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Translator: Xini
Proofreader: Silavin
POV: Violet
“This should do just fine. Well then… I’ll take my leave for now.”
“Okay.”
Lord Clo proposed the idea of relocating to a balcony in a remote corner and leaving me with the masked lady when the opportunity presented itself.
The fact that he was willing to leave me alone went to show that he was of the thought that the masked lady meant me no harm.
I wonder who she is. I could tell she was female from her voice, but that still didn’t help ascertain her identity. But I could more or less guess who it could be.
I’ve heard about high-ranking mages being capable of using “Perception Obstruction” which allowed them to cast spells without people around noticing anything off. Maybe she’s also a high-ranking mage or it’s just an effect of Kriemhild’s mask.
“I think… it’s about time you removed your mask, don’t you?”
However, someone would need to be around at least at Lady Vert’s caliber to be able to pull it off.
Considering that she also seemed to know Lord Clo and his gaze earlier…
“I’m sure you have something to say to me, Sue.”
“…Please call me Mary.”
It was indeed Mary Sue behind the hat and chipped mask.
Though I was uncertain about her identity until then, the moment she took off her mask and the white cloth she had wrapped around her shoulder, I felt like a veil had been lifted and I could clearly tell that it was Mary Sue. As I’d guessed, she did use some kind of spell.
Her blonde hair cascading beautifully, she was clad in a shade of dress that directly contrasted mine, displaying an allure that only she possessed.
“I have no right to address you in such a friendly way. As someone who tried to tear you down due to her selfish desires.”
Well as fate would have it, I was the one who ended up ruined.
I don’t mean to deride myself, but I don’t think I’ve paid enough to deserve any praise either.
I can’t act all defiant when I haven’t even officially apologised to her yet.
“Why… did you set up this meeting?”
I’m sure there were better things she could have pursued at this after-party.
Even if she had to talk to me, I wish she had appeared in her pretty white dress and like back then, had faced me amongst everyone.
“Even though you gave me an opportunity to apologize after the duel, I simply spewed hatred and showed no remorse. So why would you go out of your way to…”
After losing to her and His Highness, I was still unable to stop loving him and ignored her outstretched hand in anger.
It led to His Highness saying heartbreaking things like, ‘I’ve never once loved you’ and ‘I don’t want to see your face ever again.’ Thinking back, my deplorable actions deserved those words.
Why would you give such a horrible villain, an opportunity to apologise in such a private setting?
“That’s…”
She’s always kind to everyone, so maybe she’s only extending the same kindness to me as well.
“It’s because I want to talk to you, Violet Heartfield.”
What I saw in her eyes was not affection or awkwardness born out of kindness, but a clarity with no emotions clouding them.
“Me? Why?”
“Yes. I wanted to talk with you, just the two of us. Somewhere we wouldn’t be interrupted.”
She wanted to talk with me.
I wondered what had brought this on, but she continued to speak at length.
“Your treatment of me became harsher the more I got along with His Highness, and the other popular guys at the academy like Ash Austin, Chartreuse Calvin, Eclu Forsyth, Silva Seyfried. And you couldn’t stand seeing them change as they followed me along.”
“…That’s right.”
I don’t know why she wanted to talk about it after all this time, but it was indeed all true.
I thought she was only after their noble status when she made friends with all the popular men.
And that her being kind to everyone was just an act.
And that she had an ulterior motive and was only after money.
I was jealous that His Highness smiled at her the way he never did at me.
And I felt angry that His Highness always enjoyed her company.
Perhaps… I was in denial of my jealous feelings, by thinking that there was more to her than meets the eye.
“If that’s what you wanted to talk to me about—”
I should be apologizing to her for my actions back then and to His Highness too.
So far I’ve been trying not to care what His Highness thought of me, but I do want to apologize. Not because it’s expected of me, but because I want to.
I wouldn’t be able to deny it even if they said that I was only apologizing to make myself feel better. But now that she brought it up, I should take this opportunity to—
“I’ll happily accept an apology from you at any time. But now, I came to talk with you.”
“…?”
But an apology wasn’t what she was looking for. She wanted to ask me something else.
What was it? I felt like she wasn’t the same person from before and that she saw things differently now…?
“I thought long and hard about how to say this. Let me see. Well, this might surprise you.”
“?”
Surprise me?
She says the strangest things at times. On occasion, I’ve felt like she had a point of view that was different from the rest of us. However, rather than strange, it now almost feels—
“Would you be my friend?”
Almost feels like a young girl on the cusp of something.
“Pardon?”
Hold on. What did she just say?
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