141

Knock.

“Chancellor, do you have a moment?”

Eldo’s warning quickly came true. Young officials who hadn’t even had a proper conversation with me began to come find me.

“……(omitted)…… Our family has a long and distinguished history……(omitted).”

“If you don’t already have a partner to go with, would you go with me……?”

“I promise perfect escorting.”

Even close colleagues subtly showed interest.

“Cornelia Chancellor. Have you decided on a partner for this ball?”

“Minister of Finance, why do you ask……?”

“No, I know a good match and thought I’d introduce them to you.”

“Oh, you know I have high standards. You heard it all at Lucius senior’s wedding, after all.”

“I’ve really prepared properly. You can’t just take anyone as your partner. People will see things differently than in the clerk days. People give meaning to whoever stands beside you.”

As he said, I didn’t actually give much meaning to the partner.

Because as long as I was hiding an office romance, my options were limited.

Secretly I had my eye on Marcella as a partner. Since he’d become a count, it would be nice to introduce him at this opportunity. Those around me, who couldn’t know this, were instead in a frenzy.

“Chancellor, I’ll introduce a partner that’ll make you crazy. Our Chancellor can’t enter with just anyone.”

“I’ll pass, Reyra.”

“Men are all wolves. Only someone with experience like me, who has raised a family and borne children, can see properly. I’m worried some slippery fellow will take them away—she’s like my daughter. If it’s okay, our son……”

“Simon, thanks for the concern but it’s fine.”

Everyone acted like students looking for foreign prom partners instead of doing work.

“It might be better to quickly pick someone among your friends.”

Lukan suggested choosing someone I knew before things got more annoying.

“It’ll be a good chance to show off the close-knit atmosphere of the Chancellery.”

“Is that so.”

When I said it nonchalantly, Elysia cried out that it would be absolutely unacceptable.

“Are you crazy? This is an incredibly important opportunity for Coco right now.”

“Opportunity?”

I remembered what the Minister of Finance had said earlier.

“Coco is of a marriageable age now. On top of that, she’s the youngest Chancellor and holds a Count title. For nobles who aren’t eldest sons and can’t be heirs, she’s a miraculous match. Honestly, even an eldest son would be fine. Even if Coco passes the Count title back to the family, the Chancellor position stays the same. It’s an enormous benefit for the family. So this isn’t a matter of picking roughly—you must choose carefully!”

It’s been a long time since I saw Elysia speak so passionately.

“R-really?”

“Snatch a sure man like the Supreme Justice!”

“Huh? Ahahaha…… ahaha……”

Elysia gripped my shoulder tightly and implored me.

“Absolutely not with just anyone. Got it?”

I nodded, overwhelmed for a moment.

“Chancellor, have you decided on a partner for the ball?”

“……”

Now even Prince Raven was making a fuss. After being pestered for so long I had barely taken refuge in the prince’s palace, and it was the same there. Raven opened his mouth hesitantly.

“If it’s alright, would you let me be your partner……?”

“No.”

“…?”

I wasn’t the one who answered.

The voice belonged to Aidan, sprawled on the sofa. Raven looked astonished.

“Why did you answer? Anyway, the Chancellor doesn’t want the relationship with the Duke revealed, right? So you’d need a partner.”

“If I can’t, neither can you.”

“What kind of strange thing is that?”

“There is.”

Raven looked at Nicola as if to ask what was going on, but he only shook his head, saying he didn’t know either.

“Coco.”

Aidan called me with a sullen expression.

“Yes.”

“As a gesture of penitence, I’ll let it slide this once. I normally wouldn’t let you go so easily.”

He then turned over and lay down. Since he returned from the plague region, he seemed to have had some change of heart.

‘I thought he seemed surprised when Ren ran over.’

I was busy taking care of my own illness, so I didn’t actually know what had happened in the meantime.

Strangely, I expected Prince Raven to question our relationship after that day, but he didn’t at all. I had braced myself, but however Ren had managed to keep things in check, I was relieved.

‘To begin with, I hadn’t considered either of them as partners anyway.’

Having Marcella as partner was possible because he’s family. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings by taking as a partner either Aidan, whom Ren openly guarded against, or the burly Raven. Also, covering up our relationship with a scandal involving those two to hide us felt odd and unappealing.

“Prince Raven doesn’t necessarily need to bring a partner to this ball.”

“Eek?! Why?”

“Because there will be plenty of people watching and probing you at the ball. You can pick the young lady for the first dance there and size people up; it’s not too late.”

“That puts my mind at ease. Still, dance one song with me, Chancellor.”

“It would be my honor.”

Seeing Raven’s relieved smile, Lawrence will probably have to worry about his popularity among the young ladies.

After returning from the plague region, for the first time the three of us—Kiara, Pinea, and I—gathered at my house.

“Rio?”

“Cleric treated him and left. Being a lower-ranked cleric, the treatment is taking longer, I guess.”

“Is there any improvement?”

“They say he’s getting a little better, but we have to wait.”

There wasn’t as noticeable a change as I had hoped, so to be honest I didn’t feel great.

