TL/Editor: Raei
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The Academy's Winter Ball was an annual event held at the end of the year, ant to celebrate academic achievents and wash away the fatigue.
A party that professors and students alike enjoyed.
Of course, it was hard to say that this ball was a simple and fun event.
Inside, there were those who hid a blade behind false smiles.
While there were people purely enjoying the ball, no one could deny that it was a hotbed of Academy politics.
This ball marked both the end of one year and the beginning of a new one.
It set the stage for academy politics for the coming year.
The outco of the ball greatly influenced the coming year's events, hinting at who might beco the next student council president or who might garner attention.
Personally, I despised this sort of atmosphere.
If I had been ordinary, I would have ignored the political plays happening at the ball.
But now, even if I wanted to, I couldn't ignore it.
I am the child of a Duke's family.
There would undoubtedly be people who wanted to get close to .
So I made a plan.
Ugh, it's cold......
I was standing before the ballroom in a black suit and overcoat.
To my surprise, I had more clothes packed than I initially realized.
Among them were a variety of suits, ranging from ostentatious to comfortable.
A black suit seed appropriate for a ball.
As soon as the maids in the dormitory heard about the ball, they rushed to help .
They were a group I seldom interacted with, but for the ball, they eagerly offered their help.
They provided a variety of grooming services, including facial massages, hair styling, and makeup.
It felt peculiar to receive such attention for the first ti, but I couldn't deny that I looked better than usual.
Despite that, it felt strange.
I kept adjusting the stiff suit, and fiddled with my neatly combed hair.
At that mont, a familiar voice called out.
"Rudy!"
It was Luna.
Turning, I saw her in a long coat. I couldn't see what she wore beneath it, but her usually ssy hair looked remarkably neat.
Behind her, Riku and Ena were approaching.
"Hehe...."
"Gruhh...."
Riku was innocently smiling as if she knew nothing, while Ena next to her was frowning as if sothing was not to her liking.
"Rudy, have you been waiting long? It must be very cold."
"Huh? No. I haven't waited long."
I responded, my gaze fixed on Luna's face.
Luna's appearance was so commonplace to that it hardly registered.
But tonight, dressed for the ball, she seed different.
More beautiful.
"You look pretty, Luna."
I found myself saying with a warm smile.
Luna's eyes widened in surprise, her arms flailing at the unexpected complint.
"Uh, th, thank you! Rudy...!"
Luna said that and raised her thumb at .
"Ru, Rudy also looks cool!"
Haah......
Ena sighed dramatically behind Luna at her flustered response.
I mirrored Luna's thumbs-up gesture with a light smile.
"Thank you."
"Hehe..." Luna laughed, scratching her head sheepishly.
Ena suggested we head inside, but I held them back.
I couldn't enter the ballroom just yet.
My plan.
I intended to keep anyone from coming near .
With only a small group like us, there was a concern that others might approach .
So, I needed the right people.
While I was thinking about that, so familiar faces were coming our way.
"Have you been well?"
"Ah, yes, it's been a while. Rudy."
It was Borval and Locke.
I planned to use these two as my shields.
Locke, despite being unremarkable in our company, was still a mber of the respected Lucarion family.
And Borval, a talented individual who had distinguished himself in both the individual skill assessnt and joint practical, was also aspiring to be a teaching assistant.
His influence in the academy was sothing that couldn't be ignored.
Originally, I should have also t with Rie and Astina, but Rie, due to her position as the first princess, said she would arrive a bit later, and Astina was in the middle of preparing her end-of-year speech.
If people of such status were gathered together, I figured unknown individuals wouldn't dare approach us.
"Now, shall we go in?"
I looked at everyone and spoke.
---
Raei Translations
---
Things were beginning to get a little odd.
"Rudy! Look at this! This cookie is so pretty!"
Luna, radiant in her white dress, waved a cookie in her hand, her innocent eyes sparkling.
Her childlike excitent drew a fond smile from , but therein lay the issue.
"Excuse ......"
A man began, approaching Luna.
"......Yes?"
She answered, a puzzled look on her face.
Seeing this, I intervened,
"Do you have sothing to say to Luna?"
