<strong>Chapter 95</strong>
Proofreader: somnium Society
Golden liquor poured out from the fountain installed in the middle of the banquet hall.
Peopleughed at the drizzles of alcohol rubbing against them and avoided the fountain. A group of young men lifted up a woman and headed to the fountain.
“Wait! Wait! Are you really going to put me in there?”
“Did you not call for a bet earlier? You said you were going into the fountain.”
“I wasn’t saying I was going to get drunk!”
“If you fall into a fountain outside, you freeze to death.”
“I’m going to be drunk… kyaak!”
The young men threw the woman into the fountain without hesitation.
The light-colored dress sucked the liquor and turned it yellow. The woman crawled out of the fountain and threw off her shoes.
“Suck my toes!”
One of the young men knelt in front of the woman, as soon as the words were over, andughter burst out.
No one was upset that she had ruined the alcohol. There were only victims one after another.
Peopleughed as if it was something really funny. Then, instead of dipping a ss in the fountain, they drank alcohol that flowed from the top.
Food was piled up everywhere.
The sound of the band’s performance was buried inughter and promiscuous jokes. Even though it was close to midnight, the candles were lit so brightly that it looked like broad daylight.
Thin silk draperies hung from the ceiling were lit up and shone like jewels. Young beautiful women wearing butterfly-shaped masks that cover only their eyes, holding the veil and dancing, went round and round. At first nce, the men were struggling by a glimpse of their appearance.
Among them, the most beautiful was Mira in a golden dress.
Even if she covered half her face with a mask, her appearance was unique. The mask, decorated with gold and precious stones, was gorgeous, but the jaw line and the mouth exposed under it were much more beautiful.
Her head, raised to reveal the nape of her neck, was decorated with diamonds, shining every time she moved. It looked brighter when the light of the diamond shined on the skin, which was naturally white and lively.
Mira was a beauty sitting on thep of the Emperor. But the Emperor was not a power over her, for her beauty alone was enough to be the queen.
Even by a tweak of her finger, worshipers rushed in. Behind her, there were a lot of men who would throw their bodies in front of her, even if she criticized and mocked them, if they could brush their hands on Mira’s hand, even if it robbed them of their fortune.
“Liquor! Sweet!”
As soon as Mira shouted in her cheerful voice, more than ten sses of sweet rose wine and honey were served out.
An anticipation-filled gaze turned to Mira. Because she repeated twice that she would dance with the person who brought her favorite drink.
With an arrogant gaze, Mira looked at the sses one by one.
And she gently found a jewel in thest cup held from behind as the owner wrapped her body.
“Ho.”
Therge ruby ??contained in the white wine reflected red light, turning the ss pink. Even if the pearls were melted and made into a drink, it wouldn’t have been nicer than this.
“Oh, it’s difficult.”
Mira pushed the cup with her hand. She smiled at the man standing behind it.
Of course it was the Emperor. He was wearing a white mask that covered his entire face, and his clothes were something in and modest.
But no one else knew who he was. Who dared to wrap up Mira’s body so naturally?
However, Mira, who pretended to not know him, slipped out of his arms. It’s obvious who’s who, but at a masquerade, it’s aw to pretend you don’t know.
The Emperor followed her in a rxed footsteps.
“Wouldn’t you dance with me when you get a pleasing drink?”
“I didn’t take it.”
“I have to force myself to get it.”
Like a mermaid, Mira roamed inside the banquet hall. A silk veil curled around her body like a wave of water.
The Emperor stretched out his hand as if he was anxious at her moving away in a distance to not get caught.
Mira sneaked up on him. The Emperorughed and flipped the wine ss over her shoulder. The ruby went into Mira’s clothes.
The women holding the veil covered the two with it.
Anyway, the banquet itself was created for the Emperor’s entertainment.
The Emperor held a banquet for Mira, but all the banquets he attended became a banquet for the Emperor. Even more so if it was opened for pleasure and entertainment.
Everyone looked away from the couple without knowing.
Mira’s hand came out of the veil. Then she squeezed the wrist of one of the women holding the veil.
The gaze from the crowd gathered, turned to the woman and then fell again. Soon the woman was dragged into the veil.
***
Rye sat at a table on the second floor of the banquet hall, looking down at the scene.
‘This is a struggle.’
He may not be the only one who felt that way.
All the luxuries and depravities of the world were in this banquet hall.
Rye has lived a life that is not very clean. He killed, bought and sold people for money. If only his family and his colleagues were okay, the lives of other humans were casually thrown into the pit.
