(3) The Ball

The trio arrives at the front gateway of the Podebrat estate. What greets Claude was a giant white mansion with a fancy exterior obviously for rich people. The three of them enter through the front door of the estate.

"Welcome to my humble abode."

Melissa says while looking at Claude with a smile. Claude had to admit that the mansion he was currently in was extravagant. It had paintings, vases, and so much decorations. Melissa looks at Claude looking at the mansion sightseeing around, is still dirty and messy.

"Yona prepare some bathwater in my room. We need to wash him, just look at him!" she says while pointing at the messy Claude.

"My lady You're going to wash him?" asks Yona.

"Hmm... Should I?" Melissa turned around to face Claude.

"I can wash myself." Claude shook his head and refuses the offer.

Melissa smirks and says "I guess he can take care of himself. Yona show him the way to the bathroom." she waves her hand as she watched them disappear.

After they went out of her sight, she immediately brainstormed inside her mind about her plans of embarrassing the second prince on the ball.

What people don't know is that Melissa is a reincarnated person. She was reincarnated to a novel she was reading in her past life or currently this world after dying of a car accident. After dying she was reincarnated into the Villainess named Melissa Podebrat. The past Melissa was engaged and incredibly in loved with the second prince although it was just a one-sided love. The current Melissa however found him annoying and just wants him to die in a ditch somewhere. After reincarnating 2 weeks ago, she has sent 49 annulment letters to the second prince. she then thought about all the annoying characters she knows in the novel.

The crown prince or Alberu Crossman was a close friend to Melissa, he always asks for favors every time and that made Melissa have a bit of a Hate-nice friendship. She even sent a letter to him to tell his younger brother to annul her engagement and the only reply she got was "I'll look into it." which she found annoying.

But what she found more annoying was his little brother or the second prince named Ian Crossman. Ian was an annoying, trash, and disgusting fiance who would invite the past Melissa to his room only to make her see that he was having an affair with noble ladies.

Past Melissa kept accepting invitations only to find that his fiance was with another woman which hurt her mentally. Right now she is devicing a plan to use Claude to humiliate Ian in the ball.

Meanwhile, Claude was walking down the corridors with Yona towards the bathroom. Shortly after they arrive in front of a door.

"Mister beggar, the bath is ready." Yona tells Claude.

'Mister Beggar..' Claude chuckled after hearing the nickname he was given since he still has not introduced himself.

Claude nods and went inside the bathroom. He takes off his clothes and enters the bathtub. The warm water felt very nice to his smooth body. He then saw that all the bruises and cuts on his body are gone which shocked him quite a bit. He then started stretching his arms around and felt no ache nor pain in his body.

He was weirded out by the predicament he is in and wonders if something weird happened to his body while he was kidnapped to this foreign world.

Deciding he does not know where he is and if magic is normal here because that's what he called his sudden healing. After he was done bathing, he stood up and put on the clothes Yona left on the table next to the bathtub. He exits the bathroom and saw Yona waiting for him on the side.

Yona who usually has a stoic face was a bit taken aback from seeing the dirty beggar turn into a super handsome man, although she quickly changes back to her expressionless face and said.

"Please follow me my lady is waiting."

"Alright." he nods.

They were now back inside Melissa's room. Melissa and Claude are facing each other while sitting in their respective chairs.

'Holy da- I didn't expect to pick up someone more handsome than Apollo.' she was greatly astonished because she didn't expect to pick up a guy like him. They were just staring at each other without saying a word. Melissa decided that the silence is uncomfortable and started to speak.

"Ahem. So anyway my name is Melissa Podebrat the daughter of Duke Podebrat. what's yours?" Melissa asked with an interested expression on her face.

"If you're asking for my name it's Claude Delà Fleur, Lady Melissa. I don't have anything of use but I do know how to play instruments and sing songs. I can also be your guard since i can fight." Claude says a bit worried since he has nothing to offer her.

"Ooo~ Do you know how to play the guitar?" she asks.

"I can even sing a song while using it."

"Oho is that so. Yona bring the guitar in the attic."

Yona nods and walks out of the room. After waiting for 10 minutes, Yona comes back with a guitar in her hand a bit dusty. Yona hands the guitar over to Claude.

Melissa was a bit skeptical about Claude knowing how to play the guitar, she thinks he is just trying to be of some use and finds it adorable.

