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The sound of soft music, laughter, conversation, and clinking of wine glasses was heard from afar.

 

Without realizing it, I was nervous and my heart started beating.

 

Asena was in the front. Keirsey was behind her, and after Keirsey, I followed.

 

From the garden to this place, I came arm in arm with the twins, but I ended up standing like this because of Asena’s words that were a little hard to understand…

 

The gatekeeper soon glanced at us from the top of the stairs.

 

Now, in just a few steps, we were going to step into the social world.

 

Asena turned to us.

 

No. She was looking at me precisely.

 

“…The goal is to stay quiet and come out. Don’t forget.”

 

I nodded.

 

For some reason, Keirsey did not nod her head. She just looked at me like Asena. It felt as if Asena’s words were spoken only to me.

 

Asena turned around and started walking up the stairs. We followed after her.

 

Soon, the gatekeeper introduced us with a loud voice and opened the door of the ballroom.

 

The music was heard more vividly. The rest of the sounds were silenced in an instant; everyone stopped what they were doing when the ‘Pryster family’ appeared.

 

I had to control my laughter in this situation; It literally felt like a villain had appeared.

 

The musician seemed to be paying attention to us as well, and the singing voice gradually faded away.

 

Conversely, the sound of Asena’s heels hitting the floor gradually grew louder.

 

And when she entered the center of the ballroom, she stopped.

 

Asena fully tolerated the gazes that were directed at us, took a glass of wine from the frozen waiter, and walked into the corner.

 

She didn’t say anything else.

 

Keirsey and I followed Asena; We took a glass of champagne and followed her to an inconspicuous spot.

 

As we entered the corner and sat down, the other sounds and the sound of music grew louder again.

 

We could feel the gazes on us, but we didn’t show that we were aware.

 

Asena kept a firm expression on her face. 

 

She didn’t seem to feel that much pressure.

 

She looked so natural that I wondered if she had a secret method.

 

On the other hand, Keirsey looked a little nervous.

 

Maybe it was because her face without a smile was unfamiliar to me. Because that's how much we usually laughed.

 

But… there was no reason not to laugh right now.

 

“…Keirsey.”

 

I leaned over as if I was going to say something important and whispered in her ear.

 

Keirsey looked at me once and answered with a serious expression.

 

“…Yes?”

 

“….You look beautiful.”

 

Then I quietly took a sip of my drink.

 

Keirsey’s expression softened in an instant. A natural smile and two cute dimples appeared on her face.

 

We laughed at the same time.

 

After all, I wanted to be someone my younger sister could rely on when she was nervous.

 

✧ ✧ ✧

 

It was clear that Asena's initial plan was a success and the power of the Pryster family was established.

 

As Asena said, there was no need to move; many nobles came one by one and introduced themselves.

 

Even though we were in the corner, people came constantly.

 

So many different people came and went… but I didn’t say a word. More precisely, I didn't get any chance to open my mouth

 

“…Tsk.”

 

Clicking my tongue, I picked up the glass and drank it.

 

Usually, Asena and Keirsey showed me aegyo in the front and ignored my efforts only behind the back. But today, I was surprised that the treatment towards me was more open than expected.

 

On the one hand, I thought I was an idiot for expecting anything else.

 

I tried to think positively when I came to prom.

 

Perhaps, the reason why they told me to stick with them was to introduce me to various families.

 

In any case, I was the champion of the jousting tournament, and I had built up that much status… I thought maybe they were proud of me.

 

But my expectations were shattered; as if I had become a shadow, I was sitting in the dark, sipping alcohol alone.

 

At first, I felt the atmosphere and enjoyed the music, but that was only for some time.

 

But not doing anything and only sitting behind the twins for so long made me bored.

 

Again, an unpleasant feeling squeezed my chest.

 

It was only a few days ago that I asked them to love me, so even if I tried to think positively, I couldn’t understand this situation.

 

The suspicion that they really wanted to leave me in a visible place and manage me… became certain.

 

It was like a puppy with a collar on it.

 

'Is this the strategy chosen for the family?'

 

I should believe it, but it seemed I couldn't.

 

Several people who came to say hello to Asena, Duchess of House Pryster, tried to greet me too, but they all gave up on seeing Asena’s glare.

 

As if I was standing behind them as a punishment, no one dared to initiate contact with me.

 

It was the moment when I became ‘Pryster’s abandoned adopted child’ again, not ‘the champion of the jousting competition’.

 

I kept getting drunk all the time.

 

This was the only thing I had to do, so I was already on the 5th glass.

