I Refuse This Life, Your Highness! - Chapter 59

A masquerade ball. It was something the Emperor liked. At this ball, people change their hair color, eye color, and even their voices, or have a servant speak for them, so no one can tell who is who—it’s a kind of game that the Emperor enjoys. Anyone whose identity is discovered has to face a penalty, and if you manage to keep your identity hidden until the end, you win a prize.

I had dyed my hair dark brown and braided it, wearing a green dress, and was standing near an unnoticed wall. My face was covered with a mask made of lace that could even hide the color of my eyes. My sharp violet eyes were quite rare. I didn’t want to go as far as using a potion to change my eye color. After all, once you change it, it tends to stay that way for a while and can even be painful.

The Duke couldn’t come with me. Just before we were supposed to depart for the capital, another incident occurred in Kyrebo. A powerful monster had appeared, one that the knights alone couldn’t handle. Recently, there had been a series of disasters in a village hit by an avalanche, resulting in casualties. The Duke couldn’t afford to be leisurely attending a masquerade ball with such a critical situation unfolding.

I, however, was in a different position. The ball had been arranged by the Emperor as an apology to me. While I was dealing with monster problems and issues in my territory, I couldn’t ignore the ball that the Emperor had organized for me. To him, it probably didn’t matter if monsters appeared and killed the villagers.

At the end of the masquerade, everyone would reveal their identities. The Emperor himself would bring me to the center of the room and announce that I was the star of the party.

It really wasn’t my taste. Everyone knew that this ball was held to apologize for the past events that had become so chaotic, it nearly went to trial. So, from the start of the ball to the end, I was being stared at. This was much better than being the center of attention. I stood behind a pillar, holding a champagne glass, thinking of the Duke. I couldn’t help but worry—was everything okay? Was he cold? Had the monster been dealt with by now? My mind was full of anxiety.

The sparkling wine in my glass had lost all its bubbles from me swirling it around too much. The noise of the ballroom was barely audible as I took a sip of the now flat and lukewarm wine.

“A beautiful lady like you shouldn’t be alone.”

“……”

Someone had approached me. I thought I could avoid them by staying hidden here. I didn’t respond and, passing a passing servant, handed him my champagne and tried to leave. That was one advantage of a masquerade ball.

But when I turned around, he casually grabbed my arm. As I turned back in irritation, the surprise hit me harder than just annoyance. Blonde hair, extravagant clothing, and the unmistakable red eyes visible through the mask. It was the Emperor.

The rules of a masquerade were that if someone of higher status than you recognized you, you pretended not to know them. The Emperor, therefore, couldn’t reveal his identity until the end of the ball. I couldn’t say anything.

“I’ve been resting because I’m tired.”

“Since earlier?”

“Yes, I’ve been tired the whole time.”

“Perhaps because you’ve been in the carriage for so long?”

“Well… Isn’t it rude to ask such questions?”

Asking directly about someone’s identity went against the rules of the masquerade. Lesilly and Bowen had worked hard to make me look like someone else, and since I had rarely appeared in the capital’s social circles, no one recognized me—except for the Emperor, who had figured it out and approached me.

“You’re quite a reserved lady.”

I opened my fan and looked at the Emperor, careful not to make eye contact. If he listened to my voice, he could tell I was a man, and judging by my attire, I was likely disguised as Lamia or had cross-dressed, but he still referred to me as a lady.

“Would you care to dance?”

Before I could respond, the Emperor quickly grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it. I wanted to refuse, but he had already figured out who I was, and I knew he might use that to cause trouble later. Reluctantly, I took his hand and headed to the dance floor.

Just then, the music changed. I kept my gaze down, careful not to look directly at him, and held both his hands. Fortunately, my mask, made of black translucent lace, partially concealed my eyes, so he couldn’t see me very clearly.

Step, step, another step, turn.

‘…?’

The Emperor seemed to be struggling with the dance. Was he doing this on purpose to mock me? Others, too, seemed puzzled at how stiff and awkward his movements were. Normally, his dance was fluid, but today it was stiff and offbeat.

I moved along with him. Fortunately, once the music flowed a bit, he started to match his movements to the melody, but it was still much clumsier than usual.

I thought to myself that it worked out well. I was able to avoid his gaze by looking at my feet, pretending to worry if he would step on them. After some time, the music finally came to an end.

“My beautiful guest, earlier you were drinking wine that had lost all its bubbles. Would you like to go to the terrace? I’ve prepared some fine wine.”

“……”

The Emperor pointed to the largest terrace inside the ballroom, a place where the Emperor often rested during the ball. His invitation was more like an order to follow him.

I should say yes. I didn’t want to, but just as I was about to open my mouth, a tall figure in a mask suddenly approached and stood in front of me.

