Chapter 92

“So, around two o’clock in the afternoon, she came across Baron Litshua for a while in Madame Erevnia’s shop.”

“Nathan.”

Evan sighed and said to Nathan, who came to report while swinging his sword in the training ground.

“Did I say escort or watch?”

A few years ago, there was an attempt to assassinate Princess Elanie in Avonitar. The problem was that then, by chance, Laria witnessed the scene. He still sighed when he thought about how surprised the weak Laria would have been.

A number of incidents and accidents continued to occur in the capital. Especially before the masquerade, the city was crowded with people and all sorts of unusual things were happening.

It was not uncommon for a fight to break out while picking up mask props, and pickpockets were also common. He sent Nathan to protect Laria from getting caught in a dangerous situation…

“Sorry, I was short-minded. Then, I will not report anymore.”

“Yes. No matter how much Laria is my wife, she will hate it if I try to know everything.”

“How would you feel if Lady Laria tried to know everything about Lord Evan?”

“Obviously, weirdos with no concept of privacy would like that.”

Evan replied with a clear voice.

“And I guess I’m a little strange in terms of my personal life.”

“….”

“I’m happy just imagining it. Well, at least one side might be weird.”

“That’s not true.”

His denial meant ‘not just one side, but in many sides.’ However, Evan didn’t say anything as if he took it as him saying he was ‘not strange.’ Hesitating for a moment, Nathan then scratched the back of his head and asked.

“By the way, what if I didn’t say anything at all, and if I have already opened my mouth and your thoughts get complicated for nothing?”

“What am I thinking?”

“Well, what were the two of them talking about… then…”

“Why do I have such useless thoughts? Why would I do something meaningless? If I thought about it, I would only be annoyed.”

He uttered, swinging his sword with a terrifying face. Nathan, who couldn’t use the sword well, was startled for some reason and stepped back before biting his mouth.

“But, I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Evan’s expression grew more and more terrifying.

“If I imagine every minute of it, he must have approached Laria with a smile, and the good Laria would have greeted him without thinking…”

Nathan, unable to look at it any longer, cried out.

“It seemed like they just ran into each other, and Laria only delivered the words of the man named Baron Ravonis? It was about mining…”

“Baron Ravonis? That… Is the name Kyle?”

Since Laria stayed in Borotna, he had a rough idea of ​​the names of the people in the vicinity.

“Yes. Nothing really happened. She got a recommendation for a white butterfly mask, but she didn’t pick that one.”

“Say no more.”

Evan replied as he gently put his sword into the sheath.

“Because it’s a bet.”

Nonetheless, his expression had already softened when he said that there really wasn’t much conversation between Laria and Seymour. His ill-feeling towards Seymour Gold Litshua was very old. How could he forget that person…? He dared to send a fearless letter to Laria forget her young husband.

When he growled openly, he was only scolded by Laria. Evan did not forget that he looked up at Laria during the founding festival six years ago and that she was also conscious of him.

He didn’t believe Nathan when he said that she had stumbled upon Seymour.

Serena apparently called the bastard a stalker. The kind and good Laria would have a misunderstanding after listening to him a few words, and she seemed to have been deceived, although he was clearly a stalker following her.

But, he knew Laria anyway, and he was his wife. Besides, Laria had promised that she would never turn her eyes on another man.

He trusted her.

“Did you make a bet?”

“Yes. A bet with Laria to find each other.”

“Oh, there are so many people at the masquerade, it must be difficult to find.”

“It’s not too difficult for me.”

“Then, you might be nervous about something else. Lady Laria mistook another man wearing a mask for Lord Evan, so she accidentally came close…”

“What is to be nervous about? You have to be resolute in dealing with things like that. I know that the masquerade is a bit decadent, so you have to empty your mind a bit.”

Evan sighed and ruffled his hair.

“So, by the way, get something like a calming medicine in advance. I need to eat it before the masquerade.”

“….”

Nathan retreated, thinking he had to get a calming medicine that worked really well.

* * *

The masquerade held for the first time in ten years was enough to make everyone in the capital flutter.

