Chapter 16

The sound of instruments being tuned filled the air, and soon after, the orchestra began its first waltz. With that, the Earl and Countess, the hosts of the banquet, started their dance.

Those who had surrounded Charlotte and Erhen out of curiosity or flattery gradually stepped back to join the swirl of music. 

Finally, the two were free from the flood of attention that had engulfed them the moment they entered the hall. They naturally moved to a table set up on one side of the hall.

Charlotte grabbed a glass of champagne from a tray held by a servant and boldly drank it down in one go. 

With a sigh of relief, she said, 

“Ah, now I feel alive.”

Charlotte could hold her liquor well. 

In her previous life as a university student, she had indulged in the privileges of a freshman—drinking and partying to her heart’s content. During graduate school, she had survived the grueling demands of professors, often using alcohol to navigate the social dynamics. For someone who had been alone from birth, alcohol had been both a way to make friends and a companion to ease her loneliness.

Perhaps that habit had been imprinted on her soul. Even after reincarnating, she had learned to drink as soon as she became an adult, taught by her brothers, Richard and Lucas. 

‘This is the reason to drink.’

Unlike her frail body in her previous life, her current body was remarkably robust, including her liver. 

Since moving to Heringen, she occasionally drank alone, lost in thought, and on her days off, she would sometimes drink until dawn with Lida and Ras. To Charlotte, alcohol was another joy in life.

“I know you’re good with alcohol, but don’t overdo it.” 

Unlike Charlotte, Erhen had chosen a glass of lemonade and quietly sipped it. 

Charlotte glanced at him standing beside her and smiled faintly.

“How do you think it went? Do you think it was a success?”

“Hard to say.” 

Erhen replied ambiguously to Charlotte’s question.

What? Isn’t this enough?

Charlotte pouted at his nonchalant response. Erhen, having already emptied his glass, placed it on the table and then stood in front of her. 

When Charlotte looked at him with wide, questioning eyes, Erhen bent one knee and extended a hand toward her.

“Would you honor me with a dance, my lady?”

Who is this?

Charlotte’s eyes widened in surprise at the unfamiliar side of Erhen. 

Of course, this wasn’t the first time Charlotte and Erhen had danced together. During their life as a married couple, they had attended numerous banquets and parties. 

Charlotte remembered it well—the obligatory hand Erhen would extend for an obligatory dance, and her hand, which would reluctantly rest on his. 

That’s why Erhen’s gentle request for a dance now felt incredibly strange. Startled, Charlotte remained frozen even after receiving the invitation. Erhen spoke again.

“You said we need to draw attention, didn’t you?”

“Ah.”

“You also told me to do everything I could.”

“Rumors are already spreading like wildfire.” 

Charlotte had said earlier in the carriage on their way to the Earl’s estate.

“It’s important that you show you’re alive and well at this party, Your Grace.”

The organization with the Snowflower emblem, suspected to be Kopenbach, had vanished without a trace after their failed assassination attempt on Erhen. Starting in Heringen, they had expanded their search, scouring the area, but nothing could be found.

The ambush on Erhen had been like a sudden downpour on a clear day. Since the incident, peace had persisted, and Erhen had made significant progress in his recovery.

That only made Charlotte more uneasy. In the novel, it was always during such moments of calm that major incidents would erupt.

Did they think she would sit idly by and let it happen?

They had struck first. 

The word “death” had startled her, making her cautious for a brief moment, but waiting passively for their next move didn’t suit Charlotte’s personality. 

If that organization was indeed Kopenbach from the novel, there were likely one or two spies planted even within the Earl’s estate. Charlotte planned to lure them out.

“So, I should enthusiastically participate in the party?”

“Yes! You can’t just barely manage one dance with a sour expression and then disappear like you used to.”

Charlotte had spoken with determination.

Her repeated insistence had made Erhen arch an eyebrow in disbelief. However, since there was no flaw in her logic, he had responded by pulling a bracelet out of his pocket.

It was a simple bracelet—a thin silver chain adorned with a transparent, blue-tinted gemstone.

“Wear this, just in case.”

“What is it?”

“A bracelet with a tracking spell.”

Erhen gently took Charlotte’s slender wrist and fastened the bracelet. The blue gemstone matched her dress so well that it seemed like part of the ensemble.

When Charlotte blinked in confusion and looked at him curiously, Erhen explained further.

“It’s attuned to me, so I’ll know immediately if something happens to you.”

Even now, Erhen’s meticulous preparation, reminiscent of his experiments in the laboratory, was evident. He always planned for every possible scenario before taking action.

