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“Did you wait long? Sorry.”
I hurried out of the dressing room at Veronica's urging after finishing styling my light pink hair which looked silver under the light as the finishing touch.
“The others already went down.”
“Dietrich, too?”
“That’s right.”
“Sister, today–”
Veronica, dressed in a woman’s suit prepared by Madame Celine, unbuttoned her stuffy shirt and grinned.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You look so cool.”
I heard that the last dress I wore at the banquet had become popular, but what was explosively more popular than that was the dress suit that Veronica wore.
The pants looked like a skirt since they were wide which makes them comfortable but also stylish.
‘Though of course, it was even cooler because our sister was the one who wore it.’
“Hmm.”
“What’s wrong?”
“But that guy is probably more popular than me.”
Veronica, who entered the hall, gestured with her chin to the upper floor. It was then that I saw Dietrich three steps above the stairs holding a wine glass while standing at an angle.
“Well, Dietrich always looks good.”
“No, I think Madame Celine really put all her effort into this. After all, there’s no way that he would give permission for her to dress him up.”
I narrowed my eyes and observed him at her words.
His fringe, which usually was down without anything applied to it, had been brushed up which showed his dazzling appearance.
His full dress uniform was black and he also had dark hair that might look dull at first glance, but the splendor of his appearance was as bright as if a chandelier had been dropped on his face which offsets this.
“....I know right. He stands out more than Yuric today.”
I looked around with one hand pressing on my strangely pounding chest. Dietrich’s dry temperament was famous, but all the young ladies that entered the hall took a glance at him yet couldn’t approach him.
‘Is this my chance to confirm the second symptom that Baal mentioned?’
I cleared my throat loud enough for the crowd of young ladies near us to hear.
“Dietrich isn’t the type of person to easily reject a person who approaches him. Don’t you know he’s quite soft?”
Veronica frowned at me wondering what I was saying.
“......Him?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Are you talking about Dietrich? Our family head? The Grand Duke of Lagrange?”
“Yes! Although he doesn’t reply, he still reads the letters that young ladies sent!”
Of course, that was a blatant lie. It was all trashed by Lancel – it was obvious he’d be angry if he saw them – before he could even see the ends of the envelope let alone read them.
Veronica smiled prettily as if she finally understood my meaning and nodded her head.
“Ahh, well. Something like that did happen.”
Though there’s always a singularity that’s limited to someone. Veronica added in a whisper.
However, the young ladies who didn’t hear her whispered words seemed to gain courage as they clenched their fists and approached Dietrich.
“That lady is the daughter of Duke Luzen, isn’t she?”
“Yeah. Camilla Luzen. Isn’t she pretty?”
I nodded slightly at Veronica’s question. She was definitely as glamorous as her name. There were no corners of her that were not pretty as she was beautiful from head to toe and her bashful demeanor seemed strangely provocative.
I watched as the beautiful woman, whose beauty could not compare to either Veronica or me, approached Dietrich.
“With that beauty, wouldn’t Dietrich also react to her?”
Dietrich’s strange obsession with me maybe because there weren’t any women around.
I looked at Camilla’s back, trying to ignore the feeling of sinking little by little at that thought.
“I don’t know. Why are you curious about that?”
“I heard something from Baal. He said Dietrich is too calm for a person with Asmodeus’ blood.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Veronica listened, rubbing her lips with her finger as if what I was saying was interesting.
“Yeah. Just look at Yuric.”
As if to prove Baal’s words, Yuric didn’t even have time to say hello because he was too busy dancing with women every time he went to a banquet.
“Ah, he saw her. Just now.”
Finally, Camilla Luzen was in front of Dietrich. Overwhelmed by her dazzling beauty and her title as a princess, the other young ladies stepped down as if paving her way.
Soon, Camilla began to speak to Dietrich first, but his heavy lips didn’t open nor did they even twitch.
Veronica opened her mouth instead.
“He’s not even answering. Look at that jerk.”
His face was so stiff to the point that the other person was feeling uncomfortable. His slanted raised eyebrows could be seen from afar.
