"Party invitations are constantly flying in from noble ladies."
Also, for some reason, he brought up a very appropriate topic. As he said, after going to Madame Janet's ball, there were so many Invitations that I was left with a pile. I was horrified that the change of stance was so fast. Of course, I couldn't just be surprised.
In addition to the ceremonial tea parties, there was a party that I really wanted to go to, and that was the ball of the Marquis Poel. I heard that there is a fountain inside the building used as a venue, so I really wanted to see it. I wondered if Brandt would be interested in such a strange building.
'Would you like it if I asked you to go with me?'
It was a time when I was carefully trying to give him luck.
"Don't go too much, only go where you have to go."
The story of the Marquis Poel's ball, which was up to the chin, went down.
'Oh no, Brandt hated parties.'
It was a defeat. Even if you can go to the tea party alone, you need a man's escort for the prom. However, I don't think this man would entrust my escort to another man.
"I won't be able to stop the tea party, but I hate proms. I don't even want to entrust another man to escort my wife."
I didn't even ask, but I answered calmly.
It was steaming. In fact, I had no intention of going to see it while being escorted by another man. On the contrary, it was even more disappointing.
Feeling depressed, I unknowingly puckered my lips and spat out words.
"You don't want to do it, but you don't want to do it to others?"
By the time I came to my senses, it was already too late. Brandt's narrow eyes stared at me coldly.
"Do you know what I thought when I first married you?"
I didn't get excited or raise my voice. But his voice seeped through us and tensed the air.
"..."
It was like suffocating. Brandt opened his lips slightly and closed them again. This confusion was unbearable, and the moment he closed his eyes, Brandt's sigh flew in the hot wind.
"Huh... If you must go to a place, you must go; you should go with me. But I just hate bothersome parties. There are a lot of people who ask me to come here and there, and even though I don't like it, they keep asking for it, so I'm sick."
In the end, I stared at Brandt, who was telling me not to go. It didn't matter now that I couldn't go to the ball of the Marquis Poel, who had a fountain inside.
Rather, I wondered what he was thinking. There are so many emotions floating in those dark and dark eyes, but I can only get rid of a few of them. Looking at his eyelids closing hard, I missed the opportunity to ask.
***
Brandt was tolerant of my going to tea parties. In fact, he even asked Malcolm why he didn't ride in the white carriage he rode to Madam Janet's ball. When Malcolm told me the story, I was confused about whether to laugh or not.
"That's too bouncing. And I want to ride that carriage on a special day. No matter how precious it is, if you ride it every day, you can't feel the excitement at the beginning."
But Brandt wasn't the only one who was disappointed that I didn't ride in that white carriage. The same was true for the ladies who were enjoying the tea party with me.
"The only people among us who have been invited to Madame Janet's ball are Lady Martine and Lady Merrill. So I only heard about the Duchess's white carriage."
"Madame Janet is too obscure to people. We are also young people who don't feel sorry for wherever we go... Aren't you riding in the white carriage anymore, ma'am?"
I thought I could see now why these noisy ladies were so excited about me and put a petition for me to come and give them at the tea party. It was cute and funny, so I just smiled awkwardly
"I don't think the Duchess often attends parties. She doesn't like to be in the spotlight, so she doesn't dare to ride in a white carriage."
Lady Zita answered for me. I was also invited to attend this tea party at Lady Zita's request.
What she said was half right and half wrong, but I didn't bother to correct it.
"Why are you reluctant to attend the party? How much everyone misses Madam."
The round Lady Martine, who was holding sweet refreshments, asked.
I couldn't bear to answer. That's because my husband escorted me to prom, and he didn't want to have someone escort me for him, so I replaced the answer with a silent smile.
"It's all because the Duchess still doesn't know the true taste of the party."
Lady Meryl said with a mature face on her young face. She was the young lady who clung to Princess Lena when I first met her in the Liesel Garden, and now she is here. She was known for sweeping parties, so I saw a few ladies slap at her.
However, for beginners, the more interesting the story of such a person, I was no exception.
