It was an inevitable duty as a nobleman unless they had a funeral, suffered a serious illness, couldn’t attend due to imperial affairs, or their family name was not Edgar.

It was not a legally documented obligation, but it’s still a must.

My parents and Alroy could have used the third reason to get out, somehow.

I was hoping that Nocton, who had the right to absent, would not show up.

So that even today, I can go through it safely.

Of course, I couldn’t expect much.

After a month of nothing going on, I felt relaxed and came back to my usual self like before things happened, but now my heart was pounding as if I was waiting for the right time when I was about to meet Nocton.

I held the white crystal necklace on my chest and sighed for a long time.

Then, there was a knocking sound.

“Lady Roa, Sir Claymore has arrived.”

I had to take steps as if being dragged into hell.

***

“Very cool, Aaron.”

As soon as I left the mansion, I admired the man who just showed up and clapped my hands.

For someone who was the main character of the novel, everything from head to toe was perfect. He preferred black uniforms to white ones, but Aaron Claymore’s current tailcoat with gold patterns was the best fit for him.

The color of the platinum blond hair, the color of the skin, and the mood in the outfit were all dyed, so Aaron’s red eyes looked more like the sun.

No, it wasn’t just his eyes that were red. The tips of Aaron’s ears were slowly heating up again, even though he tried to pretend to be calm.

“Don’t tease me, Roa.”

“I didn’t tease you, I meant it. You look like … well, a pegasus … no, that’s not quite right … you look like a….”

“I’d like you to compare me to humans, not an animal.”

“Okay, you’re like a unicorn. I’m honored to be a partner of such a handsome man.”

“….an unicorn is not a man.”

He’s human or not, he’s just handsome.

I laughed lightly and raised my hands in the air to be escorted. Aaron belatedly extended his arm.

Even though he was wearing a suit, I could see that his arm felt more refined than before.

Maybe he increased his training time after the incident with Nocton.

Without showing any sign of hurting my pride, I opened my eyes thinly.

“I’m dressed up this well, but it’s a shame that it’s the last day of my engagement.”

“Think of it as your first day as a real friend.”

“What? I thought I’d been friends with Aaron for a while, but….”

“It’s also the first day I learned of your thought.”

When did he grow so sly?

I laughed out loud again.

“Let’s go, Roa.”

***

At any time, there were many people at the imperial ball, but today there were especially much more than usual because of the mixture of duties.

When there are too many people, it feels like the reality is gone. As soon as we started to nudge towards this side, we’re brought back to reality.

After we heard our name announced, we entered the ballroom.

I could feel the different kinds of gaze from all over the place. A glaring gaze, a greedy gaze, and a gaze full of curiosity.

I thought I knew what those people were thinking when they stared at me.

They’re guessing that I’m the one to blame for the broken engagement between Nocton Edgar and Alice Limorand.

No, rather than guessing, the word wish would be appropriate.

Because they always loved gossip.

It was only later that I found out, but the engagement of the two began with a rumor.

While Nocton came to Alice to pry into my story, rumors spread that the two were lovers. Alice, who belatedly learned of the rumor, tried to correct the rumor, but failed to do so due to Nocton’s ignorance.

In the meantime, the people of Limorand also began to misunderstand their relationship, and they were really close to getting engaged.

It was a story that began with gossip and ended with gossip, as it was said that Nocton had no intention of getting engaged from the beginning.

The society may not be curious about such an absurd situation.

As I felt the eyes of the nobles, I straightened my waist and gave myself more strength. It was something I usually do when I come to the ballroom.

“Are you okay, Roa?”

“What?”

“It looks like something is not good.”

Oh, because of the strength in my eyes?

“I do this every time I come to the ballroom. Otherwise, they’re going to bite me. The follower Number 1 of Nocton Edgar, follower Number 2, follower Number 3, gossip-loving Number 4, follower Number 5, Number 6—”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’re rarely seen in the ballroom, so you don’t know this, but you have to know if you want to be a gentleman well versed in Society. You shouldn’t show what’s inside. It’s a bad joke, so don’t take it so hard.”

I’m just saying what’s coming out of my mouth, but I’m picking up something like this.

I raised my escorted hand and tapped his shoulder.

Alice was seen in the distance.

Since her engagement with Nocton was broken, her partner had been changed from Nocton to Arhan Limorand. He doesn’t usually show up at the ballroom, but after all, it’s the Imperial birthday party.

No, perhaps it’s because Alice’s engagement was canceled.

I whispered ‘Look a little behind you,‘ and turned around for Aaron, whose expression hardened when he saw Alice.

“Oh, Roa. I forgot to tell you earlier.”

“What?”

“You are very beautiful today, too.”

It seemed to be sincere, but rather than complimenting the sexual attraction, it was a plain compliment, as if talking about art or natural scenery.

I blinked my eyes a couple of times in an unfamiliar mood and laughed.

“I know.”

After saying goodbye to Aaron, I strode across the ballroom. It was better to join Alice before anyone could stick to her.

