NOVPUB[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
Chapter 126 - Section (2)
The Gallimard Ball.
A celebratory event held to commemorate the successful completion of the first semester for new students and to wish them well in their academy life ahead.
Since its inception, it had been a long-standing tradition—an event open to all members of the academy, whether student or faculty.
With no particular restrictions in place, it had naturally become quite popular among the students.
After all, social events experienced at a young age often became cherished memories.
Especially for commoner students.
Balls were typically extravagant affairs reserved for the nobility, something those of lower birth would never even get the chance to witness. But this event was an official occasion where even they were given the opportunity to participate.
Perhaps it was because the academy valued individual skill over family prestige.
The event embodied the academy’s philosophy—minimizing discrimination based on status and evaluating students solely on merit.
A strict, absolute meritocracy.
A principle established by Gaston, the academy’s founder and headmaster.
And thanks to that, the students were granted a wide range of experiences.
—"I heard they’re holding the ball again this year."
—"I’ve never been to one before… I’m really looking forward to it!"
—"It’s that time of the year already, huh?"
For the commoner students, it was a chance to glimpse a world they had never known.
For the noble students, it was an extension of their social circles.
For the faculty, weary from their duties, it was a rare moment to set aside their burdens, bond with their students, and enjoy a brief respite.
A time when everyone in the academy could feel liberated from the weight of their daily pressures.
It was only natural that the atmosphere would grow more and more lively.
—"Who are you planning to go with?"
—"Hmm… I guess I’ll go with my fiance."
—"Kyaa~! You two are so romantic!"
—"W-Well, it is the Gallimard Ball! Of course, you’d want to spend it with someone special…"
—"You two will look great together!"
Of course.
There were always external factors that fueled such enthusiasm.
Young hearts enjoyed attaching special meanings to things.
Especially when it came to love.
Over time, these layered meanings would solidify, eventually becoming legends or superstitions.
The Gallimard Ball, with its long-standing history, was no exception.
The superstition surrounding it—
"The Fruit of Love."
It was said that if an unwed maiden and a bachelor danced together, their love would be fulfilled.
A story sweet and charming enough to capture the imaginations of youthful hearts.
To adults, it was nothing more than a silly superstition.
But to students, that silliness was precisely what made it special.
Whether they believed it sincerely or played along in jest, it was a notion that had taken firm root among them.
With just one week remaining until the ball,
The academy was already full of boys and girls nervously asking one another to be their dance partners.
And among those flustered youths, the protagonists of the original story were no exception.
"So… who will you choose?"
A casual question from the fox.
Immediately, all eyes turned.
The girls standing beside her silently exuded pressure.
They had likely been holding back, hesitant to ask, but now that the opportunity had presented itself, they seemed to have reached a collective agreement to ask all at once.
The snake let out a troubled laugh.
"Ha… Haha…"
Perhaps he wasn’t fully grasping the situation.
Though he would have preferred to answer lightly, the sudden chill in the air made it difficult to open his mouth.
His closed eyelids twitched as he glanced around, unable to find an escape.
Then, one of the girls finally spoke.
The first to step forward—was none other than the protagonist.
With trembling green eyes, she hesitantly said,
"Um… If I were to ask someone… You’re the only person that came to mind, My Lord."
"Miss Regia?"
"O-Of course, I know it’s a shameless request! But since you gave me that ring last time… I-I just thought it would be nice if you were by my side…"
"You don’t have to be so nervous about it."
"S-Sorry… My mouth just won’t move the way I want it to, I, um…"
This was just like her.
The Pilot stammered and stumbled over her words for a while before finally withdrawing, looking dejected. 𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝙤𝙢
But before he could even console her—
The villainess, who had been standing beside the protagonist, stepped forward next.
She brushed aside her blue hair and spoke.
"Well… I only came along because they insisted."
"And?"
"I originally had no intention of attending some ball. But if you really can’t find a partner… I suppose I wouldn’t mind accompanying you."
"For someone who doesn’t care, your face is awfully red."
"S-Shut up!"
"So even the Lady Duke is asking to be my partner, huh."
"Ahem… It’s just that… you were the first person to… take my first…"
"What?"
Her voice grew quieter and quieter.
In the end, the boy couldn’t quite catch her last words.
Only a faint mumble reached his ears.
As he tilted his head in confusion, the fox, who had been watching from the side, suddenly pushed the villainess aside as if she were an obstacle.
She clung to the snake and whispered with cold, piercing eyes.
"If you can’t even say it properly, move."
"W-Wait, you—! How dare you be so rude?!"
"You were being frustrating."
With a cool reply, she took the empty spot.
Her black pupils reflected only the golden-haired boy.
The fox murmured,
"I'm an option too."
"Miss Irene as well…?"
"There’s no rule saying a partner has to be a student."
"I never thought you’d be interested in an event like this."
"I am a girl, after all."
She chuckled softly, closing the distance between them.
He could feel her breath against his ear.
And just then,
A small hand tugged at his sleeve.
The quiet Little Prince, who had been watching in silence, finally spoke.
"I want to dance with you too, Judas."
"Your Highness Charlotte?"
"Since everyone was saying something, I figured I should too. Do I need to make some kind of pledge or something?"
"I don’t think it’s quite that serious."
"Hmm. I’ll think about it."
"You weren’t even listening, were you?"
