The Young Lady Has Disappeared

Despite the sudden summons, I arrived leisurely at the garden without much thought.

However, the imperial princess was waiting for me, bustling about as if somewhat anxious.

Wondering what was going on, I quietly made my presence known in front of her, and the imperial princess stopped her muttering and looked up at me. A streak of relief was wrapped around her face.

"You've come."

"I am here to see Your Imperial Highness."

As I was about to bow as usual, the imperial princess grabbed my waist and lifted me up. She wouldn't usually act like this, but today she seemed particularly urgent.

"Skip the greetings. There's an urgent matter."

"An urgent matter, what is it?"

"There's been urgent intelligence. It seems some unruly individuals will be mixing into the ball."

Hmm, is this a play on words? Should I laugh? I pondered for a moment, but the imperial princess continued speaking without any particular reaction.

I guess not. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I listened attentively to her words.

"It means there's something you need to do."

"I understand."

"Don't you need to hear the details?"

"Simple tasks are better."

What are you trying to ask of someone who's only handled simple tasks all their life?

Thinking this, I mentally checked the armaments I had brought. Due to the recent fight in the back alley, I only had twelve daggers left. Of course, I had my 'main weapon', but I couldn't bring such a vicious weapon to the banquet hall.

Therefore, the weapons I could use were just twelve daggers. It was better to handle the task as simply as possible.

The imperial princess, who had been pondering for a moment while looking at me, opened her mouth just as my body was starting to shiver slightly. The night wind was cold, but the imperial princess looked at me with a firm gaze and spoke.

"Alright. How strong should I consider your combat ability to be?"

"...I can defeat any average knight."

"Even knights from the Imperial Knight Order?"

"I don't know as I haven't fought them."

I can win if I use my main weapon. As if sensing my hidden meaning, the imperial princess smirked and lifted my chin, which was slightly lowered. Her fiery eyes met my coldly settled eyes.

...The imperial princess is passionate. If Lillian is cool and Yulia is like sunshine, she was like a volcano. And an active volcano that could erupt at any time.  She usually pretends to be cool-headed, but once she erupts, she has the power to reduce everything around her to ashes.

It would be a lie to say I'm not afraid of such a person, but I met her gaze as firmly as possible. The imperial princess looked at me and slowly explained my use.

"Good. Then let's keep it simple as you said. Subdue all those who cause trouble at the ball. If you really have combat ability comparable to the Imperial Knight Order, it should be possible."

"Yes."

As I nodded, the imperial princess clicked her tongue slightly as if something displeased her and turned her body. At this obvious dismissal, I bowed slightly and left the place. Ah, before that.

"However, Your Imperial Highness. I will prioritize protecting the young lady above all else."

"...That's fine."

The imperial princess, who answered softly, moved her feet and left the place. Although she looked as if she was being chased by something, I didn't question it and headed to the room.

* * *

The next day, I woke up at the crack of dawn and immediately woke up the young lady. I raised the young lady, who was rubbing her sleepy eyes with a drowsy look, washed her face, applied perfume, and finished the basic preparations, then took a deep breath.

Now comes the hard labor.

Styling her hair, applying makeup, not letting her eat lunch, tightening the corset, putting on the dress... After completely finishing all this, I saw Lillian off while trying not to show how tired I was.

"Ugh, I don't want to go..."

"But you have to. Go with Miss Yulia."

"Mmm. Then Catherine. You've worked hard today, so get some good rest."

Did she notice even though I tried not to show it? As I nodded with an expressionless face, Lillian left the room while looking worried.

After confirming that Lillian had left the dormitory, met with Yulia, and gotten into the carriage, I quickly returned to the room.

Well then, now it's time to change.

I don't have particularly large breasts originally, but there's enough to be visible from the outside, so I put on clothes that can hide my figure as much as possible. Then, after putting on a mask as well, I started to sneak into the banquet hall.

She told me to protect myself, but she didn't say how to protect myself, right? Thinking this, I hid myself in the ceiling right above the imperial princess. It wasn't as difficult to infiltrate as I thought. The young lady didn't seem to have arrived yet as she wasn't visible in the banquet hall, but the imperial princess was looking around as if searching for me.

The imperial princess was wearing a red dress with a slightly low-cut chest, and she was calmly raising her wine glass as if unaware of the piercing gazes of the surrounding men. While doing so, she continued to scan the banquet hall, seeming quite familiar with such situations.

