Days passed and the night of the summit ball arrived. The sound of the orchestra playing for the money-hungry upper class resonated inside the magnificent hall. The surroundings were blinding to the eye of a person not accustomed to how the wealthy celebrate. Everything was coated in shining gold and silver, from the jeweled decoration to the illumination brought by the extravagant chandelier.

The people present wore the most lavish clothes one could ever dream of covering their naked bodies. Dressed in rare animal skins and the finest silk adorned with expensive stones known to man, the aristocrats walked around while flaunting their wealth. The scene was ironic, with everything that covered the elites, their smiles were the only thing that could be called fake.

The smell of their pride and greed was rancid, exuding a disgusting stench that seemed to not exist within the senses of the powerful. It was an ugly sight.

Avy found herself in the middle of all of those, alone, having no other options but to spectate royalties and nobilities mingle with each other. It was a little bit different from the previous summit banquet which was almost entirely composed of male attendees. The summit ball is a party that aims to let the envoys enjoy themselves without focusing on business-related matters.

The number of ladies present increased, although it was still not higher than the number of men wandering around. Nevertheless, the fact that she was not being watched by almost every pair of eyes made her less uncomfortable. Another thing that made her breathe easily was the fact that it was a masquerade ball where everyone was wearing a mask of their own.

She wore a glittery midnight mask with feathers on the corners, and even though it only covered half her face, it helped her blend in quite well. It was a relief that she slipped away from her family before she got attention from the crowd, making it harder for her to be recognized. Her attire, too, was not colorful as she picked a puffy short-sleeved dark blue gown and a matching pair of gloves. Her hair was suspended in a half bun with a metal that looked like a pen decorated with a golden rhinestone at the end.

Seeing nothing interesting in watching aristocrats do what they do best, which is showing off, she decided to shy away from the near-center of the party and relocate to the table where the food is displayed. She did not see the benefit of standing still anyway. Besides, the saying, 'if you have it, flaunt it,' that the rich have been doing for the past half an hour hurt her eyes. Might as well just focus on something that would actually make her happy.

Restraining from grabbing everything that she found appetizing, she only took a small amount to put on her plate before scanning the tables to find a vacant one. Since many of the ladies and elderly occupied the seats, she had a hard time looking for somewhere to sit until her eyes caught a glimpse of a girl sitting alone at a table that could cater to a group of five.

It was not difficult to spot her amidst the crowd. She has wavy strawberry-blonde hair that reached past her shoulders, and she was wearing an elegant peach-colored ball gown. Moreover, it was as if the other ladies were avoiding her like the plague, making her stand out even more.

As much as Avy wanted to steer away from the gaze of the public, she did not want to eat standing up. Hence, she carefully walked towards the table with a single occupant, cautious, so as to not bump into another person and spill the precious gift of life that would cease her hunger.

"Excuse me. Is it alright if I take this seat?"

The girl was startled by her voice, flinching as soon as she heard her question. She then looked up at her with surprise, as if not believing what she heard.

"O-Oh. Go ahead. I do not own that seat. You do not have to ask," the unapproachable girl answered in a sharp manner. However, after realizing what she had said, it seemed like she was also surprised. She opened her mouth once again yet no other words came out. Frustration became evident in her intimidating features as she accepted defeat and simply kept quiet.

The girl agonizing over not being able to socialize properly amused Avy a little. She could see how the other regretted her behavior while she took her seat.

"Thanks. You're so nice." She watched as the girl's cheeks grew scarlet-red, getting flustered over a simple compliment that she did not expect to receive.

"W-Well. I cannot tell you to go away, can I?" the strawberry-blonde stuttered before her eyes widened once again for not wording her statements right. "I-I mean-"

"Do you want me to leave then?" Avy almost felt bad seeing the other panic, but she saw it as an opportunity to fluster her even more. It does not matter. She can just apologize later.

"N-No! I mean, you should stay. I would prefer that you do," the girl mused as her words faded into the background. Although she did not meet her eyes, Avy saw the other's pupils tremble.

After seeing eye colors that are outside of what Avy previously considered normal, she stopped getting baffled by seeing new ones day by day. The realization dawned on her, remembering the eyes that were always described with pain and sadness. Pink hues that went from desperation and longing to acceptance and defeat.

What was her name again? The poor, unfortunate soul who needed to make way for the heroine's fate. Millie? Miles?

