CH 20

“Abel, please taste the cake!”

“Nineteen goblets, no, not wine glasses!”

“Can someone bring this for me?”

Chefs and maids in aprons were busily moving in all directions, and the servants were also busy coming and going from the outside, carrying heavy trays or receiving orders.

‘What is this fuss in the middle of the night!’ I couldn’t believe the kitchen was so busy at this hour–it was probably a banquet. Most of the people were unfamiliar. There seemed to be familiar faces as well, but no one paid any attention to me because it was a very frenzied atmosphere. I walked over to the die, full of trays of juice and liquor bottles, and swapped out empty juice bottles. Then I followed a servant carrying a tray of food. 

This was the real start. I knew the inside of the mansion like the palm of my hand, and I knew where to hide in case of a problem with the least risk of being found out. Nevertheless, secretly finding Jerome in here would not be an easy task. I thought he would definitely be in the banquet hall… 

Phew, I don’t know if the kids are sleeping well by now. If they wake up while I’m here I’ll be definitely scolded. 

The Serpente Hall, which I had not seen in a long time, was very welcoming, but there was no time to be immersed in vague memories of the past. I had to go to a place where I could check the banquet hall. With a bottle of juice in one arm, I went to the stairs used only by servants and climbed upstairs. A place where I used to hide often to watch banquets when I was a kid. Heading to the northern stairs on the second floor and passing through the hallway, there was a secluded balcony with a panoramic view of the glass greenhouse and the garden, and a statue on the side of the railing with its back on the balcony. It was a statue of two snakes wrapped around each other, and if you hid behind it, you could view the scenery of the banquet hall just below.

On a night of a banquet, all eyes and attention inside the mansion were focused on the banquet hall and guests, so there was little risk of a young maid being caught in the guards’ radar. In most cases, they turned a blind eye even if they saw it, but anyway, just in case, I tried to look as natural as possible and finally reached my destination. What was the celebration? Whose birthday was it? Or was it a meaningless banquet? Perhaps because the weather was hot in midsummer, banquets seemed to be particularly frequent.

The scene in the banquet hall where the party was held was similar to the ones I remembered. The only difference was that all the real owners of this place had disappeared. Yet, the number of guests was equally huge. Beautiful people of noble status, women as bright as summer roses and the men were like gentlemen in famous paintings. It was strangely unreal to look at the elegant melodic accompaniment, the sumptuous dinner, the joyful laughter and the sound of applause, the toasts at a glance, and the people dancing brightly. It felt like I was watching some unfamiliar movie or play, and rather than feeling envious or appetizing, it just felt like I was seeing a completely different world. At the same time, anger-like emotions arose.

Estelle, who was locked up at the top of the bell tower at this moment was dying, and Venya and Lettis, who were choking in fear and anxiety, these were things for them to enjoy. No, all of this was originally theirs.

Viscount Ipolit was also there. I could recognize him at a glance because he was in the midst of a throng of shouts and toasts of exultation. He looked as if he was having fun. I wanted to pour the juice over his head. And then shout as loudly as I could about where the rightful heirs of this family were now. Then I would be treated like a crazy girl and taken away, and I might be slaughtered without even a rat knowing… Oh my, the risk is too high. Sob~

Once I found Jerome, it was urgent to inform him of Estelle’s situation. I would have to approach him as if I came to pour him a drink. While getting out from behind the statue as I continued imitating 007, which was impossible, I suddenly heard footsteps. They seemed to be approaching my direction. My blood, which had cooled for a moment, quickly circulated again, and my heart beat wildly. Who was it? One of the guests? Or security? Whoever it was, there was nothing good about being caught.

I froze for a moment, then hurriedly ran toward the balcony. The sound of footsteps continued, rapidly approaching. OMG! What should I do?! Do I have to jump off the railing in a pinch?!

Whooo~ Calm down, calm down. Let’s find a way. Ehem, I’m currently 007.

[tl/n: 007 is a secret agent created by Ian Fleming. Most known as James Bond]

In one corner of the spacious balcony, there were pots planted with bamboo and cypress Wilma. As soon as I hid behind the flowerpots, the source of the footsteps entered the space. I crouched behind the finely stretched bamboo, holding my breath. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to have discovered and come after me. No, if he was a guest, he would enjoy the banquet. Why come all the way here to find solitude?

“Uh-huh…”

As I slowly opened my tightly closed eyes, I saw a man approaching the railing with a glass of wine in one hand. …No, not a man, but a boy. Looking at his face reflected in the bright moonlight, he seemed tall, but he looked like he was in his late teens at most. A nobleman who comes out to the balcony alone in a mansion where a banquet is held and badmouths in loneliness seems like a setting I’ve seen a lot. 

No, by the way, kiddo, where the hell did you come from to be so pretty?

Despite the fact I was in a position to escape and hide at the risk of my life, I forgot about the whole situation and stared at an unidentified boy trembling in the moonlight. A night breeze blew and scattered his soft, golden hair. The eyelashes that stretched out like an awning were also golden, and the dark blue tailcoat that wrapped around the well-groomed body was of the finest quality. In addition, the combination of deep eyes, a sharp raised nose bridge, and a smooth chin line that was not yet ripe were enough to bring out admiration.

Whew, I don’t know from which household you are, but you seem to have made a lot of young ladies cry. Our Lettis and Venya may look like they look right now but if we decorate them well… Naughty, naughty! It’s blasphemous to compare those bad snake-like boys with this beautiful flower!

It was then that other steps sounded from outside. Who else was coming? As I crouched down again and covered my mouth with my hand, the flower boy, who had been looking lonely in the night breeze, turned around after hearing the footsteps.