Chapter 79
"Oh, because they are a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman, standing together looks absolutely gorgeous."
"Isn't that right? They're both still single, right?"
“Someone has to step in and do something! Ignoring this harmony between them is a crime, a crime!”
Everyone laughed at the chatty lady's joke, except for Laszlo.
Angela, who was watching Laszlo out of the corner of her eye, was pretending to try to calm the others down.
“Ah, stop this. In fact, it was I who first proposed marriage to Count Crises. But he said he needed to get to know the person well before he could trust and love him…”
Everyone, including Laszlo, was shocked when Angela announced that she had proposed to him first.
"Oh my God! Count Crisis! You can't miss the chance to be with Miss Angela!"
“Exactly! She is considered the most beautiful lady in high society.”
“Is her beauty all she has? She received an excellent education in the Countess of Bliss. Surely she will be an ideal wife and mother.”
The women around her began criticizing Laszlo as if they couldn't believe he could reject her.
While Angela was trying to calm them down, saying, “Don’t do this, it’s because of a deficiency in me,” Laszlo clearly saw how much she was pretending.
'To deliberately bring up a topic that might embarrass her in order to corner him with it? Has it come to this?'
Laszlo realized that Angela was not an ordinary woman and that she was extremely stubborn.
He decided to leave before the annoying conversation continued.
“I am the one to blame here. Also, I have barely started to take on family responsibilities, so I have no time to think about marriage or love.”
“But Count, at times like these, you need a wife to take care of the household.”
"You won't understand this until you get married. But believe our words, we who have experience in life."
The annoying comments continued unabated, making Laszlo's features become increasingly frozen.
'Edil asked me to try to keep smiling…'
Laszlo tried to remember Edel's instructions to control his expressions, but the situation was so unpleasant that his lips didn't even move.
However, the ladies did not give up trying to link him to Angela.
"Why don't the two of them start dancing together?"
“That’s right! There’s nothing better than dancing to get to know someone.”
“Oh! It seems they will soon begin the waltz! Count, it is a gentleman’s duty to invite the lady to the dance.”
If the person who said that had been a man, Laszlo would have grabbed him by the neck immediately.
Dancing with Angela? He had no desire to do that.
She was a woman who refused to accept rejection and would seize every opportunity to put pressure on him, so who knows what she might do if he agreed to dance with her?
But at that moment, as if by luck, his eyes fell upon Idil, who was nearby.
“Ah! Excuse me, I must check with the palace housekeeper regarding the progress of the party. It’s my first party, and there’s a lot to do. Sorry for stopping by.”
Laszlo headed towards Idil, which made all eyes turn towards her.
Those who recognized her were surprised, but Laszlo didn't care, and Idil, for her part, kept her composure.
“I heard you asked for me urgently…”
“There is a lot to be checked. This is not a suitable place, let’s move somewhere else.”
He gestured to her with a small nod for her to follow him, then moved forward.
As for Idil, she gave a brief greeting to those present who were looking at her curiously, and then followed him.
Laszlo took her to an empty rest room and closed the door behind them.
"Count?..."
"Huh... wait a moment. I have a slight headache..."
"Are you okay? Please wait here for a moment. I'll get your medicine right away..."
"No, don't open the door! Didn't you see those demons a little while ago?"
Laszlo stood in front of the break room door to stop Edel from leaving, and when she backed away, he sat down on the sofa with a weary movement, rubbing his temples with his fingers.
“Now I understand why you described high society as a battlefield. They don’t carry swords, but they are all hostile.”
Idyll smiled slightly.
“Of course. It’s a battlefield. Tongues are swords, and reputation is life itself.”
Laszlo said with a sarcastic laugh.
“I always tell the guards and mercenaries that even a novice soldier can kill the commander on the battlefield. Yet, I almost lost to a little girl just now.”
Idil responded with a sly smile.
“There is a mistake that needs to be corrected. The junior soldier in this situation was not Miss Angela, but rather the veteran general.”
Laszlo said with a sullen face.
"Can't you be a little kinder? This hurts."
He pressed his chest, feigning pain, while speaking in a mocking tone. Idell chuckled softly as she looked at him.