The boy let out a wry laugh.
A pledge, she said.
She had latched onto yet another strange idea.
Then, after a brief pause, the princess casually added,
"…Would you like to touch my chest?"
"…What?"
"As a pledge for being my partner."
A bold voice making an utterly absurd suggestion.
Naturally, the atmosphere froze.
The girls, struck speechless, could only stare in shock.
Even the snake, who had remained composed through everything so far, instinctively pressed a hand to his temple at the sheer absurdity of her words.
In the frozen moment, only the princess herself tilted her head in confusion.
With a pure, innocent expression.
"…Why is everyone so quiet?"
"……"
"Men usually like this sort of thing, don’t they?"
"Your Highness."
"Judas, don’t you?"
"Forgive me, but… where did you hear such a thing?"
"In one of the books Tanya was reading."
"…I see."
Tanya.
The young maid who had served the imperial sisters since childhood.
She was barely fourteen, wasn’t she?
Had she already been sneaking into forbidden texts?
He sighed, resolving to have a serious talk with her later.
A short while later,
After the chaos had finally settled,
The boy found himself seated across from a certain woman.
"…So, you’re saying I’m your partner?"
Long violet hair cascaded over the desk.
Red eyes blinked blankly.
The mature woman seemed genuinely flustered, even setting aside the bottle of alcohol she had been drinking from.
Through the haze of her intoxicated gaze, she looked at the golden-haired boy.
"Yes."
The snake nodded.
"Would you do me the honor, Master?"
Selena Drunkard.
His mentor, his guide—
And now, his partner for the upcoming ball.
Her ever-smiling eyes curved meaningfully.
"Or do you prefer something else? Perhaps… lower?"
"I must ask that you stop there. Any further, and I may very well lose my head."
A swift intervention.
He had no desire to become the lunatic who dared to toy with an imperial princess.
The boy steadied himself, pushing away the dizziness creeping into his thoughts.
‘She’s definitely a wildcard.’
There was no predicting where her mind would jump next.
Thankfully, she was naturally reserved—if she had been even slightly more outgoing, handling her would have been an absolute nightmare.
A bold statement, to say the least.
Perhaps because she had no particular interest in such matters, Charlotte spoke without hesitation, utterly unfiltered.
One thing was certain—
For the second most noble figure in the empire, that was not an appropriate remark to make.
The snake offered her a light warning before exhaling.
"Haa…"
As he cleared his thoughts, a gentle poke at his cheek pulled him back to reality.
The red-haired girl—the rose—watched him with amusement, her lips curved into a knowing smile.
Her tone, laced with teasing, tapped against him just as lightly as her fingers.
"You sure are popular."
"Never thought I’d see the day."
"You should’ve been more careful about who you charmed."
"I’m afraid I don’t follow."
"Always pretending not to notice…"
"Humans can’t survive without a bit of pretense."
"You sure know how to talk."
Elise let out a soft chuckle.
With her usual sly smile in place, she murmured as if to herself—
"It’s a bit of a shame, really."
"Hmm?"
"If I weren’t stuck in this wheelchair, I would’ve added to your troubles myself."
"…Your Highness."
"I can’t even stand on my own, after all."
A shadow passed over the conversation.
The chains left by her illness.
The boy silently reached out and took the rose’s hand.
And with quiet certainty, he made a promise.
"I will heal you."
The snake had long been searching for a way.
A way to unravel the curse without harming her—without leaving behind any lasting damage.
It wasn’t something that could be recklessly cured.
But he had heard that the translated documents he had left at headquarters were nearly complete.
It wouldn’t be long now before he uncovered the truth behind the affliction.
With a resolute gaze, he held out his pinky.
A vow.
"The next time an event like this comes around… You’ll be able to walk through the hall on your own."
"It’s not that I don’t trust my doctor."
"I swear it, with my life."
"You really… say things like that, yet claim you don’t flirt."
Muttering complaints, the rose hooked her pinky around his.
The once somber mood lifted ever so slightly.
As if her spirits had brightened, the girl nodded, then asked the question she had been waiting to pose.
"Anyway, it’s about time you decide, don’t you think? Who will you choose? Everyone’s just waiting for your answer."
"I was planning to tell you now, actually."
"Oh? So you already have someone in mind?"
"Well, the thing is…"
He hesitated for a moment before speaking.
It was something he had meant to bring up sooner, but with how the conversation had spiraled, he had lost the timing.
A matter he had already settled long ago.
"I’ve already decided who to ask. The only problem is—"
"The problem is?"
"She isn’t here."
"…?"
All five girls, including the rose, blinked at him in unison.
Their gazes bore into him as he maintained his most shameless smile, acting as though it had never been a matter of concern.
"I wanted to extend the invitation to someone I’ve always been grateful to."
The atmosphere froze in an instant.
"So… you mean me?"
Long violet hair cascaded over a desk.
Red eyes, hazy with the remnants of intoxication, blinked blankly.
For once, the mature woman seemed genuinely flustered, even setting aside the bottle of liquor she had been drinking from.
Beyond the soft glow of her gaze, the golden-haired boy stood.
"That’s right."
The snake nodded.
"Would you do me the honor, Master?"
Selena Drunkard.
His mentor—the woman who had guided him.
And now, his partner for the upcoming ball.
His perpetually half-lidded eyes curved ever so slightly.
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
