There was such a thing as too much socializing in one night.

Whatever the original Scarlett’s feelings might have been on the matter, she currently felt that this statement couldn’t be more true. She had already been in a less-than-ideal mood when she first arrived, so the constant activities, conversations, and occasional odd looks tested her patience. While she would admit that not all of it was as bad as she had feared, as the night progressed, she found herself growing increasingly exhausted.

After that whole run-in with Count Soames, she had spent a good amount of time talking with Evelyne, Livvi, and Raimond until the latter two eventually went their separate ways. That was when the floodgates had opened, so to speak.

She wasn’t sure if it was because of the incident with the Count or something else entirely, but after that, she and Evelyne were approached repeatedly by strangers who wanted to converse and introduce themselves. Most of them were lower nobles, the last-born children or relatives of barons and the like, with a few merchants and others in the mix, but none were people she knew. Probably not anyone she wanted to know either, judging by how clingy some of them were.

It was at times like these that she couldn’t help but appreciate the original Scarlett’s general rudeness and indifference, which helped her to brush them off relatively quickly. At least the ones that Evelyne didn’t find it good to talk to for a bit.

But it was still annoying.

She had attempted to bring Evelyne along to find and introduce her to the Withersworths, but it took nearly an hour of maneuvering through and dealing with such encounters before they finally located the elderly couple and their family in one of the side-chambers. By that point, Scarlett had felt as though she might set the next person who approached her on fire, so she left Evelyne with them and excused herself to get some fresh air.

After asking some servants for directions, she returned to the ballroom and crossed it, entering one of the many glass corridors that extended from it and led to the other chambers. Passing through a series of corridors and rooms—each decorated in its own theme and featuring small bands playing away on their instruments—she eventually reached a hallway that opened onto a balcony. It was a quiet respite from the bustling atmosphere inside.

The balcony was spacious enough to accommodate dozens of people, but at the moment, it was empty. Most people probably wouldn’t want to miss a single opportunity to network or enjoy themselves.

As she stepped onto the balcony, a crisp breeze swept through the open space, carrying the fragrance of plants and flowers with it. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as cold as she had expected. She spotted some marble pillars spread out that had small glowing crystals as crowns, which she presumed held some sort of enchantment.

She walked over to the stone railing at the opposite end, which offered a view of the tranquil waters of Stockder Lake. The moon wasn’t out in full strength tonight, lending a somewhat dark ambiance to the scene, but it was still a beautiful sight as the night sky reflected on the surface.

Leaning gently against the railing with her palms, she looked down to observe the soft glow of the lanterns illuminating the railing from beneath, casting delicate shadows over what she realized were intricate illustrations carved into the stone. The Tyndalls certainly spared no expense when it came to adorning their home.

While it was a bit excessive, she had to admit that it was also impressive. This balcony, in particular, hanging off the top of one of the castle’s spires, created a more relaxing air than she had anticipated. She idly wondered if it would be worth trying to create a similar retreat in the Freybrook mansion. Someplace she could visit on occasion.

It probably wasn’t necessary. She wasn’t lacking spaces where she could be alone if she truly desired, and the gardens surrounding her own mansion were already fancy enough on their own. Besides, investing in something like this would, without a doubt, be far more expensive than it was worth. Repairing the courtyard was one thing, as was remodeling the garden where the Loci was located, but there were limits, even if she had the money.

Maybe she was just letting the atmosphere get to her.

Standing there, looking out at the night sky, she allowed herself to unwind for a while.

“Taking a break from the incessant solicitations?” a cool voice rang out behind her.

She turned around, spotting a tall woman walking up a couple of meters away from her, wearing a black-and-silver tunic and with dark hair that was pulled into a braid. A pair of piercing blue eyes examined her for a moment as the woman leaned against the railing.

Scarlett furrowed her brow as she studied the woman. She seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t quite place where she had seen her before.

“Did I interrupt something?” The woman’s manner of speaking reminded Scarlett of herself, with how detached it sounded, though there seemed to be even less emotion in her voice. Like she didn’t actually care much about anything.

“…In a manner of speaking, yes,” Scarlett replied. “I was enjoying the privacy that this place provided, though I suppose you are under no obligation to take that into consideration.”

The woman regarded her briefly, then shifted her gaze to look out over the lake. “If that is what you think.”

And with that, silence fell between them. Scarlett waited, expecting the woman to continue, but she didn’t.

Just as Scarlett assumed that was all there was to that conversation and looked away herself, the woman spoke again.

“There are few spots where one can find peace and quiet tonight, but most others care little about things like that. When I saw you here, I was considering whether it would be worth fighting you for this one, but I realized you might not survive the fall.”

Scarlett stared at her, taking a second to glance over the balcony edge. While they weren’t near the top of the castle, they were still several stories up.

The woman looked back at her and seemed to notice her expression. “That was a joke.”

Scarlett gave her a skeptical look. It certainly didn’t sound like one.

The woman scrutinized her, as if she was considering whether it was worth trying to convince her, but then simply turned away, seemingly giving up.

Scarlett remained quiet as she deliberated whether it was best to leave now or stay and pretend the woman wasn’t there.

“I fail to understand how others do not tire of constantly being approached by strangers with pretentious designs or unreasonable expectations,” the woman suddenly said. “It has been so long since I attended outside of my duties that I forgot how tedious it is. It is a wonder there aren’t more dismembered hands at events like these.”

