Chapter 57

The rattling sound stopped immediately. A few minutes later, Nine opened the door, dressed lightly.

“…Please come in.”

He was wearing nothing special—just a simple shirt and ordinary black trousers. Yet, even though his body wasn’t exposed as it had been earlier, I couldn’t stop my gaze from being drawn to him.

‘A different kind of seductive,’ I thought.

Was it because his hair was still wet? Did that make Nine’s skin look even more dewy?

I secretly gulped and followed his lead, sitting across from him at a table.

“Er, ahem. Would you like some tea?”

“No, thank you. Our conversation won’t be long.”

Although drinking tea would give me an excuse to sit longer and look at Nine, I quickly shook my head. My only thought was to stick to the main point and leave this dangerous place.

‘I think… I’m going to get a nosebleed…’

I wasn’t confident that my nose was strong enough to withstand such a stimulating sight without bleeding.

‘If I do, I might end up nose-diving into a teacup and dying before the divorce.’

I handed him the invitation to the Mabelin Ducal Family’s ball.

“This is the invitation that arrived today.”

Nine checked the sender on the invitation and tapped the table thoughtfully.

“It seems the Aristocratic Faction is quite surprised.”

‘The Aristocratic Faction?’

Nine twisted the corner of his mouth and looked down at the invitation with a scornful expression. The Mabelin Ducal Family was the main pillar of the Imperial Faction, so I didn’t understand why the Aristocratic Faction was being mentioned, and I just blinked.

However, Nine didn’t seem inclined to explain.

“Let’s go. I’ll go with you.”

I had expected that answer and gave a small nod. I couldn’t precisely tell what Nine was thinking, but I had some guesses about the Mabelin Ducal Family’s intentions.

‘They might be trying to keep Eclipse in check.’

The Eclipse family, originally part of the Imperial Faction, was now considered almost Neutral since the previous Duke, Milo, withdrew from central politics. However, the fact that they were once part of the Imperial Faction couldn’t be erased. So, with Eclipse seemingly re-engaging in social activities, the Mabelin family might feel threatened and are moving to solidify their position as the main pillar of the Imperial Faction.

‘It’s only a guess, though…’

I took the invitation back from Nine and said, “Then I’ll write the reply.”

As I stood up, Nine personally opened the door for me. I was about to apologize for disturbing his rest, but I simply said “Thank you” and looked up at him, worried that the previous incident might come to mind.

“It’s nothing.”

Even at that moment, a droplet of water fell plop from the tip of his hair onto his collarbone, visible through the slightly opened collar of his shirt. The movement of his Adam’s apple as he spoke was incredibly provocative.

Blushing again, I quickly hurried away.

***

Three days later, Nine and I attended the Mabelin Ducal Family’s ball.

I chose the second most elaborate outfit I had tailored, not quite as extravagant as the one worn at the Imperial Vanquet, to dress up for the event.

‘It’s a form of presence-setting, I suppose.’

Perhaps he understood my intention; Nine said nothing even though I had made everything look splendid—from the carriage, my dress, and accessories to Norman and Kroel, the Vice Knight Commander who had received a minor barony, who were accompanying us. In fact, since the Regwin Ducal Family’s tea party, he had been nothing but kind to me.

“Are your feet all right?”

Just like this. Even on the short walk from the carriage to the ballroom, he was mindful of my steps.

“Ah, yes. I’m fine today since I’m not wearing high heels.”

Despite my answer, Nine still seemed concerned for my feet and walked slowly. Would he instantly notice if I limped even a little this time and scoop me up in a bridal carry? His consideration was tickling, and I smiled faintly, following him as we slowly walked through the garden.

The garden would have felt beautiful even if it were only full of grass because Nine was there, but honestly, the garden we were walking through had plenty of sights to see.

“It’s Mabelin, indeed. It’s truly magnificent.”

Mabelin’s domain, home to the Magic Tower and the Magic Academy, was a sanctuary of magic and art. There was a love for the arts, and they spared no expense in supporting artists. As a result, even the garden we were walking through was incredibly splendid, seeming to show off how much they had created in their territory.

So even this garden showcased their creativity: decorations that seemed ordinary by day glowed as night fell, illuminating the paths; even the tools for garden care were enchanted devices. Statues without enchantments were still works by famous sculptors, making it a delight to take in every sight.

“Is that so?”

It didn’t seem very interesting to Nine, a Northerner who revered the sword more than magic.

