“Is that so…”
The Marquis’s wistful gaze fell on Terzia. She politely pulled the corners of her lips into a smile. It wasn’t hard to notice that the Marquis was showing her romantic interest.
Come to think of it, Marquis Viatin Caul was also unmarried.
‘If I successfully break off the engagement, he might not be a bad candidate for marriage…?’
Brom was a nation that had been suffering from chronic low birth rates for centuries. To avoid the unpleasant situation of being criticized as an unmarried youth, finding a suitable partner and reaching a reasonable agreement to hold a wedding wasn’t a bad idea.
“I hope we have more opportunities to talk next time.”
“Only if you can spare the time, Marquis.”
When Terzia responded with a mild tone, the Marquis smiled brightly and kissed the back of her hand.
“That sounds wonderful. In fact, I’ve been looking forward to meeting the minister. You’re always so busy that it’s hard to find the right time to ask. I’d like to seek your advice on the budget support for the Cultshire Industrial Guild. May I be so bold as to ask?”
“Of course. It would be an honor to provide business advice to you.”
“Thank you. Now that it’s our turn, shall we head inside together?”
olster “Oh, yes. Let’s do that.”
They stood side by side at the door. The hall butler cleared his throat a couple of times before announcing with a solemn voice.
“Marquis Caul, and Count Brandel with his daughter!”
The grand golden doors opened, and dazzling chandelier light burst into view. The air, filled with boisterous conversations, loud laughter, and warm heat, rushed in to greet them.
At that moment, Terzia felt a dizzying spell of vertigo.
The bright red carpet laid out before her seemed to ripple strangely, creating an optical illusion. Terzia squeezed her eyes shut and, with the Count’s gentle escort, barely managed to take a step forward.
‘What’s happening to me all of a sudden?’
With the Minister of Finance of Brom on her right and the young master of Caul on her left, all eyes naturally turned to her. Terzia braced herself, trying not to show any signs of dizziness.
As soon as they reached the end of the red carpet in the center of the hall, Terzia withdrew her hand from her father’s arm. She had to muster her strength to speak without her voice trembling.
“Then, please enjoy your conversation. I’ll go see Lady Ashula.”
“Oh, yes. Go ahead, Terzia.”
“Yes. Marquis, I hope you have a pleasant time as well.”
Marquis Caul responded with a polite bow. His clear, piercing blue gaze lingered on the back of Terzia’s neck as she turned away.
As Terzia found herself alone, Lady Ashula, a Baroness, approached her. She was an old friend of her father, Count Louise Brandel, and one of the few upper-class women who showed genuine kindness to her.
“Terzia, it’s been a while. You look absolutely stunning today.”
“Thank you. But you look far more beautiful, my Lady.”
“Oh, nonsense. Terzia, you were absolutely radiant even standing next to Marquis Caul. Were you already acquainted with him?”
“I’ve only heard much about him, but today was the first time I actually met him. He had some business to discuss with my father, so I was introduced.”
“I see. He’s such a mysterious figure, so I couldn’t help but be curious. By the way, today is Lord Arfair’s return ceremony, isn’t it? You must feel particularly emotional, my dear.”
“Indeed. It’s been so long that I feel quite nervous.”
Terzia forced a brighter smile, trying to ignore the anxious pounding of her heart. It seemed that simply engaging in conversation like this helped her calm down a little.
Her expectations were completely off the mark.
They had been discussing the latest gossip circulating in high society when the young lady standing across from Terzia asked with concern.
“Terzia, are you alright? You don’t look well.”
“Ah…”
Terzia, who had been staring blankly into space, suddenly snapped back to attention.
“I just have a slight headache. I’ll be fine soon. Please don’t worry.”
It was a lie. Her condition was deteriorating noticeably with each passing moment.
The Emperor and Empress had made their entrance, and the ball had officially begun. She had thought she would feel better with time and had some light refreshments, but that only made things worse.
Her stomach churned and chills ran through her body. Her hands were trembling so visibly that she could barely hold her wine glass.
This was somewhat strange. Terzia suppressed her rapid breathing.
‘This seems too extreme to be just nerves…’
At an imperial ball, the source of all rumors, and among so many dignitaries, losing consciousness would surely spark new gossip. Terzia bit her tongue inside her mouth, struggling to maintain her composure.
But at some point, she could no longer prevent her expression from crumbling.
The scar below her jaw, along her neckline, itched madly. No matter how many times she rubbed her neck with the back of her hand, the itching only grew worse.
Finally, she made an excuse about her father and slipped away from the group, hiding at a secluded table near the terrace. Cold sweat began trickling down her spine.
“Ugh…”
When she licked her lips, tasting an iron-like tang, her cracked lips stung. Terzia, startled, pressed her lips together, covering her lower lip with her upper one.
Her blood attracts malevolent things. Though she hadn’t seen any evil spirits in the past six years, she couldn’t guarantee it would stay that way.
The return ceremony was about to begin.
‘I must endure…’
Every nerve in her body tensed as she sensed an approaching presence.
Terzia painfully looked around. No one else seemed as crushed by this overwhelming pressure as she was.
Everyone was laughing, chattering, holding their partners’ hands, spinning round and round in what seemed like an endless dance.
How could they all be so unaffected?
When it feels so, so vivid.
The blood-red wine in the crystal glass trembled precariously. Terzia instinctively knew.
You’re drawing me in.
The moment she realized this, someone took the wine glass from her hand.
She looked up, startled. It was the person she had briefly spoken with earlier. Viatin Caul, beautiful as a fairy tale prince with sweet golden hair and blue eyes, was looking down at her with concern.
“My Lady?”
She remembered him being surrounded by young ladies on the other side right after finishing his conversation with her father—when had he come over here?
Terzia gathered her trembling fingers together and forced a smile. She had to appear fine. With so many eyes watching, she couldn’t show any unsightly behavior.
‘Father will worry. I absolutely can’t let Father notice.’
The Marquis, having set down the glass, firmly gripped her arm.
“Are you alright? You don’t look well.”
His concerned gaze moved from her sweat-beaded forehead to her slightly trembling shoulders, finally resting on her tightly clasped hands in her lap. Marquis Caul furrowed his brow.
“You’re very cold. I should call the Minister. No, first we should get you out of the ballroom. I’ll call someone.”
“No.”
Terzia desperately tried to stop him, shaking her head.
Though she wanted nothing more than to flee this place immediately, she had to stay right here, without moving a single step. Because—
—Wait.
Because someone was commanding her to wait.
‘That’s right, I must wait.’
An obsessive compulsion to do so seized her entire body. Terzia drew in sharp breaths.
“I’m fine, please don’t concern yourself.”
But she couldn’t continue speaking. The blaring trumpet sound announcing the start of the return ceremony began resonating throughout the hall.
Simultaneously, the grand golden doors of the banquet hall swung wide open. Her heartbeat reached its peak before plummeting to the floor with a thud.
At last, Terzia found what she had been sensing—that unforgettable pitch-black darkness.
The world flickered between darkness and light repeatedly. It was a dizzying hallucination, as if the entire world was being dyed in his darkness.
A name she hadn’t spoken in so long escaped between her lips like a sigh.
“Rigel…”
Leave a Reply