Chapter 138
“Ah…”
She had completely forgotten. That a ball would be held soon.
‘There’s less than a month left, isn’t there?’
When she first came to the capital, the official reason was to visit the theater and prepare for the ball, but she had forgotten about it while handling other matters.
‘Come to think of it…’
“I’m referring to the ball commemorating His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday. Would you like to attend with me?”
She remembered him asking her such a question. Back then, it was merely a temporary explanation to deceive the Crown Prince, but…
“What should I do…?”
Angelina gently stroked the invitation with her finger. Made with care at the imperial palace, it felt as soft as flower petals.
‘I was planning to attend my first ball with my brother.’
With the cancellation of her birthday banquet, she had not yet properly entered society.
Ante had suggested not doing it, and she wasn’t particularly eager either, so she hadn’t held a separate debutante ceremony.
But as the sister of Marquis Flaubert, her first official event would undoubtedly attract a lot of attention.
‘And I was planning to have Catherine make her social debut beside the Duke…’
When her thoughts reached that point, Angelina became a bit depressed.
The reason she had thought that way was because in the original story, the two were destined to be together…
She knew that the original story had been completely turned upside down now, so she didn’t need to worry about such emotional lines anymore.
But it seemed inevitable that thinking about the original story would make her feel uneasy.
‘If not with the Duke, who should I send Catherine with?’
It would be dangerous to have her come alone as she might be targeted by the Order. She needed to pair her with someone trustworthy to keep unwanted flies away.
‘And my brother is probably expecting to enter with me…’
Looking at it rationally and logically, it would be right for her to enter with Ante and for Blake to be Catherine’s partner.
Their preparations so far had been aligned with that, so that would be the correct choice.
But…
‘This might be my only chance to attend a ball with the Duke…’
It was only natural to want to enter with the person you like. Especially when it felt like this might be the last opportunity.
‘…He probably knows that, which is why he’s doing this.’
He knows all about their plans, too. So he must have thought about how asking this would put Angelina in a difficult position.
Yet he still asked.
His intention was clear.
“If I had known time was limited, I wouldn’t have acted so indecisively.”
It was too obvious to ignore, and that made her heart more complicated.
“I’m afraid… I won’t be able to exercise the patience to maintain propriety from now on. I apologize in advance.”
It seems that apology wasn’t just for his actions at that moment.
[I only wish to convey my feelings, so I hope you won’t think too hard about it. Whatever decision you make, I will respect Miss Flaubert’s choice.
-Blake, who regrets that the outing ended so briefly.]
“Sigh…”
Angelina put down the letter with a deep sigh. As her thoughts multiplied, she habitually folded one leg onto the sofa and fiddled with the anklet attached to her ankle.
The worn-out anklet looked precarious.
While touching the anklet that seemed about to break at any moment, Angelina stared blankly at the roses that smiled coyly at her.
It was truly pitiful that she couldn’t simply be happy about receiving a partner proposal from someone she liked.
Four days until the theater visit.
It seemed like there would be many sleepless nights ahead.
***
Time passed mercilessly.
On the afternoon of the theater visit, Angelina took out and wore an elegant dress she hadn’t worn in a long time.
It was something her brother had bought for her saying it was pretty, but she had put it away without ever wearing it.
“It really suits you well, Lina.”
Though it was a style of clothing she rarely wore as she preferred comfort, it did suit her well.
When Ante spoke with a satisfied expression, Angelina touched the fluttering sleeves and asked in an embarrassed voice.
“Doesn’t it look awkward?”
“Not at all. The earrings harmonize well, too. Everything looks pretty on Lina.”
Ante’s exaggerated praise, saying it was perfect, was especially embarrassing today.
It was praise she had heard so often that she would normally be indifferent, but today, perhaps because she had taken special care in preparing, such compliments felt good.
“You’re just taking credit since you bought everything for me.”
Though Angelina whined out of embarrassment, Ante smiled, finding even that side of her cute.
But soon his face hardened.
“Haa, should we not go after all?”
“To the theater? Suddenly?”
“The Crown Prince and the Duke will be there too. That means those fellows will see Lina looking this pretty, huu…”
He sighed with genuine displeasure and added.
“Why don’t we skip today and invite the theater troupe to our home? I’ll have a stage set up for them at our villa here.”
Angelina became exasperated.
Her brother had always been generous in this way, but to suggest building a theater just because he didn’t want others to see her dressed up…
“That’s a waste of money, brother.”
“Waste? Waste means using resources in vain. How could money spent for you be in vain?”
“Spending extravagantly is also wasteful.”
“Boldly spending on necessary things is an investment.”
Ante never lost an argument.
“Stop being difficult and let’s go.”
Since she had no way of winning against Ante when it came to buying her gifts, Angelina simply changed the direction of the conversation to end it.
“Alright, take my hand.”
Ante helped her into the carriage.
Pudding followed them, hopping into the carriage, while Laura rode outside on horseback with Jake.
Haley was absent, having been sent on a separate errand by Angelina.
“By the way, brother.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Isn’t Sir Jake the captain of your guard?”
“That’s right.”
“But lately he seems to be following only me around.”
Strictly speaking, he is the captain of the “First Knight Order.” And the Marquis family’s “First Knight Order” exists for the Marquis’s well-being.
“Him following you is the same as guarding me, so it’s natural.”
“…?”
“Ensuring your safety means helping me not to worry, and nothing puts my mind at ease more than knowing Lina is safe.”
“…Yes, that’s true.”
It felt like she had asked something unnecessary.
She turned her attention to the window.
‘When we meet today, I’ll have to give him an answer.’
Since receiving the letter, Angelina had not once slept comfortably. The more she pondered, the more it seemed like a problem without a solution.
As she sighed softly at her deepening concerns, Ante asked.
“What’s wrong? Is your head hurting again?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“You’re frowning though?”
“I’ve been fine since taking the medicine you gave me. Look, it doesn’t hurt at all even when I use my power.”
To cut off his worry at once, Angelina rolled the Sun’s power over her hand in various ways.
It was a precise and swift power, enough to create a whirlwind the size of a finger.
Even Pudding, who was grooming himself nearby, raised his head with a “Nyeeng?” sound at the energy.
Ante reached out as if entranced and pulled Angelina’s hand toward himself.
“Ah, come to think of it, you’ve never properly seen my power before, have you?”
She had used her power to counteract his magic in the Dark Forest.
But this was the first time she was playfully showing her power like this.
There hadn’t been a separate occasion to show her power, and until now, her head had hurt every time she used it.
Angelina changed the power from a whirlwind to something softer and fluffier.
The power, floating lightly like dandelion seeds, clung to Ante and seeped into him.
“…It’s warm.”
He murmured softly and rested his cheek against the back of her hand. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the power, clearly intent on feeling the warmth that remained there.
The Sun’s power gathering toward his heart.
An unparalleled sense of fullness filled him completely.
‘…So this is what I felt from you there.’
Ante realized anew that what had allowed him to endure those terrible tortures… the source of healing he had received from that small baby that day was this power.
“Brother?”
Though her brother often acted spoiled with her, this time the atmosphere seemed a bit different from usual, so Angelina examined his face.
Seeing her worried expression, Ante quickly erased the suspicious aura and smiled.
“It seems Zeplictus likes Lina’s power.”
“…Really?”
“Well, he is the Sun’s priest, so he probably likes the Sun.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
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