia was a face that Austin knew. The man holding Rubia's hands and pressing his face close to her was the only son of Count Cuvid, the host of this party.
Auston stepped forward without even a moment to think. He reached out and grabbed the man's shoulder roughly.
“This place looks too small for two people. Why don’t you come out here instead of staying in such an uncomfortable place, my lord?”
“Ugh, ugh! Who is it!”
Lord Cuvid, who had been lying in the hallway in a daze, suddenly turned around with a raised voice. The next moment, his eyes widened to the size of lanterns when he discovered Auston.
“Do, Dosler?”
“Haha, you seem to know who I am. But do you know who this lady is?”
Auston smiled slyly and wrapped one arm around Rubia's waist, hugging her. His touch was very affectionate.
"What..."
Rubia, who had been frozen in surprise at the unexpected situation, was about to push him away with her eyes wide open. Auston looked straight at Lord Cuvid and spoke clearly.
“This is my fiancée.”
"...I beg your pardon?"
“Yes, yes?”
At those words, Rubia and Lord Cuvid both let out a bewildered voice. Regardless, Auston continued his performance with a shameless attitude. He looked at Rubia with a deep gaze and took her hand.
“I told you that she is my fiancée. So please refrain from showing any unnecessary interest. Are you not offended, Rubia?”
Auston, who had let out an endlessly gentle call, opened his eyes and kissed the back of Rubia's hand deeply. Rubia forgot her embarrassment for a moment and held her breath.
She wondered if the man glaring at her right now was really the usually undignified Auston Dosler. Meanwhile, Lord Cuvid, who had dropped his chin at Auston’s words, looked back and forth between the two before shouting,
The masked Randall's eyes widened as he spotted a woman linking arms with a figure that appeared to be David beyond the crowd.
“Oh my, Mr. Dosler. You don’t look well.”
“...Oh, it’s just that I haven’t been sleeping well lately. Don’t worry about it.”
Auston waved his hand with a noticeably pale face and picked up the glass that was on the table. He had been so distracted lately that he hadn't even noticed the magic formula Sylvia had given him.
'The woman...'
The reason was because of Rubia. On the picnic day the other day. Auston was amazed by Rubia's appearance, which he had never seen before.
"By the way, Your Majesty, what is your ideal type?"
Auston rubbed his eyes, wondering if he had misunderstood the bright smile that appeared on his icy face.
"Isn't it okay to be curious?"
He never thought she would reveal her affection for the Crown Prince so openly.
"... Ha."
Thinking of the smiling Rubia, Auston felt uneasy and gulped down the champagne with his mouth twisted. However, his low mood still did not improve. In the past few days, Rubia and the Crown Prince were sitting in his dreams and showing affectionate appearances, which made him even more crazy.
'What on earth does that woman have to do with me!'
Auston was so touched that he even ate the canapé, which he usually wouldn't touch, in one bite. The spicy taste of the spices spread in his mouth, and he felt like he was coming back to his senses a little. After regaining some composure through the food, Auston returned to his usual cynical attitude.
'Anyway, I guess they just hang out together.'
Auston snorted silently. His hazel eyes were filled with hostility toward the nobles. Recently, he had almost thought that Rubia’s personality might not be so bad. But Rubia was Rubia. After all, the only people who would catch the eye of such a noble woman were noble nobles or royalty, who were considered the best in terms of bloodline.
When he thought about it that way, it wasn’t surprising that Rubia was so friendly to the Crown Prince. It was because he kept nagging at Randall and pestering Sylvia. If he leaves those things aside, Crown Prince David was the number one groom-to-be after Randall’s marriage.
‘...No matter what, it’s still like that, because of what the royal family has done to the North so far.’
Is it true that Rubia doesn't care about her enemies for the sake of that one honor and wealth?
‘...No matter what, it’s still like that, because of what the royal family has done to the North so far.’
Is it true that Rubia doesn't care about her enemies for the sake of that one honor and wealth?
No, it's not like she's the kind of woman who even accused the former Marquis of Glever of his crimes and kept her loyalty to Randall...
