Hunter looked around the party hall without knowing what I was thinking and nodded with satisfaction.
"It would be better to announce our marriage again in this gathering of socialites rather than just a few palace officials."
"That's true."
I quickly interrupted his words.
"Today is the 1st princess's birthday. I feel a bit uncomfortable stealing the spotlight at someone else's party. How about we officially announce it later... on a grander scale?"
Hunter seemed to think my words for a moment but eventually gave in. He even took a moment to reflect on how short-sighted he had been. Truly a sincere guy.
"Let's just show here that you have gained my support by being together."
My first plan was to postpone any formal announcements.
While the news of our engagement would have spread through the noble society via palace officials, announcing it to the entire empire was a completely different matter.
My second plan was to showcase that I was on the same side of the Crown Prince.
Even if I terminated the contract marriage, I wanted to ensure the loyalty of my followers to Hunter. However, to empower Hunter without the constraint of marriage, I needed to emphasize that I chose him politically.
Hunter was the one who brought me to the palace and treated me faithfully as his bride just because I healed Woofu. Even if I had to break the contract marriage, I wanted to ensure the loyalty of my followers to side with Hunter. However, to empower Hunter without the constraint of marriage, I needed to show that I chose him politically.
Just then, the imperial orchestra began playing a waltz.
"For our first dance, may I have this one?"
Hunter slightly bent his waist and extended his hand towards me. I took his hand, and we walked towards the center of the party venue. Dancing with Hunter here would make us visible to all the nobles attending the party.
The only problem was that I didn't know any of the dances in this world.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, can you lend me the top of your feet?"
"The top of my feet?"
"I'm terrible at dancing."
Upon hearing this, Hunter widened his eyes in surprise. The playboy known in the imperial society for his elegance couldn't dance a waltz? His thoughts were quite apparent.
However, I had no choice. I was terribly clumsy in real life. I couldn't even do exercises or stretches properly, let alone dance. Maybe with the buffs from the game, I could move like the original Del Narcissus, but I didn't want to recklessly attempt it in a crowded place.
Therefore, I climbed onto the top of Hunter's foot. Despite being smaller and thinner than Hunter, he was still an adult man...
Swish.
Hunter twirled me while I was on his foot, executing two perfect turns. It was incredibly graceful with flawless turns.
"Are you not finding it difficult?"
"Not at all. You're as light as a feather."
"Umm..."
Although it hurt my pride a bit, it was still a good thing. Riding on Hunter's foot, I roamed around the party venue, dancing as if I were the best dancer in the world. Some people questioned why Del Narcissus was dancing on the Crown Prince's foot, but most seemed to accept it with a nonchalant attitude, thinking it was just something Del Narcissus would do.
There might be at least one good thing about being a Playboy character.
Thinking so, I glanced at Hunter's face, right in front of me. Above his white and clean porcelain-like face, faint blue veins were visible. Nobles were said to be born with blue blood, and the contrast of colors was so impressive that it makes you wonder if it originated from here.
His strong and masculine features were balanced by golden eyebrows and eyelashes, creating a harmonious look. The dreamy violet eyes made him appear like the king of some deep forest, and his firmly closed thick lips were bright and full of color, like a desirable fruit.
'He's quite handsome too. If only this bastard hadn't thought about doing various things to my body...'
As I thought, I bit my tongue in shock. If only this guy hadn't thought about doing various things to my body...What? As long as it doesn't turn into an adult-rated situation, I might genuinely like this guy, right?
I needed to snap out of it. This was a world within a game, and I was an outsider. I had lived in the real world for twenty-three years, and I had friends who would scold me when I returned and met them. In a world like this, It was obvious that if you gave someone your affection and shared your feelings with them, you would definitely not want to go back. Because I was a person who was hungry for affection.
Hunter, who had sensed my gaze, met my eyes while twirling me around. A subtle hint of a smile appeared on his usually silent face.
"Dancing like this isn't bad."
Hunter whispered into my ear while holding my waist. His extremely low voice penetrated my senses.
For a moment, I became afraid of this man and everything about him.
If I were to want to stay by this man's side and find myself wanting to give not only my affection but also my body to him... What should I do then?
