Catherine looked at the back of Gremory's head with a bewildered face.
'What is it? Why are you obediently getting out of the way?'
She doesn't think she hid in a corner of her personality and cried. It made her feel even worse when she showed such a suspicious attitude. Did the two of them come up with some plan?
'Yes, let's see. I have a plan on my side.'
Catherine smiled as best she could and looked up at Chession.
"Come on. I'll show you around the garden."
"It's an honor, Lady Ortega."
Catherine's face warmed up shyly. The day will come when she will walk through the garden with Chession arm in arm.
'I don't know why, but seeing that he even treated me like this, I guess he was in a hurry to do so.'
Catherine introduced him to various types of flowers. At the same time, she subtly led Chession to a secret place.
"That flower was brought from the Eastern Continent, but it is very difficult to bloom here in the Western..."
"Lady Ortega."
"Yes"
"Are there any Rilkena flowers here?
"Because I especially like those flowers. Oh, of course. The flower is far away. It's a pity, but it's in a corner."
Catherine pointed in the direction of the Rilkena flower.
Chession clearly engraved the location of that direction in his mind. He vowed to never let Mori go to the other side.
And he thought it was enough to match Catherine's slanders.
"Let's go to the ballroom. It's time for the ball to start soon."
"It's okay to be a little late. So just a little longer..."
"Let's go back."
Chession's voice was soft, but there was a resolute power in it. Catherine's eyes flickered.
"...Yes, let's go back."
In the end, Catherine returned to the ball with Chession. The way back was very quiet, unlike the way back. For some, it was a very cruel silence.
***
When they arrived at the ballroom, a man and a woman paired with their partners chattered happily past Catherine. There were only happy couples here and there.
Catherine, who had been awkwardly attached to Chession, became irritated for no reason. Chession didn't ask Catherine anything, and he didn't say anything first. He only answered what she said with minimal courtesy.
'Ha. You've been so stubborn. The initiative is still in my hands.'
Catherine calmed down and suddenly became curious about Gremory's current situation. Come to think of it, what is she doing alone?
'She doesn't have a partner, does she? Is she going to endure alone even if she is sold?'
Chaterine was afraid to think so, but she saw Gremory with a man. She was flirting with the Marquis of Kurchen Tebel.
'What, when have you two been close?'
When she saw Gremory smiling, her anger rose again. It seemed that the only people who weren't smiling in this vast ballroom were she and Chession.
"Lady Ortega."
Chession's voice caught Catherine's attention.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"The first song will start soon. Get ready."
"Yes. Go to where we can see it best!"
Catherine, excited that Chession had spoken to her first, smiled and led Chession to the center of the ballroom. People noticed that they were getting out of the way around them.
Catherine made eye contact with her father, who was standing far away. She nodded sternly towards her father.
'This time I must connect with His Highness, how did my father create this opportunity...'
The music began, Chession led Catherine, and Catherine moved diligently to his fairly fast movements.
Chession's dance was surprisingly stiff. No, he was clearly dancing stiffly on purpose. Catherine had watched Chession's dance with fascination at every banquet, so she could never know it.
"...Your movements are not flexible today. You used to dance better than this."
"I'm not feeling well today."
"Are you very bad? Then would you like to just dance for the first time and go rest with me?"
"No, my partner is not feeling well."
"Yes?"
Catherine doubted her ears. Did I hear it wrong because of the loud music?
And when she met Chession's cold gaze, Catherine cried out for being sure that she had heard it straight.
"You're too much. How can you say that? How can you be so rude to me?"
"You are committing rudeness. Lady Ortega, you have been expressing your feelings to me for a long time. Each time, I clearly expressed my Intention to refuse."
"But..!"
"That's all I can do to look at you generously. Don't be more rude."
Chession's eerie voice was cold in her ears. Catherine felt goosebumps and continued the stiff dance.
After some time, Catherine no longer smiled like a girl. She looked up at Chession with a suddenly darkened expression.
"If you've read the letter about renting a relic properly, you probably know about the special clause I wrote down at the bottom, right?"
"You asked for a rental fee. I wonder if they are trying to blackmail me with money later."
"I know that the Grand Duke is not in a situation where you can repay the rental fee. You poured out all your wealth to buy the holy relics. If you are engaged to me, I can do it for you without renting money..."
"No, you don't have to worry about my financial situation. I disposed of all my property, but there are still plenty of black demon stones left."
The first song is over. Then someone poked Catherine in the shoulder.
Catherine nervously turned around. Gremory, who was standing behind her, grinned and held out something. It was a lump of black magic stone the size of a watermelon.
"Shall I give you one? We have a lot of this."
"Ha..."
Catherine lowered her head to hide her red eyes. Then she hurriedly left. Seeing this, Duke Ortega sighed heavily and went to soothe his daughter.
Kurchen chuckled from the side.
"Mori. Let's make fun of her for just apologizing. It was a bit harsh to just have a watermelon."
"It's no different from that."
Kurchen didn't know that Gremory was a witch or that she was the one who created the Black Demon Stone, but he was just enjoying the situation.
Chession greeted Kurchen warmly.
"It's been a long time, Kurchen."
"Haha, how have you been? From Mori's opinion, the two of you got along quite well."
"Not to mention. We're doing very well."
"By the way, even if I suddenly ask why you asked me for the holy relics... Sniff... A while... Do you have the sachet I gave you? It smells like incense. Seeing this scent means there's something evil very close to it."
At that moment, Chession and Gremory's eyes met. He brought a sachet to notice the witch chase approaching, but the scent was getting thicker as Gremory approached. He used to fall away because of this sachet, but then he forgot about it.
Chession made an excuse.
"I just made a perfume with a similar scent and sprayed it. I liked the scent of that sachet."
"You have a very unique taste. Sniff. But isn't it too much perfume?"
Gremory took Kurchen's hand and led him far away.
"Stop smelling my man and let's go do our business."
"What are we going to do?"
"Just drinking and eating fruit over there... Ugh!"
It was that moment. Suddenly, the ground began to shake like crazy.
It was a major earthquake.
People hid under tables or ran towards the doorway to protect their heads.
"Ugh! Save people!"
"Oh! What the heck is this! It's a sudden earthquake!"
"Uh! The pillar is collapsing!"
Tremendous earthquakes continued. As if they were trying to smash the ballroom.
'Could it be that the earthquake was caused by Etna? Damn, I didn't feel any...!'
Gremory took advantage of the confusion to go out to the terrace and spread her wings, and soar.
She arrived quickly on the roof of the ballroom. After all, Etna was there. With a huge, dark blue magic circle unfolded.
She wore a necklace made from Etna's orb shards around her neck. It seemed that she hid her intentions by hiding with it.
Etna made eye contact with Gremory and grinned.
"Don't come close! If you get even a little closer, I know how to crush this ballroom like paper. Then the four humans in this will also be crushed."
"You'll be crushed before that."
"Hah! Which of the two, you or me, moves faster? I'm already putting my hands on the magic circle. Before you even approach me, your man will be crushed with this ballroom?"
"I don't think so."
Gremory raised her hand in the air. Then, as if crushing something in her grip, she clenched her fist hard.
"Because of your friend's race, I honed my new skills."
"Ugh!"
Etna's hands, which had been caught off guard, were broken.
"Where dare you? Who else are you going to take hostage?"
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