"My name is Avy, my lady. May I know yours?" Her question meant to get the name that she had forgotten as she never really paid attention to people's names if they were not important to her. Her brain tends to remember a trait of theirs that was remarkable.

"Mallory... Mallory Arden."

Right. The girl who was either crying or begging to be loved. The one who never experienced a single happy chapter in the novel. The miserable character who would then die protecting the woman she envied because she had learned to accept that the love of her life would rather kill himself than mourn for that said woman. Unfortunate, from the beginning until the end, that was Mallory Arden.

"Nice to meet you, Lady Mallory." Her fairly friendly greetings seemed to have brightened up Mallory's face as she turned to look at her with more confidence than before.

"Your name sounds familiar, Lady Avy-" the strawberry-blonde cut her own statement the moment her brain registered the color of Avy's eyes. Surprise became evident in her features that were not hidden by the mask.

"My name is quite popular, I'm aware." Avy gave her a knowing smile before redirecting her attention to the food on her plate. She knows how big of a role the color of her eyes plays in being identified by the people around her. After all, it is associated with the family that the whole empire revered.

"You are Lady Avana Arkwright...?" Mallory's voice has a hint of disbelief in it. It was understandable as the lady she was referring to never really showed herself during social gatherings. Most of the people who know of her name must have heard of it due to the rumors surrounding her, and only a handful were actually able to see her face-to-face.

Avy swallowed her food first then turned her head to the girl sitting next to her. "Does that change anything?" she asked and was answered by a calm shake of the head.

"No, my lady. Y-You just... sound different from how people described you," Mallory replied with a tranquil voice. "I am guessing that the rumors are false."

Avy chuckled, hearing how the strawberry-blonde was quick to erase the tainted image of the original Avy that was painted with the malicious gossip that she probably heard somewhere.

"Oh, some of them are true. I'm not really kind to people I don't like, you see." She did not want to refute the stories about her. She was aware that the original owner of her body did things that were not exactly pleasing. Besides, she could say that her personality is even worse, just less explosive than the novel's villainess. Getting judging glares from others is just a small price she has to pay for claiming a body that was not even hers in the first place.

"You do talk crudely, just like the rumors say," Mallory pointed out with honesty, but was immediately followed by another statement.

"That is alright, too. Ladies should be free to speak their minds just like how men are encouraged to do so." Her lemonade-pink eyes screamed naivety, or was it pure dauntlessness? Despite how society forced women to plaster a polite smile on their lips in order to keep them quiet, she did not hesitate to replace it with a frown in order to say something.

"I assume that is the reason why Lady Mallory doesn't have friends?" Avy raised her brow at the girl with a playful smile, guessing the reason why the other ladies are avoiding her as if they would get contaminated if they touched her. She knows, of course.

She was really bad at remembering names, but her memory is still better than average. More often than not, she chooses what to forget just because she does not deem them to be useful. She remembered Mallory because she was important in the novel. A scapegoat for the heroine. An accessory to make the main girl shine, to the point that it even cost her life.

"I do not need cowards to keep me company. I would rather be alone."

She is starting to take a liking to the girl who was fated to die. That, she might even admit, but of course, she would choose not to.

Avy and her attraction towards peculiarity.

The ball went on, and she decided to stay with Mallory. The girl was smart and outspoken, although she admitted that she could only be that way in front of her family because she did not have any chances to socialize. It was also the reason why she barely knew about social cues.

Their conversation did not feel like a burden to Avy, although it was mostly Mallory talking and her adding along a few words to remind the strawberry-blonde that she was listening. Heck, she was even interested in what she was saying. Mallory would ask questions that would be considered tactless in a bystander's perspective, and Avy would answer them as if it was something she encounters every day.

"You eat a lot, Lady Avy. Do you not get sick?"

"I get sick when I don't eat a lot."

"Does Lady Avy not have other acquaintances to be with?"

"I don't. And I don't want to approach my brothers, they get too much attention."

They kept each other company for almost an hour or maybe even longer. Avy did not mind humoring the curious lady next to her. It was better than being ogled by predatory men.

Everything was peaceful until the orchestra started playing a piece that called the attendees to the middle.

"The dance is starting," Mallory voiced out, looking at the male attendees who were asking the ladies they fancied to dance.

Avy stopped munching on the pasty that she took from the table of food earlier, realizing the horror that comes along with the tradition of dances at a noble gathering. She immediately looked around and saw men looking in her direction.

"You should find your brothers if you do not want to be passed around dancing, Lady Avy," Mallory suggested, noticing the danger of the situation.

