Chapter 200
Time passed quickly, and so did my lifespan.
This is hell.
Today, I realized that hell isn’t just about being steamed in lava deep underground. There are many kinds of hell in this world.
Perhaps the hell I’m in is the most beautiful one of them all—a hell that quietly dries sinners in despair.
Am I really a sinner?
At that moment, a feeling of injustice welled up inside me. If I had done something wrong, I could have humbly accepted it, but to find myself in this ridiculous situation without any clue why?
Yep, I don’t understand. I don’t get why Marghetta and the Mage Duchess are caught up in this standoff or why I’m getting dragged into it.
Well, at least it’s calmed down…
Unlike before, there was complete silence now. I seized this opportunity to carefully glance around, cautious enough not to disturb the tranquil atmosphere. But the moment my eyes met with the Mage Duchess’s, I immediately realized my mistake.
“Baby, what’s wrong? Do you need something?”
As soon as our eyes locked, the Mage Duchess spoke gently, flashing that sweet smile.
“Carl. If you need anything, just tell me. We’re partners, aren’t we?”
Marghetta swiftly chimed in at the Mage Duchess’s words. Was it just my imagination, or did she add extra weight to the word “partner”?
Damn it all.
In despair, I closed my eyes. I had been so careful not to provoke anything, yet my cautious move had sparked another war.
“Oh, he must need me since he looked my way.”
Nope. It was just a coincidence.
“No, Your Grace. It would be a bother for you, so I should take care of it. After all, I’m your partner.”
Since when did “partner” become a fancy term for a servant?
Honestly, I didn’t really need or want anything. I was merely trying to catch a proper moment to escape, but instead, I ended up catching her gaze.
Yet those words only lingered at the tip of my tongue before getting swallowed. And before I knew it, I was sidelined once again in the fierce confrontations between two noble families.
I loathe this hierarchy.
I silently wept. If only I were a duke instead of just some noble, I could have stood a little taller.
Whoever possessed me must’ve been utterly heartless. If they were going to dump me into a noble’s body, couldn’t they at least have sent me as a duke or marquis? A bit more generosity wouldn’t hurt!
Oh wait, was it not generosity, but sincerity?
Ha, how hilarious.
Damn it all.
My heart wept.
*
Oh great, here we go again.
“Your Highness.”
The second round for the coveted trophy known as the Executive Manager had just begun, but I abandoned my spectator seat when someone called out to me.
No matter how delightful the scene was, I couldn’t ignore the Crown Princess.
“Crown Princess, why did you come so early? How is father-in-law?”
“I came because it pained me to think of His Highness being alone.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her teasing response. Indeed, as enjoyable as any scene might be, it would never surpass seeing her.
“But, Your Highness, what are you watching that’s so enjoyable?”
The Crown Princess, bubbling with curiosity, tilted her head before striding closer to me.
It must certainly seem odd. Here was the Crown Prince, alone on the second floor, peering down instead of mingling with other nobles.
“Something fascinating is happening.”
Saying that, I led her to the railing with the best view.
“The Mage Duchess… and Lady Marghetta.”
Following my guide to the unique scene unfolding, the Crown Princess calmly spoke.
Oh dear, she hadn’t noticed the most crucial part yet.
“The Executive Manager is also there.”
“Oh my.”
The Crown Princess’s eyes widened in surprise as she finally noticed the Executive Manager.
“I had no idea.”
She murmured to herself in genuine astonishment, which made me smile discreetly.
The Executive Manager was hard to miss even from a distance, with his distinct black hair and habit of dressing all in black, making him a sight for sore eyes even in a crowd.
But sandwiched between the two women, his presence merely faded into the background—especially since he was standing stiffly like a statue.
“That’s quite the unique combination.”
“Indeed. You wouldn’t see this anywhere else.”
With that statement, I couldn’t help but laugh spontaneously.
Yes, where else could one witness such a scene? The Mage Duchess, never stepping outside her tower, a duke’s daughter who was a student at the academy, and the Executive Manager, who usually dwelled in the Prosecutor’s Office, all gathered in one place.
Normally, these figures would never cross paths, but miracle of miracles—they were at a banquet held for the Crown Princess.
It’s a divine gift.
That was how I could only perceive it. It either had to be a present from Enen, lightening the burden of tedious work, or a blessing from Amanca the Great himself.
Of course, the combination of these three would lead to anything but trivial matters. But whatever—what would happen in the future is for future me to handle.
It’s not like it’s happening anytime soon.
Watching the unfolding narrative, it appeared that the romantic tug-of-war had only just kicked off. Even though nobles typically avoided discussing a duke’s personal life, rumors would surely fly if two duchess families clashed over one man.
And here I was, just now discovering this? This was an event that had never surfaced before and was happening for the first time right here.
So with that in mind, no matter how quick things moved, it’d likely be several years before a wedding occurred. That was plenty of time to prep some solid strategies.
“Your Highness?”
Suddenly, I found the Crown Princess looking at me curiously as I let out a chuckle.
Oh no. I had let the moment carry me away a bit too much in front of the Crown Princess.
“My apologies. But isn’t it quite an entertaining scene?”
“Well, it’s unique, but…”
She trailed off, glancing back toward the Executive Manager while tilting her head side to side—right, then left.
It nearly made me laugh again at her cute antics, but I held it in. She tends to pout when I giggle while she’s being serious.
“It’s amusing that those three are gathered together.”
I could practically feel her brain whirring as she tried to figure it out. It might be challenging for her to find the answer, but I had faith she’d crack it, just as I had thanks to her prompt.
“Ah.”
And as expected, she pieced it together herself.
“Isn’t it interesting?”
Feeling a wave of satisfaction from her epiphany, I hugged her from behind.
