Time flew by, and soon it was the day of the ball.
Paris, France.
In front of the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel George V, where I, along with the culinary team and the President, was staying.
In the dressing room, I was wearing a suit that Olivia had picked out for me.
As I checked myself in the full-length mirror, it seemed like the suit really was like wings.
Was it just my imagination?
[Oh, partner. You clean up pretty well! Quite gentlemanly. Yeah, looks aren’t everything. You’ve got to have confidence, my dear partner. I, the Black Prince, will guarantee it. But hey, the fit of that suit is top-class!]
The Black Prince was scratching my nerves in my head.
This guy just can’t help but add unnecessary comments.
Well, as the Black Prince said, even if my face is a disaster, my body’s decent enough that the suit fit was stunning enough to rival any model.
Tap, tap.
I adjusted my outfit and turned around.
Not bad.
‘With this, I look somewhat handsome, right?’
[Sorry, but that’s a no. Partner, don’t get carried away.]
The Black Prince scratched at me again.
Just as I was about to respond to him…
“Your tie is a little crooked.”
Han Seo-Jin approached me with a calm expression.
She gently adjusted my tie with her hand.
“All set. Let’s head out. Olivia is waiting downstairs.”
Han Seo-Jin spoke in a calm tone.
Thanks to Olivia’s bizarre live-streamed declaration of me being her exclusive maid, my partner was effectively designated as Olivia against my wishes.
Not to mention the almost threatening insistence from the French Emperor to participate in the ball.
The pressure was overwhelming.
‘I really don’t want to go.’
[Oh ho, partner. You’re not thinking of ditching a lady, especially the Black Prince’s sister, are you?]
As soon as I thought of saying something, the Black Prince flared up.
Just let it go.
Sighing inwardly, I followed Han Seo-Jin down to the hotel entrance.
At the entrance was Bella, waiting for me.
“I’ve been waiting. The master’s master.”
Dressed in her usual maid outfit, her impressive chestnut bob cut made her look elegant as she greeted me.
Behind her was a stretched luxury limousine.
There was also a high-end sedan that seemed to be a vehicle for attendants.
“The young lady is waiting in the car. Shall we?”
The car door opened.
Following her guidance, I got into the limousine.
Inside, just as Bella said, was Olivia.
Tap.
The car door closed. Bella and Han Seo-Jin must have gotten into the following vehicle.
Inside the spacious limousine were the driver, me, and…
“What’s up with you? Why are you so late?!”
Olivia puffed her cheeks in frustration.
Dressed in a stunning white gown, she crossed her arms and turned her gaze away.
Soon, the limousine set off.
As I settled in, Olivia opened the minibar and pulled out a can of cola.
“Here, drink it. I-I didn’t prepare this just for you, so don’t get the wrong idea!!”
Her face reddened as she stammered while handing me the cola, which was a bright red, bubbly soda.
The cola I got is red Coke.
Not Pepsi, of course Olivia knows a thing or two.
I pop the can and take a sip.
The refreshing taste of carbonation fills my mouth. Yes, this is it.
“Hey, you!”
At that moment.
Olivia’s voice rings in my ears.
I turn my head.
There she is, sitting right next to me, Olivia.
With her earlobes all flushed, Olivia fidgets with the earrings in her ear and asks,
“So, how do you like my outfit today… Is there anything weird about it?”
Olivia looks down, avoiding my gaze.
[Just like my sister. How can she look good in anything she wears? Hehehe.]
The Black Prince chuckles in my head.
It’s a given.
With such a great figure, she can’t help but look good regardless of what she wears.
This applies not only to Olivia but also to Rin, Senior Kasumi, Eri, Aris, and Makoto, all of whom possess celebrity-level beauty as original heroines.
Anyway.
[Hey, partner. You know you’ve got only one answer here, right? Say it looks good on her. Come on. That’s the one and only truth. There’s no other answer. Got it?]
The Black Prince gives a not-so-subtle warning.
Sighing internally for what must be the hundredth time today, I say,
“It looks good. It’s fine.”
“Hmph, that, that kind of careless and obvious praise doesn’t move me at all?! I didn’t wear this to impress you, so don’t get carried away!!”
Olivia shakes her head, her face turning bright red.
What a tsundere she is.
“Okay, got it.”
“Dummy, idiot… Hmph.”