"How about you?" Avy asked, hesitant if she should run away or stay.

"I will be alright-"

"Mallory, I am here."

Cascading light brown hair and enchanting purple-blue eyes. A comfortable smile followed a soothing voice. The man who will be the cause of poor Mallory's downfall.

"You can leave me, my lady."

Avy shared a knowing look with the girl before she decided to turn her back. She did not want to see more of him, someone she disliked. If she could remember one name from the novel, it would belong to the character that she despised the most.

Elio Shaeen Leofric

The third male lead.

He was Mallory's childhood friend. A prince from another country who was supposedly the fiancé of the unfortunate girl. Supposedly. The reason being, the trash of a man did not pursue Lady Mallory after falling in love with Demi, the girl who reminded him that he did not have to offer romantic love to be given the same amount of affection.

He was described in the novel as the male lead abused by his manipulative mother from childhood. Which, in turn, made him into a womanizer who callously played with women's emotions to cope with his unresolved trauma, hurting Mallory in the process. The childhood friend who admired him and cared about his well-being for years was replaced by a unique girl that everyone called special.

It was unfair that Mallory had to accept and move on as if she did not invest time and effort into her relationship with Elio since childhood. She was expected by everyone, including the readers of the novel, to let go for the sake of the plot. Be hurt in order for her supposed partner to freely shower the main character with love. She had to step away so that the love that Elio felt towards Demi would not be labeled as infidelity.

It was unfair.

Avy did not like him, even after his backstory was revealed and many other readers sympathized with his emotional instability. Perhaps, it was because she held deep-seated loathing against people who betray their partner emotionally-people exactly like Elio.

Glancing back at the girl that she left, she was able to catch a glimpse of a sweet smile decorating her face. Said sweetness was directed at Elio who escorted her to the dancefloor in order to fend off the women who wanted to dance with him.

How undeserving.

Avy scrunched her nose, disgusted by his shameless behavior. She might be labeled as heartless for not being able to forgive the man's wrongdoings because, of course, he was a broken child. His past shaped him to be the person he grew up to be.

Well, she did understand where his personality came from. However, it did not mean that he would be forgiven every time he commits something wrong.

She continued to walk, ignoring the men who tried to walk up to her. She was looking for a particular person.

There he was.

A spot of white amidst the various colors of the crowd. It was definitely something that would be noticeable at first glance. Avy did not have to search for long before she found the person she was looking for.

His Highness, the crown prince, stood across the hall, amongst the number of attendees. His head swerved from left to right as though trying to find a lost parent. After a few seconds of skimming different faces, his sunrise-colored eyes finally locked with ruby-reds, his brows slowly lifting in recognition.

His demeanor was still as unfriendly as ever, although Avy knew better.

Avy walked to the side where she would not block the way for the people to freely move around. Seeing the white-haired mage made her feel assured that she would not be forced to dance with strangers. After all, they made a deal with each other a few days prior.

She patiently waited for her fiancé to arrive, looking around cautiously, careful not to make eye contact with the men who looked like they were thinking of pulling her to the dancefloor. She did not want to give them any ideas.

Her eyes traveled back to Lucifer. He was wearing a black masquerade mask with silver linings as a design. It was plain, making the lightning mage's features stand out. His clothes, too, were themed midnight blue, complimenting his complexion better than anyone. He was wearing gloves this time, perhaps a caution since the ball was full of people.

The neutral line plastered on his lips made him look unapproachable. However, his fine aurulent-colored eyes will never not be alluring in their glory.

Avy saw how the ladies around eyed the crown prince, probably hoping that the man would ask them for a dance. Of course, none of them were brave enough to come up to him, not as if the customs encouraged women to initiate the first move.

"Quite popular, aren't we?" she greeted her fiancé with a jest, which was answered by silence as the white-haired mage placed himself next to her.

"You look exquisite, Avy," Lucifer then spoke, complimenting her with a straight face.

"Thanks. I always do," she replied comfortably, earning an agreeing nod from the mage next to her.

Another socially awkward soul as a company. Avy did not mind, however, because during the past few days that she was stuck inside the palace, Lucifer was there with her everyday as they read books side-by-side.

With the white-haired fiancé of hers, she did not feel like she was forced to initiate a conversation. Avy did anyway. She talked about the book she was reading about different kinds of mana stones and Lucifer listened with all his attention.

Lucy used to do the same, except the girl would animatedly respond to her-enthusiastic, energetic, lively, and bright.

