“Kyle, is it really okay to just go in like this…?”
Somehow, it had already turned into the day of the ball.
I stood next to Kyle wearing the dress I had tailored last time, but I couldn’t help but worry.
This was my first time attending a ball!
“Is it really fine to just go in wearing this one dress? What if something goes wrong…?”
“It’s fine.”
“Really…?”
It’s not that I doubted Kyle. I was just too worried about whether it was truly okay to go in like this. My hands must be shaking like crazy.
“What if we go in and someone says, ‘Oh, look at that girl, her style is totally trash!’ or ‘How could she come to a ball without something more?’ What am I supposed to do!?”
I’m really anxious. I’ve met noblewomen before, but anything could happen. I’m going in with nothing—just the dress and the silver ring Kyle gave me before.
“I said it’s fine.”
“K-Kyle!?”
Suddenly, Kyle pulled my hand and started to lead me inside!
On a normal day, it would be thrilling, but in my already jittery state, I just felt even more worried!
“Announcing the entrance of Duke Kyle of the Eristirol Family!!”
Before I knew it, we had been dragged right in front of the ballroom. I couldn’t even do anything…
“…”
“Don’t glare like that.”
“I got it.”
Yeah, it’s already a situation I can’t escape from. We had arrived right at the ballroom entrance, and Kyle and I were slowly walking inside.
I forced a smile. If Kyle’s partner walked in with a weird expression, it would be embarrassing for him.
“Kyle… is it time to…?”
I barely whispered to Kyle, making sure only he could hear me.
To others, it would probably just look like I wasn’t saying anything at all.
“Hmm…”
Kyle looked at me like my worries were nothing and gave me a slight smile in reply.
Damn it, it’s hard to be angry at him for being handsome.
“Ha…”
It felt like my heart was pounding because we walked in so suddenly. If only I could have caught my breath a little longer.
I was trying my best to act fine, but it definitely showed.
I knew it, too.
“Oh my, Duke Kyle… or should I say, the Duke now?”
“Still lacking, but yes.”
As we approached the table, a woman stood in front of Kyle. She wore an expensive-looking dress and had red eyes that just rubbed me the wrong way.
And she looked at Kyle in a totally different way than how Princesses or Louise did.
But I kept my mouth shut. I couldn’t risk making a mistake by opening my mouth.
It felt better to stay quiet for now. At least Kyle was smiling.
“?”
He’s smiling? Right now?
“Excuse me, may I ask who you are?”
“Oh, I apologize for not introducing myself at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, I was seated the whole time.”
If you’re apologizing, you should have avoided doing something that needed an apology in the first place! Why is she wasting Kyle’s time like this?
“I’m Trisha of the Chilisang Family.”
“Oh, it’s a pleasure to meet you. As you may have already heard, I’m Kyle of the Eristirol Family. And this is my lover, Sophia.”
“K-Kyle?!”
Suddenly Kyle introduced me as his lover.
Well, technically, it’s true, but isn’t it a bit too fast and strange to be saying that in front of a noble?!
For a moment, I almost squeezed Kyle’s hand hard enough to hurt him. I was genuinely shocked.
“Oh my… I’ve never encountered a Duke having a lover before.”
“That’s only natural. I haven’t publicly announced it yet, and we’ve only recently gotten into this relationship.”
“…!”
I pinched Kyle’s hand lightly with my nails as a warning to tone it down.
But… Kyle didn’t appear to have any intention of doing that. It was as if he was ready to declare me as his lover to the world!
“Perhaps within a few years, we’d turn from lovers to spouses.”
“Kyle…!”
I called his name in a low but slightly loud voice. Given the murmur of the people and music, I had to speak quietly.
However, my voice was loud enough for Kyle to hear.
“I got it.”
Only then did Kyle smile back at me slightly.
Yeah, whether it’s Trisha of the Chilisang Family or whatever, isn’t it better to focus on this side?
Let’s not say anything weird.
“Anyway, that’s our relationship.”
“Hmm… I see.”
The woman, whoever she was, began scanning me like I was some kind of exhibit.
I instinctively covered my chest with my hands even though I wasn’t showing any skin.
Honestly, I felt so embarrassed I couldn’t help it.
“… then, enjoy yourselves.”
“Please, you as well.”
After that, the woman distanced herself from us.
As soon as she was far enough away that she couldn’t hear us, I opened my mouth again.
“Kyle… why are you suddenly saying such weird things?!”
“Well, they’re not weird things, are they?”
“What do you mean….”