So, I chose to run away. It was time for me to remove Hunter's hand from my back and push him away. When a familiar growling sound, Woofu came running from the other side. Nobles screamed and dodged as they saw Woofu charging.
"Woofu? Calm down!"
Hunter agilely moved his body towards Woofu. It was an impressive reflex.
On the contrary, I couldn't grasp the situation and just stood there blankly, watching Woofu running towards us.
Wait, I've seen this before. It was like this during the walk last time. Is Woofu excited to see us? Or did it see me trying to push Hunter away? Since it's an animal, it might have sensed it with its animal instincts.
While I was contemplating these meaningless thoughts, a tearing scream, as if something was being ripped apart, reached my ears.
"Ahh! The chandelier!"
I absentmindedly lifted my head upwards. Then, I saw the enormous and sparkling chandelier that had been hanging directly above my head slowly falling down. Very slowly and clearly.
"Huh...?"
What is happening right now?
"Del Narrcissus!"
Hunter, who had rushed over to stop Woofu, was returning with a desperate expression on his face. Even though he ran over, it would be too late, considering that the chandelier was already above my head. The moment I thought about this, my vision turned black. I felt my body being lifted uncontrollably.
Thud. Clang-clang.
The chandelier hit the floor with a tremendous crash, and simultaneously, in the darkness, a ding-dong sound indicated a notification.
["Trapped Flower" event effect: Hunter Mellion's favorability +5!]
This...Was this attempted murder an event?
I was so bewildered that my mouth hung open. And then, I was surprised again at the fact that I could open my mouth. I wasn't dead or unconscious. I was perfectly alive, able to open my mouth. But my vision remained dim as if I had lost consciousness. And my whole body felt painful, heavy, and warm...
"Warm?"
"Creak... creak..."
Something heavy was vibrating and pressing down on me. It was only then that I realized it wasn't the chandelier but Woofu that had successfully rescued me in time.
"Woofu!"
Woofu purred in response, covering me from head to lower back. I lay on the floor, clutching my chest, and burst into laughter.
"Haha... Hahaha..."
Fuck, I was so fucking scared. Seriously.
I was laughing, but my eyes were moist. I sniffed, struggling with my free legs. It was a desperate plea for someone to get me out of there quickly.
But, instead of finding relief, I should have thought twice. The name of the event, "Trapped Flower," why this attempted murder was marked as a 'successful event,' and why Hunter's favorability increased by 5, all crossed my mind.
"Haha. Honestly, isn't it so funny?"
Because I was covered in Woofu's body, the sound of someone speaking could be muffled by afar.
"You can only see the butt!"
A young child's voice joyfully shouted.
"Butt?" It took me a moment to grasp the meaning of that word. Soon, I realized how I must appear – Del Narcissus lying on the ground, covered by a tiger with only my backside exposed to the direction of the nobles.
I had seen content like this in adult videos before. People wedged into unnatural positions, sticking their buttocks out and waiting against a wall. Only then did I understand the meaning of "Trapped Flower."
This insane game. Truly, this damn adult game had gone completely crazy!
"Woofu, get up."
Hunter spoke gruffly. However, I could sense his embarrassment.
"Growl."
Woofu, who covered my upper body, began to rise reluctantly. As the giant tiger moved away, the surroundings brightened. I looked around at the nobles encircling me, forcing a strained smile.
"Haha. Hello."
Soon, Hunter's hands slipped under my armpits, and he lifted me to my feet. However, my legs felt wobbly, and I couldn't stand properly. Hunter, recognizing my state, let me lean against him and gave orders to the attendants.
"Clear away the debris from the chandelier and call a doctor. Del Narcissus needs to be examined."
"Rather than that, shouldn't we investigate why the chandelier fell?"
Someone remarked. It was the voice of the child I heard earlier.
Unconsciously, I turned towards the source of the sound. There stood a well-dressed young boy, dressed like a noble, with hands behind his head, smiling arrogantly as if nothing could scare him.
"...Huh?"
Above the boy's head, a familiar information window appeared.
[Cain/Lord of the Magic Tower/Whimsical Genius/Favorability 2]
Cain...? Magic Tower Lord? That little kid?
"I smell something fishy here."
He was the fourth male protagonist in this game.