Chapter 13
*If there’s something at today’s festival that would make a good gift, I’ll buy it for her. Even if it’s Benjamin’s money… the festive mood should make it feel less bothersome.*
“Milady, which outfit would you like?!”
Sally and the other maids giggled as they showed Grace various dresses.
Among the clothes Grace usually chose were several gorgeous, flashy dresses that had been shoved into the back of the wardrobe—beautiful gowns that didn’t really suit her.
“I’ll take the third one.”
With an indifferent expression, Grace chose the deep violet dress.
Everyone looked disappointed for a brief moment, then quickly composed themselves and put the other dresses away.
“It was a good idea to prepare a white mask. If even the mask were dark, milady would feel stifled. I’m sure of it.”
Sally chattered away as she lightly dressed Grace.
“Oh my.”
Sally, who was fixing Grace’s attire, blinked.
“What is it?!”
“Milady, the dress is loose on you.”
Sally pinched the excess fabric and showed her. There wasn’t a lot, but there was extra room around the arms and waist.
“Shall we take it in?!”
“Yes. It’s best to wear it just for today and then have it altered. There’s no time to do it right now.”
Grace straightened the back she’d been about to hunch while looking in the mirror and nodded.
The clock was reflected in the mirror. It was almost time to leave.
When Grace exited the annex, Benjamin was already waiting. Unlike Grace, who was wearing a cloak, Benjamin was dressed rather lightly.
Instead, he wore a hat with a very wide brim.
“Madam, you’ve arrived.”
“Am I late?!”
“Not at all. I simply came out early. You’re absolutely not late.”
‘…Hmm.’
Grace realized she truly wasn’t shaken anymore.
The more memories about herself surfaced, the easier it became to separate her emotions. It was ironic.
*Normally, even a remark like that would have made my heart flutter.*
Knowing that, in the original course of events, Benjamin and Aria would meet at the masquerade—and that the cloak she was wearing would have been a gift from Benjamin to Aria—made it easier for Grace to stay calm.
And it really did.
The more she knew, the more loving him felt like a loss.
*I refuse to die because I let my emotions control me.*
Grace stood beside Benjamin.
“Your Grace, if we go by carriage we’ll draw attention. Shall we walk out through the servants’ back door instead?”
“Yes. And it would be better to use different forms of address outside.”
“For example?”
Grace blinked as she looked at him.
Benjamin hesitated while gazing into Grace’s turquoise eyes, then raised his hand and carefully straightened her white mask.
“…Hmm, something appropriate like—”
“Yes?”
“Never mind.”
Benjamin pulled the brim of his hat down firmly.
“You may call me… Benny.”
“……”
Grace looked at Benjamin with a strange expression.
*What an odd man.*
If he had simply asked her to call him “dear,” she could have done it. Of course she could. Even without love, they were married.
She had never called him that before, though. She searched through her muddled memories, and there truly wasn’t such an instance.
*Dear?*
She tried pronouncing it only in her mind. Goosebumps ran all over her. If feelings had a shape, it felt like fine hairs were bristling there, too.
“All right, Benny.”
So Grace decided to just call him Benny.
“Then what will you call me? Just ‘madam’?”
Benjamin nodded, still pressing his hat down. He gestured for Grace to head toward the back door first.
When Grace started walking, Benjamin followed behind her.
Once he took his hand off the hat, it was clear that his face was bright red even beneath the mask.
The servants who witnessed this let out another deep sigh.
“This is your first time attending the festival in the capital, isn’t it, madam?”
“Is it? We’ve been married for a year already.”
“…That’s true.”
Benjamin nodded at her reply.
“I’m more of an indoor person.”
Grace answered simply.
“Come to think of it, I’ve almost always stayed in the capital. Why—”
She was about to ask why he mostly stayed at the ducal residence in the capital, even though his main duty as a duke was subjugating monsters in the north, and she herself had no interest in high society.
But Grace closed her mouth.
*It must be because of Aria.*
The largest temple in the empire was located in the capital. Aria, being a saintess, naturally stayed there.
