Chapter 37

The dazzling chandelier, the colorful crowd dressed in vibrant attire beneath it…

At the center, a quiet melody resonates, and people bloom with smiles, further enlivening the banquet’s excitement.

Truly, this is the epitome of a classic celebration.

Just as I was realizing I had stepped into such a place, Angela, standing beside me, began to look around the banquet hall with wide eyes.

“There are so many people. It’s so sparkly everywhere.”

“Hehe, is this your first time enjoying a festival like this?”

“Hmm, well. Angels like me aren’t the ones who participate in festivals; we’re the ones who bless them.”

So, she’s the type to visit places of prayer and bestow blessings, huh?

Given her usual position of looking down from above, it’s no wonder this is her first time directly enjoying a festival like this.

“That’s why it feels so fresh to enjoy the festival with my own two feet. Especially the food over there…”

As she spoke, Angela’s gaze drifted toward the table.

Her eyes were captivated by the splendid feast laid out there, and she began to stare blankly, her mouth slightly agape.

Drool even started to trickle down.

“…Ugh.”

“Angela.”

“Ah! N-no! I was just looking! I wasn’t going to steal any!”

Haha, stealing? Is she still holding onto the memory of being scolded for sneaking a bite of dinner side dishes?

With a wry smile, I guided her toward the buffet display and said,

“You don’t have to be so cautious. The food here is freely available to all attendees.”

“R-really? Oh, but I should stay by your side…”

“As long as you don’t go too far, it’s fine. Since we’re at the festival, shouldn’t you enjoy yourself to the fullest, Angela?”

“Y-yes! Then I won’t hold back!!”

As soon as she got permission, Angela dashed to the table and started piling food onto her plate.

Watching her heap food onto her plate without hesitation, it seemed she really loved eating.

Well, Angela will be busy with chores later, so she deserves a day like this.

As I was thinking that, I suddenly realized someone who should have been by my side was missing. I turned my gaze and saw someone standing alone in the corner.

It was Jeremiah. In the midst of the grand ballroom, her gaze was fixed on the floor… No, it was more accurate to say she had no choice but to do so.

Because the only thing her gaze could avoid was the whispers of those who had noticed her presence.

“Hey, look. That person…”

“She’s so beautiful. Must be someone important.”

“No, that’s not it. That’s Jeremiah Anderson.”

“Anderson? As in the swordsman Anderson?”

“I heard she was expelled from the academy…”

“What nerve does she have to show up here?”

Most of the whispers carried a negative tone.

With many outsiders invited, there were plenty who didn’t know the full story, but as is typical in social gatherings, rumors spread like wildfire.

Surely, the perceptions held by the academy students would ripple out, and soon, all of it would turn into a wave of malice directed at her.

As if sensing this, Jeremiah, who had stopped in her tracks, began to clench the hand resting on her chest.

“…Miss.”

I couldn’t just leave her alone, not in such a precarious position.

Thinking that, I showed her the plate of food I had prepared and gestured toward a nearby empty seat.

“I brought some food. This way.”

“Ah, yes…”

Carefully following me, Jeremiah took a seat.

Even as the meal continued, the occasional glances from those around us flew toward her.

Perhaps feeling uncomfortable under those stares, her movements gradually slowed. Concerned, I cautiously asked,

“Is the food not to your liking?”

“No, it’s just… I was thinking Sebastian’s cooking might suit my taste better.”

“…My cooking, you mean?”

“Yes, it’s just… I couldn’t help but think that while eating.”

As she said this, Jeremiah poked at the meat on her plate with a fork before timidly taking a bite.

I stared at her blankly for a moment before realizing what she had said and let out a soft chuckle.

Even though the dishes here were prepared by the city’s top chefs, she still valued my cooking more.

“Of course, a meal made specifically for you would suit your taste better than something meant for a crowd.”

Feeling a sense of pride, I thought about preparing even better meals for her as I slowly savored the food in front of me.

The music began to crescendo as we finished our meal.

-Ding ding~♬

As the music grew clearer, I noticed the men and women around us pairing up and moving toward the center of the hall.

Most of the men took the lead, and the women who accepted their hands began to move in time with the music, turning the procession into a dance that delighted the onlookers.

Such harmony is even more captivating when the pairs are well-matched.

As I was lost in these thoughts, Jeremiah, who had been watching them, stood up and began to walk toward the crowd of spectators.

“Then, I’ll be going now.”

“…Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“I need to show some results for my family. It would be troublesome if I came to the ball and didn’t find any suitable partners.”

Right, her family expects Jeremiah to find a partner worthy of their status.

So today, she needs to either find a suitable match or at least narrow down the candidates.

And that means she’ll be mingling with other men—men who aren’t me.

“…Sebastian?”

Just as my thoughts reached that point, Jeremiah turned to me with a questioning look.

Realizing I had zoned out, I forced a smile and politely bowed to her.

“I wish you the best of luck.”

“Yes, then…”

As Jeremiah walked away from me, I watched her back as she made her way through the crowd of men seeking partners.

I slipped my hand into my sleeve and quietly turned away from my seat.

“It’s best to be prepared, just in case.”

I had already anticipated that things might not go smoothly.

I quickly left my seat and began to prepare myself, adorning my body with the props I had prepared.

