CH 10

(Renée’s POV)

No matter how I looked at it, she seemed to wonder why I was there.

Should I not have said hi?

Now that I’ve thought about it, I didn’t properly apologize for slapping her. Instead, I hugged her out of the blue.

‘Surely she has a reason to treat me with contempt…’

Anastasia had made eye contact with me for a while. She even dropped the things she had been holding in her hand.

What fell on the floor was an invitation. A very luxurious invitation with gold leaves covering its borders.

Oh, Anastasia was in charge of checking the invitations.

‘But why is Anastasia doing this?’

“Please show us your invitation.”

Said the guard with a straight face.

I thought my time had come, but I coughed and smiled softly.

“How strange. Didn’t Reden come first?”

“What?”

“Reden took my invitation by mistake. Didn’t he mention anything when he entered?”

I could vividly feel Catherine’s grip tighten around my forearm.

Acting like this so casually must have made Catherine feel perplexed.

I ignored it and firmly continued to make eye contact with the guard. The guard glanced back at Anastasia.

Anastasia, who was staring at me with a blank gaze, flinched. Then, she quickly bent her legs to avoid my eyes.

“Uhm, wait a minute… I’ll Check…”

Her voice let out a hint of embarrassment, and her clumsy attempt to pick up the invitation on the ground was both sad and bitter to watch.

Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations.

‘Were she nervous because she saw me?’

Looks like I still have a long way to go to get close to Anastasia.

Upon realizing that fact, I proceeded to also bend down and pick up the invitation that she dropped.

Next to me, Catherine called out to me in an astonished voice. I ignored it.

As I picked up the invitation, Anastasia lifted her head.

I met again with her golden eyes.

I also felt it last time. Her eyes were so beautiful that I couldn’t believe their existence.

If God existed in this world, I think Anastasia’s eyes were especially made with time and effort to craft.

As expected of the main character.

Anastasia blushed shyly at my seemingly bewitched stare.

“…Thank you, Renée.”

Argh! Argh! What should I do with this angel?

How can you thank me for picking up an invitation?

As expected, Anastasia must really be an angel.

[ Tl: what kind of conclusion was that Renée? XD ]

“It’s nothing.”

I cleared out such thoughts and calmed myself down before handing her the invitation with an innocent smile.

Anastasia hesitated and gratefully accepted it. Only then did I come to my senses realizing that this was not the time to admire Anastasia’s angelic appearance.

The situation is quite dim. The lie that I made up was good, but… Can I really safely enter the banquet hall without being caught?

I rolled my eyes and looked at the door of the banquet hall. Anastasia, who was slowly checking the invitation, spoke in a cautious tone.

“Re, Lady Renée, Marquis Reden didn’t say anything when he came… There’s no invitation for Lady Renée. There must be a mistake.”

Of course not, because I lied.

Anastasia, who was unaware of it, laughed as she glanced at me.

Her cheeks were shaking slightly. It was an obvious sign of stress.

“Yes, but there’s no way that the invitation would suddenly disappear, right? If it wasn’t taken by my brother, then is it possible that a stray cat stole it?”

This was the time to say nonsense.

“You can’t enter without an invitation. I’m afraid I have to ask you to leave.”

The guard, who was standing like a wooden stone next to her, intervened with his unique rough voice.

As expected, it was never going to work.

But I can’t give up now. All I need to do is take one step inside.

“Then, will you call over Marquis Reden? I’ll check with him.”

“I can’t leave my position.””

“How can you be so inflexible? Anastasia Solen, would you like to accompany me?”

Catherine called me from the back. It sounded like a sign to stop but I was desperate in my own way.

Anastasia stared at me with trembling eyes. One that raised a small question.

Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations.

Anastasia is indeed anxious because of me.

Not just nervous, but scared.

Eyes that seem to ask why I’m even here.

It’s like I shouldn’t be here.

It’s like… hiding something…

‘Am I thinking about this too much?’

At that time, Anastasia’s gaze turned to the right.

Someone unfamiliar came and before I could recognize him, his voice reverberated in the wind.

“Is something wrong?”

“Hello!”

Unlike when he greeted me, the guard saluted and shouted loudly in a straight posture.

As soon I turned around to find answers, I found a hand over my shoulder. Taken aback by the sudden contact, I gazed up at the owner of the black gloves standing behind me.

Someone approached us with a friendly tone.

The man dressed in a sophisticated outfit looked as respectable as Reden. He had purple eyes hidden behind his disheveled black hair.

This was definitely my first time seeing him, and I couldn’t figure out who he was.

But strangely enough, he looked familiar.

‘Who is he? Was he a character in the novel?’

The man wore a smile. However, his stern eyes held no joy at all. The guards appeared to be wary of the gaze of such a man and barely made a move.