 

As the night was deepening, my cheeks were getting red from drunkenness as well.

 

Asena and Keirsey were busy talking and left me alone.

 

Everyone danced to the music, said hello, and chatted together. Even Asena and Keirsey were talking to those approaching them. But I was sitting in the dark, quietly.

 

Of course, I knew Asena made a plan to stay quiet and leave… but only an idiot would believe it was made for the family.

 

I couldn’t understand how only I being the ghost in this gathering could help the family.

 

As I was patting the table with my fingers in the accumulating discontent, a girl approached me.

 

I think she was the third daughter of a certain countess.

 

“…What’s going on?”

 

Asena's cold question echoed in my and the unknown girl's ears.

 

The girl’s face was full of shame even when I looked at it. Her cheeks were dyed red, and her gaze wanders.

 

Asena and Keirsey changed their postures and covered me with their backs even more tightly.

 

“Ah… it’s that… The person I want to meet is… Cayden Pryster…”

 

As soon as my name came out of her mouth, my mind was blown. Because I had thought she would also back off like other nobles at Asena's unconcealed warning.

 

I took my mouth off the glass I was drinking and looked at the woman.

 

She wasn’t at the same level as twins, but she was a cute girl with an aura that she was raised as a flower.

 

Keirsey and Asena turned their heads and looked at me.

 

A smile began to spread across my face, which was hardened from the beginning.

 

I began to stand up from my seat.

 

'Okay. Finally, something to do—'

 

“—Oppa has nothing to talk to you about. Go back.”

 

I paused halfway at Asena’s words.

 

I looked at Asena, and wondered what was she talking about.

 

But she only showed me her back, seemingly intentionally not meeting my eyes.

 

“……”

 

I closed my eyes.

 

"Phew...'

 

'It’s hard to breathe... So exhausting.'

 

However, I couldn’t question Asena, the Duchess of the House, in front of the approaching girl, so I bit my lips and looked away.

 

Picking up the glass again, I poured the content into my mouth.

 

It might seem rude to this unknown girl, who reached out to me, but I couldn’t afford to smile and say sorry.

 

The girl hesitantly bowed in apology and went back.

 

At that moment, I grabbed Asena’s shoulder and bent her towards me.

 

“…What are you doing, Asena?” I whispered in her ear.

 

“…What?”

 

“You really don’t know..?”

 

“…..”

 

“…Why did you send back my guest?”

 

“Did Oppa know her?”

 

“…No...”

 

“Then did Oppa forget?”

 

“What?”

 

“We planned to stay quiet and leave.”

 

“Are you afraid I’ll start yelling while talking? I could have talked quietly with her.”

 

“…I don’t mean that, Oppa. How do you know what she was going to say? What if she made a scene?”

 

“I'm not an idiot, Asena… I would have responded appropriately.”

 

“…Okay, Oppa. I understand. But she’s already gone.”

 

“Are you trying to make me go crazy for some reason?”

 

“What are you talking about.”

 

“Phew…”

 

I put the glass down and the distinctive clear glass sound resounded.

 

I started to feel like an idiot.

 

“I’ll get some air and come back.”

 

Saying that I got up.

 

“Okay.”

 

Keirsey and Asena also stood up at the same time.

 

“…..”

 

Unless they wanted to manage me, what was the reason they were going this far?

 

Was I so unreliable?

 

I looked at them and swallowed.

 

Before the twins could follow, I moved on.

 

After passing the ballroom, I crossed the beautifully decorated hallway and moved to a place that gradually became quieter.

 

Some balconies already had students, so I headed to the farthest point.

 

And even here, two couples were chatting quietly while enjoying the night view. They looked at me and tried to talk again as if nothing had happened, but they stood upright because of the girls who followed me.

 

“Oppa, let’s go together.”

 

At the sound of Keirsey’s voice, the couple looked away and left. Soon there were only the three of us left on the balcony.

 

“Whoa…”

 

I take a deep breath of the cool night air and calmed my suffocating mind.

 

But my mouth opened before my mind could calm down.

 

“Am I so unreliable?”

 

“…Uh?”

 

“Are you ashamed of me?”

 

“Why do you think so, Oppa?” Asena asked firmly.

 

“Didn’t let anyone talk to me. Just made me sit behind you... Why are you doing this if you don't take me as unreliable?”

 

“It's because we planned to stay quiet and leave.”

 

“Since when did 'staying quiet and then leaving' mean sitting back and being a folding screen?”

 

Keirsey hesitated and answered.

