High Society.
It is a term used to describe gatherings where royalty, nobility, and other members of the upper class mingle and interact.
In the real world, high society is often perceived as an exclusive community for the upper class.
While it varies somewhat from country to country, for women, high society functions much like a marriage market.
“Well, that’s how most of the medieval era went.”
For women, making their debut into high society is the basic route to meet and marry someone of a similar title.
However, in romantic fantasy, commonly referred to as “rofan,” high society is quite different from the real world.
Given the female-oriented nature of rofan, it is almost nonexistent for a rofan story featuring high society to strictly adhere to real-world authenticity.
In rofan centered around a female protagonist, high society is rarely depicted as a mere marriage market.
Thus, in rofan, high society holds a much more significant meaning.
It is a crucial venue for the political governance and policy discussions of the nation.
That’s the essence of high society in rofan.
Tick-tock.
If you’re wondering why I’m recounting such a tiresome story, it’s because I am currently participating in this high society gathering.
Adelle is still getting dressed, so she’ll be a bit late, right?
It feels awkward to wait any longer, so I’ve entered the ballroom first.
“…Still uncomfortable.”
Truthfully, despite being called a social setting, it feels more like a gathering of beasts who either tear each other apart or decorate each other while wearing masks.
That peculiar atmosphere unique to the upper class, felt in the ballroom, continues to make me uneasy, even after being part of the high society scene for over eight years.
Admittedly, the number of high society events I’ve attended can be counted on one hand.
With that thought, I lean on the balcony railing and look up at the night sky. The stars are twinkling beautifully, creating a magnificent sight.
“Here you are again today?”
I turned my head to the voice from behind.
A woman in a snow-white dress with golden hair. Her eyes shone like gold. Her skin resembled jade, and her long eyelashes framed her face perfectly.
She was undeniably a breathtaking beauty.
“…I greet the Empire’s Little Star.”
“Hmm… I believe I mentioned you didn’t need to say such formalities to me, didn’t I?”
“I’m simply offering the greeting I must give as a subject of the Empire.”
With an amused tone, the woman responded to my words.
“Now that’s quite interesting. For someone who dislikes the royal family more than anyone else, you’re greeting me, a princess, like this.”
“…What brings you here?”
“Must we have a specific reason to see each other?”
“Isn’t that the case?”
In response to my question, the princess smirked and said,
“That’s quite correct, so I have nothing to add.”
Aria von Schpenheim.
She is the sole princess of Arria Empire, and among high society, she’s one of the few people I could say fits in appropriately.
Most importantly, she is the only royal aiding my ambition to dismantle the royal family.
“What were you thinking when you proposed your engagement to her?”
“Are you referring to Miss Estelle?”
“Yes. Surely, you must have had some thoughts… Surely, you didn’t propose the engagement merely to target the Estelle Trading Company, did you?”
“Hardly.”
She tilted her head at me.
“You wouldn’t make an announcement of an engagement for a mere whim of love, would you?”
“She was necessary.”
“..Necessary, you say? That notorious woman Adelle von Estelle?”
At my words, Aria stared at me in disbelief. Indeed, if someone didn’t know Adelle, that would be an understandable reaction.
After all, publicly, she’s nothing more than a trash with a bad reputation.
But to me, she means something different.
“Yes. She’s the key that will play a central role in my plan.”
At my words, Aria shook her head in disbelief and spoke.
“Every time I meet you, it’s the same thought—your mind is impossible to fathom.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
To my teasing tone, she sighed as if tired and said,
“I have just one question.”
“What is it?”
“So far, has everything gone according to your plan?”
“At least until now.”
“…Fine, then let me tell you one thing. It might be difficult to provide information related to the royal family for a while.”
“..What does that mean?”
The princess, as if reading my thoughts, nodded and said,
“Yes. The royal family is starting to move. To capture the crows.”
“…Thank you for the information.”
“Not at all. It’s only natural for those sharing the same goal to help each other.”
“Is that so?”
“I’ll be going now.”
“Yes. Farewell.”
As her figure disappeared completely, I rested my chin and began to think. Today is the day Adelle Este and I are to announce our engagement.
The timing of the royal family’s movements coinciding with this event is surely some kind of warning to me.
I have no intention of calling back the crows. After all, the organization called the Raven was merely a bait mechanism I created.
While lost in thought, an ornate carriage familiar in design entered through the main gate.
“..I should go meet them.”
It seems Adelle has arrived.
With that thought, I straightened my white gloves while walking toward the ballroom. The wine glass in my hand was placed on an unattended table.
As expected, despite some glances, they disappeared almost instantly.
