* * *
The Count’s tone, softened by the atmosphere, was smoother than ever.
“Thank you.”
“Then, when Adrian feels unwell, we will withdraw immediately. Please don’t be too displeased even if we disappear without saying goodbye.”
“……”
Maintaining my smiling face, I lightly nudged Klen’s arm.
That’s usually just a courtesy to say.
How could he accept it so tactlessly?
“Do as you wish.”
The Countess replied lightly without even raising an eyebrow.
She didn’t look bothered, as if this kind of behavior from Klen was normal.
Perhaps she was already satisfied just by his presence at the ball.
And the Count next to her…
“Yes. Do that. I am grateful that you came despite being unwell.”
‘Oh?’
I forgot even to blink.
I had to say something in response, but my lips were stuck together and wouldn’t move.
I wanted to tap my ears or shake my head to check if they were functioning properly, but those were things I couldn’t do here.
The Count’s eyes crinkled, creating a strangely affectionate atmosphere.
‘No, this shouldn’t be happening.’
Didn’t Count Valuncio always show his displeasure whenever he looked at me?
Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?
Is he managing his image because there are so many people around?
Is the Valuncio family a naturally talented acting family?
“Thank you, Father.”
“…Thank you.”
Only after Klen’s voice was heard did my lips part.
But I merely followed his words like a parrot; my head was still in a state of confusion.
My steps, as I followed Klen to a corner of the hall, faltered as I gave my greeting out of habit.
Klen, sensing that I was acting strange, looked at me, and our eyes met.
I almost forgot my manners and raised a finger to point at the Count.
I wanted to ask, ‘Did you see that, did you hear that?’
It couldn’t have been a hallucination exclusive to me, could it?
“Adrian.”
“No… what is this…”
Was it because there were many people?
That couldn’t be.
He wasn’t like this even at the hunting competition.
Could it be because that was the hunting competition?
Is a social gathering different?
Was he always this kind of person?
Various thoughts spun around in my confused mind.
“Father likes strong people.”
“Yes?”
“The rumor that you defeated Neser has already spread widely throughout the castle.”
As there were many witnesses, the speed at which it spread must have been unimaginable.
The fact that the ban on going out was issued immediately afterward suggested that the Count was also aware.
“How could he not like a person who, despite being frail and chronically ill, nicely defeated his elder son’s knight?”
“……”
Did that mean the result of seeking revenge for an annoying incident was gaining the favor of Count Valuncio?
And so intensely that it completely flipped his attitude?
He wasn’t displeased because I was the man who married his son.
He truly was simply displeased with the fact that the son of the Caldrich family was frail.
‘Well, our marriage is both of our fathers’ fault, isn’t it?’
If I think about it, it was absurd for me to be disliked because of the marriage.
We didn’t defy opposition to marry out of love for each other, did we?
Count Valuncio himself was one of the perpetrators of this marriage.
As various thoughts complicated my mind, Klen’s foot suddenly stopped while I was mindlessly following him.
I raised my gaze, which had been fixed on the floor.
“It’s quite a sight, you showing your face at a ball.”
“Ah, Hyung-nim. We should have sought you out first, I apologize.”
“Fabian Hyung-nim. You’re here.”
The person who appeared before us was Fabian Hyung-nim.
He, too, was more splendid than usual, with rubies glistening at his ears, and his hair, which usually hung down to his shoulders, was neatly tied back.
Just the two brothers standing side by side felt as if all the light was focused here.
No, all eyes in the hall were definitely on this spot.
He quietly looked at Klen, then smiled as if realizing something.
“I see. So, you’ve become a bit more comfortable since you got married.”
And his eyes looked distant.
“Please cheer up, Hyung-nim.”
“…Haa.”
Klen gave a simple, innocent smile.
On the other hand, the courageous and upright aura I saw in Fabian Hyung-nim at the drill ground seemed to have slightly faded.
His firm shoulders slumped weakly.
“Coming to the ball means you’ll be dancing, right?”
“With a wife, wouldn’t that be the case?”
“Right? I suppose so…”
He glanced at me.
Then his gaze returned to Klen.
His lips, which had been half-open as if he had a lot to say, firmly closed, suggesting he would hold back for now.
“Don’t worry, Hyung-nim. Surely, I wouldn’t step on my wife’s foot, would I? It would be a disaster if she were to collapse because of that.”
“Haha. She won’t collapse just from that.”
I was about to stomp on Klen’s foot again, but I settled for a slight nudge to his side.
I wasn’t cold-blooded enough to step on that foot again, which must have been a mess from my forceful stomping until yesterday.
“It’s fortunate that the two of you get along so well.”
“Sir, Sir Fabian. May I have a word?”
At that moment, someone carefully spoke from behind Fabian Hyung-nim.
What I saw in the gap as he turned around was a woman in a fancy dress.
Her face was flushed, and her eyes darted around, as if she had mustered all her courage to speak first.
“Well, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Enjoy the ball.”
“……”
Fabian Hyung-nim looked our way with a smile, yet there was a sharp, sword-like glint in his eyes.
He turned his body.
He seemed to have composed his expression well, and the gesture of extending his hand to the woman standing behind him was polite and gentle.
Clearly, the blood of Valuncio must be mixed with acting talent.
‘That must be what they mean by a person with too many admirers?’
The woman’s face, which delicately placed her hand on his, was even redder.
The main part of the ball had yet to begin.
After parting with Hyung-nim, Klen naturally took my hand and headed toward the dessert table.
Curious eyes were still sticking to us.
Since they wouldn’t fall off by just waving a hand, both of us ignored them completely, as if we hadn’t noticed them at all.
‘Oh.’
The variety of desserts was extensive.
Nicely arranged items were piled up, ready to be eaten right there.
In particular, there were many sweet things like cookies, small slices of cake, tarts, and fruits.
Thinly sliced pork was rolled up with various vegetables and stood upright, and sandwiches were also provided.
‘I wish the Healer could try all of these.’
Everything looked appetizing.
I filled a plate with a moderate amount and stood side by side against the wall in a secluded corner.
“By the way, what happened?”
I asked as I ate a cookie.
The soft cookie, studded with chocolate, was nutty and sweet.
I especially liked the occasional crunchy texture.
“Ah… It was when I first attended a ball.”
Klen didn’t ask what I was referring to.
Perhaps he already realized that I had felt a sense of question during his conversation with Fabian Hyung-nim.
His Hyung-nim’s reaction was that strange.
‘Just from their conversation, I think I know what happened.’
Surely, Klen hadn’t stepped on someone’s foot while dancing?
Given his personality, there’s a high possibility he put on an act.
But was he the type of person to sacrifice an innocent person for his performance?
* * *
