An invitation to the ball has arrived.
At dinner, where all the mansion people except Cellu were gathered, Erina handed an invitation to Eve. Cellu liked to eat in the swimming pool, so she rarely joined them for als. Eve, who had been tearing a piece of bread, took the invitation, glanced at the cover, and asked Erina.
"Is this for ?"
"To be precise, it's a letter for the Lord, but must I attend the ball under Lusius's official title? Besides, the ball is still a long way off."
"Then you can just tell my husband about it later. Why are you telling now?"
Eve asked as she dipped her bread in the soup again. It was a question of pure intent, with no particular desire to start a quarrel. Because if the ball was still a long way off, there was truly no reason to inform Eve about it.
"I have to sign the ball invitation to confirm attendance, but I can't be the one to sign it. This is, after all, a ball you'll be attending, is it not?"
Eve shook her head in response. Her expression showed her reluctance.
"I'm not going. Ask Sieri."
"Sieri the nun? Why is Sieri the nun being brought up?"
"Didn't you know? She's a wife too."
".....He committed polygamy?"
"Yeah, legally. I'm the first wife. Sieri is the second wife. We just signed the docunts and didn't have a wedding ceremony, so almost no one in this territory knows."
"To not have a wedding ceremony. Lusius is quite the cruel fellow."
Eve flared up at Erina's thoughtless remark. From Eve's perspective, Erina was the very person who had sent Lusius to a foreign land.
"What nonsense. Fuck, we were about to have the wedding, and then you sent him on a business trip to the Northern Region with your pregnancy attack."
"A-A pregnancy attack! I only sent him to fulfill his duty as part of the Hero's Party!"
Erina, seemingly pricked by her conscience, blushed as she made her excuse. Eve chewed and swallowed her bread, then casually drew the knife she had placed beside her. Erina's face was reflected on the sharp, blue blade. Erina flinched at the sudden action and leaned back against her chair.
During her pregnancy, she hadn't been able to move properly, so a considerable gap in skill had opened up between Eve and Erina. While Erina was in recuperation, Eve, for her part, had been diligently continuing her training with Elsi. She bared her sharp teeth and confronted Erina.
"This fucking bitch has a fucking shitty mouth. Hey, you fucking raggedy bitch. You think I can't kill a fucking pregnant woman? Should I split open that belly of yours today and give you a mother-child reunion? You, fucker, if my husband cos back with a single arm or ear missing, I'll cut off the sa parts from you, so you better pray every night. Got it?"
"You fish bastard, you don't know your place..... Mph! Mph!"
"P-Please stop fighting."
"Getting a pregnant woman angry is bad for her health. Eat your food ekly."
Sieri carefully made Eve sheathe her knife, and Elsi covered Erina's mouth. Erina struggled for a mont before bowing her head and becoming quiet. Eve put her knife away and tore into her bread again.
Co to think of it, Eve wasn't wrong. Erina thought so too. She had been hasty and sent another's husband to a foreign land, so it was a matter Eve had every right to be angry about. Erina, who had been silent, was the first to speak.
"......Regarding the wedding, I spoke out of turn. I am sorry."
"What's this? An apology from you."
Eve retorted indifferently. Eve also thought for a mont, then added.
"You know I wasn't being sincere about splitting open your belly, right?"
"And, the part about cutting up....."
"That part was sincere."
"You insolent beast! You animal!"
At Eve's words, Erina's face flushed red again as she flared up. Elsi stopped her from getting up from her seat, while Aira and Soya were eating their al on pins and needles. They never got used to these altis.
Eve snickered at that and looked at Sieri. Sieri, who had been fidgeting anxiously, worried they would fight again, flinched and shrank back slightly when her eyes t Eve's. Eve asked.
"So, are you going to the ball?"
"Huh? No. The, the ball is a bit....."
"What's wrong with the ball?"
"Many high-ranking people will be there, so if soone like goes..... wouldn't it be a bit much?"
"Why you? You're a normal person with all your arms and legs."
"Th-That's not the problem."
"Then what is the problem? What do you think those people will say if I go with my scaled legs? You think I'll tolerate that? If you don't want to see a ball massacre incident, then you're going, got it?"
"D-Do.... Do I have to go?"
Sieri looked at Erina. Erina tapped her lips in thought, then opened her mouth.
"This ball is hosted by the royal palace, so you should assu that any lord of the kingdom is practically required to attend. Lusius didn't participate in the last royal palace ball because he was unmarried, but this year, he has a wife.
Even if I refuse now, another invitation will just arrive. Isn't Lusius a celebrity who defeated the Demon King with AA and succeeded in the search for the Holy Sword? The royal palace will absolutely want to invite him. If we refuse, they'll bother us to no end, so it's better to say yes now and prepare at a leisurely pace for a month."
"What a pain. And they don't give you fucking anything for it."
