Chapter 720 – #155_Party
#720
1.
To cut to the chase, Lydia’s female-domme sex session was a bust.
It ended without any proper climax or satisfaction.
“Ah, I guess I wasted too much time. I’ll be going.”
The reason was that she had to attend the ball that was being held after the secret auction.
As the owner of the Solidus Trading Company, Lydia couldn’t just skip out as she pleased.
“Yes, so what am I supposed to do during that time?”
“Stay here quietly. Or do you want to come along?”
“Can I come along?”
The question wasn’t so much out of a desire to go, but more out of a pure ‘Is that really okay?’ kind of feeling.
After all, wasn’t the fact that Siwoo was under Lydia a secret that shouldn’t be revealed?
Not just for Siwoo, but it was also a secret that Lydia had to keep.
“You have Brisingamen. You can participate as my partner. It’s an unknown artifact, so there won’t be anyone who can see through it. Even if they suspect something, who would dare to try to dig into my partner’s identity?”
“Hmm….”
“It’s also a pain to pick a partner every time. Everyone just clings to me after the ball, hoping to get something out of it, which is annoying.”
Lydia answered nonchalantly.
Lydia herself seemed like the type who enjoyed toeing the line rather than sticking to a perfect plan, so there was no need to doubt her intentions.
A ball for high-ranking officials….
There was no real need to go, but curiosity was piqued.
Even if Lydia was a witch with hedonistic tendencies, she wouldn’t handle situations related to her own gains carelessly.
After all, she was someone who maintained such a large trading company.
If I stayed locked in the room, I would have no choice but to let the situation unfold as it was.
On the other hand, if I attended the ball, I could take a slight risk but also gather various information, so the decision wasn’t difficult.
“Okay, I’ll go.”
“Good choice. Get dressed and follow me.”
And so, I made my debut at a ball for the first time in my life.
2.
The ball was held in the salon on the top floor of the North Wing of Almak Club.
It was called a ball, but in reality, it was nothing more than a social gathering or a game.
“I planned it, and this ball is quite popular.”
Lydia smiled, slightly puffing out her chest.
“Officials are basically in an adversarial relationship, even if they’re the same kind of official, right? But after Hexennacht appeared, they were able to meet face-to-face without much wariness.”
“That’s true.”
“Wouldn’t you be curious? To be able to meet officials who are notorious, or extremely ferocious, or who you’ve only ever fought over interests with, in a safe place.”
I understood.
Siwoo himself had decided to come along because he was curious about what kind of people would gather.
If Siwoo, who didn’t know most of the officials, felt this way, it was a given for an official who had been in the witch society for a long time.
Before entering the ballroom through the massive door, Lydia paused for a moment.
“I’m going in. Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Lydia was wearing a black dress that showed off her seductive exposure, and Siwoo, who was escorting her, was dressed in a dashing tailcoat.
For reference, the golden eyes that weren’t covered by Brisingamen were covered with an eye patch.
“Don’t be too nervous. Your tie is a little crooked.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Let’s go in.”
Lydia, who had fixed the bow tie on my tailcoat, opened the massive door and entered the ballroom with me.
As soon as the door opened, the dreamy waltz played by the orchestra in suits flowed gracefully, and the sounds of conversations and laughter blooming like vibrant roses spread throughout the room.
Handsome men in livery bustled about, their heels clicking as they carried champagne and various finger foods on silver platters.
A wide hall with five massive crystal chandeliers hanging in a row.
Amidst the thick haze of cigarette and hookah smoke, witches were seen enjoying the party in their own ways.
In the space right in front of the central staircase with a red carpet, pairs of witches, or a witch and a male servant, were dancing lightly to the waltz.
Some witches were lying on the sofas, drinking heavily, while others were kissing passionately without caring about the gazes of others.
A glamorous yet somewhat decadent atmosphere.
It was my first time at such a full-fledged ball, so I didn’t have anything to compare it to, but I didn’t think the balls held in Gehenna would be much different.
“If you go up those stairs, there are guest rooms. They’re good rooms with perfect soundproofing. There’s a bar over there, and you can get a massage over there. Come this way.”
Even though Lydia, the host, had entered, there wasn’t much commotion, just a few glances.
Rather, Siwoo was the one who received quite a bit of attention.
“…I’m getting a lot of attention.”
“You’re the first slave I’ve ever brought as a partner. And Siwoo, you’re tall. Just act natural.”
After whispering to me, Lydia took a glass of champagne from a passing servant and moved on.
As she passed, several witches spoke to her.
“What a handsome partner. What’s their name?”
“Right? It’s Lesias. I just tamed them, and they’re very cute.”
“It’s my first time seeing a witch this tall.”
