The outside was bustling with noise.
In front of the main gate of a large palace, many carriages were lined up. Without pause, refined ladies and gentlemen got off their carriages. Their appearances and outfits all varied in style but there was one thing that they all had in common; they all had horns.
I was seated in a carriage and vacantly staring out the window.
“It doesn’t seem like a lot of Demon Lords are coming.”
“The attendance of the Walpurgis Night is not enforced. Demon Lords with the tendency of being single-minded will most likely not participate. Rank 1st Demon Lord Baal and rank 2nd Demon Lord Agares will not attend.”
“Then why do I have to attend? So troublesome.”
“This meeting is being held in order to discuss the countermeasures for the plague. It would be difficult for your highness, who has a monopoly over the cure, to not participate.”
“So it’s a problem of people being too distinguished.”
A moment later, Lapis Lazuli muttered furtively in a low voice.
“…… Your highness. As expected, this one shouldn’t go in together with your highness.”
“Are you still saying that?”
I grumbled.
“You are publicly my fiancée. If not my fiancée, then what other woman am I supposed to take to this ball?”
In this gathering, before going fully into the meeting, a type of entertainment was scheduled for the guests to enjoy. The scheduled entertainment was this ball.
I had chosen Lapis Lazuli as my partner for the ball. It was an obvious choice. However, it seemed that our Miss Lala was feeling very burdened by the ball.
“Walpurgis Night is a social party strictly reserved for Demon Lords. Only lords of the highest standings would be allowed to attend. It is not a place where a mixed blood, like this one, should be present.”
“Nevertheless, there are no rules that the companion has to be a Demon Lord as well. It is fine to bring anyone I please.”
“There may be no rule, but it is customary that……”
“Aah, I can’t hear you—I can’t hear you—.”
Lapis Lazuli shut her mouth.
Even if you glared at me with those eyes of dissatisfaction, it couldn’t be helped.
Dantalian was currently receiving the spotlight as the main character in a romance story. A man blinded by love. That was my image to the people. It was impossible to leave Lapis Lazuli and wander on my own at this point.
Furthermore, I had taken a liking to this concept. A fool who had indulged in his passion and had lost all of his rationality. Was this not appropriate? No one would be cautious around a fool like that.
Smart people would only scorn a dullard like me and do nothing more. Followed by coming to a misunderstanding that the true culprit was Lapis Lazuli. All suspicion would focus on Lapis Lazuli, while I was rejoicing my days of freedom……
Am I, perhaps, a genius?
It was truly the perfect plan.
Thanks to the Black Death I had made an incredible amount of money, and now, the only thing I had left to do was to shut myself in my castle and live the rest of my life as a shut-in. The gate to Heaven was already right in front of me.
“…… Your highness is making the same face your highness makes when thinking of something perverted.”
Be quiet.
After 20 minutes had passed, the main gate became more vacant. It was then that we had departed from our carriage and entered the ballroom. We had waited until now because we did not want to deal with being harassed by other people.
The gatekeeper, noticing our approach, announced in a loud voice.
“Rank 71st, Demon Lord Dantalian, entering!”
All at once, the people in the inner-venue turned to look this way.
Not being bothered by their gazes, I made my way to a corner of the ballroom and took my place there. The sound of people whispering around us could be heard. I was not able to hear what they were saying exactly, but I knew it was not a favorable mood. It was close to the feeling of them being aghast by the fact that I had arrived at the ball actually accompanied by an outcast as a partner.