Chapter 1378. An Unexpected Debut (13)

‘Behold and worship me. Damn it, I’m the supremely noble and pure, Aina Peneloti.’

“...”

“...”

"That's... Aina Peneloti."

‘Yes, I am Aina Peneloti.’

"I finally understand why Marquis Jayce rushed in without thinking."

‘Really?’

"Lady Peneloti, may I have a moment of your time?"

‘Sorry, but Peneloti is busy and has no time.’

"Lady Peneloti! My name is..."

‘What's the point of knowing your name? You're ugly, damn it. Just go away.’

"If the ladies of the Black Rose Salon don't mind it, we would like to invite you to brunch tomorrow! We're from the Pine Salon..."

‘We look like celebrities, don't we, guys?’

Their reaction was explosive. This was the result of the effort we had put into making a strong entrance. They knew that the Black Rose Salon had gained some fame and was the subject of various incidents, but they reacted as if an actual celebrity had appeared.

High-ranking nobles and even royalty who had stayed at the ball through loopholes peeked at us, all paying homage to the Black Rose Salon.

‘Lady Paint really pulled it off.’

Of course, the other ladies had showcased their individuality, making a name for themselves, but it was fair to say that Miss Paint was the reason the Black Rose Salon’s fame grew to

this

level.

From managing the salon to promoting its name, she worked in place of Peneloti, who couldn’t do anything due to her lore. Her meticulous handling of the salon’s image and her way of generating buzz were so thorough that even I had to applaud her.

I'd say the only oversight was that she underestimated the salon's potential for attracting attention.

The ladies were already full of charm and beauty. Now that the building-up momentum had finally taken flight, it wasn't strange that we found ourselves in this situation. Without exaggeration, it felt like an idol group had appeared out of nowhere.

‘Of course, Aina Peneloti is the center.’

Unlike the second life, where the media created celebrities, the first life had no one who could be called a celebrity, so this could explain things.

Even the party that Lady Paint had organized earlier felt like a fan meeting. Our story of rising from the bottom to our current heights had ignited everyone's hearts. In the eyes of the lower-ranking nobles, we were objects of admiration.

Riding that momentum, even some high-ranking nobles wouldn't stop mentioning the Black Rose Salon, so it wasn’t strange that a crowd gathered before us today.

"C-come this way, Peneloti! Why are there so many people in the ballroom today?

Ugh

," Lady Paint remarked.

"You’re right. Maybe the people who were at the ball earlier haven’t left yet?" Lady Brush said.

"Hold my hand tight, Peneloti. It’ll be a hassle if we get surrounded by the crowd," Lady Pastel offered.

"T-thank you, Lady Pastel," I said.

"Don’t thank me. F-F-friends... need to help each other out. But where’s Paint? Paint! Paint!" Lady Pastel shouted.

The ladies of the Black Rose Salon couldn’t hide their shock.

‘Damn it. Someone call the bodyguards. Calm this situation down.’

"Lady Pastel! I-I have something to... say... to you. Will you—"

"

Ah

! Step aside! Make some space for us to get through! Hey! If you’re going to offer a dance, line up! Don’t just barge in like this! Follow me! Palette! Brush!" Lady Pastel shouted.

"Okay."

"..."

"Palette! Where did Paint go!? Have you seen her?" Lady Pastel asked.

'What do you think she’s doing?'

She probably went to handle this mess. Sure enough, the servers of the ballroom appeared, asking the nobles to restrain themselves.

Lady Paint had to have called them here. Those who were called out blushed in shame, but the rest paid no mind to the music, the ballroom, or anything else, so their reaction was understandable.

It was like a princess had suddenly appeared in a marketplace, creating an unprecedented scene of chaos and madness.

'The future of the Union of Kingdoms looks bleak. Damn it.'

Those recklessly charging forward—nobles and young masters alike—were finally keeping their distance. They maintained a careful distance, but most still couldn’t tear their eyes away from us.

Fortunately, the chaos had not escalated. It was partly because they had realized that they were embarrassing themselves, but the majority of the reason behind why they decided to hold back had to be Marquis Jayce.

Someone with a connection to the ladies of the Black Rose Salon had taken the initiative.

'What a sly fox... that bastard.'

