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The Baron’s Daughter’s Ball
I was guided to the ballroom.
Since a baron’s family was called last, I watched the higher-ranking nobles enter after their names were called for a while.
As I was waiting for my turn while observing people, I made eye contact with some of the knights on guard duty. I recognized a few of them from when I served as a maid in the Knights’ Corps, so I greeted them with just a glance.
Amidst my observations, it was finally our turn.
“Baron Stanley Edigma, and Miss Marie Edigma!”
Upon hearing our names, my brother escorted me as we entered.
The dazzling light from the glittering chandeliers blinded me. Somehow managing to maintain a smile, I moved forward and the first thing I saw was the figure of King Risel sitting on the throne on the platform. He looked very imposing.
In addition, Reynaldo was standing close to the throne. Unlike the coronation outfit he wore earlier, he had changed into formal attire for the ball. It suited him well, especially with his long legs, and he looked strikingly beautiful, almost like a sculpture.
I somehow managed to enter without stumbling and received a drink, waiting.
After everyone’s names were called, King Risel, who was seated on the throne, stood up and raised his glass.
“Let us toast to this momentous occasion. Cheers!”
I raised my glass as well and joined in on the celebration.
The music then filled the party, adding to its splendor.
‘The food is delicious.’
Not actively participating in the dance, my brother and I, plates in our hand, enjoyed a sumptuous meal, unmistakably bearing witness to our identity as the children of a gourmand father who appreciated fine cuisine.
“Wow, this isn’t your typical lobster meunière from the Tours region. It’s incredible that I’m able to eat it in such a fresh and delicious state.”
“They brought them to the castle alive and cooked them just in time. Marie, what did you eat just now?”
“Sushi rolls[1]. It has a salad inside, which is quite interesting.”
It was obvious that my brother and I, who were more interested in food rather than socializing, stood out while having a meal, but I was completely unaware of it.
The music soon changes, and the newly crowned King gracefully led the first dance.
His dance partner was a woman from the royal family who was a relative and had been married off.
It’s very clever of him not to choose an unmarried woman as his partner for the first dance.
After the first dance, men and women around the area started dancing together in pairs.
“Do you have a dance partner?”
I asked my brother, and he gave me a piercing gaze while sipping champagne.
“Naturally. I’m just waiting for my turn.”
I can’t tell if he’s telling the truth or not.
“What about you? Are you going to dance with me?”
“Well…”
Just as I was about to accept my brother’s invitation, I noticed Reynaldo approaching us.
I could tell immediately because he was coming straight toward us.
“Marie.”
Reynaldo’s voice was filled with joy. I quickly acknowledged him with a brief nod, trying to maintain composure amidst the surrounding gazes.
“You look great.”
“It’s all due to the generosity of the Duke, who gifted me the dress and accessories. I’m truly grateful.”
“How about you express your gratitude with a dance?”
To think that the day has arrived when I receive a social invitation from Reynaldo.
I smiled, surprised but filled with memories of him as a young boy. I’m curious to see him dance.
“With pleasure.”
I placed my hand in Reynaldo’s palm, which was clad in white gloves, and he escorted me to the center of the hall.
With my hand resting on his tall shoulder, Reynaldo’s long fingers touched my waist.
As the music began to play, we gracefully moved to the rhythm.
“Who was Marie’s first dance partner?”
In the midst of our dance, Reynaldo leaned in and whispered in my ear.
“It was my brother. As a girl from a rural town, I didn’t know any male acquaintances.”
“Were you not approached at the debutante?”
“Not at all.”
I omitted the story that the reason for this was because I was helping a young lady who was being bullied at the debutante ball.
With the graceful turn prompted by Reynaldo’s dance, it becomes clear that he is skilled just by dancing together.
The dress he gave me sparkles as it reflects the light from the chandeliers.
“Who would have thought you could dance so skillfully? Rosemary would be amazed, I’m sure.”
“… And what about my sister?”
“I don’t really… feel anything in particular. Only memories.”
The intense emotions I had felt from Rosemary when I freed Reynaldo from his revenge were completely absent now.
All I had were memories of when I was Rosemary, as I have always had.
Sometimes, when Reynaldo visits for meals, he asks if he could meet Rosemary, who freed him from the curse, but unfortunately, I can’t give him the answer he wants.
He hopes for a reunion with his sister, but I believe it’s unlikely to happen anymore.
This is partly because Rosemary already understood her own position as a deceased person when her consciousness was still dominant, and what happened before was because she felt strongly about Reynaldo and Alberto’s future.
Moreover, I had the feeling that Rosemary had already merged into one inside me.
It’s difficult to explain it in words, so I evade the topic.
“I had always wanted to dance with my older sister when I grew up.”
“Rosemary felt the same way.”
“I’m happy to be able to dance with you, Marie.”
I responded to his smiling face, with emerald eyes that I remembered from Rosemary’s time, sparkling and looking down at me.
After finishing the dance with Reynaldo, he excused himself and bid farewell, explaining that he had work to attend to.
Afterward, despite being invited to dance by many women, he declined them all. As a result, the curious glances filled with interest in me grew even stronger, and I couldn’t bear it any longer, so I escaped to the garden.
Being a little away from the venue, I could hear the music faintly from a distance.
The night sky had already darkened, and the stars were faintly visible. Despite being a warm season, the night breeze was not favorable for the body, so few people were around.
Thinking it was not ideal to be in a sparsely populated area, I sat on a bench in the garden square. This way, I could easily return to the venue, and it’s still within reach of people’s eyes.
Women are taught to avoid going to places with few people as much as possible because dimly lit places like this are often considered suitable for secret rendezvous.
Perhaps because I was overwhelmed by the number of people in the ballroom, I felt at peace as I quietly gazed at the night sky.
“Miss Edigma.”
Suddenly, someone called my name, and I turned my gaze toward the voice. A man I didn’t recognize was standing there.
“If you don’t mind, would you like to join me?”
Sensing his persistent demeanor, I stood up from the bench.
“I was just resting here for a little while and going back soon. I don’t want to keep my brother waiting.”
At this moment, my brother is probably dancing with an acquaintance.
“Can you spare just a little bit of your time?”
As expected, he persistently insisted.
I was planning to respond more firmly since I had no intention of getting acquainted with a man who didn’t even introduce himself, but…
“What’s going on?”
From a short distance away, Alberto, with sharp eyes, stood before the man.
Footnote:
1. It’s actually called Makimono (sushi made rolled in nori seaweed with a core of filling), but I used the word “sushi rolls” for easier understanding.) ↵