Chapter 69: Party (4)
As Hoyeon and Dogeon danced, subtly flaunting their connection for all to see, Ethan absentmindedly touched the eyepatch covering his empty eye socket.
Most of his carefully cultivated collaborators had either fled or perished during the recent attack.
Even Stefania’s close associates, whom he’d painstakingly established ties with, had turned into demons and disappeared.
All he’d done was track her movements—he hadn’t even revealed the truth—yet she’d executed such a thorough purge. Ethan couldn’t help but feel despair.
Could he really accomplish this?
Perhaps it was time to leave this to the First Apostle.
As he pondered how to report this catastrophic failure, like a condemned man awaiting his execution, a woman in a pristine white dress approached him.
Her radiant blonde hair, green eyes, and the cross necklace she wore made her identity unmistakable. Ethan’s expression darkened.
With an impassive gaze, Gloria gestured for him to follow her into the crowd.
Thinking so it has come to this, Ethan followed.
“Decatria. I’ve heard the news. What’s the situation?”
“Most of the collaborators have abandoned us, and the close associates I cultivated have gone missing. We’re still investigating, but there’s no evidence linking the demonic attack to her. Also, my wound… it’s been corrupted by miasma and cannot be healed.”
“…Terrible. Truly dreadful.”
Gloria’s expression grew increasingly grim as she listened to Ethan’s report.
Although she wasn’t a first-year student, Stefania had extended her an invitation to the party. Gloria couldn’t discern Stefania’s intentions but decided to attend, viewing it as an opportunity.
Perhaps she wants to show me her advantage, to make me give up.
“Your abilities remain intact, I hope?”
“Yes. As you can see, I still have one eye left.”
It was a small relief, Gloria thought. Ethan’s talents were unparalleled, and losing him would have been a significant blow.
Navigating through the bustling crowd to avoid eavesdroppers, they passed close to Hoyeon and Dogeon.
The two students were smiling—whether out of happiness or amusement was unclear—and clumsily exchanging leads in their dance.
Watching them, Gloria posed a question to Ethan.
“Now that I think about it… I asked you to investigate that student. Any progress?”
“She is a princess from the Eastern Empire and appears unaffected by exposure to divine energy. That’s all.”
“Hmm. A user of miasma, yet unharmed by divine energy…”
To Gloria, this was deeply unusual. Whether beastfolk, elves, or humans, anyone imbued with miasma should be destroyed upon contact with divine energy.
Among humans, the effects were often more dramatic due to their susceptibility, but divine energy’s fatal effects on miasma users were universal.
“This is all the noteworthy information I’ve gathered. I failed to act with sufficient caution, and for that, I take responsibility…”
“No, it’s not your fault. But do better. There are plenty of candidates for the 13th Apostle, and I trust your recent shortcomings are only temporary.”
“…Understood.”
“Remember the creed of the Order: Always doubt, always think, always uncover.”
“…Indeed.”
As she departed, her words lingered—an encouraging yet threatening reminder that his position was far from secure.
Ethan desperately needed results.
His gaze lingered on Hoyeon and Dogeon as they danced.
“Like this, like this…!”
Feeling a surge of excitement, I tried to spin Dogeon around.
Unfortunately, the difference in our heights made it impossible.
How sad. If I were still my younger height, maybe it would work—or, more likely, I wouldn’t be holding hands with a guy at all.
But now… well, I’m a girl, so it’s not that strange, right?
“Lady Hoyeon, you seem overly excited.”
“And what of it?!”
Was I not allowed to feel excited? Dogeon’s words felt oddly critical, as though he were telling me to calm down.
But I couldn’t help it—I was having fun.
At first, I obediently followed Dogeon’s lead in the dance, but by now, I had completely taken over, practically dragging him around.
It was strange how much fun it was—moving to the rhythm of the music. How could something so simple feel so enjoyable?
At some point, I seized full control, swinging Dogeon along to my pace.
“Now, try this one…!”
As the song neared its climax, I realized it was about to end. I wanted to finish with a dramatic pose.
But my ambition got the better of me. I ended up making the very mistake I swore not to.
“Ahh—!”
Thankfully, Dogeon caught me before I face-planted into the floor. But the result wasn’t much better—I ended up leaning into his chest, my head buried there.
The humiliation of failing after declaring I wouldn’t, coupled with the embarrassment of our awkward position, made it impossible to lift my head.
