Not understanding what kind of logic this was, a nervous noble approached the princess and greeted her.
The princess responded brightly, chatted for a bit, and then turned her back to me.
“Think carefully about it. Got it? Then, see you next time, madam.”
Leaving only a request and a nod.
I muttered as I watched the princess's retreating figure.
“It’s chaotic.”
“Indeed. But…”
“Hmm?”
“Have you decided to be friends with Prince Joshua?”
Ah. Right. I hadn’t told Dante.
For some reason, the idea of becoming friends with royalty felt like betraying Dante, so I kept it a secret.
But now that the princess had blown it all away and left, the secret was of no use anyway.
I awkwardly smiled and nodded.
“It just happened that way. Are you worried because he’s royalty?”
“No, it’s not because he’s royalty…”
Not so?
However, instead of continuing, Dante averted his gaze.
Could he be sulking?
That could be possible. Dante is much more sensitive than he appears.
I whispered to Dante in a hurry, as if to explain.
“Still, my number one in my heart is Dante.”
“Is that really true?”
“Of course.”
“Then, where does the prince rank?”
Huh. Why is he curious about that?
But since I was asked, I pondered my answer.
Hmm. Tied for second place are Marie and Sienna. Fourth is Barhan. Fifth is Heterson. Sixth is Markovs. Seventh is Ena. So, the rankings that come to mind right now are like this…
“Maybe around eighth or ninth? It could even be lower.”
Dante nodded slightly upon hearing my answer. He seemed somehow satisfied.
What is this?
Ah, but what’s important right now isn’t that.
“More importantly, did you see earlier? I won.”
Didn’t I proudly achieve victory in the fight against the prince?
I couldn’t help but boast, feeling proud of myself.
“I saw it. You definitely won, madam.”
“Right? If the prince bothers you again, let me know. I’ll make it a hundred wins out of a hundred.”
“That’s reassuring.”
We nodded lightly at each other.
“If anyone makes it hard for you, let me know.”
“Will you scold them, Dante?”
“Yes. I’ll win about ten out of ten.”
Why does his ten out of ten feel more reassuring than my hundred out of hundred?
I pressed my forehead against Dante’s shoulder and smiled.
“I’ll trust you.”
For some reason, a smile lingered on my lips.
* * *
It wasn’t long after that I became convinced that the venue of this ball was not good.
Having dealt a blow to the first prince, I was really thinking about leaving soon…
“Serafina.”
A terrible voice grabbed hold of me. I turned around with a creak.
There stood Count Adeline and his wife, along with Laura.
The three greeted me as if we were truly a close family.
While I remained silent with an awkward and stiff expression, they shamelessly pretended to be family.
The reason they were acting so friendly now was obvious.
It seemed I was getting along well with Duke Richter more than they expected, so they were feeling greedy.
Fortunately, I didn’t feel the same fear as before.
Only a terrible discomfort dominated my entire body.
After keeping me standing for a while, the three of them exchanged regretful expressions and said their goodbyes.
“Today, we must be going. But when do we plan to invite you to our home? It’s where our daughter lives, and as a mother, I should visit at least once.”
I responded to the nauseating pretense with silence.
The Countess, interpreting my silence as a positive response, soon said she would write a letter with a suitable time and took the Count and Laura away.
Only after they disappeared from sight could I finally exhale the breath I had been holding.
“It was them.”
“…What do you mean?”
“The ones who made Serafina afraid.”
Dante’s eyes were filled with rage as he spoke.
If looks could kill, those three would already be corpses.
Seeing Dante getting angry for me somehow comforted me.
I nodded with a smile.
“Right. It’s those people. My nightmare that I find terrifying.”
“No need to invite them.”
“Yes. I don’t want to invite them. I really don’t want to.”
Of course, just because I didn’t invite them didn’t mean they wouldn’t come.
But at least, I wouldn’t be the one to invite them.
I didn’t want to receive them as guests.
‘Uninvited Guests’
If they set foot in the Richter estate, the only position they would be allowed would be that much.
I took a deep breath again and released Dante’s hand.