No, not only the capital but also people from all over the provinces came. In the end, the organizers of the Imperial Palace, unable to handle the soaring number of applicants, opened the entire garden, not the banquet hall, as a venue.

“Hmm.”

I frowned and muttered under the mask.

“I wanted to go into the banquet hall, but it’s a pity.”

“The imperial palace banquet hall is amazingly beautiful, but it’s so bad.”

It was Lady Olivia who responded next to me.

“The decorations on the ceiling are so pretty, it’s like the Milky Way is spreading out. Haven’t you been there?”

“….”

“The music also resonates so well that when I dance, it’s like I’m the main character. Haven’t you heard of it?”

“Great Aunt, this is Laria. Have you not forgotten?”

“Oh, sorry.”

Olivia sighed and replied, “Because I can’t see your face, I’m treating you as if you were someone else. I could be picking fights.”

It was an answer that could or could not be offended.

Olivia was wearing a dress made of a luxurious material that was clinging to her body. The special thing was that the entire dress was filled with tiger patterns. She wore a lime-colored wig and was wearing a flytrap mask. Needless to say, she was terrifying just by her outward appearance.

“By the way, Great Aunt… Where did that mask come from?”

“It was made to order in Rivien. No other place makes and sells a flytrap mask.”

The prop, instead of a leopard fan, saying that her identity should not be revealed, was surprisingly a parrot on her shoulder.

“I also brought in one of these parrots for this masquerade. I’ve always wanted to have a parrot.”

“Oh, did you teach it how to speak?”

“Yes. I have only taught it one word.”

“What?”

“Come on, Lucifer. Say it.”

The parrot, called Lucifer, sat on Olivia’s shoulder like a doll, and then he opened his mouth.

“Help me. This warlock made me a parrot.”

For a moment, not only me but also everyone around us shut their mouths. When everyone’s eyes turned to the parrot, Lady Olivia seemed more elated.

“What do you think?”

Olivia spoke with a smirk.

“Am I like a terrifying warlock? This is my concept today.”

“Well… Aren’t you too faithful to the concept?”

“Isn’t this like a joke?”

“A cute joke… You are so sincere, Great Aunt.”

“Speak properly, Laria. Why are you looking at me like that now?”

Olivia gave a serious warning.

“What, cute joke? It’s a joke that pisses others off. I’m not a normal person who jokes cutely.”

At this masquerade today, Elanie and Lady Olivia had a big fight. It was because when she dressed as a warlock, Elanie was angry with her.

“There are makeups that are meant to be playful, and there is makeup that isn’t… Isn’t this crossing the line too much?”

Olivia, who was never going to lose, snorted back.

“Young people have no sense of humor. I’ll send you Duke Icard, so you can play with a sense of humor appropriate to your level.”

At that, Elanie couldn’t stand it any longer.

“No, how could you insult the Royal Family like that!”

This was roughly what it was.

When I first saw the flytrap mask, I thought it crossed the line although seeing the parrot, I thought the ripple effect would be huge. Come to think of it, if you think about it for a bit, Elaine, who hated black magic so much, couldn’t easily break the black magic seal for her husband, who didn’t get along well with her…

“Anyway, then let’s go our separate ways.”

Olivia patted me on the shoulder and said.

“I’m going to go enjoy the night.”

“How are you going to have fun?”

“I will argue with frivolous ones, pour water on the cheeky ones, and swear at ones I don’t like. Am I not a warlock?”

I suddenly remembered Sven and Serena asking me to continue to be a warlock. I hadn’t felt the need yet, so I’d been ignoring them, but I thought I’d give it some serious thought. I was terribly worried that Lady Olivia had ruined all the innocent warlock images.

“You said you made a bet with Evan?”

Olivia asked, amused.

“So, I heard that you dressed up separately and traveled separately.”

“Yes. Great Aunt, even if you see Evan, please keep it a secret. I have a wish at stake.”

“I said, I don’t like cute jokes.”

In response to my answer, she said in a voice that had lost her interest.

“I’m not interested in bets like that, like a playful game that is only fun amongst yourselves. Wouldn’t it have been better to hang your wrist instead of a wish at stake?”

And so, Lady Olivia snorted and disappeared into the crowd.