I didn’t want to acknowledge it, but with an alpha male taking control, the rest of the weak, indecisive nobodies couldn’t interfere at all. Whether it was intentional or not, he became our shield.

"It’s been a while," Marquis Jayce greeted.

"Marquis Jayce!" Lady Pastel greeted.

"It’s been a while! Marquis Jayce! Miss Peneloti! Miss Peneloti! Come over here! Marquis Jayce is here!" Lady Brush called me over.

"Lady Peneloti," Marquis Jayce greeted.

"M-Marquis... Jayce," I greeted.

"How have you been?" Marquis Jayce asked.

"

Ah

... I’ve been... w-well, thank you. And you, Marquis Jayce?" I asked.

"I’ve been well, thanks to you. But more importantly, that necklace... it suits you perfectly," Marquis Jayce complimented me.

"Thank you, Marquis Jayce... I-I wonder if I even deserve such a gift..." I muttered.

"I was merely returning it to its rightful owner," Marquis Jayce said.

"

Hmph.

"

'Relax... Pastel.'

"So, what brings the busy Marquis Jayce all the way here? What business could you possibly have with our Lady Peneloti...?" Lady Pastel asked.

"

Ah

! Lady Pastel, why are you acting like this today? It’s Marquis Jayce! Marquis Jayce! The same Marquis Jayce! Of course, he's here to see Lady Peneloti!" Lady Brush exclaimed.

"

Haha

. Yes, that’s right, Lady Brush. I fear that if I don't speak now, I won't have a chance for the rest of today. I have no other goal, so there’s no need to glare at me like that, Lady Pastel," Marquis Jayce replied.

"I-I never glared at you, please don’t misunderstand, Marquis Jayce. I’m just worried about Peneloti. A-anyway, I guess I overreacted. So about that, Marquis Jayce, you seem to be enjoying the ball quite a lot, but have you interacted with any other ladies besides Lady Peneloti?" Lady Pastel asked.

"I haven’t asked any other ladies to dance, nor have I spoken to any of them. Right now, my focus is on Lady Peneloti," Marquis Jayce answered.

'This guy isn’t even looking away while saying something so embarrassing.'

"

Ah

... I see," I muttered.

Naturally, Aina Peneloti couldn’t help but lower her head with her ears burning red.

Just then, Brush's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, "What a coincidence, Marquis Jayce! Lady Peneloti hasn’t danced yet!"

"Is that so?" Marquis Jayce asked.

"Perhaps Lady Peneloti has been waiting for you to ask her to dance. Is that right, Lady Peneloti?" Marquis Jayce asked.

"

Ah

, no, I..." I mumbled.

"

Hahaha

, Lady Brush, you’re putting Lady Peneloti in a bit of a bind. It’s alright. Rather than rushing into a dance, I’ll wait for the next opportunity and ask her properly, politely," Marquis Jayce said.

"Oh my! Oh my! That’s such a revolutionary way of thinking! I hope I haven’t caused any trouble!" Lady Brush yelled.

'No wonder she seemed so familiar.’

She reminded me of that little pig.

It was a

revolutionary

design; of course, you had to think about it

that

way.

"Then I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening, Lady Peneloti," Marquis Jayce said.

On one side, there was a wall of caution, and on the other, someone was pushing too hard. Standing in the middle felt awkward. Still, thanks to First Life Commander Jin handling the chaos, I finally managed to observe the ballroom from a safe distance.

High-ranking nobles were glancing this way, enjoying the ball in their own way, and the overall quality was far higher than on the first day.

'There are more high-ranking nobles now... some promising prospects are starting to show up.'

Lady Brush seemed addicted to dancing, as she spun without pause, while Lady Paint was engaged in conversation with the nobles.

Lady Palette had probably stepped outside for a smoke, and Lady Pastel was growling, glued to my side. I had no idea why Lady Pastel was like this, but thanks to her, I could observe the ball uninterrupted, so it wasn’t really a bad deal.

'I wonder if Hyun-Sung is here.'

He probably was here. He would hate being at a ball, but since he was basically being forced to participate in such social activities, he had to be here.

'He should be easy to find.'

'Just follow where the ladies are gathered...'

'See, I was right. He’s bound to be wherever the ladies are.'

Sure enough, I spotted First Life Hyun-Sung with my own eyes.

"

Haa... haa

... Lady Peneloti, you’re not going to dance today either?

