The Tyrant Empress is Obsessed with Me

27 – The Frenzied Party (3)

“..So that’s what happened.”

Sushia explained everything to Ascal.

How a simple tea party turned into such a gigantic party.

Who ended up attending the party.

Sushia’s face was tearful throughout her explanation.

Now that the duchess had declared a strike, Sushia had to take on organizing the party.

Of course, even though the servants and the duke offered some help, it was obvious that she would be overwhelmed.

But what if Ascal, whose stock had recently risen to an all-time high, became the face of the party?

It would be a breath of fresh air for Sushia as the organizer.

Hearing this explanation, Ascal nodded his head.

“It must have been tough, Sushia.”

“Do you understand?”

Sushia’s eyes were watery.

As expected, the only person who could understand her was Ascal.

“Alright. Work hard. I believe our Sushia will do well. Let’s smile again later.”

“Chief! Don’t go!”

The grown-up duchess’s child clung to his leg, crying.

Ascal was startled.

“Let go!”

“No, no! I won’t let go! We promised to be together till the end of hell, didn’t we?!”

“I never made such a promise.”

It wasn’t just about showing an ugly sight.

It felt like scraping the bottom of the barrel till the very end.

But no matter how desperately Sia pleaded, Ascal had no intention of attending the party.

It was because there were more than one or two landmines.

The Crown Prince alone was already burdensome, but there were also the Second Imperial Princess Serena, whom he had previously met as the Prince of the Night, and even Lia, who was in a ‘Third Imperial Princess’ state.

Even if he managed to avoid Serena somehow, it was a mystery how he should act the moment he encountered Lia.

To put the situation in perspective, it was as if his younger sister, who usually lounges around the house, was all dressed up with full makeup and hanging out with her powerful clique of friends.

It felt like accidentally making eye contact with her on the street.

-“Hey, what’s with her?”

-“I don’t know. Why is she staring?”

‘Just thinking about it is horrifying.’

In the end, no matter how much he thought about it, not showing up was the answer.

“Well, I guess I’ll be going now…”

“Ahem.”

A heavyweight figure appeared.

The one who revealed himself in the drawing-room was the Duke of Senestia.

Ascal quickly rose from his seat.

“Your Grace, I am honored to meet you…”

“Enough with the stiff greetings.”

Although the Duke waved his hand dismissively, Ascal didn’t believe him.

Having already mastered the oriental Confucian spirit and the hierarchy culture unique to the manager, Ascal perfectly deciphered the hidden meaning behind those words.

To paraphrase, it goes like this:

-I don’t want to be the old man demanding a greeting first, but you should try to greet me properly on your own.

Ascal greeted the Duke perfectly while maintaining etiquette.

“hehehe, the young ones these days have such bright manners.”

Success.

In a much better mood, the Duke sat down across from Ascal with a satisfied expression.

“I heard that my daughter has been relying on you a lot at work lately.”

“That’s not true…”

Or was it?

Could I really confidently answer that it’s not true?

Ascal was, of course, the type to make empty talk.

But wasn’t this a lie that should never exist in the history of the empire, going beyond empty talk?

As he seriously contemplated, the duke bowed his head.

“I’m truly sorry, Ascal.”

It was an unexpected apology.

Surprised, Ascal also bowed his head in return.

“I’ve already been a burden to my daughter, and now I’ve even burdened her with this party… Truly, I have no face as a father.”

…!

That’s why he suddenly came out with that position.

Ascal realized the Duke’s intention.

The Duke must have been listening to the conversation with Susia.

However, pretending not to know, he made it a foregone conclusion that he would naturally attend the party, slipping past like a snake over a wall.

No matter how good a person may seem, he was a Duke of the Empire.

Such petty politics come as naturally as breathing.

“It’s rather me who has no face.”

“…Why is that?”

From No ble mt L dot c om

“My subordinate and close friend Susia is experiencing this embarrassment, and as her superior, I can’t help her but must leave instead. If only my relative hadn’t caught a serious illness… Damn it!”

But Ascal wasn’t planning to obediently accept this.

He employed the skill honed over a long time, ‘my relative is ill.’

What could he do about a relative having a serious illness? What if he didn’t go and they died?

‘How do you plan on dealing with this counterattack, Duke?’

The Duke, listening to Ascal’s story, sympathized and said:

“At our age, friends and family frequently get sick. I empathize. That’s why it can’t be overlooked. A relative is ill, you say? Tell me the exact location. I’ll send the best cleric I know.”