"If you don't want to attend a party, why not start with the masquerade?"
"A masquerade?"
"Yes, I also found the true joy of the party after going to the masquerade ball on the recommendation of an acquaintance. Wearing a mask guarantees anonymity, and above all, it's almost the only ball you can go to without a man's escort."
Can you go without an escort?
I tried to suppress the simmering interest. As a Duchess, I gracefully drew out all the patience I had honed so far while pretending not to have much interest in such plays.
"Is it true that you can go without a male escort?"
However, Lady Zita lacked such patience. She was sitting next to me and was about to jump up from her seat. The reaction was more than expected, and even Lady Meryl was surprised and was speechless for a moment.
After the tea party, I had a separate conversation with Lady Zitta, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, before getting into the carriage. She hadn't been able to subdue her excitement until then.
"I've only heard of masquerades, but I've never been there. I wasn't often invited to balls, so I always dreamed about them. But I'm afraid to go alone... Isn't it, Duchess?"
Lady Zita's eyes, looking at me, were like dogs craving food. Of course, I was also harsh, but I didn't bother to go to such lengths to attend the party.
But... But... Her sympathetic and sad gaze would continue until I affirmed it.
"What... Haha, I'm curious."
"I thought you would! Coincidentally, Lady Meryl said that there would be a masquerade ball at Sangribel Hall tomorrow evening. I'll be pulling a rented carriage tomorrow evening, so please sneak out too."
"Yes? Secretly. You don't have to go that far. No, more than that..."
...When did you say I was going?
I was devastated when I saw the back of Lady Zita running into the carriage without listening to my answer.
"Isn't that a high-end number?"
***
When I returned, I was writing a letter to Lady Zita saying that I should be more careful about this matter. A letter flew from her after hitting the player. I was really surprised to see that Olga, the veteran maid who serves me these days, brought a letter from Lady Zita.
"Duchess. I'm really looking forward to it. Because of my timid personality. I have never really enjoyed prom, and I don't get many invitations. The only person who can accompany me is the Duchess in this social world. I'm really grateful, and all of this is like a dream..."
Blah blah.
It was embarrassing, but on the other hand, I felt sorry for Lady Zita, who was genuinely happy and even sent me such a letter. I'm not a bad person, but I don't get many Invitations because I'm quiet.
When everyone took Princess Lena's side in the Liesel Garden, I remembered that she was the only one who stopped her.
We do what no one else does. It was a symbiotic relationship that wasn't bad.
It wasn't a little uncomfortable, but for Lady Zita, I decided to take a look at some of the dresses that Sir Lawrence had given me as a gift.
A strange carriage stopped in front of me, wearing a modest progressive purple dress. The skirt, which was supported by several layers of thick petticoats, was moderately swollen and swayed by the wind caused by the carriage.
When the curtains by the window opened, Lady Zita showed her face with makeup.
"Sorry for being late. Come on."
Her voice was several times higher than usual. She was so cute that my expression brightened up without me realizing it.
When I secretly got on the rented carriage, something even more surprising unfolded. Lady Zita was wearing a flashy dress that I had never seen in my life, and I was not really flashy.
"This is the first time you've seen me like this, right?"
Sensing my surprise, Lady Zita clasped her hands together and rubbed them as if she was embarrassed. Fearing that she would be disappointed, I quickly held both hands for her.
"I was surprised at how beautiful it was. It's a different look."
"Really? Then do you usually go like this?"
"Uh, that... Lady Zita is neat, so I don't think you usually have to wear it like this. It's even prettier to wear it once on a special day."
Lady Zita, who couldn't hide her excitement, took out two colorful masks from her arms. Both were leather masks with gold and silver threads studded with only the eyes and nose. She handed me the jeweled one with her face and a gorgeous feather.
"I don't think the Duchess has prepared a mask yet, so I brought Madam's things."
"That's right. I didn't even think about going there. Thank you."
Unlike Lady Zita, who was very excited, I felt more like accompanying my friends than enjoying the prom. So I told Malcolm and Kreisel without hiding it, and I was going to sit quietly in the break room when I went. So I didn't even think about the mask.
