Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1370. An Unexpected Debut (5)

There were no qualifications or restrictions when it came to inviting someone to dance. The moment one entered the debutante ball, everyone had the right to ask someone else for a dance. Of course, it was only a right in name.

In every society, there were unspoken rules. Could an old nobleman from a family with no money, honor, or influence really ask a princess or a duke’s daughter for a dance? Technically, yes, but in reality, it would never happen.

‘Knowing one’s place...’

This was particularly more pronounced among nobles. After all, political marriages were a daily affair for them.

“...”

Even the most ambitious nobles understood the difference between courage and recklessness. Upon recognizing the gap between themselves and the other person—be it in family status, appearance, or personal merits—they wouldn't dare overstep their boundaries.

To be rejected was not only humiliating, but it could also damage the honor of one's family and oneself. It sounded childish, but imagine a duke’s son asking a fallen noble’s daughter to dance and getting turned down.

From his point of view, it would wound his pride. Even something as simple as asking for a dance carried many layers of social and personal consideration. Perhaps that was why so many people ran into the harsh wall of reality in such ballrooms.

The crying young lady was probably one of them. She had entered the ballroom full of dreams, only to have some ridiculous man come up to her, making her question everything. She had to be thinking, “Did I really spend all this time building my etiquette and beauty just to dance with someone like him?”

Her tears ended up falling before she could stop them.

‘No, that’s not it. It’s not that you’ve sunk to their level. It’s that these idiots don’t know their place.’

Aina Peneloti was in that kind of situation.

Did they not see my entrance just now? Can they not feel the grace and elegance flowing from me?’

Could they even imagine themselves dancing with me? The most baffling part was that these men seemed to have already decided that I was within their reach.

Despite the obvious difference in looks, there was an inexplicable confidence in their faces. Whether it was because of their family’s standing, or their skill in swordsmanship or magic, they somehow believed they could possess Aina Peneloti.

The fact that the salon had assigned me to the same ballroom as them and that I carried the title of the cursed third daughter of a declining family had to have fueled their delusions even further...

‘At least meet the basic standards, please...’

These guys were completely unqualified.

‘Young ladies like handsome men, damn it.’

Well, honestly, anyone would prefer someone good-looking.

“If I may introduce myself, I placed fifth in the Belin Kingdom Swordsmanship Tournament...”

‘No one cares about some tiny little kingdom’s swordsmanship tournament or your fifth-place medal, damn it. Young ladies like handsome men.’

“Our family’s trading company...”

‘Who cares if your trading company makes money or not? Young ladies like handsome men.’

Of course, looks weren’t the only deciding factor in the marriage market. Some men did manage to win people over with their personality and looks.

For example, maintaining a minimal level of neatness similar to that gray pigeon could make just about anyone appear likable. Add talent or skill on top of that, and it would be perfect. Even someone like Park Deok-Gu had an enormous fan base.

After all, one couldn’t expect everyone to look like Kim Hyun-Sung.

No one was saying they had to become Kim Hyun-Sung, as that would just be too cruel.

‘At least put in some effort...’

Failing to make even the slightest effort was another problem altogether.

The ones swarming toward me like bees were exactly those who hadn’t exerted even the slightest bit of effort. Their abilities were mediocre at best. As Lee Ki-Young once said, never even look at incompetent men, but these ones were so bad I couldn’t even stand to look at them.

“Huh? Huh? P-pardon?”

There was no way Aina Peneloti could give her first dance to men like this. If she accepted one, she would have to accept the next, and then the next. By the end of the ball, she would have spent the whole night dancing with nothing but these fools.

‘Ladies, don’t give up, damn it. Let’s defend our own rights.’

This was one of those moments where all I could do was silently express my discomfort.

“Lady Peneloti!”

“Lady Peneloti! If I may speak for my family...”

“Lady Peneloti?!”

And that was when the voice of salvation echoed nearby...

“Excuse me, gentlemen. Lady Peneloti seems quite nervous since it’s her first time at an event like this. I’ll borrow her for a moment,” Lady Pastel said.

‘She came to save me!’

“Ah... L-Lady Pastel...” I mumbled.

