Chapter 4

Lyzbel Ivelia never imagined there would be such a gathering. And to think they even lent her a magical tool to conceal her appearance? Normally, she might have been afraid to attend such a place. However, at this moment, her mind was consumed with the thought of somehow humiliating the Baron’s family.

“Perfect timing. This place doesn’t open every day but only on weekends.”

“What time does it open?”

“10 PM. That’s about five hours from now. We’ll help you, so just inform the Baron’s family that you’ll be staying overnight.”

Hearing this, she nodded. Fortunately, she was skilled at lying, so there was nothing to worry about. After discussing and matching their stories together, they left the drawing room.

“Where are the knights of the Ivelia Barony right now?”

Lyzbel asked the butler standing by the door. Soon, she received the answer that they were at the training ground. Eugene, who had followed her, gave instructions to the butler.

“My friends will all be staying overnight today. Prepare the guest rooms in the annex.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Lyzbel, come with me. Butler, guide the other ladies.”

Thus, Lyzbel headed to the training ground with Eugene. At the training ground, amidst the knights casually training, the knights of the Ivelia Barony could be seen.

When Eugene rang the bell on the table, all eyes turned towards them. As soon as the knights from the Baron’s family spotted Lyzbel, they quickly approached.

“Has the gathering ended, Miss?”

“Yes. But it seems I’ll be staying overnight at this mansion today.”

“……Are you saying you’ll be staying out overnight?”

“Melina’s wedding is coming up soon, so we decided to stay up all night together.”

“……Then I’ll return to inform the Baron. As always, a few of us will remain here.”

At those words, Lyzbel nodded with a nonchalant smile. Though she always felt disgusted by their paid surveillance, she had to mask her expression.

If Lyzbel had said she was staying overnight at her sister’s or brother’s house, she would surely have been refused. It had always been that way. While she could visit the homes of her independent sister and brother, she had never once been allowed to stay overnight.

When Lyzbel returned to the annex, her friends were already fully prepared to assist her with her nighttime outing. The maids, having heard the story, were also watching with sparkling eyes. Since they had worked in Eugene’s family for a long time, they were trustworthy.

They were tight-lipped and wouldn’t mention anything to the knights. Just avoiding encountering anyone from the Ivelia family made Lyzbel feel at ease before her escapade.

“Miss Lyzbel, leave it to us today.”

“Lyzbel is so beautiful, and I’ve always wanted to dress her up, but she never liked it, so it was always a shame.”

“Exactly. While simple styles are pretty too, I’ve always wanted to see her in something more glamorous.”

Her friends sat nearby, laughing and chatting. Hearing them, Lyzbel smiled faintly. As they continued dressing her up, the sky outside grew darker. After bathing and donning her dress, she looked out the annex window. Although the night wasn’t yet deep, knights from the Ivelia Barony were standing at the main entrance.

Based on the mansion’s layout, they were likely guarding the back door as well. Although Eugene reassured her not to worry, she couldn’t help but feel nervous. If she got caught trying to leave, her outings might be permanently forbidden.

“Are you finished, Miss?”

“Thank you.”

Once the preparations were complete, she looked in the mirror to see herself dressed in a way she had never been before. Having always worn simple makeup and dresses, this glamorous style felt even more unfamiliar. Would anyone approach her dressed like this? Taking a deep breath, she entered the drawing room, where surprised gazes met her.

“Lyzbel! It suits you so well.”

“Exactly. Glamorous styles suit you even better than simple ones. We should have tried this sooner.”

“Really? I’m glad it suits me. Honestly, it’s my first time wearing something like this, so it feels awkward.”

The Baron and his wife often said that wearing even slightly low-cut dresses made one look cheap. They had replaced all her clothes with simple dresses, claiming that no one should roll around with just anyone. Since they never gave her an allowance, she couldn’t buy clothes herself, making this the first time she wore such an outfit.

In truth, it was one of Eugene’s dresses, and she was grateful just to borrow it. Even though it looked new, Eugene claimed it had been worn a few times to make her feel less uncomfortable, which only made Lyzbel feel sorry.

“Even the hairstyle suits you perfectly. The dress has found its rightful owner.”

“If only your ears were pierced, it would’ve been perfect.”

“Right. I can think of so many earrings that would suit you.”

“……Do you think I’ll do well?”

“If you don’t find anyone you like, just come back and try again next week. The wedding won’t happen that quickly.”

Everyone was trying to help Lyzbel not feel nervous. In truth, they were always the friends who shared her frustrations and anger about her parents, and she was endlessly grateful for them.

‘I hope I meet a decent man tonight who can spend the night with me.’

For the sake of the friends who were stepping up for her as if it were their own matter, she sincerely hoped so.

Late at night, when the lights in the annex went out, Eugene opened a secret door in her room. With her friends seeing her off, Lyzbel held Eugene’s hand and began walking. It was dark, but as soon as she stepped on the stairs, mana lights illuminated the way.

After walking only a few steps, Eugene stopped.

“The reason we’re using this secret door is to access the teleportation magic circle installed here.”

“Is it okay for an outsider like me to know the location of your family’s magic circle?”

“It’s fine since only our family members can enter this far anyway.”

Eugene then reached out and tucked Lyzbel’s hair behind her ear. Looking at her, Eugene infused mana into the teleportation circle on the floor through her legs.

“Have a safe trip.”

“Yes, I will. But how do I return?”

“This.”

Eugene lightly touched the locket pendant hanging around Lyzbel’s neck. When Lyzbel opened the pendant, she saw a small mana stone inside.

“When you want to return, open the pendant and lightly touch the mana stone. It will bring you back here.”

“……I’ll make sure to repay this favor.”

“Of course. I’ll collect everything from you, Lyzbel.”

After giving her a light hug, Eugene infused the rest of the mana. Soon, only Eugene remained in the space. She prayed that Lyzbel would return safely without any issues.

* * *

“……”

When she opened her eyes, Lyzbel found herself sitting on a sofa in an unfamiliar drawing room. The place exuded an antique atmosphere but was slightly dim. While she had arrived safely, she didn’t know what to do next and stood still until the door opened.

Standing there was a beautiful woman.

“I heard about you from Eugene.”

At those words, Lyzbel immediately stood up and greeted her as she always did.

“Hello, I’m Lyzbel.”

“Normally, in this gathering, even if we know who someone is, we pretend not to. But since you’re a special case, I’ll help you a bit.”

The woman gave a small smile and looked Lyzbel up and down. Then, she reached out, touched Lyzbel’s ear, and attached clip-on earrings to her earlobes. It stung slightly but wasn’t painful. Surprised, Lyzbel widened her eyes, prompting the woman to speak.

“I’m called A here. If you have any problems, seek help from the guards stationed here.”

“……Thank you.”

Looking behind A, Lyzbel checked her reflection in the mirror. However, her face wasn’t clearly visible in the mirror. It was as if a thin veil covered her face, making it appear blurry.

‘So this is what they meant by magic preventing recognition of each other’s faces.’

If that were the case, it seemed that meetings here were indeed decided based on conversation rather than appearance.