Chapter 149

“…”

It had been roughly how many minutes since Carsein left the terrace?

Harnier stared blankly into the void, lost in thought for that duration.

Silently picked up and carried back by Carsein.

Even though at first she wondered why he was doing this, she soon realized when he took off his shoes and started checking his feet.

Tight-fitting shoes.

Injured feet.

He must have noticed something and brought her here.

She thought she had managed her expression well enough.

She didn’t show any signs of pain, nor did her voice betray her. Of course, there was no way she would know about these shoes.

The problem was that she made a mistake during the climax of the dance…

Just because of that one mistake?

“No. That can’t be it.”

Considering the difficulty of the dance, it wouldn’t be strange if she had messed up earlier.

The music was already hindering her movements, and mixed with it, confusion could easily worsen.

Moreover, how long had it been since they properly practiced?

Even though Carsein followed quite well, with such little time to synchronize, a mistake anywhere and anytime wouldn’t be surprising.

But to guess her condition from just that last mistake?

Absolutely not because of that last mistake.

Then… what else?

How did Carsein notice her condition?

No matter how much she thought, she couldn’t come up with an answer.

And…

His voice kept popping into her mind.

“-Even if you weren’t my fiancée, I wouldn’t want you to go through this experience twice.”

“Why… Why did he say that?”

They were just contract engagement partners.

She didn’t want to think about it, but she couldn’t help it.

Along with the persistent sound of someone running outside.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

-“Knock knock.”

“Sir Carsein’s orders. I am Radiel Grupein, a knight of the House of Bargrand. Lady Harnier. May I enter?”

“…Sir Carsein’s orders?”

“Yes. He asked me to guard your fiancée while you’re alone.”

Guard?

Harnier muttered quietly, allowing Radiel to enter again after another racing heartbeat.

Radiel held a new pair of shoes as she stepped into the terrace.

“Is this also…?”

“Yes. Sir Carsein ordered me to prepare a pair according to your size, Lady Harnier.”

-Dong!

Another heartbeat.

A loud racing sound came from somewhere again.

***

I know very well that this is a foolish act.

Even if I take the shoes to her, nothing will change. Even if I warn her, nothing will change.

The only thing that changes is the nagging I’ll receive from Arina, Claire, and Isabella. Even if the game system interferes, any small reward from an emergency mission might be swept away.

Clearly, it’s a losing move.

But I couldn’t just let it go.

“This is what you’re going to do?”

The shoes looked obviously too small.

To put those shoes on and dance, how painful must it have been?

But Harnier never said anything about being in pain.

She didn’t even show any sign of it, nor did she mention any reason.

No, she went further and hid the fact that she was in pain.

At first, she was uncertain.

While dancing, she noticed that her body was trembling less than usual today, but it seemed odd that her expression hadn’t changed.

But as she continued dancing, the slight tremors and vibrations grew more pronounced, and she finally understood.

That Harnier was enduring pain.

Why did she do this?

Simple.

To avoid making things worse.

If she spoke out, she might end up in a worse situation.

She knew no one would help her anyway.

So she endured, stood firm, clenched her teeth, and put her feet in those shoes.

The pain would only last a moment.

“…What a foolish thing to do.”

Her hand holding the shoes tightened involuntarily.

Ironically, it felt similar to my situation…

But this is wrong.

This is ostracism.

The collective ostracism of social circle young ladies towards Harnier.

Enduring in such a situation is poison.

“Staying silent isn’t a solution to this situation, Harnier.”

I understand this all too well, having experienced it myself in school.

I need to pay them back properly.

I need to clearly engrave in their minds that I’m not just a helpless victim who can be pushed around.

Only then will I gain strength layer by layer.

“Camilia.”

“Yes, Sir?”

“If a noble receives shoes that don’t fit, how should one point out the issue?”

Camilia hesitated for a moment before looking at the shoes and speaking.

“It can be considered disrespectful, and harshly interpreted as humiliation.”

“That’s not enough.”

“What?”

“Not just humiliation, but should we question if they meant to retaliate against us?”

Only then can we give those despicable people a proper hit.

It needs to be direct pressure, not just jabs, but a knockout punch.

Camilia, quick to read her intentions, pointed at the shoes and said,

“Usually, when something doesn’t suit, the recipient might immediately ruin it as a response. But these shoes have already been used…”

“Yes.”

“Then, how about this?”

She glanced around cautiously and approached to whisper.

