Chapter 917

The notorious troublemaker of the Marchioni Empire, Irene von Posteriore, was also present at the masquerade ball, but...

‘

Ugh... This is so boring...’

Irene yawned under her mask and seemed indifferent to the event.

She truly despised social gatherings and official events, and her dislike in them had started when she was a child. The hundreds of suffocating royal etiquettes always made her feel trapped, and people were constantly groveling before her as well.

On top of that, young noblemen were always eager to try their luck with her. They flirted nonstop at every opportunity they got, hoping to score points with her.

But that was not all...

‘

Pathetic trash.’

Irene loathed the hypocritical personalities of the nobles more than anything.

They would laugh and chat cheerfully on the surface, but behind those fake smiles, they schemed and plotted to bring down others. These so-called nobles were nothing more than cunning snakes in her eyes.

‘

I need to find something fun. Hohoho!’

Irene decided to amuse herself by messing with someone to kill time.

It was then.

A man wearing the tackiest formalwear she had ever seen was approaching her.

‘

What the...? His outfit is absolutely horrible, but his dancing is... incredible...’

Despite his tacky outfit, his dance moves were mesmerizing, even in Irene’s eyes. She had attended countless high-society gatherings, and she could tell in a glance that he was in a different league compared to anyone she had seen dance before.

‘

Eh? Don’t tell me... Is he coming toward me?’

It was then.

‘

Eh?’

Irene suddenly felt something warm rising from the pit of her stomach, rushing up and spreading throughout her body.

But that was not all...

Badump! Badump! Badump!

Her heart started pounding wildly.

‘

W-What’s going on?! Why am I feeling like this all of a sudden?!’

Irene was shocked.

It was her first time feeling this strange sensation, while she was still reeling in shock.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The man glided over to her with steps similar to the Moonwalk. It was like he was walking on water, and he extended his hand toward her.

“Are you... asking me to dance?” Irene asked, her voice mixed with a hint of disbelief.

Then, the man simply nodded in response.

“Do you know who you’re messing with right now...?” she grumbled.

Unfortunately, she was so fluttered by the unfamiliar sensation coursing through her that her attempt to cover up her embarrassment by feigning irritation failed.

Despite her intentions, her body started moving on its own. As if enchanted, Irene found herself placing her hand in his, and before she knew it, they were dancing together in perfect harmony.

She initially planned to cause a scene just as she always did in any gathering, but for some reason...

***

Meanwhile, Siegfried was more shocked than Irene was.

‘

W-What’s happening?! I can’t control my character!’

He was profusely sweating in reality after completely losing control of his character.

Meanwhile, the song ended, and tango music began to play.

“I-I don’t know how to dance the tango...” Irene said weakly, her voice soft and almost timid, but it was actually a lie.

Irene knew how to dance the tango.

However, she grew timid after witnessing Siegfried’s dance moves. Well, it was more like the power of his outfit.

“What if I mess up? I’ll be a laughingstock...” she added.

Then, Siegfried replied—no, Jacomo’s Formalwear replied, “There’s no such thing as mistakes when you do the tango.”

“What do you mean...?”

“Unlike life, the tango is extremely simple. That’s what makes it a beautiful dance.”

“...!”

“Even if you miss a step or stumble, that too, becomes a part of your tango.”

“Ah...!”

Then, Siegfried gently pulled Irene by the hand and asked, “Shall we give it a try? Would you dance with me?”

“Okay.” Irene lowered her head with her cheeks flushed red. Then, he slowly matched her steps to Siegfried’s.

Thus, their tango began.

Doo doo doo! Bam bam bam~! Bam baaam! Bam bam bam! Ta ta ta! Ta taaa! Bam! Baaaam! Doo doo doo!

Despite being unaware of each other’s true identity, Siegfried and Irene moved together in perfect harmony to the rhythm, captivating the eyes of everyone in the ballroom.

Their movements were so graceful yet powerful that those around them instinctively stepped back, forming a wide circle.

Before anyone knew it, the ballroom became a stage exclusive for Siegfried and Irene.

[Alert: Hunt in progress!]

[Alert: You are currently captivating the target’s heart!]

[Alert: The target’s affinity toward you is rapidly increasing!]

[Alert: 24%... 57%... 89%!]

As they continued to dance, a gauge above Irene’s head began to fill steadily.

‘

H-Hey! Stop seducing women without my permission!’

Siegfried screamed, desperately trying to regain control of his character.

Unfortunately, it was futile.

The dance continued, and the gauge was filling up slowly but surely.

No one could hear his voice.

Doo doo doo! Bam bam... Dun!

The music finally ended.

Swoosh!

Siegfried dipped Irene backward perfectly on the last note, holding her securely by the waist in a dramatic finishing pose most famously associated with the tango.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The ballroom instantly filled up with thunderous applause, showering Siegfried and Irene with adoration for their mesmerizing performance.

And...

[Alert: 100%!]

[Alert: Hunt Successful!]

[Alert: You have captivated the lady’s heart!]

A heart-shaped icon appeared above Irene’s head after the gauge maxed.

[Alert: The lady is completely enamored with you!]

[Alert: Adult Content Unlocked!]

[Alert: You may enjoy tonight to your heart’s content!]

Siegfried’s title, "Seggs Stamina King," popped up above his head. The adult content was unlocked as well.

‘

H-Hey! You crazy bastard! Did you go around seducing women with this tacky outfit, Jacomo?!’

Siegfried screamed inwardly.

It turned out that Jacomo, the so-called legendary socialite, was actually a womanizer and a con artist who went around seducing countless women.

Well, not really.

That was just Siegfried’s misunderstanding...

Jacomo was actually a master spy centuries ago, and he specialized in gathering intelligence from high-society events around the world. His preferred methods? Seducing the daughters and wives of high-ranking officials to extract valuable information.

