Page 46 of I Ran Away to Evil #3

My Favorite Invited Me to the Ball on a Logistical Whim

Gerda

I couldn’t believe my luck.

I’d gone outside to get a moment of fresh air and found the one person I actually wanted to talk to. And he’d even agreed to escort me north. Seeing Julian sitting on a garden bench staring up at me with his piercing silver eyes, I’d felt the need to fan myself from the heat.

I hadn’t.

I was a grown woman who could remain professional. No matter that the half elf had shoulder-length purple dreadlocks pulled back into a ponytail and a face that I could get lost in. Seriously, why had they made him exactly my type?

I reminded myself that I’d seen plenty of muscled warrior men since my arrival; I could calm down. Especially if I was going to be spending a week or more in his company, traveling to the border.

I could probably make it without the escort, but Julian and his team had spent years exploring the Ice Fields.

They would know which monsters I was going to face and their average levels.

I was sure I could get information from his teammates.

Sir Tully was an open book in the otome —always willing to share helpful tips about surviving in the North.

But then, it sounded like Julian was going to slip away from the ball and head north early. While I wouldn’t usually mind … this might be the last time I saw Henrietta or Brownie or Amy and I wanted more time to say goodbye …

Then he hit me with something unexpected.

“Ah. Did you want to go to the tea party together?”

“Wait, what?” I asked, raising a hand between us.

He clarified for me. “Did you want me to escort you to the tea party or the ball? Or both?”

“ Oh no .” It was like being hit by a bucket of cold and hot water at the same time. He’d thought I was asking him to escort me to the ball!

And he’d said yes !

But he’d only said yes as a favor for saving his sister’s life. Which, if it were coming from anyone else, I would’ve found incredibly insulting.

With Julian, it was both flattering and insulting.

“No?” Julian asked.

“I didn’t mean no . I meant no ,” I tried to explain and failed, and tried again. “I was asking you for an escort to the Northern Ice Fields.”

Julian’s complexion darkened in a blush—then his eyes narrowed with concern. “This isn’t because everyone found out that you’re Madame Potts, is it? The North might be isolated, but it’s not a safe place to live. I’m sure any number of countries would offer you protection—North Sumbria included.”

“No,” I said. Again. “I have a quest in the North. I’d already planned to go there after the festival.”

Julian asked, “So the favor was to leave with my party members and travel north together?”

“Yes,” I replied, and his face fell. Something goaded me and I teased, “Why? Did you want to take me to the ball?”

The duke considered that. Actually considered it. “Yes. I think I do.”

I was shocked. In the otome , in order for Henrietta to win over Julian, she’d had to do a lot of cat-and-mouse tactics.

One of the reasons I’d enjoyed his route so much was that I’d found the options so intuitive.

The duke was aloof but lonely. He enjoyed conversation but felt awkward when he was enjoying himself.

Short and meaningful interactions came naturally, and it was so satisfying when he’d finally come right out and said what he actually wanted.

But that was that and this was this. I narrowed my eyes at the half elf. “It’s because I’m Madame Potts, isn’t it?”

“I thought I already said it’s not that.” He shook his head. “I was thinking it would give us time to talk about logistics. For your trip.”

I couldn’t argue that, though I wanted to. As much as I was annoyed that my favorite invited me to the ball on a logistical whim, I would still get to go to the ball with Duke Julian von Slyke.

“Alright,” I said, resting a hand on my hip and looking him up and down. “You can take me to the afternoon tea party and the ball. And you can pick me up here thirty minutes before the tea party.”

He grinned, his white teeth flashing in a heart-stopping smile that made me rethink my decision to spend an entire day with him tomorrow. “ It would be my pleasure , Miss Gerda.”

“Then, if that’s all, I have to leave,” I stated, deciding it was time for a tactical retreat. I gave a quick nod before marching off into the palace, leaving the duke behind in the western gardens.

I didn’t look back.

Against my better judgment, I returned to the luncheon. Henrietta and Keith were there, as was Lady Amy and Minstrel Bronwynn and everyone else. I didn’t go inside right away, standing by the door against the wall, enjoying a last moment of quiet.

It was amazing, really.

Everything I’d accomplished since entering this world.

There was still more—I knew there was. The story wasn’t over until the dragon Feliwyn awoke.

She was supposed to be the actual final boss, and she was still fast asleep.

But aside from Sumbria being an absolute mess, everyone else was sorted …

and I didn’t need to stay and fix Sumbria.

All of the people I’d cared about finding happiness were right here. Happy.

“Madame Potts?”

I turned to see two young women, relatives of Grand Duchess Calisto by the looks of them, standing a polite distance away.

“We just wanted to say it’s an honor to meet you.

” The one on the left wore a red silhouette dress commonly found in the Empire of Sands.

It started with an embroidered circular collar around the throat and left the shoulders bare.

The front panel was just wide enough to cover the collarbone, wrap over the breasts, and meet the back panel under the arms. Silver vines were embroidered on the dress to look like pinstripes, giving it a slimming look on the statuesque human.

She had thick, sun-kissed brown hair that fell to her elbows.

“I’m Gail, and this is Tabitha.”

The one on the right waved, shyly. She wore a blue silhouette dress with similar silver embroidery, and a silver scarf belt around her hips. Her hair was black and decorated with silver rings.

“It’s nice to meet you both.” I returned their eager smiles. “How are you enjoying the festival?”

“It’s brilliant,” Tabitha answered.

Gail nodded enthusiastically. “This is our second ball. Aunt Calisto made us wait until our debutante before we were allowed to attend.”

“Even though Cousin Julia was going as early as age ten,” Tabitha added.

“And I’ve heard His Grace started at six!” Gail played with a lock of hair separated by silver rings. It was a beautiful hairstyle that I decided I might try next time I went somewhere fancy.

Of course, if I went north immediately after this, I might be gone by the fall or winter celebrations.

“I’m just imagining Duke Julian running around as a young boy.” I laughed. “I feel like he was more well behaved than his sister.”

“You’re right about that.” Tabitha leaned in. “But then Julian left when Uncle Lysander died.”

“He was a great man,” I told them, knowing the backstory. Lysander had fought in the civil war and fallen in the final battle—but not before he’d cut a canyon down the center of Sumbria in a wizard’s duel with the Sage of Aegis.

“Ladies”—I pushed off from the wall and waved toward a pair of empty seats nearby—“would you like to sit?”

They shared an excited look between them and joined me. Henrietta saw me come in and nodded from across the room, staying where she was. Keith was in an animated conversation with Witch Agatha and it didn’t look like they were going to be finished anytime soon.

That left me plenty of time to get to talk with Gail and Tabitha. The two were a fountain of knowledge about Duke Julian’s childhood … and I was planning on coaxing out every family story I could.