"...Hey, newbie. You wouldn't happen to know the Imperial Princess, would you?"
"N-No way!"
"Then why did that bitch smile at you as she passed by?"
Once the youngest Imperial Princess who had brushed past me completely vanished from sight, Lilien—who had been glaring coldly at her back—finally threw out her question.
"Big Sis, shouldn't you watch your language...?"
"Just answer me."
No matter that we were Belverks—even I thought calling the Imperial Princess a "bitch" like that was going too far, so I pointed it out while breaking into a cold sweat. But Lilien acted like she couldn't care less and kept pressing me.
"I saw her for the first time today."
"Really?"
Of course, I'd never laid eyes on the Imperial Princess before. Not just her—I'd barely even seen the outside world.
"I-I've spent my whole life only seeing people from the marquisate."
It had only been a month since I'd even stepped out into the world, after all. That said it all.
"...Those bastards, really."
But then, the cold expression Lilien had been using to grill me flickered for a moment. She clenched her teeth quietly and scooted right up next to me again.
"Anyway, newbie, this world's a pretty rough place."
"...Yeah."
"You can't just trust anyone and get chummy with them."
It was a profoundly insightful statement coming from Lilien—an elementary schooler just two years older than me.
"Big Sis, your grip's too tight."
"...Shut up. What if I lose you?"
"I'm not a lost kid anymore."
She'd gone ahead and fully laced her fingers with the hand she was holding now, quietly starting to steer us toward a corner.
"Anyway, it's about time, so let's head somewhere secluded."
"...Huh? Secluded?"
"Quit yapping and follow."
Wait, didn't she just say something about going to eat earlier? What are we supposed to do in a corner?
Was this the moment where I needed to yell at the top of my lungs, "No, I don't want to, stop!"?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Right as I was lost in such silly thoughts, a soft piano melody suddenly echoed through the banquet hall.
"Tch, they're starting that shitty crap again."
As string instruments began harmonizing with the melody, Lilien's expression—who had been dragging me along—turned downright ferocious.
"What the heck's going on here?"
"...Fucking social dance time."
Thanks to that, after making a puzzled face for a second, I heard Lilien's curse and immediately figured out what was happening.
Right, yeah—in a romance novel banquet, it'd be weirder if social dancing didn't show up.
"Newbie, can you dance?"
"Ah, yeah!"
But luckily, unlike other protagonists who fumbled because they weren't used to social dances, I was totally confident.
"I used to be Lady Dorsia's dance partner back in the day."
"..."
"I know the style where you match the lady's lead really well!"
But the moment she heard that, Lilien's face went cold again.
"You didn't have to go into that much detail."
"Huh?"
"...That's how I found out where you were."
Wondering what she meant, I glanced around—then broke into a cold sweat and gripped Lilien's hand tightly.
"..."
The ladies who'd been eyeing me hungrily were slinking toward me one by one.
Some had even ditched their own partners. Was that allowed?
"Fuck, if I'd known it'd be like this, I should've learned to dance... "
Even for Lilien, spewing curses at every single lady swarming like zombies was a tall order, it seemed. After agonizing over it for a bit...
"F-First things first, newbie. Grab my waist."
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Lilien wrapped her arm around my waist and whispered.
"Once you start dancing with them, it'll never end. For now, just with me..."
That's when I sensed something was off.
'Something feels like Lilien's mind is elsewhere.'
She kept saying it'd be trouble if I got tangled with the ladies, but her gaze was fixed somewhere else.
And from earlier, she'd been trying to hide me or shield me from a certain direction.
It was like she'd spotted something and was trying to protect me from it...
"...One-sidedly matching your partner isn't proper dancing."
Curiosity piqued, I peeked out to see what it was—right then.
"Ah."
Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me forward, whispering in a soft voice.
"Dancing is a form of communion. A social act where you both sync your breaths and move together."
With that someone's arrival, the ladies crowding around scattered in panic, biting their lips or slinking back.
"Mind if I teach you a thing or two, Kairen?"
My mother, Duchess Astridje, shot a cold glance at those ladies as she placed my hand on her waist and asked.
"...Ughrp."
(For the record, my face was buried between Mother's chest and stomach, so I couldn't properly answer until the dance started.)
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Tch..."
Thus, with his arm around Duchess Astridje's waist, Kairen began dancing with such exquisite, flowing grace that it stole the gaze of every noble in the banquet hall.
"Leaving me with the cleanup."
Watching him with a slightly regretful expression as she rubbed her own waist, Lilien locked eyes with the duchess who was dancing and gave a quiet nod.
"...Well, it's a job that suits my temperament perfectly."
With that, she spun on her heel. Her two eyes began glowing red as she emanated a ferocious killing intent and strode off somewhere.
"Eek!? Mmph!"
"...Shut your trap and follow me, you worthless bitch."
Lilien suddenly snatched a girl from amid the cluster of ladies by her hair and started dragging her toward a secluded spot.
"What do you think you're—Guhk!"
"Shut your mouth and listen. You reek disgustingly."
Pinning the girl against the wall, Lilien grabbed her throat with one hand, hoisted her up, and whispered coldly.
"Know why we haven't torn you to shreds right here?"
"...Kkh, guh."
"Just because we don't want to ruin Kairen's first ball."
The girl pinned to the wall, flailing her legs in the air—none other than Dorsia von Opstein.
"Think we can't do it just 'cause people are watching?"
