Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

This story is not about the labyrinth city Arcadia this time.

“...Phew.”

The letter that arrived from the Muno Territory instructed me to attend a ball being held in the Duke’s Capital.

Ideally, I would have preferred to ignore it, but since it said to help my younger brother Orion, the next lord of the territory, expand his social connections, I couldn’t just brush it off as his older sister.

“Karina, are you feeling down?”

“What’s wrong?”

As I sighed while reading the gloomy letter, Tama and Pochi called out to me with worried voices.

“If you have troubles, why not talk to us?”

“You want to consult with us?”

“It’s nothing serious, really—”

“Lady Karina, don’t say that. Maybe talking to the two of us will help you make some progress?”

—That was advice from Laka, the intelligent magical artifact created by the ancient magical empire.

But—

“It’s really nothing important. I just received a letter asking me to attend the ball.”

“A bu-to-kai, you say?”

“Not like grapes, right?”

Pochi and Tama tilted their whole bodies in confusion.

Their adorable expressions made me smile unconsciously.

“No, no. A ball is a gathering where nobles come together to dance and eat, socializing.”

“I love dancing and eating!”

“Tama likes it too?”

Pochi and Tama twirled around together.

“You two are very good.”

I also loved dancing when I was little (......).

It all started on the day I first attended a ball—

◇◇◇◆◇◆◆◆

“Elder Sister Solna, what’s the Duke’s ball like?”

We rattled along the rough road in a simple carriage from the Muno Territory.

Unlike me, who couldn’t wait for the ball, Elder Sister Solna looked gloomy.

At that time, I was too excited to notice my sister’s mood.

“Have you been there many times, Sister?”

“When I was in the Royal Capital—as part of the lower nobility Donano Viscount family—it was just a gathering of low-ranking nobles, so there wasn’t much glamour. I wasn’t a debutante yet, and before we were assigned to Muno Territory, I attended the Duke’s ball once.”

“The Duke’s ball?! Amazing! That’s so impressive, Sister! So, how was it?!”

I eagerly pressed her for more details.

“It was a glittering place. Dozens of chandeliers, each with over a hundred magical lights, hung bright enough to look like daytime. The light reflected off the candlesticks and dishes on the tables, making it a dreamy, wonderful place.”

“Wow—”

Imagining that, I opened my mouth wide in awe.

“The gentlemen and ladies attending wore magnificent costumes far beyond the low-ranking nobility of the Royal Capital. Their dresses were made of fine Kingfisher Silk, the latest fashion. Their clothes were adorned with gems scattered like stars. Each finger wore rings with huge jewels so heavy they were hard to lift.”

“Wow!”

“The dishes served were extravagant beyond belief. There were many luxurious dishes I had never seen before, and I was surprised to learn there were so many kinds of food in the world.”

“A feast! Was it delicious?”

I asked innocently, but my sister didn’t answer.

“I’m sure it was very delicious (......) I think (…). And those dishes were piled high on every table. Whenever a big plate was half empty, a new big plate was brought out.”

“What did they do with the leftover food? Eat it for lunch the next day? Then we get to eat the feast again!”

Living simply in Muno Territory, I had no idea that leftover food could be thrown away.

“Karina, you’re such a good girl.”

“Hehe~”

I didn’t understand why I was praised, but hearing it from my sister made me happy.

“Did you make any friends?”

At my question, my sister’s expression stiffened like a Noh mask.

“—The shaking has stopped. Seems like we’ve entered the Duke’s territory.”

“Really! The carriage isn’t shaking anymore!”

Having only known the bumpy roads of Muno Territory, I was amazed by the maintained roads of Duke Oyugok’s territory.

Because of that, I didn’t notice when my sister abruptly changed the subject.