How To Save A Time Limited Young Master - Chapter 24
‘Is it from Isaac?’
Isaac sends letters often, but would he use such luxurious letter paper?
Just then, a different face came to mind all of a sudden.
‘Zenon.’
Perhaps the letter is from Zenon, who’s unable to leave Langbert Mansion.
Heloise got up from her seat and tore open the letter hurriedly.
“To Young Lady Heloise Lorca of the Lorca Viscounty……”
The letter that she had just opened was filled with dumbfounding contents.
The letter contained a message that Crown Prince Blake Dalbert had chosen Heloise as his partner to his younger brother’s birthday banquet.
Yes. The contents was about how she was chosen.
There was no trace of Heloise’s opinion.
It was as if she could vividly hear Blake’s voice through the letter, saying, “We have a debt between us, right?”
“What in the world is this punk thinking?”
As Heloise mumbled despondently, her shoulders sank downwards.
She was feeling disappointed as her expectations were to no avail.
She intended to return to her room in order to write a letter of rejection, but she stopped in her tracks.
ch11. While it was unknown to others, it’s the truth that she owed Blake a debt, as she accepted the goods, even if it was kept hidden in the closet because it looked so similar to the queen’s treasure, which everyone in Ballide would be able to recognise.
[T/N: Ballide is the name of the kingdom]
‘Zenon wouldn’t even send a letter anyway.’
Even if he was locked up, he could still send her a letter.
Heloise bit her lip. He was originally a hateful guy, but she suddenly found him even more detestable.
‘This good-for-nothing punk.’
‘Even though I visited you frequently, you didn’t even send a letter.’
Heloise gave up on sending a response.
If she didn’t respond, it was as good as consenting automatically. But it didn’t matter.
Since it was a party she had to go, since it was a price that she had to pay.
There’s nothing she could do.
As such, Heloise didn’t find it unpleasant at all.
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The day of the party
The Lorca Viscounty was turned into a mess.
It wasn’t because it was Prince Astor’s birthday banquet, but because Heloise has become Crown Prince Blake’s de facto debut partner.
It wasn’t exactly a strictly confidential matter, but her mother kept it a secret, saying that they shouldn’t offend the royal family for no reason.
As such, on the day of the party.
There wasn’t any kind of fuss in the house while Blake’s carriage came.
The conversation with her parents about the crown princess had already gone by.
They pretended that they didn’t hear anything, no matter how much Heloise tried to explain that this was merely the crown prince’s capriciousness, and that she had only met him once.
It was probably because they didn’t want to believe it.
In any case, while her parents were in their happy imaginations, Blake’s carriage arrived on time.
“My lady! Fighting!”
[T/N: ‘Fighting’ is a slang for encouragement]
“You’re so pretty today!”
As she took comfort in the maids’ cheering behind her, she let out a deep sigh and got into the carriage.
A well-dressed Blake Dalbert was smiling in the carriage.
Unlike when he was under disguise, his hair was light brown in colour.
“Hello?”
“I’m afraid that I’m not fine.”
[T/N: the greeting words used for hello are actually asking if you’re doing well, but here Heloise is directly answering Blake with she’s not fine XD]
“Oh, dear. Did something bad happen?”
“Your skin is thicker than I’d thought. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but I don’t really want to attract attention.”
“You seem to like fancy things, considering that fact.”
He was talking about the necklace that he handed over to her.
“Other for that.”
It’s because ch11 is very special.
Heloise replied disdainfully, and Blake leaned against the wall of the carriage with his legs crossed.
“Well, let’s get along well, since we’ll be going to be partners. I quite like you.”
“The greed?”
“Your honesty is quite appealing.”
What a carefully selected reason.
Was that how he seduced Sienna in the game? But that’s none of her business.
He kept snickering, probably because he found Heloise’s blase attitude amusing.
In the meantime, the carriage arrived at the Royal Castle.
Perhaps because it was the birthday of Astor, the widely acquainted son of the second queen, the front gate of the castle was crowded.
There were people that had no choice but to turn up like Heloise, and there were people who turned up willingly.
Blake got off the carriage first, but no one recognized him.
He escorted Heloise out of the carriage skillfully.
As he never made an appearance in aristocratic society and was wandering around boldly, she thought that he had some trauma that’s related to the aristocratic society, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
The way Blake walked with Heloise’s hand in his arm was quite comfortable.
When they arrived at the banquet hall, the party had already begun and people were already grouping together.
Everyone was busy exchanging greetings.
Heloise stared at them blankly, before looking back at Blake.
He was watching Heloise with a smile.
“Aren’t you going to exchange greetings? It’s my first time attending a party like this so I’m not well versed with it.”
