"I killed him earlier."
"I never asked you to kill him. I don't even intend to put my hand on the hand of a man whose name I don't know."
Then, the butterfly mask raised his mouth as if it were funny.
"Duchess, don't you know who I am?"
I was greatly agitated.
If this butterfly mask someone I know? Is there a man I know who has such a weird taste?
However, looking at the relaxed smile on the butterfly mask's mouth, it didn't seem like he was the kind of person who would lie.
'Lie... who doesn't do it?'
Suddenly, there was a face that came to mind.
"Didn't you say that even those who do not believe will have a time of need?"
He was Stefano Russell!
How much is this?
I forgot his existence in the huge daily life that came like a storm. But now I was so happy that I couldn't believe I had forgotten him.
"Even if I am so happy, the Duchess or the other person should not hug me. You just need to put your hand lightly on my hand."
However, this joy was also subdued by Stefano's familiar shallowness.
No, come to think of it, there's no reason for me to be happy with this man, right?
"Why am I happy with you?"
"You just looked very happy...?"
Oh, really, I can't lie in front of this man.
Suddenly, he grabbed my hand tightly and pulled it towards him. Stefano's hand touched my waist.
"What, what are you doing!"
"Is dancing at a ball so scary?"
"I'm not here to dance! Just... friends."
I felt sorry for him as I talked about it. I took it lightly with the idea of accompanying Lady Zita to the ball, but that wasn't the case. I had already been a prom attendee since I had set foot in this position.
'I shouldn't have come here.'
My mouth was dry at the frivolity I realized belatedly. At that time, my body was dragged by Stefano, who took a step to the music.
"Do you know anything about Duke Albrenovitch? His love for his wife was so terrible that he forbade her from appearing at balls except for her debut stage."
Even with his clever words, I didn't have the energy to move.
It wasn't that he didn't let me come out at all. I also didn't want to do something he didn't want. I did...
"Now that you have seen me here, you now know that the rumor is a rumor."
In the midst of this, words defending Brandt popped up without realizing it. Stefano shook his head.
"It's basic to dance with a man for socializing at a ball, but with such a fuss, I think you know how much the Duke catches his wife."
"..."
I really can't be beaten by this man. I sighed and was pushed by his rhythm.
"Ugh!"
Of course, just because I was in rhythm didn't necessarily mean I was good at dancing.
"Oh, Duchess... Are you doing this on purpose...?"
Stefano, whose lips were blue, groaned. I felt like I was going to die because I was sorry.
"I'm sorry. Sir Russell, but I've been taking dance lessons hard lately."
"I think I can understand why the Duke doesn't send his wife to the ball. This clears up the misunderstanding about the deterioration."
He was still joking, but Stefano's face was contemplative. It was the first time he was so embarrassed. But that didn't mean I couldn't ask him to dance with me in his arms like I did with Brandt.
Stefano, who was frowning, suddenly lit up in his eyes.
"If the lady steps on my feet, it means that my dancing skills are lacking. I'm going to show you my true skills from now on."
When I saw Stefano speaking something similar to Brandt, I froze for a moment. However, the rigidity did not last long. Stefano began to avoid my shoes with flashy steps. It was really like the footwork of someone who had reached the level of a dance god. As I opened my mouth and looked down, Stefano pulled my hand around my waist with force.
"Huh!"
"Even if you don't see it, I'll take care of it."
"But it's strange."
"I have more to say to the Duchess."
Behind the bright butterfly mask, Stefano's eyes became serious.
"Who brought the Duchess here?"
"Lady Zita. Do you know? She is the young love of the writer, but she is calm and kind..."
"You don't know what it means to have a masquerade ball held by an anonymous organizer at this time."
Stefano hurriedly cut off my words. He was leading me and gradually heading to the corner.
"What are you talking about? I just came with Lady Zita because it was a fun ball where young children could come without a man's escort. Now, of course... I regret it."
"That's a typical masquerade story. Today, the anonymous masquerade is a place where married nobles and noblewomen go for impure amusement."
For a moment, my fingertips trembled and I almost missed Stefano. Stefano held my hand firmly and continued.
"Why did the young children say that to me? I said it as if they were looking for it often."
"There is no problem with the masquerade if it is a formal ball. As I said, the problem is the masquerade held by an anonymous organizer at this time. Maybe someone leaked the wrong Information to the naive young people."
In my head, I remembered Lady Zita, who fluttered innocently and followed the clockwork mask.
"I need to bring Lady Zita. Lady Zita really doesn't know anything."
"Think of the Duchess first."
Stefano exclaimed. At the same time, my back touched the cold wall. It was a blind spot hidden behind a large pillar, and no one could find out.
"Do you know who is here now?"
Stefano moved his lips slowly, like someone who keeps bringing up facts he didn't want to say. My eyes shook with deep confusion at the sight.
"Who's coming?"
At this moment, there was only one person who should not be here.
"The Duke is here."
My heart sank.
I didn't know it was a place like this, so I didn't hide it from my employees. He could find out as much as he could about my whereabouts. Brandt must have known that this masquerade was an impure place.
Stefano let go of the hand that was holding me and said softly but heavily.
