I've been reincarnated into another world as a witch

Chapter 47: Red confrontation

Riley

I wish I could describe his eyes in better terms than just 'red' but I really don't have the vocabulary.

My mom always used to tell me that 'eyes were the key to the soul' and that you could tell a lot about a person from their eyes, however, those eyes were bright red yet completely blank. He was stiff and static, and for a moment I wondered whether he was alive or not because his eyes were so glazed over. None of his thoughts were getting through to me and I had no idea what he was thinking.

"This is High Lord Galan Ansel Fenrys. The top ranked adventurer in Girannon and in all the kingdoms." Alice smiled brightly, putting on her fitting noble voice, a shift in her tone that tuned in when talking to important people, like the Royal family or the other first ranked nobles.

Her voice broke me out of my stupor, and I remembered that I was supposed to curtsey when I was introduced to other people. So I did, using my primmest voice and being as polite as possible. While I did so I tilted my head forward so that my hair would fall in front of my face and act as a kind of veil between me and Mr red eyes.

It really sucked that the guy I had run into was someone important and well known in Gismead, because it meant that he was in a place where he could easily expose me for being in Azmeth that night. I knew that I hadn't done anything wrong, but Red-eyes probably thought that I was trying to steal water magic from the pipes. That was probably the most logical solution that came to his mind.

As I peaked a look up at him from in between my dark hair. I saw that that half of his face was covered in a thick leather mask. From his nose down, a black leather mask concealed his mouth and jaw.

It was so strange. I hadn't seen anyone wearing anything like that. I wondered what it was for... my first guess was that he had been injured while on an adventure since he was an adventurer, it was possibly a horrible scar gotten from battling some demonized creature, or maybe I was just overthinking it, and leather masks were becoming the new 'thing' for men in Gismead, But I doubted that because I hadn't seen anyone else wearing such a thing.

When I realized that I had been staring I straightened up and cleared out my throat.

"High Lord Fenrys, this is my dear friend Lady Riley Delton." Alice introduced us, smiling brightly, a little too brightly... something was fishy.

"Well then, I should leave you two alone to get to know each other. Please excuse me." With that Alice quickly turned on her heel and dashed off into the crowd. I tried to grab her hand to make her stay, but I only caught the air as she passed me by.

I was dumb, I knew what she was trying to do, it was fairly obvious actually, ever since her mother had mentioned finding me a husband at the Von Esterheim soirée, Alice had brought the issue up with me a few times, asking me what kind of men I liked and what kind of personality I found most endearing. Most of the time I was able to brush her questions away, but when she was really persistent and wouldn't give up, I ended up giving a few of my personal preferences away.

I remember, I had told her that I liked 'striking eyes'. Which Red-eyes over here obviously had. I told her I liked 'long hair', something I noticed Red-eyes had, his shaggy warm brown hair was laid loosely around his wide shoulders. He was very muscular and I could see his well toned form wrestling to break free from the rich garments he was wearing.

Although it was nice of Alice to try and set me up, it was just my luck that she would set me up with a man that could potentially put me out to society as a water magic thief if he recognized me from last night.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Fenrys..." I smiled awkwardly trying to remain calm.

"Was it really You last night..."