Chapter 33

Holding a fan, I watched the people dancing joyfully.

Through Huey, I received a message from Rust, and it has been well over several minutes since I arrived at the banquet hall.

I had expected that Rust would contact me soon, but I was completely taken by surprise.

No contact yet!

...Moreover, even though I’m wearing a mask, it seems like I’m being kept at a distance?

The charm of a mask is that you can enjoy it with an unspoken understanding, even if you’re recognized...!

Clifford, who was standing apart to accommodate the people coming to greet him in the grand hall, is now by my side in the banquet hall, so I’m not feeling lonely, which is a small consolation?

But Rust should be here.

I’m in the middle of trying to find someone who looks like him among the people wearing masks, but with their faces hidden by masks, the only clues I have are gender and age...

In other words, a young man.

Rust Barne has never been depicted in the original illustrations of the published volumes. Until this main volume, Rust had only been hinted at in the shadows. In this volume, I finally get to see Rust’s appearance in the illustrations! In my previous life, I was excitedly flipping through the pages, but I was shocked.

...The illustrations were... gone! The cover, featuring the two main characters, was as beautiful as always, but the black-and-white illustrations that should have been there...!

This incident caused a stir among fans. I, too, was reminded of the importance of illustrations.

By the way, from the next volume, the illustrations were back! It was probably due to some adult reasons.

--So, I can’t rely on the illustrations to imagine what the three-dimensional Rust looks like. The only hint is the description in the original text. But I don’t remember every sentence, and even Rust’s hair and eye color are vague...

However, even in this state, there are still clues to determine if it’s Rust. So, even if I can’t see his face, I should be able to manage.

--But I can’t do anything if there’s no contact at all!

I have no choice but to wait. I let out a soft sigh.

"May I have this dance?"

Probably, that means he’s asking me to dance.

This dance invitation can’t be made by women...

It’s okay to create an atmosphere where you can be approached by many people or to make a strong appeal to your favorite person, but you can’t directly say, "Dance with me!"

However, in the case of men dancing with men, it’s fine for either to make the invitation...! In exchange, men dancing with men often argue over who will take the female part... The one who makes the invitation isn’t necessarily the male part!

"May I have this dance with you?"

At that moment, a voice reached my ears, which were restless while waiting for Rust!

With hope in my heart, I looked at the person who spoke.

A slender, red-haired young man, probably in his late teens, wearing a deep green mask, was inviting Clifford to dance.

This is important. He’s inviting Clifford. ...Clifford!

I lost to Clifford! No, that’s not it. Even through the mask, he’s a super high-quality catch. Given the nature of the banquet, it’s not strange to think that even the princess’s guard knight can be invited.

Clifford answered calmly.

"---I am here as the guard knight of Princess Octavia. I am on duty. Please invite someone else."

Accepting the refusal but not giving up, the young man appealed to me with his eyes...!

I could feel his hope that if I gave permission, Clifford might dance...!

Actually, there’s no rule that guard knights can’t dance. One of my former guard knights met his destiny at a semi-formal ball and danced with his partner... He was transferred about ten days later.

"I don’t mind. Clifford, if you want to dance, go ahead."

But I can’t be a petty ‘Master’ just because I’m not invited! Be gracious, be gracious!

"Is that an order?"

"No, it’s not that... "

"Then, I will decline. I don’t feel the need to dance."

Clifford shook his head.

"...If you change your mind, please let me know."

The young man left, looking disappointed. But he quickly approached another handsome-looking man. Maybe he’s a predator despite his slender appearance?

After seeing the young man off, I suddenly wondered and asked.

"---Don’t you want to dance, Clifford?"

I want to enjoy being popular with many gentlemen! Without any weird conventions!

"I don’t. If I dance with someone, I would have to take my eyes off the princess during that time."

"What if I order you?"

"...I would comply, but for the princess’s safety, I would request that you not give such an order."

I could feel that he was seriously against it, even though it was phrased as a request. It seems that even if he ‘obeys,’ he doesn’t necessarily do everything happily just because it’s an order from the ‘Master.’

"...I see. I understand."

I nodded firmly. Indeed, it would be dangerous if the guard knight’s eyes were off me, and he doesn’t seem to want to dance anyway.

"I’m glad you’re my guard knight."

I thought this again.

Even as a guard knight, everyone in the past had their most important person and left.

But, as a ‘Master,’ I believe that, for now, I am the most important person Clifford is protecting.

I had forgotten the trust relationship between a guard knight and me for a long time.

I didn’t expect, rely, or fall in love. I always kept these three rules in mind. But...

--And the music changed. This is...

The court dance we practiced yesterday! A popular dance where you change partners frequently!

But at the banquet, a different song had been playing all along.

The men and women without partners, who had been wallflowers, started moving.

Couples stayed together. Single men and women could join without an invitation.

It’s worth trying to see if Rust will come.

"Clifford, please give me the ‘black fan.’"

"---Yes."

I entrusted the fan to Clifford and decided to try dancing for the second time today.

---

The first one. An elderly gentleman. We had a great conversation! He said, "I have to brag about this dance to Ralf." It seems he knew the uncle.

The uncle’s name is Ralf Knightfellow! But thanks to this, I wanted to go back to the grand hall and greet the uncle. Patience, patience.

The second one. The slender, red-haired young man who invited Clifford. I had a prejudice that he only danced the female part with men, but I apologized to him in my heart. He was excellent at the male part too. It’s rare to be good at both...! Truly a predator...! He can do both... I wanted to know more about him.

