Her hand, covered by a long black glove, rested delicately on the staircase railing.
With rehearsed grace, the girl began to descend. Each step she took made her purple ringlet hair bounce.
She wore a black dress, overloaded with embroidery that gave it a gothic style.
Her proud gaze swept across the entire hall, while she finally reached the bottom of the stairs.
The music had changed to a softer melody, creating an expectant atmosphere.
"Thank you all very much for coming today," the girl then said, making an elegant curtsy. "I hope you enjoy your evening."
After those words, some thanks were heard, followed by the return of the previous atmosphere.
People continued chatting as if nothing had happened, barely paying her attention. Lloyd noticed how Penelope bit her lip, enduring the pressure.
Though it didn't seem like it, Penelope was quite insecure and nervous. She wasn't as accustomed to social events as other nobles.
Lloyd knew it, he'd read the novel. At first, the woman showed herself arrogant and unpleasant.
Though the truth is inside there was only someone insecure and somewhat tsundere.
The boy sighed, it was going to be difficult dealing with her, but if he did it right he could gain an ally in the future.
Though what really interested Lloyd was her power: Taboo.
That would undoubtedly be a very good antithesis to add to his collection.
While Lloyd reflected, Notos had signaled the girl to approach.
"Well, as you can see this is my daughter, Penelope. I hope you get along," the man said, though the coldness in his voice contradicted his words.
The boy observed similar behavior in Penelope, she seemed displeased, as if she didn't like being there.
She had her arms crossed, her body language spoke for her. Her gaze was a mix of contempt and disgust.
"Pleased to meet you, my name is Lloyd Morfeus," Lloyd greeted, his right foot crossed behind his left while he leaned forward, with one arm bent against his chest and the other behind his back. "I also hope we get along very well."
Though he said those words, his voice and gaze were quite cold.
The tension between them was palpable.
"Pfft, is this supposed to be the boy I should be engaged to?" The girl looked Lloyd up and down, analyzing him. "I wasn't expecting a simple brat, are you sure this isn't a mistake?"
The blond gritted his teeth, he felt his head was going to explode with rage. He clenched his fists with fury, trying to contain his anger. The veins in his face swelled, and he was completely red.
He had to contain himself, he had to endure, but it was incredibly difficult to carry the original Lloyd's pride.
"What's wrong? Need to use the bathroom?" Violet mocked quietly.
The boy's eyes fixed on the woman, with intense hatred.
"How dare you? Then you talk to us about etiquette? This is inadmissible!" Barbara exploded, her gaze glared at Violet, who returned an arrogant look.
Sparks seemed to fly between them.
"Enough. It seems we're all very tense, why don't we better leave the young people alone to get to know each other better?" Notos proposed.
Baltazar nodded.
"That would be best."
Barbara was about to reply but swallowed her words, crossing her arms and turning away angrily.
"Fine, I don't want to stay one more second near these brutes."
Saying that, Lloyd saw his parents walk away. Penelope's did the same afterward, Lloyd seemed to perceive a malicious look from Notos, as if he were expecting something.
Though the boy didn't give it importance, he was more occupied controlling his anger.
"Well, if you'll excuse me I'm leaving. I don't want to be near a filthy commoner," Penelope said goodbye, moving away from him.
Lloyd's face contorted, he was making a herculean effort to control himself.
Inside him there was a rage that wanted to come out at all costs... However, in an instant, it vanished.
"Huh?" Lloyd's lips opened.
He was perplexed.
His hand went to stroke his chin while reflecting; his confusion had banished the anger from his body.
What was it due to?
An inconsistency, something that didn't make sense.
Soon, Lloyd's lips curved into a smile.
In the novel, Penelope was arrogant, tsundere but... She didn't usually act like this.
Her insults used to be passionate, caused by her feelings overflowing.
Something similar to Lloyd himself.
On the other hand, those insults had been predetermined, malicious, something Penelope wasn't.
She was emotional and unstable, but she wasn't evil.
"She's hiding something," he said to himself.
She was being mean to him on purpose.
Why?
Lloyd wasn't sure. He remembered that in the novel, Penelope becomes more unpleasant with others with the intention of pushing them away from her.
Something she did because she didn't want her friends to face Baltazar when he attacks the duchy.
"Is she protecting me? From what?"
The boy sighed, he'd have to ask her in person.
He started looking for her with his gaze, but then a hand rested on his shoulder.
"Hey you, who are you? I don't recognize you," a voice said.
Lloyd turned around, meeting the gaze of a brown-haired boy, who would be about fifteen years old.
"It's good manners to introduce yourself before demanding someone's name, did you know that?"
Lloyd's sharp response seemed to bother the young man, whose smile trembled momentarily.
"Hahaha..."
"Who do you think you are!? Don't you know who you're talking to?" another curly-haired boy then exclaimed.
Lloyd raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't it very obvious? If I asked for his name it wasn't for nothing, it's clear we're not acquaintances," he replied as if explaining something obvious.
That seemed to infuriate the curly-haired boy more.
"Hey calm down Yain, he's right. Let me introduce myself, I'm Ronald Rosqufort, a pleasure," the boy extended his hand to Lloyd, who accepted it reluctantly.
Ronald Rosqufort, third son of the Marquis of Rosqufort.
In the novel he was a liar who deceived the protagonist several times. He hid under a mask to manipulate and take advantage of strong people, but was willing to stab anyone in the back if it benefited him.
"Lloyd Morfeus," he replied dryly.
"Pleased to meet you, you see earlier I saw you talking directly with the Noirs and I... Wait? Did you say Morfeus?" The boy blinked in surprise.
Weren't the Morfeus a very feared Mafia?
Ronald received no response, Lloyd had already slipped away, he wanted nothing to do with that guy.
However, it was no longer necessary. A smile appeared on the brown-haired boy's face.
"So Morfeus... I'm sure this information will be very useful to Claire."
Ronald wasn't going to waste that information... today they would make Penelope break.