Chapter 106

Sir Derek left the room with a brief, polite bow. I blinked blankly, replaying his ambiguous answer in my mind.

‘He says he’s doing well, even though they can’t reach him?’

It wasn’t as if he could check Freyer’s status via telepathy. The question arose for a split second, but my doubt quickly faded. I reminded myself that this was a fantasy world, a place that operated far beyond the logic of the 21st-century scientific civilization where I had spent most of my life.

Right. There could easily be a magic spell that shows Freyer’s current state. Thinking that way brought a wave of relief.

“I’m so glad he’s okay.”

It was the first news I’d had of him in a long while. I wished I could have heard more details, but just knowing he was safe felt like the sun coming out to brighten my heavy heart.

I lightly clenched my fists and picked up a bundle from the mountain of paperwork. The sheer volume had seemed daunting before, but after hearing about Freyer, my mood had improved so much that the task felt like a breeze.

“All right!”

The thought of finishing this quickly so I could head back to the Empire and see Freyer made my heart hammer with excitement. Just thinking about my “favorite” was making my work efficiency soar. Truly, “fangirling” is an essential nutrient for life.

My eyes began to scan the documents with arrogant speed. For someone who had survived as a modern office worker, pulling an all-nighter was as easy as pie.

‘At this rate, I might actually finish by lunch tomorrow.’

***

Despite working through the night, the piles didn’t seem to shrink. The “finished” pile on the right grew, but the “to-do” mountain on the left remained stubbornly high.

“I’m so sleepy…”

Had I overestimated myself? Or was I just being cocky? A deep sigh escaped me as I looked at what remained.

There was one crucial thing I had overlooked. I realized only now that the reason I was so confident in my all-nighter abilities back in the modern world was that I used to live on energy drinks. I was reminded once again of the many comforts I had taken for granted.

In this world, there was no drink containing taurine. I had lost count of how many cups of coffee I’d downed as a substitute. The empty cups littering the table were the only monuments to my overnight struggle.

I forced my heavy eyelids open and checked a single sheet of paper. My head was spinning so much I couldn’t tell if the letters were white or the paper was black. My brain was in a forced, caffeine-induced state of wakefulness, leaving me dazed; nothing was actually sinking in.

“Get it together, Lilithia Baimery.”

I lightly slapped my cheeks—not hard enough to hurt—and tried to refocus on the text. Just then:

“I’m coming in.”

My personal maid entered the bedroom. Startled by the presence, I looked up from my papers and stared blankly at her figure.

“Are you here already…?”

In her hands, she carried a dress and a box of cosmetics for today’s banquet preparation. A look of surprise appeared on her face, then quickly faded as she glanced around the room.

The bedroom was a graveyard of documents, and sitting right in the center was me, clutching the very last page of the final bundle.

“Vice-Head Leader Lilithia… did you stay up all night?”

“…Is it that obvious?”

The fatigue must have been written all over my face. A look of concern flickered in her eyes before vanishing.

“No… not at all.”

She was clearly trying to be tactful and keep my spirits up as a royal guest.

“You won’t hurt my feelings. Please tell me the truth.”

“…You look extremely exhausted.”

I leaned over and looked at my reflection in the dark surface of my coffee. It was a disaster. My undereyes were shadowed dark from the sleepless night. Having relied on a few candles in a dark room, my eyes were dry and bloodshot. I desperately needed artificial tears.

“It is pretty bad, isn’t it?”

“Not at all. I will do my absolute best to help you prepare for the banquet.”

Biting her lip with determination, the maid carefully picked her way through the documents on the floor to reach me. I warned her to be careful.

“Watch out for those papers.”

“Understood.”

She cleared the table with care and set out the cosmetics to begin my transformation. However, I couldn’t focus on the preparation yet. I had to finish the very last stack of papers in my hand.

‘Time is getting tight for the banquet.’

But this was the masquerade ball held at dusk—the most anticipated event of the Princess’s birthday celebrations.

“Lilithia! You must attend the masquerade.”

If Scarlet hadn’t insisted, I might have skipped it.

“‘Must’!”

I couldn’t ignore her request, especially since she had emphasized that “must” so intensely. That was why I had to finish these papers by tonight. I couldn’t just say I was too busy to attend. As a guest of the palace, rejecting an invitation to the birthday ball was out of the question.

“Please check your documents while I help you get ready, Vice-Head Leader.”

“Is that okay?”

Sensing my anxiety, the maid accommodated my situation. While I was put into the dress, while my makeup was done, and while my hair was styled, the unfinished documents remained in my hands. I poured my final ounce of energy into them.

By the time the preparation was finished, I finally reached the last page. I threw my arms up in the air.

“Finally! It’s over!”

I checked the clock immediately. I had exactly one hour left before the banquet began.

“…I… I have to sleep!”

I wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the bed and surrender to sleep. I couldn’t hold on any longer. Balancing work and preparation had drained me completely. I had nodded off several times while getting my makeup done.

In this state, I would surely keel over and fall asleep at the banquet. Falling asleep there would be a massive breach of etiquette.

Tick, tock. The wall clock was merciless. I wished it would just slow down for a moment. Every second was precious.

“Fine. I’ll just sleep for a tiny bit before the banquet.”

Unable to fight the exhaustion any longer, I drifted off on the sofa.

***

When I woke up, I was on the carpet, not the sofa. I figured I must have rolled off in my sleep. I tried to crawl back up onto the sofa to go back to sleep when—

‘Something’s wrong.’

The realization that there was almost no light coming through the gaps in my eyelids sent a chill through my body.

No. It couldn’t be. I tried to hypnotize myself, but I couldn’t hear the footsteps of the palace staff in the hallway. Moreover, hearing the sounds of laughter from outside made me snap my eyes open.

The room was dark. I looked at the wall clock and felt like I was falling off a cliff of despair.

I had overslept.

I’d had that terrifying feeling before—waking up and realizing you’re late for work or a major appointment because a “quick nap” turned into hours. I never dreamed it would happen to me here.

“Why didn’t the maids wake me?!”

I had specifically told the maid to wake me up when it was time to leave. Then, I found the answer. Since I had rolled onto the floor and was out of sight, she probably thought I had already left.

The view of the banquet hall through the window showed that the masquerade was already at its peak.

‘Should I… just not go?’

Since no one seemed to be looking for me, I had managed to sleep this long.

‘If Scarlet knew I was missing, she would have sent someone to find me. Since she hasn’t…’

I stared at the mask on the table. Jonas had personally made this beautiful mask and dress for me.

I considered going back to sleep, but the short nap had actually been quite refreshing; my energy was back. The melodious music drifting from outside drew me to the terrace with my mask in hand.

Nobles in colorful dresses and tailcoats filled the hall. Though their faces were hidden behind masks, their smiles were visible and they looked happy. My dark room stood in stark contrast to the brightly lit, vibrant banquet hall.

“Everyone looks so happy.”

The thought of going in made me tired—I remembered how exhausting it was to socialize with so many people. And after the incident with the drunkard Matte Dalman, I was a bit apprehensive.

I was content just watching from the railing, resting my mask beside me, when:

“Lilithia.”

A voice called my name from below the building.