deepening night.
Numerous carriages were going up the hill around the Imperial Palace.
If there is a peculiar thing, all of the numerous carriages are not engraved with the emblems representing the family.
And Ferzen was also mixed in and when the carriage stopped… …
Bump.
After quietly opening the door and getting off, I entered the banquet hall with bright lights.
“… … ”
crowded
However, each of them wore a mask, so I felt relatively little discomfort.
Kirik.
There are quite a few people sitting around in wheelchairs.
And in the case of Ferzen, who has good eyesight, the clumsy gait of those who disguised themselves as their gender caught my eye sporadically.
It seems that there are not many people who have changed their appearance into small children like themselves.
The place where a lot of people gather is around the 1st and 2nd princes.
“… … ”
Looking around, Ferzen took a glass filled with wine and walked slowly.
‘Where am I… … ‘
After drowning in a glass of wine, Ferzen paid close attention to those in wheelchairs.
Comparing it to the gender-changing camouflage, it was hard to find an awkward point, but it wasn’t impossible.
In the first place, it is impossible to identify someone’s identity only by the sense of disparity in behavior, so the parties also tend not to pay much attention.
Thanks to this, the unnatural points became clear through long observations, but it was difficult to narrow the scope with this alone.
widely.
Put down the empty glass and walk away.
To be honest, Ferzen thought it was unlikely that Lizzie would be here.
Even if she attends, her brother Loer will do it.
‘still… … ‘
Unless a small possibility was ruled out, there was another surest and simplest way to confirm her.
again.
The footsteps of Ferzen, who were stepping, stopped.
In front of them are the royal bands performing elegant performances to enhance the excitement of the banquet.
The current song was about to end soon, so Ferzen quietly waited behind the conductor.
And at the end of the song, when the song is over, he digs into a short hiatus and opens his mouth with a youthful voice.
“I have a song I want to listen to, is it okay if I ask for it?”
“ah… … of course.”
“Then, I wish you a blessed night.”
“It’s a pretty old song.”
“It is still being loved a lot.”
“All right.”
After choosing a breath for a moment, the conductor moves his hand.
Blessing Night is a song with basic knowledge that musicians should be able to perform without sheet music.
Soon after, as the unfamiliar yet familiar music of that day unfolded splendidly, Ferzen turned his head.
The number of people narrowed down through long observations was three.
first… …
Clang–!
“… … ”
The sound of glass breaking is clearly resounding in the splendid music.
Without even having to watch each one’s reaction.
Ferzen twisted the corners of her lips when she saw the blue-haired woman trembling over there, near the First Prince.
Wearing a wolf’s mask, she turns her head toward the royal bands.
In the process, our eyes met for a brief moment, but the fleeting moment passed naturally without any incident.
Yes, the wolf in lamb’s clothing recognized its prey.
The lamb in wolf’s clothing was unaware of the beast that was trying to eat it.
‘Lizzie. Do you know that?’
Fear and fear, unless overcome.
‘You always hang around and follow me.’
Soon, Ferzen took a step slowly.
close quarters.
like walking on snow.
quietly.
* * * * *
“under… … black… … ”
Lizzie grabbed her chest in pain as her heart shriveled and fled to the terrace.
The maid who was pushing the wheelchair looked at her with a worried face, but Lizzy closed her eyes tightly without even wiping the cold sweat away.
Even when I go out to the terrace, the sound of the music is faintly heard.
Blessing Night is a song that has a lot of popularity and a deep history, but basically, as the fashion changes with the passage of time, the Blessing Night has hardly been played in recent banquet halls.
To be honest, it was just an old-fashioned song.
“miss… … ”
“it’s okay… … Go and get me a glass of cold water… … ”
“All right.”
Forcing the convulsions in her trembling body to calm down, Lizzy repeated deep breaths.
Fortunately, as soon as the song ends, the body that was in a seizure quickly regains stability.
Lizzy’s fingertips trembled at the calmness, and she wiped the sweat from the tip of her chin with a handkerchief.
squeaky.
Then I heard the sound of the door opening.
“Ribella… … ”
Calling out the handmaiden’s name, Lizzy held out her hand on her forehead.
I meant to hand you a glass of cold water, but… …
side.
“… … !”
What came back was the soft texture of the lips.
Lizzy, startled, turned her head to the side.
There was a boy in a pure white suit, wearing a mask of a lamb.
“Is it rude?”
“no… … ”
Calming her trembling heart, Lizzy slowly pushed her hand back.
“It’s a beautiful hand.”
But he, or the boy, carefully grabbed his opposite hand and bowed his head once more and offered him a kiss.
“… … He’s wearing a sheep’s mask, but his behavior is sloppy like a wolf.”
Lizzie laughed.
In fact, this masked ball lowered their silence.
It was also a place to pour out blatant dissatisfaction with the princes who supported them.
Very few even tried to satisfy their secret desires.
“Did I look so easy to eat when I was alone on the terrace?”
“It is a misunderstanding. I just came out for a while because I didn’t like old-fashioned music.”
A tone that doesn’t suit a young figure.
