Five years ago.
As the youngest, Tristan, was about to come of age, the king and queen began searching for a fief to give their son. They came across a peaceful fief, "Blue Atrium", which had no heir.
However, the lord of Blue Atrium wasn't idle. A long time ago, he decided to find the illegitimate child of a maid and pass him off as the legitimate heir born to his wife.
That b*stard got a maid pregnant, then threw her out when the child was born, only to search for him 17 years later. What should we do with a man like that? Really, I'd tie him to two electric scooters and drag him to Gwanghwamun…
Calm down. There's no Gwanghwamun here.
(T/N: Gwanghamun is a place in Seoul which is kinda like the center of power, so she's talking about public humiliation here.)
After searching for the maid and her son, the lord found the 17-year-old boy who had been living by working as a mercenary.
This boy was "Richard Rey", now known as Rick.
The boy, who had just learned of his origins, protested angrily, but the offer of inheriting the fief was too sweet to refuse.
Thus, the father-son duo embarked on the gamble of their lifetime.
The boy first sued his father for acknowledgement of paternity.
Of course, it was a staged trial. The lord gathered witnesses who would perjure themselves, swearing that "Richard is the legitimate heir of the lord's household."
But how could the royal family not know about this scheme?
Under the king's orders, Count Redfield used his mercenary connections to prevent the boy from entering the trial, and the case was dismissed when the plaintiff was unable to participate.
As the boy was dragged out by the mercenaries, he did not resist. He felt deep disgust at himself for briefly contemplating betraying his own mother for money.
Afterward, Rick closed his heart and wandered the world, until by chance, he found a job in "Baron Meyer's" territory and met the baron's niece, Maria, falling in love with her.
However, having witnessed his mother's ruin, Rick had no interest in marriage or romance. He swore silently to only wish for Maria's happiness, keeping his own feelings hidden…
In the original story, Rick was portrayed as a one-sided admirer of Maria.
It didn't seem like he was planning revenge against the royal family that had taken Blue Atrium.
However, since the original story focused on Maria's romance, it was likely omitted, though it wouldn't be strange if Rick still secretly harbored hatred for his biological father and the royal family.
If it were me, I would have gone after the lord who started all this trouble, not the royal family or the count.
You never know with people, so it's better to be cautious.
In other words, if the Skull Mask from the Sacred Salon is truly Rick Ray…
I shouldn't talk to him much, even if I meet him today. There's no point in exchanging words.
The excitement I initially felt when he treated me kindly was quickly gone.
Now, I had to figure out what kind of dress I should wear to avoid getting caught.
…Just as I was about to get up, planning my outfit in my head, I suddenly realized something.
I hadn't removed my cast.
"Ahhh!"
The world tilted, and the maids rushed over.
"Miss, are you okay?"
"Oh my, what should we do? I'll take the cast off right away!"
The heavy plaster cast. My ankle, which had been perfectly fine this morning, now throbbed with an ominous pain, sending dull waves of aching pulses through my body.
***
Thankfully, it didn't seem like I had sprained it again.
It felt more like when you sit with one ankle underneath your thigh for 30 minutes in the study and then stand up, your leg tingling with pins and needles. That pain had lasted well into the afternoon.
Maybe I shouldn't go to the salon.
But since there was a deadline to claim the coin, I worried I might miss it, so I still dressed up and headed to the Sacred Salon.
"Welcome. Please enter through this door today."
Following the attendant with the beak mask, I passed through a vent-like door, greeted by a different atmosphere than my first visit.
Luxurious music, a subtle scent of alcohol, laughter, warmth…
And the fluffy guard dog.
"Hello, Lady Witch?"
The gray large dog sniffed me, wagging its tail elegantly once before turning to go inside.
The reimbursement process was simple.
An attendant holding a notebook approached to take my order and asked,
"Do you have a bet you wish to claim?"
"Yes. I participated in the bet for 'the couple who will have the first dance at Her Majesty the Queen's May banquet.'"
"Understood. I will check the results and provide your payout."
A moment later, I was handed a coin-sized metal token. The front side was embossed with a pattern resembling hardened lava.
"The physical coin is given as a souvenir. Even if you lose it, we can verify it through our internal records, so rest assured."
"Is there a deadline for claiming it?"
"If not collected within four weeks of the bet, we will retrieve the coin. Please be careful."
Four weeks—plenty of time. Maybe I should have come next week.
I sipped my non-alcoholic mojito and checked my right leg under the table. A faint tingling still lingered.
Damn cast!
I could walk, but…
The Skull Mask was here again this week.
What if it was Rick Ray?
If he notices I'm limping, he might figure out who I am.
It was best not to move much, so I sat at a nearby table.
