“Ah.”
Charlotte bowed her head in embarrassment.
“We were having small talk······.”
Nina smiled and held out her hand.
“Then would you like to dance a song?”
Charlotte raised her head, her mint-colored eyes shining like stars.
“Y-Yes!”
She grabbed the outstretched hand tightly. Nina skillfully entered the dancing floor and began to dance the male part. Charlotte, who was awkward at first, soon began to get used to dancing. Her sparkling eyes looked like a girl in love, so Kell smiled warmly.
‘The Leader knows the right time of things.’
I’d like to learn how to do that myself.
As he was thinking about it, a little commotion from the other side of the hall spread out. He reflexively brought his hand to his waist and, realizing that he had no sword, he clicked his tongue.
‘It’s so awkward to be unarmed.’
“Saint Lucrezia, arrives!”
At the sound of the announcement, he made a brief discovery.
‘I think we came today because of this?’
Even at a glance, the Saint was dressed very beautifully. A neat and elegant robe with a long hanging veil in white and gold colors. The long black hair winding down and the seductive eyes were all combined to create a synergy effect.
‘It’s not my type.’
I could feel most of the men in the hall looking at her. Thinking that the instinct was quite vulgar, I threw my gaze behind her.
‘He is probably…..the Templars Commander?’
His grape-colored hair stood out, Kell looked at him and thought.
‘Wow, he’s dark.’
His face had a depressing expression, and his complexion was dark. Maybe the hair color contributed evens more to the dark mood.
It was a completely different feeling from his master Adrian.
If the darkness of Adrian was like the elegant mantle of the Night Goddess, the darkness of the Templar Commander was…
‘Despair?’
If he’s a believer in God, shouldn’t he have a brighter and more hopeful face?
With that thought in mind, Kell glanced him up and down. He came as an escort and had a sword on his back. Although not the unique full plate armor to the Knights Templar, the protective gear could be seen at first glance.
‘If I attack, it’s the neck and the joints.’
While he was unconsciously thinking about how to attack, the waltz was over. With a bright face, Charlotte walked his way as if stepping on a cloud.
“I don’t even need to ask if you had fun.”
Charlotte nodded her head as Kell said with a grin. He spoke softly to her.
“Did you see the Saint entrance?”
“Yes.”
Alertness appeared on Charlotte’s face. She glanced back toward the Saint and said:
“Isn’t that escort knight the head of the Templars?”
After a while, she muttered “He’s dark.”, Kell’s laugh was about to come out but he endured and nodded his head.
“Do I look like that too?”
Charlotte mumbled very softly. Kell widened his eyes.
“No, not at all.”
As she looked at him, Kell shook his head.
“Charlotte just shows she hates it when she sees something annoying. It’s completely different from that.”
Charlotte looked around the people gathered at the ballroom one by one and said.
“It’s not that I hate it. It’s just.”
She was silent for a moment, then she continued speaking in a refined voice.
“I don’t need to believe, I don’t need to get close. They praise the Leader now, but if there is ever a problem, they will flip their attitude over like flipping their palm.”
You don’t need to be recognized by them, and you don’t need to hate them.
“Ah, the Leader never said something like that.”
Kell mumbled, then patted Charlotte on the back as if comforting her.
Charlotte grinned.
Lady Adele glanced at Charlotte over Nina’s shoulder and said.
“I don’t think that knight is a citizen of the Empire.”
“Well. I never asked about her nationality.”
Nina clasped her arms and tilted her head in thoughts. Lady Adele laughed as she covered her mouth with the fan.
“Even if I think about it over and over again, The Duke of Luverne is unique. Among the people gathered here now, there must be many people who don’t like the fact that I, as a foreigner, am dividing the social world.”
Nina scratched her cheek at Adele’s sharp gaze.
“Once you have the ability and personality, it’s strange not to hire them.”
“That’s what is surprising indeed.”
There was a lot of talk about the recruitment of the Duke of Luverne.
There were many people who said that they would lower the prestige of the imperial aristocracy by hiring bum-like people who did not receive a letter of introduction, and whose identity was unknown.