“Come on, hurry. Don’t get mixed up with people like them,” Lady Pastel said.

“Huh? Ah... But, still, they did ask me to dance...” I said.

“Don’t dance with people like them, Lady Peneloti. They’re all lecherous and stupid. Some of them aren’t even debutantes this year. They’re pathetic men who spend all day loitering around these balls, pestering women.

"Their names are already being passed around among the ladies. You’d be better off dancing your first dance with one of the young men who debuted this year or someone from that group over there,” she explained.

“But they did at least have the courage to ask...” I muttered.

“Just this once, listen to me, Aina Peneloti. I’m saying this as your friend, okay?” Lady Pastel said.

“Ah... okay.”

Then, murmurs—no, not murmurs, outright whispering meant to be heard echoed afterward. It was the perfect example of how appearance and character reflected each other, proving the theory that ugliness ran all the way through.

“Tch... acting all high and mighty for the third daughter of a fallen family.”

“And isn’t she the cursed third daughter, too? We were just trying to do her a favor, but she’s throwing away her own luck. Let’s see how that works out for her.”

“...”

“...”

‘Who’s saving who here? These idiots really don’t know their place.’

“W-wait, Lady Pastel, please put the wine bottle down,” I begged.

“Huh? Oh, this? No, I wasn’t—”

“You need to set it down. I, uh, heard from Lady Paint that you might... you know...” I muttered.

“Ha... hahaha... I didn’t even realize. I-I wasn’t going to throw it! I-I was just going to... have a sip...” Lady Pastel laughed awkwardly.

‘If she were to actually throw or smash that in their heads, our salon’s reputation would be done for. Still, I can’t really blame her for feeling that way.’

“Anyway, stay here. I’ll go bring that young lady who’s crying over there. No matter who asks you to dance, don’t accept, got it?” Lady Pastel advised.

“O-okay,” I answered.

‘A little extreme, maybe, but reliable as always, Lady Pastel.’

It seemed her mission that night was to rescue the young ladies from those men’s clutches. Of course, there was nothing she could do for the ones who had already accepted the dance offer, but thanks to the distraction I’d caused, there weren’t too many victims.

Honestly, it was best to just pretend that those guys didn’t exist.

As Lady Pastel said, if one were to dance, it would be best to do so with one of the young gentlemen debuting this year or those gathered over there chatting among themselves.

However, even they were no real match for Aina Peneloti.

After all, it had already been decided that her first dance would be with Kim Hyun-Sung.

“What are you doing over here, Lady Peneloti?” Lady Paint asked.

“Lady Paint?” I said.

“...”

“Lady Pastel told me to wait here... I’m not really sure what to do. She also said I shouldn’t accept any dance invitations for now, so I’m just... not sure what I’m supposed to be doing,” I told her.

“Ah, right. You mentioned this is your first ball, didn’t you?” Lady Paint asked.

“Yes,” I answered.

“There’s really nothing to worry about. If you’re not sure what to do, you can have some finger food or wine, or just watch the other ladies dance. You can even talk to some of the young gentlemen or noblemen if you’d like,” Lady Paint suggested.

“Oh...”

“There’s no set rule for how to behave. Just enjoy the ball however you want, Lady Peneloti. For your first time, that’s more than enough. No need to overthink things and give yourself a headache,” Lady Paint added.

“I-I see!”

“For now, why don’t you stay with me?” she suggested.

“Huh? Is that alright?” I asked.

“Of course.”

Lady Paint slipped her arm through mine, looking composed. As we moved through the ballroom, she greeted her acquaintances whom she hadn’t seen in a while and politely declined dance offers, proving that she studied proper etiquette.

I noticed how naturally she conversed with several young men, too, as if they were already acquainted. It wasn’t anything particularly impressive, but according to Lady Peneloti's lore, it was all brand-new and awe-inspiring. My eyes followed Lady Paint with admiration, and Lady Paint, perhaps flustered by the attention, glanced away shyly.

‘You know too, don’t you?’

If we keep going like this, we would be doomed. Lady Paint looked just as desperate. Considering how openly the Black Rose Salon was being ignored, it was obvious.

