Chapter 06

Eroica looked down at Ethan’s hand, which she had already held several times before.

There was no reason for her to refuse the hand he offered.

They clasped hands and soon moved toward the center of the banquet hall.

As it happened, the musicians were playing a waltz-like dance.

Eroica’s silver dress, reminiscent of the color of her hair, reflected the chandelier light and seemed to glow brilliantly.

Everyone began watching her movements as though they were under a spell.

“My, Eroica. All the men are staring at you.”

Ethan whispered to her as she moved gracefully within his arms.

Eroica’s expression did not change in the slightest.

Her firmly closed lips only served to stimulate the imagination even more.

The men were looking at her as though they were completely captivated.

And before long, Kyleve’s gaze had joined theirs.

“The prince has started looking at you too.”

Only then did Eroica allow a faint smile to appear at the corner of her lips.

If I’m going to attract attention, I might as well make absolutely certain of it.

Eroica pressed her body closer to Ethan.

The one who became flustered by how close she suddenly came was Ethan himself.

Eroica’s plan to appear as the most alluring woman in the Empire was succeeding perfectly.

Everyone present tonight would remember the vision she had created for the rest of their lives.

“Is the prince still looking this way?”

Eroica whispered in a voice that was so sweet it almost tasted bitter.

She could not see the prince’s seat from where she was.

“No. He’s coming this way.”

Ethan answered as he watched Kyleve’s sharp features approaching them.

It was unusual for the Fourteenth Prince to rise from his seat and move toward the center of the banquet hall.

The noble bearing surrounding him caused many women to gasp in admiration.

The person who stepped in front of Kyleve as he made his way toward the center was Brigitte.

“Your Highness. I’m so happy that you came wearing the gift I gave you.”

They had not noticed it from a distance, but the two of them were wearing matching patterns.

From another person’s perspective, they looked unmistakably like lovers.

That was exactly what Brigitte had intended.

Although she had been anxious only moments ago, she was pleased because everything seemed to be proceeding more smoothly than expected.

Eroica and Ethan also stopped dancing and turned their heads in the direction of everyone’s gaze.

The prince was standing there, speaking with a woman.

“It seems that woman is Prince Kyleve’s fiancée.”

Ethan said this while watching Eroica’s expression.

For someone who was facing the man who held her very life in his hands, she showed not the slightest sign of tension.

She simply looked toward the same place as everyone else.

Everyone waited for the prince to ask Brigitte for a dance.

Brigitte was not a naturally stunning beauty, but she had a charming and adorable appearance that immediately caught the eye.

Her bright, round eyes gave her a cheerful air, while her small upturned nose made her look lively and pretty.

Beside Kyleve’s comparatively striking appearance, her petite figure seemed even more noticeable.

That place beside him should have been mine.

Several young ladies trembled with disappointment, but they could only blame themselves for lacking the courage to approach him as Brigitte had.

It was then that Kyleve finally resumed walking.

Brigitte swallowed nervously and prepared to extend her hand.

The sight of Kyleve approaching her made her feel as though all the days she had spent waiting for him were finally being rewarded.

She cleared her throat, preparing to answer the prince when he asked her to dance.

But Kyleve passed straight by the woman standing before him.

He headed toward the woman known as the daughter of Claudis.

Everyone watching the scene held their breath.

His sudden action was completely unpredictable.

Kyleve’s calm expression revealed not the slightest trace of distraction.

Eroica’s expression was equally composed as she watched him approach.

“May I take her?”

He asked the Crown Prince of Palestian, whose hand was holding Eroica’s.

Everyone was inwardly stunned, but no one dared show it.

It was surprising enough that the prince, who rarely attended banquets, had appeared.

But the fact that he had actually asked a woman to dance was even more astonishing.

And he was doing it while wearing the same pattern as the daughter of a count.

Ethan tightened his grip on Eroica’s hand.

He could feel that her face had grown slightly pale.

The prince was approaching like a hyena that had spotted its prey and refused to let it escape the moment he returned.

Ethan had absolutely no desire to hand her over.

He was just about to refuse when—

“Would you grant me the honor of dancing with His Highness the Prince?”

Eroica spoke first.

Her expression had quickly returned to normal.

She gave Ethan a reassuring smile and waited for his answer.

