—Ballroom: Changing Area in the Back—
“My, this is chilly...”
Holding up my damp, dark blue skirt, I made the excuse of going to the preparation room to change my gown as I strolled unhurriedly down the corridor toward the west wing.
Although Secretary Meretskov had meddled in my wine-splashing plan just now, leaving my right arm smelling strongly of fermented grapes, my mood was actually quite good.
After all, the general direction hadn't drifted. Next, I just had to check the progress of the second step—【Hiding the Gown】—according to plan.
Speaking of which, after overhearing yesterday that Margaret and Vera wanted to pour ink into the rose wardrobe, I had brought over a dozen spare gowns just in case. Since I didn't care about their little schemes, the only reason I hadn't stopped them was to catch them red-handed and utterly ruin their reputations this time.
As for my side, I still urged Misha to go backstage and “commit the crime” of ruining the heroine's dress as originally planned—after all, it was written in the plot by Providence.
However, Waldenburg of the Swordsmanship Department was on security patrol duty today, and the critical changing rooms happened to be right next to the royal family's and the Aldheim family's private suites.
He should be able to keep guard.
“Misha should know when to back off, right? Surely she won't get caught red-handed by Waldenburg just to fulfill my orders?...”
I felt a little worried about that possibility.
Muttering to myself, I turned a corner and elegantly stepped into the dim passage leading to the preparation rooms on both sides of the first floor.
Since most of the guests were currently clinking glasses in the main ballroom, this corridor was exceptionally quiet, with only the wall lamps casting circles of pale white light.
However, before I could even approach the private preparation room bearing the duke's family crest, an extremely piercing, almost hysterical shriek suddenly erupted from the corner not far ahead!
“—Pervert!! Somebody help! A freak has sneaked into the ladies' changing room!!”
“Shut up! You damn blockhead... I'm not a pervert! Shut the hell up!!”
“Catch the pervert!! Swordsmanship Department seniors! The sick creep is right here! Hurry and catch him!!”
In an instant, the once quiet and elegant corridor outside the changing rooms was thrown into complete chaos. The loud cries to catch the pervert instantly penetrated the thick oak doors.
They even vaguely alarmed the people out on the lawn!
I froze on the spot, the handkerchief I was using to wipe off the red wine nearly slipping from my hand.
Wait.
Has this script... completely broken down somewhere?!
...
The twilight of May was shut out by the brilliant lights inside the Royal Ballroom.
While the orchestral music in the main ballroom reached its climax, the corridor of the VIP preparation rooms in the west wing of the first floor was immersed in a thick, oppressive silence.
Klaus Heller was pressed against the cold marble wall, panting heavily.
He tightly gripped the skirt of his slightly tight, long-sleeved, high-waisted dress, his thick knuckles turning white from the sheer force of his grip.
He swore that if he got out of this building alive tonight, he would use the most brutal methods to chop that bastard Alden Cross into mincemeat! He would feed him to the newly imported warhorses in their territory!
The damn map wasn't right at all!
He had actually walked in on someone changing!!!
Fortunately, those few didn't realize it was Klaus in drag; they only found it strange that he had entered and left.
“Calm down... Klaus. You're doing this for justice, to protect the secret,” he coaxed himself frantically in a rough voice, adjusting the slightly crooked high-grade wig on his head.
Recalling how, ten minutes ago, stepping in low-heeled leather shoes that almost broke his ankles on the spot, he had walked with an extremely stiff, zombie-like gait. Under the strange looks of patrolling students and teachers, he had forced his way into this private sanctuary exclusive to noble young ladies.
His goal was clear:
Slip into the wardrobe marked with the rose pattern, and before the culprit could make their move, completely ruin the gown meant for the second half of the ball that belonged to the culprit!
This way, the vicious woman plotting against Lady Loris wouldn't be able to change into her dress for the second half, let alone cause trouble for the duke's daughter at the ball!
This was the crucial intelligence Alden had given him.
Klaus continued to sneak further in.
Since most of the noble young ladies were enjoying the glory of the first half in the main ballroom, the shared preparation room was currently empty.
The air was filled with a mixture of premium velvet, incense, and various expensive perfumes, nearly making a straight-laced guy like Klaus sneeze hard enough to shake the earth.
Taking a deep breath, he held up his skirt and treaded lightly toward the rows of wooden wardrobes smelling of beeswax.
“Rose... rose crest...”
Klaus pulled out the crumpled piece of paper from his chest, comparing the markings on the cabinet doors inch by inch under the pale white light of the wall lamp.
His luck was good, or rather, the World's Will was always strangely smooth at certain bizarre plot points.
In the furthest corner, right next to the royal family's private changing room, he suddenly saw an extremely exquisitely carved family crest representing the “rose” pattern.
“Found it!”
A tragic yet heroic gleam flashed in Klaus's eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, he flung open the heavy wardrobe door.
Hanging quietly inside the wardrobe was a luxurious gown, exceptionally rare in the Kingdom of Barton, custom-made by a top weaving workshop.
Even in the dim light, the cascading layers of tulle and the skirt adorned with delicate silver ribbons still flowed with a luster as clear as rippling water.
“What a luxurious dress... as expected of a vicious woman who dares to plot against the duke's house,” Klaus snorted coldly, with absolutely no trace of sympathy or appreciation for the beautiful dress.
Gritting his teeth, he tremblingly fished out a bottle of specially prepared black ink, thick as crude oil, which Alden had specifically prepared from the hidden pocket of his high-waisted dress.
This was a powerful dye that even cleaning magic would find extremely difficult to remove in a short amount of time!!!
Gah!
“For Lady Loris's purity! To prevent President Leonhart's Golden Eye from obliterating my charm! Face destruction, you evil woman!!”
Klaus roared in his heart as he unscrewed the cap and violently flicked his wrist!
Splaaash—
Most of the bottle of pitch-black ink, like the foul blood of a demon, drew a decisive arc through the air, splattering solidly over the radiant water-blue gown.
The ink rapidly spread along the expensive tulle, reducing the once pure, elf-like skirt into an unsightly mess.
Not only that, Klaus even grew bolder in his wickedness, reaching out his thick hands to grab the back straps—the very soul of the gown—and pulling with all his might.
Rip—
The crisp sound of fabric tearing echoed with particular harshness in the quiet changing room.
Rate on N.U.