“They’re not weird, you really are my lover, and I truly want to marry you someday.”
“Ugh…”
That expression again. His eyes are slightly smiling, but his mouth is relaxed.
It’s such a peculiar face.
It’s as if he enjoys my reaction.
“For now, there’s still quite some time until the dance, so shall we spend some comfortable time together?”
“Yeah….”
I entered all tense, and now I was even more anxious.
How am I going to endure this…?
I couldn’t settle down, and my heart was racing more than before.
Maybe my heart will burst at this rate!
Yeah, that might just happen.
“Kyle, can you get me some wine?”
“Uh… just a moment.”
Kyle suddenly stood up.
Yeah, I needed some wine.
I might not be able to handle alcohol, but after that one time I got drunk, it seems I could definitely use a sip right now to calm myself.
“Here, just two glasses of wine.”
“?”
I thought he was going to get up and fetch them himself, but I suddenly heard Kyle’s voice again.
And Kyle was returning to the table with the wine.
“What’s this about?”
“What do you mean? There are tons of waiters roaming around at the ball.”
“Oh… a woman?”
“Woman or man, there are plenty of them.”
I see…
No, I didn’t exactly have any weird thoughts; I was just surprised for a second.
I wouldn’t have frequented establishments with waiters.
I just assumed they’d get the wine from wherever it was served alongside the food…
But that wasn’t the case.
*Gulp…*
“Ah… now I feel a bit more settled…”
Maybe it’s because the wine is refreshing.
Or maybe it’s just the first sip getting me slightly tipsy.
I definitely felt better than before.
My racing heart calmed down, and I started to adapt a little to the situation.
“Haah… Kyle, how long do we have to stay here?”
Yet I still felt uncomfortable.
I knew I was being unreasonable.
It hadn’t even been 20 minutes since we came in, and here I was asking when we could leave!
It’s not like I was just a kid who asked when we’d be heading back from grocery shopping!
“I’m sorry…”
Thinking about it, I realized how unreasonable I was and canceled the question.
Yeah, Kyle must’ve really wanted to come here with me, or else he wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of bringing me along.
If that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t have even bought the dress for me, right?
“No worries; I’m the one bringing you along.”
“Uh… really?”
“Yeah, I think we might dance a few songs and then leave. You don’t have to worry too much. It’s just a place to dance and chat among nobles.”
“Oh… I get it. Alright.”
I guess Kyle really wanted to come here…
I should understand that.
As the older one, it would be terrible if I couldn’t even do this.
—
“Ka.”
“Duke, hello?”
“Oh, hello.”
So as the conversation was about to resume, another woman approached.
There was no doubt she was a noblewoman by her appearance.
She wore large earrings, and her revealing red dress showed off everything from her lower chest to her belly.
However, her chest wasn’t quite as large as mine, so the exposure wasn’t as eye-catching, but it was definitely provocative.
Had I been my previous life, I’d surely have remembered such an appearance.
Of course, now I was a woman, so it didn’t register in my mind.
“I’m Peneloti of the Quark Count Family. Duke Kyle of the Eristirol Family… am I right?”
“That’s correct, yes.”
“Count….”
I muttered under my breath where neither of them could hear.
Since it had been so quiet, they probably didn’t catch that.
Right, I expected this.
Of course, noblewomen would be flocking to Kyle.
But I didn’t expect two of them to approach us in less than 20 minutes since we arrived.
I mean seriously—there’s already a partner right beside him!
Nobles really lack manners.
Of course, Kyle doesn’t, but still…
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, but you look remarkably handsome. Perhaps you take after the former Duke?”
“Haha, maybe, but it seems my looks come more from my mother.”
“Hehe… there’s a chance of that. Dukes indeed have a beautiful appearance.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Kyle was… chatting away with the woman as if he liked it.
Well, of course, you can’t brush off nobles lightly.
But still, I was sitting right here next to him…
…
No, okay.
Kyle might not have yet fully matured as a noble.
He needed to expand his network in places like this. That much was certain.
“Would you care to dance with me after this, if you don’t mind?”
“Hmm… thank you for the request, but I do have a partner.”
Kyle said this while holding my hand.
While I felt a bit pleased by his reaction, it also annoyed me.
“Oh, I see…”
“….”
I felt really annoyed.
Even though I wore this beautiful dress, was I not looking like Kyle’s partner?
Or did I look so common that they couldn’t see it?
Only Kyle and I wouldn’t know, and this was a toxic environment for nobles that all first met each other.
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