The day of the ball.
Ariella stood in front of the mirror. Marga was putting her silver hair up. Her hands were more careful than usual.
"My lady, I'll make you look a little more proper today."
"Why? It's not like today is any different from usual."
"It's your debut ball in high society. All the children of the Empire's most influential families will be there."
Marga's voice was cautious. Ariella looked at herself in the mirror. Silver hair, golden eyes. The face of the villainess from the novel. But the eyes in the mirror were tense.
In the original novel, Ariella acted arrogantly at this ball and made a whole lot of enemies. This time, she had to do things differently.
Sol glowed on her shoulder.
Be careful.
"I know."
She answered quietly. Marga tilted her head, but Ariella just smiled it off.
The ballroom was in the eastern detached palace of the Imperial Palace.
After getting out of the carriage, Ariella looked up at the detached palace. Golden lights wrapped around the entire building. Fountains sprayed streams of water throughout the garden, and nobles were filing in from the entrance onward.
Marga followed behind her with a tense expression.
"My lady, you need to be careful."
"I know, Marga."
Ariella smiled. But her fingertips were cold.
She stepped into the ballroom. Chandeliers glittered in the spacious hall. The nobles' eyes turned toward Ariella. Whispers spread through the crowd.
"That's Young Lady Belfior." "I guess the rumors about her changing are true." "Who knows? We'll have to wait and see."
Ariella didn't pay them any mind. She smiled and exchanged greetings. A few of the young ladies she'd met at the tea party approached her first. Their expressions were awkward, but not hostile.
"Young Lady Belfior, your dress is beautiful today."
"Thank you. Yours is beautiful too."
They traded light pleasantries. Naturally. With people the Ariella of old would have scoffed at.
Liriella was holding on to Ariella's sleeve from beside her. Her violet eyes were sparkling.
"Big sister, you're doing great."
"Doing what great? All I did was say hello."
Liriella laughed. Ariella laughed too.
The ball was in full swing.
Music played, nobles danced, and wineglasses passed from hand to hand. Ariella exchanged just enough greetings, made just enough conversation, and smiled just enough. She was tired. Was high society always this exhausting?
She slipped out of the ballroom. After telling Marga she was going out for some air, she headed into the garden behind the detached palace.
The night garden was quiet. The ballroom's music drifted faintly from far away. Moonlight bathed the garden. The rose bushes gleamed silver.
Ariella exhaled. The tension in her shoulders eased.
That was when the spirits appeared.
Ar flew in first, circling Ariella as red flames danced around her.
Ariella! I was so stifled! I had to hide inside!
"Sorry, Ar. There were so many people."
Sol landed on her shoulder, sparkling gold. Lu brushed past her silver hair. A cool breeze soothed her forehead. Rin quietly rose from beside her feet.
Ariella smiled. It was a genuine smile. Not the social smile she'd worn in the ballroom.
"I feel like I can breathe with you around."
Ar stuck to her cheek.
Ariella smiled! She really smiled!
"You're so loud, Ar."
But she couldn't stop smiling. Ar sent flames dancing, Sol scattered golden light, Lu stirred the wind, and Rin floated droplets of water into the air. The spirits' radiance mingled with the moonlight and dyed the garden in color. Ariella reached out and caught a droplet. Rin's water droplet floated in a perfect sphere above her palm.
"It's beautiful."
Rin glowed.
Ariella is prettier.
Ariella smiled and flicked the droplet. It glittered in the air before scattering. Ar flew between the droplets. When the flames and water droplets collided, they formed a tiny rainbow.
"Wow."
Ariella's eyes widened. The spirits shone even more brightly, excited. Beneath the moonlight, a silver-haired girl stood surrounded by glowing beings, laughing.
That was when it happened.
She sensed a presence behind her.
Ariella turned around. The spirits dimmed their light for a moment. But it was too late.
A man stood beyond the rose bushes.
Hair black as pitch. Pale skin. And eyes revealed beneath the moonlight.
Bright red.
A chill ran down Ariella's back.
Raheln de Cardien was looking at Ariella.
The Grand Duke of Cardien. The Demon Lord. A man who hardly ever appeared in high society in the original novel. Why was he here? Why was someone who shouldn't have come here standing here?
