[TKOSINM] 270 – The True Culprit

“At that time, I was alone in this Grand Duchy, and Count Rixis and Ascardo were isolating me. Moreover, if I said that I had seen Count Rixis while I was being accused of being the culprit, it was clear that no one would believe me. Rather, it must have been accepted as a lie to get rid of the frame. So I didn’t tell anyone. Not to mention Tom.”

“...But why are you telling it to me?”

Hearing Irene’s question, Noel watched her silently. After a moment, he replied with a soft smile.

“Because I was convinced that you would believe me, just as I would absolutely believe what you would say.”

“....”

“Is it not?”

”...that’s right.”

Even though it seemed like he was compelling her, he was right. Fuu, Irene sighed and suddenly remembered when she first met Ascardo.

Noel was very wary of Ascardo at that time. At the time, she thought that Ascardo was the antagonist of Noel, but now she thought she understood why.

Suddenly, sadness flooded in.

“…you must have been very frustrated.”

“I was sad and angry… I suffered a lot by myself.”

How frustrating it must have been to be accused of being the culprit even though it wasn’t something he did and unable to tell the truth. -Even though he knew the truth. Just imagining it made Irene’s heart ache.

Noel looked at Irene briefly with her sad expression, and with a light smile, reached out and stroked her hair.

“As you said, Irene, it was tough back then, but now it’s okay. Even if I return to that situation, I can survive because you are here. This is how I met you, Irene. I feel rewarded for the time.”

”…Noel.”

“With you, I can spend more lonely and sick times. As long as I am certain that I can meet you, Irene, I can go back to that situation again and again.”

“So, please don’t leave me alone.”

At the sound of his sincere voice, which expressed his deepest feelings, Irene lowered her gaze. She then parted her lips happily.

“How amazing.”

“What?”

“The fact that you were thinking the same thing as me….”

Irene grabbed his large hand as she placed it to her head. She gently kissed the back of his hand. As Noel looked at her with startled eyes, Irene put a small smile on her face.

She couldn’t stand the behaviour she usually would not have dared to do, but because she loved Noel, who also loved her.

“So do I.”

”...Irene.”

“If only I could see Noel again, I would be happy to go back to her past. Rather, I would enjoy each day as I wait for the day. I will meet Noel. That’s how much I like Noel.”

As her awkward words became natural, Irene, who was clumsy in expressing her affection, was now able to express her affection naturally because she received so much love from the Duke. From Noel. She received something she’d never received before.

Every day that went by, she wanted to remind herself how wonderful and precious he was to her, and she wanted to confess her love by kissing his lips. She didn’t even have time to think, and she just wanted to focus on Noel.

“But I don’t want Noel to go back to that time. I don’t want Noel to get hurt even for a second.”

”...so do I.”

Noel answered Irene’s words in a deep voice. He straightened his upper body and kissed Irene’s lips.

Irene closed her eyes at the soft touch.

Yes, she only hoped this time would last. That was Irene’s greatest wish.

***

When evening came, the estate was very dark. As there are no glow stones floating today, she had to carry a lamp to see ahead. However, thanks to Noel and Louiselle’s excellent eyesight, Irene could get on the carriage safely without a ramp.

Since the Masquerade emphasised anonymity thoroughly, no patterns were inscribed on the carriage. The mask was also melded together to cover the entire face and even the colour of the hair.

It was not a big problem because it was not a striking colour like the royal blonde.

“Louiselle, aren’t you frustrated?”

Irene asked Louiselle, who was sitting next to her. Louiselle decided to attend today’s ball as Irene’s escort. However, her escort was not allowed to enter the ballroom, so she was also wearing a mask and a dress.

Irene was worried that her clothes would be tighter than usual and that Louiselle would be uncomfortable, but Louiselle shook her head as if telling her not to worry.

“I’ve been to several parties so far, so this is no big deal. However, I am concerned that the attack range is narrowed because I can only carry a dagger with these outfits. So, Madame, you must not step away from me for a moment.”