Chapter 62
“Then enjoy yourself, Max!”
Winking at Bendia, Yulize walked away, though she kept glancing back as if still worried.
Since today’s party was in Yulize’s honor, she knew people would constantly approach her, so they had agreed to stay apart.
Bendia chuckled and waved her off.
Around Yulize’s neck hung the necklace Bendia had gifted her—an emerald that matched Yulize’s olive-colored eyes.
It wasn’t particularly expensive, but it was the finest Bendia could manage. She had wanted to give her something good.
Once Yulize disappeared into the crowd, Bendia also began to move.
Everyone’s really dressed to the nines…
It reminded her of her only other party experience—her debutante. Back then, everyone had been extravagantly dressed, while she alone wore a shabby gown.
Her mother’s old dress, no matter how much it had been altered, still looked worn out.
But it had been the best she had. Her parents had never bought her a single dress.
Compared to back then, now I’m a swan.
Though it wasn’t a gown but a suit, at least this time she didn’t look pathetic among the nobles.
It had been worth the effort for Yulize’s birthday.
But where is that man? Did he already leave?
Scanning the room, she finally spotted the one she was looking for in a distant corner.
“Eek!”
People who had tried to approach him were fleeing as if shocked.
Because Ron was glaring at them with a terrifying look.
Preferring solitude, he had scared everyone off and claimed an entire table for himself, sipping wine leisurely.
She had thought she was the only one feeling out of place at this party, but there was one more.
Feeling a strange sense of kinship, she decided to sneak up and surprise him.
“Max, was it? Young lord?”
A lavish red dress blocked her view.
When she looked up, a woman lowered the fan adorned with stiff feathers that had covered her lips.
The woman was a beauty as dazzling as her dress, staring at her intently.
“Yes,” Bendia replied in as deep a voice as she could manage, unable to disguise it entirely.
“…Is that all? A frontier noble and you lack manners too.”
At her curt response, the woman’s eyes twitched.
“I am Rachel Aby, of the Aby County family. And you?”
Rachel added arrogantly, as if to teach her proper etiquette, her eyes roving up and down Bendia in a way that felt far too probing.
Bendia sensed a chill—as though Rachel had noticed something.
“Yes. Excuse me.”
“Hey! Young lord! How dare you be so rude!”
She bowed her head and tried to slip past, hoping to avoid more conversation, but Rachel seized her arm.
And then—
“Young lady, the tea you requested… Oh, oh?!”
“Kyaaah!”
It happened in an instant.
Perhaps prearranged, a servant appeared pushing a trolley. Rachel snatched a pot from it and hurled the hot tea at Bendia.
Or rather, she tried to.
Clang!
The pot slipped and shattered on the floor.
“I-I… it was… an accident…”
Rachel’s face turned pale, her body trembling.
Bendia, who had squeezed her eyes shut in fright, slowly opened them—and froze.
“…You.”
Denros was standing in front of her, chest heaving as if he had rushed over.
He was so close, only a fist’s breadth away.
His blue eyes darted about, as if checking her condition.
…Why?
“Call a physician! Quickly!”
“What do we do…?”
Amid the panicked chatter, Bendia finally managed to stretch out her stiff arm and brush his back.
It was hot.
Steam rose from his damp shirt.
“Your back…!”
The words slipped out before she could disguise her voice—only to be cut off when Denros covered her mouth with his hand.
“P-please, use this!”
A flustered servant rushed over with a pouch of ice.
Bendia reached for it, but Denros was quicker.
Yet instead of pressing it to his back, he placed it against her hand.
“Mmmph—!”
“Bring a vessel of cold water for her hand.”
He ignored her muffled protests and calmly issued orders.
Her hand? But his back was clearly burned.
Glancing down, she realized her hand had indeed been splashed—her skin reddened though he had shielded her from most of it.
“What the—are you okay… huh? You?”
Ron, approaching amid the commotion, widened his eyes as he spotted her.
“…”
Why…
Bendia stared at Denros, who despite being the one with a burn, was calmly pressing ice against her reddened hand.
Click.
“Fortunately, the jacket he wore was thick enough that he wasn’t badly injured. Just a minor burn. Keep cooling the area and apply the ointment I prescribed.”
The Marquis of Heden’s physician reported after leaving the room.
“Thank you.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
After bowing to Yulize, the physician departed.
“…Want to go in?”
Yulize, watching Bendia’s troubled face, asked gently.
Bendia’s hand was wrapped in a thin bandage. It wasn’t badly burned, but it still stung a little, so she had applied ointment and wrapped it.
“You should return to your guests, my lady.”
“But…”
“It’s fine.”
Bendia smiled faintly at Yulize’s worried look.
Yulize was the guest of honor; she shouldn’t stay away too long.
“…Hey.”
“You! What are you doing up here?!”
A sharp voice rang out as Yulize turned around—Rachel was approaching timidly.
“Is His Grace alright? He’s not hurt, is he?”
Perhaps out of conscience—or fear of repercussions, since it was Denros who was injured—Rachel asked with uncharacteristic unease.
“Why do you care?! You poured it on purpose! Don’t pretend it was an accident!”
Yulize practically leapt at her, seething with rage.
“I told you, it was an accident!”
“An accident? You deliberately ordered hot tea, grabbed the whole pot, and dumped it—and you call that an accident?”
“Why don’t you ever believe me? Are you scolding me right now? And how many times do I have to tell you to stop speaking to me so rudely? Do you think we’re still friends? How uncouth.”
“Then drop the formality yourself!”
Both were shouting, voices rising.
Bendia, silently watching, stepped in front of a servant trying to sneak by.
“Wh-what is it, my lady…?”
“May I borrow that?”
She snatched the bucket from his hands.
“Lady Yulize, step aside.”
Her voice was sharp with anger, making Yulize instinctively back away.
“Wh-what…?”
Rachel tried to retreat, but it was too late.
Bendia flung the bucket of dirty wash water at her.
Splaaaash.
“Kyaaaaah! Are you insane?! What are you doing?!”
“It’s only cold water. What’s the harm?”
“How dare you, when it wasn’t even you who got hurt—!”
“But I was the target.”
One good thing about her anger was that it naturally dropped her voice, making it sound less feminine.
If Denros hadn’t blocked it, that scalding water would have drenched her face and body.
Rachel, suspicious of Bendia, had clearly hoped she would writhe from the heat and be forced to strip her clothes—just to confirm her doubts. She had risked all that for a single test.
“Eek! This smell! Because of you I stink! My dress is ruined—do you know how much this cost?! Do you think I’ll let this go?!”
“And do you think His Grace will let you off for what you did today? If you don’t want your family ruined, leave quietly.”
At Yulize’s warning, Rachel flinched, shoulders trembling though her eyes still glared with venom.
Bendia looked down at her coldly.
“You reek of filth. Best to leave before you offend the other guests.”
“…You. I won’t forget this.”
At last, Rachel retreated, heels clacking furiously as she stormed off.
“You should go back too, my lady. You’ve been gone too long.”
“…Alright. Call me if you need anything, understood?”
Bendia nodded, sending Yulize back to the hall, then turned and knocked on the door.
“It’s me.”
“Come in.”
His voice answered from within.
Just like before.