"No matter what, I still take off my mask while going to the masquerade."
It was late at night, so the street outside the carriage window was dark and eerie, as if I had been covered in black water. However, when I went to the vicinity of the Sangribel Hall, where the masquerade ball was held, there was a dazzling feast of lights unfolding as if all the stars in the sky had been placed there. Even though it was nighttime, the area around the Sangribel Hall was as noisy as daytime. Wearing masks, Lady Zita and I naturally responded to the atmosphere and entered the hall.
"Who is the organizer of this ball?"
I whispered to Lady Zita.
"Lady Meryl said that the masquerade is shrouded in a veil even for the organizer. It's a festival where everything is thoroughly held under a mask."
It is a festival that thoroughly takes place in a 'mask'. I didn't come here to enjoy it, but I was excited for some reason.
The inside of the venue was already filled with exciting music. Perhaps because of the power of the mask, Lady Zita walked confidently, unusually. On the other hand, I was intimidated by the heat, which seemed several times higher than the first and last Madam Janet's ball.
"Madam, no one recognizes you anyway. I'm confident."
I was a little hesitant that her and my personalities seemed to have been reversed. Lady Zita grinned and dragged me into the crowd.
I only watched her find a partner and then planned to go to the break room. The reluctant enthusiasm I felt shortly after entering made my determination even more solid.
As O stood with Lady Zita by the pillar, two men exchanged glances not far away and approached us at a breakneck speed.
'Huh, heh... Don't come close!'
Unlike the elegant social atmosphere that underlay Madame Janet's ball, the masquerade ball was literally a place where the yang and yin energies of men and women collided to mate. This fact was already explained by the heavy breathing of the lion mask and the clockwork mask standing in front of me.
"Madame and Duchess, who shine more than jewels, do you dare to ask us to dance?"
The Duchess? Lady Zita, no one recognizes me!
I looked at Lady Zita in surprise, and the man wearing the lion mask laughed heartily.
"The mask is decorated with peacock feathers, which is why I gave you the nickname Duchess. There is no way a real Duchess would be delivered to a place like this."
"Oh... Ha ha... That is right. Why would the real Duchess come to such a place?"
Fortunately, I wasn't caught, but my embarrassment crept into my chest.
There is no way the Duchess would be delivered to a place like this.
What does a place like this mean?
Even so, my first impression of the masquerade was not good, but when I heard these words, I felt like I was soaked in muddy water on a rainy day.
"I will accept the request as much as I want!"
However, Lady Zita seemed to have a different idea from me, and left the table with a man wearing a clockwork mask like meat in water. The lion mask curled up the corners of his mouth and held out his hand.
"Your companion accepted my friend's request. If I were the only one who was kicked out, I might not be able to stand it and bite Madam with "Ah!"
My god. This is a feeling that has been around for 10 years.
When I didn't show any signs of reaching out, the lion mask tried to grab my hand. It was as fierce as it was approaching, and there was no time to avoid it.
No!
The moment I closed my eyes, without realizing it. Instead of the man's sticky body temperature, I heard the sound of flesh colliding violently. When I opened my eyes, I saw a man wearing a bright yellow tailcoat standing in front of the lion mask.
"This is the one who came as my partner."
However, what this man said was also spectacular.
"Where is the partner for the masquerade?"
The lion mask blocked by the yellow tailcoat gritted his teeth and shouted, as if to bite him.
Oh, I couldn't hold on to this crazy position anymore.
I quickly left the two men arguing with me. However, everywhere I went, it was full of people, and even in the break room and balcony, men and women were intertwined and had secret contact.
'This is a complete animal kingdom!'
I wanted to go home. However, the carriage I rode in was a carriage rented by Lady Zita. I couldn't go alone. As I leaned my back against the wall in despair, someone's shadow hung over me.
It was the man in the yellow tailsuit earlier. A yellow butterfly mask matching the tailcoat fluttered on the man's face.
'I have a bit of a taste for this man...'
The man held out his hand to me with a wry smile.
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