50 – For Elise (4)
“Ellen… you say?”
“No. Actually, there was no need to ask. Since Lady Yuna has already sent the invitation first, my question was unnecessary. I will inform that you have accepted, Lady Yuna.”
“Wait a moment!”
I barely managed to hold onto the man who was about to turn away without hesitation. He seemed surprised by the fact that I spoke in an urgent voice and turned around with wide-open eyes.
“Yes? Do you have something to say?”
“Well, I still have questions about the ball…”
“…Could it be that Lady Yuna is considering rejecting His Royal Highness’s favor?”
For a moment, the tone of his voice became chilly. I was startled by his sudden change in attitude and closed my mouth in surprise. He carefully examined my face with a sharp, piercing gaze and then spoke again.
“Well… that could be possible. Your feelings might have changed by now. Even if it was Lady Yuna who first sent the proposal. Anyway, it’s an affair between fellow students. Lady Yuna, being a noble lady, and Elise, who knows where she came from, both have the right to refuse Klaus’s proposal.”
“…”
“Yes, because they are fellow students. That’s what matters.”
The man needlessly repeated those words. Then, as if not asking to be heard, he murmured in a subdued voice.
“But sometimes. Because I’ve spent too long within the academy’s embrace, it feels like I’m forgetting who she is.”
“I…”
“So, Yuna. What is it that you want to say?”
The attitude from earlier seemed to brighten again, as if it was a lie. But the gaze remained the same. The well-concealed, hidden blade of the Crown Prince.
In front of that, I couldn’t muster the will to rebel.
“…It’s nothing.”
“As expected. Well then, Yuna. I’ll take my leave. Have a pleasant remaining day.”
The man deeply bowed to me, then abruptly left as suddenly as he had appeared. I stood there dumbfounded, unable to even close the opened door. The sunlight shining through cast a long shadow behind me.
“…Ugh.”
Unknowingly, I found myself gripping the doorknob tightly, feeling a faint pain in my wrist. The sensation of cold metal ran along the tense veins. I stared at the pale back of my hand and bit my lips slowly.
…
With the pain spreading, belated regret began to surge. The setting sun, seen through closed eyes, felt oddly bitter.
“Ah…”
The pointless worries had been too long. Once a plan was decided, I should have followed through. In a topic where I couldn’t offer a convincing opinion, my worries had left me in a vague state, and once again, things got tangled up.
“Uh, uh…”
The Duchess must have surely anticipated some event. I knew she wouldn’t stay quiet. Yet, I wasted time worrying unnecessarily. And Elise, she was undoubtedly planning something too.
“Uh, uh, uh…”
I couldn’t even firmly refuse, and it ended up tangled until the end. At the very least, I should have said I couldn’t attend the ball due to some sudden business. What should I say to Ilia then? To Guelo? To Ellen?
“Ah, really, you idiot!”
In the end, I couldn’t hold back and let out a scream to myself. Even then, my anger didn’t subside, and I ended up shouting a silent scream while rolling my feet restlessly. But even that didn’t go well, and I accidentally hit my toe on the doorstep.
“Ouch!”
I sat down at the entrance, screaming fiercely. As the pain continued to spread, hot tears welled up in my eyes. Now, it was beyond irritation; it was heartbreaking.
“Sigh… Seriously…”
Did Elise appoint Alan as her partner? Alan must have refused, surely. Yet, Elise had clearly blurted it out on her own. But despite that, I…
…
What did I say to Alan, really…
“Ugh…”
Again, squeezing my head didn’t bring anything back except the faint pain in my ankle. Anyway, I had to tell Alan about this news. I had no clue how to convey it, but I had to hurry now.
“This is driving me crazy, really…”
Unconsciously, a deep sigh escaped over my numb toes. I walked towards the dressing room, clutching my head. Honestly, nothing had gone my way since the end of the exams.
Suddenly, I imagined myself at the ball. My awkward appearance, unnecessarily dressed up. A stranger next to me who hadn’t uttered a word. And Alan looking at me like that. How would he look at me?
Probably not with a pleasant expression.
…
I should at least think about what to say on the way there…
“Yuna, what are you going to wear to the ball?”
“What? Ahhhhh!”
