Suddenly, my stepmother stopped talking, our eyes finally meeting.
“Madam, what were you saying…”
“Mother, why did you suddenly…”
I follow my stepmother’s gaze. The Viscountess and her daughter were frozen, incapable of forming another sentence. It was inevitable considering the situation they found themselves in.
‘The dress I’m wearing isn’t red, but it’s a sky-lit colored dress.’
The nobles had already seen my dress upon my arrival and during the previous altercation. So, for my stepmother, who just arrived, her statement was questionable. It was hard for the others around them to control their expression. I lifted the hem of my dress and headed over to the three newcomers and other guests who still wore baffled expressions.
“Father, mother, sister Vestia. I hope you’ve been well; it’s been so long I haven’t seen you.”
“Riddel… you, you…”
“Riddel! What about the dress your mother sent you?”
My stepmother looked up and down, stuttering. Vestia, who was standing beside her, stepped out of the way.
I asked her, feigning innocence with big round eyes. “What? A dress? Which dress are you talking about?”
“Riddel, your mother sent you a dress.”
“What? Father. What is the meaning of this? Mother never sent me a dress?”
I dropped my shoulders, looking sad for the first time since meeting them tonight. Immediately, my stepmother said with a pale complexion. “What are you talking about Riddel? I surely sent you a dress… Oh! I see what must have happened now.”
“What happened?”
“Well, yes. Oh, no! I mean there must be a record of me sending the gift to the parlor room of the Archduke. There must be a note of it, so why don’t you go back and check?”
‘I see you’re able to use your brain.’
Ah, that’s how you’ll put the fault on to the duchy. It’s a bit sloppy, but I have to give praise where it’s due to my stepmother, she came up with an excuse quite fast.
I looked up at her, eyes thinking, then abruptly clapped my hands, looking like something came up to my mind.
“Oh… I don’t think I have to check. You mean that gift. Um… Are you sure you sent me the right one? I didn’t even know that you were sending me a dress for the ball. I thought you were giving me a gift instead of a dress.”
Only then did my stepmother, face spread thinly, spoke in an exaggerated tone. “Well, yeah, that must be it. I prepared this wonderful gift for you.”
“I see.”
“I, of course, prepared a special dress as well as the other gift I sent, but I must have forgotten to send it along. I’m sorry. What should I do? I’m quite in shock over my forgetfulness. I want to go back right away and send it to you this instant.”
“No, Mother. It’s okay. You’re so good to me. I understand everything.”
“Well yes, I’m so sorry.”
I used the friendliest of voice and softly spoke to them. Right away, Father and stepmother; looking calmer, breathed a sigh of relief. Although Spencer’s self-composed wife became a bit disconcerting over my action, I wondered why they thought I would just let it go like this. They didn’t know yet, but they walked right into the trap I laid for them.
‘What’s up next? The game is on.’
I opened my heart and continued talking with the most gentle smile. “Oh, I understand. Forgetting a simple dress isn’t really important. I do remember you being so good to me that even on the days you forgot to bring a chair for me to eat at the table, you would make me stand up and eat. So this is nothing like your forgetness from before.”
“Yeah. Like you said, I often forget… Wait, what?”
I continued with an innocent look while she kept walking further into the trap without noticing it.
“What? Oh… When was it? When was the first time you ever laughed at me in derision? I remember but you probably forgot the first time when you laughed while making me wear rags or when I went outside in the cold and you threw me the oldest clothes from my sister. Of course this was an important dress for tonight’s event, but you forgot that too…”
“…”
“How could a mother like that have ever thought of buying and sending me a dress, I’m sure you only forgot, right?”
The silence was heavy. Even without any windows nearby, the atmosphere subsided at once, to the point where I could hear and feel the cold wind blowing all the way to us.
Of course, my stepmother was now making a fuss about discrimination and abuse against her. It was only natural for her to be the victim no matter which situation she found herself in. Noticing the silence surrounding her, her complexion turned pale as a ghost. The same happened to Vestia who was standing next to her.
‘It’s quite weird for them to be so quiet now.’
“But I was a little surprised. It seems like mother, who always forgets about gifts, didn’t forget about this gift. Well, how can I forget? Animal carcasses, they’re quite unique to give as a gift…”
“Riddel! What the hell are you talking about?” In the end, the impatient self-confident Viscount lost its reason and shouted loudly. His body was shaking uncontrollably with anger.
My expression remained the same. A boundless calm in the midst of a storm. I glanced at my own work.
“My father is having a hard time remembering, too. Probably due to his age. You know she constantly forgets about me, but you just let it go. How much do you love mother for…?”
“Riddel!”
‘It’s stupid of you to yell here.’
Soon the silence fell again after the Viscount shouted loud enough for everyone to hear.
