The Great Wish Volume 1 Chapter 3 part3

Chapter 3: Entwined Destiny
The masquerade ball hosted by the ducal household had an unprecedented amount of attendees. Almost all of those that received an invitation were attending the ball, and there were quite a few people that had managed to obtain an invitation through secret means.

Princess Sienna's attendance absolutely shattered the foundations of high society.

Sienna rarely attended social events. She would only show her face for a short while at events that required her attendance within the Palace. Since Princess Sienna didn't seem to be close to anyone yet, it meant that the window of opportunity to get closer to her was still open.

The attendees felt that it was a pity that today's event was a masquerade. The dress code required them to wear masks and wigs. They needed to hide their identities.

They wouldn't have a problem figuring out each others' identities once they shared a few words. Their social circle was small. They always met the same people at every party.

The charm of the masquerade was that they could all pretend they didn't know each other even though they all clearly did. However, today was different. Everyone was troubled over how they could get the Princess to recognize them. Should they pretend to snag their mask on something and have it fall off? Or maybe drop their masks as if by mistake? Everyone had the same thoughts running through their heads.

The party had just begun in the late afternoon, but the tension was already high. The wide hall of the ducal palace was full of people. Duke Luke's daughter-in-law, Countess Luke, looked down on the hall from the upper balcony and was delighted by what she saw. Today's ball was a great success.

"Mother, let me escort you down."

Joseph stopped just before heading downstairs and gave the countess his arm.

"You need to escort the Princess."

"Of course I will, but she hasn't arrived yet."

"Wicked boy. When the Princess arrives, I'm sure you'll just abandon me and go to her. Are you going to leave your mother to take care of your future wife?"

"Please understand."

The countess glared at her son as she smiled.

"You're absolutely sure she will be coming, right?"

"Of course. I got word that she has already departed the Palace."

"The Princess probably took a liking to you, right?"

"It's too soon to tell. We've only met once. However, it's the first time she has accepted an invitation to an event outside."

"Yes. You're right. She's such a serious person. I'm sure she didn't accept your invitation without having a reason to."

The mother and son were feeling victorious as if the Blue King's seat and the position as the Princess's husband were already theirs.

As she went downstairs and greeted the guests, the countess had the triumphant smile of a winner. The laughing faces of the guests hid their envy. In front of the countess's face, they declared how amazing the party was, but behind her back, they belittled her.

"The countess looks as if she has already obtained the world."

"Do you really think the Blue King will come from Duke Luke's family?"

"Is it to be Luke after Rimone? Still, the Rimones won't be pushed around by them."

"Of course. They have the Red King."

"There's talk that the Red King approved of Joseph as the Blue King. I heard that the two ducal families have already come to an agreement."

"Honestly, I don't understand. Other than his pretty face, what does Joseph have to offer?"

"I'm sure that's exactly why the Red King approves of him."

"Aha."

The ladies all chattered away, not concerned at all of being overheard. They lowered their voices, but they didn't look like they were trying.

In high society, tongues became daggers that stabbed people. As long as it wasn't said directly in that person's presence, everything was silently tolerated. Even if they said it directly behind that person's back.

In a corner not that far away from the countess, a man was standing still, not interacting with any of the other guests. Even though he didn't want to listen to the gossip, he couldn't help but overhear. He smiled bitterly.

He wore a simple mask that covered more than half his face. He had long brown hair that looked so natural that one wouldn't be able to tell whether it was his real hair or whether it was a wig.

The man was standing away from prying eyes. He didn't make his presence known, almost as if he was hiding, but the moment he entered the room, he caught the sharp eyes of the ladies. As they pretended to flutter their fans, their eyes openly looked him up and down.

'Is he a knight? He has a great body.'

Because they couldn't see his face, his mysterious aura was even more striking. They wanted to take off his well-fitting tailcoat and see his body.

Kuhn pretended not to notice the covetous gazes.

'This is why I don't like coming to these.'

Unlike the usual parties that pretended to be refined, the masquerades were far more devoted to people's desires. If he were to compare it to one extreme, it was like a gathering of rutting beasts. Once it got closer to midnight, they wouldn't only stare at him. They would rub their breasts up against his arm and stick their bodies close to his.

'Why did she choose a masquerade of all things?'

He grumbled at the Princess's disappointing choice.

Chapter end