I Transmigrated as my Bias's Messenger Bird - Chapter 45
Alucina’s royal parties had one archaic rule: the partner rule. It mandated that you needed a partner to attend the party. Partners were often implicitly decided beforehand, but for the sake of drama, you would walk hand in hand down the stairs at the entrance to the ballroom.
Typically, when the female partner entered the party hall, the male partner, who had already been there, would come up the stairs to take her hand and they would walk down together. When I played as Mina, I didn’t pay much attention to this rule.
‘Because my partner had already been set to Edin…’
So back then, after choosing one dress from the selection Edin sent, I headed to the ballroom, the event triggered, Edin came up the stairs, and everyone envies me as I walked down the stairs. But since I’m not playing as Mina now, I was curious about what would happen if I went down alone.
“I’ll escort Keisha!”
I heard a knock a while ago, and when I opened the door, Alfie was there in a navy tuxedo with a red bow tie. He seemed to have taken care of his appearance, with neatly combed hair and a hopeful look in his eyes.
“It’d be my honor.”
I graciously accepted. I trusted Alfie. There wouldn’t be any need to deal with strange characters, and it seemed like a perfect way to avoid the male leads.
With excitement, Alfie left after promising to make a grand entrance when my name was called at the entrance of the ballroom. I then retrieved the dress I borrowed from Dito.
It was plain and demure. It had the feel of an evening gown, made entirely of sky-blue chiffon and lace, adorned with subtle pearls around the neckline.
‘If Dito had such an ordinary dress, why didn’t he bring it out and show it to me at the beginning?’
I put the dress on by myself. Luckily, the dress fit reasonably well. It wasn’t too long and didn’t drag. Besides, since I had to walk without a carriage, if it had a long train, I’d end up cleaning the ground as I walked.
If it dragged a little bit, I could just hold it with my hand and walk. However, considering I had to walk, I boldly gave up on wearing heels. My feet were precious. I opted for the low-heeled shoes I used to wear during classes. The skirt was long enough that there wouldn’t be any chance of anyone seeing it anyway.
‘We should probably get going, right?’
I started to walk past the parade of carriages in front of the dormitory and headed for the shortcut to the palace.
***
At the throne room of Regia, Ventus knelt down and spoke.
“I bring a report. The person who possesses Keisha’s body has entered the human Royal Academy.”
“I see,” murmured the Monarch, Delphior, smiling faintly.
As Delphior remained silent, Ventus continued. “However, there’s news that the Alucina Imperial Knights have been conducting a thorough investigation into Keisha recently.”
There was a hint of anger in Ventus’s voice. He’d heard the rumor by accident when he was eavesdropping on drunken chatter in a tavern in the Alucina Empire where he had stopped on a mission.
‘The chatter among the intoxicated patrons made it clear that a clueless elf was involved in an incident…’
Ventus bit his lip, remembering how he’d felt when he’d heard the story. Even if it wasn’t Keisha herself, such rumors from drunkards were hard to hear. He didn’t mean to side with the outsider possessing Keisha. It was just hard to shake the thought that she was in trouble.
“No need to worry.”
“…Excuse me?”
Ventus lifted his head, surprised by the resolute response from the Monarch.
‘Even though the Monarch is typically composed and stoic…They look strangely determined.’
Ventus swallowed hard at the momentary discomfort he felt and cleared his throat again. “But if she’s being investigated by the Imperial Knights, this might be a cause for concern.”
As an elf in the human world, it was hard not to worry about her safety. He couldn’t risk her facing any dangers. Struggling to continue his thought without directly challenging the Monarch’s opinion, Ventus trailed off. He seldom questioned their views—his principle had always been to simply follow orders.
After a moment of silence, Delphior smiled and said, “Ventus, you do what you must.”
The voice was kind yet carried a chilling undertone.
Though hesitating for a moment, Ventus tried to voice his concern once more. “But…”
Delphior, with a compassionate smile, interrupted him. “Everything happens for a reason.”
Ventus lowered his head.
‘It would be dangerous to question the Monarch any further…’
Frustratingly, there was nothing more he could do. Part of her found it somewhat amusing—this silly otherwolder. What happens to her shouldn’t be concerning him this much.
“…Yes, I understand,” muttered Ventus quietly, his crimson eyes staring helplessly into space.
