Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better?

"You are being proactive today."

His face came closer.

An unrealistic handsome face smiled playfully in front of my nose.

Although his beauty suffocated me, I was secretly dumbfounded.

"Are you playing a joke on me now?"

With his eyes wide open, he quickly pointed his finger towards the sky.

"Look there. It's starting."

In the sky, an intense light fired by the wizard was flying, leaving a long trajectory behind.

Boom! Boom!

As the sound of firecrackers exploded one after another, the night sky flashed in a roar, and yellow daffodil-shaped fireworks began to illuminate the night sky.

‘Wow.'

It was spectacular, so I let out a small exclamation.

The fireworks soon bloomed splendidly red like a rose, and then bloomed brightly here and there like a cosmos.

It scattered radiantly like dandelion flower seeds and glistened elegantly like a tulip.

A dreamy magic unfolded as if the entire sky had become a huge flower garden.

When I heard the cheers of people in the distance, my heart swelled.

‘If only I had chicken and beer, it would be the best.'

I looked up at the sky absent-mindedly, wishing that this moment could last a little longer.

The fireworks, which had spread in all shapes and colors that it was reminiscent of a flower garden, quickly faded into a pale pink color and fluttered like butterflies in the sky.

I unintentionally stretched out my hand towards the night sky, where the stars seemed to be falling like snow.

"… It's pretty."

After muttering in a low voice, Isidor, who was next to me, agreed in a gentle voice.

"It's beautiful."

***

After the fireworks were over, we returned to the auction house using the scroll Isidor had.

I was in a hazy mood the whole time I was watching the night view, and it was only when we arrived at the auction house that I could barely get a hold of myself.

‘It's like I had a wonderful dream for the first time in a while.'

Even in the carriage returning home, the afterimage of the splendid fireworks remained and flickered in front of my eyes.

The ancient document that Isidor gave me did not catch my attention at all; so I closed the book and leaned against the window, reflecting on today's day.

‘Honestly, both the ball and the fireworks were quite fun.'

I also learned a new fact that social dancing is surprisingly exciting and enjoyable.

Isidor's friendly smile and his large hands came into my mind one after the other like a flashback, and I quickly shook my head.

I was excited and my heart was beating fast, perhaps because it was a situation like an event I did not expect at all since coming into the tragedy novel.

‘Now that I'm back to reality, I have to come to my senses.'

I patted my cheeks lightly and got off the carriage.

"Princess!"

As soon as I arrived, my father's aide looked exhausted and came towards me at a fast pace.

Watching him gasp for breath, I raised my eyebrows.

"What is the matter?"

Unlike me, who enjoyed a brief dream-like feeling, the aide was exhausted, as if he had suffered from a terrible nightmare.

"The Duke is very worried because you are returning home too late."

"Hm? Didn't I come home relatively quickly? I came right after the fireworks were over."

I worried about whether I was being too upright as the Seymour's ruffian.

"That's what… I mean, in any case, the Duke cares about the Princess very much so he was very worried."

Looking out of his mind, the aide mumbled nonsense.

"Since he is worried, I must see him for a moment."

I walked straight towards my father's office.

"I'm home."

Duke Seymour did not look back at my greeting but looked out the window with his hands clasped behind his back.

Is it just my feeling?

I could feel an unknown sense of disappointment in his large back.

"It looks like you had a good time. It's nice to see you with a bright expression."

He accepted my greeting a bit late.

There was nothing awkward about the conversation, but there was a hint of displeasure in his tone and expression.

‘Don't tell me, is it because I went out to have fun alone?'

The Spring Flower Festival was crowded and noisy, so it was not a festival that elderly people actively participated in.

Duke Seymour also blatantly disliked the Spring Flower Festival, saying that the atmosphere of the Wizardry Association turned slack.

"I heard you were worried."

I said with a suspicious feeling.

The Duke cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

"What do you mean, worried. You must have done well? I just asked when you were coming, but it seems that the aide exaggerated it."

"I see."

"But why do you look like that?"

