novelzi Chapter 150
Chapter 150
Chapter 150 – The Ball (1)
“......”
A heavy silence descended. There was no response at all.
“What? Why are you all looking at me like that?”
Especially Harun, whose mouth was hung open in a big ‘O’.
“Have you...... Looked in a mirror?”
At that moment, Jan swallowed hard and asked hesitantly.
“Mirror?”
I tilted my head in confusion at the question. Then, my expression hardened.
“Milon.”
“......It might be better if you didn’t.”
“Now.”
“Alright.”
Hummm!
A low hum resonated briefly. Before long, an image began forming in front of Milon.
Mirror image.
A second-circle spell that perfectly replicates and reflects the current appearance of its target.
“......”
I stood staring blankly at the illusion. Soon, I was looking directly into the eyes of an identical copy of me.
Hair darker and deeper than Erina’s, which had been dyed with hydra’s blood. Spotless black eyes contrasted starkly with skin as white as snow.
Yet, the delicate features made it clear that, if slightly older, the figure might be more fittingly called a beauty than a handsome man.
“......Why’s there a girl here?”
“Pfft!”
At my reaction, Kirian couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. My gaze turned sharply toward the culprit.
“......May.”
“Yes?”
“What’s the meaning of this?”
May avoided my piercing stare, her eyes darting everywhere.
“Was this why you were so eager to help with makeup?”
“No! I just got so into it while doing it that...... Hehe.”
May chuckled awkwardly before quickly hiding behind Milon. Her limping steps as she ran made it hard for me to stay angry at her.
“You’d better recover fully. Because I’ll definitely make you pay for this.”
“How can you talk about hitting a lady like it’s nothing?”
Winley, who had been quietly observing, stepped in between us.
“Big Sis, he’ll even hit a princess.”
“......”
May froze on the spot like a statue. Thinking it must have been a joke, she gave a cheeky smile.
“If you’re going to hit me anyway, want to try on a dress, too? Then I’ll really have no regrets. The makeup came out so well!”
“No, no. Big Sis, don’t. That wasn’t a joke. Calm down.”
The importance of experience shone through. Winley desperately tried to restrain May. Sensing that things were spiraling, she swiftly changed the topic.
“Marquis Laksir’s ball starts tonight. Typically, it lasts anywhere from three days to a week. Barring any special circumstances, it’s best to attend the first or last day.”
“Why’s that?”
“That’s when the largest number of guests will be in attendance. If you’re going, you might as well make connections, right?”
That made sense.
“Today is the first day, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s leave immediately.”
“......!”
Winley stammered, clearly flustered.
“Y-You’ll wipe off the makeup before going, right? Even without it, I think you’d cause a commotion.”
I understood Winley’s concern. After all, my standards for beauty weren’t much different from others’.
“It’s fine. If any weirdos come after me, I’ll beat them all up.”
“......”
“Come to think of it, that might actually work in my favor. If they give me an excuse, I’ll finally have a legitimate reason to show my skills......”
Before I could finish my sentence, Winley, who had been watching, smiled faintly. Then, turning to the others, she made an announcement.
“Get ready.”
“......Excuse me?”
“Especially you two. Don’t cause any trouble. Please”
Wearing a pristine white dress, Winley repeated her plea, clearly foreseeing disaster.
“Your Highness, come on. He’s a noble now. Surely the honored guest wouldn’t cause trouble.”
“Right. I doubt he’d ruin the party of someone who extended us such a kind invitation.”
“That’s precisely why we came. To prevent it.”
Kirian, Harun, and Jan each responded in turn.
“Enough worrying! Just open the door already. It’s stifling here.”
“......!”
Bang!
Before anyone could stop me, I kicked the carriage door open.
“W-Wait!”
Winley’s words were cut off mid-sentence.
“......!”
“......!”
“......!”
Immediately, I made eye contact with a group of overly suave men who reminded me of butter.
This was the garden of Marquis Laksir’s estate, a place where nobles mingled and found partners before entering the ballroom.
In other words, we had just locked eyes with a pack of wolves.
“P-P-Princess Winley?!”
One man’s face contorted in disbelief, as though he had seen the impossible.
The mysterious allure of the second princess of the Hart Kingdom was legendary, after all. His exclamation drew everyone’s attention toward us.
“Gasp!”
Soft gasps echoed from various directions.
“G-Goodness......”
“B-Brother! Look! Over there!”
“I-I’m already looking. Were there such beauties in our kingdom?”
“All three of them are stunningly gorgeous.”
Crack.
I heard that, of course.
For the record, only two women were in this carriage: Winley and Erina. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who the mysterious ‘third’ was referring to.
“How could anyone be so beautiful? I feel like my eyes have been opened to a new world today!”
Right then, the butter-like man closest to the carriage grabbed my hand.
“Please, step down slowly. Ah, I am Raphael of the Perry Viscounty. If you grant me the honor of escorting such a lovely lady tonight, it would be the pride of my family......”
“Pfft.”
Unable to hold back, Kirian let out a laugh. At that moment, my patience snapped.
“......Are your eyes just for decoration?”
“Excuse me?”
“Can’t you see I’m wearing men’s clothes?”
“......Huh......?”
“Take this!”
Whack!
I kicked him square in his greasy face immediately.
“Ugh!”
Butter Guy collapsed, clutching his nose.
“......!”
Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, I heard the sound of someone slapping their forehead.
Smack!
Winley jumped out of the carriage.
“O-Oh my, I’m so sorry! It seems he lost his footing while getting off.”
She awkwardly tried to explain, her face drenched in cold sweat. Meanwhile, Butter Guy rolled on the ground before springing to his feet.
“Ah, ahahaha! Not at all! I’m not hurt one bit. Mistakes happen!”
“You’re not hurt?”
At my mutter, Butter Guy flinched. His trembling betrayed his true feelings. Should I hit him again while I’m at it?
‘You stay put! I told you not to cause trouble! Please, I’m begging you! Ah, damn it! Just kill me, instead!’
Winley’s frantic gaze darted around as if she were performing a tap routine.
Even though she hadn’t opened her mouth or used mana to convey her thoughts, I heard them crystal clear.
* * *