—The Main Hall of the Ballroom. First Floor—
Am I in time?
Am I in time?!
As it turns out... I was!
When I hurriedly finished changing and arrived inside the main hall of the ballroom, the final closing piece had not yet started playing, which meant I could still extend an invitation.
Even though my entrance was loud and dramatic as I pushed open the doors, and the two guys beside me kept shouting like hype men, I didn't have time to worry about them.
I needed to... atone...
After all, seeing the plot develop toward isolating her—while Leonhart and Meretskov, both of whom were supposed to have CG scenes at this ball, ended up being so useless that they left Liliana all by her lonesome!
The only reason I felt safe playing the villainess was because I trusted that Liliana wouldn't be left alone.
I didn't actually want to... mess everything up.
I'm sorry.
So, as the ball neared its end and I saw Liliana's desolate expression, I was already overcome with shame. If no one danced with her, this ball would literally just be a pastry-eating session for her—using food to mask her heartbreak.
And because of my previous social ban, if even these male leads didn't invite her, then the other ordinary boys wouldn't dare invite Liliana either.
So after much thought, faced with this desperate situation where nobody else was stepping up and the male leads were staying put, I had no choice but to rely on this disguise to make up for my own mistake.
Even though this was my first time cross-dressing,
I possessed a do-or-die determination!
I absolutely could not... let this ball end with her in tears!!
Stepping forward coolly in my leather shoes, my body darted like a bolt of black lightning right through the gap between them, whipping up a strange breeze—a mixture of premium pine and the faint, sweet aroma of fermented wine.
—These two unreliable male leads are only thinking of stepping forward to invite her now? Knowing them, they'd probably end up arguing in a moment!
—Forget it, since I'm already here, I'll do it myself!
With that thought, I bypassed them expressionlessly.
Under the intense contraction of Leonhart's ice-blue eyes and the utterly dumbfounded gaze of Meretskov, whose gold-rimmed glasses nearly slipped off in shock,
I arrived in front of Liliana.
Then, I knelt on one knee with utmost elegance and composure upon the marble floor.
The tail of my suit jacket swept out behind me.
I then extended my right hand, steadying my fingertips right before her, even though Liliana was currently frozen in pure astonishment and surprise, her small mouth slightly agape.
The platinum-blonde strands over my forehead parted as I looked up, locking gazes with her through my emerald eyes.
Uh, my lines, my lines... Wait, she shouldn't have recognized me, right?
I didn't really want her to recognize me either. I had only rushed forward out of hot-blooded, pure concern. Now that I think about it, does this count as meddling with the plot?
But in the eyes of everyone else right now, I shouldn't be "Loris"—I should be a mysterious young lord.
So it shouldn't... be against the rules?
In any case, my thoughts raced, and I naturally put on a gentle tone. Thanks to the fact that I hadn't completely forgotten the memories of my past life, this could be considered my built-in voice-changing talent post-reincarnation.
Looking at the insecure, desolate pink-haired girl before me, I uttered a standard dance invitation:
She must have been waiting for a long time.
“—My beautiful lady.”
“Since the fleeting light of tonight has reached its final movement, do I have the supreme honor of inviting you to dance this final, closing waltz—the most highly anticipated and absolutely unforgettable dance in the Kingdom of Barton tonight?”
Ahhh... this is a little embarrassing.
I did my best to maintain my straight face. Acting of this caliber was already child's play to me!
And in that instant, Liliana felt as if tens of thousands of roses were blooming simultaneously in her mind.
She stared blankly at the platinum-blonde, black-suited, unbelievably handsome youth who had suddenly descended before her.
In his (her) emerald eyes, there was none of the coldness or mockery of the surrounding nobles, but only an absolute nobility and sincerity that could draw her entire soul into them.
At such close proximity, the youth's peculiar, slightly warm pine fragrance was like a pair of gentle hands, instantly smoothing out and melting away all the isolation, neglect, and grievances she had suffered the entire night.
Was this... what she had just been longing and yearning for beside the pillar...
The heart-pounding sensation of love?!
“I...”
Liliana's pretty face instantly turned so red it looked ready to drip. She even forgot how to think, merely hesitating for a very, very long time.
Perhaps it was because of this savior-like appearance, or perhaps because she wouldn't have another chance to enjoy the night if she didn't dance now—making all the sweat she had shed practicing dance in vain.
Or perhaps, she sensed a familiar look in those eyes.
They were green, just like Lady Loris's.
And so, trembling, Liliana very meekly lowered her somewhat chilly fingertips.
This was her answer.
Without any reservation, she placed her small hand into the palm of that hand.
Which meant placing it into my palm.
Wow, wow, wow, it's so soft.
Is this... holding hands?
Feeling an indescribably lighthearted mood, I simply feigned composure and said, “Very well.”
After all, I was supposed to be a cool-headed handsome guy right now!
Thinking of this, how did those overbearing CEO TV dramas usually do it? ...Oh, right, I remember!
