Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage

Character page: Here

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Chapter 200 – I attended a masquerade ball

Thanks to Cecilia-sensei’s relentless dance training, I somehow managed to learn the basics. I wouldn’t call myself good, not even as a joke, but at the very least, I wouldn’t be a complete nuisance to my dance partner. Cecilia practised with me all the way until the night before the ball.

“Have fun, but… I’m trusting you.”  [Cecilia]

Yeah… I might have learned how to dance, but I think I’ll just stick to the wall with some food in hand.

With that decision made, I headed to the venue.

I wonder if Raven and the others are already here.

“Um, sir, for this event, wearing a mask is mandatory – “ 

“I am wearing one.”  [Youki]

“Ah, yes, that’s… So, to confirm, you intend to participate wearing that mask?” 

“What are you talking about? Why would I bother switching to another one?”  [Youki]

“I-I see… My apologies. Please, enjoy your evening.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  [Youki]

I thought I’d be able to enter without issue, but judging by the attendant’s reaction, I might have made a poor choice of mask. I regret not having asked Cecilia for advice beforehand. At the very least, I made sure my mouth was visible, but maybe the theme was the problem. I went for a bold, masculine look – sharp, piercing eyes, a long, prominent nose, and a striking red colour.

Yeah, maybe choosing a tengu mask was a mistake.

I could feel people staring, whispering among themselves.

…Okay, time to become one with the wall.

Grabbing a drink, I leaned against the wall and started observing the crowd. Hidden nobles, forbidden love between servants and their masters, affairs, secret lovers – everyone had their own reasons for being here. This was what it meant to enjoy a masquerade ball.

And here I was, drinking and snacking in a corner. Could I call this having fun?

“Excuse me.”

“Hmm? You talking to me?”  [Youki]

I had been quietly enjoying my drink, not expecting anyone to strike up a conversation.

The one who approached me was a woman in a purple dress. No, she was on the smaller side, so I should say a girl. But considering she was here, she was probably old enough to drink.

“You’ve been leaning against the wall for some time… Are you here alone, by any chance?”

“Well, yeah. I don’t have a partner.”  [Youki]

Cecilia didn’t come, and my acquaintances were probably having a great time dancing together.

I wondered if this girl was also partnerless. A mask concealed her face, but her hair was beautiful. I could only see her mouth, but if she took off her mask, she was probably a beauty – no, there was no doubt about it.

“If you don’t mind, would you dance with me?”

“Wait, with me? You don’t have a partner?”  [Youki]

“Um, well… I do, technically. I just… don’t know where he is in this venue.” 

“Huh?”  [Youki]

After hearing her out, I couldn’t help but think her partner might be a bit of an idiot. Apparently, they had agreed to meet inside without knowing what the other would be wearing, and with so many attendees, she hadn’t been able to find him.

“This place is larger than I expected, and with so many people here, I haven’t been able to find him. It would be a shame to spend the whole night just waiting… So, would you dance with me in the meantime?”

Should I accept her request?

Dancing with her felt like a betrayal to Cecilia. But if I spent the entire ball standing by the wall without dancing even once, then all those lessons with Cecilia would have been for nothing. That would be its own kind of betrayal, wouldn’t it?

She already has a proper partner, and if it’s just for a little while, it should be fine… right?

“I’m not very good at dancing, but… is that okay?”  [Youki]

“Of course! I actually just learned recently, too. I’ll try not to step on your feet.” 

“Same here.”  [Youki]

“I guess that makes us two of a kind, huh?” 

I caught a glimpse of her lips curling into a smile, then a quiet laugh. Maybe our circumstances really were similar. Maybe there were other things we had in common, but I decided not to pry. This was a fleeting connection, just for tonight. We weren’t going to get close or anything. Getting close to her would be a bad idea—a really bad idea.

I discarded all unnecessary thoughts and focused on the music, making sure to keep up and avoid mistakes. Tonight, I just happened to dance with an unknown girl I met by chance.

“This is my first time attending a party like this, but it’s much more fun than I expected.”

“I wasn’t planning on coming either, but… I have to admit, I’m enjoying myself more than I thought I would.”  [Youki]

“You actually have a partner, don’t you?”

She asked as we danced.

How did she figure that out? No, it was just a question. There was no reason to hide it. After all, she had already told me she had a partner too.

“She couldn’t make it today due to other commitments, so she told me to go without her. She’s also the one who taught me how to dance.”  [Youki]

“Is that so? We both had it rough, then. When I said I wanted to go outside, he brought up this party… Learning how to dance was really difficult.” 

“It’s my first time dancing too…”  [Youki]

Our small talk flowed surprisingly well, and before I knew it, we decided to take a break. Leaning against the wall with drinks in hand, we continued chatting. It seemed that I was more suited to this kind of casual conversation even at a masquerade ball. However, our combination must have looked odd; a suited-up tengu casually chatting with a young girl. No one seemed to pay us much attention, though, as each person was lost in their own world. I suppose people’s interest lasts only a few seconds; in the end, they only care about having fun themselves.

Still, that didn’t mean we were completely ignored…

“…Hey.”

“Ah!” 

The voice that called out belonged to Raven’s, who was wearing a mask. His face was covered, but I could tell it was him just from his voice. Happiness was with him, dressed in a soft pink dress that suited her frame, along with a mask.

They must have just arrived. I hadn’t seen them on the dance floor earlier.

“You’re pretty observant.”  [Youki]

“…Well, it’s pretty obvious.”  [Raven]

“…Weird.”  [Happiness]

“What? You don’t like this mask?”  [Youki]

I suppose they didn’t understand the appeal of tengu… Not that I couldn’t understand. I chose this mask myself, half in jest. I did make it by hand, after all.

“…Mask aside, who is that girl next to you?”  [Raven]

“…Affair.”  [Happiness]

“Hey, that’s rude! We met at the party. We got along, so we danced a song and then talked.”  [Youki]

I wished Happiness would refrain from making comments that could lead to misunderstandings. If we weren’t at a ballroom, I would’ve given her the iron claw treatment instantly.

“Oh, um, hello. Nice to meet you two. You three know each other, right? Actually, I was the one who had approached him. There’s this situation with my partner too, so…” 

She explained the same thing to them as earlier.

“…I see. If that’s the case, I’m relieved.”  [Raven]

“…Suspicion.”  [Happiness]

“Could you just shut up?”  [Youki]

All we did was have a dance. She already said she has a partner.

“Um, you two seem to get along well.” 

“Ah, well, we’re kind of like old friends, I guess. She loves messing around and is still a bit of a kid at heart, so she might say something rude. Sorry about that.”  [Youki]

I poked Happiness on the head with my tengu nose. It was my way of telling her to reflect on her behaviour. Honestly, I’d prefer it if Raven stepped in to keep her in check. I couldn’t exactly ruffle her hair, so I went with the tengu nose instead. Maybe it annoyed her because she immediately swatted it away with her hand.

“You really do get along well.” 

She laughed as she watched our little exchange.

Yeah, this kind of thing happens all the time. Still, Raven’s stare is starting to feel a bit intense, so I should probably stop.

“Haha, well, this is just how we are. Anyway, have you found your partner yet?”  [Youki]

The party was already reaching its midpoint. Surely, her partner must have arrived by now.

I glanced around and spotted someone in a rather eye-catching outfit.

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