Karen didn’t quite fancy Ian.
Because a stone that rolled in from somewhere captivated Princess Asteria’s heart.
— Such talented. It’s to the point where I want to somehow make it him my own, but I’m grateful just to stand side by side with him.
She couldn’t understand it.
Why someone as esteemed as Princess Asteria would desire someone of that caliber so much.
‘She never attached herself to anyone…’
Not even to Karen herself.
And he was her superior during the mission.
Annoying.
A corner of her heart felt stifled.
She knew it was off-topic, but she felt a slight dissatisfaction.
Of course, it was just a minor dissatisfaction.
Karen was a pro among pros.
She would follow Princess Asteria’s orders, but she couldn’t help but notice his shortcomings.
‘His performance on the train was excellent, but he lacked composure.’
For example, his somewhat rhythmless gait…
It certainly wasn’t the gait of someone who had danced.
Thinking about him having to perform the role of ‘the princess’s man’ splendidly at today’s banquet was somewhat dreadful.
‘I’ll have to teach him.’
A little revenge, perhaps. She startled him slightly as the price of her teaching.
Then she took his hand.
One step, two steps.
“…?”
Karen was taken aback.
.. She felt it.
His footsteps changed with each step he took.
As if absorbing her teachings as if rediscovering a long-lost memory.
A certain genius sculptor once said,
‘One does not carve the sculpture, one merely reveals the form buried within the marble.’
Ian was clearly remembering, as if he had momentarily forgotten the dance he was just learning.
Karen realized.
That’s talent.
And she let her guard down for a moment in that realization.
Ian pulled her closer.
They were close enough to hear each other’s breaths.
His black pupils were staring at her.
“How does it feel now?”
Even in this darkness, his eyes shone brightly.
Just like his talent.
“… It’s enough.”
Karen could vaguely feel what Princess Asteria saw in him.
◆
Escorts are not allowed into the banquet hall.
However, it seems the escorts also dress up in simple ceremonial attire to blend in with the atmosphere.
“It’s nice not to have to fit into the nobles’ expectations, being an escort makes me happy.”
Karen headed towards the side road, saying that there would be a separate gathering for the escorts.
“The representative attendee for the Third Princess, Ian Blackangers!”
The banquet hall was luxurious and splendid.
‘… Act as naturally as possible.’
Of course, Ian, who was not accustomed to such noble gatherings, was there. But.
– Originally, ‘the princess’s man’ is lenient no matter what he does. Shall we say he’s a kind of clown?
According to Karen’s advice, as long as he doesn’t get scared, it’s fine.
It means he just needs to act confidently and leisurely, so it’s not that difficult.
As he ate finger food and looked around, he noticed some notable figures.
Promising talents from the North, mid-level members of various guilds, a couple of people who seemed like journalists including Schwab, and others.
However, even among those people, Ian felt that the interest in him was not small.
“Oh my. You look even more elegant when dressed up. What’s your relationship with the Third Princess?”
The first woman who approached him was a young lady from a viscount’s family, who was elaborately dressed and seemed interested in gossip.
And.
“As you attended the Northern Grand Duke’s banquet, I naturally expect you to participate in the tournament that will begin tomorrow. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Prospective named knights, who are mainly active in the northern region, also showed a strong desire to win.
“If it’s Blackangers, isn’t it the family that ruled Istan near the capital? Hehe.”
Among the middle-aged nobles, there were some who approached him with a somewhat pitiful tone.
And so, he interacted with people for a while.
The dazzling jewels adorned by the nobles hurt his eyes, and the strong scent of perfume kept numbing his sense of smell.
‘… Socializing is tough.’
He felt the need for some fresh air.
Taking a brief respite shouldn’t tarnish his image as ‘the princess’s man’.
A small outdoor area connected by a small door caught his eye. Despite looking deserted due to most nobles having gone indoors, it seemed suitable for a brief escape.
As he tried to make his way through the corridor.
“Oh, are you already tired?”
A greasy and slippery voice reached his ears.
“Haha. A bit disappointing for someone dubbed ‘the third princess’s man’, isn’t it?”
The mid-level boss, Herman Pierce.
At first, he thought he resembled a male version of Sharon, but that wasn’t the case.
If Sharon Pierce was like an ice sculpture, this man was like melting, slippery ice.
Despite his sharp appearance, he felt somewhat rounded.
Even his light-hearted jokes carried weight.
“It’s a splendid banquet with plenty of entertainment. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Haha. I thought you might be tired since you’re the third princess’s man. Haven’t you experienced more glamorous banquets than this, even if you are relatively new?”
Typical of him to be suspicious. While his words seemed half-hearted on the surface, they carried clear sarcasm and doubt.
“Don’t you want to savor the excellent food slowly and enjoyably? To take it easy for a bit.”
“Hmm.”
He let out a soft breath.
It might be interpreted as suspicion, questioning whether there was another motive behind that sigh, but it wasn’t easy to guess what was on Herman’s mind.
Herman muttered in his slippery voice.
“The third princess’s men have always been sociable. I look forward to the performance that will soon begin.”
With that, Herman’s figure disappeared into the distance.
‘… What’s his deal?’
