Chapter 83: Winter Ball (5)

Chapter 83: Winter Ball (5)

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun

Illustrations: Posted in discord.

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The Academy's Winter Ball was an annual event held at the end of the year, meant to celebrate academic achievements and wash away the fatigue.

A party that professors and students alike enjoyed.

Of course, it was hard to say that this ball was a simple and fun event.

Inside, there were those who hid a blade behind false smiles.

While there were people purely enjoying the ball, no one could deny that it was a hotbed of Academy politics.

This ball marked both the end of one year and the beginning of a new one.

It set the stage for academy politics for the coming year.

The outcome of the ball greatly influenced the coming year's events, hinting at who might become the next student council president or who might garner attention.

Personally, I despised this sort of atmosphere.

If I had been ordinary, I would have ignored the political plays happening at the ball.

But now, even if I wanted to, I couldn't ignore it.

I am the child of a Duke's family.

There would undoubtedly be people who wanted to get close to me.

So I made a plan.

Ugh, it's cold......

I was standing before the ballroom in a black suit and overcoat.

To my surprise, I had more clothes packed than I initially realized.

Among them were a variety of suits, ranging from ostentatious to comfortable.

A black suit seemed appropriate for a ball.

As soon as the maids in the dormitory heard about the ball, they rushed to help me.

They were a group I seldom interacted with, but for the ball, they eagerly offered their help.

They provided a variety of grooming services, including facial massages, hair styling, and makeup.

It felt peculiar to receive such attention for the first time, but I couldn't deny that I looked better than usual.

Despite that, it felt strange.

I kept adjusting the stiff suit, and fiddled with my neatly combed hair.

At that moment, a familiar voice called out.

"Rudy!"

It was Luna.

Turning, I saw her in a long coat. I couldn't see what she wore beneath it, but her usually messy hair looked remarkably neat.

Behind her, Riku and Ena were approaching.

"Hehe...."

"Gruhh...."

Riku was innocently smiling as if she knew nothing, while Ena next to her was frowning as if something was not to her liking.

"Rudy, have you been waiting long? It must be very cold."

"Huh? No. I haven't waited long."

I responded, my gaze fixed on Luna's face.

Luna's appearance was so commonplace to me that it hardly registered.

But tonight, dressed for the ball, she seemed different.

More beautiful.

"You look pretty, Luna."

I found myself saying with a warm smile.

Luna's eyes widened in surprise, her arms flailing at the unexpected compliment.

"Uh, th, thank you! Rudy...!"

Luna said that and raised her thumb at me.

"Ru, Rudy also looks cool!"

Haah......

Ena sighed dramatically behind Luna at her flustered response.

I mirrored Luna's thumbs-up gesture with a light smile.

"Thank you."

"Hehe..." Luna laughed, scratching her head sheepishly.

Ena suggested we head inside, but I held them back.

Hmm?

I tilted my head as I looked at Rie's outfit.

A dazzling dress mixed with red and black.

And it was short in length.

Rie seemed conscious of her dress being short as well; she kept touching her skirt, trying to pull it down slightly.

Her golden hair combined with the red dress attracted everyone's attention.

But it was different from Rie's usual style.

A short skirt and vibrant colors.

Rie, who usually dressed in a simple style that suited her, had come today in an outfit that was both striking and glamorous.

I was suddenly taken aback by her appearance, losing my appetite.

It wasn't that her style was strange.

It was quite beautiful, capturing the attention of those around her.

I was just puzzled by the changed from her usual attire.

With that, Rie slowly walked into the banquet hall, and numerous people approached her as she entered.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Princess."

"Oh... isn't this dress a trend in the capital?"

They showered Rie with compliments.

"Yes, I had it specially brought from the capital," Rie replied, her smile slightly awkward but her tone as graceful as ever as she began conversing with them.

It seemed difficult to approach her at the moment.

Rie had told me she would mingle for a bit and then come over to where I was.

Well, she would come over on her own, I supposed.

I wanted to ask Rie about her outfit, but seeing her surrounded by so many people, I turned away and looked at Luna.

Luna was staring at Rie, mouth agape.

"Luna?"

"Eek!"

Luna made a strange noise in response when I called her name.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking at her intently.

"N-nothing at all!" Luna waved her hands dismissively.

As she did so, she suddenly stopped and looked at me.

Her eyes fixed on my face, she quietly opened her mouth.

"Rudy... there's something I want to ask you...."

"Hm?"

I stared back at her.

"What is it? You can ask me anything."

"Is Rie... pretty...?"

Luna tilted her head slightly, pointing at Rie.

I nodded at Luna's question.

"Yeah... pretty, right? Even though she's usually so casual, when you look at her from afar, she really does seem like a princess."

Rie is beautiful.

This is something no one can dispute.

The attention she was receiving was enough proof of that.

Even now, everyone looked up at her, trying to get closer to her, hoping to exchange more words.

They were all mesmerized, like insects drawn to a captivating flower.

"Rudy, you said I was pretty too, right?"

"Huh?"

"So...."

She took a step closer, her eyes meeting mine as she asked,

"So, am I pretty, or is Rie pretty?"

Luna spoke, her hands gathered at her chest.

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Luna's bolder than I thought. Also men getting bolder when they find someone attractive? Maybe when they're drunk...

3/5 Enjoy the chappy!

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