However, it was more like the curiosity shown to a noblewoman who had just brought a new designer bag, rather than the respect shown to a superior.
Perhaps it was just an excuse to start a conversation, as the red-haired witch got straight to the point almost immediately.
“Ah, would you mind if we talked for a bit? I’ve recently started a jewelry business and would like to propose a partnership and investment.”
“Just wait here for a bit. Let’s dance together during the next song.”
“Okay.”
I gave her a look that said, ‘What am I supposed to do if you leave me alone here like this!’, but Lydia just lightly pushed my back.
I shouldn’t have come.
I was inwardly flustered, but I didn’t show it and sat down on a nearby sofa.
It was awkward to just sit there, so I lit a cigarette and calmly looked around.
I thought there would be some kind of fierce power struggle between the moderate and radical factions at an official’s party, but that wasn’t the case.
Everyone was leisurely chatting or enjoying the party.
Except for some rather explicit acts happening in the dimly lit areas, it was a pretty normal ball.
As I was anxiously waiting for Lydia to return, the worst possible event happened.
“Hello.”
Someone had spoken to me.
They were barely 150cm tall.
If you took off their shoes, they would probably be around 147-8cm.
Their curly golden hair and gentle green eyes made them look like a docile lamb.
They looked much more suited to pajamas than a party dress or evening gown, and perhaps aware of this, they wore a rather comfortable-looking dress.
A unique feature was that they were carrying a cane that was taller than they were, with a bent end and a brass bell attached to it.
“Hello.”
“May I sit next to you?”
“Please do.”
Siwoo was relieved by the youthful atmosphere, like that of a novice witch.
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I didn’t feel any of the dangerous aura that was typical of officials.
I even thought they might be an exile.
After all, not everyone at Hexennacht was an official.
As they sat on the sofa, their feet didn’t touch the ground, which showed just how petite this witch was.
Of course, since they were a spirit, their proportions were good, and their head was about the size of a fist, to exaggerate a bit.
“I was curious because you’re so tall, so I decided to talk to you.”
“I am Lesias.”
“I see. That’s a name I’ve never heard before.”
“Because my rank isn’t high.”
For reference, the name Lesias was forcibly given to me, taken from Tiresias in Greek and Roman mythology.
A figure who lived both as a man and a woman due to a snake’s curse.
Anyway, the dissonance was no joke.
From Siwoo’s perspective, his male voice was coming out raw, but in reality, it was being heard as a female voice, wasn’t it?
“Were you always this tall since you were born?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean, your height.”
“Yes.”
“I see. So there’s no special secret to it.”
“That’s right.”
The witch looked at Siwoo with curiosity.
“What is your name, witch?”
“Psyche Teagarden.”
A name like Tea Garden.
It was a unique name even among witches.
But well, whatever.
No conversation that could reveal my identity was taking place, but I just hoped that Lydia would come back as soon as possible.
“You don’t know me, do you?”
Meanwhile, Psyche, who had been swinging her legs and carefully observing Siwoo’s reaction, spoke.
“Huh?”
“Everyone is surprised when they first hear my name, but you seem unfazed.”
Was she a famous witch?
Just as I was tilting my head in confusion, Lydia, who had been talking to several witches, returned.
She was a woman whose true intentions I didn’t know, but right now, I was so glad to see her.
“Oh my? Ms. Teagarden. What brings you here without notice?”
“I was bored, so I dropped by.”
“Are you having a good time?”
“It’s a wonderful ball, and the music is great. But I wish there were a few more sweet desserts. I also like chocolate fountains.”
“I’ll definitely keep that in mind next time.”
Psyche jumped up from her seat.
“See you next time.”
She waved goodbye to Siwoo with a small hand and then walked away, tapping her cane.
Only after her figure had disappeared down the hallway did Lydia speak.
“You’re lucky. That person is a witch that you can only see very rarely.”
Lydia used honorifics regardless of rank or age.
But it wasn’t hard to tell that she was being particularly polite to Psyche.
That’s why Siwoo was curious about her identity.
“Who is she?”
“She’s the famous witch of Aries.”
“…Huh? That person?”
Even Siwoo had heard of that moniker.
Because the witch of Aries was one of the famous old witches.
She was known for being appointed as the leader of the Qliphoth in the past.
And also for killing many members of the Qliphoth for some reason and then disappearing without a trace.
“She came into the city almost immediately after Hexennacht was formed. She’s currently supporting the moderate faction.”
“Is that even possible? Isn’t she a traitor?”
“Well, it was a long time ago. Back then, killing each other was the norm.”
Listening to Lydia’s words as she shrugged, Siwoo learned a valuable lesson: judging people by their appearances in the witch society could be dangerous.