But to my regret, I was already in someone’s sight.

“It’s been a long time since I saw you, Lady Roa.”

It’s the Number 1 follower of Nocton, Sheryl Bornaine.

Three men and women walked toward me, led by the daughter of Marquis Bornaine,

What if I pretended I hadn’t seen them and ran away, I thought that, but it seemed meaningless because the eyes began to gather secretly.

I had no choice but to turn towards my opponent.

“Oh … Lady Sheryl. It’s been a while. So what’s going on today?”

“You make it sounds like there must be something happens between us to talk.”

Come to think of it, this person was the one was disgraced and ran away for being rejected by Duke Edgar the last time. It’s only been a little over a month, but her resilience is good.

“If it’s between us … who are misunderstood as the person who was refused and the person who was rejected?”

“Until when are you going to talk about marriage, marriage, and all that boring stuff?”

“You seem to enjoy the story the last time I saw you, so I thought I’d entertain the lady. If not, that’s fine.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

Lady Sheryl Bornaine shook her shoulders angrily, but soon unfolded her fan and covered her distorted face.

“Well, in a big way, it’s about you. I don’t mean gossip. His Grace Duke Edgar, his engagement to Lady Alice Limorand has been canceled this time, right?”

“I heard so, but I don’t know why you ask me.”

“What do you mean, Lady Roa, you have been flirting with him. The Duke himself considers Lady Roa a friend. Of course, His Grace is a very kind person, so he’s just letting you getting along with him.”

After all, Sheryl Bornaine was a predictable problem.

What’s so unique about her insult. I tried to be sarcastic as Sheryl Bornaine did, but I hesitated.

Although she did not raise her voice, many of the high-ranking aristocrats were paying attention to us, perhaps because everyone who gathered around me was someone from a family with high status.

Why don’t I take advantage of this opportunity to nail that I have nothing to do with Nocton?

I now want to distance myself from Nocton Edgar, and I didn’t want to hear the insulting words of sticking to him or pretending to be his friend.

I’m not a person who likes Nocton, so would this be helpful?

“Hey, Lady—”

“I’m sorry for the sudden interruption, but that’s wrong.”

A sudden voice filled my back.

They’re frozen.

“I’m not the one who tolerate the other person, it’s Valrose. The daughter of Marquis Bornaine.”

Right behind me, there stood Nocton Edgar.

“Your, Your Grace….”

The face of Sheryl Bornaine turned white. I don’t know, but my face would have been paler than hers.

After being positively charged for a while, it seemed like my heart would break through the flesh.

I expected to meet him today and prepared my heart.

But it’s too much to say that, it’s just been a while since I joined the ballroom.

And because I’m in the middle of argument with Sheryl Bornaine, I’m relieved of my tension.

As I thought, I wanted to get out of the way while Nocton and Sheryl were talking. It would have been the case if there were only a few eyes on this side.

“If I say this, I know you would think I’m covering for her. But isn’t it even more strange to cover up for someone who’s not close?”

“I didn’t mean to say that. It’s just … it’s just…!”

“Tell me, young lady of Marquis Bornaine.”

Sheryl Bornaine was silent, biting her lips.

It would be nice if she had a dispute with only me, but the part that this woman touched this time was Nocton’s engagement.

Even if she has something to say, she will not be able to open her mouth as long as the Duke of Edgar’s honor is at stake.

In front of hundreds of people, it was unfortunate that she paid the price for making fun of others, but on the other hand, it was fortunate.

If she’s humiliated herself like this, her feelings for Nocton will disappear.

Knowing the true identity of the Nocton Edgar, I was afraid to imagine that there was a woman who liked him.

I feel like I’m seeing someone who loves serial killers, even though he may not have actually committed murder.

“If you have nothing to say, I don’t want my name mentioned in the same matter from now on. Sheryl—”

Nocton slowly caught his words.

I was a bit perplexed, as he never mentioned the name of Marquis Bornaine’s daughter even as a full name.

And more than me, Sheryl Bornaine seemed even more surprised.

She was originally a person with big eyes, but the feelings of astonishment were contained in her wide-open eyes.

“—young lady of Marquis Bornaine.”

As if that signaled, the young lady of Bornaine made a strange sound.

Her upper body was convulsed and her breathing was strange as if she were hyperventilating. And the next moment, she fell.

Elford, who was secretly staring at Nocton from the back, was startled and approached her.

“Sheryl!”

The ballroom began to roar at the sudden turn of events.

The two young lady, who stood behind Sheryl like sentries, were bewildered and wondering what to do, and Count Elford looked around as if asking for help, embracing the fallen lady.

And I was frozen in a different sense, watching Nocton.

Sheryl Bornaine always looked healthy and I had never heard of anything wrong with her body.

But the timing was so bad that she fell down with a seizure at the same time as Nocton called her name.

In a situation that I cannot help but suspect, Nocton approached the young lady with a rather serious face.

However, in reality, he did not seem to find the situation surprising.