The Black Rift Over the Banquet
"Enjoy your evening."
With her most impeccable hostess smile, Daisy set down the guests' glasses and turned away. Then she headed for the station where fresh bottles of champagne waited, ready to refill her emptying tray.
By mid-banquet, the guests will be drunk and noisy. If I move then, no one will notice a thing. Daisy sighed at the thought. Who knew getting a single meeting with the Grand Duke would be this difficult? If every encounter had to be smuggled like this, she would need a better approach.
Whew. If I were nobility, none of this would be a problem. She could simply attend a banquet and cross his path. But as a poor commoner, she had no such options. Coming to tonight's ball only made Daisy realize, yet again, just how vast the gulf between her and Ezra truly was.
The banquet hall was dazzling enough to blind her — white marble trimmed in gold, delicate and vibrant frescoes across the walls, even tiny gemstones inlaid with the express purpose of catching the light. She could probably pry a few of those gold fixtures off the wall and pay a full year's rent with them. Which meant she had to make the most of this chance. With a status gap this wide, opportunities to see him were few and far between.
She was arranging champagne bottles on her tray when she saw the maid in front of her startle and spill the glass she was pouring.
"What on earth—"
At the same moment, a shadow fell over Daisy's head. Wondering what was going on, she whipped around — and there stood Ezra, wearing what could only be described as an irritated expression.
Ezra flashed the startled maid a brilliant smile. "May I borrow this maid for a moment?"
"P-pardon? Y-yes, of course!"
He was an honored guest; naturally, no one could refuse. The moment the maid's consent was secured, Ezra relieved Daisy of her tray, seized her hand, and swept her off toward the terrace.
The sun had nearly set, so small lamps had already been lit along the terrace. Ezra ushered Daisy inside, then drew the curtains shut — cutting off the curious gazes of onlookers who were already wondering what was happening.
And at last, they were alone.
"Don't you think you've gone far enough?"
His expression was far from pleasant. Daisy studied his face carefully before answering. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."
"You've been lurking around my estate for days now, chasing me everywhere I go. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
Her shoulders flinched. Ezra took that as confirmation and stepped closer, looking down at her through a haze of barely restrained menace. Her round brown eyes wavered, too flustered to know where to settle — and something in him softened.
He was a cold-blooded man who never wavered, yet for some reason, the moment Daisy looked anxious, the unease spread to him like a contagion. Ezra tempered his killing intent and lowered his voice.
"What exactly do you think this chasing accomplishes? Don't tell me you actually believe that if I see your face often enough, I'll grow fond of you?"
He raised an eyebrow, curious what flimsy excuse she would offer this time. Her brown eyes, darker than usual, showed none of that strange light he'd glimpsed before — and none of the fear that had clung to her the entire time he'd known her.
Did I imagine it all?
Then Daisy lifted her lowered head, cautiously meeting his gaze. She stared up into his eyes, wary that something might be visible in them. Her own face was reflected in those captivating, almost hypnotic eyes — a color that seemed to pull a person in.
Wait — it's not going to take something sharp poking into them to make it appear again, like last time, is it?
Two people, lost in entirely different thoughts, had their gazes tangled together. For a brief moment, Ezra felt a prickling near his heart, followed by a strange rush of heat.
Daisy noticed none of it. Eyes wide, mouth opening and closing wordlessly, she simply raised a finger and pointed behind him.
Ezra turned slowly — and his face froze in shock as well.
The sun had all but slipped past the horizon, and above a sky dizzyingly streaked with orange, indigo, and violet, a black hole had torn open — a rift as deep as the abyss itself.
"A dungeon," Daisy whispered.
And from that rift, black specks began to pour out.
Flying monsters.
Ezra tracked them with his eyes. Low-grade monsters. Low-grade, yes — but there were far too many of them. Even if he took the field himself, some would inevitably slip through. He glanced at the woman beside him.
She had graduated from the alchemy department, but the Academy required all its students to train in martial arts — it was even on the final examination. A girl like her could handle a low-grade monster or two without trouble.
Having made his decision, Ezra drew a simple, lightweight sword from his subspace.
"I'll hold them off here. Get on a horse, ride to the nearest outpost, and bring back reinforcements."
"M-me?"
At her vacant look, Ezra clicked his tongue. "How many people here can actually wield a sword? Take a look around."
In the empire's heyday, only a handful of chosen families had been permitted to keep private soldiers. As a result, most nobles these days did nothing but amuse themselves. In this entire estate, perhaps ten people at most could cut a path through the horde with a blade in hand.
"You're one of those few, and you're standing right in front of me. So go."
"...I'll go."
Realizing there was no alternative, Daisy nodded without protest. The Grand Duke found her odd compliance strangely unsettling. Even so, the thought that she was leaving empty-handed made him rummage through his subspace, pull out a medley of potions, and press them into her hands.
"These were given to me by an alchemist I used to work with. He said to keep them for emergencies. If you need them on the way, use them."
As Daisy took the vials from him, she recognized them instantly — these were Ludgar's work.
"These are... far too precious."
They were almost certainly made as his own personal protection. Knowing Ludgar's skill, Daisy couldn't help but be stunned that the Grand Duke would hand them over so freely.
Weren't you supposed to hate me?
"So you do understand their worth."
With that, Ezra lightly clicked his tongue. Why am I fussing over my stalker right now? No matter how he looked at it, he was being far too kind.
He drew the rest of his blade free and grumbled, rapping the flat of it against his shoulder. "If something happens to you, it'll ruin my sleep. You'd obviously come back to haunt me and keep chasing me around even as a ghost."
"No, that's—"
Daisy tried to protest. But she had been stalking him, so she had no idea what to say, and her mouth simply opened and closed.
"Hurry up and go. Time is money."
The words were barely out of his mouth before Ezra raised his sword and swept it toward the monsters. A razor-sharp blade of energy split the incoming black swarm in two — only for other monsters to immediately fill the gap.
Watching this, Daisy bit her lip and leapt down from the terrace.
She had to summon the reinforcements as quickly as possible. The Grand Duke might well be fine, but no one could promise the same for every soul gathered at the count's estate.
What on earth is happening?
Across dozens of regressions, not once had a dungeon ever opened near the capital.
Before heading to the greenhouse, Alice summoned a maid and gave her instructions.
"Go to His Grace the Grand Duke and deliver a message. Tell him the roses are most beautiful at this hour, and that he must hurry and come see them."
"My lady... are you certain this is wise? Your father tried to stop you, didn't he?"
In truth, Alice had asked the count to bring the Grand Duke to the greenhouse himself — and been refused. Her father had declared there was no chance, and pressed her to give up before she humiliated herself any further.
But Alice refused to give up.
She was the woman everyone admired. Even the imperial family was considering her as a candidate for crown princess. Yet the most sought-after figure in society right now was neither the great Emperor nor the handsome princes.
It was, of course, Grand Duke Alkenes.
The empire's hero, blessed with both a beautiful face and formidable power. His birth was admittedly... complicated — but no one in this world was perfect. If anything, that secret only made Ezra shine all the brighter.
Whatever the case, Alice adored the Grand Duke. She was certain that she, of all people, could soothe his wounded heart. Above all, she was the most beautiful woman in high society — and pairing herself with the most perfect of men would make a picture no one could fault.
What woman could possibly suit him better than me?
Stepping into the greenhouse, Alice pictured it: herself and Ezra walking side by side into the banquet hall. Just imagining every eye upon them — envious, jealous, covetous — sent a thrill through her already.
She reached out and cut the loveliest, most luscious bloom from among the roses her father had tended so painstakingly.
After all, what pleasure in this world could compare to seizing something beautiful for your own?