“I think he’s getting annoyed?”
“Maybe Camilla is just not his type.”
I muttered as if to excuse Dietrich’s actions. As he turned away from Camilla – a lady whose beauty rivaled Camilla’s – began to get close to him.
“Wow. That lady isn’t even daunted.”
He ignored her, who was thick enough to talk alone and frowned at the crowd that formed around him as if it was getting on his nerves.
“.......Anissa, I’m betting with ten blois that he’s going to leave now.”
As Veronica said, he seemed to say something to the knight next to him and soon turned his back and left the hall.
“Baal had said it was strange. I guess that was true. Is Dietrich not affected by the contract?”
There was a small hope that his soul might not be eaten but Veronica adamantly shook her head.
“I don’t think that’s the case. It’s not that Yuric and I who signed the contract indirectly weren’t affected as well.”
Saying so, she raised her hand to greet a group of young lords and ladies.
“Who knows if I didn’t sign a contract like the triplets.”
People who mistakenly thought she had greeted them flushed furiously and turned their heads bashfully, both men and women alike.
"..........."
Marilyn had already tipped me about Veronica’s shameful private life, but seeing it confirmed in front of my eyes made my face feel hot.
She giggled at me who was being shy in her place and continued.
“But I think I know the reason why?”
“Huh?”
“If you want to check, why don’t you try it?”
“M-me?”
When I asked her back, she bent her waist and whispered secretly like a devil in my ears.
“There was something that Madame Celine taught.”
I stepped back, surprised at Veronica’s words, and flushed furiously.
“How could I do that!”
“If someone hears you they might think it’s something great. Anyone can drop things on purpose.”
She shrugged her shoulders and gently smiled at the young lord who was hesitating to approach her.
“It’s been a while, Rill.”
“Ms. Veronica! Do you recognize me?”
“Of course. I don’t easily forget a cute face like yours.”
How could she say such flirtatious words so easily? I glared at her who was walking away with a young lord while winking at me.
‘......Should I try it?’
Some of the social tips that Madame Celine had taught me were techniques to catch the eyes of the young lords.
The dress alone was enough to do it, so I didn’t have a chance to use them.
‘I have to find out whether the symptom that Baal mentioned has appeared.’
Furthermore, I could also confirm whether the strange aura I saw in him at the last ball was my mistake or not.
I nodded with a stiff face and pulled out a folding fan from the clutch.
Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/.
“Where did Dietrich go?”
“He went out to the balcony.”
I started walking, feeling relieved at the polite response of the knight. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like he had gone out like last time.
Entering the balcony hidden in the corner guided by the knight, I turned my back and approached the shadow of the person who was standing against the wind.
The balcony, which was a mixture of gray moonlight and flickering yellow lanterns, was not bright, but Dietrich’s cool face was sufficiently distinguishable.
“What.”
“What are you doing here? How could the head leave his seat?”
I shrugged my shoulders as if I had no purpose in finding him, facing the shadows on his sharp nose.
Dietrich glanced down at me with a cold gaze.
Even though I was dressed in a similar way as the last time, his aura was clear with no sign of interest.
‘Did I really mistook it?’
But why was I feeling upset?
“My head hurts because of the scent.”
He frowned as he pressed his wrist on his temple. The cravat that was nicely tied earlier had been untied.
“Is it that stifling?”
I grasped the tip of Dietrich’s cravat with a haughty smile. When I tied it back neatly on top of his shirt, his heavy gaze touched my forehead.
“What are you looking at?”
As my eyes widened at the colder impression he was radiating than when I entered, Dietrich slowly opened his mouth.
The bright red tongue between his open lips strangely draw my attention and I faltered back.
‘Maybe I’m the one who's affected by the demon?’
“......Where did you learn how to tie a cravat?”
The tone of his voice was freezing but his question didn’t have much meaning.
I shrugged my shoulders saying it was natural that I would know.
‘Why is he frowning so much when asking that one question?’
“It’s common sense. Like how to tie a ribbon, or how to close a coat. Madame Monmatre told me.”
“Did that bastard tell you to tie a cravat?”