She had no time to think. Those red eyes swept over Ariella, then over the lights surrounding her. As if he could see the spirits.
No. He could see them.
Why? Why can this man see the spirits?
It was information that hadn't existed in the original novel. The novel never mentioned that the Demon Lord could see spirits. Ariella's mind raced, but no answer came to her.
Raheln took a step closer. Ariella instinctively took a step back.
"Young Lady Belfior."
His voice was low. Quiet, haughty, and carrying a strangely old-fashioned resonance.
Ariella pulled herself together. She had to pretend she didn't know. Pretend she didn't know this man was the Demon Lord. Somehow, she also had to get past the fact that he'd caught her seeing the spirits.
"Your Grace, Grand Duke Cardien."
She bowed. Thank goodness her voice didn't tremble.
Raheln looked at Ariella. His red eyes slowly swept over her face. They were the eyes of someone observing her. Cold, but not hostile.
"Are you truly human?"
Her heart nearly stopped.
It wasn't a question. It was confirmation. This man had just seen Ariella with the spirits. There were no humans in the Empire who could see spirits. And yet this woman had been laughing surrounded by them.
Her thoughts were a tangled mess.
This man was the Demon Lord. The man who killed Ariella in the original novel. That man was standing right in front of her. He'd seen the spirits. She'd been caught. What should she do? What should she say? Pretend she didn't know? Smile? No, she couldn't smile. Her legs were shaking. Her hands were cold. She couldn't think.
Ariella's fingers fidgeted with the hem of her dress. Her thumb and forefinger grasped and released the fabric, grasped and released. Her lips parted, then closed. No words came out.
Raheln kept looking at Ariella. His red eyes didn't move. He was waiting.
"...I'm human."
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
Raheln's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Apparently, Ariella's reaction had been unexpected. His red eyes swept once over her trembling fingers.
Silence descended.
She couldn't take it.
"Excuse me."
She bowed and turned away. She didn't walk. She ran. Past the rose bushes, past the fountain, toward the ballroom. The hem of her dress dragged through the grass. She didn't look back. She felt like she mustn't.
She didn't stop until she reached the ballroom entrance. She was out of breath. Her heart was pounding all the way up to her ears.
She heard nothing behind her. He hadn't followed.
Sol glowed faintly on her shoulder.
Are you okay?
She wasn't.
Inside the carriage.
Ariella leaned against the backrest and closed her eyes. Her hands were still cold.
Marga asked cautiously,
"My lady, are you all right?"
"I'm fine."
She wasn't fine. Raheln de Cardien. When she'd read about him in the original novel, he'd just been a cold, powerful character. But seeing him in person was different. He was cold, yes. But there had been something beneath that coldness. Something she couldn't read.
And this man could see spirits. Why? Was it because he was the Demon Lord? Could Demon Lords see spirits? The original novel never revealed the Demon Lord's circumstances, so she had no way of knowing.
Why can this man see the spirits?
Ar clung to her cheek. But she was different from usual. Her flames had puffed up enormously.
Ariella, that red-eyed man! He was warm! Like a mom!
Ariella blinked.
"A mom?"
Ar spun around and around.
I don't know! But he was warm! I wanted to get closer!
Sol sparkled gold as well.
...A familiar energy.
Ariella's thoughts grew even more complicated. The spirits were drawn to Raheln. Why? He was the Demon Lord. This hadn't been in the original novel. It was strange enough that he could see spirits, but the spirits liked that man too?
"Why do you feel something like that from him?"
Ar tilted her head.
I don't know! But I liked it!
Ariella pressed a hand to her forehead. There was one more thing she didn't know.
Rin spoke quietly from beside her feet.
That person had sad eyes.
Ariella looked at Rin.
When Ariella ran away. That person's eyes were sad.
Ariella closed her eyes. Rin was always accurate. He was sad. But she didn't know why. The original novel never revealed the Demon Lord's circumstances.
I have to pretend I don't know. I can't let this man find out.
She opened her eyes. Moonlight poured in through the carriage window. White light. It brought back the sight of Raheln's pale skin in the garden.
Sol glowed on her shoulder.
Will we meet him again?
Ariella didn't smile.
"It would be nice if I could avoid him."
The carriage sped toward House Belfior.