"..."
"Sorry, but we've ripped a bureaucrat to pieces right in front of the Emperor before."
She was the one who'd caught Lilien and Astridje's eyes earlier, forcing them to go out of their way to keep Kairen from seeing.
"Last warning, you gutter-rag-lookin' slut."
The more Dorsia struggled to escape, the tighter Lilien's grip on her throat became.
"Don't ever show your face in front of Kairen again."
"..."
"Or I'll make you regret being born—in the most agonizing way."
With that, Lilien released her grip. Dorsia collapsed in a heap, gasping for air and crawling toward the light.
"...What, you thought I'd let you off just like that?"
But Lilien blocked her path, grabbed her hand, and clamped her other hand over Dorsia's mouth.
"Mmph! Mmmph!!!"
"...You're really thrashing."
"Mmmph!!"
And soon, from the secluded outskirts of the banquet hall, horrific screams began echoing quietly.
- *Crunch*...
A few people who heard the sound and glanced around nervously met eyes with Lilien—who brought bloodied fingers to her lips—and quietly bowed their heads before leaving.
"Fingernails are better than claws, after all."
"Aaah... Uh..."
"I'll leave the left hand. Gotta have something to pull later."
Having yanked out every fingernail on one of Dorsia's hands undisturbed, Lilien stomped on the exhausted girl's back as she lay sprawled on the floor and returned to the banquet hall.
"Haa, haa..."
In the now-silent corner outside the banquet hall, Dorsia—tears streaming down her face, body trembling—struggled to her feet.
"...What a fucking bitch. Bullshit."
Her face turning cold, she turned her gaze toward Kairen, who was still dancing with Astridje.
"But it's too late anyway."
With a chilling expression mixed with tears, she muttered.
"The trap... I've already set it..."
Behind her, a shadowy, unidentified figure quietly wavered.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Hek, hek..."
The social dance with Mother was amazing at first, of course—but the longer it went, the more exhausting it got.
Mother's skills were impeccable, but there was an insurmountable difference in our builds.
Especially at the end pose—despite thunderous applause, her chest ended up planted on my head again.
"I need a breather."
Having finally earned a break, I slipped into the crowd of ladies who'd swarmed Mother in my place and made my way to the window for some air.
"...Water!"
Conveniently, there was a glass of what looked like cool water on a table by the window.
- *Swish*...
My hand, already poised to seize the opportunity, slowly reached for it—right then.
"Chirp!"
"Whoa!?"
Something burst in from the slightly open window and knocked the glass right over.
"My water..."
"..."
"Who the heck...? Huh?"
Having failed my goal, I scanned around with a pout—then doubted my eyes and leaped up.
"Peep!!!"
"...Chirrr."
Incredibly, the one who'd spilled it and perched primly on the windowsill was none other than Peep.
"Hehe, I missed you..."
"Chirp!"
"Ow, ack, that stings."
Overjoyed, I scooped it up—even as it glared coldly and pecked my chest like last time, I didn't mind.
"Chirp..."
After wriggling in my arms for a bit, once I set it on my shoulder and rubbed my cheek against it, Peep shot me a weary look but finally accepted the affection.
"But how'd you get here?"
"..."
"Did you come looking for me?"
Around then, I started wondering how Peep—who'd vanished from the Mist Forest—had shown up here.
"Or... is your owner at this ball, maybe?"
I mulled it over for a sec and tossed out the question just in case.
"Chirp."
"...Huh, really?"
Amazingly, Peep nodded—then took off from my shoulder, flying off somewhere.
"Chirp!"
"Huh? You want me to follow?"
"Chirp."
"Ah, got it."
It kept looking back at me, so yeah—it wanted me to follow.
"Wait up, I'll be right there."
I had no idea where it was leading me, but now that we'd reunited, I couldn't ignore it.
So I quickly excused myself to Peep, righted the spilled glass, and set it back on the windowsill.
"Heh heh heh."
Because that was exactly my plan.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙System update complete!
I had to make it look like I'd drunk that water—so something hilarious would go down in the banquet hall soon.
📜 EMERGENCY QUEST 📜
Discern Dorsia's Scheme (1/1)
Reverse-Utilize Opstein's Plan (0/1)
Sorry, Dorsia—but it's time for you to exit stage left.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"...This the place?"
After pulling off that little act, I followed Peep down the long hallway inside the banquet hall, peering around and tilting my head.
- Chirp...!
"Ah, Peep."
I thought I'd lost it for a sec, but soon I heard Peep's cry leaking from a room.
"You in there?"
- *Rattle, rattle*...
"Weird, why won't it open..."
For some reason, no matter how much I twisted the knob on the door where Peep's voice came from, it wouldn't budge.
'...Did something happen?'
By then, I was starting to get antsy.
'Peep's cries from inside sounded kinda urgent, too...'
What if something happened in there? Or maybe something happened to Peep's owner.
"Hup...!"
After a moment's hesitation, I flushed my eyes red, gripped the knob, gritted my teeth, and shoved.
- *Crunch!*
Luckily, with the power of the Crimson Eyes, the door flew open with a breaking sound.
"Peep, is your owner in here...?"
I quickly shut the door behind me and stepped inside.
"...Ah."
Then I froze right there in place.
"..."
For some reason, the youngest Imperial Princess stood naked in the room, half-draped in her outer robe, staring at me with a cold expression.
"...Hic."
Peep, did you trick me?