Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1391. Crimson Ball (1)

— Bang! Swoosh! Bang! Craaash! Bang! Smash! Bang!

Judging from the noises, it was certain that Second Life Commander Jin was slamming his fists on something. I couldn't hear any voices, but the cacophony of noises from the other end of the line told me his fury.

For the sake of his mental health, it was better for me to avoid speaking any further. If I were to ask just a bit more about First Life Commander Jin, that jerk could actually come out to kill Marquis Jayce.

‘He’s not in the state of mind to make rational decisions.’

The problem was that Second Life Commander Jin wasn’t the only one who had lost his sense of reason. I'd say the craziest one right now was standing in front of me.

His face told me that even he had no idea why he had made a move. Acting before thinking was rare among people like us, yet anyone could tell that he had come here without considering what would happen afterward.

He actually looked flustered right now.

His face showed he didn’t understand why he grabbed Lady Peneloti’s hand, or why he was standing before me. Perhaps he had realized that he acted like some main character in a drama. It was a subtle change in expression, but having seen Commander Jin’s flustered face plenty of times, it didn't escape my notice.

“...”

“...”

It felt as if time had stopped. The once noisy ballroom fell silent again. The music and chatter ceased, and all eyes turned on us. In the midst of it all, Kim Hyun-Sung stood frozen.

‘Not exactly the life of the party, huh.’

I couldn't say for sure, but I felt like the one who wanted to run away the most right now wasn't Second Life Commander Jin or First Life Commander Jin but Kim Hyun-Sung.

He genuinely wanted to dance with me; that was all. I didn’t know why someone who had never really danced before suddenly asked for my permission to dance, but there had to be a reason behind it.

Perhaps the empire’s nobles had been pressuring him behind the scenes. He had always been a passive participant, after all.

If I were to make an educated guess, I'd say he needed a suitable partner to make it seem like he was sincerely engaging in the marriage alliance, and Peneloti, whom he had exchanged letters and talked with, appeared to be a decent choice.

‘Or maybe he genuinely liked her...’

I had no idea what kind of change of heart Kim Hyun-Sung had gone through, but what mattered was that this whole thing took a lot of courage for him.

He was not exactly the most social person out there. Asking someone to dance could seem like nothing to most people, but for Kim Hyun-Sung, it was a historic event.

To make things worse, he didn’t have the communication skills to handle a sudden interruption or a verbal clash with Marquis Jayce. He couldn’t shout that it was rude, couldn’t ask what was going on, and couldn’t even choose the right response.

All he could do was blink blankly and stare at Marquis Jayce.

The three of us stood frozen, saying nothing for what felt like forever.

Perhaps it was only a short moment, but to some people, even a few seconds could feel like a long time. For Kim Hyun-Sung, it had to feel like an eternity. Could someone please just say something? My arm was starting to hurt...

‘What am I supposed to do when both of them are broken?’

At this point, Lady Peneloti had no choice but to step in.

“W-what are you doing, Marquis Jayce?” I asked, freeing Kim Hyun-Sung from his suffering.

Marquis Jayce and Count Kim Hyun-Sung finally came to their senses.

“H-how rude...” I mumbled.

'Grabbing the arm of an unmarried young lady is rude! It’s an insult to Count Kim Hyun-Sung as well! Stupid bastard.'

Marquis Jayce quietly lowered his head.

“My apologies, Count Kim Hyun-Sung. I have an appointment with Lady Peneloti,” Marquis Jayce said.

“...”

“It was an urgent matter, so I may have unintentionally put you in a difficult position. I will formally apologize later,” he added.

As if that could be settled with an apology...

Apparently, Lady Peneloti’s opinion didn't matter as well.

I couldn't even remember when the two of us had supposedly made an appointment.

This bastard had to be thinking that Aina Peneloti would choose him if he simply pushed forward. It was both arrogance and rudeness of the highest order.

'Does he think he can seduce anyone once he decides to do so?'

It was hard to understand what made him behave like that in front of Kim Hyun-Sung, or perhaps he expected Kim Hyun-Sung not to react much.

Unfortunately, he had miscalculated by greatly underestimating Kim Hyun-Sung.

“An appointment?” asked Kim Hyun-Sung.

“That’s right,” Marquis Jayce answered.

“...”

“...”

“I suppose I should ask Lady Peneloti directly. Did you truly have an appointment with Marquis Jayce?” Kim Hyun-Sung asked.

“Huh? I... I...” I stuttered.

“And you should let go of her arm, Marquis Jayce. It is discourteous to her,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

‘That’s right, damn it, my arm hurts!’

“...”

‘What is this standoff of pride?! Damn it!’

For reasons I couldn’t understand, Kim Hyun-Sung looked slightly displeased. Of course, he wouldn’t feel good about this. No matter what, his time to shine and show his resolve was just interrupted.

Marquis Jayce lightly bit his lips before letting go of my arm.

“If there’s anything that makes you uncomfortable, please do not hesitate to tell me, Lady Peneloti,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“Lady Peneloti?”

“Lady Peneloti.”

‘What am I supposed to do...’

In the end, the choice was thrown onto me. I quietly looked around. As expected, everyone looked as though they were ready to eat popcorn.

Well, a sudden love triangle had broken out in the middle of the ballroom, so I couldn’t blame them for being eager to watch.