“I did warn you, Lady Hoyeon. You got too excited and, well, here we are,” he said, holding me steady as he brought up my earlier mistake.
His words made my face flush even harder.
“…Silence,” I snapped, pushing him away brusquely.
Unfortunately, a few onlookers had clearly seen the whole thing and were now staring at us.
Ah. This was mortifying. And it was entirely my fault, so I couldn’t even blame anyone else.
“Everyone, I hope you’ve enjoyed yourselves! The ball is now officially over. There’s still plenty of activities left for you to enjoy throughout the day. Lunch will begin soon, so feel free to help yourselves!”
Stefania’s announcement couldn’t have come at a better time, drawing attention away from us. But it couldn’t undo what people had already seen.
“…Ugh,” I groaned.
“You were just a bit too enthusiastic. My apologies. I should have taught you better,” Dogeon said with an easy smile.
“Ah… no. You did nothing wrong. It was my inexperience…”
“Let’s leave it at that.”
This guy. He turned my apology into an admission of fault so smoothly it almost felt deliberate.
Still, I’d spent most of the dance forcing him to follow my lead, so I couldn’t really argue.
“…Let’s leave now,” I said firmly.
“Already? Shouldn’t we at least stay for lunch?”
I hesitated. I didn’t want to stay any longer, risking more embarrassment…
…But lunch was free, and a quiet meal with just the two of us didn’t sound so bad.
“Fine. Lunch it is.”
“Listen here… Back in my homeland, no one approached me! Why is that?! Do I look that intimidating?!”
In the end, my attempts to connect with other heroines failed spectacularly. Hoyeon’s watchful presence left me no room to make progress.
Still, keeping her tethered to the party hall for as long as I could felt like a small victory. I even managed to briefly chat with Cecilia.
But that was the extent of my achievements.
Desperate to extend our time, I made the mistake of suggesting we try some drinks after dinner.
“No, you’re beautiful.”
“…Really? Hehe… Then why… why don’t I have any friends…?”
One drink in, and she’d already started acting strange. By the third, she was like this—completely uninhibited and rambling.
This was precisely the scenario I’d dreaded—her attracting the wrong kind of attention and getting dragged off by some unsavory types.
“Exactly… why…”
Her drunken lamentations continued as I stayed vigilant.
“Also… my father… expects so much from me. I don’t know if I can meet his expectations…”
The way she spoke, her occasional displays of swordsmanship… It was obvious her father, Jeongho, had trained her. An only daughter, cherished and heavily invested in. But for Hoyeon, that affection seemed to weigh heavily.
Drunk as she was, her words reflected a deeply personal struggle.
“You don’t need to live entirely for your father’s expectations. Just doing your best without overburdening yourself is enough.”
“…You say such things… that I want to hear. I like that about you. Did you know? At first, I really disliked you. But now… I’m fond of you. Hngh… I wish… you’d only look at me. But your heart… keeps wandering to other women…”
Her eyelids drooped as sleep overtook her, yet even in her drowsy state, she brought up what I’d been avoiding—my actions.
“Am I… not enough? Tell me… What would make you focus only on me…?”
She was calling me out for pursuing other heroines.
But I had no choice. To avoid the bad ending, I needed to conquer all of them.
Whether “all” meant one or eight, I still wasn’t certain.
If it were just one, I’d dedicate myself to Hoyeon without hesitation. But if it were the latter, this strategy was unavoidable… even if it made her unhappy.
“That’s… well…”
“Don’t bother… I know your true nature…”
She trailed off, her words interrupted by sleep.
…Great. Now what? I called her name a few times, but she didn’t stir.
Lady Byeolbi, please forgive me for what I’m about to do to your daughter.
Carefully, I hoisted her onto my back and headed for the exit.
“…Excuse me. Could you direct me to the exit?”
“Lady Baek Hoyeon and Lord Han Dogeon, correct? Please wait.”
The invitation in my pocket floated out, transforming into a doorway.
It was always impressive.
Stefania’s mastery of magic made me wonder how I’d ever stand a chance against her.
But that was a problem for another time. Right now, getting Hoyeon somewhere she could rest was the priority.
The door led us back to the corridor where we’d first signed the invitations.
However, I couldn’t take Hoyeon to her room since I lacked whatever key or mechanism she used to unlock her door.
This… was unavoidable.
I opened my door instead.