Oh

? Count Kim Hyun-Sung?" Lady Brush pointed out.

"Do you know him, Lady Brush?" I asked.

"He’s the summoner who became a count in the Empire! He’s famous for his handsome face, too. Even before this ball, everyone has already been talking about him! I never thought I’d actually see him in person... We’re lucky!" Lady Brush answered.

"

Aaaaah...

"

"Lady Peneloti, are you even a little interested?" Lady Brush asked.

"No, it’s not that I’m interested... It’s just... it’s fascinating," I answered.

"Right?! The Empire is always one step ahead! They even gave the summoner a noble title! It’s revolutionary! Something that’s never happened before! The Union of Kingdoms is still blocking summoners’ paths with talk of legitimacy and whatnot... but look!

"Who was right in the end? Instead of causing conflict, he's contributing to the Empire’s development... It’s a huge blessing for the Empire," Lady Brush explained.

'Yeah. He’s handsome. And his aura is impressive.'

It was no wonder so many ladies had gathered around him.

He had a familiar face—a face that worked everywhere; his slightly cold expression was giving off the lonely wolf vibe. He seemed hard to approach, but since I could sense that he was feeling embarrassed by the current situation, the hurdle didn’t seem as high as I expected.

The ladies had subconsciously noticed that as well, which was why they were showing interest in him.

'First, I need to check the most important thing.'

"..."

"..."

'Luckily, he hasn’t fused with Second Hyun-Sung.'

I wondered if Second Hyun-Sung was inside him, or if they had merged somehow, but it seemed like I was mistaken. What was in front of me was the complete, original First Life Hyun-Sung.

I quietly moved closer to him.

Of course, I wasn’t planning to speak to him just yet. This was only to create a point of contact. Coincidentally, Lady Brush had taken Lady Pastel somewhere, leaving this as the only chance for me to do that.

I probably wasn’t the only one waiting for Lady Pastel's departure.

As expected, I spotted a pink pig walking toward me with a sly grin. He was clearly ready to play the villain.

'Right. Come to think of it, we’ve made eye contact twice already.'

It didn't mean anything, but guys like him would always put meaning into useless things. I smiled slightly.

He seemed to have noticed that and smiled back at me.

"Lady Peneloti?" a noble asked, trying to talk to me.

'You’ll help me, right, Hyun-Sung?'

He wouldn’t just ignore a girl in trouble, would he?

"If it’s alright with you..." He trailed off.

'No, it’s not alright at all. My face doesn’t say it’s alright.'

"Would you..."

'He didn’t even introduce himself and just jumped straight to asking for a dance.'

"

Ah... um

... well. I mean, I..." he stuttered.

"..."

"S-sorry."

His face twisted, and he looked really awkward. It was the textbook example of trash unaccustomed to rejection. I thought it would be nice if he fidgeted a little more, and sure enough, a face flushed with embarrassment came into view.

Honestly, his next words didn't matter at all. Anyone could see that the air had turned cold. From the outside, it looked like a fat pig was bullying Lady Aina Peneloti.

"

Haa...

"

'You’re going to insult me, right? You’re going to curse me, right? You’ll do it for me, right?'

"You don’t even know your place..." the pig muttered.

'Yes! That’s what I was waiting to hear! Damn it!'

"I gave you a little attention, and now... you're thrashing about like you won the world. Disgusting..."

'Typical trash... damn it! How can someone so stereotypical even exist? He got rejected, and he instantly showed his true colors! I never thought a jerk like him actually exists!'

"

Huh? Huh?

I-I mean..." I muttered.

Naturally, I glanced at Kim Hyun-Sung.

Sure enough, Hyun-Sung’s face stiffened. No one else dared to challenge the authority of Duke Pinkrain, but our lovable and

not-regressor

regressor stepped in to protect Aina Peneloti.

He bit his lips and stepped forward, but—

"Lady Peneloti seems to be feeling troubled, Duke Pinkrain."

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

—I heard a voice I did not want to hear.

'No, damn it.'

I had been waiting for the prince on the white horse, but a ridiculous guy appeared out of nowhere and stepped forward.

'Wait, what is he even doing?'

"Are you alright, Lady Peneloti?"

"..."

"..."

'No matter what, I’m not going to the Republic with you, you bastard. Damn it.'