“He’ll get better. Don’t worry too much.”

“Okay. Tell me if I can help. I’ll look for a more competent cleric.”

Kiara and Pinea eased my anxious mind.

“Thanks. Since they say he’s getting better, I’ll wait a bit longer. I must have been very impatient.”

Starting with Rio’s situation and exchanging updates, the conversation inevitably drifted to ball partners.

“Hmm… For that reason you’ll bring Marcella as your partner?”

Kiara raised an eyebrow as she sipped her tea.

“Leaving a perfectly fine lover behind?”

Pinea lifted her teacup to follow Kiara. When we met privately, Pinea would join us for meals and chats. Kiara even suggested it first. Pinea, who initially recoiled and refused, eventually surrendered to the instruction that as long as she was respectful to one’s superior, it would be fine.

It was an oddly quirky combination. I spoke casually with Kiara and Pinea, but Pinea was formally respectful only to Kiara. Still, curiously, conversation flowed without issue.

“Yes. I also plan to introduce my brother to aristocratic society. There’s no better opportunity.”

“That’s true.”

Kiara nodded, but continued tapping the table with her fan.

“How long are you going to keep hiding it like that?”

“Huh?”

“How long will you hide it like that?”

Kiara’s haughty gaze lifted.

“Why? Doesn’t the Duke not want his relationship with you to be public?”

Pinea objected from beside her.

“I don’t think so. He ran all night to the plague area to find you. It’s obvious. He probably asked you to hide it. He’d have thought he mustn’t be a burden to the other person, mustn’t interfere with their work.”

Pinea nailed it. Kiara quickly agreed.

“Indeed, you saw him on moving day, right? He shamelessly acted like a superior visiting a subordinate’s home; it was infuriating. He was practically trying to make an impression on Coco’s family.”

“Not to that extent……”

“Oh my, are you siding with your lover?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Coco, I’m disappointed. Now that you have a lover, are friends put on the back burner?”

No, I don’t know why the topic turned like this.

Kiara and Pinea, like fish in water, poked and teased me relentlessly. I had no defense in this area and was utterly at their mercy.

“Cute, though.”

Kiara made a face as if she found me adorably pretty like in my superior days.

“Double check if you two are seeing each other casually. Is it because of the backlash?”

Honestly, that was the biggest concern. It would be like a regular person dating a top star or the second generation of a conglomerate. If it went public, it wouldn’t just be acquaintances but the general public harassing them. I was more worried about the chaos he’d face than I was.

‘I could just let it wash off one ear and out the other.’

His status didn’t allow that. He was noble and this world was conservative. He’d be vilified. Matrimonial proposals would flood in like a marriage agency trying to pair him with someone better.

‘I might find it hard to watch that happen.’

In the end, it seemed it was a choice for me rather than for him. Feeling bitter at my own selfishness, Pinea, watching me, took my hand placed on the table.

“Do as you wish, Coco. You know it—whatever choice you make, we’re on your side.”

“…!”

“There’s no perfect choice. Think carefully about what matters to you, not those around you. You know best.”

My head went numb as if I’d been struck. Should I hide it even though I knew it would hurt him? I remembered a Little Lamb from Those Who Can’t Resign, who had voiced both my worries and his suffering. The answer was embarrassingly simple.

“…Thank you. I’ll step out for a moment.”

I hurriedly dressed and boarded a carriage. Kiara and Pinea waved and smiled.

“P-please wait, Count?”

The butler of the Duke’s residence greeted me with great surprise. I gasped and searched for Ren.

“The master is in his study. What brings you here?”

It was a largely impulsive act. I had no thought except that I had to see him quickly.

“Sorry to show up without notice, butler. May I see Ren for a moment?”

“P-please wait a moment.”

As he was about to go upstairs, Ren was a step faster. In a disheveled robe, he saw me and his eyes widened.

“Ria, I told you I’d come if you called. Even though it’s dangerous, how did you come all the way here!”

He raised his voice slightly and hurried down the stairs, but none of it registered in my ears.

“I have something to say.”

He looked like something was off and kept checking my condition as he stood before me.

“What brings you all the way here… Ria, are you okay? What on earth is happening?”

Looking at his face made my worries seem trivial.

I took a deep breath, took his hand in both of mine and held it tight. Then I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted out.

“Ren, please be my partner for the ball!”

“……!”

Suddenly the surroundings fell silent as if a mouse had died.

‘What is this?’

Even as time passed there was no reaction. I slowly opened my eyes a slit and looked around.

And I was appalled.

‘It wasn’t just the butler here?!’

The servants of the Duke’s residence stood open-mouthed in shock. Thinking only of Ren, I hadn’t seen any of it.

‘I’m crazy!’

This would rank among the most embarrassing moments of my life.

Internally thinking it was over and kicking the blanket, my flushed face slowly turned toward Ren.

“…Ren?”

Ren covered his mouth with one hand. His whole face was redder than ever, like his reddened eyes. But on closer look, something was odd.

“…Are you crying?”