Though he was living a completely different life in this world, his thoroughness reminded Charlotte of her previous life as a graduate student, working tirelessly in a research lab. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of kinship with him.

“This plan of yours is very much like you, but it’s also quite dangerous.”

“…Thank you.”

Erhen’s heartfelt concern warmed Charlotte’s heart. 

His kind demeanor, so different from before, felt unfamiliar yet pleasant. Embarrassed, she fiddled with the bracelet. 

Seeing her reaction, Erhen began pulling out more magical artifacts from his pocket.

“And this. It’s a magical item that burns anyone with ill intentions who approaches you.”

“This is an antidote in the form of a jewel. If you’re poisoned, bite down on it immediately.”

“This is an acceleration device. Attach it to your shoes, and you’ll be able to run faster than anyone.”

Charlotte’s smile froze instantly.

Surely, he hadn’t spent all this time in his lab working on things like this? As more and more bizarre magical gadgets—ones even magical item shops wouldn’t sell—emerged from his pocket, Charlotte waved her hands in alarm.

“No, no. I’ll just wear this bracelet. This is enough.”

In the end, Charlotte decided to wear only the bracelet from Erhen’s collection.

Recalling their conversation in the carriage, Charlotte smiled and placed her hand over Erhen’s.

“Please take care of me, Your Grace.”

“As you command, Viscountess.”

Erhen smoothly led her toward the hall where the music beckoned.

***

“Hey, rookie! You’re Dostern, right? Go grab the cake from the kitchen!”

“Yes, understood!”

A man answered and rushed into the kitchen.

Before the start of the Countess of Friesland’s birthday banquet, Dostern was helping other servants decorate the tables in the hall.

A pâtissier by trade, he had joined the Earl’s estate specifically for this event. 

When rumors spread that the Duke of Rosenheim would attend the Countess’ birthday banquet, the Earl’s estate had expanded the scale of the event. To compensate for the lack of manpower in preparing for the banquet, they had hastily hired additional servants. Thanks to his connection with one of the estate’s regular servants, Dostern had managed to infiltrate the Earl’s estate.

“We’ll use the woman.”

Malena, his superior, had devised a plan to lure the Duke of Rosenheim by using the woman who had been with him at the fire scene.

Moreover, luck was on their side. Thanks to his original profession, Dostern had been assigned to assist in the hall, making it easier for him to execute the plan.

Their plan was as follows: 

When Viscountess Lintz approached the table for food, Dostern would quickly identify the utensils she would use and discreetly apply a small amount of a substance to them. 

Once she used the utensils and began to stumble, Dostern, stationed nearby, would ask a maid to help escort her. They would then take her to the waiting accomplices near the Earl’s estate and disappear together. 

The Duke of Rosenheim, noticing her sudden absence, would inevitably search for her. At that point, they would reveal her location, luring him to what would become his grave.

The success of today’s mission depended on him. Dostern steeled himself once more.

After the party began, the Duke of Rosenheim and the Viscountess Lintz arrived almost at the very end. They greeted the guests, and as the orchestra began to play, they started to dance.  

Dostern, who had been living a life bound by the fate of a commoner struggling to make ends meet, knew nothing about dancing. However, he thought that their dancing resembled a masterpiece painting, and he couldn’t take his eyes off them.  

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and Dostern quickly regained his composure.  

No, those nobles were not the protagonists of a masterpiece painting. They were the ones he needed to eliminate for the future that Kopenbach envisioned.  

When the music ended and the greetings were exchanged, Viscountess Lintz finally distanced herself from the Duke and walked alone to a table. Dostern clenched his fists nervously.  

“Do you need anything, Viscountess?”  

“Could you prepare some wine snacks?”  

“Yes, I will get them ready for you.”  

Dostern placed cheese on a plate and, while Charlotte was inspecting the food on the table, he applied a drug onto a fork. He then finished decorating the plate with fruits and politely handed it to Charlotte.  

However, instead of immediately taking the plate, Charlotte simply stared at Dostern’s wrist, which was holding out the plate. Puzzled, Dostern called out to her.  

“Viscountess?”  

“Ah, thank you.”  

Charlotte, with a startled expression, took the plate. Now, all she had to do was eat it. Dostern mentally prepared himself, envisioning the events that would soon unfold.  

It was at that moment.  

Charlotte, who had nodded in gratitude toward Dostern, suddenly spun around but stepped on her dress and fell—not away from him, but directly toward him. Without time to react, Charlotte collapsed into Dostern’s direction.  

Clang.  

The lively clinking sound of the fork hitting the floor drew the attention of the surrounding nobles, and all their gazes turned toward Charlotte and Dostern.