Chapter 63

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 63

Chapter Title: Dragon's Eclipse

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Marchioness Quinibel threw all pretense aside and rushed out to the terrace.

And she witnessed it too.

'D-Dragon!'

At that moment, the loud cries of attendants from the Crown Prince's Palace rang out nearby.

"Artanus has acknowledged Her Highness the Crown Princess!"

"Isn't she the first to receive the dragon's blessing?!"

...and so on.

It was blatant incitement that no one would fall for—not the others, nor even Marchioness Quinibel.

But the situation was different now.

A truly mythical spectacle was unfolding right before their eyes.

Marchioness Quinibel's younger sister approached closely and asked,

"Sister, what do we do? And where did Miss Evangeline go?"

"Evangeline went to Artanus Hall to check the situation...!"

Marchioness Quinibel felt the world spinning before her eyes.

She herself was in such a state of shock and agitation.

Those who had witnessed the sight in the sky would naturally be even more rattled.

Calming things down was the top priority right now.

Marchioness Quinibel dashed back into the ballroom.

'I have to stabilize the people...!'

But the interior was already filled with chaos.

Everyone's faces were drained of color as they chattered away, forgetting to even lower their voices.

Anxiety and agitation bubbled up like foam in a whirl of murmurs.

"What in the world is going on?"

"Could it really be as they say? Did Artanus truly acknowledge Duchess Delphin—no, the Crown Princess?"

"What about Miss Evangeline?"

"...Where did she go?"

"I heard she went to the lounge with Lady Filern earlier..."

"No, I heard she went to Artanus Hall."

"What? Leaving us here?"

"......"

A chill settled over the ballroom.

"Wait, does that mean that rumor is true too?"

"What rumor?"

"You know, the one about... His Imperial Majesty the Emperor attending that banquet!"

"But that was supposed to be a lie...!"

"Has anyone heard about something like this happening?"

"Come on, wouldn't what Her Imperial Majesty the Empress and Miss Evangeline said be more reliable?"

"And Miss Evangeline herself went to Artanus Hall first! Leaving us behind!"

Sense of dismay and unease began swirling among the crowd.

Even amid the chaos, gasps of shock from those confirming the spectacle in the sky continued to echo.

Their surprise, dismay, and anxiety spread rapidly to those nearby.

Someone's soft mutter rang out far too loudly.

"...If we stay here, won't we end up like discarded puppets? If the Crown Prince's side takes it out on us, we'll be the only ones suffering."

An awkward silence descended over the ballroom.

Not just those in conversation, but even the latecomers who had been dancing began glancing around warily.

Finally, even the orchestra's music came to a halt.

In that hush, someone was the first to voice those words.

"Shall we go check it out ourselves?"

"I-Is that okay?"

"Miss Evangeline went herself, didn't she?"

"We can just gauge the mood outside the hall. If it's not right, we turn right back."

"Besides, His Imperial Majesty might be there. We should at least show our faces..."

"I-I'm just following Miss Evangeline."

Excuses poured forth one after another, and soon people began slipping out of the ballroom one by one.

Where they were headed was obvious.

But Marchioness Quinibel, as the hostess of tonight's ball, could not leave her post.

She bit her lip, staring at the increasingly empty hall.

Her anger aimed at the one person who had forced her to hold this ball and turned it into such a disaster.

'What the hell is this, Evangeline!'

A phenomenon similar to a solar eclipse, but one that could not be called an eclipse.

The silhouette of a dragon soaring into the sky blotted out the sun, casting its shadow upon the earth.

This would later be known as the "Dragon's Eclipse."

'I knew this phenomenon would occur today, at this exact time.'

That's why, when the Emperor decreed the banquet at Artanus Hall be held a month later, I deliberately pleaded for more time.

"Your Majesty, couldn't you grant just a few more days?"

"A few days?"

"Yes, a month and six days. Whether it's a month or a month and six days, it's much the same."

"...?"

Puzzled by my insistence on squeezing every bit of use from it, the Emperor granted permission anyway.

A month and six days later was today.

The exact nature of the phenomenon wouldn't be revealed for several more years.