Of course, General Manager Louis’ choices were never wrong. The current development of the Duchy of Luverne could be said to be thanks to the talents it attracted not only from the Empire but also from outside the country.
Lady Adele folded her fan and smiled.
“Would you like to have tea with the prince sometime?”
“Gladly.”
Nina answered, placing her hand on her chest. She had to meet Faradiv once anyway, so the choice to meet with Lady Adele wasn’t bad either.
Lady Adele smiled gratefully at her words and whispered.
“Then let’s walk towards today’s prey.”
“Prey?”
As Nina’s eyes widened, ‘What are you talking about?’ Adele smirked.
“I thought people grew softer towards me as I got older. But the other party might not think so.”
At those words, Nina turned her gaze, and Saint Lucrezia was staring at her.
Very clearly, so that anyone can notice.
Nina leaned over and whispered to Lady Adele.
“Thank you for your concern.”
Lady Adele smiled and walked away from Nina, naturally joining another party.
It must have been a skill learned in the social world. Nina gave a side-glance to it and thought she should learn it herself.
As Adele moved away, Lucrezia approached.
“Viscountess Nina La Dell.”
The Saint greeted with her arms wide open, and Nina bowed her back, placing one of her arms against her chest.
“Lady Lucrezia.”
Lucrezia was smiling brightly. From a distance, she looked mature, but as she came closer she still remained a girl.
“It’s nice to see you like this. I wasn’t even able to talk with you last time because of the Bellac. Did you get hurt anywhere?”
Her voice is supple, but rather than soft, it feels like it was trembling somewhere.
“Yes. I’m okay.”
“What a relief.”
Lucrezia said, blushing her cheeks.
“I thought Viscountess Dell was so wonderful and beautiful back then that I wanted to see you again. I didn’t know I was going to meet you here.”
If you’re passionate I should answer politely too.
“Thank you. Lady Lucrezia is also beautiful.”
Lucrezia reached out her hand. A gloved fingertip in a pearl color cloth caressed Nina’s epaulets, then slid down and petted the collar of her long coat.
“It makes me so happy to receive compliments from such a beautiful person.”
Lucrezia whispered as she lifted her moist eyes and looked at Nina with a deep glance.
“From the moment I first saw Viscountess Dell, I was moved like a little girl.”
‘Wow.’
There are many women who like Nina, but she was the first woman to speak seductively in this way.
“I’m ashamed that at that time, I wasn’t in a good attire.”
When Nina spoke, Lucrezia giggled. Then she put her finger in the hole of Nina’s collar and swept down the gold line, causing a stir.
It wasn’t an ordinary hand gesture.
“Saint, others can see.”
At that time, the head of the Temple Knights intervened between the two of them. Lucrezia released a small grunt while taking her hand away from Nina.
“Edgar is no fun.”
‘As expected, this person is Edgar.’
Nina turned her gaze to the man. She had thought about it before, but he seemed to be holding back his suffering.
A face like where suffering seems to rise to the surface and while holding it and pressing it down, it shakes a little.
“You are a Sir Edgar.”
At Nina’s words, he looked at her with an indifferent face and then nodded his head slightly.
“Oh, Edgar. You have to say hello. She is the Spirit Queen. It’s different from Edgar.”
Lucrezia put her hands together and her eyes widened. Her last words rang in a clear intonation.
Nina looked at Lucrezia, unable to understand the true meaning of her words. She and Edgar can be said to be on the same team, but it’s hard to believe she’s humiliating him like that.
She is a character who does not appear in the stories Nina knows.
‘Where did the twist come from?’
With that in mind, Edgar formally greeted Nina.
“It is an honor to meet you. I’m Edgar Ron, commander of the Temple Knights. May God’s blessing be with you.”
“I am honored to meet you. I am Nina La Dell, the commander of the Dark Knights. May the protection of the Great Spirit be with you.”
Nina answered while facing him, and spat out.
“You must be unwell.”
Embarrassment crept across his face like convulsions.
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