I kept on watching as the Count kept trying to act as the humble mediator, but I dared not to do the same and step in the battlefield.
If the Count succeeded, he may get in the good graces of the King and the Duke.
But really, I wanted to drag his pitiable self out of there, even if he was Ivy's father!
This wasn't going to end well for the poor man, I wouldn't want him to waste this much effort.
The scene was almost hilarious if you were a bystander, but the intense glares made it scary beyond words.
People close to the area were starting to back away from the 3 men, being able to read the situation.
At the same time, more heads were getting turned to that direction, which wasn't helping at all.
I was mentally screaming at Ivy's blubber-headed father.
'You may have gotten to the position of Count by sucking up to the more wealthy and powerful nobles, but this situation is too much for you to handle! You can reach for the sky, but who knows what will happen if you go farther than that!'
Despite my glaring at the Count, he still didn't notice and spent all his attention on calling for attention like a baby chick.
The Count was too thoughtless, he thought all the nobles enjoyed being admired and praised.
That might have been true for most nobles who thought themselves higher than everybody else, but not my father or the King.
A small side thought about how much I appreciated this, that the two leading nobles were reasonable and level-headed, popped up in my mind.
The ballroom slowly getting quieter and quieter due to the scene in the middle of it, making it even harder for me to rush in to stop them.
Soon there were only harsh whispers around the room, as the King and my father kept on 'discussing' this matter.
I wanted to tell my father that I really didn't mind my fiance cheating on me, before the hostility began between Villinie and the Royals.
And also to Count Castria that he had already failed, no, he never had a chance to gain advantage of this from the start!
I was busy racking my mind until I noticed that Albert had stepped in, and greeted my father with courtesy then his own.
Thank god for the Crown Prince, he should be able to do something about this situation.
The King then turned to my father.
"Duke, as I said, my son has this under control. You can ask me questions after the ball."
And to Albert he said, "You've prepared this well, right?"
"Of course, father. Trust in me this once, I've put a lot of effort and time into this. If it isn't accurate, then I truly am not fit to rule a country. "
The King's eye crinkled as a proud smile appeared on his face, a truly genuine and rare smile for a mature monarch.
But in contrast to whatever joyous feeling he was experiencing, I was feeling the complete opposite.
Having heard their rather hushed conversation as someone who stood near enough to this scene, my brain was internally screaming questions amongst the confusion.
What special event related to the original villainess happened to the graduation ball?
Why, even someone who hasn't played the game could guess correctly.
Since it was the final scene, it was also the very scene where the evil lady was brought down.
I thought my life was going to smoothly that I pushed this memory into the back of my mind.
But Albert, this heaven-sent Crown Prince, could have done anything!
I was trying to make my reputation and list of actions as white as possible, add my status to that and you'll have a hard time even spreading a dirty rumour about me.
I was very wary, but could do nothing about Albert.
With his intelligent scheming mind and high position, a perfect balance, he could make pigs fly by their own will at this rate.
So even if my reputation as the most gracious lady in society would be seen as a pure white canvas, unstainable, he could still paint it black with some effort.
I want to live, not to die the death of a petty villainess like the original!
Were my efforts from birth just ants for the most popular male lead to squash under his heel?
But this didn't make me quite feel defeated, but instead the contrary.
A glint of competitiveness flashed through my heart, as I steadied myself for whatever he was planning to hurl at me.
I refused to let all that effort go in the trash by a wave of someone's finger.
Plus, a bit of a challenge for me to complete wasn't exactly that bad.
I could learn something from the master of manipulating and scheming.
So bring it on, I'll take it all!
Even I was surprised at how light I took my life in this kind of situation, but being positive about dire situations was important.
So all I could do in the current moment was the hold in my breath and wait for the worst to pass.
Time wasn't something I could speed up on whim, even with Elijah's power.
***
Ah, this was going to be more torturous than I originally thought.
Waiting for my impending doom and possible death, that is.