The Academy's Winter Ball was an annual event held at the end of the year, meant to celebrate academic achievements and wash away the fatigue.

A party that professors and students alike enjoyed.

Of course, it was hard to say that this ball was a simple and fun event.

Inside, there were those who hid a blade behind false smiles.

While there were people purely enjoying the ball, no one could deny that it was a hotbed of Academy politics.

This ball marked both the end of one year and the beginning of a new one.

It set the stage for academy politics for the coming year.

The outcome of the ball greatly influenced the coming year's events, hinting at who might become the next student council president or who might garner attention.

Personally, I despised this sort of atmosphere.

If I had been ordinary, I would have ignored the political plays happening at the ball.

But now, even if I wanted to, I couldn't ignore it.

I am the child of a Duke's family.

There would undoubtedly be people who wanted to get close to me.

So I made a plan.

Ugh, it's cold......

I was standing before the ballroom in a black suit and overcoat.

To my surprise, I had more clothes packed than I initially realized.

Among them were a variety of suits, ranging from ostentatious to comfortable.

A black suit seemed appropriate for a ball.

As soon as the maids in the dormitory heard about the ball, they rushed to help me.

They were a group I seldom interacted with, but for the ball, they eagerly offered their help.

They provided a variety of grooming services, including facial massages, hair styling, and makeup.

It felt peculiar to receive such attention for the first time, but I couldn't deny that I looked better than usual.

Despite that, it felt strange.

I kept adjusting the stiff suit, and fiddled with my neatly combed hair.

At that moment, a familiar voice called out.

"Rudy!"

It was Luna.

Turning, I saw her in a long coat. I couldn't see what she wore beneath it, but her usually messy hair looked remarkably neat.

Behind her, Riku and Ena were approaching.

"Hehe...."

"Gruhh...."

Riku was innocently smiling as if she knew nothing, while Ena next to her was frowning as if something was not to her liking.

"Rudy, have you been waiting long? It must be very cold."

"Huh? No. I haven't waited long."

I responded, my gaze fixed on Luna's face.

Luna's appearance was so commonplace to me that it hardly registered.

But tonight, dressed for the ball, she seemed different.

More beautiful.

"You look pretty, Luna."

I found myself saying with a warm smile.

Luna's eyes widened in surprise, her arms flailing at the unexpected compliment.

"Uh, th, thank you! Rudy...!"

Luna said that and raised her thumb at me.

"Ru, Rudy also looks cool!"

Haah......

Ena sighed dramatically behind Luna at her flustered response.

I mirrored Luna's thumbs-up gesture with a light smile.

"Thank you."

"Hehe..." Luna laughed, scratching her head sheepishly.

Ena suggested we head inside, but I held them back.

I couldn't enter the ballroom just yet.

My plan.

I intended to keep anyone from coming near me.

With only a small group like us, there was a concern that others might approach me.

So, I needed the right people.

While I was thinking about that, some familiar faces were coming our way.

"Have you been well?"

"Ah, yes, it's been a while. Rudy."

It was Borval and Locke.

I planned to use these two as my shields.

Locke, despite being unremarkable in our company, was still a member of the respected Lucarion family.

And Borval, a talented individual who had distinguished himself in both the individual skill assessment and joint practical, was also aspiring to be a teaching assistant.

His influence in the academy was something that couldn't be ignored.

Originally, I should have also met with Rie and Astina, but Rie, due to her position as the first princess, said she would arrive a bit later, and Astina was in the middle of preparing her end-of-year speech.

If people of such status were gathered together, I figured unknown individuals wouldn't dare approach us.

"Now, shall we go in?"

I looked at everyone and spoke.

Things were beginning to get a little odd.

"Rudy! Look at this! This cookie is so pretty!"

Luna, radiant in her white dress, waved a cookie in her hand, her innocent eyes sparkling.

Her childlike excitement drew a fond smile from me, but therein lay the issue.

"Excuse me......"

A man began, approaching Luna.

"......Yes?"

She answered, a puzzled look on her face.

Seeing this, I intervened,

"Do you have something to say to Luna?"