“We were speaking for a while because we could not verify her invitation”

“Aha.”

The man reacted roughly and looked down at me.

I was wearing heels but he was still taller than me.

Is he someone familiar enough to Renée to put his hand on my shoulder like this?

I moved my gaze towards him, acknowledging that he was crazy. I attempted to take his hand off my shoulder but failed as he had already taken it off himself.

He smiled at me. The way that the corner of his mouth curved looked cool.

“Renée Blair.””

He called my name.

“…. Do you know me?”

“Is there anyone in the country who doesn’t know you?”

“But why are you talking informally?”

“Oh, that’s right. Why did I drop the honorifics?”

“Ha?”

“Don’t we usually talk informally?”

“No, today is the first time we’ve spoken…”

The man lowered his eyes and then raised them again to meet with mine.

“Since we’re already here, should we just speak informally?”

The man had a low smile as he raised his eyebrows along with his weird logic. He then returned his gaze to the guard.

“If you can’t get in because you don’t have an invitation then, let’s just say you’re my partner. You’re in luck. I don’t have a partner.”

“Yes?”

Anastasia reacted first to the man’s words. Her eyes were wider than usual.

Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations.

The man looked down at Anastasia with a face asking if there was a problem with his decision.

I felt pressure even though it wasn’t me but Anastasia receiving such a powerful gaze.

It was only then that I made a conclusion

This man is not an ordinary person.

“Partner? What does that mean?”

“…….”

“Well, a partner…”

“Lady.”

Neither the man, the guard, nor Anastasia answered my question. So I asked again in frustration. Catherine quietly murmured to herself, telling me to stop.

“I’m one of the Hugo Knights. We’re allowed to bring a partner so I’m inviting you.”

“Is that so?”

“It is.”

I asked Catherine but the answer I wanted came from the man.

I looked up at him disapprovingly. He answered my question upon hearing a private conversation.

He didn’t care and smiled regardless.

What? Really…

“Didn’t you want to enter the banquet? If you’re my partner, you can go in.”

“……”

“Instead of going back, enter the banquet as my partner.”

A sly, relaxed, and mysterious man. A sly, relaxed, and mysterious man. It was unclear whether he was a character in the novel. I had no choice but to be wary of him, but his proposal was tempting.

I had to somehow get in to complete the mission, and the inflexible guard didn’t fall for my lie.

It was annoying to hear that we had to go together, but it was good because I would leave as soon as I entered anyway.

“Never mind if you don’t want to.””

While contemplating, the man tilted his head and turned his back without hesitation.

I impatiently grabbed his arm without even realizing it. Thanks to that, the man tilted back and leaned towards me.

The man erased his sly expression and looked back with his eyes wide open.

What? How can a knight be so weak to be pulled back by a lady like this?

“How could you just leave like that when I have yet to give you a proper answer?”

“…That’s weird?

“What? Anyway, being your partner… I’ll do it.”

When I let go of my hand, he stood upright and squinted. I felt a little weird because it felt like he was observing me.

It was not long before he smiled and put his arm around my shoulder again.

“What… You like me, right?”

“Stop putting your hand on my shoulder.”

“Sure, if you don’t like it.”

Wow. I was quite impressed by his witty answer.

There’s no way that this character wasn’t in the story! Could he just be different in person? Is he one of the candidates for the male lead role? Maybe that’s why he seems familiar even though I’m seeing him for the first time?

I looked up at the player-like man and turned to Catherine. The latter said as soon as she met my eyes.

“I’ll be waiting for you in the carriage.”

“I’ll come out soon, so wait a little bit. I’m sorry…”

“…… Not at all. Go ahead.”

Her expression was strange. I watched as Catherine went back to where the carriage was parked. Then, I realized that the surroundings were suddenly engulfed in dead silence.

“What’s this mood?”

“I know. The atmosphere changed.””

The man mumbled and pointed at the banquet hall door, fixing his gaze at me. Purple eyes sparkled between the curved eyelids.

“Whatever, let’s go in.”

Then, he held my hand. It felt different from the other escorts.

It was as if a playful young boy was holding his opponent’s hand with all his might. I wasn’t sure why, but it felt strange.

Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations.

Who the hell is he? When will I hear his name?

“Sir Diwen Fergus!”

Suddenly, Anastasia’s urgent voice blocked the man’s footsteps. The man turned around while I stared blankly at the man’s face.

Diwen Fergus?

Moderately white skin, thick black hair.

His eyes seemed droopy, but held a sharp gaze

Above all, the purple eyes that shone in the light.

‘A person I didn’t like since the beginning.’

A sharp and low voice passed by my mind.

Oh, this guy, the man I am with….

The head of the Knights of Hugo and one of the only two dragon slayers in the country.

He too is….

The one who killed Renée Blair.

Diwen Fergus.