The area around the cashier was filled with people who had just settled their bets, gossiping about the latest events.
Among all the chatter, the most interesting thing to me were the names I recognized.
"His Highness Tristan is really shameless. He abandoned his fiancée right in front of the Queen?"
"I heard the situation was strange back then."
"Yes, I heard it too! The young duke asked Maria to dance, but Maria was looking for His Highness, and His Highness rejected her, seeking out his fiancée instead."
"Hahaha! What kind of comedy is that? I must have heard wrong."
The person who spoke imagined the absurdity of the situation and burst out laughing. The person who had initially spoken, feeling wronged, raised their voice even higher.
"I swear it's true! The atmosphere there got weird, and the Queen intervened, ensuring that the debutante lady who was dancing that year would have priority."
As their voices grew louder, more people joined in, discussing what had happened at the banquet. "That's a family everyone knows, right? Really?" Someone raised their doubts.
"The situation is so awkward. Did someone interfere with the bet?"
"Are you suspecting the Queen?"
"One of the four who were spinning around might have been one of the bet participants."
Clunk, my heart almost dropped.
Another person tilted their head with curiosity.
"Yes, if it were a normal situation, he would have accepted the dance request, but if he rejected it for the bet…"
The slowly unfolding deduction game made my mouth dry.
The rule for being kicked out of the salon is if one of the bet participants is involved in the bet content. So, I could be confident in front of the manager.
But what should I do if the salon members try to figure out my identity like this?
Would the staff step in if I told them?
While I was thinking, the idle chatter of the people around me narrowed its focus.
"Last week, the person who bet on 'Maria and Tristan' was only one woman. If it was Maria herself, the refund wouldn't have been possible, so the remaining option is…"
"It must be His Highness's fiancée. That quiet woman. Her name was… Do… Dodo?"
"Ha! It wasn't such an interesting name. It was a simple name that matched her face perfectly."
At this point, I decided to make a move.
I spun around quickly and slammed my mojito glass onto the table, making a loud clunk.
"You're discussing such dull topics, gentlemen."
"Hm? Who are you?"
"I'm the one who bet on 'Maria and Tristan' at the May banquet."
"Ah…"
"If I'm the same person as the prince's fiancée, what will you do? I'm not even subject to the salon's rules. Are you planning to threaten me outside the salon?"
"That's not what I meant! I just…"
"Stop making excuses, your face behind the mask looks just as pitiful."
"Wha-what?!"
"Oops."
I ignored the man, whose face turned bright red with anger, and casually placed my good leg on the table. My bold attitude left the onlookers speechless.
The solution I quickly came up with was simple.
I would only act in ways that would never seem reasonable!
The role model was clear.
Natalie, give me strength!
I just had to act as rude as she would!
I resumed my attack, staring at the man in the mask.
"I've heard that the insults people throw reflect their own complexes. Did you say earlier that the fiancée's face was boring?"
"Huh? Well, that's not exactly wrong. Redfield's sisters are beauties, but the youngest is plain, right?"
"You seem to have carefully studied the face of a woman who barely ever appears at banquets. I'll give you praise for your great passion."
I clapped my hands. The man seemed at a loss for words.
"W-what did you say?"
"Hm? Didn't you understand? I was just praising you, since it seems that insulting others is your only accomplishment in life. Oh, it seems you're not used to being praised."
The man, either speechless or too embarrassed, couldn't say anything more and gasped for air. His face, visible beneath the mask, turned bright red.
I raised three fingers, and everyone's eyes, including the man in the mask, naturally turned toward me.
I bent one finger, finishing with a sentence that Natalie might have used.
"I'll give you three seconds to think of something to rebut. Don't try to laugh it off pretending you're holding back like a man, then go home and cry alone."
"…!"
The man's mask shook with the exhale from his nose. Was he really unable to respond? At this point, I figured it was enough, so I exaggeratedly lifted my skirt and curtsied. The jewelry on my red dress sparkled like stars.
"Interesting conversations are always welcome. Of course, they should be more valuable than a single drink to be worth my time!"
I laughed lightly and lowered my leg. A bit of an obnoxious gesture with my fan was an added touch.
With this, I didn't think I looked like Dorys Redfield.
Dory, thank you for living so quietly until now!
I glanced at the people who had been gossiping earlier through the fan. The man I had insulted was still fuming, but it looked like no one around him was supporting him.
After all, what good is becoming friends with someone with no information, no social skills, no awareness, and no courage in an anonymous salon?
Sigh…
My hands were shaking now.
Words can be so terrifying!
I took a deep breath and sipped my newly ordered drink to calm myself.
The next bet to be mentioned in high society would probably be that event, right?
The June hunting competition.