I could recognize him at a glance because he was taller than others.
'Eus!'
Ran managed to hold back her voice from calling out. Ran's eyes were on him, but the men around her couldn't even notice it and were still busy making sweet sounds.
'Huh?'
Ran became suspicious.
'Are you angry....?'
He said, arriving in front of the sofa where she was sitting while he was walking around.
"Is there anything you want with my partner?"
When the men looked back at the owner of the cold voice, they were embarrassed to see Eustaf standing.
Some people didn't even know who their opponents were. Ran hid her uneasiness and stood up to greet him.
"You're here, my Lord."
Only then did the men knew who their opponents were.
Duke of Lazia.
Ran took a step and gently held Eustaf hand, but Eustaf did not stop shooting the men a cold glance one by one.
Then one of them coughed and said,
"I didn't know you had a previous engagement."
"I'll talk to you later, Ran."
"I look forward to seeing you again."
"Anyone who contacts her should expect to get my duel, too."
At the moment, the atmosphere froze because Eustaf spoke coldly. Eustaf said with Ran's waist closed.
"Let's go."
"Huh? Oh, yes."
Without greeting, and Ran left.
"Eus?"
"Yes."
"Are you angry?"
"...."
Eustaf was silent for a while then looked down at her and said,
"I'm angry."
"How come?"
"What do you mean-"
He frowned at what he said.
"Ran, would you be mad if I were surrounded by women like that?"
Ran thought about the scene for a moment. It is a scene that is drawn too naturally.
"No, not really..."
A shock passed over Eustaf's face at Ran's words.
"No, not really?"
At his murmur, Ran nodded, "Yes."
Compared to the picture of Eustaf and Sina standing side by side, which I imagined several times, it was nothing and it didn't hurt much.
Just 'Eus must be bothered.' A feeling like that?
Ran looked up at Eustaf because he didn't say anything.
"Eus?"
"Yes."
"Are you still angry--?"
"No."
Eustaf replied briefly. He asked after a moment of silence.
"Ran."
"Yeah?"
"Why did you decide to go out with me?"
"Uh-?"
Ran opened her eyes wide because it was an unexpected question.
"That's---"
She was about to talk, but suddenly the lights went out and it was dark everywhere. The orchestra music also calmed down, and the sound of surprised people came from the darkness.
Clap clap!
At that time, I heard the sound of hitting the handbag twice and the light on the hem fell. Countess Lieselotti was standing on the platform.
"Everyone was surprised. I'd like to start today's game."
As she opened her arms theatrically, the shiny butterflies bloomed countless times and everyone exclaimed. Lan looked at the butterfly shining rainbow in surprise and said, "Welcome Magic?"
"I think there's a wizard."
"Amazing."
There was no wizard in Lazia, so magical work was common, but it was the first time a wizardry.
Ran became an exciting face and looked at the welcoming magic.
The dark interior sparkled a faint light, and the butterflies brightened up. Countess Lieselotti said.
"Come on, ladies, come this way. I'll explain the rules separately."
As Countess Lieselotti pointed to her right, the door to the other banquet hall shone brightly.
"What kind of game is she trying to play?"
Ran murmured and said slightly out of Eustaf's arms.
"See you later."
"Yes."
His expression did not look good in the dark, so Ran squeezed his hand once more and headed toward the door.
'Didn't this work out?'
Or,
-Why did you decide to go out with me?
The question suddenly came to my mind.
Why?
'Cause I like you.'
I was lost in thought, and Elise came up somewhere and crossed her arms.
"It's an exciting night."
Her pumpkin-colored eyes smiled after waking up from the idea of sparkling.
"Yeah. What kind of game is she trying to play?"
When everyone crossed the room with curiosity, the maids in the room on the right came and handed out small crystals one by one to each person.
The crystal, the size of a walnut, was radiating heat.
"Pretty."
Elise, who exclaimed, turned the crystal close to her eyes. Shards of light twinkled and shone like fairy wings.
"Now, everybody can take that crystal and hide anywhere in this mansion. If you go out of the hide-and-seek area, the crystal lights go out, so you can tell them apart."
Then said Countess Lieselotti, who came inside. Everyone listened to her explanation with breathlessness.
"We're going to hand out crystals to the gentlemen. The crystal they have is a pair with your crystal. When you get close, you shine."
Then Countess Lieselotti laughed and took a crystal out of the maid's basket and kissed it.
"And no one knows which crystal and which crystal are a pair."
The words burst out with a shout of joy or not.
"Good luck, ladies. I'll give you 10 minutes. The exit door is over there."
Everyone laughed and talked with an excited voice and walked out of the opposite door with a stampede.
Elise said as she slowly walked out the door.
"I'm coming to Katy."
"How do you know?"
"The Countess of Lieselotti is capable. And she hates affairs. I'm sure they've already done something to themselves."
"I see."
She's a lady of the right degree.
"Yes, then let's go hide."
Elise pulled Ran's arm with a smile. I could see people looking for places to hide.
"Shall we go outside?"
Elise shook her head at Ran's words.
"It's hot in the garden."
"It's a summer night?"
At Ran's words, Elise puffed her cheeks and said,
"Then shall we hide separately?"
"I think that would be good. I think Marquis and Lizzie should say sweet things when they meet anyway."
"Oh my?"
Elise opened her eyes wide and laughed.
"I hope the Duke finds Ran."
"I don't think it's going to be hard."
Ran thought so realistically, and said, "Time is up," leaving Elise's back, and then she set out to the garden.