However, the smile she showed the Crown Prince was so bright and warm that it was hard to believe it was fake. It was when Auston was wavering like water and fire. As he was gulping down champagne like water, he suddenly saw blonde hair rippling through the crowd and opened his eyes wide.
'Rubia Glever?'
Why is that woman here?
'Rubia Glever?'
Why is that woman here?
He could have seen it wrong, but he had a strange feeling that it was Rubia. If Auston had been in his right mind, he would have tried to leave the party as soon as he realized Rubia was here, but he was slightly drunk from the champagne he had downed one after another.
He unconsciously started walking in the direction Rubia had disappeared. He didn’t know why he wanted to meet the woman who always growled at him, but he didn’t stop walking.
'I think she went this way.'
Auston paused in the hallway leading to the break room and frowned. He looked around for Rubia, then stopped when he heard a small conversation coming from the corner of the hallway.
"...Move."
“Don’t do that, just once. Just once is enough. Is that so hard?”
Rubia's irritated voice and a man's voice were mixed together. The conversation seemed serious, so Auston walked towards the place where the conversation was heard, keeping his footsteps quiet. Looking closely, he saw a small gap in a corner of the hallway. Auston leaned against the wall at the end of the hallway and glanced around the corner, startled.
'Me, me.'
The man with Rubia was a face that Austin knew. The man holding Rubia's hands and pressing his face close to her was the only son of Count Cuvid, the host of this party.
From what Auston had heard, he was one of the most complicated men in the capital. The rumors in his head, and the attitude of persistently holding on to Rubia and demanding something. When all of these things came together, there was only one conclusion.
'Where are you now...!'
'Where are you now...!'
Auston stepped forward without even a moment to think. He reached out and grabbed the man's shoulder roughly.
“This place looks too small for two people. Why don’t you come out here instead of staying in such an uncomfortable place, my lord?”
“Ugh, ugh! Who is it!”
Lord Cuvid, who had been lying in the hallway in a daze, suddenly turned around with a raised voice. The next moment, his eyes widened to the size of lanterns when he discovered Auston.
“Do, Dosler?”
“Haha, you seem to know who I am. But do you know who this lady is?”
Auston smiled slyly and wrapped one arm around Rubia's waist, hugging her. His touch was very affectionate.
"What..."
Rubia, who had been frozen in surprise at the unexpected situation, was about to push him away with her eyes wide open. Auston looked straight at Lord Cuvid and spoke clearly.
“This is my fiancée.”
"...I beg your pardon?"
“Yes, yes?”
At those words, Rubia and Lord Cuvid both let out a bewildered voice. Regardless, Auston continued his performance with a shameless attitude. He looked at Rubia with a deep gaze and took her hand.
“I told you that she is my fiancée. So please refrain from showing any unnecessary interest. Are you not offended, Rubia?”
Auston, who had let out an endlessly gentle call, opened his eyes and kissed the back of Rubia's hand deeply. Rubia forgot her embarrassment for a moment and held her breath.
She wondered if the man glaring at her right now was really the usually undignified Auston Dosler. Meanwhile, Lord Cuvid, who had dropped his chin at Auston’s words, looked back and forth between the two before shouting,
“Ah! Really, Rubia? You’re not close! You’re just distant comrades with the same master!”
Comrade! Comrade...!
Comrade! Comrade...!
His voice echoed long and disappeared down the hallway. At those words, Auston froze in place, and Rubia came to her senses. Rubia, who had regained her senses, pushed Auston away and ran his hand through his hair.
“...That’s true. It seems that Dosler knew I was in trouble and wanted to help me.”
After recovering from the shock of 'Just a Comrade', Auston felt something strange a little late and looked back at Rubia.
“...Wasn’t that a difficult situation? It definitely seemed like that man was trying to intimidate you.”
Auston, still suspicious, blocked Rubia’s path with one arm and cast a suspicious glance at the man. Rubia then let out a deep sigh and placed her hand on her forehead.
“We are relatives.”
"...Yes?"
“It was you, Dosler, who asked to meet him just once, not me.”
