Masquerade Banquet: Shadowless Mansion (2)

'I can barely see with this mask on.'

Ines sighed. Pacing along the long halls, she rubbed her gloved hands in annoyance.

It was damningly cold in the hallway.

The bathroom was steaming warm, whilst the room she was dressing in was boiling due to the fireplace at the center of the room.

She had nearly forgotten how wintry Bascombe was during that time.

Dressing in nothing but silk and cotton, Ines could only sigh in exasperation. Looking to the side, she peered outside the windows, watching the snowfall. It was only seven o'clock, yet it was pitch dark outside.

Whilst she was asleep, the weather had worsened. The small storm eventually turned into a hailstorm, covering the land in a sheet of white.

Seeing the darkened sky, Ines was once again reminded of how she was expected to find the ballroom on her own.

She had only been there once, and it was the Archduke who had led there. That time, she wasn't even paying attention as her focus was on Valencia.