"I also found out by chance. The Duke had no reason to come, so I naturally had my eyes on you. And when I saw the Duchess being humiliated in front of a man wearing a childish lion mask, I found a reason."
Even while my heart was racing, I was embarrassed by the yellow butterfly mask that was said to be childish.
"I'II take you to the Duke's residence right now."
"No, I don't."
I grabbed my trembling arms and stood upright. Stefano twisted his mouth as if he couldn't understand.
"Duchess?"
"The fact that he came here now means he knew I was here. Sir Stefano is right. I'm not the kind of person who would come to this place for no reason."
"You need to go back quickly before you get caught to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings between the couple."
"No. If I go back now, He'll find out that I'm lying."
"Then what are you going to do?"
I looked at the world of pleasure that opened beyond Stefano.
It means that a man who doesn't fit in there is wandering around looking for me.
I pulled myself off the wall and said as I passed Stefano.
"Just as he came here looking for me. I will find my husband."
Stefano was so stupid that he didn't even call me anymore.
***
I stepped forward confidently, but in fact, my mind was also confused.
Who on earth leaked misinformation to the young children and dragged me to this Impure ball? When did Brandt come?
...How does Stefano know all that? Is it really a coincidence?
My consciousness was shaking aimlessly between the hot body temperatures that were crushing against me.
But even in the midst of this, my eyes only found one person. A dark and dark man. A man who is awkward to smile and is so expressionless that he doesn't even realize that he is laughing when he smiles sincerely. I was eagerly looking for Brandt, with his straight eyes and smooth, manly, angular lines.
Instead of avoiding him, I wanted to face him. This was my choice. My steps became more and more impatient.
At that time, I made eye contact with the lion mask not far away. I was startled and took a step back, but he began to approach me at the same breakneck speed as before.
'Why do you... at a time like this!'
As I turned around in a hurry, I ran into a shadow standing behind me like a wall.
"Oh!"
I hit it so hard that I screamed without realizing it. I bowed my head to apologize for my shame and apology.
"I'm sorry..."
At that time, a moist hand with a fever wrapped around my cheek. I slowly raised my head as his hand wanted. In the dry black mask with no decorations or patterns, the eyes of the familiar darkness I knew were shining.
"Who were you looking for?"
His breath was hot as he gritted his teeth and asked. However, joy soaked my heart before fear
"I'm sorry. Come to a place like this."
I poured out words to him as if I had been waiting. But Brandt's ears didn't seem to hear me.
"It was a mistake to let you roam freely! I'm going to lock you up like I thought at first..."
I doubted my ears. On the day I brought up the prom, I remembered his cold eyes.
"Do you know what I thought when I first married you?"
This was the true intention of a man who was neither excited nor raised his voice, but who couldn't bear to continue his words. No matter how much he did, he couldn't continue. If it had become a reality, I would have almost fallen victim to the play of confinement.
Whether it was because of the eeriness or for some other reason, my heart tightened with a strange pressure.
'What the hell was this man going to do to me?'
Brandt's hand wrapped around my cheek tightened. Brandt's hands were shaking as he controlled his power. He bit his lip and hugged me tightly, as if he were going to break me.
"Oh!"
It was such a strong hug. It was heavy and suffocating, as if it had been hit by a storm. But I didn't hate it.
"Answer. Who were you looking for?"
"...Who was I looking for?"
I whispered. Brandt flinched and dropped his upper body a little. A face full of anxious questions and pure anticipation looked down at me.
"I was looking for you. Because I know you're here."
The darkness that covered his eyes endlessly shook. However, anxiety did not subside like a suspicious hound.
"Did you come here because you knew what this place was for?"
"I didn't know."
The moment I said those words, I felt the embarrassment, fear, and sorrow for Brandt that I had felt when I arrived, all of which took off my mask and rushed at me.
"Without knowing and being afraid!"
I hugged Brandt's waist. His breath, which had been bursting out of excitement, stopped all at once.
"That's why I was scared."
Brandt's hand holding me tightened. The painful emotions hit the solid walls and scattered like smoke.
"But you came. I'm not scared anymore."
His expression changes mysteriously. Awkwardly but violently, as if he were a person who had never moved his facial muscles before. In the end, what was left was a painful sigh.
"Are you really... Hah."
"I'm sorry. But I didn't mean to betray you. I can explain everything."
Brandt shook his head silently.
What does it mean?
His face was flickering with faint and intense emotions, like candles.
Brandt stretched out his hand. His hand brushed my cheek and fiddled with the countless abundant feathers on the mask. I put one of the red feathers on the mask between Brandt's black mask ears. The corners of his mouth, which had been wrinkled, instantly became clear.
"What are you doing?"
"A black mask is too bleak."
The words that popped out without me knowing it were scattered into voices and became sincere.
"I just came to be my friend's companion. So I had no intention of dancing with anyone."
"..."
"But I just met a man who wants to dance."
Brandt asked firmly.
"Are you serious?"
When I was a little intimidated by his firmness and I couldn't answer, Brandt took a step back from me.
"Dance is not asked by women, but by men."
Then he reached out to me. The moment I held that hand, my skin rang, as if there was a heart under my palm.
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