Thus, Jacomo’s Formalwear was not merely a sleazy magical item used to seduce women, but rather, a sophisticated espionage artifact.

Jacomo willingly earned a reputation as the Prince of High Society or Legendary Playboy, all in the line of duty for the sake of his motherland. Depending on the user, Jacomo’s Formalwear could either be a powerful artifact for espionage or simply a sleazy outfit used to seduce women.

Either way, since Siegfried was unfamiliar with Jacomo’s story, it was only natural for him to accuse Jacomo of being a sleazy scoundrel.

After the tango music, a softer melody was played, and the guests returned to the dance floor to dance to the slower rhythm.

“W-Who are you...? Who are you to make my heart race like this...?” Irene asked in a trembling voice.

It was then.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Someone clapped their hand three times, and the music abruptly came to an end.

Emperor Stuttgart removed his mask with one hand and asked the crowd, “Is everyone having a good time?”

The guests immediately knelt on one knee, paying their respects to the emperor before replying in unison.

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“I would love to let you continue enjoying the masquerade, but I am afraid it is time for the feast to begin. So, you may remove your masks now.”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

Following Emperor Stuttgart’s command, the guests began taking their masks off.

***

‘

Argh! This is so embarrassing! How the hell am I supposed to clean up this mess now?!’

Siegfried shrieked in horror inwardly. All eyes in the ballroom locked onto him, and he wanted nothing more than to find a hole and crawl into it.

The attention he attracted was no surprise, and everyone was dying to know the identity of the two who had been the stars of tonight’s ball.

Everyone’s eyes were on Irene as well.

‘

Ah, the emperor told everyone to remove their masks, so I can’t exactly refuse...’

Siegfried thought, glancing up at the emperor.

Heh.

Emperor Stuttgart flashed a mischievous grin at Siegfried, seemingly saying that he had no intention of helping the latter out of this predicament.

‘

Ah... I guess I have no other choice. I’ll just take off my mask and make a run for it right away...’

Left with no choice, Siegfried took off his mask.

Following his lead, Irene took off her mask as well.

With that, both of their faces were finally revealed, laid bare for everyone to see.

“Y-You...!” Irene stammered, recognizing him immediately. She had seen the statue of the Hero King, Siegfried van Proa, before, so his face was familiar to her.

On the other hand, Siegfried had no idea who she was...

‘

Wow... she’s really pretty...’

He had no idea about her identity, but one thing was certain—she was breathtakingly beautiful.

‘

I wonder who this beauty is?’

he wondered before flashing his Rune of Insight at her.

‘

Eh...?’

He froze. While he was reeling in shock, the crowd was stunned as well. His dance partner was actually Irene von Posteriore.

“What?!”

“P-Princess Irene danced with... King Siegfried?!”

“Oh dear...”

“That demon... danced with a man?!”

“I-Impossible!”

“No way!”

Siegfried read the name that appeared in front of his eyes, ‘

Irene... von? Von? That’s a royal title, right? Posterio... Posteri...? Posteri—holy shit!’

That was when it hit him...

His dance partner was none other than the beloved half-sister of Emperor Stuttgart von Posteriore, Irene von Posteriore.

“Siegfried van Proa. I want you to marry my sister.”

This was the very same troublemaker that Emperor Stuttgart wanted to marry off to Siegfried. Her infamy was so bad that Michele genuinely considered resigning and retiring to the countryside the moment he heard about the marriage proposal.

‘

Ah...!’

Siegfried finally realized he had fallen into a devious trap.

“No, it is not. I have caused you far too much trouble today, and I even owe an apology to King Lohengrin.”

Why was Emperor Stuttgart so apologetic?

Why did he owe Lohengrin an apology?

Why did he flash that grin when their eyes met a while ago?

‘

I got bamboozled!’

Siegfried understood now. His predicament was a result of a devious scheme orchestrated by Emperor Stuttagrt. However, he was unsure whether the emperor had planned for him to obtain Jacomo’s Formalwear or not.

Why?

There were far too many variables, after all.

If Treasure Hunter had triggered even a moment later, Cain would have become the owner of Jacomo’s Formalwear.

And then?

Both Siegfried and Emperor Stuttgart would have been in a world of trouble.

In other words, the emperor most likely hadn't accounted for Jacomo’s Formalwear in his plan. However, one thing was certain. Emperor Stuttgart was planning to introduce him to Irene.

‘

I’m fucked. I completely forgot about that.’

Siegfried had to exert superhuman self-control to stop himself from jumping out the nearest window and making a run for it.

***

Meanwhile, Irene was troubled.

She was initially scared. Scared that the fluttering feeling in her would come crashing down and burn into disappointment the moment the man took off his mask.

What if he was a nobody? What if this fluttering feeling disappeared without a trace?

That thought slowly gripped her as she took off her mask.

However, he was not a nobody.

Badump! Badump! Badump!

Her heart was still pounding wildly and showed no signs of calming down.

In other words, Siegfried had completely fulfilled Irene’s hope, excitement, and anticipation.

‘

W-What should I do now...?’

Irene was at a loss on what to do next, as this was her first time in a situation like this.

Just then, Emperor Stuttgart intervened, like a relief pitcher coming in to save the inning.

“Siegfried van Proa.”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Even though Siegfried’s mental state was already completely battered, he still dropped to one knee and showed respect to the emperor.

‘

Damn it! This cunning snake!’

It finally made sense why he was so generous earlier.

Who knew the emperor was capable of crafting such a devious and scary plan?

“Would you mind escorting my beloved sister?” Emperor Stuttgart asked.

Well, it seemed like the emperor was making a request, but everyone knew that he was commanding Siegfried.