CHAPTER 072
The day of the masquerade ball quickly approached.
Led by an excited Bella, we all prepared our masks for today.
Michael wore a white mask, Bella wore a red mask that matched her eyes, and I wore a beige mask with a long feather attached above the left eye.
Apparently, we weren’t the only ones who had put effort into preparing for the masquerade ball, as the ballroom was filled with people wearing all sorts of masks.
Except for the twins and Charlotte, I couldn't recognize anyone.
That was the charm of a masquerade ball.
"Thank you all for accepting our invitation!"
Even the host of the masquerade ball appeared wearing a mask.
The Count and Countess, the hosts of the ball, were also masked, so it seemed that a separate host had been arranged.
"Now, please enjoy yourselves!"
After giving a brief introduction to today's ball on behalf of the Count and Countess, the host concluded his speech.
"Wow!"
People applauded.
The hall was filled with magnificent music. Since faces were hidden, there was a lively atmosphere where people freely asked each other to dance.
Michael was the first to ask me for a dance.
"Selina, would you like to dance with me?"
"Shall we?"
After dancing with Michael, I returned to find that Bella and Charlotte were nowhere to be seen.
Did they go to the lounge?
"Selina, what would you like to drink? I'll get it for you."
"Oh, thank you."
Michael told me to wait for a moment and went to get drinks.
I decided to wait here. I stood by the wall waiting for Michael to return.
It was a little later that a man in a mask appeared in front of me.
Is he going to ask me to dance?
I stared at him, wondering what he wanted, but the man just stood there silently.
Why is he standing still?
The man said nothing.
Does he know me?
Except for the twins and Charlotte, no one else should know me.
The black mask had narrow eye holes, making it difficult to identify the person by their eye shape or color.
But it's strange.
Even though I couldn't see his mouth, I had the feeling that the man in the mask was smiling.
"Do you know who I am?"
I just asked, and strangely enough, the man nodded.
Did he recognize me by my voice? My voice is the same, so it’s possible...
"Who am I?"
If you know, tell me!
The man didn't answer. Instead, he extended his hand to me.
So he is asking for a dance?
Before taking his hand, I asked.
"Are you really not going to say anything?"
Silent.
Not going to talk until the end?
"Then I won't dance."
I said confidently.
Anyway, I was wearing a mask, so it was up to me whether to accept or reject the dance!
Then the masked man tilted his head slightly.
Strangely, I still had the feeling he was smiling behind the mask.
Is he really someone I know?
A man who comes to me without revealing his identity and wastes my time.
His playful attitude and the way he tilted his head reminded me of someone.
There's only one person who would do this to me.
"Marquis?"
The man looked at me without moving.
It seems I was right.
I stared at him, waiting for an answer, and finally, the man who had been silent all this time spoke.
"How did you know?"
As expected, it was Lewis!
"When someone comes and plays pranks like this, it's definitely you, Marquis."
Who else would do this to me?
I proudly lifted my chin.
"But how did you recognize me?"
I was wearing a dress I had never worn in front of Lewis, and above all, I was wearing a mask!
"Did you use some kind of magic?"
"No. I didn't."
"Then how did you know?"
"There are ways to know."
That's amazing. I couldn't recognize anyone else.
"Shall we dance?"
"Sure."
I accepted Lewis's offer, and we went out to the dance floor.
As I walked out with Lewis, a big smile spread across my face.
"But didn't you say you couldn't come?"
"I made time. Didn't you tell me to relax a bit?"
"Oh, right!"
"So, I came to see you."
"To see me?"
Even though I knew he couldn't see, I widened my eyes and turned to look at him.
I thought he would say he came to enjoy the masquerade ball like everyone else...
Lewis emphasized again in response to my question.
"I came to see you. I made time."
Then he asked.
"Aren't you glad I came?"
"Of course, I am. I'm really glad!"
Did he really come just because of me?
Thinking that made me feel a bit strange. I felt special like he truly cared about me.
Especially because I thought he really couldn't come, meeting him felt even more touching.
Even though I was wearing a mask, so it wouldn’t be visible.