With Ridge, it was serene, yet she could see that he was trying to understand, what with him quipping a few short questions here and there with genuine curiosity. Avy would willingly answer them, inclined to share all the knowledge she had.

"Do you really not want to dance? Those ladies look like they are one push away from asking you." Avy gestured her head and looked in the direction of the ladies who were eagerly eyeing them.

Avy was just curious, of course. She did not really want him to dance and leave her alone to fend for herself. The two of them made an agreement that they would stand as a scarecrow for each other so that they would not be asked to dance by other people.

They look intimidating enough to execute the job properly. Hence, they stood close to one another, warningly eyeing anyone who would show any sign of interest.

"I have never danced with anyone before," the prince beside her replied flatly.

Avy raised a judging brow at him, "So you don't know how to dance?" She was then answered with a confirming nod.

"Ha. Loser." She crossed her arms and looked at the dancing pairs before adding another word, "Same."

~~~

"Hold my hand tighter, I'm gonna fall!"

"You are stepping on my foot..."

"You're supposed to readjust the hand placement, or one of us would have our wrist broken."

"The music changed again."

The two of them found themselves in the garden, dancing to the faint music that could be heard from the main hall. After the conversation about being unable to dance, Avy could not remember how they were now in the middle of the garden, being each other's teacher and partner.

Did she really agree to something ridiculous?

Perhaps, she did. She was the one who brought up the topic, after all, without considering Lucifer.

Of course, Lucifer did not know how to dance. He would have already killed dozens of dance partners if he was given the chance to practice considering his magical circumstance of being unable to physically touch people.

They were chaotic-twisting one another's arms unintentionally, abusing each other's feet. They looked like idiots trying to imitate dancing children, and it went on for a full fifteen minutes before Lucifer took the lead.

It turns out, he actually knew what to do after years of just watching on the sidelines, unable to participate. He explained the steps that he had seen and memorized all his life, and Avy made sure to execute them properly.

At last, they were able to dance to the tune of the faraway orchestra.

"I spin after this, yeah?" Avy asked, a proud grin visible on her face. Lucifer responded with a nod, a smaller and softer smile on his lips.

The white-haired mage held the tip of her hand that was hovering over her head. Their height difference was not huge, yet Avy still had to tilt her head to meet his eyes. Sunset during winter, those pair of hues never failed to amaze her.

It was like a mixture of the summer's palette in two pools of deep genuineness. They smiled upon her. She knew it was not love, and it gave her relief. It was pure happiness and trust. Comparable to a child who has been waiting for an eternity for acceptance that he deprived himself of having.

Avy herself did not know what romantic love feels like. It was unnecessary. Or perhaps, she convinced herself after knowing that she was not capable of such a thing.

Lucifer twirled her around, his attention unwavering.

Little droplets of water started falling and the stars were not in sight. However, the moon did a great job illuminating a wonderful expression that was displayed on both of them. The wind was not blowing, just the shower was enough for it to be cold, yet neither of them felt the need to shield themselves from the rain.

"Woah-!" Avy yelped as she moved the wrong foot, losing her balance in the process.

Lucifer, who jolted in surprise, was quick to take action and tried to dive in and save her. However, Avy did not need saving as she was able to regain her foothold, steadying herself.

Seeing this, the prince attempted to take his hands back, but it was too late. He has already thrown himself to catch the girl. Knowing that he would crash on Avy if he did not move, he then maneuvered his body to avoid contact.

In conclusion, the midnight skies witnessed the empire's heir with his face lying flat on the ground and a lady of a prominent family laughing hysterically. Ruby-red eyes squinted with amusement as she slightly teared up, cackling uncontrollably as she watched her fiancé gather himself from planting his nose on the wet grass.

"I'm your partner, not the ground," Avy told him in between her titters, using both her arms to reach for Lucifer's hand.

"Up you go." She pulled him up, not minding the little flinch that the white-haired prince did.

He was slowly getting used to another person's touch. Perhaps, it was still a little overwhelming for him, but Avy could see that he was trying his best to work on himself.

She felt his hand squeezing hers a little as he let her drag him around, laughing as they escaped from the dropping cold rain.

Strange. Midnight rains used to be his comfort.

Wide awake in his bed, with enhanced senses, the sound of the droplets hitting the leaves accompanied Lucifer throughout those sleepless nights. The silence usually becomes far too suffocating that he would wish for any sound to grace his ears.

Rains are gentle, he loves them. He would rather hear its sound rather than his own breathing.

However, if he were to choose which sound made him happier...

...it was definitely Lady Avy's laugh.

