CHAPTER 87………………………………………………
“Will I run into any other nobles on the way?”
I left the mansion with that thought in mind.
But I never imagined I would run into Laseille.
“L-Lord Jaen?”
Irenes blinked as she looked at the figure in front of her.
It had been so long since she’d seen him dressed in the duke’s family uniform.
“Lord Jaen?”
“…Have you decided not to use that title anymore?”
Laseille noticed Irenes only now and asked jokingly.
Irenes, realizing too late that he was referring to her nickname, flushed.
“Well, you’re… in uniform…”
She didn’t feel it was the right moment to call him “Ella.”
She worried it might be rude.
“I’m fine with it,”
Laseille replied briefly, and it didn’t seem like an empty courtesy.
“Then, um… Ella?”
“Yes, Iren?”
Just calling each other’s names made the atmosphere strangely tense.
Unable to bear the awkwardness, Irenes quickly changed the subject.
“Where were you headed?”
“I’m just going to the bookstore for a bit.”
“Oh, the bookstore.”
The conversation stopped at another awkward moment.
This time, Laseille was the one to speak first.
“And you, Iren, where were you headed?”
“I was going out for a bit. My eyes hurt from reading too much.”
“That makes sense.”
“Um, Ella… will you be staying in the capital a bit longer?”
Irenes hesitated but asked the question.
She wanted to have plenty of time to spend with Laseille.
“Yes, probably for about another week.”
“Same as me!”
Irenes would likely return to her estate around that time as well.
A week would be enough to let the Black Mage let his guard down.
“Did I sound too happy?”
Irenes, who had unintentionally spoken in a bright voice, quickly cleared her throat.
“Anyway… if you’re free tonight, I’d like to invite you for dinner.”
“Dinner?”
She had been feeling a bit uneasy about always being served at the lord’s mansion.
Since Laseille was in the capital, it seemed fine to invite him to the duke’s family residence for a meal.
“Strictly speaking, it’s more like a ball.”
It was a ball requested of the duke to gather information about forces related to the Black Mage.
Considering the recent atmosphere, many nobles would be loose-lipped about curses.
Among them, the ones who mentioned truly dangerous curses would likely be connected.
“It starts at lunch tomorrow, but we’ll start preparing food this evening.”
The evening meal would likely be more like a banquet.
There would be too much food for just the duke’s household to handle.
“If you’re not free…”
“If Iren invites me, of course I’ll go.”
Laseille answered with a small smile.
Irenes blinked as she looked at his face.
It had been a while since she had seen Laseille with such a faint smile.
The corners of his lips barely lifted, yet the atmosphere was completely different.
“Why is Ella… always so beautiful every time I see her?”
Irenes nodded, thinking this quietly to herself, without ever saying it aloud.
“Yes! Then… I’ll be waiting.”
“Oh, I have a question.”
Laseille, who had briefly looked pensive, asked soon after.
“Will you also invite me to the ball?”
“Yes, if Ella is okay with it.”
“As a partner?”
Irenes blinked again.
She was usually the one to bring up such topics.
She had never imagined that Laseille would be the first to say it.
“Yes, as a partner!”
Irenes nodded brightly.
There was no reason to refuse since Laseille had made the suggestion.
“Then, see you tonight.”
Laseille gave a short farewell.
Irenes only realized the meaning of her own words after he disappeared from view.
So now…
“Did I just… invite him to stay overnight at the mansion?”
It had unintentionally turned into an overnight invitation.
Even among engaged couples, this rarely happened.
“Did Ella notice this?”
Even if he had noticed, she probably wouldn’t care much.
It wasn’t like they would be sleeping in the same room.
“Same room…”
Irenes’ ears turned red as her thoughts wandered.
Her flushed face stayed that way all the way back to the mansion, forgetting her original purpose.
“Ah, the accessory!”
Once she began thinking about the accessory she would give to Laseille, her face turned even redder.
Laseille realized the overnight stay in the late afternoon.
When he went to ask for permission to go out, the response was more like: “Isn’t this overnight?”
Considering the time, it was more of a notification than a request.
Either way, he intended to attend the invitation.
Especially since Irenes had hurried to send the accessory.
“To the Duchy of Sieren? Have a good time. You’ll use the guest room, right?”
Ermeta’s permission came surprisingly quickly.
But the reactions of the other members of the duke’s household were not so calm.
“Lord Sieren? And you’re going to have him attend the ball the next day?”
“You like her, don’t you?”
The most vocal reactions came from Miren and Valeria.
Miren, who always liked meddling in other people’s romances.
Even though her own love life was far more interesting.
“Anyway, an overnight stay?”
“Even engaged couples don’t usually do that!”
“Well… it’s not like they’re sleeping in the same room.”
Laseille’s response was fairly straightforward.
He knew he would be using the guest room at the Sieren mansion anyway.
“I slept in one a few times when I was little.”
Back then it had been with Yujire, but still.
There was no reason to make such a fuss now.
“It’s easier if you’re attending the ball.”
Guests from far away often received the guest room the day before a ball.
This time, Laseille was the only guest.
“Right, the ball! And she even asked you to be her partner!”
“…It’s just easier for both of us than finding a new partner, right?”
“Ah, really!”
Valeria shouted as if she couldn’t contain her frustration.
“She just doesn’t understand you! Why are you so dense?”
“That’s how she is.”
Miren also didn’t seem willing to side with Laseille.
“No matter who confesses, she’ll think it’s a misunderstanding.”
“Don’t say that. I’m scared that she really will think that.”
“It’s not that bad…”
Even as she denied it with words, Laseille had to admit it in her heart.
If there was no way to verify the sincerity of a confession, she would feel uneasy.
“Then tell me. What would make you believe it?”
“Hmm… maybe if a proposal letter came addressed to me?”
But it was doubtful anyone would send a proposal to Laseille.
“Alright, anyway, Mom approved, so let’s go pick a dress!”
Finally, Miren, resigned about Laseille’s love life, stood up.
“I got one that I thought would suit you.”
“What did you say?”
She had chosen a dress even though Laseille hadn’t been invited anywhere.
And Miren had gone herself, not Laseille.
“My mom won’t allow me to get too many dresses.”
“….”
She had wanted a new dress but used Laseille as an excuse to avoid Ermeta’s scolding.
“They’re all new. You’ll wear a dress anyway, right?”
“I guess so…”
Since she wouldn’t be attending with Yujire’s protection, there was no need to avoid wearing a dress.
“It’s better if I avoid dueling. People don’t like fighting someone in a dress.”
Even Laseille thought it wasn’t worth throwing a glove.
Even if she won, the opponent would be wearing a long, flowing dress.
If she lost, her pride would be seriously hurt.
“Come quickly!”
“I’m coming.”
While Laseille was lost in thought, Miren called from upstairs.
Following slowly, she saw the room usually used as a wardrobe.
Unlike the duke’s mansion in her domain, the duke’s family wardrobe was usually empty…
“Why are there so many?”
Today, the wardrobe was completely filled with dresses.
