“……There’s no difficulty. But I don’t know much either. All I can tell you is… the common figure in the illusions is the culprit? As you get entangled with that person, the curse seems to accelerate.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. It’s a friend’s experience.”

“Then that person is…?”

“Committed suicide.”

At that moment, Walter’s eyes seemed strangely cold.

It might be an illusion borne of the fact that Louis’s barely maintained smile reached its limit.

But in the crowd, familiar faces were approaching.

“Earl Clovis.”

Coming forward were Elodie and behind her, Odette, smiling brightly at Louis.

Odette, gracefully walking with her silver hair trailing, her golden eyes shining with joy, was as beautiful as when he first reunited with her today.

But before he could even immerse himself in that appreciation, Walter’s voice pierced his ears.

“So if you are cursed, I advise you to avoid it as much as possible.”

With those words, the conversation ended.

Leaving Louis to sink into confusion.

(This is a time divider.)

‘Earl Clovis… Is he feeling unwell?’

Odette looked back and forth between Louis and Walter, tilting her head inwardly.

Their expressions had changed while she had gone to the lounge with Elodie.

Always smiling was Louis, and Walter was expressionless to the point of looking upset.

‘Now, Duke Ertman is smiling.’

On the other hand, Louis had lost his smile and seemed lost in thought.

What had they talked about in the meantime?

But it didn’t look like there was a cold atmosphere between them or that they had argued, so it was even stranger.

Odette approached Louis cautiously and whispered.

“Earl Clovis, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

“……No, rather than that.”

And there his words stopped. That’s why Louis’s and Odette’s eyes met.

Louis looked confused at first, but when his eyes met Odette’s, he quickly turned away.

A reaction quite different from when he first came to this banquet hall.

Only then did Odette realize exactly what had changed in Louis’s attitude.

‘……It seems like he’s uncomfortable with me.’

Is it more accurate to describe this as being startled?

He hadn’t been gone from his seat for very long, so what happened in the meantime?

‘……Wait.’

A realization suddenly passed through Odette’s mind.

The only person who could have ‘something’ happen to Louis during that time.

The person he was talking to.

‘Duke Ertman!’

Since she had just heard from Elodie that Walter disliked her, this realization seemed even more plausible.
And he indeed came close to the truth.

It was a fact that Louie started to feel uncomfortable with Odette because of what Walter had said.

Odette, who never thought Walter would come between her and Louie, felt somewhat betrayed.

‘To resort to such dirty tactics…!’

Thinking about it, Walter had attempted to interfere by telling Odette that Count Clovis wouldn’t do, and the like.

So she should have thought in advance that he could do the same to Louie.

She had overlooked it.

Odette glared at Walter, filled with betrayal and anger.

Of course, Walter only leisurely smiled at such Odette.

Although she was infuriated by his appearance, Odette quickly prioritized.

‘First, let’s leave Duke Ertman aside and quickly clarify things before it becomes more difficult.’

Whether she liked it or not, she needed Louie’s help at today’s banquet.

Considering future marriage plans, Louie had to be her top priority.

The moment Odette, who had reached this conclusion, was about to approach Louie.

Chingaling.

A clear sound echoed in the banquet hall.

It was the alerting chime to choose a partner for the dance, as the first dance of the banquet was about to start.

‘Just in time.’

Let’s ask for a dance and naturally clear up the misunderstanding.

Odette halfsmiled and approached Louie.

But someone took a step ahead.

“Count Clovis.”

“……!”

Turning her head at the familiar voice, she saw Elodie, smiling charmingly.

And the one Elodie approached with a dance card was Count Clovis, Louie.

“Won’t you share the honor of the first dance with me?”

(This is a time separator.)

‘What situation is this?’

The first dance of a ball should appropriately start with a quadrille.

Dancing to the faint flow of the quadrille played by the accompanist in the ballroom hall, Odette thought blankly.

Even as the performance was already reaching its midpoint, Odette’s wandering soul seemed nowhere near returning.

The reason could be found with just a glance.

Elodie and Louie, holding hands lovingly, dancing.

‘……They look good together.’

As soon as she was distracted like that, Odette’s toe landed on the foot of the partner she was dancing with.

“Where are you looking?”

Then a familiar low voice flowed out like a warning.

“……It was a mistake.”

“Your eyes are busy, so your feet have no choice but to rest.”

“That was also a mistake. I didn’t mean to get distracted. To not even tolerate that, you really are narrowminded, the head of Ertman.”

At that, from Walter, who was dancing with Odette, a soft laugh flowed out.

“Did you just realize that? My princess is really slow on the uptake.”