“It’s a splendid night.”

“……”

For a moment, I was lost for words and stared at him. His hair was dyed pitch black, but his voice hadn’t changed. This voice.

“I would like to ask this beautiful lady for a dance.”

“Ah.”

The sensation of his lips touching my hand was unpleasant, yet I was glad. I smiled at the Emperor, who was standing in front of me.

“Would you kindly invite me to the terrace later? I will dance a little more before joining you.”

“That sounds good. Then, I shall watch you dance.”

After raising a small smile at the Emperor, I turned to face my next dance partner. The prelude began. Unfortunately, it was a romantic and slow dance. It wasn’t something I particularly wanted to do, but it was better than following the Emperor. The tall man holding my hand firmly led me gently.

I looked up. Through the lace of my mask, his face was vaguely visible. Though his hair color and mask were different, he was…

“It’s been a while, Your Highness Visen.”

It was Rubes, the leader of the Manas guild, Raiol Manas.

The whispering voice probably wasn’t heard by anyone. During a dance, it was allowed for the partners to converse briefly about who they were. …That is, if they were planning to leave the ballroom and head to a quiet garden or secret terrace. As I took the next step, I stomped on Raiol’s foot hard.

“Ugh… That’s too much.”

“It was a mistake.”

I answered nonchalantly, and Raiol laughed. Given that he was here, he must have come as the third prince of Hasein.

“I thought you were in trouble, so I asked for a dance. Were you planning to follow the Emperor?”

“There was no way to refuse. Thanks to you, I’m alive.”

“Hm, well, there is a very definite way to refuse.”

With a spin, my body turned half a circle and I fell into Raiol’s arms.

“Would you like to go to the secret terrace with me? From what I can see, it seems like no one knows you, Your Highness.”

I almost slapped him across the face in that moment, but I held back. I quickly rose, spun again, and as I got closer, I stepped on Raiol’s foot again. He chuckled as his feet were stepped on twice.

“The Emperor knows. He’ll definitely tell Duke.”

“Oh, if the Emperor didn’t know, would he have gone with me to the secret terrace?”

“Let’s keep it appropriate.”

A masquerade ball was exactly the kind of place where such decadent conversations took place. It was a night where nobles forgave each other’s fleeting indiscretions. To be made the center of attention in such a setting… I couldn’t help but feel more frustrated with the Emperor.

“Your Highness, do you remember what I said before? The strange words I spoke?”

“I think it’s best not to bring it up here.”

When I indirectly acknowledged that I remembered, a smile spread across Raiol’s face beneath his mask.

“I think you understand the meaning behind it.”

“……”

I didn’t answer. Every noble in the Empire inherits some form of magic. The Emperor, too, had once been a noble. That meant he had inherited magic as well. According to the Duke, it was mental domination through eye contact.

Fortunately, mental magic didn’t work well on me. The Emperor had looked at me several times awkwardly, trying to make eye contact. Those red, glossy eyes were unpleasant. They were eyes that tried to invade my mind, and I instinctively disliked them.

But I didn’t need to tell Raiol that. He might not even know the extent of the Emperor’s abilities. Even though he was a wandering merchant now, Raiol was the third prince of Hasein, and he hadn’t completely severed ties with the royal family. He was here as the third prince of Hasein, after all. I couldn’t casually reveal the Emperor’s abilities to someone from another country, even if he was just a merchant.

The music was nearing its end. I kept my mouth shut until the final step. As the song finally ended, I was about to run off, but I felt a gaze from across the room. The Emperor was standing with his arms crossed, watching us. Without even realizing it, I stopped and stared at Raiol, not giving my usual parting words.

It was a request for another song. Raiol smiled joyfully and took my hand.

“Shall we have one more dance?”

After a romantic piece, there’s often a lingering effect. So, it’s common to dance the next song with the same partner. When that happens, the next song tends to be slower, with more intimate contact. Even if I wanted to avoid the Emperor, did I really have to dance this kind of song with him?

Moreover, after this, if we went to the secret terrace, the Emperor would certainly tell the Duke about it. Would the Duke believe that nothing happened between us?

The slow, dreamlike orchestra filled the large ballroom, reaching all the way to the ceiling.

“Don’t worry. I already know about the Emperor’s abilities.”

“……”

“And I—”

“Ahhh!”

“W-what’s happening?!”

Just as Raiol was about to say something, the ballroom suddenly went pitch black. The orchestra stopped in surprise. In an instant, the ballroom was filled with screams and frightened voices. When the surroundings darkened, Raiol immediately reached out and embraced me.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I’m here because the Duke sent me.”

“W-what did you say?”

The Duke? Were they that close? At that moment, my body was suddenly pulled back. The tip of a sword grazed my hair with a wicked sound.

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