Upon hearing my response, Olivia puffs up her cheeks.
She takes another cola can from the fridge and gazes out the window.
The afternoon Paris scenery shows signs of the sun slowly setting.
Since it’s a fancy limousine, there’s no noise inside the car at all.
“We have arrived.”
We arrive at the Versailles Palace just as the sun begins to set.
The door of the limousine opens in front of the beautiful plaza, and beyond that stands the statue of Napoleon Bonaparte on horseback.
The famous depiction of Napoleon crossing the Alps.
I see the red carpet laid out behind the statue and reporters lined up on either side.
A red carpet, huh.
I’m not some star attending a year-end award ceremony, I never imagined I’d be stepping on something like this.
Just looking at the throng of reporters beyond the barricades makes me dizzy.
I feel nauseous.
Can’t we just skip this ball?
Is this what it feels like to be a cow led to a slaughterhouse?
Just as I’m about to step out of the limousine.
“What are you doing?”
Olivia’s voice sounds.
I look to the side, and she’s looking down with her gloved hand outstretched towards me.
“…”
The silent pressure from Olivia.
[Partner. In a ball, it’s customary for a gentleman to hold a lady’s hand and escort her.]
The Black Prince sighs in my head, explaining.
An escort, huh.
I dislike such formalities, but when in Rome, do as the Romans do, I guess.
I take Olivia’s hand.
The feel of her white silk gloves touches my hand.
“Hmph. Idiot.”
Olivia mutters quietly in Japanese.
The moment I hold her hand and step out of the limousine.
Click.
Click, click.
Click, click, click, click.
Flashes explode from the cameras held by reporters lining the red carpet.
Not only domestic media but also top foreign press from France, Britain, the United States, everyone is here.
The world is literally focusing on this ball.
I’ve never been in a situation like this before, and I feel queasy.
This sort of development didn’t happen in the original story.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going?”
Olivia pokes my side.
“Yeah, I was just about to go.”
He leads her down the red carpet.
Bella and Han Seo-Jin follow behind.
It looked plush on the TV awards show, but stepping on it in reality isn’t all that impressive.
“Hello! Kim Deok-Sung, how did you get the information about William?”
“What’s the relationship with Princess Olivia? Is it true that the rumors of a deep relationship are fact?”
“I heard you’re the only hero with a Korean nationality. Do you feel any pressure regarding that?”
“Is it true that at the academy you’re called the Black Beast and have been involved with many female students?”
Reporters bombarded me with questions in English.
What? Black Beast? Deep relationship?
This is ridiculous.
I should have put a stop to Olivia’s nonsense about her being a personal maid and that battle over breast sizes between Rin and Eri broadcasting live worldwide.
Just when I was boiling inside.
“Since you won’t do interviews, everyone please step back! You’re all being rude!”
Olivia shouted coldly in English from beside me.
“But your Highness, we have the right to know as world citizens······.”
“Shut up! I clearly said I refuse to do an interview!”
One brave reporter tried to shove a microphone forward, but Olivia’s tsundere barricade didn’t budge an inch.
“Her Highness has expressed her refusal for an interview. Reporters, please don’t be rude anymore.”
“Understood.”
As Bella stepped up, the reporters retreated, looking disappointed.
She grinned like a lady.
A lady’s grin broadcasted worldwide.
Is it really okay in this light novel world?
Anyway, since she did drive away those annoying reporters, I decided to thank her.
“Good job.”
“Hmph. I didn’t do it for your sake! I did it because you were being annoying and disturbing! It was purely for my own benefit, okay?!”
Olivia replied in Japanese when I asked in Japanese.
Here we are, a French girl and a Korean, chatting in Japanese at the Palace of Versailles.
What a bizarre combination.
“Let’s just hurry up!”
Heeding Olivia’s insistence, I held her hand, passing through the red carpet and entering the grand entrance of the Palace of Versailles.
Before I knew it, the building of Versailles, which I had only seen in textbooks, was right in front of me.
A typical Western palace that could have come straight out of a fantasy comic.
While in reality, Versailles is a museum, in this world where the French monarchy is intact, it is a real imperial palace.
With the Bonaparte royal family to boot.
Squeak.
A soldier in a ceremonial uniform opened the main door.
We entered the palace together with Olivia.
“The ballroom is in the Hall of Mirrors. It’s that way, so don’t get lost and go straight. Got it?”