I screamed with all my might, surprised to the point that I fell to the floor, hitting my buttocks. I hit my tailbone straight on the protruding leg of the furniture, but I felt no pain at all. The sudden appearance of Alan’s face in front of me was more shocking.
I blinked my eyes in disbelief, but he was still there. I opened my mouth with a trembling voice, groaning at the belated pain.
“How… How did you…”
“Huh? Oh, there seemed to be someone at the main gate, so I crawled up like last time. Was it too sudden?”
“Of course, you fool! I thought I was going to die from the shock!”
“Sorry. I won’t do that next time.”
Although the response was like that, you could sense from the smirk on his face that the same thing would surely happen again. Truly, he was as annoying as he was loved.
But I had no right to blame Allan at the moment. I averted my gaze slightly and spoke in a subdued voice.
“…Well, it turned out well. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Something to tell me?”
“Yeah. It’s something important. And also something I need to apologize to you for.”
“Oh right, Yuna. I also have something to tell you.”
“Listen to my story first. It’s really important…”
“I’ve decided to go to the Elise Ball.”
“What!!!”
Once again, I exclaimed in surprise, and before I knew it, my hand had grabbed Allan by the collar.
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“Why… why? Why did you do that?”
“Elise suggested it first.”
“What did she say?”
“She said going with me would be stimulating for both you and Claes. A way to catch two birds with one stone, she said.”
“You accepted that? Even though you rejected it, did she insist? Did she threaten you or something?”
“No? She just suggested it.”
“Why? Why on earth did you agree to that?”
“Sure, because he said you’re going to Klaus. Is that why?”
“Didn’t you believe that story all at once? Seriously?”
“No? Then I’ll go cancel it now. Was it a lie, Yuna?”
“Uh… well, that’s…”
The hand that had grabbed my collar loosened in that moment. Ellen smirked and threw a question at me.
“You decided to go to Klaus?”
“Yeah…”
“Why?”
“He… proposed from that side…”
“Even though you rejected, you pushed through?”
“No…”
“Why did you do that?”
“I felt like I couldn’t reject… it seemed impossible…”
“So you accepted?”
“Yeah…”
In the boomerang-like return of questions, self-blame sprouted rapidly. I couldn’t even confidently say that I would go to reject it like Ellen. In the end, with my head deeply bowed, I managed to utter a word.
“…Sorry, Ellen.”
“No. It’s okay.”
But Ellen chuckled and lifted my chin with his hand. I just faced him with a tearful expression.
“To be honest, this seems better.”
“Why…?”
“Well, if you attend with the Crown Prince, there shouldn’t be any opposition in the house, right? Plus, you’re Klaes. If I become partners with Elise, there will be more opportunities to connect the two. Isn’t that right?”
“Is that so?”
“It’s actually better for you, Yuna. Don’t you think?”
“Yeah…”
…
Is that so?
I tried to grasp logic with a dizzy head, but my overheated thoughts couldn’t find their way and staggered. Amidst this, Ellen grabbed my chin, playfully turning my head. Giggling, I managed to throw a question.
“Do you really think so?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’ll undoubtedly be better that way. I’ll be with Elise, and you’ll be with Klaes.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’m sure.”
Ellen nodded again with a face full of certainty. Upon closer thought, it made sense. Anyway, if we go to the ball with the Crown Prince, there won’t be any trouble with the Duchess bothering me. And holding onto the Crown Prince and Elise, we could plan something. I’ll be with the Crown Prince, and Ellen will be with Elise. Dressed up nicely, we’ll go to the ball.
…
“…Do you really think so?”
“Yeah?”
Unconsciously, a slightly strange voice escaped me. But even I didn’t know where that feeling came from, so I just kept staring at Ellen endlessly. Ellen seemed to sense it too, gently stroking my cheek with a slightly furrowed brow.
“Why? Is there something bothering you?”
“No… I…”
With so much on my mind, I found it hard to speak. Ellen, noticing my struggle, grasped my cheeks again. Then, in a gentle tone, he called my name.
“Yuna.”
“Yeah.”
“Wear something nice that day. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“Even though I won’t be able to be by your side…”
“Still.”
Only then did I lift my head to face him. I looked at him with eyes that hoped for a kiss on the forehead, but Ellen only gently stroked my cheek before letting go. Instead of a kiss, he uttered a simple and light phrase.
“I’ll be anticipating it.”