The Princess and the Duke had already departed, returning inside the castle to await the arrival of the fifth dance and leaving the social floor back to the guests.
The problem was, after such an explosive scene, no one had any interest in socializing anymore; everyone was talking about one single topic.
Lynch Levive.
His presence had completely stolen the ball's spotlight, even eclipsing the shock of the twenty-thousand-pound gift Her Highness Princess Sophia had brought.
For a time, his fame stood unmatched.
The nobles discussed where the Valente family had caught wind of this and when they had begun laying their plans—even casting their eldest daughter out as bait to reel the nobility's sole rising star into their camp. Such breathtaking methods, sheer audacity, and extraordinary foresight made them role models for everyone.
The wealthy tycoons speculated on just what incredible achievements Mr. Lynch Levive had accomplished to make the stubborn... no, composed King and the old fossils of the House of Lords relent. Room for upward mobility was opening up. It was a signal that offered hope for the future, igniting an excited gleam in everyone's eyes.
Men recounted stories of Lynch from the moment of his birth all the way to last night's dinner, each describing every detail with such vivid flair that they seemed to know him better than the transmigrator knew himself.
As for the women... Ah, he was so handsome. Ah, he was so manly. Ah, his dance with the Princess was so magnificent. Ah, why did he dance with that noblewoman? I dance so much better than her. Ah, for the next dance, I must dance with him too... Wait, where did he go?
And so, the beautiful, lovely ladies and young misses suddenly discovered to their astonishment that the freshly minted star of the ball had vanished.
Every social banquet had its most prominent star who would be fawned over by all, basking in the admiring gazes of men and the water-soft, tender looks of noblewomen and young ladies—with all sorts of unspoken, subtle developments to follow once the party ended.
This was a shining highlight that any man would relish immensely. Yet today's protagonist had suddenly disappeared, nowhere to be found even beside Miss Valente.
When acquaintances privately went to ask, the count's daughter merely smiled without a word, her expression poised and her words proper, yet the look in her eyes seemed to say: “Just treat him as dead. He died horribly—so shattered you couldn't even piece him back together.”
The guests were thoroughly baffled. In the end, they could only speculate that he had been whisked away by the Princess and the Duke for a secret discussion. Resigned to the situation, they had no choice but to resume the ball with lingering reluctance.
Cue the music, keep on dancing.
Yet not everyone was chasing after news of Lynch Levive.
In the backyard of the Governor's Mansion, someone lingered far away from the crowd, boredly kicking the gravel on the ground.
A long black dress, a tall and slender figure, wavy flaxen-blonde hair, and a sword that never left her side.
Officer Natalie's movements were very light and gentle—yet with a loud bang, a kicked pebble pierced clean through a tree.
“Roar~~”
The lions, tigers, and bears in their cages shivered violently in fright, pressing themselves desperately against the back of their enclosures as if trying to squeeze out. The herbivores curled into tight balls, whimpering softly. Tonight was simply far too hostile for them.
“You stupid beasts, you must all be male. Caging you up is exactly where you belong so you don't run around hurting people! What are you looking at? Got a problem with that?”
“Awoo...” They continued to shiver.
“Smart move. If you dare complain, today will be your last day as male beasts.”
Shaking her fist at the terrified, despairing beasts, Officer Natalie finally spared the innocent animals. Under their tearful gazes, she turned and stomped away, her high heels thudding heavily against the ground as though someone were lying beneath her feet.
In reality, she truly was on patrol.
After watching Lynch's shining moment, the moment the investiture ended and the shrieks of the surrounding noblewomen and young ladies erupted, she had begun inspecting the venue—especially the expansive lawn and the wild beasts in the backyard.
This area was a primary focus for the Watchers. If one of these beasts accidentally escaped to the front, things would get far too lively.
