Some hours ago, Melody had happened to come across Maxwell in his school uniform, and that was when she realized he was a noble son. So she apologized for her rudeness. Melody then let him know that she was working as a maid for the house of Count Rutleberg, and had come here to deliver something Lucy had forgotten.
Maxwell knew Count Rutleberg as the impoverished noble with the haunted mansion. But when he had greeted him at the royal chancery, he had not seemed like a bad fellow. So Maxwell told Melody she could talk to him if there was any trouble. He wondered if she was getting harassed.
That was when she told him about Lucy having trouble with an escort. Melody told him she had thought about dressing up as a man, and that made Maxwell chuckle. He was also glad to hear that she was getting along with her lady.
To apologize for laughing, he offered to escort Lucy. If it was of help to Melody, he would lend his arm as much as she liked. Beaming with joy, she thanked him, and seeing her reaction also made Maxwell happy.
Due to his beautiful appearance since childhood, Maxwell had become wary of women courting him or trying to use him for their personal gain. Though this did not cause him to hate women exactly, he had ceased to engage with them and kept his distance. But Melody was different. She paid no attention to his good looks, nor did her attitude change after learning he was a nobleman. It was a comfortable relationship.
Maxwell asked himself, "Is this feeling love?" But he told himself it was not.
Following that, he went to Count Rutleberg's mansion to pick up Lucy and escort her. Taking a look at the mansion, he wondered why people thought it was haunted. She got so flustered when he greeted her. She fumbled her words, but then took his hand, and they set off.
It seemed Melody also had a party to attend tonight, with a friend. Lucy's parents did not mind, considering she had not taken a day off since she started working.
Melody later met up with Lectius at his mansion. Paula helped dress her and do her makeup. Staring at herself in the mirror, she did not realize that such a lovely maid was this close to her. She met back up with Lectius, and Melody's beauty was so radiant that it left him speechless and blushing hard.
On the carriage ride, Melody found out they were headed to the royal castle for a small spring ball. To her, there was nothing small about this. She had never heard of a maid attending a party where her lady was also present. With Lectius telling her how Paula had spent the last three days working on that dress, Melody could not just leave.
However, she feared Lucy would notice her. Though to Lectius, her makeup made her look like a different person. He thought she looked beautiful, but she cut him off, saying he underestimated Lucy. Although Paula's makeup skills were exceptional, they certainly would not fool women like Lucy. She felt guilty for not telling her about this earlier. Thinking of it, her dark hair and eyes were rare, so she would definitely stand out.
Since makeup would not be enough, she decided to borrow Lectius's hair and eye color, and then chanted a spell.
At the ball venue, Christopher and Anne made their appearance, looking dashing and beautiful. The people whispered that Anne was even more beautiful than they said. They called her the Scarlet Seductress, though she did not seem like the nation-ruining kind.
Christopher questioned whether tonight's ball would even happen, since the heroine had not showed up. But Anne told him not to let his guard down. There was no telling what might happen.
After that, Lucy was announced to enter next. People made fun of House Rutleberg, asking if they could even afford a dress for the ball. And when they heard Maxwell being announced as her escort, they thought it had to be impossible. In the game, Maxwell came by himself. He meets the heroine at this ball for the first time and asks to become her escort for the next ball.
When they entered the hall, everyone was mesmerized. Some people called Lucy a fairy princess. On the other hand, she was anxious because no one was applauding them. Anne, too, was gushing at the sight of such a cute girl.
The next sight the people saw was mysterious, and in a way unapproachable. It was like Anne's bewitching beauty, yet also different from Lucy's innocent cuteness. Anyone who saw her thought, an angel has descended upon this land.
Staring at Melody, Count Cloud was suddenly reminded of Selena. But Melody's hair and eye color were different. Standing before Cloud and Lectius's father, Chancellor Reclentos, Melody introduced herself as Cecilia. That was the same name Cloud had intended to give his daughter when he eventually met her.
Taking one glance at her, Lucy could immediately tell it was Melody. Maxwell's mother and Cloud's older sister could not help but speak about how beautiful Melody was. They asked why Lectius had not introduced her before. He explained that he had only just met her, and since she was not nobility, it was her first time attending something like this.
In other words, this would be the only time she would be attending the ball. He would not be bringing her again. Regardless, the women started teasing him. He did not usually bring a partner. Perhaps, in order for her to participate in the next ball, she needed a suitable position. Maybe that of a nobleman's wife.
With their teasing, Lectius regretted bringing a partner.