The third one. A man in his late twenties. No conversation. No eye contact. Doesn’t seem to be Rust.

The fourth one. A boy around fifteen. Same as above.

The fifth one. A bearded man. He’s not good at dancing. Sorry, I stepped on your foot. Same as above.

The sixth one. A man in his early twenties. Same as above...

After four consecutive awkward dances, I was considering stepping out of the dance line before the court dance ended.

But just as I was about to leave the line.

The new partner who came around took my hand.

---The seventh one.

A young man with blonde hair and a blue-silver mask with a different design. The part where his eyes should be open has a thin glass, so I can’t see his eye color.

I started dancing with the seventh man.

This person... surprisingly well-built? But his dancing is that of a noble. There are many nobles who attend semi-formal balls and are well-trained, but this person doesn’t seem to be one of them. He doesn’t seem to be a powerful commoner either.

As I was trying to figure it out, the man smiled and spoke.

"‘May I have this dance at the banquet hall?’"

"!"

It was exactly the same as the phrase written in the note I received from Huey.

Is this person Rust...?

I looked at his face carefully.

I focused on his forehead. But it was completely covered by the mask.

"---I want to confirm if you are ‘Rust Barne.’"

"Even though I’ve come here, do you think I’m a fake?"

"‘Rust Barne’ is supposed to have a birthmark on his forehead."

I had forgotten where exactly it was, but... a birthmark on the forehead. This is certain.

A distinctive mark that looks like a sword scar. In the main volume where Rust appears without illustrations, there’s a scene where Rust and his brother fight, and Rust’s face is revealed when his hood falls off. In the latter part of the volume, it’s revealed that the mark is a birthmark.

Since it’s not a scar, Rust must have a birthmark on his forehead.

"---Your Highness is very well-informed."

A smile that was hard to read, like a wry smile.

"Can you take off that mask?"

"If you wish."

One of Rust’s hands, while dancing, reached for the blue-silver mask.

...If there’s a birthmark, it’s Rust. If not, it’s not.

That’s all I thought.

Rust’s mask was off for a moment.

For a few seconds. Then his face was hidden by the mask again.

But I was deeply shaken when I clearly saw Rust’s face.

My hand started to tremble. ...It wouldn’t stop.

Was it because he was ugly? No, that’s not it.

Was it because there was no birthmark? No, that’s not it. The distinctive birthmark was there.

This person in front of me is Rust Barne.

But then...

---I remember.

"You had bad luck, didn’t you?"

Something I will never forget. The figure of a certain young man.

His eyes were a mysterious amber color. His hair was golden.

Despite his doll-like features, his gestures and speech were so human that they felt almost exaggerated.

...The young man wasn’t human.

The young man didn’t have a birthmark on his forehead, but except for that, he looked exactly like Rust.

The same blonde hair, the same eye color that I couldn’t see through the mask’s glass.

Most of all, Rust and the young man looked identical.

It’s a lie. Why?

---I never wanted to see him again. I don’t want to remember such a hateful memory.

...I don’t want to face him.

I came to the semi-formal ball just to find someone to play the role of a fake lover.

Not to face this face.

My body mechanically continued to dance.

"Have you confirmed?"

Confirmed? What? If it’s Rust? Or...

What does he mean?

Rust’s question didn’t register in my head.

Meanwhile, the dance partner was about to change to the eighth one.

"I... "

That’s all I could manage to say.

I couldn’t stay calm in front of the same face as the young man.

"I... want to be alone."

I said it bluntly and moved away from Rust and the line.

The fact that I’m a princess seemed to be erased from my mind. But it was a relief that the ‘princess-like’ brake kicked in at the corner of my mind.

If I were just Makoto, I would have run away. The princess education I received for sixteen years as Octavia had, fortunately or unfortunately, taken root in me.

I took a deep breath and turned around. I hurriedly left the ‘banquet hall.’ I heard footsteps chasing after me.

Clifford? But I didn’t have the time to look back.

What I said to Rust was just the truth.

---I want to be alone. I want to go somewhere where no one is and calm down.

For some reason, words I had exchanged with the uncle long ago came to mind. When the bullying by Derek was discovered, and I decided to keep my distance from the uncle to avoid being too dependent on him.

One day, the uncle, who visited the castle, asked me.

"Is there anything troubling you, Your Highness? Anything you want to confide?"

"...Anything I want to confide?"

I was surprised why the uncle was asking such a thing.

"Everyone has secrets. But sometimes those secrets can crush you. ...Like Duke Kilglen."

Ah, I had completely forgotten. The uncle had mentioned Kilglen.

"As a subject, I am worried about you. ...Are you building a wall between us because of your secrets?"

"There’s no wall..."

...There isn’t.

"...Do you have any secrets?"

I was at a loss. The uncle smiled gently.

"---It doesn’t have to be me. It doesn’t have to be now. I wish that someday, you can confide in someone."

---Someday, someone you can confide in.

I looked up at the uncle and nodded solemnly.

My secret is from my previous life. The fact that I have memories from my previous life.

But... I can’t tell the uncle.

Because it’s something I haven’t been able to transcend myself.

I headed towards the inner part of ‘Paradise in the Sky,’ where the private rooms are lined up.

A place where men and women who get along well use for intimate purposes. A place I would never go to and have no connection with. But because it’s used for such purposes, it’s less crowded.

I fled into one of the private rooms. The dimly lit room provided a place for me to hide.