And since Benjamin secretly loved Aria, it made sense for him to remain in the capital, whatever excuse he gave.
Grace quickly came to that conclusion and nodded.
“Th-that is—”
“Mm, I think I get it. That makes sense. Traveling to the north can be handled via gates, and the ducal territory isn’t exactly comfortable to live in anyway.”
Grace nodded, telling him she understood and that he didn’t need to explain.
Benjamin let out a subtle sigh of relief.
“By the way, is the masquerade only celebrated in the capital? I’ve never experienced it in my hometown or nearby territories.”
“Yes. It’s probably because there’s no large temple in your territory or the surrounding areas.”
“……”
“……I absolutely didn’t mean to disparage your hometown, madam.”
They walked step by step toward the city while talking.
“So the masquerade is hosted by the temple.”
“Yes. It’s held around this time of year—warm during the day, pleasantly cool at night. The reason people wear masks is because there’s a legend that on such beautiful days, spiteful and evil demons mingle among the revelers and steal the faces of those they fancy.”
“Oh. I know that legend. I read it in a storybook. A spiteful, ugly, evil demon, right?”
Grace remembered it too.
“My father used to hold my sister and me in his arms and read it to us by the fireplace. Um…”
According to the legend, she wondered if she even needed to wear a mask.
*Aria, Benjamin, and the Crown Prince absolutely would.*
Not just demons—anyone would covet their looks.
“…It seems you were close with the viscount.”
“Was I?”
“Yes. You didn’t talk much about your family with me, but when you did, it was always good stories.”
Grace tried to think back, wondering if that was true. At that moment, Benjamin suddenly held out his hand.
“Oh.”
“I apologize.”
They had reached a street crowded with people.
“I thought it would be proper to escort you here. Would holding hands be better than linking arms?”
“Hmm.”
After hesitating, Grace placed her hand on Benjamin’s.
“……”
For a long while, he stared down at her hand resting on his. He was wearing thick gloves.
He let out a small breath.
“…?”
Grace narrowed her eyes, wondering what that sound meant. It seemed unconscious.
*Somehow… it feels like relief.*
She tried to pull her hand away, but Benjamin tightened his grip and lowered it.
“I heard that you haven’t been eating properly lately.”
“That’s true, but I’m controlling my meals.”
“Still, couldn’t you eat something delicious today?”
Grace felt troubled by his suggestion. After all, festivals were all about food. The most profitable things at festivals were always food and small, useless souvenirs.
The air was filled with delicious smells.
When you couldn’t see it, it was easier to restrain yourself. But this was a street of temptation, a feast of temptation.
“Mm. Mmm…”
Grace groaned softly.
She did want to eat, after all. No one disliked good food.
Benjamin looked at her with the expression of a whimpering puppy. Even behind the mask, it was obvious.
“C-can’t we?”
He asked her with moist eyes.
“…We can’t—”
Just as she was about to steel her heart and refuse, the scent of freshly baked bread and rich butter wafted over.
“……”
There was also the bittersweet smell of chocolate, sizzling oil, freshly grilled meat, and slightly burnt sugar.
All kinds of tempting aromas filled the street.
Grace trembled helplessly.
“J-just a little…”
She lost.
“…It’s delicious.”
Someone once said sugar was utterly useless and harmful.
But as Grace scraped up pudding loaded with sugar using her spoon, she was deeply moved.
It was so delicious it nearly brought her to tears.
If it made people this happy, could it really be completely harmful? Grace, who had barely consumed sugar for a long time, was overwhelmed.
Especially since she hadn’t touched desserts at all, it felt even more moving. A hymn seemed to be playing in her head.
Her mouth shouted “Sweet!” while the sweetness struck her brain directly, screaming that it was sweet and happy at the same time.
“Does it suit your taste, madam?”
Compared to the desserts supplied to the ducal household, the quality was infinitely lower. Even so, Grace nodded and scraped the pudding bowl completely clean.