What choice did he have?

It was her request.

“Please take good care of her.”

Ethan handed over the hand he did not want to release, wearing a bitter smile.

Surely he wouldn’t hurt her with this many people watching.

He couldn’t possibly be that insane.

As Ethan stepped backward, his mind was filled with one thing.

Perhaps it was anxiety.

Whatever the Crown Prince of Palestian was thinking, Kyleve had no interest in it.

He lightly took the hand that had been handed to him and led Eroica to the very center of the banquet hall.

News that the prince was going to dance quickly drew a crowd.

Before long, everyone had cleared a path, leaving only Kyleve and Eroica in the center.

The musicians, who had briefly stopped playing, began a new piece.

Eroica began moving her feet, following Kyleve’s lead.

Kyleve’s dancing was elegant.

With his tall, solidly built body, every movement was graceful.

Born with Imperial blood flowing through his veins, he was the very embodiment of nobility.

Following Kyleve’s movements, the graceful curves created by Eroica’s body were equally captivating.

Their dance, resembling a pair of paintings brought to life, seemed almost dreamlike to everyone watching.

He enclosed Eroica within his large frame and treated her with remarkable gentleness.

Like a child handling a glass cup with utmost care, afraid that even the slightest mistake might break it.

“Won’t your partner be upset?”

At a distance close enough for her to feel his breath, Eroica found the prince unexpectedly silent.

Kyleve approaching her after seeing her holding Ethan’s hand had been an impulsive act.

In the silence of not knowing what conversation to begin, Eroica was the first to break it.

“Who are you talking about?”

“I saw her earlier. Isn’t the young lady who was with you your partner?”

Only then did Kyleve belatedly remember Brigitte.

When he had seen Brigitte’s gift, he had roughly guessed what she intended it for.

Even so, he had not rejected her sincerity because he understood, to some extent, the pitiful feelings she harbored for him.

Of course, the moment he saw Eroica, the feelings of the unfortunate count’s daughter had completely slipped from his mind.

“Ah, this is nothing. She isn’t my partner.”

Kyleve glanced irritably at the piece of fabric around his neck, as though he had forgotten it was even there.

“She doesn’t seem to think so. That must hurt her.”

“You don’t need to concern yourself with her.”

Clearly, he was saying that the woman was not his fiancée and therefore there was no reason for Eroica to worry about her.

Yet Eroica continued talking about something else.

He also disliked the way her eyes kept avoiding his gaze, no matter how persistently he tried to catch them.

“I felt sorry for her, but I wasn’t concerned. I was simply curious.”

“What are you curious about?”

“Why you asked me to dance instead of your fiancée. Was I used in one of your lovers’ quarrels?”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

Kyleve’s gaze turned cold.

There was no way she could have been unaware that he would approach her.

From the beginning, he could not understand why she was treating him as though he were someone uncomfortable to be around.

“Then should I have pretended not to know you?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what you mean…”

Eroica’s trailing words were strange.

Ever since their dance began, her eyes had kept looking somewhere other than at him, as though she were deliberately avoiding his gaze.

“Stop playing games, Eroica. There’s no way I could have seen you and simply done nothing.”

Eroica tilted her head.

She looked as though she genuinely did not understand what he was saying.

The clarity in her transparent eyes confused Kyleve, but he could not press her any further.

There were too many people watching them.

If he raised his voice any more, their conversation might be overheard.

Fortunately, the music was already nearing its end, signaling that the dance was coming to a close.

“Your Highness, I’m sorry, but I think you should return my partner now.”

Ethan approached them at the appropriate moment, having been watching from nearby.

“I heard the fireworks are about to begin.”

Ethan smiled brightly and pointed toward the window.

At the same time, he reached out and took Eroica’s hand back from Kyleve.

He knew he had approached them rather hastily.

But he had no intention of arguing about various matters here.

Whatever he wanted to know, he could ask her about it little by little later.

“Next time, let’s meet somewhere without prying eyes. Just the two of us.”

Kyleve willingly released her hand, leaving their brief time together behind.

There was no lingering regret in his back as he returned to his seat.

The women sighed as they watched Kyleve disappear after finishing a dance that had looked like a work of art.

Already, despite her own intentions, Eroica was beginning to establish herself as the prince’s new woman.