"N-No, not at all! I'm sorry!"
The man quickly retreated upon my intrusion.
"Hehehe Thank you, Rudy!"
"No problem......."
Luna laughed and thanked , a scenario that was becoming all too familiar.
Luna, with her innocent charm, was attracting quite a lot of attention at the banquet.
Each ti Luna's innocent laughter rang through the room, more n seed to beco entranced by her.
Those with political motives didn't bother us, but Luna seed to be a magnet for a particular type of unwanted attention.
Even with the presence of Locke, and Borval, n kept flocking to Luna.
I realized then that I had overlooked sothing crucial.
Luna was a woman of undeniable allure, and n are often courageous in the presence of soone they find attractive*.
Tonight, Luna shone brighter than any star, and that was the problem.
The banquet hall was a battleground of political maneuvering and hidden agendas.
Every smile was contrived, every gesture calculated.
Everyone concealed their true motives, speaking in coded and taphorical language.
Unlike these people, Luna was genuinely enjoying herself, her smile pure and joyful.
She felt like a fresh flower among artificial ones.
Since things had already gone this far, I couldn't just stand by and watch.
Luna had just co here to have fun, so I wanted to make sure she could enjoy herself without feeling uncomfortable.
If I kept a protective presence near Luna, it would discourage these n from approaching her.
So, I ended up following Luna around like a bodyguard.
Ti flew by, and the real ball was about to begin.
Huh.
With soone's voice, everyone's eyes were drawn to the entrance.
It was as if the person was the protagonist of this ball, making a last-minute entrance just before it began.
It was Rie.
Hmm?
I tilted my head as I looked at Rie's outfit.
A dazzling dress mixed with red and black.
And it was short in length.
Rie seed conscious of her dress being short as well; she kept touching her skirt, trying to pull it down slightly.
Her golden hair combined with the red dress attracted everyone's attention.
But it was different from Rie's usual style.
A short skirt and vibrant colors.
Rie, who usually dressed in a simple style that suited her, had co today in an outfit that was both striking and glamorous.
I was suddenly taken aback by her appearance, losing my appetite.
It wasn't that her style was strange.
It was quite beautiful, capturing the attention of those around her.
I was just puzzled by the changed from her usual attire.
With that, Rie slowly walked into the banquet hall, and nurous people approached her as she entered.
"You look absolutely beautiful, Princess."
"Oh... isn't this dress a trend in the capital?"
They showered Rie with complints.
"Yes, I had it specially brought from the capital," Rie replied, her smile slightly awkward but her tone as graceful as ever as she began conversing with them.
It seed difficult to approach her at the mont.
Rie had told she would mingle for a bit and then co over to where I was.
Well, she would co over on her own, I supposed.
I wanted to ask Rie about her outfit, but seeing her surrounded by so many people, I turned away and looked at Luna.
Luna was staring at Rie, mouth agape.
"Luna?"
"Eek!"
Luna made a strange noise in response when I called her na.
"What's going on?" I asked, looking at her intently.
"N-nothing at all!" Luna waved her hands dismissively.
As she did so, she suddenly stopped and looked at .
Her eyes fixed on my face, she quietly opened her mouth.
"Rudy... there's sothing I want to ask you...."
"Hm?"
I stared back at her.
"What is it? You can ask anything."
"Is Rie... pretty...?"
Luna tilted her head slightly, pointing at Rie.
I nodded at Luna's question.
"Yeah... pretty, right? Even though she's usually so casual, when you look at her from afar, she really does seem like a princess."
Rie is beautiful.
This is sothing no one can dispute.
The attention she was receiving was enough proof of that.
Even now, everyone looked up at her, trying to get closer to her, hoping to exchange more words.
They were all srized, like insects drawn to a captivating flower.
"Rudy, you said I was pretty too, right?"
"Huh?"
"So...."
She took a step closer, her eyes eting mine as she asked,
"So, am I pretty, or is Rie pretty?"
Luna spoke, her hands gathered at her chest.
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Luna's bolder than I thought. Also n getting bolder when they find soone attractive? Maybe when they're drunk...
3/5 Enjoy the chappy!
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