Chapter 183 - 2-65
I hadn't had a chance to see Louis-sama since then.
It would be a lie to say there wasn't a sense of awkwardness, as I had never seen him show such open rejection before. But the main reason was that I needed time to understand him.
Louis-sama, who called himself defective, surely had sides he hadn't shown me yet. It would be easy to simply deny it. But instead, I wanted to understand the inferiority complex he had kept so carefully hidden. I felt that if I couldn't understand it, he would simply put his mask back on.
"...sama, Rachel-sama?"
"Y-yes!"
"Is something the matter? You seemed to be lost in thought."
"M-my apologies."
I snapped my head up at the voice of the young lady sitting beside me.
I was lost in thought again, even though I'm in the middle of a ball. I have to pull myself together.
More importantly, I was here today to fulfill the purpose Louis-sama had entrusted to me. I had been actively participating in social gatherings to gather information about the King of Orta and Lady Aurelia from the noblewomen of the country.
The title of Dark Saint was very convenient at times like this. In the Kingdom of Orta, the Dark Spirit King was an object of worship. Many people wanted to form a connection with me, the one who had received his blessing, so I received numerous invitations to tea parties and balls from the influential nobility of Orta. The gossip of women is very important from the perspective of information gathering. Beneath the glittering chandeliers, behind beautiful smiles and elegant dresses, they were always looking for ways to stave off boredom. Scandals and the misfortunes of others, as long as they were someone else's business, were the most delightful of spices.
Today, I was attending a ball hosted by one of the five great ducal houses of Orta. I had been talking with some young ladies I'd become acquainted with through various social events, but it seemed I wouldn't be getting any more useful information today.
I'll wait a bit longer for Prince Ricardo and Madam Banks to arrive. Then we can head back together.
"Rachel-sama, you must be worried about your fiancé's health, and it must be difficult to find rest in an unfamiliar land."
"Not at all. I am truly grateful for everyone's kindness. Besides, His Highness's condition is improving."
"I see. That is a relief. If you like, there is a resting room on the second floor. Why don't you take a short break?"
"Then I shall take you up on that offer."
The young lady hosting the event today offered with a friendly smile. I had been seeing her quite often lately. Her family was prestigious, having served as royal knights for generations, but she herself was sensitive to trends and seemed to be a leader among the women of her age. To be honest, I had a lot on my mind lately and hadn't been sleeping well. So, I decided to accept her kindness. When she called a maid, the maid guided me to the resting room. Several knights stood guard in front of the door. I told the maid to let me know as soon as Prince Ricardo or Madam Banks arrived.
Once inside the room, I sat on the sofa and let out a small sigh. No matter how used I was to social situations, the consecutive tea parties and balls had left me exhausted. I closed my eyes for just a moment, but I soon drifted off to sleep.
I don't know how much time had passed when a small click jolted me awake.
Oh no... I fell asleep. I wonder how long it's been.
If Madam Banks and the others had already arrived, I would be keeping them waiting. I hurriedly looked around for a clock.
"Oh, are you awake?"
I turned toward the voice and saw the face of Prince Faust, looking down at me with an amused smile.
"W-why..."
My sleep-fogged brain cleared in an instant, and I looked around to assess the situation. Looking at the clock on the chest of drawers, only fifteen minutes had passed since I entered the room.
Prince Faust sat in a single-seater sofa with his legs crossed, pouring brandy from a bottle on the table into a rocks glass. The sound of the brandy being poured and the ice clinking echoed in my ears.
"...Prince Faust, why are you here?"
I suppressed the urge to bolt from the room and call for help, desperately trying to figure out the best course of action. If it were the Second Prince, Ricardo, or the Third Prince, Isaac, I wouldn't need to be this guarded. But my opponent was Prince Faust. I had only met him a few times, but I disliked the arrogance and pettiness that seeped from his face, despite his resemblance to his twin, Prince Ricardo.
"This is my cousin's house. It shouldn't be strange for me to be at a ball here, should it?"
"...There were knights in front of the room."
"That's an odd thing to say. I am the First Prince of this country. There is almost nowhere in this land that I cannot enter."
Prince Faust didn't lose his composed attitude, a look of mockery in his eyes as he downed his drink.
It's as if this situation was prepared from the start... I thought I was just dazed from exhaustion, but could something have been put in the glass I was given at the ball?
If so, the young lady who guided me to this room might have been acting on Prince Faust's orders.
"...What is it you want?"
"You're surprisingly impatient."
Prince Faust took another glass from the tray, placed a crystal-clear round ice ball from the ice bucket into it, and poured more brandy.
"Would you care for a drink?"
"No, thank you."
I glared at Prince Faust as he held the glass out to me.
"So I'm disliked, then. ...I suppose that makes me an enemy, since your fiancé wants to back Ricardo."
That was right... I was originally supposed to come to today's ball with Prince Ricardo and Madam Banks. But just before we left, I was told there was a problem and was sent ahead alone. If that was also part of the plan, this situation was definitely bad. I had to find a way to get help. But I didn't know when Prince Ricardo would arrive, and if the maid I gave the message to was one of Prince Faust's people, waiting for help might be futile.
"Please leave this room immediately. ...No, never mind. I will leave."
"That would be a problem. I want to become better acquainted with you."
Prince Faust stood up and approached me, picking up a lock of my hair and bringing it to his lips. In that moment, a chill of both fear and disgust ran through my entire body.
"Stop it! I'll scream!"
I slapped his hand away in terror, and Prince Faust doubled over with laughter.
"That's perfect! Please, do. It would be a great move to show everyone at this ball that a man and a woman were alone together in a resting room. ...It's almost as cunning as my mother."
Whatever he found so funny, Prince Faust laughed for a while before grabbing my arm and whispering threateningly in my ear.
"Do you know what would happen then? If rumors spread that you are 'soiled,' you won't be able to remain the fiancée of Crown Prince Louis. ...But I would be more than happy to take you in."
He had expected this development from the start. With eyes like a snake, Prince Faust curled his lip into a vulgar smirk.