“I’ll go get some fresh air for a moment.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No. I want to clear my head alone. I’ll be back soon.”
Dante hesitated for a moment before nodding with a reluctant expression.
What’s there to be anxious about for just a short separation?
I’m not a three-year-old child. No, is it the opposite?
“I’ll be back really soon, so stay here. Even if someone offers you candy, don’t follow them. Got it?”
After leaving my warning, I headed to the empty balcony in the corner.
Ah. It feels refreshing.
Maybe it’s because I’m out in the open, but I felt a bit of relief.
I could feel my dizzy mind gradually settling down.
The well-kept royal garden was visible under the dark night sky.
Ugh. Seeing that makes me miss the Richter estate even more.
I wanted to hurry back to the north. I wanted to check how much the potato field had grown and spend some silly time with everyone.
It was then.
Creak.
I heard the sound of the curtain that had been closed for privacy being pulled back.
Is it Dante?
He might not have been able to hold back and rushed over. He really can’t be stopped.
“Well, you said you’d be back soon…”
I turned around with a hollow laugh, only to freeze in place.
The person in front of me was someone unexpected.
“…Yulia?”
“You know me.”
The woman, veiled, responded to the name I guessed.
Yulia naturally closed the balcony curtain and stood in front of me.
I was taken aback.
“I never invited you in.”
“I tend not to ask for permission for things I’m not allowed to.”
“Oh. You’re much more reckless than I thought. Well, that’s why you betray people so casually.”
With no one watching, I openly took a defiant stance.
“It seems you have a bad feeling about me.”
“My husband dislikes you. My husband’s enemy is my enemy, isn’t it?”
“…It seems you really do get along well.”
“Yes. It’s fantastic. Compared to the great love you have with the prince, it might seem lacking.”
Silence was the only response.
Through the veil, I caught a glimpse of her tightly closed lips.
“If you have nothing to say, you might as well leave.”
“Can I give you one piece of advice?”
…What do they call this?
A collective monologue?
Just talking about what each of us wants to say. I shook my head in disbelief.
“No. Please don’t. I’m not really fond of receiving advice from anyone.”
“If you truly love Duke Richter, it would be best to stop.”
“I said I wouldn’t listen, yet you insist. Is your personality peculiar?”
“Duke Richter is not a good person to love.”
“I see. So my words just don’t reach you?”
Right. If you dislike the monk, the monk should leave, what can you do?
I shrugged my shoulders and passed by the woman.
“I’m telling you this for your sake.”
It really feels like the venue of this ball is cursed.
Shouldn’t I call a shaman or something to perform a ritual?
“Remember my advice. Don’t create regrets for no reason.”
…What is she even saying?
Ignoring the repeated advice or nonsense behind me, I stepped out onto the balcony.
And then I immediately grabbed Dante’s hand and fled the ballroom.
Even though it wasn’t hot, sweat dripped down my back.
“Remember my advice. Don’t create regrets for no reason.”
It felt like Yulia’s voice lingered behind me.
Why did she speak with such an earnest tone?
I shivered in discomfort. Yet, once a voice sticks, it doesn’t easily come off.
* * *
“…I missed you so much.”
The chilly air of the north.
The potato field that unexpectedly appeared between the gardens.
The sturdy people of the Richter estate.
I missed them all so, so much.
“Was the hunting ground that bad? You seem to have enjoyed yourself quite a bit.”
Seeing me all slumped, Marie tilted her head.
I buried myself in the cozy bed and waved my hand dismissively.
“Don’t even mention it. The place is cursed. I need to call someone to perform a ritual.”
“Huh? What’s a ritual?”
“It’s something like that. You’ll get hurt if you know.”
Ugh. It feels so good.
Finally, it felt like I had returned home. It’s a funny thing.
In fact, if you count the time spent, the duration in the north was the shortest.
I don’t know why this place feels the most comfortable.
As I lay there lazily, Marie placed a warm heating pad between my arms.
“What’s this? It’s so nice.”
As I groaned while hugging the warm pad tightly, Marie let out a small laugh.