"I am deeply, truly sorry!!"
After Razor was moved to a separate room following the uproar, the first person to rush in was his older brother — Caesius Kilmund.
He was the other boy I had noticed earlier.
And if Razor was a capture target, then naturally, Caesius was one as well.
Caesius's personality was the complete opposite of Razor's.
Bright golden hair that caught light like spun sunshine and eyes to match. With his gentle demeanor and so-called "prince charming" appeal, he was one of the most popular characters in PumitraCelest Kingdom. Despite the game's diverse cast, I remembered that in popularity polls, only two other characters competed with Caesius for the top spot. The forums had been endless battlegrounds of passionate fans defending their favorites.
And now, that same character was prostrating himself before me with tremendous force—his forehead nearly touching the polished wooden floor.
Actually, it was practically a full dogeza.
Honestly, I was surprised that this world even had the concept.Well, maybe it was just a coincidence.
"P-please, raise your head… Lord Caesius."
Even I was overwhelmed.This wasn't courtesy anymore — I genuinely wanted him to stop.
A noble bowing to a servant was shocking enough.On top of that, he was two years older than Razor, meaning he was also two years older than me — twelve years old.
Having someone older kneel before me was uncomfortable…And the fact that he was barely a young teenager made me feel like I was the one doing something wrong if I didn't stop him.
"What exactly was all that about?"
My tongue slipped, using "that" instead of a more respectful phrasing, but Caesius didn't seem angry or point it out. If anything, he understood completely what I meant—the weight behind the casual pronoun.
What he told me about Razer's daily life was... considerable. Troubling in ways that explained everything and nothing.
While their parents had been strict with Caesius as the eldest son and heir apparent, they'd apparently spoiled Razer quite thoroughly. Whatever he wanted, he received—toys, clothes, attention, indulgence. And with each gift, his desires and attitude had grown more inflated, more demanding.
The result was a distorted perception: that anything he wanted would be his if he simply demanded it. Today's incident was a direct consequence of that warped worldview colliding with reality's firm boundaries.
"So Razer truly wanted to dance with Lady Erica?"
"...Most likely. Lady Erica is extraordinarily beautiful. I'd just told him that if there was a girl he was interested in, he should try inviting her..."
Caesius said this with a deeply pained expression.
What is this, a tsundere little brother situation?No, that's giving Razor too much credit.He's more like a grade schooler poking the girl he likes.
If he had sincerely asked, he might've had a chance…Well, maybe not — but at least it wouldn't have turned into this.
"What will happen to Lord Razor now, I wonder?"
Unable to bear the silence, I threw out a random question — only to immediately realize how awful it was to ask a boy about his own brother's punishment.
And hearing the answer only made me feel guiltier.
"…I don't know. It depends on Lord Adelbäter's judgment. But at the very least… bringing shame to our house and damaging our reputation — I doubt he'll escape expulsion."
"Expulsion!? Expulsion… as in that expulsion!?"
"Y-yes…"
A word I'd only ever heard in light novels suddenly surfaced in reality, and I couldn't help repeating it.
Looking over at Razor, sleeping soundly, I started thinking he might actually be happiest if he just stayed unconscious forever.
***
I think I spent a full hour in that room being questioned—Count Adelbater's measured tones, Caesius's anguished interjections, servants coming and going with written statements.
Finally free, the burden lifting from my shoulders like removing heavy armor, I returned to the venue with a deep sigh. The marble hallway echoed with my footsteps, and I could hear the music swelling as I approached.
Everyone was dancing to elegant music, their movements fluid and synchronized. The orchestra played a waltz—strings and woodwinds weaving together in sophisticated harmony that spoke of centuries of refined culture.
Perhaps because they were nobles, accustomed to such gatherings, there was no hesitation in their movements. Each step was confident, practiced, perfect.
Since this was also a social function, some of those dancing pairs must have been complete strangers to each other. Yet they moved together with perfect synchronization, as if they'd been partners for years. The mystery of noble social training.
While thinking nobles really are different, I looked around and spotted her figure toward the front right of the hall.
"Lady Erica."
"Liam!"
Her slightly lowered face lifted at once, and she hurried toward me.
"Are you… truly all right? It seemed like you were being questioned for quite a while…"
"Yes, I am completely fine. My injuries were minor, there were witnesses, and since I didn't harm anyone, I wasn't reprimanded."
"I see… Truly, I'm glad…"
She touched her chest in visible relief.
I'd made her worry unnecessarily.
"Well, Lord Razer is going to have a difficult time ahead of him, though."
"As he should. He was as tyrannical as a bandit. Whatever punishment he receives is deserved."
Bandit—that's pretty harsh. She really wasn't holding back in her assessment, the disdain dripping from every syllable.