Knowing I dislike such events, none of them dared approach me first.
It was a pleasant development.
Walking toward the carriage at the main entrance,
Standing in front of the carriage, the moment the door opened, I extended my right hand.
“Shall we go, Adelle?”
“Yes.”
She effortlessly grasped my hand, already familiar with the gesture.
Holding my hand to get out of the carriage, Adelle was regulating her breath as if she were feeling some tension.
Indeed, it could make anyone nervous. In some respects, this ball might be her last opportunity to participate.
Even though there’s infinite regression, with save points appearing randomly, it makes it impossible to relax.
Because once a save point is established after a failure, it might become irreversible.
“Are you nervous?”
“..Yes.”
Normally, she’d proclaim that she doesn’t get nervous, yet it seems like she truly is this time.
Watching her tremble, it was hard to believe that this was the same Adelle who was destined to become the bloodless and cold psychopath from the original story.
I couldn’t help but smirk.
“Please extend your hand.”
In response to my words, she hesitantly reached out her hand, and I took a candy from my pocket, placing it in her hand.
“What is this?”
“This is peppermint candy.”
A white candy with red stripes, made through magical processing. A kind of mint candy.
Adelle tore open the wrapper of the candy I handed her and placed it in her mouth.
“How is it?”
“..I’m definitely more calm. How in the world…”
She looked at me in fascination and spoke. Originally, in this world, this candy served a similar purpose to the Qingxin pill.
Though it was rather expensive due to the magical processing, it wasn’t beyond my means.
“This candy exists specifically for that.”
“..Thank you.”
“I’m glad it helped.”
Saying this, I escorted Adelle inside the ballroom. A lively conversation had been underway in the ballroom when our entrance seemed to have poured cold water into the atmosphere, silencing it immediately.
After how much silence passed, the ballroom then filled with murmuring. Judging by their expressions, it wasn’t positive gossip making the rounds.
Likely, gossip about Adelle. While pondering this, a man approached us.
His radiant blonde hair and golden eyes stood out. A face that left you no words except ‘handsome,’ and his slightly distorted, golden eyebrows betrayed some dissatisfaction.
“Miss Estelle.”
The Crown Prince, Leo von Schpenheim, approached Adelle. Both Adelle and I slightly bowed our heads in greeting.
““We greet the Empire’s Little Star.””
“How did someone uninvited end up here, miss?”
Leo’s rude remark, bypassing proper introductions, made a fine crack appear in my usually unemotional poker face.
No matter how much he was a crown prince, it was ill-mannered to act so rudely in front of a Duke like me.
If the emperor had been present, he might have clicked his tongue at such a display.
By the time I had these thoughts, Adelle calmly retorted.
“You must be mistaken. I am attending here as Abel’s fiancée.”
Her voice trembled, however, betraying her growing unease. It was clear she still had a residual fear.
I remembered that in the original story, most of the early causes for her demise were related to the Crown Prince.
Certainly understandable.
“Is that so?”
He asked me, and I smiled slightly and answered.
“That’s correct.”
My smile seemed to upset him, as his face twisted in irritation. Staring at Adelle, Leo threw a remark.
“Looks like you’ve forgotten the scandal of the time. Now, you’re engaging the Duke after the broken engagement with me.”
“Hmph.”
Leo pressed her relentlessly with more rapid-fire questions.
“So? Are you using the Duke of Hardenberg to make a comeback in high society? Surely not to torment Estelle von Louis again?”
“…”
Estelle von Louis.
The female protagonist in the universe Adelle is aware of, and the one the Crown Prince loves.
They may talk about her kindness and beauty, but frankly, that’s outside of my concern.
What is significant is that the Crown Prince himself spoke her name so freely in such a formal setting.
And also, how blatantly disrespectful he had been to Adelle, the Duke’s fiancée.
If he had any sense, he would have realized by now that this is not something to bring up in this situation.
That’s the problem with protagonists in rofan stories.
They just blurt out their words without any consideration.
While pondering this, I stopped him with a hand before he could approach Adelle further.
“Enough. Crown Prince.”
“What?”
“There are plenty of people watching. I advise against behaving rashly.”
At my words, Leo seemed to finally feel the gazes of the surrounding crowd, chuckled a strange laugh, and said to Adelle,
“…Remember this. This isn’t the end.”
With those words, he disappeared from our sight. As his figure faded entirely, I sighed and muttered,
“What an idiot.”
“…”
“Nothing at all.”
When Adelle asked, I smoothly replied as if nothing happened. After all, she was the only one to hear that comment, so it didn’t matter much.