“Duke Nine Eclipse of the North and Duchess Chacha Eclipse are entering!”

We entered the ballroom, hearing the servant’s announcement. The interior was also decorated with a quite unique atmosphere. I was dying to look around at the unusual scenery, but I fixed my gaze forward as I saw the person approaching us.

‘I’ll look around later.’

“Thank you for coming, Duke, Duchess.”

The person who greeted Nine and me was Gray Mabelin, the heir to the Mabelin Ducal Family. The fact that the Young Duke was taking the lead meant the Duke and Duchess of Mabelin were likely absent from this party.

‘It might even be a party orchestrated by the Young Duke.’

Gray Mabelin was the complete opposite of Nine in appearance. With silver hair and blue eyes, his coloring was generally lighter than Nine’s. He had the slender, intellectual look of a model and a friendly, amiable face that would likely earn him favor with everyone, regardless of age or gender.

‘Just judging by his face, he looks like he’d be a major player in a romance-fantasy novel… but he wasn’t a big character in the original story, was he?’

Gray was a senior at the Dragonia Academy, so this wasn’t our first meeting.

Nine only gave a slight nod, clearly unimpressed, so I quickly stepped in to exchange greetings instead.

“We’re the ones who should be thanking you for the invitation. The garden was so wonderful that we got a bit delayed admiring it.”

“I was disappointed not to see you at the Imperial Vanquet, so I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’ve come all this way.”

“How could we refuse such a valuable invitation? I was equally disappointed not to see the Young Duke.”

The conversation flowed smoothly, thanks to the appropriate flattery from both sides.

‘Did he really invite us for no other reason?’

It couldn’t be true, but perhaps because of the Young Duke’s face, the wariness I had carefully constructed began to soften slightly.

“As the Duchess knows, our family spares no expense in supporting the development of various magical artifacts.”

“Of course. The magical artifacts in the garden were amazing.”

“Ahem, thank you. So, I’m a little embarrassed, but… I have a request for the Duke.”

Gray said, looking at Nine, who hadn’t joined the conversation. Nine raised an eyebrow slightly.

“It’s just that the magical artifact we are currently researching is related to magical beasts, so I was hoping to hear from someone who has actually encountered a magical beast.”

“Oh, I see.”

I answered, taking over for the still-silent Nine.

It was a surprisingly simple request. The way he glanced at Nine seemed harmless, and the slight lingering wariness faded. It might really have been the purpose, but even if it wasn’t, it seemed unlikely to cause any trouble.

Before Nine could answer, I whispered discreetly to him, who was frowning.

“I’ll be fine, so you should go.”

There were countless people eager to get on my good side due to the rapidly rising status of the Eclipse Ducal Family. Helena would also have to behave for the sake of her reputation. In this situation, it would be difficult for anything to happen.

“…Duchess.”

Nine looked clearly displeased, but I smiled faintly and removed my hand from his arm.

‘It wouldn’t hurt to socialize with other nobles while we’re here.’

Besides, the nobles around Gray were already numerous, waiting for the right moment to speak to Nine.

“…I will be back soon. Call me if anything happens.”

When Nine finally agreed, Gray wore a very happy expression and led Nine away.

“Er… Duchess Eclipse.”

As Nine departed, several young ladies, driven by curiosity, began to gather around me. It seemed Nine’s presence had made it difficult for them to approach me.

“It’s an honor to meet you!”

“Yes. It’s nice to meet you too, young ladies.”

I was instantly surrounded by the young ladies. They genuinely seemed to have many questions for me.

“Duchess, may I ask the reason for your early departure from the ballroom the other day?”

“Was that rumor truly a fact?”

“Oh, my! Since you were academy classmates, was your relationship a connection that began back then?”

Perhaps because of the exaggerated rumors, those who approached me at this ball showed excessive curiosity about the relationship between Nine and me. Having to vaguely brush off their barrage of questions with white lies was somehow more exhausting than being surrounded by Helena and her cohorts.

I, who had thought it wouldn’t be bad to socialize with other nobles, eventually excused myself and subtly slipped out of the ballroom.

The corridor I stepped into was deserted, giving it a somewhat eerie atmosphere despite being near the ballroom.

‘Hmm, I should rest for a bit and then go back.’

The atmosphere was spooky, so I didn’t want to stay long. I was walking slowly, intending not to go far, when I suddenly sensed a presence behind me, and a shadow fell over my back.

A sense of foreboding made me stop in my tracks.