As Eve grumbled, Erina scolded her in a stern voice.
"Do not forget that Lusius used all the rights he was owed to get you a pardon. A pleasure-seeking rapist murderer, even a human one, is not usually pardoned."
"I know. I know."
Eve sounded annoyed, but didn't argue further with Erina's words. However, she still pouted her lips slightly and added.
"Still, it's fucking annoying."
"As I thought, it's better if Ms. Eve goes instead of ...."
Eve scolded the still-unconfident Sieri once more.
"No, Sieri. If I go, all hell will break loose, you hear ? Fuck, didn't you hear that Grand Duke's son, that bastard, call a fish prostitute? On top of that, I'm one-eyed, so the mont I get there, I'll just hear all sorts of weird shit, I'm telling you."
"But....."
Eve's other eye moved toward Sieri, having lost its focus. No one in this mansion knew why Eve had beco one-eyed. Cellu might have known, but she too had never spoken about why Eve beca one-eyed.
"It's fine. It's fine. You can go, wear a pretty ball gown, and eat delicious food. Hmm? How great is that."
"O-Okay."
As Eve kept pushing, Sieri had no choice but to nod in understanding. Sieri really didn't want to go. She especially hated things like balls. She was a person far removed from such splendor. She couldn't dance well, and she was a person far removed from elegant conversation or refinent. Sieri was worried that she would just be a nuisance to Lusius.
Erina, thinking the situation was more or less settled, took out so other letters.
"A letter ca for you. It's from the Information Guild."
"Information Guild?"
Eve took the letter. Seeing her tilt her head at the ntion of the Information Guild, it seed she didn't rember what it was either. After taking the letter and unfolding it, Eve nodded and exclaid as if she'd rembered sothing.
"Ah, fuck, that's right. I asked them to find that bastard of a dad. The results are in."
Eve read down the letter, nodding seriously. Elsi asked.
"rmaid. Father a rmaid?"
"No. My father's a human. The fucking bastard. He was a sexual deviant who even fucked rmaids. That fucking bastard probably would've tried to fuck too if I had gotten a little older."
Eve, even after saying it herself, seed to feel sothing was off, and she frowned in thought for a mont before muttering.
"Is my husband a worse bastard? No, fuck, there must be so kind of difference, but I can't tell what it is."
"So what are you going to do when you et your father?"
Erina asked. She was looking at Eve with a very serious expression. Eve said.
"What do you an, what am I going to do? I have to kill him. I was really just going to kill him, but... fuck, it says he's already dead?"
Eve clicked her tongue in annoyance. According to the Information Guild's docunt, a slave trader whose personal details exactly matched those of Eve's father had been brutally murdered in a slave rebellion in March of the year before last. Eve tore up the letter and casually threw it on the floor.
"Fuck, nothing ever goes right."
"rmaid. Father is dead?"
"Yeah."
"That's a pity."
"What is?"
"Didn't you say your father died? My mother also died, so I know that pain. Beastfolk mourn the death of their family. Is it not the sa for rmaids?"
"Uh..... well, I guess we mourn?"
"I see. That's a pity."
".....Thanks, I guess."
Eve awkwardly accepted the condolences. Erina added.
"It is fortunate you did not beco a murderer. Killing a resident of another territory would make things too complicated."
"That's true too."
For once, Eve agreed with Erina's words. She still had an uneasy expression, unable to properly finish her revenge. She nudged the torn paper with her foot and muttered.
"I wonder if he had a wife and children?"
"Stop right there. How far are you planning to go with the killing?"
Erina scolded Eve once more. Eve nodded at her words and decided to put aside the plan to find his wife and children. If she kept expanding her targets for revenge like this, there would be no end.
"So, when exactly is the date of the ball?"
Just as Erina was about to look at the invitation again to check the date, the restaurant door opened and Robin entered. Robin, who had been on duty on the outskirts of the mansion today, entered the restaurant holding a crystal ball and a letter.
"Greetings to the Lord's Deputy."
"What is it?"
Compared to their very bad first eting, Robin treated Erina with utmost courtesy. Robin said.
"This letter and crystal ball were left in front of the mansion's main gate. The Lord's Deputy's na was written on the letter, so I have brought it to you."
"My na?"
Erina took the letter and looked at the cover. The handwriting written there was that of soone Erina knew very well.
"A-AA!"
"What? Who?"
Eve stood up from her seat with a surprised face. Elsi also stood next to Erina and looked at the letter. When Elsi frowned, Erina asked.
"Do you know how to read?"
"I do not."
"Look closely. The owner of this handwriting is my husband, AA. He is a very brave and gallant person. He has sent this letter for , who he was worried about."
"What about my husband?"
Eve ca up next to Erina and asked about Lusius's whereabouts. Erina tore open the envelope and said in a bright voice.
"Surely it will be written in the letter as well, won't it? Let's read it first and then think. That seems for the best."
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