The purpose behind his annoying behavior wasn’t clear.
Was he hoping to boost the success of the banquet as ‘the princess’s man’ clown?
Or was he doubting whether the title of ‘the princess’s man’ itself was false and hiding some other purpose?
The former, because this banquet was a significant event in his succession competition, and the latter, to build up achievements. It wasn’t easy to guess what was going on in Herman’s head.
But one thing was for sure, he was definitely looking down on Ian.
Ian let out a small sigh as he stepped outside.
“Phew.”
Even though it was outdoors, it was cool.
Upon closer inspection, there was a clear boundary between where snow had piled up and where it hadn’t.
Perhaps it was the manifestation of some kind of magic.
Turning his head, he saw Lina Rosewell, laughing brightly like a fish in water, meeting people beyond the windows.
Her dress, matching her hair color, seemed to bloom like a flower.
“Danya…”
He had worried about potential discrimination as a beastman, but it seemed she was attracting the attention of young nobles. Well, with those fluffy tail and perky ears, it’s hard not to.
“There’s no need to ruin the party.”
Ian muttered.
Though he felt a moment of frustration because of that slippery ice guy, he needed to focus on the bigger picture now.
Herman Pierce was the mid-level boss he should stick to, so even if he decided to turn the tables on him now, it wouldn’t be too bad, but it wouldn’t be wise to attract the attention of the Grand Duke for no reason.
“I don’t necessarily have to ruin it.”
Anyway, this banquet was already a mess.
— Bububam!
Just then, from the inside, the sound of musical instruments was heard.
The flower of the social scene, the ball.
The music announcing its beginning started to flow.
◆
— Bubam!
The attention of the banquet hall was drawn to a sudden, loud sound of musical instruments, halting momentarily in the spotlight.
The abrupt silence caused people to look around for a moment.
— Tick-tock
The dazzling lights that illuminated the banquet hall dimmed.
Then, the magic candles that had been softly glowing on the floor began to rise slowly towards the ceiling.
– “Oh, oh.”
The gentle and moody rise of the candles, accompanied by the light murmurs of admiration from the attendees, added another layer to the atmosphere of the ball.
As the music resumed, signaling the beginning of the ball, it also marked its conclusion.
— Ah, that was quite a spectacle.
— Lord Herman Pierce indeed possesses not only a sharp wit but also versatile talents.
Herman Pierce looked satisfied as he surveyed the banquet hall.
‘Surely, the effort put into the production was worthwhile.’
Although the expected ‘princess’s man’ turned out to be a disappointment and his true identity needed to be investigated, finishing the ball in this kind of atmosphere would be impeccably perfect.
‘Once rumors spread in the social circles, solidifying my succession will be much easier.’
Herman Pierce nodded satisfactorily.
Meanwhile.
“Hmm.”
Ian was realizing his mistake.
‘I forgot to find a partner.’
It’s customary for men to find female partners at balls. While others were busy finding partners, he was outside enjoying the cool breeze… Being ‘the princess’s man’ was no different from being incompetent from the start.
Ian let out a small sigh.
He had an inkling of where Herman’s suspicion might have stemmed from.
‘My dance instructor never taught me the basics.’
If Karen had heard, she would have given him an earful.
Of course, there’s no rule that says he must dance from the first song. It’s just that skeptical glances would be focused on him for passing on the first song as ‘the princess’s man’.
— It seems Ian Blackangers couldn’t find a partner.
— Wow, there wasn’t a single lady here that caught his eye?
— Is it because they’re not princesses that they don’t interest him?
As he walked towards the outskirts, murmurs from the surroundings reached his ears.
At the other end, the conductor was about to wave his baton, and the strings of cellos and violins were trembling, about to start the first waltz for the ball…
At that moment.
— Creak!
The door of the banquet hall opened roughly.
A bright light suddenly flooded the softly lit banquet hall. The people standing in the ballroom squinted their eyes.
Amidst this, someone muttered.
“Sh-Sharon, Lady Sharon?”
All eyes turned towards the door.
With her blue hair tied up, the cold-faced girl, Sharon Pierce.
She bowed slightly, appearing somewhat embarrassed yet elegant in a way unseen before.
“Sorry for being a little late to my brother’s banquet.”
– Creak.
Herman Pierce gritted his teeth.
‘Why is that b*tch here.’
Both the lighting and sound had been meticulously crafted to create a romantic and subtle atmosphere. And yet, that girl had completely ruined it just by opening the door. Was it intentional? No. It was definitely intentional.
A thin bead of sweat dripped from Herman’s furrowed brow, but due to the attention gathered around him, he quickly regained his smile.
“Wh-what can one say about a younger sibling’s visit. Especially when it’s her first step into society. Come on in. The ball was just about to begin.”
Slick.
Sharon, who had been holding the hem of her dress and bowing her head, glanced around the ballroom.
The youngest lady of the Pierce family, making a shocking debut into high society at her brother’s ball.
Where she would go was the subject of everyone’s attention.
Or rather.
In fact, her destination was already determined.
Because there was only one person without a partner on the ballroom floor.
— Tick-tock.
In the silence, the sound of Sharon’s footsteps echoed.
And at the end, the third princess’s man stood.