Is the word old-fashioned just used in this case?
squeaky.
When the tension is relaxed, the maid comes in.
Lizzy, who was handed her a glass of cold water, hinted at her to stand in front of the door instead of by her side.
At that, Ferzen opened her mouth with a small smile on her lips.
“Is this Gremory Eldin Ishtar Elmark?”
“… … ”
At Ferzen’s words, Lizzy flinched.
“… … You have good eyesight.”
“It’s a phrase I hear often. Being the Empress of the Elmarc Empire and sitting in a wheelchair is a satirical element of its own. It’s fun.”
At Ferzen’s words, the boy, Lizzie raised the corners of her lips awkwardly.
In fact, I didn’t intend anything like a satirical element.
It’s just the figure of the strongest woman she’s ever seen… … Because she was just the Empress of the Elmark Empire.
Yeah, Lizzie just wanted a hard shell.
If there was Ferzen in this banquet hall, it was because I was not confident to face it in its original form.
“… … ”
“… … ”
The silence that followed immediately.
Ferzen looked up at Lizzie and shifted his gaze to the beautiful night sky.
“An uncomfortable silence.”
“… … ”
“I don’t have the confidence to have a smooth conversation with a woman, so why not give me a hot topic.”
“Didn’t I say that I didn’t like old-fashioned music, so it was only for a while… … ”
“Children are usually capricious.”
Lizzie burst out laughing as she looked down at Ferzen who was working on her with a young voice.
“like. then… … Please give us your opinion on the current situation.”
Jeong Se-ra.
That’s a pretty tough request.
Because in the case of Ferzen, he was interpreting the situation based on the facts he had heard from the second prince.
However, except for that, it was not difficult to reconstruct and spit it out, so Ferzen controlled her vocalizations and opened her mouth.
“If you were to say which side the scale is leaning towards, it must be the second prince.”
“reason… … Is it?”
“Don’t you know? It must have been a secret that everyone knew.”
“… … ”
“okay. But with Brutein’s support, doesn’t it leave room for others to play? Because of this, there is a possibility of sleeping with the enemy’s enemy… … ”
At Lizzy’s words, Ferzen laughed.
And at his laughter, Lizzie could not continue to speak and cut it off in the middle.
“Your view is not wrong. Those who want to prove how great a loyal dog they are, if there is no room for it, they will force it to be created.”
“… … ”
“However, if there is no reward waiting in front of the person who took the position, there is no reason to do so.”
“… … ”
“Everyone knows. No matter what Ruerg, with Brutein’s support, does in the Lobellium Kingdom, the imperial family won’t give him a reasonable reward.”
In the first place, Brutein’s bloodline doesn’t even want such a reward.
In addition, this time, a reasonable justification was provided for penance of sinning.
Because of this, it provides comfort and strong cohesion to other loyal dogs rather than anxiety.
It is said that the second prince they support will be one step ahead of the first prince.
Is there any reason to give up?
“But Count Ruerg… … This time I married Alfred’s woman. Born of Brute descent and took Alfred’s woman, is this not the beginning of his greedy ambitions?”
Ferzen had nothing to say about that.
Even if it was interpreted that way, it was not unreasonable.
but… …
“If he had been really ambitious, he would not have coveted the Count of Ruerg on the outskirts.”
“… … ”
“If you put a brick on top of a sand castle, it will sink. It’s curious, but that’s why other people don’t question it.”
“Really, maybe that’s why… … ”
“… … ”
“Is it not possible to believe in the prejudice that was established solely because of the Bruteine bloodline?”
Lizzy put her hand on the armrest and clenched her fist tightly.
Seeing that, Ferzen opened her mouth.
“Is that wrong?”
“… … ”
“Maybe he has a greedy and ugly inner side, but to say that he only believes in the outward appearance… … It seems reasonable, but it is not.”
“Where are you going.”
“Is there anyone who roams the streets naked?”
“… … ”
“Everyone walks around in clothes. Also, I want to pay a lot of money to wear colorful and beautiful clothes.”
“… … ”
“This is human nature. If you want to deny it, I dare you to ask. Isn’t your inside overshadowing your outside?”
At Ferzen’s words in lamb’s clothing, Lizzy bit her lip.
Because I couldn’t deny it.
Even now, he… … overshadowing the appearance of the empress.
Because I longed for myself to not be shaken by any winds and waves.
“You weren’t trying to get me a favor. Not the words you want to hear, just the words you don’t want to hear… … ”
After changing the wolf’s mask slightly, Lizzy bowed her head to meet Ferzen’s gaze.
“really… … It’s a lamb I want to eat.”
Her slender fingertips caress her cheek.
How can she feel so foolish, not recognizing the true form of a wolf, hidden behind a soft fleece?
The darkness of the night that has fallen down is thick.
If you can’t see the essence, you can drink even rotten water, even if it’s sweet.
‘Lizzie.’
You should know that the human eye is more stupid and stupid than you think.
With a smirk accompanied by advice that could not be conveyed inside, Ferzen quietly inhaled the body odor from her fingertips.
It smells like sheep, not suitable for wolves.
Very sweet.