'Strange, but he looks cute like this. I didn't know he could be like this.'
I wondered how many people knew this side of Laszlo? Certainly not many, as his bad reputation is well known.
'So, am I one of the few who are close to getting to know him?'
In the past, she was afraid of him when he was given to her as a war trophy, but now she is beginning to see different aspects of him.
But she quickly caught herself; this is not the time for emotional thinking.
She said firmly:
“We used this place as an excuse to escape, but you have to come back now.”
"Why?"
"The first waltz is about to begin. The dance will start with Mademoiselle Linnaeus, right?"
Laszlo shrugged.
“Lenia? She just told me I can do whatever I want because she’s already received an offer to dance.”
Edel's face suddenly paled and she asked in a trembling voice:
"So... have you found a dance partner?"
Laszlo was silent for a moment, and this silence drove her crazy.
“If the host of the party doesn’t start dancing, how will the others start?!”
I looked at the clock; there were only ten minutes left until the waltz began.
Edel suddenly grabbed Laszlo's wrist.
"Go out and ask Miss Angela to dance! You have to start the first dance!"
But Laszlo, unlike her nervousness, smiled slyly and shrugged.
“I have a partner.”
Idil was surprised and said with relief:
"Really? Thank you, oh my God! This is wonderful."
Laszlo responded in a dismissive tone
"Why were you so scared? It's not that important."
She stared at him and said sharply
"And who was the junior soldier who almost lost to the veteran general a little while ago?"
Laszlo laughed.
"Are you pouring salt on a wound that hasn't healed yet?"
Then he frowned slightly, but soon burst out laughing.
At that moment, the sound of musicians playing their instruments to test them could be heard from outside, which meant that the waltz would soon begin.
Laszlo suddenly stood up and grabbed Idel's wrist to drag her away.
"Let's go."
"Good."
Edel was planning to leave immediately after leaving the break room.
'I'll make sure the waltz has started, then I'll go to the preparation room to check the champagne again…'
As she was reorganizing her thoughts about what to do, she noticed something strange: Laszlo hadn't let go of her wrist.
Thinking that the tension had made him forget to let go of her hand, she gently pulled her wrist and called to him.
“Sir, you must let go of my hand and go to your partner. Time is running out, you must get ready to dance.”
“Yes, I already do that.”
"What? What do you mean?"
While Edel was puzzled, Laszlo stopped walking and pointed at her with his finger.
"She's here, my partner."
"What?!"
Laszlo said with a slight smile
“Do you think someone new to society like me would have moved quickly enough to find another partner?”
He looked at her, enjoying her sudden freezing, then added provocatively.
"Therefore, I'm counting on you."
"my lord!"
“Angela Bliss? No way. She’s like a she-wolf, you have to protect me from her.”
Then he gripped her wrist even tighter and headed out into the hall. Idell felt a strong urge to hit him on the back, but she didn't have the time or the option to find a replacement partner.
She looked around quickly and then grabbed his wrist to stop him.
"This is the last time you act in such a haphazard manner, sir."
"Are you planning to hit me?"
“I really hope so. But given the time constraints, we’ll talk later. I’ll change my clothes quickly and come back.”
"Why? Your current outfit also looks like a dress, doesn't it?"
At that moment, Idil hit him inside her mind with all her might.
“We will discuss lessons on costumes later. For now, just ask the conductor to delay the start of the music for an additional ten minutes!”
Then she rushed to the second floor as fast as she could. She didn't care if anyone had seen her and frowned; that didn't matter to her now.
'Laszlo Criscis, damn you!'
The insults she had heard from him in the past almost escaped her lips, but she held them back at the last moment.
She returned to her room and began to take off her uniform and put on the dress that she had prepared “for any emergency”.
"Why did you prepare it in advance? Do I have a prophecy ability?"
Perhaps it was when Linnea suddenly gifted her a dress while she was choosing one for the party, as if she had anticipated this situation.
She seemed to be pushing the boundaries of her human abilities as she quickly changed her clothes. She glanced at the clock and then stood in front of the mirror.
But when she looked up at herself in the mirror, she froze for a moment, even though she knew that time was running out.