"When did you return, Lady Valessia?" Sylus stepped forward immediately and dropped into a flawless graceful bow. "My sincere apologies. I was attending to urgent matters within the estate and wasn’t present to greet you properly."
Valessia waved a hand dismissively and gave him a warm reassuring smile. "Rise, Sylus. It’s completely fine. With the head administrator out of the picture I know you’ve been carrying a tremendous workload. I only hope you haven’t been overworking yourself on my account."
She paused and her purple eyes narrowed into a playful glare. "And besides... didn’t I specifically tell you to address me simply as Valessia when we’re alone?"
Sylus rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "Ah... force of habit. Old reflexes die hard. I just need a little more time to adjust to such privilege, Valessia."
She nodded satisfied before smoothing down her silk skirt. "In any case I called for you because there’s an important event tonight. We’ll be attending the Royal Academy’s Graduation Gala."
"A Graduation Gala?" Sylus tilted his head.
"Yes," she confirmed with her hands resting on the mahogany desk. "A massive celebration marking the end of the academic year. Representatives from every high noble house will be in attendance including the Kingdom’s young Prince who happens to be in my graduating class."
Sylus froze mid-breath and his crimson eyes went slightly wide.
’Wait a minute.’ His mind kicked into overdrive immediately. ’A graduation ball with the Prince and the entire high nobility?! Did my actions alter the story so drastically that events from the original anime are triggering months ahead of schedule?! Damn it all—’
"Sylus?" Valessia called softly and waved her delicate hand in front of his face. "Are you alright? You completely zoned out."
He snapped back and flashed a smooth disarming smile. "Forgive me. I was just taken aback. You looked genuinely excited when you mentioned the ball so I was admiring your enthusiasm."
Valessia’s cheeks went soft pink and her poised demeanor cracked for exactly one second. "R-Really? Was I that obvious?"
’Wait my completely made-up cover story actually landed?!’ Sylus cheered internally while keeping his face perfectly calm. "It took a very keen eye but I managed to spot the subtle sparkle."
Valessia cleared her throat and gathered her aristocratic composure back around her like a coat. "Ahem... well. My enthusiasm stems from a very specific objective tonight. I plan to formally propose a political match to Lord Lucien, the son of Duke Vance."
A heavy hammer slammed directly into Sylus’s skull. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
’Lucien?! The Duke’s son?! Friend of the protagonist and one of the actual male leads of this story?!’
His calm expression held on the outside and shattered into approximately a thousand pieces on the inside. "W-Wait... Valessia. Why the sudden rush toward a marriage proposal? You have your entire life ahead of you and you’ve barely assumed full control of the estate—"
"You know the state of things better than anyone, Sylus," Valessia interrupted softly and her gaze drifted out the stained-glass window toward the sprawling neglected gardens. "If things continue as they are the house of Astria won’t survive another month. Trade revenues have hit near zero and the local coffers are completely drained and I refuse to let the legacy my parents bled for crumble into dust."
She turned back with her eyes burning with fierce determination. "I will do whatever it takes to save this house. Lucien’s family holds immense financial influence and he excels at commerce. Securing his backing is the fastest most effective path to stability."
Then she seemed to hear herself and her face detonated into brilliant crimson and she waved both hands frantically in front of her chest and her entire noble composure just collapsed in real time.
"I-I mean — please don’t misunderstand me! I’m not some heartless gold digger I swear! I’m just utterly desperate for financial support! And it’s not like Lucien is unpleasant either! He’s remarkably handsome and refined so... so it’s not a bad match at all!"
CRACK.
A massive emotional fissure split straight through Sylus’s chest at the word handsome.
"Right..." he forced out and swallowed down the sudden bitter taste sitting in his throat.
Valessia took a breath and shook her head and pulled her regal bearing back into place and looked directly into his crimson eyes with absolute trust sitting in hers.
"Tonight is critical for the future of Astria. Sylus... will you do me the honor of acting as my personal escort for the gala?"
He placed his right hand over his heart and dropped into an impeccably sharp bow. "It would be my absolute honor, Valessia."
Internally he was screaming at the absolute top of his lungs.
But as Sylus straightened up and caught the subtle trusting smile on her lips the screaming transformed into something much cooler and much more dangerous sitting right behind his eyes.
Lucien. The shiny blue-eyed academy darling and male lead of this story. His crimson eyes gleamed with a sharp predatory focus. ’Like I would ever in either of my lives let some privileged Duke’s son swoop in and claim my Baroness.’
Night fell fast over the estate.
Inside his private quarters Sylus stood before the tall cheval mirror and put the finishing touches on himself. Midnight-black double-breasted formal coat with silver-embroidered lapels that sat perfectly across his broad shoulders, crisp white dress gloves over his long fingers, his icy platinum hair slicked back clean with a few rogue strands falling across his jawline in a way that was technically accidental and worked completely in his favor.
He checked his reflection and his crimson eyes carried nothing but cold calculating focus.
’Alright. Everything is set.’ He adjusted his high collar and smoothed the coat one final time. ’The gala, the nobles, the Prince, and that blue-eyed male lead Lucien. Just execute the plan step by step and don’t let anyone see you coming until it’s already done.’
"Sylus! Are you ready?"
A soft melodious voice came from the hallway and the door opened.
For a split second Sylus’s breath just stopped entirely.
Valessia stood in the doorway and she looked completely ethereal. A sweeping deep violet ballgown that almost matched her hair exactly, shimmering silver lace hugging her slender waist before falling in elegant flowing layers all the way to the floor and silk violet opera gloves encasing her arms up to her elbows. Her long purple hair was pinned up with a few loose strands framing her face and her striking eyes caught the candlelight and held it.
She rested one gloved hand lightly at her waist and tilted her head slightly.
"Shall we head to the gala?"