Claude held the guitar in his hand, he felt a bit nice holding an instrument he loves. He started plucking the strings for a bit, it was a bit out of tune so he fixes that quickly. After tuning the guitar to its best.

"I'm starting." he declares.

Melissa and Yona focuses on him intently waiting for him to start.

( Song : Forrest - Be Honest )

Claude then starts playing the guitar beautifully. he opens his mouth and what comes next left the other two in shock.

"Glass walls shielded from the light of day

If they ever found a crack

And looked inside what would they say

Voices telling you to stay this way

Why don't you just take a break

Contemplate if this is fake and...

Be honest, be honest with yourself

Be honest, be honest with yourself."

Melissa and Yona were surprised. No, they were amazed at how skillfully he handles the guitar as well as how pleasing to their ears his voice was. Both of them didn't know how a beggar they picked up from the street be so talented. Claude sees the two that is shocked and smiles, he always loved seeing his audience's shocked expressions every time he plays his songs. He then continues singing not letting them take a breather.

"Do you really want to follow what they say

Is that pressure leaving diamonds in your head

As you look up at the stars

And how they never seize to shine

Let them all remind you that your light is brighter if you'll just...

Be honest, be honest with yourself

Be honest, be honest with yourself."

After he was done playing, he looks at both Yona and Melissa. Seeing that they were not saying a thing he felt a bit happy knowing that his songs are still good even if he is in an unknown place.

*Clap* *Clap*

Melissa and Yona couldn't help but start clapping from the amazing performance they were shown. Melissa only wanted to hire Claude for the ball but now she wanted him to stay inside duchy so he could play songs to her whenever she wants.

Melissa stood up and grabbed his hands with starry eyes while saying enthusiastically "Woah... Amazing! How are you so good? Are you some abandoned noble or something? You're even better than the musicians I've heard in parties."

"I was born amazing." Claude says while smirking.

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that."

Melissa wanted to know more about the man in front of her since he is extremely talented and very handsome. She was thinking if there was any noble who had such a handsome face but when she tried to remember, she only remembers normalish and handsome nobles. She was thinking if he was a fallen noble or a prince from another kingdom.

"Claude I'm gonna get straight to the point. I want you to be my partner on the ball. Of course you can refuse. I will even hire you as my personal guard after. You did say you know how to fight right?"

"Yes I have learned fighting. about the partnership, please take care of me." Claude politely says to her. Melissa smirks and says

"Don't worry I will take good care of you."

Hearing her say that Claude felt relieved that on this hectic day, he could finally rest somewhere he deemed safe. The exhaustion from all the events finally caught up to him and he fell asleep while sitting on his chair.

Melissa who saw this was a bit startled thinking he fainted. She looks at Yona who was standing beside the wall.

"Yona! what's wrong with him?" she asks her maid panicked. Yona walked close to Claude and observed him. She looks at Melissa and tells her.

"He is just sleeping. It seems he was very tired. No need to be scared shitless."

"Do servants insult their owners? Want me to lower your raise?"

"If you do that I will resign and you will have to find another personal maid."

"Ugh fine."

Both of them were talking to each other quietly as to not wake up Claude from his sleep.

***************************************

It was now night time and Claude is outside of the estate beside Melissa infront of a beautiful carriage. The carriage infront of him is color white with some some pink roses as the design.

He was currently wearing a very beautiful black jacket with golden designs. It also has golden ornaments attached to the jacket.

"Is it okay for me to wear something like this? I look like I'm some sort emperor. Isn't it disrespectful for the Royal Family? I'm just someone who you picked up in the streets." Claude asked. He was thinking if he should change his clothes since his clothes look so flashy and extravagant.

Melissa waved her hand back and forth saying "Its fine. Its fine. No need to worry. I'm known for doing whatever I want in parties so they would just think of it as normal. If you look better than Ian then that would be better, I want to see him embarrassed and I also want to see the other's reaction when they see someone as handsome as you by my side."

"Ian?" Claude asked her, He ignores the thing about the crowd and wondered who this guy was for her to be so annoyed at him.

"Yeah, Ian Crossman. he is the most annoying second prince. Honestly he is so annoying that I want him to die somewhere." she replies.

she continues "By the way, You have blonde hair and you have that blue jewel like eyes. Are you sure you're not part of the royal family?"

"If I was royalty then I wouldn't be on the street looking like a beggar."