After a while, the eyes of the nobles were on the Viscount and Viscountess. There were so many expressions on the nobles’ faces. I wanted to ask, but there would be no end to this. It’s not like I could have done anything, even as the Archduchess; having no evidence, it’s hard to punish someone.
‘But, at least, you will have a hard time explaining everything.’
In the meantime, the servers who received orders walked around giving wine to all the guests. I drank my glass while eyeing the countless nobles around the Spencer family.
I was actually just trying to pretend to drink from it.
It’s… delicious.’
I emptied my drink and I was ready to leave.
“Well, that shall be all for my greetings, I will get going. Mother don’t forget anything else. Okay?” I added a friendly word as I was about to leave. “Oh, don’t forget to have a good time.”
***
After a good shot at Spencer’s house, I left the banquet hall and headed for the terrace. I started drinking, then kept drinking as it was just so easy. The main reason being; Kyle hadn’t returned yet.
‘It’s boring to come with someone, but the said someone disappears. And there’s nothing better than alcohol when you’re bored.’
Alcohol is the best. Long live alcohol. Hurray! The yellowish wine in the glass seemed to nip at me but being so sweet it went in without any problem.
‘I heard it’s a low-content wine, it will be fine.’
Being a lightweight drinker myself, I tried to be careful to not drink too much, but the servers were not helpful, and kept doing their job perfectly of filling the glasses around.
‘That’s fine. I won’t get drunk with just this. I’m not this weak. But, why does it feel like my face is boiling hot? I’m sure it’s nothing. I mean you can’t be that drunk if you can still talk to yourself in your head.’
“Ah…Delicious, it tastes so good…”
I was not drunk at all, seeing that I could talk. My speech was still in perfect condition.
‘It’s a delicious, not at all an intoxicating drink.’
Accompanied by the soft moonlight, it was a perfect atmosphere to drink. While the ambiance affected me; it also affected the speed of my drinking.
‘I’ll have one more and maybe another half.’
A server passed by at the same moment I needed to refill my drink. How could they be so good at their job? The server tried to refill my drink but was stopped in midair by someone’s hands. Someone was stopping me from getting more drinks. What is this? The shadow that came before me was somehow familiar.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh… Kyle.”
“…Kyle?”
Fortunately, my speech was still perfectly fine, but the speed of it had slowed down a bit. I looked up with relief and saw Kyle displaying an unpleasant expression.
“Riddel Spencer. Why are you all the way here? Do you know how long it took me to find you?”
“Don’t you see it? I was drinking. I heard it’s a low-content wine, but it’s pretty good. Would you like to try some wine, too?”
Kyle had a rotten frozen face as I tipped the glass next to him.
“You do know that even a low-content wine can get you drunk if you drink lots of it, do you? Besides, the red wine you’re holding looks very strong.”
“Hey, but I’m not drinking red wine? My drink’s yellow… Oh, why is it red?”
“…Do you still remember me?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
Somehow my face could not turn any hotter and probably any redder at the moment. I somehow felt calmed and relaxed after seeing Kyle.
‘Does this mean I’m getting drunk? More drunk? Drunkier? Will tonight’s wine be my downfall?’
While I was agonizing on the inside, overthinking every little detail, Kyle came a little closer to me. I could smell something like a drunken rose. It was Kyle’s natural smell. The scent of roses and alcohol was now mixing up in my nose and my head was suddenly throbbing. My head is spinning. It’s spinning. I felt something hot coming from inside.
“Riddel Spencer.”
“Yes”
“Are you all right?”
“Of course. Of course, I’m fine. So, are you done with your business?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, then let’s go.”
I tried to take the lead by saying that, but I felt myself falling. Kyle caught me as my heel swung on one side while the rest of my body was going in the other direction. Oh my, I think I sprained my ankle. Damn those shoes. I’m so embarrassed.
“…You’re drunk.”
“What do you mean drunk? No?”
“…I’m the one who is not drunk. I can walk perfectly fine.”
“Oh, are you?”
“…Yes.”
Normally, Kyle and I didn’t talk like that to each other. Usually, I would grumble in a strong tone, tending to respond without losing and he would dismiss anything I say to him right away. As a bonus, we would finish it by staring at each other, but strangely enough, the tone of our current conversation was unconventional. There was a different kind of spark.
I wasn’t persistent, and Kyle wasn’t spiteful.
“I think you need to rest before we leave, so lean on my shoulder.”
Kyle, who spoke in vain, gave up on trying to make me rest on his shoulder. Why did he look so innocent? Something’s not right. Did Kyle drink, too? I stood still and stared blankly at Kyle while he slowly gazed at me. I tried to open my eyes wide, but answered with drooping eyes.
“Where are you going?”
“Room.”
***
Wow…
Arriving in the room with a gentle light, Riddel burst into admiration.
“That’s a fancy roomy room. The bed looks soft and fluffy, too.”
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