Coincidentally, his father’s fiftieth birthday celebration took the form of a masquerade ball. For once, Carlyle could enjoy the celebration without being recognized and ridiculed for what he was. He just had to make sure to change his appearance a little. After all, there weren’t many nobles with black eyes and black hair aside from Carlyle himself.

He went to the masquerade ball with blonde hair and green eyes, the exact shade was his brother’s. 

It was easy to spot Lorelai in a crowd. Her mask didn’t do much to hide her identity. She should have worn a wig too. And she was dressed in the Ashburn color. Maybe she intended to be recognized. After all, most powerful nobles want to be recognized, even during a masquerade ball. And Lorelai did promise him one dance too, so she must be trying to make it easier for him to find her.

“Hello, lovely lady.” Carlyle tapped on her shoulder when he approached her from behind. “I almost couldn’t recognize you without your uniform.”

Lorelai whirled around, suddenly alert. Carlyle had masked his presence with mana so not even the sharpest swordsman could see him coming. Lorelai was no exception. 

Carlyle can’t help but notice her hand move discreetly toward her side, as if reaching for a sword. He fought the urge to smile when he realized that Lorelai, the girl who followed the law so closely, actually dared to bring a weapon to an imperial event without permission. If she had received permission, she wouldn’t have hidden the blade as she was doing now.

“Did you bring a weapon here?” Carlyle lowered his voice as he whispered to her incredulously.

It took Lorelai a moment to recognize him. She was perceptive, somehow seeing through changes he made to his hair and eyes. 

“Oh, it’s you, Your Highness.”

“Answer the question.”

A gleam of defiance entered Lorelai’s blue eyes. “So what if I did, Your Highness?”

This time, Carlyle couldn’t stop his laughter. “That’s amazing, lovely lady. You really are something.”

Lorelai scowled at him. “Lovely lady? What’s up with that name?”

Carlyle wiped away a tear that had come out from laughing so hard. “I thought we were pretending not to recognize each other.”

Lorelai rolled her eyes. “Oh, very funny, Your Highness. If I knew we were going to do that, I would have worn a wig. Then your charade would have been more believable.”

This girl never failed to surprise him. She actually treated him with real respect and not mockingly like most nobles did. She treated him as an actual person, a human being, and not a monster.

Lorelai took his hand as they headed to the dancing floor for the next dance. 

At that moment, Carlyle came to the realization that he hadn’t practiced dancing in years. He took dancing lessons from his tutor as it was part of the imperial etiquette training, but his tutor hadn’t been of the highest quality. After all, what good tutor would serve a mage?

Lorelai seemed to notice the gap in his skills and hurriedly took the lead.

“I can’t believe it. Why did you ask me to dance when you couldn’t even dance, Your Highness?”

Carlyle flushed with embarrassment. “I wasn’t really thinking straight.”

She clicked her tongue at him.

Luckily, under Lorelai’s skilled guidance, Carlyle managed not to make a fool of himself.

Too soon, the song came to an end. 

“Now we are done, correct?” Lorelai asked as the two stepped off the dance floor.

Carlyle felt disappointment well up in him. He desperately tried to think of another way to prolong her presence at his side.

“Won’t you join me at the terrace for a quick break?”

He expected her to reject his invitation. He expected her to want to leave him as soon as possible.

But she didn’t. She even took the lead and picked out the terrace herself. 

Carlyle followed her, stunned into silence at her response. As soon as they were out of everyone’s sight, both of them removed their masks from their faces. Carlyle also released the magic that was changing his appearance. 

“This is my favorite terrace.” Lorelai told him as she leaned on the balcony rails. “The entrance is located in a place where people rarely pass by, so most people don’t use this one. Also, isn’t the view beautiful?”

The terrace overlooked the pond in the royal garden. The full moon was high in the night sky, and its reflection on the water surface sparkled like stars.

“Yes, it is.” Carlyle responded, but he wasn’t admiring the scenery. He was too busy staring at Lorelai, trying to figure out why she was being so nice to him and why she seemed to be sparkling in his eyes. It must be the moonlight.

Lorelai didn’t seem to notice him staring. She was too busy gazing at the moonlit scene. Was she saying something? Oh, she’s talking to him.

“...rumors said, Your Highness.”

“What was that?” Carlyle missed most of what she said.

She turned to him again, her cheeks slightly pink. “Don’t make me repeat that again.”

He wished he had paid closer attention.

“I was too busy staring at the moon and didn’t catch your words. Honestly.”

“I said, you’re nothing like what the rumors said, Your Highness.”

“Ah.” Why did he say that? He was supposed to say something smooth. Something charming. Theodore could have done better.

But her words were supposed to be positive, right? Does that mean she has a good opinion of him?

“You don’t have to address me as Your Highness in private. Please call me Carlyle.” Yes, that was better.

Lorelai smiled. Before she could say anything else in response, they were interrupted by a scream.

Carlyle and Lorelai immediately raced back into the ballroom. To their horror, the emperor had collapsed on the ground, vomiting blood and seizing.

Lorelai gasped in horror. 

“Father!” Carlyle raced to his father’s side, but he was blocked by the guards, who had just entered the scene.

“Don’t come closer, Carlyle!” Theodore commanded. He had also removed his mask. “Leave the physician to do their stuff!”

Theodore grabbed his arm and yanked him away from their father’s side as the physicians hurried onto the scene.

“What’s going on? What happened to Father?” Carlyle tugged at Theodore’s sleeves.

“He took a drink of wine and then that happened.” Theodore’s face twisted into a grimace. “You saw for yourself.”

“Someone poisoned the emperor?” Carlyle couldn’t believe it. Did his father somehow drink the wine that was intended for Carlyle? Because he can’t imagine why someone would poison the emperor. Carlyle was the hated one, not the emperor.

“It seems that way.” Theodore’s eyes roamed over him. “Why are you here, Carlyle?”

Carlyle snapped out of his shock at his brother’s question. “What?”

“Why are you here? You don’t normally attend balls.”

“It’s a masquerade ball, brother.” Carlyle reminded him. “The nobles can’t bother me if they don’t recognize me. Up until a short while ago, I was in disguise.” And he was with Lorelai.

Lorelai, where was she? Carlyle whirled around and spotted Lorelai comforting her best friend, Geneva Winscroft, who was clearly distraught by the scene. Clearly, Geneva had a weaker mentality than Lorelai. 

Relieved that she wasn’t hurt, Carlyle focused on his father again. To his horror, the physicians stepped back and shook their heads.

“It was a fast acting poison.” They explained. “The emperor was gone before we could even arrive at the scene.”

Theodore’s face darkened. “Everyone! Get lost! This celebration is over!”

Carlyle couldn’t stop staring at his father’s body. His father, who always appeared so strong in life, seemed so much smaller in death.

How did things turn out this way?