MFGLT 06

A Lady for the First Time, and I’m Already Causing Trouble

“You want me to tell you about my duel with the Marquis?”

“Yes!”

“Um… I don’t mind, but…”

I glanced at the Viscount and his wife, wondering how they would react. They might scold me for running my mouth in front of the other noble ladies.

“What does it matter? They all want to hear about it, don’t they?”

“We’ll leave you girls to it. Enjoy yourselves.”

As soon as their chaperones disappeared, the ladies began bombarding me with questions.

“Is it true that the Marquis of Fenri insulted Viscount Nezer by calling him a lackey?”

“Weren’t you frightened when the Marquis swung his sword at you?”

“When did you learn to shoot a gun?”

Whoa, whoa, calm down, ladies. I’ll tell you everything that happened, including the parts that didn’t.

Now that the misunderstanding had been cleared up and I was in a better mood, I began recounting the events in order, starting with the moment I first met the Marquis of Fenri. Naturally, I embellished the story a little to make it more entertaining.

“And then the Marquis called my father my maternal grandfather’s lackey.”

“Oh, my goodness! Even if he is a marquis, there are some things one simply must not say!”

“So that’s why you challenged him to a duel?”

“Weren’t you afraid?”

I lowered my eyes deliberately and nodded, putting on a pitiful expression.

“Of course I was afraid. But hearing someone insult the parents I respect so much right in front of me was even more painful. I simply couldn’t stand by and let it happen.”

Should I shed a tear here for dramatic effect?

Ah, no. It wouldn’t work. This young lady seems to suffer from dry eyes.

As the story approached its climax, the crowd of listeners grew larger.

Some people openly edged closer, while others pretended to be fascinated by the patterns on the walls near me, all the while paying close attention to every word I said.

When I reached the part where the Marquis had shouted, “Die!” and aimed his sword at my neck, everyone gasped in horror.

“My goodness, how dreadful!”

“Instead of apologizing, how could he do such a thing to a lady? I never knew the Marquis could be so cruel.”

When I told them how I had punished the Marquis with my revolver, several nobles looked at me with admiration.

“I had no idea Lady Ulphina was skilled with a gun.”

“Hehe. Every lady has at least one mysterious secret, you know.”

I had thought this morning’s incident would leave everyone with the impression that I was a violent person, but perhaps I had worried for nothing.

If anything, I’m sensing a rather favorable attitude toward me.

Judging by the nobles’ reactions, it seemed the Marquis of Fenri had made plenty of enemies besides me. They probably hadn’t been able to express their displeasure openly because of the Emperor, and this incident had finally given them an opportunity to let it all out.

Just as the nobles and I were bonding over our gossip about the Marquis of Fenri—

“His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, Her Imperial Majesty the Empress, and His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince!”

The massive doors swung open, and the Emperor and Empress entered the ballroom arm in arm. A tall, handsome Crown Prince followed behind them.

The Emperor looked down arrogantly at the people bowing to greet him. He had the air of a man who believed himself to be above everyone else—and who considered it only natural that he should enjoy such a position.

As the royal couple made their way around the ballroom, accepting greetings, they eventually approached us. Before I knew it, I had caught my breath.

Although the duel had been fair, the Emperor might still thunder at me for injuring his son.

He briefly looked at the Viscount and his wife, who were respectfully greeting him, and then at my face with indifferent eyes. After letting out a short snort, he continued walking with the Empress.

“So the rumors must have been true. His Majesty has cast the Marquis of Fenri aside.”

“He used to act so arrogantly, thinking he could get away with anything because he had His Majesty’s favor. Perhaps he’ll be sent off to some rural backwater now.”

“Things should be much more pleasant at court and in high society for a while.”

The nobles were impressive. They had managed to figure out the atmosphere within the imperial family from that brief interaction alone.

“By the way, I wonder who His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince will choose for his first dance?”

The Emperor and Empress were still dancing, but the ladies who had already lost themselves in admiration of the Crown Prince were whispering excitedly.