Up until now, it had been a mix of fun and frustration. Witnessing this century’s love clash was a delight—yet I felt constrained from speaking freely about it to anyone.
But now, I could share this joy with the Crown Princess. How could that not be uplifting—
Hmmm.
“…Crown Princess?”
That sound caused me to freeze in place.
Why?
That was the sound she made when she was feeling hurt.
Her hand then rested on mine, which was still wrapped around her. Her delicate touch, which normally brought comfort, now sent a chill of dread through me.
“Your Highness.”
“Speak, Crown Princess.”
“Are you having fun?”
In that instant, my mind went blank.
*
Given the upscale nature of this banquet, dinner came out in quite a luxurious buffet style.
“Carl, try this too.”
“Thank you…”
“Baby, this is great for your health.”
“Thank you…”
But honestly, I couldn’t distinguish whether I was eating with my mouth or my eyes. It certainly didn’t feel like anything was actually finding its way into my mouth.
With Marghetta on my left and the Mage Duchess on my right, I felt well-supported. They were even kind enough to pile food onto my plate. And amidst the meal, the thrill of tension between them kept rising.
Just when I felt like I was getting trapped from sheer awkwardness, replenishing my glass would magically appear—of course, two glasses at that.
I’m dying.
Never before have I wished for a banquet to end as quickly as today. To be honest, I even had a fleeting desire to ditch the banquet halfway through.
But slipping out of a noble’s birthday banquet, especially of the Crown Princess? The aftermath would be terrifying. Plus, running from such an event would only serve to sour my relationship with the Crown Prince.
Once I get back, I’m hitting the hay.
Fortunately, tomorrow was a day off for me. If I were to show up for work the next day in this mental state, I might truly lose it.
Yes! Tired as I was, just a bit longer—I could hold on a little while since there wasn’t much left to go through.
*
Enen seemed to really dislike outsiders.
Great.
I could hear it all—the gentle music playing in the background combined with the hum of chatter that even the music couldn’t cover.
Having thought we were nearing the end of the program, I let my guard down. Little did I know that an unexpected curveball was about to shoot back at me.
What is happening?
I simply stared at the hand that had been extended toward me.
Then, with effort, I moved my stiff neck and gradually turned my gaze upward—from the pale hand, along the slender arm, up to the face.
There stood the Mage Duchess, smiling sweetly, while Marghetta shot daggers at her and desperately glanced at me.
“Baby, are you going to keep a lady waiting?”
I stood there, frozen in place, as the Mage Duchess called out.
“Carl…”
Marghetta didn’t elaborate much. She simply called my name with a quiver in her voice.
This was hell. Earlier had merely been purgatory. This was the true definition of hell.
Damn it.
I had fallen into an awkward situation brought about by the final event of the banquet.
The last dance of the evening was designed to celebrate the unity and camaraderie between the host and participants.
Of course, I had originally planned to dance with Marghetta. After all, she was my partner, and there was no one else I had in mind.
“Baby, if it’s okay, would you like to dance with me?”
But surprisingly, there was someone I hadn’t even considered.
The unexpected invitation from the Mage Duchess blanketed the ballroom in silence.
Nobles paired off with their spouses, searching for someone else of similar age to dance with, or merely spectators—everyone had their mouths sealed and eyes fixed on us.
…And I really tried to ignore the bloodthirsty glare from the Iron-blooded Duke.
“C-Carl! How about dancing with me?”
Marghetta, who had momentarily lost her wits, hurried over. The fact remained, however, that the Mage Duchess had asked first.
Regrettably, choosing Marghetta now seemed quite difficult. The Mage Duchess was the one who invited first, not to mention her higher rank and age. Firmly declining her was no easy task.
Conversely, opting for the Mage Duchess was equally as tricky. Even if she had approached first, my partner remained Marghetta. Plus, dancing with someone else in front of my future wife would… be extraordinarily awkward.
Had we been officially engaged, I could’ve used that as a solid excuse to turn her down. But considering Marghetta and I weren’t in any sort of formal affair yet, that simply wouldn’t cut it as justification.
…Should I bite my tongue?
No, doing that would only bring pain, not death.
Should I cut my hand?
Now that sounded like a decent plan. If I couldn’t hold a lady’s hand, then no one would have to be selected—resulting in a beautifully tragic outcome.
That’s not a bad idea. I could simply forgo my hand for just a moment—
“Fortunately, it hasn’t started yet.”
Right then, the Crown Prince’s voice boomed throughout the hall.
Where had he been hiding all this time? All the attention that had been on me now shifted to him.
Where did he run off to?
In light of the chaos, even the tiniest disturbances began to irk me. That scoundrel Crown Prince had better be careful where he wandered off to.
Yet despite my irritation, the Crown Prince seemed pleased with the attention directed at him, nodding in satisfaction.
“This banquet is dedicated to the Crown Princess. While I’m grateful to all of you for making it shine, I hope this last moment will belong to her.”
With those words, the Crown Prince took the Crown Princess’s hand and waltzed toward the center of the ballroom.
“Let us be the ones to conclude this evening magnificently.”
…What?
For a brief moment, I thought I had misheard the Crown Prince’s declaration.
“So everyone, prepare for the next opportunity. After all, the New Year’s Ball is just around the corner.”
Saying that, the Crown Prince briefly glanced my way before turning his gaze away.
That moment may have lasted just a heartbeat, but I understood.
Your Highness…
He was my savior.
*
As everyone watched us dance, the Crown Princess whispered softly.
“Great job, Your Highness.”
“I’m glad you’re pleased, Crown Princess.”
“Hehe. You always manage to satisfy me.”
Seeing the Crown Princess grinning sweetly, I couldn’t help but smile back.
I was alive.
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