Since I put on a robe and went in and out of the crowded night market, my appearance was a little untidy.

"And what are you holding in your hand?"

The Duke pointed to the sage's ethics book that I was holding by my side.

"Ah, I went to the night market and…"

Before I could even finish my words, he got angry with a very displeased face.

"The night market?! But that's such a hectic and crowded place. As expected, that sly Visconti guy, I knew he was going to act as he pleased. I can't believe he took my daughter to the place where those lowly things go!"

I sighed as I watched the angry Duke move around angrily.

‘Well, you just don't like Isidor.'

Today, Isidor came to the townhouse to escort me to the Imperial Palace.

Bringing a bouquet of flowers to pick up a ball partner was also common courtesy for a gentleman of the Empire.

"Not to mention the dress, and the pink diamond suits you so well. After all, you're my daughter, so there's nothing that doesn't suit you."

The Duke, who had been indirectly praising my ball attire, hardened his mouth as soon as he saw Isidor getting off the carriage with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.

The sly swallow wearing a light indie pink suit had a blatant expression.

‘Pink was too radical for the conservative Duke Seymour.'

Thinking that Isidor was being misunderstood by my father, I quickly opened my mouth.

"I went to the night market by myself after the ball. Sir Isidor has nothing to do with it."

"If there was something you wanted to buy, you could have sent a servant, so why did you have to go to the night market?"

"I heard rumors that there was a rare item at the auction house, so I wanted to check it out with my own eyes."

"You mean you went to the auction house where the ruffians gather? Tsk, what on earth is this?"

The Duke, who took the sage's ethics book while nagging, suddenly narrowed his brow.

‘Oh? It's a face that knows something.'

Looking over the old parchment with a serious mood, he took out a small mirror from the drawer and reflected the letters.

Strangely enough, when the foreign language, which was completely incomprehensible, was reflected in the mirror, the left and right sides were reversed, and it looked like a bad yet readable handwriting.

And in the foreword of the book, ‘by Bellemont' was written.

‘Bellemont…? I think I've heard that name a lot.'

"This book was written by Bellemont Seymour, the 6th head of the family! He was left-handed, so he had a habit of writing like this, like a code."

‘Aha, this is what Isidor meant by it being useful to me.'

Although it was not an ethics book written by an ancient sage, it was a book of great value to Seymour's immediate family.

"I can't believe Bellemont left behind such a memoir."

The Duke's voice trembled softly with surprise and emotion.

‘Oh?! I know that look.'

The expression of a fan who came across new goods of her ultimate bias.

Perhaps the Duke seemed to have the most respect for Bellemont among all the heads of the family.

‘Isidor, thank you.'

If I spoon-feed him this much, it's natural to accept it right away.

There's no need to tell the truth.

"It's a gift for my Father. The auctioneer seemed to be bluffing, but I'm glad I got the right item."

At my words, the Duke swept through the ancient document with slightly trembling hands.

"Leaving the masquerade ball behind and going into that crowded place to buy a present for me…"

Ahem. I'm feeling guilty for no reason.

"O-Of course. Then, can I go? As you can see, I don't look very good."

I slowly retreated.

"You must be tired, but I held you back."

"Not at all. Have a restful night. Father."

It must be just my feeling that my acting skills and slyness seem to improve day after day.

Leaving behind Duke Seymour, who was floundering in a swamp of delusion, I came into the separate building and screamed in terror as soon as I took off the robe.

"Aaah!!"

Where is it?!

This is a dream.

"I'm sure I put it in the inside pocket of my skirt!"

Why is it not here!

Since I couldn't bring unauthorized magic tools into the imperial palace, I didn't have the space magic pouch with me.

"P-Princess, what is wrong?"

The servants and maids who were waiting nearby rushed in confusion at my shattering scream.

"My pink diamond…! I think I lost it at the night market. I'm sure I put it in my pocket. This can't be happening!"

The price of one townhouse… More than 1 billion won in lottery winnings…

I slumped down on the bed.