“Haha! I guess I’m hallucinating already.”
“...”
“...”
But the joke that was thrown out desperately sank into silence, leaving behind only ripples. As the silence continued, the forced smile on Auston’s lips also faded. Eventually, Auston, who had lost his smile and turned pale, asked again, clutching at straws.
“Is it real?”
Rubia nodded silently. At that moment, Auston felt the alcohol suddenly disappear and the blood in his body cool down.
'You crazy kid!'
It was the moment when a dark history that could be counted as the first finger in 'Auston Dosler's Life' was born.
“...That’s true. It seems that Dosler knew I was in trouble and wanted to help me.”
After recovering from the shock of 'Just a Comrade', Auston felt something strange a little late and looked back at Rubia.
“...Wasn’t that a difficult situation? It definitely seemed like that man was trying to intimidate you.”
Auston, still suspicious, blocked Rubia’s path with one arm and cast a suspicious glance at the man. Rubia then let out a deep sigh and placed her hand on her forehead.
“We are relatives.”
"...Yes?"
“It was you, Dosler, who asked to meet him just once, not me.”
“Haha! I guess I’m hallucinating already.”
“...”
“...”
But the joke that was thrown out desperately sank into silence, leaving behind only ripples. As the silence continued, the forced smile on Auston’s lips also faded. Eventually, Auston, who had lost his smile and turned pale, asked again, clutching at straws.
“Is it real?”
Rubia nodded silently. At that moment, Auston felt the alcohol suddenly disappear and the blood in his body cool down.
'You crazy kid!'
It was the moment when a dark history that could be counted as the first finger in 'Auston Dosler's Life' was born.
***
After days that were eventful for some and stifling for others, it finally came the day everyone had been counting the days until the Foundation Day.
The Foundation Day Ball was held in a slightly special way, unlike other times. The entrance to the ballroom was divided into several parts, and masks were individually distributed just before entering the ballroom so that people could not tell each other apart. Since even married couples and lovers could not avoid this rule, the Foundation Day Masquerade Ball had long been secretly regarded as a place of secret deviant behavior.
'I wish we could have been together on the way here.'
Late evening. Sylvia, along with Philia and Rubia, walked toward the entrance where she was supposed to go, her face dark.
'I wish we could have been together on the way here.'
Late evening. Sylvia, along with Philia and Rubia, walked toward the entrance where she was supposed to go, her face dark.
She hadn't seen Randall since she was kicked out of his room a few days ago. It was probably because the investigation team was busy with work since they had little time left in the palace, but more importantly, the two were trying to avoid each other.
'I heard that the entire investigation team returned to the palace earlier. Are they already in the ballroom?'
It was the bright voices that woke up Sylvia from her distress.
“They’re all here. Would you like to go in first, Ma’am?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t be peeking through the crack in the door to see what you’re wearing!”
Rubia calmly opened the door to the waiting room, and Philia winked mischievously. All three were wearing long, thick cloaks over their dresses, so it was completely unclear what they were wearing underneath. Even though they were close friends, they couldn’t miss out on the excitement of the masquerade ball, so the three dressed up completely alone. Sylvia smiled, trying hard to erase her thoughts of Randall.
“Then I will go in first.”
“Yes, have a nice evening with Your Highness the Duke!”
“Just in case, be careful until you meet the Duke.”
Sylvia nodded and let out a small laugh, finding it strangely amusing that Rubia was leaving such a request like her sister. As she stepped into the waiting room, the door behind her closed tightly. The attendant in the waiting room took out a butterfly-shaped mask that covered half of her face from a box and handed it to her.
‘...When I see the mask, I think of that time.’
Sylvia suddenly wrinkled her nose as she remembered attending the black market auction to get Alyssa's staff sack.
'Now that I think about it, who was that man?'
The man that Alyssa's staff had told her had a special meaning. Since that day, she's thought about the man's words from time to time, but no one came to mind. As Sylvia was lost in thought, the servant's question drifted into her ears.
“Would you like to wear a wig too?”
“...No, it’s okay.”