Olivia fussed beside me, guiding the way.
As expected of the most famous and expansive palace in Europe, the interior was also extravagant.
Passing through corridors adorned with portraits and gilded decorations like those seen in a museum, we finally stood before the famous Hall of Mirrors.
“Your Highness, welcome.”
“Welcome to the ball, Your Highness and your partner.”
The guard at the entrance of the Hall of Mirrors eyed me like I was a thief.
‘Why do the guards watching the front door and this one all have that kind of glare?’
[Partner. My sister is the biggest star in France. Of course, someone as famous as Olivia would have a partner like me. How could they not know such an obvious thing?]
The Black Prince spoke in disbelief.
Well, this was the common sense of this world.
Squeak.
As the guard opened the door, the ballroom transformed into a sparkling Hall of Mirrors.
Glittering chandeliers and ceiling paintings.
Mirrors set into the walls, and opulent gilded decorations.
Underneath, food was displayed, and well-dressed couples danced.
An orchestra playing classical music in one corner.
In the ornate ballroom, even the orchestra playing classical music was something to behold. The scene was several times more magnificent than any ball depicted in fantasy novels.
“Now entering, the star of today, Princess Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, and her partner, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung!”
The host’s booming voice filled the mirror room.
At that moment, all eyes in the room turned to Olivia and me.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
A thunderous standing ovation erupted in the mirror room.
The first person to greet us as we entered the ballroom was none other than…
“Welcome, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung. To see you here is an immense honor… Ugh… Sniff…”
It was none other than the President of South Korea, Kang Myung-Hyun, who burst into tears upon seeing me.
This is dizzying already.
Is it really okay for the President to act like this every time?
What’s with all this fuss over me?
“I seem to have made a scene. My apologies, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung.”
The President wiped his tears with a handkerchief.
I’d heard that the Korean government, including the President, was invited to this ball as part of an overseas delegation.
But I never expected this level of overacting.
[…]
The Black Prince seemed at a loss for words and remained silent.
“Ah, yes. Well, it’s fine,” I managed to reply.
I couldn’t just cut him off here.
I greeted him, letting it pass.
The President, now seemingly overwhelmed with emotion, spoke while wiping his tears, “Once again, you were extraordinary. People are already calling your success the Battle of Paris. You’ve saved not just South Korea, but the entire free world… I want to express my gratitude on behalf of the 50 million citizens of South Korea. Thank you truly.”
He took my hands and shook them while bowing at a ninety-degree angle.
Tears were streaming down his face.
At that moment, the orchestra shifted to a sorrowful melody, making things even more awkward.
Seeing this middle-aged man acting like that in front of me didn’t sit well.
“Ah, yes. Well… it wasn’t that grand of an affair. You don’t have to elevate me like this.”
It felt inappropriate to voice how much pressure I was under in such a setting, so I tactfully tried to withdraw my hands.
“Such humility… You truly are a hero who will shine for the next five thousand years of our history! Hahahahaha!”
Please, I wish he would stop with the hero talk.
Every time I hear it, I want to crawl into a hole and I can only think of how sorry I feel for General Lee Soon-Shin.
Stop the mindless praises! Please!
“Oh, my! Just look at me. I saw Princess Olivia’s achievements as well. I hear you liberated Jinmyeong this time? Congratulations!”
The President spoke to Olivia in Korean, as if he had forgotten something.
A translator beside the President translated his words into French for Olivia.
“Thank you for the compliment, Mr. President.”
Unlike her usual tsundere mode, Olivia responded in a dignified voice, reverting to her graceful princess persona.
And she did it in Korean.
“What an honor, Your Highness. Your Korean is fluent!”
“It’s nothing special.”
“Hahahahaha.”
The President answered in French while Olivia replied in Korean.
Watching them converse was astonishing.
“Wow, was Olivia always like this?”
It was a side I had never seen before.
In the original work, she was always tsundering around, so this was a new sight.
[What? Was she always like that? My sister has always been like this, you know.]
The Black Prince grumbled in my mind.
Just then, as the President and Olivia were exchanging greetings…
“Ahem, ahem.”
A distant cough echoed.
Along with it, the crowd parted like the Red Sea.
There stood the French Emperor.
“You look beautiful today, my lovely daughter, Olivia.”