I casually threw a note I had written before coming out. The note flew with the wind, and uh... why did it slip in there?

"Eek?!"

"Your Highness?"

"N-No, it's nothing."

After being startled for a moment, the imperial princess carefully took out the note from between her breasts. At first, she looked at the note with a suspicious face, but she let go of her suspicion after unfolding and reading it. After confirming the contents of the note, the imperial princess looked around.

Of course, I'm not there. I dropped another note. Fortunately, this time it didn't slip into her cleavage.

"..."

The imperial princess looked up slightly. I made a V sign towards her. Seeing me do this, I could see the imperial princess swallowing a sigh. Her face looked like she had a lot she wanted to say, but she couldn't show such an expression right now, so the imperial princess glared at me with fiery eyes. That's a bit scary. I'm afraid of the consequences.

"Your Highness? Is there something up there?"

"...No. I just thought the lighting was a bit bright."

"Oh come on. This much is fine."

The man was doing his best to flatter the imperial princess, rubbing his hands together. He's like a textbook example of a sycophant. Thinking this, I looked around the banquet hall. There's no one suspicious.

"Lady Lillian von Fortus and Lady Yulia have arrived!"

Along with the servant's voice, Lillian and Yulia entered holding hands. Some people clicked their tongues at the sight of the two who seemed to be getting along well, but most didn't show their discomfort as they feared the Fortus family, who were above all others under one person.

I watched this scene with satisfaction and continued to survey the banquet hall.

* * *

...It's stifling. Lillian thought this as she looked around.

Entering the ball. It was quite an important part in the game. It was the first appearance of the Animal Party, which could be called the enemy faction, and it was a part where you could confirm the male lead with the highest favorability.

That's why she asked Yulia who her partner was as soon as they met, but... Yulia said with a matter-of-fact face that she didn't have one.

Why, how?! Towards the shocked Lillian, Yulia smiled and said this.

"What about you, Lillian? Do you have a partner?"

"Ah."

Originally, she should have entered with her fiancé Prince Belrus, but since the engagement was as good as broken, Lillian naturally didn't have a partner. She didn't even intend to enter with Prince Belrus in the first place.

"Then let's go in together!"

When she suggested to enter together with such a bright face... Lillian couldn't refuse, so she sighed and nodded.

Why on earth? Even if the favorability of all male heroes was 0, at least one would definitely apply. Lillian couldn't understand, but in the end, she ended up entering with Yulia.

The gazes of the surrounding nobles pierced like knives, but Lillian deflected those gazes with her back straight. She had to act as if she had a steel plate on her face. That was the dignity of a noble.

...Although she couldn't understand why she knew such things, Lillian moved her steps gracefully as her body remembered.

It would have been nice if Catherine was here. Catherine, who was neither a student nor a noble, couldn't enter the ballroom. Lillian, who let out a small sigh inwardly, took her place by the pillar wall. It was a place where others couldn't easily approach.

It was a rule of high society that indirectly expressed the wish not to deal with other people, but people started to approach stealthily. Most were men.

Well, the news of her broken engagement was famous in the academy. It meant that if one could get their hands on the precious daughter of the Fortus family, they could become the second most powerful person on the continent in the future, so many people coveted her.

To the extent of ignoring even the manners of high society...

"Lady Lillian. Would you like to dance?"

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline."

Usually, it's polite not to refuse the first dance. But since the other party had broken manners first, Lillian had no intention of keeping them either.

The man who was firmly rejected retreated with a slightly gloomy face. Seeing Lillian putting up an iron wall, other men flinched a bit, but starting with that man, dance requests continued to come in.

Meanwhile, no one asked Yulia, who was standing beside her, to dance. No matter how beautiful she was, no one wanted to dance with a commoner. That bothered her, and she glanced at Yulia from time to time, but Yulia looked calm. No, rather, she looked extremely comfortable.

At that point, Lillian felt a bit mischievous. After fending off the men, Lillian approached Yulia and held out her hand.

"...Huh, Lillian?"

"My lady. Would you like to dance with me?"

"...Huh? Uhhh?"

She could see the surrounding people looking astonished. Lillian grabbed the hand of the dumbfounded and frozen Yulia with a triumphant smile. And so, they moved their steps to the center of the banquet hall.