Mathieu's expression was frighteningly stern, and I was taken aback. "Uh… Yes, it's okay."
He took my hand and lifted me up with force. Then he looked down at Lennox, who was still sitting in a daze, and whispered, "No matter how much I may desire to marry Lady Meldenik Babyloa…"
His voice was so cold that I couldn't imagine he was the same man who had been smiling all the time.
"Isn't it ugly to cheat on someone after courting them?"
"…You, who are you!"
Mathieu did not answer. Instead, he raised his foot and stomped on Lennox's hand, which was still on the ground.
"As a fellow man, I despise you."
"…Ugh." Lennox pulled his trampled hand back and cursed at him.
People were busy pointing fingers at Lennox, their eyes shining with this new gossip.
That bad guy's image is being ruined smoothly.
Okay, I'll spread the word on my own.
I looked around. Before I knew it, I saw Lady Moodsela approaching my left.
"I'm sorry I ruined the ball I hosted." Perhaps I wouldn't be able to get another request from her.
I approached Moodsela and whispered in a low voice, "I'm sorry for ruining your wonderful ball."
Moodsela shook her head violently. "No!" She whispered to me earnestly, "Don't think like that. The problem is that he cheated in such an ugly manner."
I could see her eyes burning through the gap in her mask. Some peers admired Lennox and Sheria's secret relationship as a love story. However, normal people still hated infidelity, especially Moodsela Maxson.
"Ha, I'm so good! It's ridiculous, really. How can that be!"
"…?"
"He deserves to die."
No matter how much it sounded like a self-talk that only I could hear, Lennox was a duke. It was a huge shame to use the expression "bastard" for him.
Perhaps she also remembered the past. The ladies next to me murmured as if they had similar thoughts.
"…He's doing that because of Ammond's affair, right?"
"That, that word is taboo!"
"Still, how can the situation be the same…"
"I like it. It must have been really hard for her too!"
People began to sympathize with me. Moodsela Maxson even hugged me tightly.
"You are not guilty. Truly, truly trashy people are at fault."
"Thank you." Talking to a common-sense person made me feel understood.
"I'll take care of the atmosphere. Come on, Lady Meldenik. We will definitely see you again next time. Yes? We'll meet and talk."
I tried my best to feign distress, pretending to have tears in my eyes. "Thank you, it's really shocking…"
I tried to pretend to stumble, but I failed because Mathieu, who looked somehow angry, was holding my body tightly. Instead, I tilted my head at Moodsela, who was worried about me.
"Let's go back now."
I glanced towards Lennox. He was stunned by the first time he had been criticized like this.
Ugh, shameless bastard.
I looked down at him once more. I needed to escape before he came to his senses.
Mathieu took my hand and prepared to escort me outside. In front of me, I could now see a bright red carpet and a door leading outside.
As I was busy walking out of the splendid banquet hall, Moodsela whispered softly, "Cheer up."
"The request will definitely be successful."
It was clear that she saw me as a pitiful person who had been tyrannized by an adulterous man. Sometimes compassion and camaraderie are powerful sources of liking.
I laughed happily, clasped Mathieu's hand, and left the ballroom. His hands were strangely cold.
Meldenik looked at the man sitting across from her and said, "This is how the ball ended. What if I can't enjoy it properly?"
He just stared at Meldenik without answering. His thoughts were tangled in his head, but nothing came out of his mouth.
"How is your neck?"
Except for this seemingly simple question. He looked at her neck, his expression hardened frighteningly.
Meldenik rubbed her throat with a strange feeling, frowned at the sting, and then said cheerfully again, "Yes? Oh, it's okay. Come to think of it, did you find the thief?"
"…Yes."
"Congratulations."
Mathieu, or rather, Isaac, raised his hand and pressed his eyes tightly.
It was Duke Hesmann who stole the mana vessel. He had explored the surroundings of Meldenik when he dealt with the Duke of Hesmann in the subspace. And he realized the power that the Duke of Hesmann showed. He was freely using the strange currents in the vessel of mana.
There was also bizarre mana intertwined. It's as if he has absorbed all kinds of talents by himself.
However, there was no definitive evidence that the Duke of Hesmann was a thief. It was impossible to condemn based on emotion alone. Duke Hesmann was a formidable opponent. It was necessary to secure solid physical evidence so that he would pay the proper penalty.
Moreover, what if the Duke of Hesmann was a thief…
They would also have to dig into the reason why he was constantly trying to become stronger.
Isaac lightly ruffled his hair. His purpose in attending the ball was all achieved.
But why am I so angry?
"…I thought I would save you before he strangled you."
"Yes?"
"I thought there was a plan you arranged, so I watched it."
Meldenik stiffened her body. She looked surprised to think that he had deliberately made a plan so that Duke Hesmann's affair was made public. But he didn't care about that.
"I wanted to help you, but I didn't have any justification." Meldenik had not told him any plans. It was natural. They had only seen each other a few times. Wasn't it strange to already tell your whole story?
But why is that sad?
He had just realized for the first time that there was such a childish feeling deep within him, and he stopped.
"Oh, I'm grateful just for your concern. What plan I made… Not really. It was a coincidence, everything."
As he pondered Meldenik's words, the carriage rattled briefly. Meldenik naturally put pressure on her toes to keep herself from moving.
Isaac looked down. He could see shoes sticking out from under the dress. The toe was dented. There was a lot of dust, and the heels were muddy or scratched, making it hard to say that they had been worn for a day. Seeing this, his discomfort suddenly soared.
He spoke quietly, "Meldenik."
A deep voice resonated in Meldenik's ears. He finished by putting his hand close to Meldenik's neck. Meldenik's skin and his fingertips stopped about a centimeter between them.
"Why don't you spare your body?"
But Isaac's languid voice kept brushing past her ears. "I don't want you to get hurt."
Meldenik asked with a playful smile, "That sounds like you care about me a lot, doesn't it?"
But Isaac didn't laugh. Instead, his fingertips touched Meldenik's neck. I thought it would be soft, but surprisingly, his fingertips gently caressed her throat.
"That's right. I'm worried."
Undelicate, rough hands. However, the light that stretched out from his fingertips was soft and warm. A starlight-like pure white light spread across Meldenik's neck. The red line drawn around her neck disappeared smoothly. Lennox's rough hand gesture was swept away, and her aching throat went back to its original ivory.
Isaac thought quietly.
Originally, today should have been the last day.
He caught the thief, and the escort was done wonderfully. Now they could go their separate ways. Because the feelings she had for him must be ordinary curiosity.
Instead of looking into Meldenik's eyes that touched him, he slowly pressed down on the pulsating veins around her neck.
"I originally thought that today would be the last time I would see you again."
The original plan had already been thwarted, and he was interested in Meldenik. His interest was a little more colorful than just curiosity.
Isaac now decided to admit the facts.
"Then I think I should introduce myself again."
"Yes?" She looked at him with a new expression.
"Isaac Mathieu Reinhold, this is my name."
"Isaac Mathieu Reinhold…" Meldenik's expression became strange and sad.
Isaac finally decided to bring out the title she knew best. His eyes curled softly like a half-moon.
"In other words, I am the Master of the Magic Tower."