Scarlett sent another look the woman’s way. It didn’t sound like she was actually expecting a response. It was more like she was speaking into empty air.

“…Perhaps it is a good thing weapons were not allowed tonight,” Scarlett found herself saying, despite that.

It wasn’t like she couldn’t understand the sentiment—heck, she kind of agreed with it—but it probably wasn’t the sort of thing one usually said to random people.

“That would not stop most people I know,” the woman replied.

Scarlett gave her a curious look. “And who might those people be?”

There had to be a reason why she felt like she recognized this woman. She doubted it was someone the original knew. From the way she acted, it didn’t seem like they were acquainted.

The woman remained silent for a moment, as if she was thinking about how to answer that question. “Swordsmen, I suppose,” she eventually responded. “Knights, at the very least. Not sure if the Mammoth can be considered a swordsman, but that has never mattered much to him. He is as strong as some dragons.”

Hearing that, Scarlett finally realized who this woman was. She had caught a glimpse of her face during the Elysian Ball when the woman had accompanied the prince as his escort.

This was Iyana 'The Frigid’ Webb, the Second Sword of the Royal Guard. The ‘Mammoth’ had to be referring to Holdger, the Fifth Sword, and the giant knight who Scarlett had seen following the second princess around.

“As one would expect from one of His Majesty’s chosen Swords,” she said.

Iyana glanced at her, only giving a slight nod before returning her gaze to the distance. “I witnessed your clash with Count Soames earlier. His type is always a hassle to endure.”

“Indeed, they are,” Scarlett agreed.

“You handled it better than I would have expected.”

“Thank you.”

“What was it that you said that made him so intimidated by you?”

Scarlett raised a brow. “I do not believe he was necessarily ‘intimidated.’”

“He was,” the woman said.

“I…see. Well, I am afraid the details of what I said are not something I can share.”

The knight didn’t seem to mind that answer. “I would also stay silent if I publicly threatened a count like that.”

Scarlett eyed her. The woman was honest, at least, though she didn’t seem to care much for filtering her thoughts. That was refreshing after some of the previous interactions Scarlett had experienced tonight, but it could probably also get tiring.

She returned her attention to the view before them, watching the stars above.

“You are different from what I imagined,” Iyana commented after a while.

“People often tell me that.”

“They tell me the same thing.”

Scarlett studied her. The woman looked about as indifferent and aloof as they came, and from what little Scarlett knew about her, it seemed to fit. The knight wasn’t called ‘The Frigid’ for nothing.

“I won’t be offended if you say that you do not believe me.”

“It is not that I do not believe you. Rather, I simply find it surprising to hear.” Scarlett thought back to the earlier ‘joke’. “…On reflection, perhaps it is to be expected.”

“I have been told that humor does not suit me,” Iyana said. “I am apparently ‘as emotive as a golem and more likely to interpret a knock-knock joke as coded conspiracy against His Majesty than break a laugh’, so I would be careful what you say while around me.”

A brief chuckle escaped Scarlett’s lips, surprising even herself. “I have received similar remarks before.”

“Was the person who told you that also an old man with a mania for woodworking and a questionable sense of humor?”

She blinked. “…No. While her humor may be dubious, it is her judgement that is truly questionable, in my opinion.”

The knight shrugged. “I would prefer that over the Captain.”

Scarlett gave her a long look. She hadn’t expected the captain of the Royal Guard to be that kind of person. Not that she knew him especially well. Most of the Royal Guard members didn’t have a significant presence in the game. There weren’t any questlines to become a member of the guard, like there were for the Solar Knights, so they only appeared occasionally. The one who had the most appearances was Leandra ‘The Swift’, the Third Sword, but that was mainly in quests related to the first princess.

Iyana seemed to consider her for a moment, as if she had just realized something. “You are the one who caused a stir during the Proclamation, aren’t you?”

“…I assumed you already knew, considering you seemed familiar enough with my identity to have preconceived notions about my personality.”

“I do not pay much attention to the activities of most nobles,” the woman said. “You are Sir Leon’s fiancée, however. There have been mentions of you among the knights. I overheard some of their words.”

“I presume much of it was not the most flattering?”

“Does it matter? It is not as if you have to pay it any mind.”

“That is true enough.” Scarlett tilted her head slightly. “Are you well acquainted with Sir Leon, by any chance? If so, do you know if he is present tonight?”

She had looked, but she hadn’t spotted the man yet. None of the Delmons had approached her tonight either.

“I have sparred with him, but I would not say we are close,” Iyana answered. “As for if he’s here, I would assume not.”

“Engrossed in knightly duties?”

The woman nodded. “The Solar Knights are currently occupied more than any other order.”

“In that case, is there a reason you are here tonight? As far as I am aware, no members of the Imperial Family are attending, and judging from your words, it does not seem as if you would willingly attend this type of event.”

“Sir Swale wanted at least one member of the guard present, and I was deemed the most suitable candidate. Dame Leandra had prior commitments, and the captain himself can’t leave His Majesty’s side.”

That made sense. Scarlett couldn’t imagine Holdger taking part in these kinds of events unless he was accompanying the youngest princess. As for the last member of the Royal Guard, she didn’t know too much about him.

“Then—”

Their conversation was interrupted as a loud crash reverberated from behind them, originating from inside. It was quickly followed by a piercing scream, although it sounded distant, as if muffled before reaching their ears.

Scarlett scowled. What was happening now?