'Oh, there's really no one.'
Everyone's tamed by the fan and doesn't come out. Ran looked at Crystal with that thought. The crystal was still shining, as the garden was also an area of hide-and-seek.
"I like it."
Ran nodded and walked along the stone path in the garden. The wind shook the shrubbery, and the scent of sweet night was everywhere.
Ran stretched all the way.
'It's so nice.'
But it was definitely a problem to have a place to hide. If I just sit on the floor, the dress will be covered with dirt.
Ran carefully examined the garden. And sat inside a small maze garden with pebbles.
'It's more of a geometric garden than a maze.'
Not long ago, there was a sweet smell of green. Ran flopped down on the stone floor.
When I opened my palm, the crystal was still shining.
'If I'm here, you can't find it.'
I'm sure they're all going in to the mansion.
Looking toward the mansion, I saw an adult shining butterfly inside the glass window. It's quite a beautiful sight.
'I feel sorry for Lumiere.'
Ran thought so.
As soon as he entered, he covered himself with wine and sent him back to change his clothes.
'He didn't have any spare clothes.'
So, he went to the duke residence and cut him off to change his clothes.
'I felt sorry for him for having a puppy-like face, but·····.'
I have to cut it off moderately. It's not good as long as he's coming.
In addition·····
'Cause I don't want Eustaf to misunderstand.'
I have to draw a line.
Ran thought so and gathered her knees, curled up, and exhaled. Leaning her cheek against her knee, she was lost in thought.
'Katya, when Empress Dowager is back in society, no matter how much Olivia is at a disadvantage. Like this, the Royal Family will defeat the Royal Family.'
In fact, it was just a hassle for Ran to have such a small fight in society.
'I didn't expect Ruth and Olivia to get in trouble. That's not the problem right now.'
The "darkness" sealed on the ice wall opened its eyes. Sina will be here next year, so the darkness will be the year after next..
'It's soon!'
Ran let out a loud moan. And the bigger problem is-
'That I didn't finish my writing.'
So, I know how to beat the darkness and have a happy ending, but I don't know how that happens.
And I don't know if it's actually happening because I only had a plan to write it out.
'Well, maybe the original isn't important anymore.'
Then she opened her hand.
'I should've been dead already. No. Is Ran dead by nature?'
And my parents and Tas.
Ran closed her eyes.
If she was able to change it, why did they die?
'Wait, then it's weird that I'm dating Eustaf, and in fact, my business should have been ruined, and Uncle Lindbergh would have killed me already.'
If you can't really change the big flow.
'Was it just a coincidence? Really?'
Ran exhaled a long breath.
Ssrak.
Then I heard footsteps from over there. The sound of stepping on pebbles gave Ran goose bumps.
Ran opened her hand. The Crystal was blinking.
'No Way!'
I don't know who my partner is, but I don't want to meet alone here.
'In addition·····.'
Ran swallowed deeply and squeezed the crystal as she suddenly recalled that there was an attempt to kidnap her. She hid the crystal in the shrub and moved as if crawling.
Then she found a moderately strong branch, then swallowed her breath and watched who was coming there.
Let's beat him up.
The owner of the sound of stepping on the stone seemed to have no intention of hiding his position. Ean narrowed her eyes and looked at his opponent. The opponent took out his crystal blinks and looked around. Ran jumped out of her seat in surprise.
"Eus!"
"Ran."
A smile passed over Eustaf's face, and her hand lowered his gaze.
"Is that possible?"
"Oh, I'm going to hit anyone suspicious."
She shook a branch and said, while Eustaf sighed, pulled a stick out of her hand and threw it.
"Do you have any options of hiding or running away?"
"You were hiding, weren't you?"
Ran quickly came out of the shrub and said. She took out the hidden crystal.
"That's amazing. How did it get paired up with Eustaf?"
"Maybe it's fate."
Eustaf said it so casually that Ran almost accepted it without realizing it.
"Yes, it's not you. It's a good thing anyway. You're not a weird person."
"That's a relief. You would have been in trouble if you swung that branch."
"Wielding a full swing will definitely hurt."
When Ran swung her arm, Eustaf replied briefly, "Try it on me later."
Ran raised her eyes and laughed.
"Not for Eustaf."
"If that could hurt me, I wouldn't worry."
"No matter how many times you get hit by a tree, it hurts, doesn't it?"
"That's the right story."
"You'll get hit if you hit me secretly."
"Let's do it now."
"Huh?"
Eustaf picked up a branch he had thrown, handed it to Ran, and turned back.
"Hit it."
Ran was puzzled and looked at the rod in her hand and the back of Eustaf's head.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Really hitting?"
"Yes."
"Really, really, really-"
"Ran"
Eustaf called her briefly.
"Just swing it."
Ran looked again at the branches in her hand. No, it's.
Then Ran grabbed the branch tightly, saw Eustaf, and swung it vigorously.
'Cause you're not supposed to get hit in the head-'
Ran aimed at his side.
Bung-
It was a very powerful sound.
But her branches cut through the air.
"Huh?"
Eustaf grabbed her from behind as she swung so hard that her back turned around.
Ran turned her head in surprise.
"Eus?"
"Yes."
"You were just in front of me."
"That's right."
He hugged her from behind and raised his chin to the top of Ran's head. Ran was embarrassed because he was caught stiffly and forcefully.
"No, how could you do that?"
"Do you understand now?"
Ran tried to turn around with her mouth wide open, but she couldn't turn at all because he hugged her tightly.