“The method of nobles will ensure this approach won’t cause issues.”

“Hmm. Really?”

It was a pretty good idea.

The problem was that it might take some time.

“Don’t worry. The guest list for this party includes all the young ladies. We can filter through it quickly.”

Her response suggested it wasn’t a big deal.

After all, Camila used to be a noble herself.

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Camilia.”

“You can count on me.”

The remaining task was preparing for the person behind this prank.

***

At the same time.

Helie, whose plans had gone awry, frowned and returned to the waiting room.

‘What the hell is going on?’

Had they danced together for a long time?

Wasn’t that a blatant lie?

While she skillfully avoided mentioning that the fiancé was from the House of Bargrand, the fact that they danced was obvious.

A commoner who doesn’t even know the etiquette of nobles, how could they have danced?

It was absurd. Dancing is something that requires specialized training and practice.

Even if they claim to have learned etiquette, it’s nearly impossible to master it in a short time.

Even if she tried to learn on her own, it wouldn’t work in this case, as dancing together requires coordination.

That’s why she was so confident.

‘Why did she dance so well?! There wasn’t a single flaw!’

Instead of becoming a laughingstock, Carsein proved that the story wasn’t a lie.

By making others shine more and highlighting their own inadequacies.

She had carefully selected this position, placing people strategically.

But.

The dance between Harnier and Carsein was composed of highly challenging moves.

Despite the difficulty and complexity of the music, they executed it flawlessly without missing a beat.

Even in such a situation…

How could she finish perfectly in shoes that didn’t fit?

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!”

-Bang!

The teacup on the table quivered violently.

At that moment.

-Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

Helie adjusted her outfit, thinking the visitor might be upset with her preparations.

Clearing her throat to hide her previous anger, she asked the visitor, “Who is it?”

“Carsein Bargrand.”

“…”

Surprised. Wasn’t this the person she just danced with? Why would he be here?

He wasn’t supposed to be here since he’s known as Harnier Teresia’s fiancé.

‘No, that’s not it.’

The fact that he came here itself is suspicious.

‘If he didn’t know that Harnier and she had bad relations, it would make more sense.’

That scenario was more plausible.

Even if they were engaged, they couldn’t possibly share all information.

Moreover, Harnier is under pressure from the House of Teresia, and Carsein isn’t as integrated into the noble society as he seems. His origins are from commoners.

In that case.

This situation wasn’t bad at all.

Just in case.

Helie decided to open the door.

“Come in─”

Startled.

Helie’s eyes widened at the sight of Carsein, who had clearly prepared himself.

“What’s the matter? Did something get on my face?”

“No, no. Nothing like that…”

Helie stammered and coughed.

‘Wait, he’s a man?’

His once thin body had become angular and solid. He filled out his suit perfectly and even grew taller.

His upper body was well-groomed.

Helie found herself repeatedly glancing at Carsein.

“Oh, nice to meet you. And you are…? H-hel… What was it again?”

He doesn’t even remember my name.

Generally, a noble might feel insulted by this.

But.

She had to hold back the muscles trying to form a smile.

‘Yes, he really doesn’t know.’

It’s certain that Harnier didn’t tell him.

This means it’s an opportunity to sow discord.

“Hellie.”

“Sorry, I only remember the people I’ve met.”

“It’s fine. By the way, I saw your dance. You performed a difficult dance beautifully, didn’t you?”

Smiling, Helie replied.

She thought here and now.

She needed to take this man from Harnier.

“After seeing such a performance, I couldn’t help but prepare a gift. So I brought one.”

Originally, it wasn’t intended for this purpose, but it works perfectly.

Helie handed Carsein a gift box.

“How unexpected. I also prepared a gift for Lady Hellie.”

“…What?”

“I heard you were good at dancing. Although I couldn’t see it this time, I brought this as a gesture to show it next time.”

Inside was a pair of shoes.

‘How did things turn out so well?’

Helie mentally cheered.

Even if Carsein knew her strengths, the exchange of gifts in the social circle means something significant.

“It’s great. The ball isn’t over yet, so next time, wear these shoes and dance with me. Let’s try them on first.”

Smiling faintly, Helie opened the gift box.

If she showed everyone that she was wearing these shoes and dancing, Harnier would be ruined.

But.

“…”

Her face hardened the moment she opened the box.

“Why aren’t you trying them on?”

Her faint smile vanished, replaced by panic.

Contrastingly, Carsein wore a cold smile.