It was such a degenerate banquet hall that all the corruption he had seen and suffered up to this time felt light.
However, perhaps minute-by-minute, gold coins were disappearing in this luxurious depravity seemed like an impulse to live disappearing in the slums where he had lived.
Last night, Mira came to visit him with a pale face.
[“Is it really true that there are no spirits in this mansion, Master?”]
[“What are you so afraid of?”]
Rye said, embarrassingly.
He did well as the necromancer that Artizea demanded.
He did a little too well. Mira was thinking that he was really a psychic with great powers.
Once she started believing, the more Rye denied, the stronger Mira’s faith became. She called Rye a master and admired him.
Rye’s room was also assigned in the Rosan mansion. Even though he refused a few times to no avail, Mira asked him to stay there.
The butler who now manages the Rosan mansion was the one chosen by the Emperor’s attendant. Because Mira believed in him, he didn’t drive him out. However, the butler didn’t hide the sign that he would catch the trick and y along until this scammer showed a slip.
Rye was anxious and ufortable. He didn’t stop by as often as possible. But that didn’t go so well.
He must somehow maintain Mira’s trust until further order.
Mira was anxious. And he was afraid.
[“When my daughter was around, everything went well. Well, of course, not everything went as expected, but His Majesty didn’t dislike her that much… I thought everything would go well if it was staying this way.”]
[“Isn’t the Dowager Marchioness still the Emperor’s most beloved one?”]
[“I’m anxious. I’m afraid I’m going crazy. Nothing goes the way I thought.”]
Mira said as if clinging on to him.
[“I think all that happened after my daughter left. After that, nothing good happened. Is there really no evil spirits in this mansion?”]
[“No such thing, madam.”]
[“You said that old spirits stay in old mansions. And if the spirits here are the souls from the Marquisate Rosan, it’s nothing strange that they’re cursing me.”]
She had never thought about it when she had Artizea there.
There was anxiety about her beauty fading. However, the Emperor favored Lawrence, and would not abandon her, the mother of his beloved son.
It was different now. The Emperor still cared for Mira, but the mask of family was cracked.
Lawrence frequently met and greeted the Emperor. He was called to important meetings as often as before.
However, unlike before, the three ceased to have meals together.
It was initially Lawrence’s fault. He visited the Empress’ pce more often than visiting the Emperor with Mira.
And now the Emperor did not bother to call Lawrence.
Mira has lost herposure. Like her youth, she produced all sorts of splendor and tried to entertain the Emperor. The period of being a leisurely wife was over.
The Emperor also knew that she was desperate. That is why he often held banquets tofort her and bought whatever she wanted.
But that was not enough. Ultimately, the favor must be received by Lawrence. Only then can she live with peace of mind that she will not be thrown away forever, but will Lawrencee back as her son just because he bes Emperor?
She wasn’t sure. It would be fortunate toe back after he bes the adoptee of the Empress and bes the crown prince. But it seemed unlikely.
Artizea left the house altogether. She left a mansion and pension, but even Mira knew it was to cut ties without noise.
Mira was afraid that she was left behind in the Rosan mansion.
[“Still, my daughter is the line of the Marquis’ blood. If the spirits started cursing because of her leaving…”]
[“The soul has no power to curse people, Dowager Marchioness. It is people who curse people.”]
The reason Mira was in jeopardy was Artizea.
But Mira wasn’t smart enough to pinpoint the cause-and-effect of all that.
But she just felt that everything started to go wrong after Artizea left.
And after being stuck in the Rossan mansion, she wondered if it was because the Marquisate’s souls cursed her.
Rye came to the banquet because Mira asked for it. If there is someone that cursed her at the venue, or if there is an evil spirit from the imperial pce, he was to let her know.
‘It’s better to live, Rye.’
Rye thought so and chewed the peanuts as snacks. He drank all the luxurious spirits he would not have even smelled if it were the original standard of living.
It was when he was about to get up.
Mira approached. Instead of soaking wet with alcohol, she wore a thick gown, and the mask changed to in white covering the entire face.
But Rye could recognize her right away. In the first ce, Mira wasn’t a figure that could cover her face so hidden.
“Master.”
Rye didn’t listen to her.
“Don’t behave like you know me in a ce like this.”
Rye went out in a hurry. He doesn’t know if Mira left the Emperor alone or if she left him in the arms of other women. He shouldn’t have known.
This trust has really risen to a dangerous level.
Artizea’s instructions were needed. And fortunately, she was expected to return soon.