 

“…Oppa, we planned everything for a reason... Does our Oppa not trust us…?”

 

“Haah...”

 

Perhaps I was going crazy, but I really didn’t understand.

 

'If you make me feel like an idiot just a few moments ago, and try to move on to aegyo now, how should I react?'

 

I was starting to feel like they were using aegyo as a weapon.

 

If they lost to me in words and reasoning, they showed aegyo to manipulate me.

 

I left the ballroom and came to the balcony, but I still felt like I was in prison. I wanted to be away from the twins for a while.

 

“…I’m going to the bathroom.”

 

They turned around at my words as if they wanted to follow me.

 

I couldn't keep quiet anymore.

 

“Am I a kid? Will you even follow me to the bathroom?”

 

At the words that were spat out like a warning, the two stood still. Before I could see their sad faces, I turned around and walked away.

 

And as soon as I got out of the balcony, for the first time, I slid back against the wall.

 

I didn’t really want to go to the bathroom anyway. I needed time to catch my breath.

 

So I sat down on the floor, put my elbows on the knees, and covered my face with both hands.

 

Why the road that seemed easy was so difficult?

 

I just wanted to be happy with my twins. I just wanted to prove myself by accumulating skills and being their support.

 

But it was so difficult because the twins’ evaluation of me was different from what I wanted.

 

They thought of me as a family blemish, someone who was to be hidden and was not good at going out.

 

Suddenly, I heard Keirsey’s voice.

 

“…It’s hard today.”

 

Her voice was almost like a sigh.

 

I held my breath and heard her speak again.

 

“…Today, Oppa seems to be having a hard time too.”

 

I slowly closed my eyes.

 

They knew I was having a hard time. They knew it and still pretended not to know.

 

Asena was still silent.

 

I didn’t know if she was replying by moving her head.

 

“…We shouldn't have let Oppa leave home and come to the academy... I’ve been starting to feel that way lately.”

 

My heart seemed to stop for a second.

 

Words that could hurt me began to be heard as soon as I disappeared.

 

There was no doubt that it was Keirsey’s voice.

 

My fists were clenched slowly. I didn't want to believe it initially. I was indeed skeptical, but I tried to push it away.

 

But it was clear now; they were thinking of me as a burden.

 

I was sure now that today's strategy was not for the family either. It was a strategy to hide and manage me.

 

Asena’s voice resounded.

 

“…Don’t say that in front of Oppa.”

 

“Of course. Why would I tell Oppa about these thoughts? But don’t you think the same as me?”

 

Asena’s answer was not heard, but I could infer Asena’s reaction from Keirsey's words that followed.

 

“Right? I knew Unnie would think so too. It’s just… how good it would be if he didn’t show up in front of others.”

 

If I tried to find the fortunate thing, was it that they were still taking care of my feelings? They didn’t say those things in front of me, after all. Was it because they still respected me?

 

“…”

 

A smirk came out in an instant.

 

Come to think of it, I was habitually trying to find the good things about twins even at this moment.

 

“…But Oppa looks pretty angry today, what should we do?" Again, it was Keirsey's voice.

 

“…It will be fine.”

 

Asena answered.

 

Even after hearing her, I doubted my ears.

 

What did her words mean? I wasn't fine at all.

 

Then, Keirsey cleared my doubts with a small laugh.

 

“…Hehe, right. Oppa said he would never hug me for the rest of his life, and in the end, he hugged me after 5 days.”

 

“…That's one more proof that Oppa definitely likes us.”

 

What they said was not wrong. However, from the point of view of the person who forgave them, these were very offensive words.

 

"Phew..."

 

I didn’t even know why I tried to forgive them. I was a fool.

 

Right. I forgave them because I loved them. It was sad that I had been using my emotions to think most of the time.

 

But it seemed like they thought of me as an emotionless person.

 

I think I endured a lot; First, it was Asena’s betrayal. The second was Keirsey’s betrayal. Thirdly... the betrayal of twins...

 

I stood up.

 

'Okay.'

 

To summarize, what I understood was this:

 

One: The twins don’t hate me.

 

I thought initially they just acted in front of me… but it didn’t seem to be the case.

 

The love I poured into raising them was not wasted. I was relieved somewhat to know the effort they made to hug me or the kisses they gave me on the cheek were not lies.

 

Two: But, they were ashamed of me.

 

It was also true that the two went around spreading lies, most likely to show others they didn't like me and consequently to not associate with me.

 

It was also true that they were expelling me from the family. Interfering with the jousting match and telling me to stay still at the prom, it seemed they wanted to kill me socially.