Following those words, she muttered something else quietly, but I couldn't quite catch it. The sound was too soft, swallowed by the ambient noise of the party.
Looking at her expression, I decided not to ask her to repeat it.
Her facial changes were still subtle, but this was clearly considerable anger. Problems occurring at her own birthday party would naturally provoke such emotions—anyone would feel frustrated, violated even.
"...I'm sorry for ruining today..."
"Why is Liam apologizing? The one who should apologize is that monkey-like brat, not you."
"Even so…"
I could've prevented this.If I had investigated his temperament before the invitations were finalized, I could have stopped all of this.
That failure was mine.
Well, considering how tight the schedule was, it would've been difficult to look into every guest…
So it was partly hindsight talking.
"And besides, the day isn't ruined… not necessarily."
Her gaze dropped slightly.
Whenever she does that, she's usually hesitating about something.
After a long, shared silence, she finally spoke.
"…Would you step outside with me for a bit?"
***
Outside was completely dark, the night having fully settled. Even the moon had hidden its face, leaving us in a shadowy world illuminated only by distant starlight.
Though this was the familiar garden I'd trained in countless times, I had to let my eyes adjust and carefully place each step to avoid tripping. The darkness was absolute in ways the city of my previous life never experienced, untainted by electric lights or street lamps.
Erica and I had come quite far from the manor, all the way to the curved pond at the garden's far edge. The journey had been slow, careful, guided more by memory than sight.
Though there was no moonlight, the water surface sparkled faintly, catching the tiny light from the dust-like stars scattered across the sky above. It looked like scattered diamonds on black velvet.
For a while after arriving here, we stood side by side, gazing absently at that glittering water surface. The cool night air carried the scent of jasmine and night-blooming flowers, along with the clean smell of water and earth.
"...Come to think of it, did you dance, Lady Erica?"
The thought suddenly occurred to me, and I broke the flowing silence. My voice sounded too loud in the quiet garden.
It had been a while since the dancing started, but since I'd been absent for questioning, I hadn't seen whether she'd participated. The social dancing was supposed to be the highlight of any noble's birthday celebration.
"...No, I didn't dance."
"What?"
Not quite disbelief, but her answer made me inadvertently raise my voice. A night bird startled from a nearby tree, wings beating against air.
Dancing was noble common sense and arguably the main point of this party.
It was essentially the "hidden theme" of a birthday celebration:Find someone suitable and build a connection.
Yet she, the star of the event, hadn't danced even once?
"Really? Didn't any nobles invite you?"
"They did. But I refused them all…"
She refused?
As a count's daughter and the party's main figure, she must have been showered with invitations.And she turned them all down?
Why…?
Before I could ask, she continued.
"I wanted... my first dance to be with Liam."
Even in the darkness, her expression was clearly visible—or perhaps I'd simply learned to read her so well that I didn't need light to understand what she felt.
"...With me?"
She wanted to dance with me? The words made sense individually, but my understanding hadn't quite caught up with their meaning. The implications felt too large, too significant to grasp fully.
Why me? And why was her face that shade of red, visible even in the starlight?
"Actually... I wanted to invite you yesterday, but I couldn't find the courage. So I ended up saying it at this last minute..."
She laughed as if to cover her embarrassment, but the tips of her ears were too red to hide. Even her neck had flushed, the color visible against the pale fabric of her dress.
All her earlier hesitation had been because of this... apparently.
That's... how should I put it? Quite... embarrassing. My own face felt warm, and I was grateful for the darkness hiding my reaction.
"A-are you sure? With someone like me... I mean, I've never danced before."
"I'm not particularly skilled either... That's why I came here."
Erica slowly stood up while gazing at the sky above—the vast expanse of darkness punctuated by pinpricks of distant light.
"Here, no one's watching. And right now, even the moon has hidden itself."
The sky looked somewhat lonely. Small stars sparkled weakly, and there was nothing else—no moon, no clouds, just emptiness and distant light.
Like a dance floor with no people on it. Private, intimate, ours alone.
"I see. Indeed, here we can make clumsy moves without embarrassment."
Understanding her intention perfectly, I slowly stood as well. My legs felt unsteady, though whether from sitting too long or nerves, I couldn't say.
"Yes. Even if Liam falls, I'll monopolize that disgrace all to myself."
Her teasing words made me smile wryly, some of the tension easing from my shoulders.
Well, I absolutely didn't want to embarrass myself in front of her — but if I did, I would just be grateful for her kindness.
"Then… Liam . If you would, please take my hand?"
Her etiquette was clearly something Shelly had taught her.Formal words.A proper gesture.
She extended her small hand toward me.
"It would be my honor, Lady Erica Anshines."
I wasn't confident in the appropriate phrasing, but I did my best and took her hand.
The music faintly drifted from the distant mansion as we danced quietly and awkwardly together beneath the dark sky.