The Reincarnated Villainous Noble Still Won't Try His Best! - Chapter 36 : The Party Begins

Chapter 36 : The Party Begins

I stepped into the party venue.

Since it was hosted in a section of the royal castle, the decorations were extravagant.

The dazzling atmosphere made me feel like throwing up.

“Oh! Marius-kun, you’ve finally arrived! Good evening~!”

“Geh!— I mean, good evening, Flora. You look well.”

“You’re not even trying to hide it, are you? I totally heard you just now.”

“You’re imagining things. As if I’d ever say something like that.”

“I think you totally would. In fact, I’ve heard way worse from you.”

“I have no recollection of such things.”

“How cruel! After toying with a maiden’s pure heart like that!”

“That’s a complete false accusation.”

Please stop saying things like that in a place with so many people around!

It’s seriously putting my reputation at risk.

“—Excuse me?”

See?!

Look what you did.

Now someone I know has taken the bait!

“What’s the meaning of this, Marius? You already have Lilia as your fiancée, and yet you’ve set your sights on another woman?”

“Calm down, Cecilia. First of all, I highly recommend that you unclench your fists.”

“I think punching you might be the better option… And who might you be?”

Cecilia shot a sharp glare at Flora, who was standing beside me.

But Flora just smiled back without a care.

“Oh my, aren’t you Lady Cecilia of the Aquamarine Duchy? I’m Flora. Flora Santamaria.”

“Santamaria? You mean, the daughter of Count Santamaria?”

“Yes.”

“If I remember correctly, Santamaria… That’s Lady Greylord’s family, isn’t it? I see, so you two are acquaintances.”

“Marius-kun and I are cousins. I’m so happy to see that he’s grown up to be such a fine young man.”

“H-Hmph… Cousins, is that so? You seem awfully close for just cousins… Is that really all there is to it?”

“Normally, cousins interact at least this closely, don’t they? If anything, I’m showing restraint by not hugging him.”

“You normally hug each other?!”

“That’s a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding.”

Stop turning me into a walking scandal.

It’s going to end up in a disaster.

“Flora and I are just cousins. There’s nothing going on between us, I assure you.”

“R-Right… Lilia wouldn’t stand for you taking in a concubine so soon…”

“I wouldn’t mind if he had one or two concubines. That said, I will always be Marius-sama’s number one.”

“—Lilia!? W-When did you get here…?”

Cecilia paled and froze in shock as she noticed our childhood friend standing behind her.

Meanwhile, Flora and I, who had actually been aware of her presence, quietly averted our gazes.

“I just arrived. You were so engrossed in your conversation that you didn’t even notice me. How terrible. And we’re childhood friends, too.”

“T-That’s not the issue here! More importantly, were you serious about what you just said? Lilia, are you really okay with this? You’ve only been engaged for less than a month!”

“Polygamy is common. Besides, Lady Flora here is simply his cousin. She isn’t a concubine to begin with, so I have no objections. Of course, if she oversteps her bounds, I will have to step in.”

The main heroine smiled sweetly while dropping some serious statements.

Her aura was on a whole different level.

It was radiating a clear ‘I will do something about this’ kind of energy.

“I-I see… If Lilia is fine with it, then I won’t say anything more…”

“Are you sure? Don’t you have something you’d like to say to me?”

“…N-No… It’s nothing…”

“Are you feeling unwell, Cecilia?”

“I’m fine. I just have some things on my mind.”

“Things on your mind?”

“It’s a secret, a maiden’s secret. You shouldn’t pry futher. More importantly, you and Lilia should hurry to the center. The dance is about to begin.”

“Ah… Right, the party starts with a dance, doesn’t it…? Skipping is—”

“Not an option.”

Lilia cut me off immediately.

She wasn’t even giving me a chance.

“Of course it isn’t… Understood. May I have the honor of this dance, Your Highness?”

“Of course, Marius-sama. Let’s have a wonderful time together.”

“I’m not very confident, though.”

“Oh? But your father assured me that you wouldn’t have any trouble.”

“I tend to underestimate myself.”

“Fufu, how very like you, Marius-sama. If it comes down to it, I’ll take the lead. Leave it to me.”

“I’m so grateful I could cry…”

If only words could always be taken at face value, life would be so much easier.

But in noble society, things don’t work that way.

Traditionally, it’s the man’s role to lead in a dance.

That was the expectation.

With a sigh, I searched my memories for what I had learned in the past.

As Marius, I had received an appropriate education.

At the very least, I could manage a dance without embarrassing myself.

The hall was soon filled with the sound of grand orchestral music.

Numerous couples—either lovers or married pairs—gathered at the center, placing their hands on each other’s waists or holding hands as they began to dance.

For someone like me, who technically shouldn’t even be here, this situation felt all wrong.

But when I saw Lilia’s happy smile, I moved my body for her sake.

As befitting of a high-ranking noble, my body moved as expected.

Feeling relieved, I danced with Lilia with ease until the song came to an end.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

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TL : zenon_xt