149. The Great Intersection (5)
“…”
It had been a few minutes since Karsein stepped out onto the terrace.
Until then, Harnien had been lost in thought, staring blankly into space.
Karsein, who had quietly returned, was now carefully examining his feet after removing his shoes.
At first, Harnien wondered why he was doing that, but soon realized that Karsein had noticed something.
Those tightly fitting shoes.
The injured foot.
Karsein had brought him here for a reason.
Harnien thought he had managed to keep his expression in check.
He hadn’t shown any signs of pain, and his voice hadn’t trembled. Of course, Karsein wouldn’t know about the shoes.
The problem was that he had made a mistake during the climax…
Was it just because of that one mistake?
“No. That can’t be.”
Considering the difficulty of this dance, it’s not strange if I made a mistake early on.
The music was perfect for disrupting my movements, and getting confused would only make things worse.
Moreover, how much practice had we actually done?
Although Karsein had followed well, the time we spent matching our breathing was too short, and mistakes could happen anytime, anywhere.
But… did Karsein figure out the state of my foot just from that one mistake?
It’s not just because of the last mistake.
Then… what is it?
How did Karsein notice his body condition?
No matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t find the answer.
And…
It keeps echoing. His voice.
-Even if she’s not my fiancée, I don’t want to make her experience this twice.
“Why… did you say that?”
It’s just a contractual engagement, after all.
I try not to notice, but I can’t help but notice.
Along with the sound of someone’s knocking from somewhere, which refuses to subside.
And then, suddenly…
Someone knocked on the door from outside.
-Knock, knock.
“I am Radiele Grupain, a knight of the Bagrand Duchy, sent by Lord Carsain’s order. Lady Harne. May I enter?”
“…By Lord Carsain’s order?”
“Yes. He requested that I take care of your fiancée’s escort.”
Escort, you say?
Harne, who muttered those words, allowed Radiele to enter, her heart racing once more.
Radiele, who entered the terrace, had a new pair of shoes in his hand.
“Is this…?”
“Yes. Lord Carsain ordered me to prepare them after learning Lady Harne’s size.”
-Another thud!
And then, again…
A loud knocking sound came from somewhere.
***
I know it all too well.
This is a stupid move that will only bring losses.
What’s the point of bringing shoes to the person involved? What’s the point of warning them?
The only thing that will change is the nagging I’ll receive from Arina, Claire, and Isabella. If the game’s system intervenes, it’ll even take away the small rewards I got from the emergency mission.
It’s clear that this will only bring losses.
But I couldn’t just let it go.
“This is the kind of childish move you’d make.”
The shoes, which looked too small at a glance.
How much pain must they have endured, having to put their feet in those shoes and dance?
But Harne never said a word about being in pain.
She didn’t show any signs of pain, nor did she mention any circumstances.
No. She even went so far as to hide her pain.
So at first, I was suspicious.
Even when we were dancing, I thought her body was trembling a bit more than usual, but her expression didn’t change at all, which seemed strange.
But as we danced and her subtle tremors and vibrations grew stronger, I finally caught on.
Harne was enduring pain.
Why did I do such a thing?
It’s simple.
Things might get even bigger because of this.
I made a different sound with my mouth, but that might put me in an even worse situation.
I knew that even if I asked for help, there wouldn’t be anyone to respond, so…
I endured, persisted, and gritted my teeth, putting my foot into this shoe.
The pain would be temporary anyway.
“… What a foolish thing to do.”
Ironically, my hand holding the shoe seemed to gain strength.
This situation wasn’t much different from mine, but…
This was different. This was group bullying.
The group bullying of the noble ladies in the social circle towards Harinee.
In such a situation, enduring was poison.
“Remaining silent isn’t a way to solve this situation, Harinee.”
I knew that very well, having been buried in loneliness.
I could guarantee it, having experienced worse at school.
I had to make them pay for sure.
I had to make them realize that I wasn’t someone to be threatened, and that I wouldn’t be intimidated.
“Camilla.”
“Yes, young master.”
“If the size of the shoes given as a gift by another noble doesn’t fit the recipient’s foot, how can they find fault with it?”
Camilla, who had been taken aback for a moment, looked at the shoe and opened her mouth.
“It’s a matter of lacking respect towards the other party, but if you interpret it a bit more harshly, you could say it’s contemptuous.”
“That’s not enough.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m asking if there’s no way to take it as a personal attack from my side, rather than just contempt.”
That way, I could give those despicable people a good blow.
It wasn’t just about words; I had to put direct pressure on them and make them realize it clearly. It wasn’t about a few casual blows, but about a powerful straight punch that would knock them down.
Camilla, who had quickly read my intentions, pointed to the shoe and said,
“Usually, when someone doesn’t like a gift, they return it immediately, but… since you’ve already worn it once, what do you think?”
“That’s right.”
“Then, how about this?”
Glancing around to see if anyone was listening, she approached me and whispered,
“As it’s a clear noble’s way of doing things, there’s no need to worry about being criticized for that part.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
It was a satisfying answer.