"N-No, not at all! I'm sorry!"

The man quickly retreated upon my intrusion.

"Hehehe Thank you, Rudy!"

"No problem......."

Luna laughed and thanked me, a scenario that was becoming all too familiar.

Luna, with her innocent charm, was attracting quite a lot of attention at the banquet.

Each time Luna's innocent laughter rang through the room, more men seemed to become entranced by her.

Those with political motives didn't bother us, but Luna seemed to be a magnet for a particular type of unwanted attention.

Even with the presence of Locke, and Borval, men kept flocking to Luna.

I realized then that I had overlooked something crucial.

Luna was a woman of undeniable allure, and men are often courageous in the presence of someone they find attractive*.

Tonight, Luna shone brighter than any star, and that was the problem.

The banquet hall was a battleground of political maneuvering and hidden agendas.

Every smile was contrived, every gesture calculated.

Everyone concealed their true motives, speaking in coded and metaphorical language.

Unlike these people, Luna was genuinely enjoying herself, her smile pure and joyful.

She felt like a fresh flower among artificial ones.

Since things had already gone this far, I couldn't just stand by and watch.

Luna had just come here to have fun, so I wanted to make sure she could enjoy herself without feeling uncomfortable.

If I kept a protective presence near Luna, it would discourage these men from approaching her.

So, I ended up following Luna around like a bodyguard.

Time flew by, and the real ball was about to begin.

Huh.

With someone's voice, everyone's eyes were drawn to the entrance.

It was as if the person was the protagonist of this ball, making a last-minute entrance just before it began.

It was Rie.

Hmm?

I tilted my head as I looked at Rie's outfit.

A dazzling dress mixed with red and black.

And it was short in length.

Rie seemed conscious of her dress being short as well; she kept touching her skirt, trying to pull it down slightly.

Her golden hair combined with the red dress attracted everyone's attention.

But it was different from Rie's usual style.

A short skirt and vibrant colors.

Rie, who usually dressed in a simple style that suited her, had come today in an outfit that was both striking and glamorous.

I was suddenly taken aback by her appearance, losing my appetite.

It wasn't that her style was strange.

It was quite beautiful, capturing the attention of those around her.

I was just puzzled by the changed from her usual attire.

With that, Rie slowly walked into the banquet hall, and numerous people approached her as she entered.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Princess."

"Oh... isn't this dress a trend in the capital?"

They showered Rie with compliments.

"Yes, I had it specially brought from the capital," Rie replied, her smile slightly awkward but her tone as graceful as ever as she began conversing with them.

It seemed difficult to approach her at the moment.

Rie had told me she would mingle for a bit and then come over to where I was.

Well, she would come over on her own, I supposed.

I wanted to ask Rie about her outfit, but seeing her surrounded by so many people, I turned away and looked at Luna.

Luna was staring at Rie, mouth agape.

"Luna?"

"Eek!"

Luna made a strange noise in response when I called her name.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking at her intently.

"N-nothing at all!" Luna waved her hands dismissively.

As she did so, she suddenly stopped and looked at me.

Her eyes fixed on my face, she quietly opened her mouth.

"Rudy... there's something I want to ask you...."

"Hm?"

I stared back at her.

"What is it? You can ask me anything."

"Is Rie... pretty...?"

Luna tilted her head slightly, pointing at Rie.

I nodded at Luna's question.

"Yeah... pretty, right? Even though she's usually so casual, when you look at her from afar, she really does seem like a princess."

Rie is beautiful.

This is something no one can dispute.

The attention she was receiving was enough proof of that.

Even now, everyone looked up at her, trying to get closer to her, hoping to exchange more words.

They were all mesmerized, like insects drawn to a captivating flower.

"Rudy, you said I was pretty too, right?"

"Huh?"

"So...."

She took a step closer, her eyes meeting mine as she asked,

"So, am I pretty, or is Rie pretty?"

Luna spoke, her hands gathered at her chest.

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Luna's bolder than I thought. Also men getting bolder when they find someone attractive? Maybe when they're drunk...