~~~

"We'd probably get stared at if we went inside while drenched," Avy remarked with the usual timbre of her voice, and true to her words, both of them looked like they just ran through a raging storm.

Well, it was close to what really happened, aside from the fact that it was not a storm but simply a gentle shower, and the reason why they were dripping wet is because they took their time running under the crying clouds.

Thus, they decided to change first before going back. It was not a problem for the both of them as Avy's maids brought a change of clothes for her after she complained how her dress was heavy. Perks of being an important guest, the emperor provided a chamber for her and her family.

Seriously, she wondered how much more the emperor could pamper the Arkwrights. They could probably sneeze in his face and he will just brush it off. Not that the walking cold poles would actually do something unprofessional, but that was beside the point.

Avy and Lucifer chose to avoid the crowd by taking a different route. Of course, they went their separate ways after Avy insisted that she could go to the private room by herself. The prince insisted that he accompany her, but soon yielded, lest he upsets the lady.

However, peace seemed to hate gatherings in this world so much. Before Avy could reach the room, another blackout happened.

The illumination stones that gave light to the hallways once again lost their glow. Everything followed after that.

Surprised screams and glass shattering on the floor echoed from the hall as she was not that far. The moonlight seeped through the big windows beside the hallways as Avy looked back at the sound of the screams.

"I knew it," she whispered to herself before bending down her head and crouching by the windows.

She lifted her heavy skirt, revealing another layer where she cut and sewed a pocket before leaving their temporary residence. It was a complicated task as she needed to excuse herself to the bathroom to avoid the servants. Moreover, she did it while the dress was already on her body.

She pulled out something that looked like a champagne glass. The only difference is, the handle was wrapped in wood and the top was covered with a glass cap.

It was made from the materials that she asked Marie to buy, and she was thankful that her maid and knight gave her the privacy of her own room and that she was able to finish it in no time.

She was careful not to break it the whole night and she was successful even after dancing like a psycho in the garden. After all, it had not been easy finding a type of glass that would not melt in the temperature of her blood. Even the glass they found previously that was made to withstand the heat of the fire and serve as a lamp melted into a liquid.

Avy smiled to herself and fished out another item inside the handy pocket. It was a small knife.

The knights guarding the entrance made sure to search the guests for any kind of sharp objects or anything that could be used to hurt another. It was to ensure the attendees' safety throughout the whole celebration.

Prioritizing them and their physical well-being was also the same reason why servants and soldiers were not allowed inside. Even the weapons that battle mages carried with them or the swords that knights never took off were removed from their person.

However, it did not apply to the Arkwrights who simply passed the inspection without a hitch. Avy was able to smuggle something illegal to the party.

She grinned to herself as she sliced the tender flesh of her palm, the blood dripping inside the glass cup after she took off the cap. She learned how to control her blood during the days that she did not have anything else to do. Hence, it did not immediately explode into a mess of flames.

After gathering enough, the wound on her palm closed as if it never appeared. She attached the cap back to the glass and gave it a little tap on the side.

And voila! An upgraded torch.

She preened under her own genius, but wasted no time in admiring her masterpiece and quickly ran towards the direction of the hall.

"Ares. Andras," she calmly called, making sure that she was guarded.

"Aye, aye. I am here." Black smoke swirled around her before Ares appeared, running beside her as a black cat. Andras was quiet, but Avy could feel his looming presence behind.

The surrounding hallway was dark, aside from the light that the torch that she made gave off.

"No one move! Or else everyone will get their heads cut off!"

She heard voices as they neared the hall-some stifled cries, some groaning in pain, and some sinister waves of laughter that sent shivers down her spine.

She reached her destination, and her first action was to hide behind a pillar. She could only see darkness as she left her torch outside to not catch any attention.

It was pure black before the middle of the hall was set ablaze, illuminating the whole place like a big campfire. People dressed in black with masks covering their whole heads could be seen holding down nobles and royals alike.

Begging, pleading cries echoed in the air.

It was the night when the sky wept.

~~~

Hi!! Here's an update for you! It was a little, my editor and I took our time just talking about life lmao.

Also, sorry for not replying to the messages you sent, I don't get notifications, sadly. If you want to reach out to me, you can talk to me on another platform!! (I'm begging for interactions honestly.) My Instagram is always open for your messages, I welcome them:DDD

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