Chapter 97

And so, I entered the ball all by myself. After relaying my apologies to Chloe and Yulia through the maids, I quietly stared at myself in the mirror. Dressed up like this, I actually looked a bit pretty, I think. Of course, it’s not that I didn’t care for my appearance back when I was a maid. Being Lilian’s dedicated maid meant I had to at least maintain a somewhat human look.

But as a maid, my idea of dressing up was just washing up a bit more often and wearing some cheap jewelry. This was my first time getting all dolled up like this, and it felt a bit strange.

To be honest, I didn’t really do much to my face. Since my base was already decent, I added just a smattering of makeup. It made sense. However, the fierce impression I had, almost rivaling Lilian, vanished with a few touches. I might not have a friendly-round face like Yulia that anyone could approach, but I didn’t look intimidating either. And my bright red lips contrasted beautifully with my fair skin, drawing attention right away. The maids commented that they were “lips that beckon a kiss.”

My straight black hair, usually well-kept, now cascaded down to my waist. Around my neck hung a ruby necklace, and shimmering black pearl earrings adorned my ears. It felt like they were carefully coordinated with my hair and eye color. Normally, it’s all about contrasting colors to draw the eye, but since my hair and eye colors were rare, the maids explained that it softened my overall impression.

Being maids of the Imperial Palace, they had a professional touch when it came to things like this. After finishing all my adornments and slipping into the purple dress sent by Princess Chloe, I felt I looked quite beautiful, at least to myself.

The dress Chloe sent was clearly ordered from a high-end clothing shop. It had more jewels than frills. Weighing a bit more than I expected, it was definitely made for someone with a tiny waist.

“Your waist is so slim; wearing it like this looks great,” one of the maids commented.

“The dress has more room than I thought it would.”

Honestly, I briefly wondered if it was acceptable to wear a dress after turning down a partner request. However, with no time to find a new dress, I figured owning just one wouldn’t cause too much of a fuss. Still, it felt a bit unsettling that it fit me so perfectly, especially around the backside. Considering such dresses are usually made to order, it meant Chloe must know my measurements well.

How could she possibly know? Lilian shouldn’t know my size either. I pondered as I quietly stepped outside. The sound of my heels *click-clack* echoed through the hallway. The ball was to be held in the Anastasia Hall at the center of the Imperial Palace. Named to honor the first Empress, whose tragic love story with the first Emperor still echoes, it’s the grandest and most opulent hall in the palace.

Such a place would typically only be opened for an Emperor’s birthday or a victory ball. As I reached the Anastasia Hall, a servant called my name, and the door swung open. As I stepped inside, the gaze of many attendees began to pin me down.

“Oh!”

“Is that…?”

“She certainly looks beautiful.”

“Indeed, she does.”

Countless noble eyes fell on me, nobles gazing at me as if I were a goose laying golden eggs, while noble ladies shot me looks of jealousy. What have I even done? I wondered slowly making my way down the hall, noticing the nobles glancing my way in awe. Among them, the first to approach me was Princess Chloe herself.

“Hello, Catherine.”

“Your Highness, it’s an honor to see you.”

“Yep! You wore the dress I sent, didn’t you?”

“I figured a dress wouldn’t be a problem…”

“Hehe, you think too much, Catherine.”

Chloe smiled and handed me some white wine, clinking her glass with mine.

“To the heroine of our Empire, the star of the evening! How did it fare against the demons?”

“To be honest, it was awful. It felt like they compiled every crafty trait humans possess.”

They’d poison wells just for kicks, unleash sick livestock to spread disease. Sure, every time, Yulia managed to purify and reduce their numbers, but I was fed up with their incessant and innovative approaches to creating ‘death’.

“Hmm, good thing it ended quickly then.”

“I had to exert myself a bit.”

As I tapped my Sacred Sword, Princess Chloe watched it with a distant expression. A sword dangling from a dress didn’t make for a lovely sight, but what could I do? It was requested that I bring the Sword to the ball as the main character.

It made sense that people were just glancing but not coming closer; maybe it was because of that fearsome weapon. I chuckled at such silly thoughts, glancing back at Princess Chloe, who sighed lightly.

“Well, I’m bummed I wasn’t chosen as your partner, but at least no one else has taken your hand.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. To be honest, I was hoping you’d pick me. It might be greedy to say I wanted you to choose only me.”

“Only you?”

“Well, high-ranking nobles often have multiple wives, you know.”

“That sounds a bit odd when you put it that way.”

Thank goodness the surrounding nobles couldn’t hear our conversation. Still, the princess’s topic left my head spinning. High-ranking nobles have many wives—a thought I’d never considered, especially since the closest noble, the Marquis of Portus, only has one wife. If the Marquis did take a second wife, his Marchioness would probably flip out, which made it the obvious choice.

“Well, enjoy yourself thoroughly. I have some business to tend to, so I’ll take my leave.”

“Yes.”

As Princess Chloe left, just as if they’d been waiting for her to depart, the Marquis of Portus and Lilian approached me. The Marquis walked up with his usual serious expression, while Lilian came with an eager look on her face.

“Long time no see, Count Alein.”

“It’s been a while, Marquis of Portus, Your Excellency.”

The Marquis regarded me with an expressionless gaze before finally speaking.

“I think it’s good that someone with good standing like you is taking up residence in the neighboring territory. I look forward to working with you.”

“…Likewise, I look forward to working with you.”

“Hmm.”

With a nod, the Marquis glanced at his daughter, but Lilian seemed oblivious to his attention and continued to make eye contact with me. The Marquis sighed softly at this and spoke.

“Exile isn’t an option.”

“…Yes.”

With that, the Marquis departed first, and I quietly observed Lilian. She smiled brightly and extended her hand towards me. Accepting the glass she offered, I clinked my cup with hers.

“To our hero! It’s a bit sad you’re not my maid anymore, but…”

“If a Count were to be a maid, there’d be a riot.”

“I know, I know. Just saying it’s a shame.”

Lilian pouted a bit, smiling widely at me. Seeing her made me smile in return. The master-servant relationship wasn’t bad, but this equal relationship didn’t seem so bad either.