Innocence, Corruption - CHAPTER 3 - The Most Obscene Banquet in the World - (Part 2)
CHAPTER 3 – The Most Obscene Banquet in the World – (Part 2)
It was terrible to think that she was the one who had earned his scorn. If she could go back in time, Lillian swore that she would never seek him out, asking for intimacy.
“By the way, that priest earlier, Lillian Primrose, right?”
Lillian’s ears perked up at the sudden mention of her.
“She’s quite pretty, isn’t she?”
“She received a title recently.”
“Pfft, she’s just a nouveau riche. A fake.”
At the mention of ‘nouveau riche’, a round of laughter erupted.
With a flushed face, Lillian fled the scene as if running away. If she were to overhear others talking about the “parvenu” who came to bless the event, it would only add to her embarrassment.
“Lady, take your time with the drink.”
To soothe her frustration, she downed several glasses of sparkling wine in succession, making her slightly dizzy.
In the tipsy state, Lillian entered the first-floor ballroom. Just as the lively waltz announced the official start of the ball, noble pairs joined hands and danced in the hall.
Her body felt warm, but her chest felt chilly. In the midst of the lively crowd, Lillian felt lonely as she was standing alone. As she leaned back against the wall and watched the ballroom in the distance, someone approached her.
“Hey, wallflower.”
She glanced up from sipping her cherry wine to the man in front of her.
“If you’re bored, why not have a drink with me?”
The gruff voice beneath the mask, the sloppy attire. It was unmistakably Jeremy.
“How did you know it was me?”
“I heard you were coming. Lillian.”
Well, she was the only priest likely to come to the victory celebration ball ro do the fireworks.
“And you think it makes sense that I don’t recognize your magic?”
“… I guess you have a point.”
On the battlefield, blessing-type magic was mostly Lillian’s territory. Fellow soldiers would remember her learning magic from the high priest, going through trial and error.
Jeremy, who had been swirling his drink, discreetly slipped in beside her.
“Hey, how’s the scent today?”
“What scent?”
“I put on some cologne. It’s not too overpowering, is it? Your nose isn’t stuffy, right?”
“Come to think of it… I’ve been smelling a hint of burnt wood since earlier. It was you, huh.”
“What? Isn’t that too much? You said before that you liked the smoky wood fragrance.”
‘That’s me saying I like the scent of sandalwood from Cedric, you idiot…’
Closing her eyes and sniffing, she realized it did indeed have a similar fragrance. It was strange how the same scent could smell so different depending on who was wearing it.
“Smell it again. Isn’t it pleasant?”
Jeremy thrust his cravat towards her nose. It was a reflex to bring her head closer.
“…!”
A hand with white gloves slipped between them.
It was a large, bony hand that moved with the grace of its master, sliding Jeremy’s Kravat back into place.
“Who are you?”
Lillian and Jeremy turned their gazes towards the unexpected intruder.
The culprit wore a fox mask…
‘Cedric.’
Even though he was masked and didn’t say a word, Lillian recognized him by his hands alone
A white fox mask, oh my God. Beneath his mask, she could see the cold, intense features of a man. His stern figure, combined with the strangely cute choice that didn’t fit his image at all, made Lillian burst into a muffled laughter.
“Hey, who the heck are you? Lily, do you know this guy?”
An offended Jeremy asked, looking back at Lillian, and a low syllable spat out from the fox masked man.
“Honorific.”
“What?”
“I told you to fix it.”
“Uh…? Oh, sorry.”
Jeremy, who unconsciously replied with a condescending tone due to the imposing atmosphere, belatedly realized the man’s identity.
“Sir Edelgard?”
Certainly, it was an unusual occurrence. Cedric Edelgard attending a masquerade ball. Even the observant Jeremy was surprised by his unexpected appearance, to the point where he couldn’t recognize him right away, especially with the fox mask. It seemed like he hastily joined the ball, and that urgency had its own effect
“Please step aside. Lady Lillian and I have matters to discuss.”
“Oh, uh, sure. Yes.”
A startled Jeremy stammered and disappeared. Cedric did not withdraw his unpleasant gaze until the other man was completely out of sight.
There was a dangerous air about him, contrasting with the festive ballroom. Lillian gulped down the cherry wine in her hand.
Even amidst this,Cedric’s good looks pierced through the mask. His gorgeous blond hair over his forehead and the smooth evening attire draped over his form were a perfect match like a painting.
‘Why on earth did he come here?
Could it be because of Lady Melverin? Did he attend a ball, which he never cared about in his entire life, just to see the woman he would be engaged to soon?’
If that was the case, the topic he wanted to discuss was clear. Despite knowing that such discussions were inappropriate, Lillian’s insides burned.
The gaze that had just expelled Jeremy turned back to her belatedly. When their eyes met, akin to the beautiful spring leaves, Cedric subtly furrowed his fine eyebrows.
“That day, why did you run away?”
“…”
“I remember we were in the middle of a conversation.”
“…”
She wondered if Cedric was planning to take her to Priest Johann’s interrogation room to ease his conscience
If she were sober, she might have bowed her head shamefully, but Lillian was inebriated. Her drunken eyes glared hard at the fox mask.
“To punish me like that…”
At that moment, a certain lady brushed past Cedric. Simultaneously, an extravagant fan dropped to the floor.
“Oh my.”
The lady pointed at it, giving a playful smile. Her alluring eyes, visible through the mask, curved like a crescent moon.
“Aren’t you going to pick up the fan?”
It was a clear seduction. Already, the attention that had been hesitantly directed towards this side due to the appearance of the sturdy handsome man now openly focused. Unable to ignore the lady, Cedric picked up the fan without much courtesy and handed it over.
Lillian, meanwhile, darted through the waltzing crowd, pretending not to hear Cedric call out to her from behind.
Conveniently, Felix caught her eye. He was idly engaged in a conversation with a gentleman. Lillian deftly caught his wrist and headed towards the central hall.
“What is this impoliteness?”
“Felix, it’s me.”
“Lillian…?”
“Yeah. Do you know how to dance?”
Felix, who was being led towards the central hall, burst into a chuckle.
“Oh, you. You’re really unpredictable.”
“You can’t dance? I can’t believe a nobleman like you wouldn’t have learned the basics.”
“I learned when I was young.”
“Good. Let’s dance then.”