The problem was that it might take some time.
“Don’t worry. The noble ladies who participated in this party will leave a list, and if we examine it, we can give you an answer quickly, young master.”
Even that seemed like a minor issue.
Well, Camilla had been a noble before, after all.
“Then, I’ll ask you to do it, Camilla.”
“Please leave it to me.”
The remaining task was to prepare for how the mastermind behind this mess would come out.
***
At the same time.
Helry, whose plan had gone awry, returned to the waiting room with a gloomy expression.
“What… how did this happen?”
Had she been dancing with her fiancé for a long time?
That was an obvious lie.
The fact that her fiancé was from the Bagrand family was a clever escape, but it was clear that she was cornered by the dance aspect.
When had a commoner, unfamiliar with noble etiquette, ever danced?
It was an absurd statement. Dance was a field that required a teacher and was specialized in culture and etiquette.
It was impossible to learn it in a short period, even with self-study.
The fact that the two of them had danced together, and Carsein had done it without any mistakes, was proof that it wasn’t a lie.
So, she had been confident.
“Why are you dancing so well! Not a single mistake!”
But Carsein, who should have been the laughingstock, was instead perfectly in sync with Harne, proving that it wasn’t a lie.
The spotlight shone brighter on those around them, making their mediocrity even more pronounced. They had carefully selected their positions.
But.
The dance that Harne and Carsein had performed was a series of high-difficulty movements.
Despite the challenging and intricate melody, they didn’t falter and danced in perfect harmony.
It was already an unbelievable situation…
How did they manage to perfectly finish the dance while wearing shoes that didn’t fit their feet?
“What in the world is going on?”
From noble mtl dot com
-Degrulrul.
The teacup on the table shook violently, spinning around in circles.
Right then.
-Knock, knock.
Someone outside knocked on the door.
Helry, wondering if it was someone who had been bothered by her preparations, adjusted her clothes.
Concealing the fact that she had been angry just a moment ago, she asked the visitor.
“Who is it?”
“Carsein Bagrand.”
“…!”
She was surprised. Wasn’t he the one who had just danced with Harne? Why was he here?
He was known as Harne Teresa’s fiancé, and there was no reason for him to be here.
“No. That can’t be.”
The fact that he had come here was strange in itself.
“Doesn’t it make more sense that he came because he didn’t know about Harne’s bad relationship?”
That explanation was more plausible.
Even if they were engaged, it was possible that they didn’t share all information with each other.
Even Harnie was under pressure from the Marquisate of Teresia, and Karsein, as known, wasn’t a noble who was well-versed in noble society, given his commoner background.
In that case.
This situation wasn’t particularly bad.
Just in case.
Helly decided to open the door.
“Welcome—”
Hmph.
Helly’s eyes slightly trembled as she saw Karsein, who was all dressed up, right in front of her.
“Why are you like that? Is there something on my face?”
“Yes, yes? Ah, no. It’s just…”
Helly stuttered and cleared her throat.
‘Was he really a man like that?’
His once-slender body had become toned and strong.
His suit fit him well, and he was even taller than before.
And his upper body was perfectly proportioned, not a single flaw.
Helly couldn’t help but keep glancing at Karsein.
“Ah. Nice to meet you. Are you…? He, Hel… what was it again?”
She didn’t even remember her own name.
Normally, as a noble, she would feel insulted.
But.
She had to hold back her rising anger and frustration.
‘So, you don’t remember, huh?’
It was clear that Harnie hadn’t told him.
Which meant that this was an environment where they could play each other.
“I’m Helly.”
“Ah. I apologize. I only remember people I want to remember.”
“It’s okay. By the way, I saw your amazing dance skills earlier. You handled that difficult choreography so well?”
Helly smiled and replied.
She thought to herself in that moment.
She would take this man away from Harnie.
“After seeing that performance, I couldn’t not prepare a gift. So, I did.”
Originally, this wasn’t the purpose, but it just so happened to be convenient.
Helly handed Karsein a gift box.
“This is unexpected. I also prepared a gift for Lady Helly.”
“…Yes?”
“I heard you’re great at dancing. Although I didn’t see it this time, I brought a gift to show my appreciation for next time.”
It seemed the gift was a pair of shoes.
‘How did things turn out so well?’
Helly inwardly cheered.
Karsein’s gift, knowing Helly’s skills, would be interpreted in a certain way in high society, and this exchange would be more than enough to serve as solid grounds.
“Like that. Since the ball hasn’t ended yet, let’s dance together with me wearing these shoes next time. Shall we try them on first?”
Helly opens the gift box with a faint smile.
If she wore these shoes and danced, it would be a public declaration that would make Haruni fall into despair.
But…
“!…”
As soon as she opens the gift box, her face stiffens.
“What are you doing without trying them on?”
The faint smile disappears, replaced by surprise and confusion.
On the contrary, Carcsein is wearing a calm smile.
Kekeke damn b!tches please suffer for our entertainment