The masquerade ball hosted by the ducal household had an unprecedented amount of attendees. Almost all of those that received an invitation were attending the ball, and there were quite a few people that had managed to obtain an invitation through secret means.
Princess Siennaâs attendance absolutely shattered the foundations of high society.
Sienna rarely attended social events. She would only show her face for a short while at events that required her attendance within the Palace. Since Princess Sienna didnât seem to be close to anyone yet, it meant that the window of opportunity to get closer to her was still open.
The attendees felt that it was a pity that todayâs event was a masquerade. The dress code required them to wear masks and wigs. They needed to hide their identities.
They wouldnât have a problem figuring out each othersâ identities once they shared a few words. Their social circle was small. They always met the same people at every party.
The charm of the masquerade was that they could all pretend they didnât know each other even though they all clearly did. However, today was different. Everyone was troubled over how they could get the Princess to recognize them. Should they pretend to snag their mask on something and have it fall off? Or maybe drop their masks as if by mistake? Everyone had the same thoughts running through their heads.
The party had just begun in the late afternoon, but the tension was already high. The wide hall of the ducal palace was full of people. Duke Lukeâs daughter-in-law, Countess Luke, looked down on the hall from the upper balcony and was delighted by what she saw. Todayâs ball was a great success.
âMother, let me escort you down.â
Joseph stopped just before heading downstairs and gave the countess his arm.
âYou need to escort the Princess.â
âOf course I will, but she hasnât arrived yet.â
âWicked boy. When the Princess arrives, Iâm sure youâll just abandon me and go to her. Are you going to leave your mother to take care of your future wife?â
âPlease understand.â
The countess glared at her son as she smiled.
âYouâre absolutely sure she will be coming, right?â
âOf course. I got word that she has already departed the Palace.â
âThe Princess probably took a liking to you, right?â
âItâs too soon to tell. Weâve only met once. However, itâs the first time she has accepted an invitation to an event outside.â
âYes. Youâre right. Sheâs such a serious person. Iâm sure she didnât accept your invitation without having a reason to.â
The mother and son were feeling victorious as if the Blue Kingâs seat and the position as the Princessâs husband were already theirs.
As she went downstairs and greeted the guests, the countess had the triumphant smile of a winner. The laughing faces of the guests hid their envy. In front of the countessâs face, they declared how amazing the party was, but behind her back, they belittled her.
âThe countess looks as if she has already obtained the world.â
âDo you really think the Blue King will come from Duke Lukeâs family?â
âIs it to be Luke after Rimone? Still, the Rimones wonât be pushed around by them.â
âOf course. They have the Red King.â
âThereâs talk that the Red King approved of Joseph as the Blue King. I heard that the two ducal families have already come to an agreement.â
âHonestly, I donât understand. Other than his pretty face, what does Joseph have to offer?â
âIâm sure thatâs exactly why the Red King approves of him.â
âAha.â
The ladies all chattered away, not concerned at all of being overheard. They lowered their voices, but they didnât look like they were trying.
In high society, tongues became daggers that stabbed people. As long as it wasnât said directly in that personâs presence, everything was silently tolerated. Even if they said it directly behind that personâs back.
In a corner not that far away from the countess, a man was standing still, not interacting with any of the other guests. Even though he didnât want to listen to the gossip, he couldnât help but overhear. He smiled bitterly.
He wore a simple mask that covered more than half his face. He had long brown hair that looked so natural that one wouldnât be able to tell whether it was his real hair or whether it was a wig.
The man was standing away from prying eyes. He didnât make his presence known, almost as if he was hiding, but the moment he entered the room, he caught the sharp eyes of the ladies. As they pretended to flutter their fans, their eyes openly looked him up and down.
âIs he a knight? He has a great body.â
Because they couldnât see his face, his mysterious aura was even more striking. They wanted to take off his well-fitting tailcoat and see his body.
Kuhn pretended not to notice the covetous gazes.
âThis is why I donât like coming to these.â
Unlike the usual parties that pretended to be refined, the masquerades were far more devoted to peopleâs desires. If he were to compare it to one extreme, it was like a gathering of rutting beasts. Once it got closer to midnight, they wouldnât only stare at him. They would rub their breasts up against his arm and stick their bodies close to his.
âWhy did she choose a masquerade of all things?â
He grumbled at the Princessâs disappointing choice.\n