All the while, I tried to ignore the faint ache in my chest as she walked away from me.

****

-Murmur murmur.

The surroundings grew noisy.

With each step, the gazes directed at her shifted, the faint whispers gradually turned into conversations, and soon, the clamor of the crowd swallowed even the sound of the music…

‘It’s fine.’

Even so, Jeremiah tried to calm her heart.

If anything, the attention meant that many people were interested in her.

Even infamy is an effective means of making one’s presence known, so she could use this opportunity to her advantage.

‘I’ve already prepared myself for this kind of attention. So it’s fine.’

If she endured, an opportunity would surely come.

With her resolve firm, Jeremiah walked through the crowd when a few men began to approach her.

“Excuse me. Do you have a moment?”

Three well-dressed men.

Their gazes, seemingly from the same group, held a certain intent directed at her.

“Are you… talking to me?”

“Yes, you’re so beautiful, we’d like to spend some time with you…”

As they spoke, the three men extended their hands toward her.

Jeremiah knew what the gesture meant.

It was a clear expression of their intent to pair up with her at the ball.

“No way. Three offers for her…?”

As the three men made the gesture simultaneously, a ripple spread through the crowd watching the scene.

“Moreover, that’s the prince of the Western Kingdom.”

“The two beside him are royalty from other countries too. Why are they interested in such a notorious woman?”

“Maybe they don’t know? Shouldn’t someone tell them?”

The crowd was visibly baffled by the unexpected situation.

Jeremiah was equally taken aback.

She hadn’t expected to receive attention so quickly, let alone from three people at once.

“Please, won’t you choose one of us?”

“Who would you like to dance with?”

One of the three.

Choosing one would mean dancing with him in front of everyone.

Doing so would allow her to confidently display her charm in front of everyone, securing a result worthy of showing her family.

Since that was why she had come here, Jeremiah felt she had to accept the request.

‘Really…’

To make a choice here, to form a close relationship with that person.

Psychologically, physically, and even deciding to share a future together…

‘If I just take their hand…’

To achieve results and prove herself to her family, her trembling hand moved to close the distance between them.

And yet.

Even so…

“…I’m sorry, but I must decline.”

With an apology, Jeremiah withdrew her hand and bowed her head, leaving the three men in front of her with expressions of confusion.

“Decline, you say?”

“Does that mean you won’t choose any of us?”

At their insistent questioning, Jeremiah felt her words catch in her throat.

This was an opportunity she had worked hard to obtain, and rejecting their offer now might mean she wouldn’t get another chance like this.

Why had she declined their offer?

‘…It’s impossible.’

Jeremiah knew the reason.

‘Choosing another man over him…’

After all, even now, there was someone she wanted to keep by her side.

“Yes, unfortunately, I…”

So, mingling with anyone other than him had to be done cautiously.

“Ha, look at this girl.”

Just as she was about to explain her refusal, a sneer erupted from where the hands had been withdrawn.

The previous goodwill was now replaced with rough, hostile emotions.

Realizing the malice directed at her, Jeremiah watched as the men began to laugh and exchange words.

“Guys, look at her. She’s so pitiful being alone, we thought we’d play with her, but she doesn’t even know her place and tries to reject us?”

“What about the bet, then?”

“What bet? It’s over. I never thought she’d be this clueless about her own standing.”

Their scornful remarks, coupled with the mention of a bet, made Jeremiah furrow her brows and glare at them.

“You all…”

“Hey, why are you looking at us like that? Who’d want to mingle with a girl like you for any other reason?”

“What nerve do you have to show up here? Did you really think there’d be even one man here who’d want you?”

“And what’s with that dress? It’s not like you’re here to show off as a marriage candidate.”

“Who’d be crazy enough to marry a girl who got expelled from the academy? At best, it’d just be a one-night thing.”

-Pfft, hahaha.

The men’s mocking laughter burst out.

It spread through the crowd, filling the ballroom, and Jeremiah’s hands clenched tightly in humiliation.

‘…It’s fine.’

Even so, she tried to endure.

She had expected this kind of treatment, and that’s why she had come here, prepared to bear it.

‘I can handle this. After all, right now, I…’

The one who had made her strong enough to endure this was still by her side.

As she tried to steady her heart by thinking of him, Jeremiah suddenly noticed the laughter around her beginning to fade.

The atmosphere had shifted in the opposite direction, a silence that felt anything but natural.

It was because a presence that no one could ignore had appeared in the room.

-Tap, tap.

Was he royalty?

Or something equivalent?

-Tap, tap.

Coincidentally, no one in the room recognized him.

All they could feel was an overwhelming pressure emanating from him, even before they saw his face.

“…Excuse me.”

In the midst of the silence, the man, dressed entirely in black and wearing a mask, addressed a certain woman with a polite demeanor.

“…Are you talking to me?”

“Yes. You’re so beautiful, I couldn’t help but be drawn to you…”

Jeremiah Anderson.

The man in black, who had clearly singled her out, extended his hand from beneath his cloak and whispered softly.

“You’re not alone.”

Feeling the meaning behind his words, Jeremiah smiled softly and took his hand.

“Gladly.”

Yes, let’s show everyone.

That the woman they all ignored and mocked is more captivating than anyone else here.

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