My Dear Butler

13. Black Suit

"I love you, Donghae."

"I love you too. Please live for me."

You nodded with a weak smile, tears stinging your eyes. "Goodbye."

You panted as you sprinted blindly through the dark hallways, as fast as your legs could carry you. You placed all of your trust in Donghae, and you were determined to fulfill his final request:

To save his innocent parents.

As you neared the ballroom, the mansion seemed to come back to life. Your heart pounded in your chest as you tried to figure out a way to get to Donghae's parents. You cannot fail this mission, this final mission that he bestowed upon you after failing and paying with his life.

Obviously, you knew that Leeteuk wouldn't have come alone if he was planning such a large attack. So he must have allies, which made this nearly impossible since you can't be caught, but you have no idea who is who.

When you stepped into the ballroom, you found that the dancing segment of the ball had already begun. People were waltzing and twirling, and you took this opportunity to sneak to Mr. and Mrs. Lee.

The table with the red tablecloth.

You slipped your mask on so it was harder for the attackers to identify you, and you ungracefully dashed across the dance floor to their table, where they were spectating the dance. On the way, you bumped against multiple couples who shot daggers at you with their eyes, and you quickly apologized.

When Mr. Lee caught sight of you making your way so clumsily to their table, he had a displeased look on his face.

"Miss Kim, what are you doing? Get out there and dance!" He scowled, but his expression softened when he saw your desperate eyes.

"Run now to escape. Leeteuk's back and he's planning to sabotage the party," You blurted in a single breath. Mrs. Lee scoffed beside you, and shook her head.

"Did you drink too much, my dear? Leeteuk's away, and he would never do such a—"

"Donghae's dead."

"Y/N, don't joke around like this—"

Frustrated, you tore off your white glove that was stained with blood and threw it down on your table. Their eyes widened, and Mrs. Lee slapped a hand over her mouth to prevent a scream.

"Leeteuk is back, and he said he was originally the one to marry me, not Donghae. He declared to take revenge on him and the both of you, since he felt as if he was replaced in his absence. There must be spies among the crowds of people, nobody is safe. There's no time. We need to go—"

"Are you sure this is not wine?" Mrs. Lee commented.

"No! You have to believe me—" you begged.

"Y/N, you're being extremely ridiculous. Your parents would be displeased to find out about this. Donghae is fine, and don't pull pranks like this. Death is not a joke. Now go on and dance!" Mr. Lee waved you off and you left, muttering under your breath.

Several guests glanced at you with suspicious eyes as you turned back, and you realized you had caused a scene. Surely the spies have noticed your little conversation with them already. You were screwed.

Just as you walked back down to the dance floor, the couples were changing partners and you felt a hand grab your wrist and spun you around. Might as well.

When you glanced up at your partner, you found two pairs of dark but beautiful eyes gazing back at you. Even with his mask on, you knew he wasn't average-looking.

"I've been watching you for a while. I hope your future husband doesn't mind if I danced with you," he winked through his mask, and you laughed nervously. His dimples were visible in the dim light, which only made him more ethereal. Surprisingly, you executed the footwork perfectly and your bodies moved along with the music, swaying back and forth. This man was a surprisingly good dancer, you thought. His eyes never left yours, and his gaze felt as if he was caressing you softly.

"I don't believe I've ever learned your name," he spoke softly, his sudden deep voice shocking you. Don't let your guard down, he might be one of the traitors.

You swallowed. "If so, then what's the point of this masquerade party if we all knew each other's identities?"

He raised an eyebrow at the question. "That's true."

Your conversation was interrupted by a sudden halt in the music, indicating that it was time to change partners. You quickly dipped your head in his direction and he returns the gesture.

Your next partner was a brown-haired man in a white suit, and he beamed as he spun you around once, twice. His mask covered the right half of his face, like the Phantom of the Opera, and you found it strange.

"A pleasure to be able to dance with you, miss," the man said, licking his lips.

The action didn't faze you a bit, as you merely nodded. Suddenly, you let out a low hiss as you felt a sharp pain in your foot, and the man quickly apologized. "Sorry, this is my first time..." he swallowed as he averted his gaze.

"It's fine, you're doing really well. And... you have a strange sense of fashion," you started as you eyed his outfit up and down. Red striped pants and a white suit with black borders. "In a good way, of course."

"Ah, thank you! I've been waiting for someone to say that. I'm glad you agree, but don't say something you don't mean," he remarked, and you laughed.

"I meant that."

And then you spun away from his arms, but you had miscalculated your spin and stepped on your skirt. You felt a pair of  hands catch you, and you whipped your head around. Your heart skipped a beat as you stared at the man with wide eyes.

It can't be...?

The black-haired man was in full black, donning a black mask embroidered with gold that covered the top half of his face, like yours. You could barely see his eyes through the mask, for his long bangs were covering most of his gaze. But you were drawn and enticed by them either way. His lips were thin, curved into a lovely smile that caused your heart to palpitate.

His gloved hands reach for yours, and you allowed him to sweep you away.

This man was a skilled dancer, much more so than the first. As you waltzed with him around the dance floor, you seemed to have forgotten all the problems at hand. You didn't speak, completely entranced by this man and lost in his eyes.

His light touch awoke you from your small trance, snapping you back into reality. He cupped your cheeks softly and his smile widened, a twinkle in his eye.

Why is this so familiar?

Without a single word, he leaned down towards you and lightly pecked your lips, and you froze. Mindlessly, you nudged him with your nose, as if asking for more. The man bit his bottom lip, and he looked away.

"I can't, my lady. You're not mine."