The depression of the Young Lady.

-12-

Even from behind him, Cale could tell that he was in a good spirits. With the help of the costumer, Basen had putted on an evening suit. It was the same view as a few days ago, but the difference was that Cale was watching as the sidelines.

Cale was wearing casual loungewear. It was already dark, but he had no plans to go out. Only Basen was attending this party.

"So, you go to the party after all?"

Cale's tone was mixed with exasperation, to which Basen replied cheerfully. "Of course! I was looking forward to it. And since the troubles are over quickly, I can finally enjoy myself it this time."

Even from the sidelines, you could tell that Basen was in high spirits. At the last party, the host, the count, was an acquaintance of Basen's, but at this party, it seems that the person who is close to him is the son of the host.

As far as Cale knew, Basen had no close friends in the northeast. He has been attending a group of sons of noble families in the Northeast since he was 12 years old, but he has never heard of any of his friends who are more than acquaintances. Cale Henituse rather than Basen has three childhood friends, and even though Cale was famous for his violent behavior, he even looks like to fit in well with the aristocracy of the Northeast.

Cale has somehow guessing the meaning of this incongruity, but instead of asking about it, he says something else.

"...I heard that you asked Miss Celia Pecchia to your today's partner, right?"

This is the reason why Cale visited Basen, who was busy preparing for the party. The reason why Basen went to Viscount Pecchia's house with Choi Han yesterday afternoon was to apologize for the party. She almost became a victim and, in addition, protected Basen, so he must apologize and thank her directly. That's what Basen told Cale strongly, but at the meeting with Alver that night, Cale guessed the situation of the Pecchia family. So Cale felt complicated when he heard that Basen had not only apologized but also asked Miss Pecchia to be his partner.

He thought that Basen understood the intentions of the Pecchia family better than he did, so he wondered what Basen was thinking.

"That's right. I can't rely on Lady Tasha anymore, and it would be boring to go alone." Basen answered Cale's complicated question pretending not to know. In the first place, that was exactly what they had talked about before the murder, so he knew the meaning behind his elder brother's words, but he chose to pretend not to know. Because.

"Because I also want to make more friends."

"No, you..." Cale's expression was confused. It's only natural, Basen thought. Those kind of stories have really been coming to him for a while now. That's certainly true of the Pecchia family, but Basen also has his own ideas.

"Hyung-nim has Miss Amir and," Basen said, looking at his elder brother. Just as Basen had expected, it seems to he doesn't understand. He continued talking with a nonchalant look on his face. "Mr. Eric and Mr. Gilbert. Aren't they your friends? Unfortunately, I don't have any friends."

"You..." Basen smiled gently at his elder brother, who was at a loss for words. "Mr. Eric and his friends were nice to me. It's not like the other houses looked down on me, either. But."

"... Were you only looking at Henituse behind you?"

"Everyone has a reason to noble family behind them. So even if they didn't think badly of me, they couldn't get too close simply. That's one of the reasons, right."

Basen thought back to those days. Eric and his friends were nice to him. They literally did it. But they were older than Basen's elder brother, Cale, so rather than being "friends," they were more like substitutes for his absent brother. However, the other nobles in the northeast were already under the control of other regions. Basen had to start by being suspicious of anyone who approached him. There were really a lot of nobles who were after the wealthy Henituse.