After the dance, we returned to where we were standing, and I saw Michael holding drinks.
Bella and Charlotte were with him.
"When did Lewis arrive?"
Michael recognized Lewis immediately.
Maybe it was easy to recognize? Was I the only one who couldn't figure it out right away?
"You always appear at events like this even when you're busy."
"I wasn't so busy that I couldn't come. I was invited, after all."
Lewis replied to Bella's remark, and Charlotte spoke up.
"Did you dance with Miss Elsner?"
"Who?"
"Marquis, it's Miss Yaniels."
"Oh."
Even though he recognized me immediately, he didn't recognize Charlotte. It seemed Lewis's keen eye didn't apply to everyone.
As the music started again, our group moved to the dance floor.
Charlotte went to dance with Michael, and Bella accepted another man's invitation.
I stood with Lewis, watching the dancers.
Since he made time to come, I wondered if it was all right to spend time like this.
I was a bit worried because he said he came because of me, so I spoke with some concern.
"You didn't come when you shouldn't have, right? I'm glad to be with you, but..."
I quickly added the last part. It was true.
Lewis answered calmly.
"It's fine. I can enjoy a party while working sometimes. It's not like I'm going to parties every day."
Still, I felt a bit sorry that Lewis seemed to care about me too much.
So I made a suggestion.
"Then, how about going out with me sometime? I'll buy you something delicious!"
"Something delicious?"
"Yes. I can't afford something big, but I can at least buy you a meal."
Of course, I could do that several times!
It seemed to be a good suggestion as Lewis replied immediately.
"That sounds good. When?"
"I should fit into your schedule, Marquis."
"Alright. Then..."
Lewis paused for a moment, seeming to consider his available days.
"How about the upcoming first holiday?"
"Sounds good!"
So, I ended up making another appointment with Lewis.
* * *
To keep the promise I made to Lewis last time, we went out together.
But I hadn't decided what to eat yet. I had only mentioned having something delicious...
I looked around and asked Lewis.
"What should we eat? There are so many delicious things."
"Whatever you like."
"Don't say that, tell me what you like. Something other than plain soufflé."
Because that seemed like it was chosen to suit my taste.
Lewis thought for a moment and then spoke.
"I'll have to think about it."
"I may not know what food you like, but I know one thing you do like."
"What is it?"
"Quiet people. Like me."
I joked, and Lewis laughed, looking at me.
"That's true. Someone like you."
Oh, he responded to my joke like that.
The streets of the capital were moderately bustling. It wasn't crowded enough to make Lewis uncomfortable.
As we walked, I noticed a crowd of people gathered on one side.
"Hey, there's a crowd over there!"
Why are they all there?
As we got closer, I saw a man at the center moving his hands quickly.
He had three cups lined up, shuffling them around. I knew what this was.
"A street gambler?"
How interesting.
I joined the crowd to watch for a moment.
The street gambler never lost to the people who challenged him.
I whispered to Lewis, impressed.
"It's amazing. How can no one get it right?"
"That's a trick."
Luckily, I spoke in a low voice.
"Is that a lie?"
"Yes. Want me to guess?"
How did he figure it out?
I didn't know much, but it seemed Lewis had spotted the gambler's trick.
"I'll give it a try."
Lewis approached the gambler and spoke.
Unaware that his scam had been discovered, the gambler welcomed his new customer with a smile.
"By all means."
Lewis sat down in the chair in front of the gambler.
The gambler covered the dice with a cup and shuffled the cups around frantically.
I'll try to guess too.
I watched the cups with the intent of a participant, but at some point, I lost track.
What, how am I supposed to find that?
"Which of these cups contains the dice?"
The gambler asked confidently, and Lewis calmly replied.
"None of them."
Huh? None?
The gambler's eyes widened in surprise at Lewis's answer.
Ignoring the gambler's shock, Lewis crossed his arms and said.
"I saw you hiding it."
Wow, when did he hide it? I couldn't see it at all!
"Is that true?"
The crowd's eyes turned to the gambler.
The gambler, realizing he had been caught, shook his head.
"No way!"
"We can check."
Lewis opened the cups.
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