We at least needed to secure a proper moment in the spotlight, but even that was proving difficult. At this rate, there was a real chance I’d be forced to have my first dance with one of those losers, and that fear clearly weighed on her, too.

‘But what did she even do wrong to end up here?’

She kept moving around the ballroom, mingling, making small talk, and exchanging pleasantries—all for the sake of raising the Black Rose Salon’s level.

Objectively speaking, Lady Paint, with her blonde hair and refined demeanor, was both beautiful and graceful, so she probably thought that her presence alone would serve as good publicity. That was likely why she insisted on dragging me along, too.

‘But this isn’t enough.’

An hour had already passed, and not a single member of the Black Rose Salon had danced yet. At this rate, our experience tomorrow would be exactly the same as today.

‘Honestly, it might be better to let Lady Pastel smash their heads in. At least, people will end up talking about us.'

I spotted her off in a corner, downing wine glass after wine glass. Lady Brush still seemed to be struggling to catch her breath, exhaling in ragged bursts.

Meanwhile, Lady Palette was nowhere to be seen, but she had been craving a smoke for quite a while now, so she’d probably come back reeking of tobacco later.

Just then, I noticed a group doing something interesting in the far corner. They were holding their wine glasses aloft, posing like they owned the place—men who clearly thought of themselves as alpha males. They acted all composed, pretending they were on another level while looking down on the ballroom without the slightest sense of self-awareness.

Blindfold?’

They were playing chess without looking at the board, reciting the moves out loud as they went. They probably thought it was still too early to invite anyone to dance, or perhaps they were just waiting for a better moment.

Even so, I could see some men eyeing me from afar, the same ones who had tried to ask me to dance earlier. They had hurriedly pretended not to care when Lady Pastel led me away, but their gazes hadn’t left me for even a second.

‘Still, you guys are better than that bunch.’

At least they looked neat, had some talent, and perhaps even a bit of ambition. Sure, their smug expressions were a little annoying, but they seemed perfect as a stepping stone to raise our salon’s level.

‘Go talk to them, Aina Peneloti!’

“...”

‘Peneloti! You can do this!’

It was a little embarrassing for her to make the first move, given her character, but the timing was perfect. Lady Paint’s words to enjoy the ball in her own way became lodged firmly in Lady Peneloti’s heart.

“Um... e-excuse me!” I shouted.

‘A-ano!’

“You’re... Lady Pene...loti, right?” a gentleman asked.

“C-could I... maybe join you?” I asked.

“What?” he asked.

“I- I really like chess, too!” I said.

“...”

“...”

“...”

“Hahahahahahahaha!”

“Hahahahahahaha!”

‘What the hell... Why are you all laughing?’

“Ah... sorry, Lady Peneloti. What we’re playing right now isn’t just ordinary chess...” he said.

‘I can see that too. I’ve been watching you guys play... so what? You’re making a big deal out of nothing.’

“I know, I can play too...” I said.

“Hmm... in that case... would you like to play a quick game? And... since just playing is a bit dull... how about we make it a bet?” he suggested.

“A bet?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“...”

“...”

“Of course!”

Naturally, I nodded. After all, there was no way these idiots could actually beat me.

‘Yeah, yeah. Something interesting is happening here... Tell the people to gather quickly.’

The sneers and laughter from the guys had drawn attention, and people’s gazes landed on us.

Among that crowd...

‘What the...’

“...”

‘Why did he come here?’

Commander Jin was disguised, but he was not completely disguised.

‘Ah, did he decide to come down because he couldn’t resist another bet?’

It was the kind of moment where I half-jokingly thought about calling a gambling rehab center.

"Wait, what are you doing here? I get wanting to experience the atmosphere, but do your own work, Commander Jin."

— You’re spouting nonsense again.

"I said, go back up! Don’t just stand awkwardly here."

— Have you finally lost your mind?

“Uh...”

I finally realized that the figure before me wasn't Commander Jin.

— Uh...

“...”

"Huh?"

— Huh?

To be more precise, I wasn't staring at Second Life Commander Jin. Instead, I was gazing at First Life Commander Jin.