Don't Come Near Me, I'm Just a Background Character [BL Harem]

21 - the Head Mage

(A/N: Remi's POV.)

With Cyrus still draped on my body like a soggy rag, I moved back and forth the balcony, unwilling to go back inside that cursed ballroom yet also unwilling to deal with a capture target's unique disposition.

My eyes flitted about and I fidgeted, trying to throw the demon off of me haphazardly. My focus eventually turned back towards the lively and jubilant atmosphere inside. With a bored expression, I continued to watch the dancing and the chatting inside. I didn't know what to do with myself so I placed my arms on the balcony rails and relaxed as Cyrus continued to press his nose further into my neck.

My eyes followed the moving figures in the brightly lit venue, jumping to and fro like little mosquitos. I grabbed Cyrus's arm which was approaching my shoulder and swatted it away blandly. I turned my attention back into the ballroom, but what I saw inside shocked me.

...Zier...? I widened my eyes and stared harder, trying to sync the image of the adorable puppy boy in the library with the refined gentleman in a navy blue suit. What was Zier doing here? My legs moved before I knew it, walking towards him with my mind blank after throwing off his body wrapped around me. In the library... he did say that he was a distant relative of the king, but, as far as I knew, the king wasn't close enough to Xenith to send another family member to the debut... I pondered.

With my gaze fixed on him, I saw his expression turning to a slight smile, diplomatic and reassured. Watching him mingle with the nobles like a snake, my curiosity and confusion grew. My light footsteps were soft yet resounding as people turned their heads to face my masked veneer. They bowed and moved to allow me to join the conversation. I gave a light chuckle in response and humored them with words of approbation and flattery.

Zier followed suit and bowed humbly before flashing a prudent grin. His eyes seemed to bore through the phoenix mask covering my face as if he knew my identity. I gulped silently under his disguised scrutiny. My mind started wandering as I entertained the socialites flocking around us. What will happen at the end of the debut? I'll reveal my face then, and he'll know.Every meeting I had with him was veiled... will he get angry when he knows I've been lying? After all, he's the king's distant relative, I'm sure he's not used to people completely falsifying an identity for him... Unease spread and my lips pressed into a thin line.

"Lord Xenith?" Zier's familiar yet unfamiliar voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Ah, yes. My apologies." I responded dazedly.

An imperceptible chortle escaped his mouth. "Young Lord, you remind me very much of someone I know...? Are you, perhaps, familiar with a short, rather slow black-haired boy?" His eyes twinkled and he raised his brow mirthfully.

I gulped and looked away. "...yes, you could say that."

"Is his name-"

"Ah, my apologies, I have some matters to attend to. Please excuse my discourtesy." I hurried away with my mind scattered into millions of pieces.

I felt like I was no smarter than a sloth. Since when did Zier speak like that? Was I just so dense that I never noticed it until now? No, if I was really dense, then I wouldn't know I was dense and thus there's no way I'm actually dense if I know I'm dense.

Maybe it was just the atmosphere of the library every time we met that made me feel he was a cute little puppy. I shook my head and pressed my fingers into the palm of my hand. Nevermind this. There's much more important things that I must attend to rather than this matter. I'll deliberate later.

My current, most paramount worry was how to manage the capture targets attending the event.

Capture targets or any main character in any event always spelled disaster. Whether it was as simple as a small diplomatic trip to another region or as big as the King's fiftieth birthday ball, if there was any main character attending, chaos would ensue.