A devilish and cool, perfect curve hooked the corner of my lips. I hesitated for a brief moment, but then decided to pull her toward me with a bit of force before steadily supporting her.
I yanked Liliana's body straight into my embrace.
My left hand even naturally wrapped around the slender waist of her light blue dress!
So... so much skinship...
I blushed slightly.
But as a youth (girl) who had broken through my own social ban, I naturally needed to be domineering if I dared to invite her under such risks, right? As for where that ban came from... cough, cough, don't ask.
And this was standard etiquette for the male lead in a waltz anyway. Yes, I shouldn't be violating any rules or overstepping boundaries. At most, it was just slightly reminiscent of an overbearing CEO.
But I was only trying to find a suitable persona for myself to stay in character. After all, I couldn't let Liliana recognize me or spot any flaws, so my personality had to be fully disguised too!
“Please guide me.”
“Y-Yes!”
...
Meanwhile, the defeated male leads.
And the other students in the ballroom.
Not a single person recognized that this stunningly handsome, black-suited youth was actually the villainous daughter, Loris.
Thanks to Shirune's disguise and the wig Klaus had snatched, it was absolutely flawless.
In everyone's eyes, this was a peerless, overbearing god who had emerged from some hidden, prestigious family. At the final moment of the ball, he had openly defied the Aldheim family's ban just for the sake of his beloved commoner representative!
Among the two who were silently withdrawing,
Leonhart had a complicated look in his eyes. He didn't use his ability, as that required paying a price; besides, this was merely a social ball and not some dangerous wilderness. He could easily have his servants investigate the youth's background afterward.
Right now, he merely let out a soft sigh.
He admired how the other party actually dared to ignore Loris's authority and slap her in the face in public... Once she returned and saw this, she would probably make things very difficult for him.
Leonhart figured he should try to placate Loris later to see if he could help the platinum-blonde youth escape.
This perfect Crown Prince,
yet felt a strange sense of disappointment at this very moment.
Was it because he... hadn't been able to dance with Liliana?
Leonhart didn't dare to delve deeper. He didn't know why he was always drawn to Liliana. He was such a perfect prince, and while he admitted he had actively shown concern for Liliana, it had originally just been to recruit outstanding talent.
But now... He shook his head.
Not far beside him, Secretary Meretskov fell into a deep silence as well.
He looked at Liliana. While he had originally only helped her as an upperclassman, he had gradually been drawn to her kindness and integrity as they spent more time together. This commoner girl carried herself far better than the villainous daughter, Loris. Before he knew it, his eyes would always drift toward her.
But now,
she had been invited by that mysterious, handsome youth.
Seeing Liliana's face flush with a blissful red, this usually calculating Secretary felt his eyes behind his lenses fill with an unprecedented bitterness.
He had carefully calculated politics and weighed gains and losses, hesitating as he wavered between Loris and Liliana.
Yet in the final moments, he had been completely sidelined by a "black-suited youth" who wasn't even part of the equation.
Was this a matter of who got there first?
His figure slowly faded into a corner unnoticed by anyone.
Even—
Even Waldenburg von Edmond,
who had been quietly observing from behind the crystal railing on the second floor,
found his dark gray eyes locking onto the platinum-blonde, black-suited youth, completely out of his control.
This fellow...
He actually dares to defy Loris?
Wait...
He (she) seems to have the exact same aura as Loris!!
Waldenburg couldn't help but run a mental simulation in his mind. This was an ability he had forged through countless life-and-death battles on the border, known as "Infinite Duel."
Any creature he had fought and failed to defeat would remain deep within his memory. Simply by closing his eyes, he could perfectly recreate the battle scene.
In these mental simulations, even if he was killed, it was merely a matter of opening his eyes again.
But if he could truly defeat the opponent in his simulation, that growth would be synchronously reflected in reality, ensuring he would never lose to them again.
To put it simply,
Waldenburg could engage in mental duels against someone in his mind. If he could manage to win even once throughout infinite simulations, all the training effects gained from those simulations would be real, and he would be able to defeat them in reality as well.
And now, sensing an aura identical to Loris's, Waldenburg went back to that rainy night...
No, back to that morning.
Previously, the opponent he had been simulating in his mind was the A-grade magical beast, the Green Ghost Lizard, which he had slain two years ago. Its mana capacity was around Level Twelve and it was fully grown. However, ever since his match with Loris, she had become his inner demon. Although he didn't show it outwardly, he had been constantly looking forward to the day he could defeat her.
In his simulation, Waldenburg caught sight of a flash of green.
And at this moment, the youth happened to turn their head.
The exact same emerald eyes!
Waldenburg fell into a long, silent contemplation:
“...Is it her brother?”
The three most prominent and brilliant top male leads of the future Kingdom of Barton stood together at the edge of this destined stage, at the very end of tonight's lingering, magnificent waltz.
With complex, deeply embarrassed, and calculating expressions, they locked their gazes onto the center of attention that belonged only to those two "youths."
“Dong—!!”
As the first magnificent note of the orchestra resounded with the sweep of the conductor's arm,
the closing piece began.
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