“I don’t really attend parties either, so I’m not too sure. But I lean against the wall most of the time.”
“Aha. So you’re the type to remain by the wall.”
“My only friend wasn’t invited.”
Blake raised an eyebrow at the mention of Sienna and gave a regrettable smile.
“You’re the only friend that I have here.”
“Were we friends?”
“As I’ve told Sienna before, anything beyond that would be a little…”
That was when he was speaking nonsense.
Heloise noticed a striking figure within the crowd.
Hair as black as the night sky. White skin and red lips.
And an unforgettable pair of melancholic blue-gray eyes.
He was staring at this side as if he had been watching here ever since Heloise entered the banquet hall.
“Zenon?”
“Hm?”
Blake questioned her sudden murmur. But Heloise didn’t have the time to respond to him.
‘Why was he here…?’
His gaze turned frigid upon seeing Heloise’s hand tucked in the crook of Blake’s arm.
It was like the day she had first met him.
When he tossed a lump of mana at the children, the empty and deep gaze that was so dark, she was unable to discern the bottom of his dismal gaze.
“Zenon!”
Amidst the bustling crowd, Heloise and Zenon.
Blake shouted loudly with a joyous voice and broke the deathly silence between the two.
“Look who’s here! You don’t show up at such occasions though?”
“……I should be saying that to you.”
Zenon replied like that without moving an inch, his gaze fixed on Heloise.
Perhaps because he noticed the odd atmosphere, Blake placed his hand on Heloise’ shoulder and spoke.
“Oh, this is my partner for today. Miss Heloise.”
“I know, she’s a vassal.”
“Right, right. Viscount Lorca is a vassal of yours.”
Zenon didn’t look very happy.
He looked at Blake’s hand on Heloise’ shoulder with a cold and subdued gaze.
“In that case, Heloise here requires an introduction. Zenon and I are of the same age.”
“Ah.”
She already understood the friendly attitude between the two.
Zenon’s family, the Lioneriks, had a close relationship with the royal family.
They were of the same age, so it seems that they got along well since they were young.
“I didn’t expect you to leave ‘that house’. Are you being properly guarded?”
Blake seemed to be worried, and looked around as he spoke.
Zenon didn’t seem to be that bothered, and nodded absentmindedly.
“They’re probably settling it accordingly.”
“It’s always like that.”
After Zenon said that, his relatives might gain a bad impression, so Blake hastily made excuses out of worry for that.
“Please understand that it’s because he’s constantly cheerless, and not that he has a bad personality.”
“Ah, yes…”
He said that because he was in the dark about Heloise being Zenon’s playmate.
Contrary to that, Heloise had a lot of things she wanted to ask about Zenon.
Why was he here, just as Blake mentioned, was his body alright despite leaving the mansion, how is it that he’s attending the party when he’s under probation, and why was he pretending that he didn’t know her.
But before she could speak, Blake’s hand that was holding her shoulder shifted to hold her by the waist and he led her.
“In any case, let’s dance. If I had to continue standing here, my face is gonna sting to death.”
That’s probably because some people were slowly recognizing the Crown Prince and Young Lord Lionerik.
Perhaps it was a conjecture by the people that recognised the face of Heloise, who was known to visit Young Lord Lionerik often.
In any case, the fact that the two people, who were the subject of the rumours, were in one location meant that they’ll receive double the attention.
Blake kept his distance from Zenon and waved his hand at an appropriate timing.
His partner, Heloise, had no choice but to follow Blake’s lead.
At the same time, a chill ran down her spine.
She was probably feeling so because Zenon hadn’t opened his mouth to speak to her.
After blending into the crowd and arriving in the middle of the hall, Blake held Heloise’ hand and displayed a posture in preparation to dance.
“In that case, would you dance to a song with me, Princess?”
“Stop saying words that give me goosebumps.”
Though there was a different meaning, how could he call her a princess? The term ‘princess’ was too harsh for her, who had to prevent the Princess Ending more than anyone else.
With a tight grip on the hand of Heloise, who was standing quietly, Blake began stepping in time to the music.
“Whoever you may be, let’s dance to a song right now. I think I’m about to be crushed to death from the gazes.”
She could spot the various glances aimed in this direction as she followed through the turns led by Blake.
The blue-gray eyes that Heloise was most familiar with were also amongst those gazes.
He was watching the two people dancing silently with a cold and narrowed gaze.
“You’ve seen it, right? Do you know Zenon?”
Blake whispered in a low voice, his lips close to Heloise’s ear.
Heloise only nodded as it was taxing to respond while dancing.
“I knew it. I’m wondering what’s wrong with him all of a sudden.”
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