Hearing someone else's voice, her distracting thoughts subsided a little. Sylvia shook her head, refusing the wig the employee offered her. Some nobles wear wigs for perfect makeup, but it is not only annoying but also an obstacle for Sylvia, who hopes to meet Randall quickly. The employee stepped aside coolly and opened the door to the ballroom.
“Well then, have a fantastic time.”
Sylvia took off her cloak and handed it to her servant, and after adjusting her mask, she stepped into the passage. The passage leading to the ballroom was dark and narrow.
'I heard that the entire investigation team returned to the palace earlier. Are they already in the ballroom?'
It was the bright voices that woke up Sylvia from her distress.
“They’re all here. Would you like to go in first, Ma’am?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t be peeking through the crack in the door to see what you’re wearing!”
Rubia calmly opened the door to the waiting room, and Philia winked mischievously. All three were wearing long, thick cloaks over their dresses, so it was completely unclear what they were wearing underneath. Even though they were close friends, they couldn’t miss out on the excitement of the masquerade ball, so the three dressed up completely alone. Sylvia smiled, trying hard to erase her thoughts of Randall.
“Then I will go in first.”
“Yes, have a nice evening with Your Highness the Duke!”
“Just in case, be careful until you meet the Duke.”
Sylvia nodded and let out a small laugh, finding it strangely amusing that Rubia was leaving such a request like her sister. As she stepped into the waiting room, the door behind her closed tightly. The attendant in the waiting room took out a butterfly-shaped mask that covered half of her face from a box and handed it to her.
‘...When I see the mask, I think of that time.’
Sylvia suddenly wrinkled her nose as she remembered attending the black market auction to get Alyssa's staff sack.
'Now that I think about it, who was that man?'
The man that Alyssa's staff had told her had a special meaning. Since that day, she's thought about the man's words from time to time, but no one came to mind. As Sylvia was lost in thought, the servant's question drifted into her ears.
“Would you like to wear a wig too?”
“...No, it’s okay.”
Hearing someone else's voice, her distracting thoughts subsided a little. Sylvia shook her head, refusing the wig the employee offered her. Some nobles wear wigs for perfect makeup, but it is not only annoying but also an obstacle for Sylvia, who hopes to meet Randall quickly. The employee stepped aside coolly and opened the door to the ballroom.
“Well then, have a fantastic time.”
Sylvia took off her cloak and handed it to her servant, and after adjusting her mask, she stepped into the passage. The passage leading to the ballroom was dark and narrow.
How long had she walked along it? Suddenly, the surroundings opened up and bright light poured in.
“...!”
Sylvia squinted her eyes for a moment against the bright light and raised her hand to shade her eyes. Then the scene of the ballroom came into view.
'Certainly... it's gorgeous.'
She heard that nothing was clear about the King birthday attack incident. As if trying to make up for it, the King had decorated the ballroom aggressively and greatly increased the number of personnel guarding the ballroom. It was as if he was trying to show that he was still alive and well despite such trickery.
'Where is Randall?'
Sylvia soon shook her head, tired of the glamor of the ballroom, and began to search for Randall. She had no intention of meeting the Crown Prince again and suffering the humiliation. She was only thinking of quickly meeting her husband and leaving the ballroom.
“...!”
Sylvia squinted her eyes for a moment against the bright light and raised her hand to shade her eyes. Then the scene of the ballroom came into view.
'Certainly... it's gorgeous.'
She heard that nothing was clear about the King birthday attack incident. As if trying to make up for it, the King had decorated the ballroom aggressively and greatly increased the number of personnel guarding the ballroom. It was as if he was trying to show that he was still alive and well despite such trickery.
'Where is Randall?'
Sylvia soon shook her head, tired of the glamor of the ballroom, and began to search for Randall. She had no intention of meeting the Crown Prince again and suffering the humiliation. She was only thinking of quickly meeting her husband and leaving the ballroom.
***
At that very moment, on the other side of the banquet hall.
'...Sylvia?'
'...Sylvia?'
The masked Randall's eyes widened as he spotted a woman linking arms with a figure that appeared to be David beyond the crowd.
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