Even the young ladies of the Black Rose Salon were staring at me with bloodshot eyes. Everyone was muttering the same thing with one heart and mind.

When I took a closer look at their lips, I realized what they were muttering.

‘Count Kim Hyun-Sung?’

“...”

‘Are they really saying... Count Kim Hyun-Sung?’

“...”

‘Just pick Count Kim Hyun-Sung?’

“...”

‘Choose Hyun-Sung?’

Everyone was chanting Count Kim Hyun-Sung’s name. Had all trust in Marquis Jayce already disappeared?

‘Damn it, what am I supposed to do?’

Choosing the original main pick would satisfy the young ladies’ expectations, but First Life Commander Jin's momentum could not be ignored.

He had to have something in mind, or he wouldn’t have approached me like this. I couldn't tell if he was trying to give me a hint or if he had given up on the Republic. This could also be his way of saying that he wanted another chance for us to talk.

It was an impulsive decision, but surely he had a reason behind it. He had to have a goal in mind, which was why he wanted to spend time with Lady Peneloti.

He was a madman, but would he really charge in just because he couldn't stand seeing Kim Hyun-Sung standing next to me? Jin Cheong was the type to interfere first and create a reason behind it later.

‘Delaying my dance with Hyun-Sung won’t really cause any harm.’

It was important to become closer to Hyun-Sung, but no matter how I thought about it, it was Marquis Jayce’s turn. I didn’t want to betray the expectations of the young ladies, but just this once... I had to take his side.

“H-he’s right,” I answered, lowering my head slightly.

“Pardon?”

“The Marquis is right. I forgot. I did have an appointment with him. I’m really grateful that you asked me to dance, Count Kim Hyun-Sung. Forgetting the appointment was my mistake, so I think I should take care of it first,” I said.

“...”

“Next time... if there is a chance...” I trailed off.

“Please do not worry too much, Lady Peneloti. I understand. I only hope I have not caused you any trouble...” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“No! Absolutely not. It’s just that it’s an unavoidable situation right now... I’m sorry, Count Kim Hyun-Sung. Could you please give me a chance to make it up to you next time?” I asked.

“...”

“...”

“If it’s you, Lady Peneloti, I’ll always welcome it,” he answered.

“Thank you, Count Kim Hyun-Sung. And I truly regret that things turned out this way,” I said.

“Since you have an appointment with him, I should take my leave,” he said.

“I’m sorry once again,” I repeated, bowing politely. Even Aina Peneloti herself couldn’t understand her own choice. To a third party, it looked as though Lady Peneloti had made a foolish decision.

The eyes of the young ladies of the Black Rose Salon carried a faint trace of pity.

“Peneloti...”

“...”

“Haa... Lady Peneloti, what are you thinking...”

I heard many voices around me, but it felt like they believed that supporting even a friend’s wrong choice was the true duty of friends, as I soon saw them staring at me with encouragement in their eyes.

The bastard, Marquis Jayce, smiled slightly upon hearing my words, and he looked convinced that he had won. It was ridiculous, but what could I do? For now, this was the right thing to do.

“If Lady Peneloti is all right with it, may I have this dance...” Marquis Jayce asked.

“Yes. I would like that, Marquis Jayce,” I answered.

And so the two of us stepped onto the dance floor...

Music echoed once more, and Marquis Jayce looked unusually awkward.

‘As expected, this bastard cannot dance.’

The crowd naturally cleared a space for us, making it look as though we were the main characters occupying the whole dance floor, and it was inevitable. He still seemed dissatisfied, but it appeared Lady Paint had prepared the dance floor for us.

She let out a long sigh and shook her head.

“P-Peneloti...” Lady Pastel muttered. She still refused to acknowledge Marquis Jayce, and I saw large tears dropping from her eyes.

Lady Palette had her hands clasped with Lady Brush's hands as they watched us dance. Marquis Jayce’s dance was so boring it made one want to yawn, but the crowd couldn’t take their eyes off Aina Peneloti.

“Oh my... oh my...”

“It looks as though she wanted to avoid dancing with him... I'm not sure if she has ever received proper training, but... she is beautiful.”

‘Yes, keep praising me.’

“The rumor that she clashed with the Marquis...”

“Was that just nonsense? Even if it had been more than just gossip... it looks like they've already reconciled, haven't they?”

“Lady Peneloti looks delighted.”

‘Yes, I’m acting delighted. Acting like someone who has found hope again and is ready to move forward.’

Showing a bit of hope before falling completely into ruin was practically a given...

“Perhaps the two have promised each other a future?”

“I suppose. It seems certain.”

‘There’s nothing certain in this world.’

The scenery spun as we danced around the noisy dance floor.

I revealed a pouty face and said, “Marquis Jayce, you always... manage to fluster me. This time, you truly startled me. And you even lied... Do you know how shocked I was when you did that? I cannot even lift my head thinking about what Count Kim Hyun-Sung must be thinking of all this... really...”

“I’m sorry, Lady Peneloti,” Marquis Jayce said.

“You didn’t have to go this far,” I said.

“Haha...”

“Why did you suddenly appear before me?” I asked.

“...”

“Did you come to give me an answer?” I asked.

“...”

Marquis Jayce's face became a little more serious.

“There’s something I wish to say to you, Lady Peneloti,” he said.

Upon hearing that, I instinctively knew what was about to happen.

“...”

“...”

This bastard was about to confess the truth.