‘Damn it.’

This is a counterattack not found in the modern era.

Since he couldn’t become a liar, he gave the actual address of his relative.

He expressed a small regret for the relative who would suddenly have a cleric barge into their home.

It’s futile.

Can I really not win against the Duke like this?

There was a way to escape this situation….

Wait.

There was one thing.

“Honestly, I don’t want to attend the party.”

“……!”

Sometimes, honesty is the answer.

“It’s overwhelming. What would happen if a mere Grade 5 manager were to attend a gathering where all the crown princes and princesses gather, and commit an act of rudeness? This party is far beyond my capabilities.”

“I see. If that’s the case, there’s nothing that can be done.”

The duke conceded without objection.

It seemed that there was no refuting the sound argument.

I had won.

I had won a verbal battle against the heavyweight Senestia Duke who had been rolling around in the political world for decades.

Ascal held back the desire to celebrate.

“Then, we should prepare for the wedding with Susia. When would be a good date for the ceremony?”

…What kind of nonsense is this?

“What do you mean?”

“A moment ago, my daughter clung to your leg. Many people witnessed it, and if rumors spread, she won’t be able to get married. Don’t you think you should take responsibility?”

Was this a medieval marriage attack?

Ascal’s head spun for the first time experiencing such an attack.

“I’ll just attend the party.”

“You made the right decision.”

Ascal was being made up.

The ducal family’s stylist personally trimmed his hair and eyebrows, and the tailor took his measurements for his clothing. He also had powder applied to brighten his skin tone.

“Enough! My house is in the back alley of the third avenue.”

“We’re almost done. Please be patient.”

An hour after that, the makeover was finally completed.

The stylist showed Ascal the mirror.

There was a completely different man in there.

It was as if a spoonful of butter and a bit of caviar had been added to his original self.

“Wow, it might be a little to my taste?”

Siusia seemed to be admiring from behind.

“First of all, you’re not my type.”

“That’s harsh.”

Although Siusia, dressed in the gown, could be called a beauty, Ascal, who knew her true nature, couldn’t bring himself to compliment her.

“It’s about time for the party to start. I’ll go ahead first, so you must come out later, okay? You can’t run away? I’ll really chase you until the end?”

“Fine.”

The esteemed Siusia of the Senesti Ducal House left her seat.

It was about time for the party to begin.

As an organizer, even having ten legs wouldn’t be enough.

‘As for me… I can take my time going out, so should I bake some cookies first?’

Ascal decided to borrow the kitchen.

Selena Barba was waiting.

She was the type to be extremely practical. She wouldn’t participate in an event, even if it was a famous party from the Senesti Ducal House, without any benefits.

There were two reasons why she willingly attended this event.

Firstly, to restrain the crown prince.

She needed to know who Cain exchanged secret conversations with and whom he got close to.

Secondly, to scout useful talents.

Selena’s information network was second to none within the empire. She threatened those with weaknesses and granted the desires of those who wanted something.

That was Selena’s style.

However, there were always exceptions.

‘Ascal Debre.’

No matter how thoroughly she investigated him, not even a speck of dirt could be found. She thought that maybe she could link some bribes, but even those were all donated, it seemed.

What was this anomaly?

‘I want to know you.’

As the people of the empire say, is he truly a hidden dragon?

Or is he just a lucky criminal?

“Lord Ascal Debre has entered!”

The servant’s introduction was heard.

Selena turned her gaze. She saw Ascal walking from a distance.

In this place, it was customary for higher-ranked individuals to greet first.

First, the landlord, Duke Senesti, greeted Ascal. Next was Prince Cain.

Serena sized up Ascal.

‘B-rank.’

He had a decent face.

And if the rumors were true, he had quite a bit of ability.

However, his background was weak, and it was still difficult to know what lay beneath the surface.

At this moment, Ascal Debur was a B-rank.

Of course, even being B-rank still held its value.

In Serena’s eyes, most of the aristocratic fools didn’t even reach B-rank, let alone C or D.

The youngsters were watching Ascal.

But for now, they were focused on gauging Serena’s reaction, growing tense.

Serena stepped forward and approached Ascal.

“Would you like to dance a song with me?”

Serena’s eyes sparkled.

‘I’ll be your background. I’ll make you A-rank.’

Serena never thought her proposal would be rejected.

At least, not until just before.

“I’m sorry. My leg hurts. I should go.”

Ascal disappeared just like that.

Serena Barba was left alone on the dance floor.