"Well.. Yeah." she says scratching her cheek.

A Extravagant and flashy carriage arrives beside their carriage.

"Oh! Melissa you're here?" they heard a voice, They look back to see a man with black hair and golden eyes. It was the trashy second prince, Ian.

"Yes, WE are here!" she emphasizes that Claude was also there. She wrapped her arms around Claude's left arm.

"I didn't think you would come here yourself your highness." Melissa says still having her arms wrapped around Claude's.

Ian scratches his cheek then points at Claude "Um... who is this gentleman?" he asks her.

"He is my partner!" she says leaning closer to Claude.

"B-But I'm your partner right Melissa?" Ian says.

"But your highness has never accepted being my partner though. You would always dance with other ladies, so i got another partner thinking you wouldn't like it. Was that not the case?" Melissa says to Ian who had a bit of sweat dropping of his face.

"I... I mean..." Ian couldn't get the words out of his mouth since she was completely correct.

"How about you ask some other lady you prefer to be your partner to the ball this time? for example~ Miss Linda from before? I'm sure she would love to be your partner." She says as she walks away with Claude towards the Podebrat carriage leaving a dumbfounded Ian alone.

"W-wait what are you doing? My carriage is this way!" Ian says with a confused face.

"But your higness... riding a carriage with you, me, and my partner would be a bit... Humiliating right? Besides, I utterly hate being in akward situations." she replies as she leaves making Ian's mouth open wide.

Claude just smiles at her stunts and looks back at the carriage.

He was a bit excited that he would get to ride a carriage since he only drive cars and only tried riding a carriage once. the coachman who is going to be driving it went and opened the door of the carriage. Claude saw him sweating when he looked at Melissa but he doesn't pay attention to it.

Claude went infront of the door and offers his hand to Melissa. Melissa smiles and held his hand while entering, Claude then follows her inside closing the door behind him. The coachman went back to the front and whipped the leash holding the horses making the horses move forward.

"Don't worry, You don't have to do anything while we're in the ball. Just stay beside me." Melissa says to remove any worries Claude might have.

"I'll do as you please." Claude says with a bright smile that might make him a living light bulb.

'Damn, why the fuck is he so handsome' Melissa thought while looking away with pink cheeks.

"Do you want me to always smile like that?" Claude asked after seeing her look away. "Shut it." Melissa says with a annoyance while looking outside, however she was kind of happy underneath. She was not annoyed at Claude like how she is annoyed at Ian, she was just annoyed at his teasing.

After waiting for a while, they finally arrive to the royal palace where the ball will take place in. Claude saw a bunch of beautiful carriages with nobles coming out of them.

'Must be nice living rich.' Claude thinking as if he wasn't rich a day ago.

Claude and Melissa were now walking down a red carpet while she has her hands wrapped around his arm. The red carpet leads to a large door that is guarded by what appears to be royal knights. The knights look at the approaching Melissa and just sighed inwardly thinking that the troublesome woman arrived, then they glanced at Claude. Once they saw him they flinched a bit. To them, Claude seemed so familiar that they kept thinking who he might be.

Melissa holding a man's arm caused some nobles to be surprised, But what suprised them even more is the very handsome appearance of Claude. Claude looked like a part of the Royal Family and his clothes made them believe their assumptions even more.

"You like the attention?" Melissa says to Claude who was looking at the onlookers.

He smiles causing a bunch of noble ladies to be interested to him while replying

"Im used to people looking at me like that."

Melissa just looked at him with a confused expression.

"How can a ex-beggar like you say that?"

"Oh yeah, You don't know."

"???" After Claude said that she got even more confused.

After their small little discussion, Melissa hands a letter to the servant next to them. The servant bows and looked at the letter. He then bows and announced her name to the party.

"Entering Lady Melissa Podebrat of the Duke family!"

After hearing the loud announcement everyone in the room looked at the entrance. They saw Melissa, the lady who always does and says whatever she wants holding a man's arm. Looking at the man they all were in awe. They saw a very handsome man with golden hair and blue jewel eyes.

Seeing everyone silent, Claude looks at the smirking Melissa. Melissa turns her head to Claude who was giving her a 'Can I say something to them?' look. She shrugs while nodding indicating he could do whatever he want. He smiles and said to the crowd looking at them.

"Did I catch your attention? You look like you lost your breath."

(A/N : What the fuck is this long chapter. )