“Hmph, a bunch of people who've never seen a man before, doing nothing but shrieking their heads off.” Officer Natalie kicked another small stone, her gentle kick nearly causing a sonic boom. “And that kind of man—what’s so great about that kind of man anyway? Weak, poor, uncouth, eyes glued all day to landladies or princesses, not even sparing cultists! Hmph, and that woman too... Is there any need for you all to get so worked up? It’s useless getting excited. Bastard Lynch, bastard detective, sooner or later I’ll lock you up behind bars so you can't go around harming... Who's there?!”
Officer Natalie’s gaze suddenly sharpened. Moving like lightning, she dashed into the dark grass, hoisted a shadowy figure clean out, and slammed him straight into the dirt. Digging her knee into his back while twisting his arm and pinning his head, she held him down firmly.
“Police! I'm arresting you on charges of trespassing the Duke's mansion with intent to assassinate! You’d better resist on the spot—if not, you’d better confess your crimes honestly!”
“Ow, ow, ow! My arm, my arm is breaking!” The shadowy figure was a young man, crying out aggrievedly, “I didn't trespass! I’m a guest, my invitation was left in the front, I just didn't carry it on me. I only heard there were tigers in the backyard—really fierce ones, the kind that eat people—so I came over to take a look!”
“Huh? Didn't you see them this afternoon? And you want to watch tigers eat people? Eat who? Are you going to feed yourself to the tigers?”
“No, no, I wanted to see man-eating tigers, not watch tigers eat people! Don't scare me!”
“Who's scaring whom? Nonsense.”
Seeing his rookie demeanor and reasonably coherent explanation, Officer Natalie found it hard to continue roughing him up. Reluctantly, she hauled him up to his feet and examined him under the distant lights.
A strange fellow.
A chubby young man with a round face and round eyes, his soft short hair clinging limply to his head. He looked rather gentle and cute, exuding an utterly harmless air.
He wore an odd outfit, somewhat like casual modern clothes, but in a style and fabric she had never seen before. On his feet was a bizarre pair of rubber-soled shoes that looked stiflingly hot just to look at.
In his hands, he was actually clutching a bottle of red wine and a paper bag. The bag was stuffed full with unknown contents, which he hadn't even let go of while his arm was being twisted earlier.
Seeing the dim-witted, silly grin on his face, an inexplicable flare of irritation surged within Officer Natalie, making her want nothing more than to kick him. Even so, maintaining her professional composure, she glared menacingly at the little fatty. “Speak clearly. What do you intend to do with all this stuff... Wait. You're not a guest. I never saw you among the guests.”
Even as she spoke, she drew her sword and rested it directly against his neck. “Speak! What is your objective? Why sneak out right at this moment? Are you trying to unleash the wild beasts to disrupt the investiture ceremony up front? Speak!”
The young man blinked in surprise, then immediately shouted with an aggrieved whine, “I really was invited! There are so many guests, you couldn't possibly remember what every single person looks like! What do you want me to say?”
“Hmph, but I can remember every guest's appearance. Don't try to make excuses, I—”
Just as Officer Natalie was about to rough him up again, she suddenly realized something was off about his reaction earlier. Narrowing her eyes in thought, she closed the distance in a flash and yanked open his collar.
A strange necklace hung around his neck.
Glaring sidelong at him until cold sweat beaded on his forehead, Officer Natalie raised an eyebrow. “A guest?”
He nodded vigorously.
“To see really fierce tigers?”
His gaze drifted, eyes darting left and right.
Officer Natalie suddenly broke into a radiant smile. “Do you want to see tigers eat people?”
He shook his head frantically, sweat pouring down his forehead.
“Well, I do.” Her smile suddenly turned sinister as Officer Natalie lunged viciously. “Lynch Levive, I hereby sentence you to one hundred death penalties on charges of mocking a police officer—effective immediately!”
“Aaaah! I’m not Lynch, I’m just a passerby! Help! A Watcher officer is assaulting an innocent!”
Amidst the pitiful shrieks, the caged beasts grew all the more terrified, curling into even tighter balls.
Rate on N.U.