 

Was it such a great sin that a commoner had the Pryster surname? Because apart from that, I couldn't find another valid reason to be ashamed of me.

 

"Phew..."

 

It seemed that love had blinded my eyes all this time. Maybe twins had always been like this.

 

As the characters in the novel, were they just villains whom I could not change?

 

I suddenly lost my reason to try.

 

I had tried everything, but if they still wanted to hide me… I had nothing more to do.

 

If they were going to be ashamed of me in this way anyway, then I would do what I wanted.

 

Without asking for anything in return, I was determined to be their support.

 

It was so hard because my efforts weren't recognized.

 

This cowardly behavior of the twins came to me as a betrayal; they said they loved me in front of me, but behind me, they were ashamed of me and wanted me to vanish from everyone's eyes.

 

I groaned because of such a thought and re-entered the balcony.

 

Keirsey jumped on the spot in shock, and Asena’s head immediately turned towards me.

 

“Ah…Oh...Is Oppa here already?”

 

“Yes.”

 

I approached the twins with a bitter smile. Then, with my arms wide open, I embraced them.

 

Really… even after all these actions, it was amazing that I could find love for them in the corner of my heart. However...

 

Now I regretted the pain my love brought.

 

I’d not have this pain if I didn’t love them.

 

The saying - I love you so much it hurts - seemed to be true in my case.

 

“Oh, Oppa... Why all of a sudden?”

 

Keirsey struggled in surprise.

 

Asena stood still and hugged me quietly.

 

Then Asena whispered looking at Keirsey.

 

“...I told you, didn't I?”

 

It seemed like she was talking about what she said earlier that it would be fine.

 

Keirsey nodded her head.

 

'Did you act this way knowing that I’ll forgive you?'

 

The more I thought about it, the more it hurt.

 

Wetting my lips once, I opened my mouth.

 

“…I'm sorry about earlier. I must have been stressed by trying to stay still. That’s why you do politics, and I learn the sword, right?”

 

Keirsey continued to nod in my arms, and Asena made a suggestion to me.

 

“…Let’s go to a fun place next time. I'm sorry Oppa. Just be a little more patient today.”

 

I shook my head.

 

“No. It's okay. Oh, but kids...”

 

I pushed them out of my arms and gave them a sorry expression.

 

“…Ah… do you remember, we decided to dance together today?”

 

“That… that’s it. Oppa, I’m actually looking forward to it... I practiced quite a bit... Please dance with me before Unnie.”

 

Keirsey took my hand and said. Her eyes were twinkling.

 

Looking at Asena, she seemed to be expecting the same, even though she didn’t say anything.

 

As a noble girl, promising to dance with her at her first ball seemed to be a monumental event.

 

I clicked my tongue once and said.

 

“…Let’s do it next time. Not today. Okay?”

 

Keirsey blinked her bright eyes once or twice, showing a look of disappointment.

 

Asena's expression didn’t change much, but her face seemed to have stiffened a bit.

 

But they didn’t say anything else to me.

 

Earlier I thought I didn't want to dance with them because I was angry.

 

But on thinking further, this wasn’t about canceling the dance promise out of revenge. I just had no reason to dance with someone ashamed of me.

 

“Understood?”

 

“……”

 

I asked Keirsey again, who was gloomy without letting go of my hand.

 

“…Understood?”

 

On asking again, she just nodded without a word.

 

Asena closed her eyes a couple of times and said it was okay.

 

Then, we went back to the ballroom. Where the atmosphere was still warm.

 

I could see that various relationships were made here and there.

 

The twins were returning to their corner seats naturally. But I turned around to look for someone.

 

And the moment that person caught my eye, I went straight ahead without hesitation.

 

“...Oppa?”

 

I heard Keirsey’s puzzled voice from behind, but I pretended I didn't hear it.

 

With the goal in my sight, I walked with a confident stride, grabbed a drink, and continued forward.

 

My actions drew the students' attention who were nearby.

 

—"Uh, where is he going?"

 

—"I thought he was just going to drink and sit in the corner tonight."

 

Finishing the drink while walking, I set the empty glass down on the table without stopping even for a second.

 

Just like when the 'Pryster' family first entered the ballroom, the space instantly became quiet.

 

—"Huh?…Huh?"

 

—"Wow… Is he going to do that? So romantic..!"

 

Smart people didn’t block my way.

 

Soon the way opened, and she was at the end, sitting with her friends and blinking her eyes at me.

 

I reached my hand out to her.

 

“Daisy Hexter. Will you dance with me?”

 

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