“Could it be Lady Lehender? She danced with him last year.”

“It might be the Duke of Clarence’s daughter. You know, the one who just made her debut this year…”

“Isn’t she too young? She’s only fourteen.”

“Perhaps…”

When I spoke up, the ladies turned curious eyes toward me.

“Perhaps it’ll be me. He’ll say, ‘You defeated my half-brother? I’ve never met a woman like you before!’”

At my ridiculous joke, the ladies burst into giggles.

“What are you talking about that’s so amusing?”

A deep, resonant voice suddenly rang out, startling all of us.

“Your Imperial Highness!”

The Crown Prince’s unexpected appearance left the ladies flustered. They hurriedly straightened their postures, unsure what to do with themselves.

“It pleases me, as one of the hosts, to see that you’re enjoying the ball.”

“It’s an honor, Your Highness.”

The ladies’ eyes sparkled with anticipation. It was adorable how plainly they wondered, Which one of us has he come to ask for the first dance?

“Lady Ulphina, would you grant me the honor of dancing with you?”

“Pardon?”

I was still trying to process what was happening when the ladies surrounding me became even more excited and cried out in hushed voices.

“The Crown Prince has asked you to dance! This is an incredible opportunity!”

“Go on, hurry!”

Before I could even think of refusing, I found myself taking his hand.

And soon enough, I became rather pleased with myself for having attracted everyone’s attention.

See that? This is the kind of person I am.

Up close, the Crown Prince was so devastatingly handsome that it almost hurt to look at him. It was no wonder the ladies had been squealing over him.

“Come to think of it, I heard something interesting happened between Lady Ulphina and the Marquis of Fenri this morning.”

I’m doomed. It’s a trap!

Of course the imperial family wasn’t going to let this go.

Since there were too many witnesses for the Emperor to openly berate me, he was trying to intimidate me through his son instead.

“Ahahaha…”

I could only manage an awkward laugh.

Whether I said the incident had been amusing or that it hadn’t been amusing at all, neither answer seemed like a particularly good choice.

“Ah, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not trying to blame you. In fact, I wanted to apologize.”

“Apologize?”

“The Marquis of Fenri—my half-brother—grew up getting everything he wanted from the time he was little. His Majesty raised him without discriminating against him, even though he was born out of wedlock.”

Oh, so that’s what happened.

“But that ended up doing him more harm than good. Someone should have guided him down the right path, but everyone was so busy indulging him that they neglected to discipline him. That’s how he ended up behaving the way he did today.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“If he’d been properly taught, he wouldn’t have spoken so carelessly. I apologize on His Majesty’s behalf.”

“I accept your apology.”

“Thank you for accepting it.”

At the Crown Prince’s seemingly delighted smile, my heart began to melt.

Exhausted from all the chatting and dancing, I used the excuse of getting some fresh air to slip out of the ballroom.

I opened the large glass doors and stepped onto the balcony. A cool, gentle breeze brushed against my flushed cheeks, soothing the heat.

The music sounded distant. Unlike the battlefield that the ballroom had seemed to become, the world outside was peaceful.

The Milky Way stretched across the dark night sky as though someone had scattered diamonds across it, while a golden full moon gazed kindly down upon the earth. Leaves whispered in the breeze, and the scent of flowers drifted toward me from somewhere nearby.

I was gazing at the scenery wherever my eyes happened to wander, feeling as though I were lost in a dream, when—

A pale hand suddenly shot up out of the darkness and gripped the edge of the balcony.

Then a black silhouette rose smoothly into view.

The long tails of a dark coat fluttered in the night breeze as a man landed on the railing with astonishing lightness.

His movements were so fluid that, for a moment, I had the illusion he had been standing there all along.

Features as finely sculpted as a masterpiece, blazing red hair, and silver eyes that shone vividly even in the darkness.

He had a face so handsome it could take your breath away.

But that was beside the point.

“Who the hell are you?”

Without hesitation, I swung my fist at the suspicious intruder.