The moment Father’s usually rigid lips softened into a faint smile, a ripple of astonishment spread through the crowd.
“Good heavens! I’ve seen it all now!”
“Am I dreaming?”
“I must be dreaming—Marquis Eliant, smiling?”
Though not a broad grin, his curved lips were unmistakable.
Father quickly turned away, his face returning to its usual stoic mask, as if nothing had happened. The murmurs faded, replaced by disappointed sighs.
“Even Marquis Eliant can smile,” Lady Kerrion muttered, dazed.
“He’s just an ordinary father to me,” I said.
Of course, our bond hadn’t always been close. Once worse than strangers, we’d grown nearer over time, now sharing a warm father-daughter relationship.
As the two ladies rejoined their group, other familiar young ladies approached, chattering animatedly. I responded occasionally, my eyes scanning the hall.
The emperor’s entrance was imminent. Most prominent nobles were likely already present. With his striking appearance, he shouldn’t have been hard to spot, yet I couldn’t find him.
I focused on the denser clusters of people, but he remained elusive.
He must be here.
Glancing at Levina, who was laughing innocently with her peers, unaware of what lay ahead, I felt a pang.
“…!”
A stir began at the hall’s entrance. Instinctively, I knew he’d arrived.
“It’s Marquis Retan!”
“He’s even sharper than last year.”
“That scar across his face! I’d be too scared to look him in the eye.”
As someone called his name, chatter about Marquis Retan filled the air.
“Still hunting inayari, I hear?”
“So barbaric!”
“Rumor has it he drinks their blood fresh.”
“How gruesome!”
His ears couldn’t miss the gossip, yet he moved through the crowd with calm indifference.
His gaze, cold and fleeting, locked onto one spot.
Levina!
As if sensing it, Levina flinched.
You’d think they were enemies.
His stare was so piercing and intense.
“D-Did I do something wrong?” Levina whispered, head bowed, her voice trembling. Nearby ladies, unnerved by his gaze, edged away cautiously.
Marquis Retan changed course, striding toward her.
“His Majesty the Emperor!”
The servant’s cry halted him. Levina let out a relieved sigh.
“We greet the Sun of the Empire, His Majesty!”
The emperor appeared with the empress, and every noble in the hall bowed.
“Raise your heads,” he commanded, seating himself on the dais. His sharp gaze swept the room.
“We’ve safely welcomed another new year.”
“All thanks to Your Majesty’s grace!”
The nobles’ voices rang out in unison, filling the hall. Satisfaction flickered across the emperor’s face.
“Let go of the past year’s burdens and embrace the new year with joy.”
“Your grace is boundless!”
The nobles bowed again, and the emperor raised his hand.
“Let the ball begin!”
Music started—a slow, gentle tune suitable for novice dancers.
Sys, entering with the emperor, led Lady Daysha forward. As the host’s representative, the crown prince would open with the first dance.
Unlike Sys’s impassive expression, Lady Daysha beamed, radiating joy as if she’d won the world.
At the hall’s center, Sys pulled her hand, and she twirled lightly into his arms, her dress fluttering like a delicate butterfly.
So lovely, it makes me want to crush her.
A dark impulse stirred within me. Part of me knew she was no match for me and should be ignored, but another part wanted to destroy her completely.
“My, what a perfect pair!”
“They’re stunning together!”
As their dance began, whispers spread.
“Who’s that lady with His Highness?”
“Don’t you know? That’s Lady Daysha, debuting tonight!”
“Goodness, that’s her? She’s even lovelier than the rumors!”
Eyes darted between me and the dancing pair.
“Why is His Highness dancing with her instead of his fiancée, Lady Eliant?”
“Could it be…?”
The murmurs grew, and Levina looked at me with worry. I gave her a reassuring smile before fixing my gaze on the dancers.
Lady Daysha’s steps faltered, unaccustomed to dancing. Sys’s skilled lead prevented major missteps, but complex moves didn’t flow smoothly.
“What’s going on here?”
Father approached, his low voice laced with anger.
“It’s nothing,” I said.
“Beeonne.”
His gaze, burning with irritation, locked onto Sys.
“Are you planning to break the engagement?”
His tone hinted at urging a breakup. I studied his profile, noticing the faint tremble of his lips, barely perceptible.
“You want me to end it,” I said.
“…”
He clamped his mouth shut, silent. His feelings were as clear as day.
If you feel this way, why engage me with him in the first place?
A sigh mixed with a laugh escaped me. Lately, Father’s attitude suggested he didn’t dislike Sys himself but resented the idea of me marrying at all—like a petulant child.
“Stop sulking at His Highness.”
“…”
His expression didn’t change, but a faint flush colored his cheeks.
The music stopped, and Sys and Lady Daysha bowed to each other.
“Siri—”
Before she could finish, Sys turned away without hesitation, leaving her outstretched hand in the air. His indifference was palpable to all.
I’m no better, am I?
Childish or not, his coldness toward her secretly pleased me.
Sys wove through the crowd toward me, his blank face blooming into a radiant smile upon seeing me. His dazzling expression drew sighs of awe from nearby ladies.
“Will you grant me the honor of dancing with a beautiful lady, Lady Eliant?”
He extended his hand. Father’s disapproval was evident, but after my earlier words, he stepped back silently.
“Gladly, Your Highness.”
I took his hand, smiling brightly. He led me gently to the center of the hall. Though anyone could join the second dance, no one else stepped forward.
It was just us in the middle of the floor. As the music began, he placed his hand on my waist.
“Now the real party begins,” he said, grinning widely.
I stepped into his lead, matching the slow tempo. The music gradually quickened.
He pulled me closer, and I nestled into his embrace, looking up at him.
“Have I ever told you?”
“Told me what?”
“I’m quite good at dancing.”