But I knew a few of the hypotheses surrounding it.

'The most credible one is that a dragon long dormant finally awoke and ascended to the heavens, spreading its wings to bask its scales in the sunlight...'

Otherwise, there'd be no reason for the dragon's form to cover the sun specifically.

I had no idea if that dragon was Artanus.

But wasn't it perfect to exploit for this occasion?

And there was an important reason I'd decided to make use of the "Dragon's Eclipse."

'Evangeline, who exploited every possible thing to bolster her own authority, never once capitalized on the Dragon's Eclipse.'

She seemed completely unaware of it.

'Did this event not occur in the 'original story'?'

'In any case, thanks to this, my lie about being acknowledged by Artanus now has solid backing.'

The reactions around me confirmed it.

The people inside the hall were gazing at me with expressions bordering on worship.

And Evangeline in the corridor was glaring at me as if she wanted to stab me to death.

'Ah, this thrill—it's so fresh. Absolutely the best.'

Screwing over Evangeline was always satisfying.

I smiled down at her openly, making sure she saw.

'But this is just the beginning. You can't be shocked already, Evangeline.'

Evangeline refused to accept reality.

But denying the scene unfolding right before her eyes was impossible.

The dragon's silhouette still lingered in the sky, blotting out the sun.

And beneath it, Hilia was nestled shamelessly in Arpad's arms, smiling up at him.

Even her closest allies couldn't hide their agitation.

"W-What's going on here, Miss Evangeline?"

"C-Could that really be Lord Artanus?"

"Th-Then what about us...?"

Evangeline was just about to rein them in with some excuse when,

someone approached Hilia and Arpad from the terrace above.

That woman—no, her attire—looked strangely familiar.

A voice trembling with shock cried out from beside her.

"Wait, that dress! It's identical to Miss Evangeline's!"

It was exactly as they said.

The woman in the deep green dress drew near Hilia and bowed with refined courtesy.

That gesture alone allowed everyone to infer her station.

"No way... Lady Delphin's maid?"

"Wait. So that maid wore the same dress as Miss Evangeline...?"

"...Impossible!"

Gasps of disbelief erupted from all directions.

All eyes converged on one spot.

Evangeline's face trembled with raw humiliation.

'How dare she dress her maid in the same outfit as me?'

Grind!

The sound of her teeth gnashing echoed.

Evangeline's venomous glare turned toward Viscountess Filern, who had frozen in astonishment.

Viscountess Filern frantically shook her ashen face from side to side.

With every eye upon them, she couldn't utter a word outright.

And rightly so—admitting that Hilia had been meant to wear the dress would be confessing their scheme aloud.

Evangeline's mind raced feverishly.

'What do I do? At this rate, I'll look utterly ridiculous!'

That was when it happened.

Arpad's voice carried down from above, as he held Hilia in a blatant display.

"Well then, shall we head inside? It's our wedding reception today. The guests of honor can't be absent for too long."

"...Shall we?"

Hilia's shy smile before Arpad filled her with a hatred so intense she wanted to rip the woman's face apart.

It was utterly repulsive and horrifying.

'Somehow, I will smear mud across that woman's face right in front of Arpad!'

Anything less, and her rage wouldn't subside.

'Yes! That's it!'

A brilliant idea struck her like lightning.

In an instant, Evangeline transformed her expression.

As if that murderous look from moments ago had never existed.

She became the most pitiful, wretched woman in the world.

Tears welled in her eyes as she cried out in a voice thick with sobs.

"That's too much! How could you do this? Even if you hate me!!"

The onlookers were taken aback.

But they soon realized her outburst was directed straight at Hilia.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Evangeline clutched her mouth and wailed on.

Beneath her hand, her lips curled into a sharp smirk.

"Stealing my dress design on purpose and dressing your maid in an identical one—do you hate me that much?!"

With those words, Evangeline collapsed to the ground in heaving sobs.

"I came as a friend, to offer my congratulations, and you humiliate me like this...!"

Sob!

Her heartrending cries echoed through the gardens of Artanus Hall, where the Dragon's Eclipse had yet to fully pass.