Chapter Text
Another ball, another night of unbearable boredom.
Seoha stood near the banquet table tucked away in the far corner of the ballroom, fingers loosely wrapped around a glass she had long stopped drinking from. Her parents had dragged her here to "keep up appearances". She had only rolled her eyes at that.
Still, she did not entirely mind.
Nights like these meant elaborate gowns, glittering jewels, and, most importantly—
Court gossip.
Seoha had always loved listening to it — whispers of scandals hidden behind silk fans and quiet smiles.
And so with that in mind, she wove her way through the crowd. Seoha gave tiny nods and smiles out of politeness, but as soon as the people looked away, she dropped it at once. It was too much effort to keep it up all night. She knew most of them did not care nearly as much as they pretended to. They only ever cared about how others perceived them. If one little girl didn't smile or bow, it would just be the next gossip for a few days — but never more than that.
Seoha's feet carried her through the room, her gown flowing nicely as she moved with light steps. Finally, she found Yerin. They had been friends since childhood, their families close long before they were born. The first time they met, Seoha had been rather reluctant. Yerin had already loved the idea of having a friend. She did not care that Seoha might be a bit reserved. Yerin simply grabbed her arm and dragged her outside to play. Ever since then, they were inseparable.
Seoha stopped beside Yerin. Her friend simply smiled and watched the people dance on the dance floor. Even if Seoha did not care much about how people saw her, she still followed etiquette. Yerin, much to her dismay, did not, so she had to tell her countless times not to hug her in public. It took years for Yerin to adjust, though she still hugged Seoha whenever they were alone.
"Tell me you have something interesting," Seoha said, not much interested in the men who wanted to dance with her.
Yerin stifled a chuckle behind her fan. She always found it amusing how Seoha just shut down any men after she completed the three dances her parents demanded of her.
"Sadly, no. I only have news about the recently discovered controversy regarding the old duchess and one of her guards. According to the rumours, her husband did not mind at all. In fact, he . . . made him join them."
One of Seoha's brows lifted slightly. She did not expect that.
"Really?" Her eyes wandered over to where the duchess and her husband were dancing on the dance floor. "How intriguing."
Yerin leaned closer to Seoha now. A smirk covered her face behind the fan.
"But if you are so bored, why not give one of those noble men a chance to dance?"
Seoha gently pushed Yerin away, creating a more appropriate distance between them once again.
"Spare me. My feet already hurt from being stepped on countless times."
Yerin sighed before closing her fan, folding her hands behind her back. She was about to say something else when trumpets sounded and a man stepped forward.
"Hear, people! The king has a surprise for this gathering — and for all the following ones. The court has a new jester—"
Suddenly, a glass shattered somewhere in the background. Everyone turned around, some even shrieked at the unexpected noise. Mumbles began to fill the big room about what could have happened. People craned their necks just to get a better look at the scene. The sound of someone clearing their throat drew everyone's attention back. Everybody looked back, expecting the king's announcer to continue speaking.
But it was not him who cleared his throat.
Standing in the middle of the room was now a man dressed in dark clothes and a jester's hat. He had a devious smile on his face as he regarded the nobility. All of them eyed him curiously, whispering to themselves. Some ladies even blushed, quickly hiding behind their fans when he smirked at them, bowing his head when he did so.
"Greetings, dear guests! I am your entertainment for this ball and the following — until the king tires of me," he took off his hat and bowed to the king. That earned the jester a pleased smile from him.
The king only waved his hand, urging the jester to start his performance.
He performed as though the ballroom itself belonged to him. One moment he stood upon a table, reenacting some nobleman's failed attempt at dancing; the next, he moved gracefully through the crowd with a grin sharp enough to unsettle even the most composed ladies of the court.
The nobles laughed whenever he mocked them, too enchanted by his charm to realise they were the punchline.
Even the king struggled to hide his amusement.
Through it all, the nobles laughed their hearts out, but one person stayed quiet. Seoha, however, remained utterly unimpressed. Nothing about him amused her enough to laugh aloud, so she only stared at him in boredom.
That is, until the jester stepped in front of her. He looked her dead in the eye and pulled her onto the dance floor with him, twirling and laughing into her ear before spinning her out so she would land beside Yerin again. Seoha was caught off guard, to say the least. She glared after him, the simmering anger visible in her rigid posture. Seoha's jaw clenched.
How dare he grab me like that without asking!
Yerin kept quiet for her own sake when she saw the state Seoha was in. The jester bowed to everyone except her. Nobody noticed — or perhaps nobody cared enough to.
But Seoha did.
And it enraged her beyond anything else. Not because he did not bow to her, but because he made a spectacle out of her.
Her eyes followed him as he walked away, close enough for her to hear him mutter, "You look terribly bored, my lady."
Seoha's head snapped toward him, only to catch the faintest of smirks before he disappeared into the crowd. Her fingers tightened into her gown, gripping it with such force that her knuckles turned white. Yerin hesitantly approached her, letting her fingers brush subtly over Seoha's elbow to get her attention.
"Let us go somewhere less crowded and get something to eat," Yerin urged before making sure Seoha was following her.
They wove through the crowd again before reaching a more secluded corner near the banquet tables. All the other guests were too enraptured in the gossip of the new court jester.
Seoha took a bite out of a strawberry, trying to will her mind to forget the humiliation. She stared at the banquet spread as though it had personally wronged her.
Yerin softly poked her side with the fan, quietly saying, "You look ready for murder."
Seoha scoffed. "That jester humiliated me. I have a right to look like this."
Around them, the music droned on. Nobles were beginning to dance once again, enjoying their time at court.
As though the spectacle involving Seoha had never even happened.
Yerin walked over to her side.
"Let us enjoy ourselves tonight. Forget what happened earlier," Yerin pleaded, trying to console her.
Seoha reluctantly nodded. She should not dwell on such an insignificant encounter. The ball was already ruined for her, so accepting Yerin's offer was the logical next step.
"Of course . . . Now, back to the topic of the duchess and her husband."
The night went on like that. Lively music turned into slow waltzes before another fast song was played by the orchestra. The nobles laughed and got more relaxed as wine flowed freely until one noble stumbled into a banquet table before he was led out by some guards.
Everyone had a good time.
Except Seoha.
Her mind was elsewhere the entire time, even when she tried to think of other things.
Because that insufferable jester had managed to ruin even the little enjoyment she had found tonight.