AME 44

CH:44

Kaon briefly doubted his ears. The voice was familiar—undeniably so—but the tone it used to call his name was so unbearably sweet and silky that it sent a chill down his spine.

‘Why is she…’

He never even finished the simple thought “Why is she acting like that?” Because the next moment, Alessia came into view.

She wore an opalescent white gown that shimmered like polished pearl. From the rounded neckline to the trailing ends of her long sleeves, the dress was embroidered with gold thread in delicate patterns, and each cascading fold had been carefully tailored for elegance. Even the hem, designed to drag slightly along the floor, was flawless.

The dress sparkled so magnificently it almost seemed as if it might outshine the wearer—but with Alessia, that concern was unwarranted.

Her hair, curled in soft, flowing waves, captured the brilliance of the chandelier’s light above and gleamed like translucent silver. Beneath her white lashes, her ruby-red eyes sparkled in kind.

And then—

Kaon’s gaze lowered slightly, and he bit gently on the inside of his cheek. Just to stop himself from smiling. There, nestled at the center of her pale throat, was the ruby necklace he had given her.

“Kaon, you’re here,” she greeted.

But he didn’t have to hold back his smile for long. The moment she slipped her arm naturally through his and pressed herself close, his expression stiffened on its own.

“Not going to smile?”

A chilling voice slid into Kaon’s ear, catching him off guard. He lowered his head toward the source of the sound, only to find Alessia gazing up at him with a dazzling smile.

“Smile. Now.”

Ah… She meant ‘Smile.’

Realizing her words belatedly, Kaon let out a small sigh. Apparently, she had a knack for ventriloquism. Her voice was icy and deadpan, yet her face was all sweet, fairy-tale princess charm. Well—only her face.

Kaon managed an awkward smile. They needed to act the part, after all.

Even if no one truly believed the union of Ferdinand and Ingelos was born from affection rather than political convenience, they still had to pretend it was.

The problem was, unlike Alessia, who improvised like a seasoned actress, Kaon didn’t exactly have a natural gift for this kind of thing.

“You’re late,” she pouted. “I waited.”

“…”

You left first, was the response that sprang to mind, but Kaon instinctively knew better than to say that out loud.

Thankfully, a new piece began to play just then. The orchestra filled the ballroom with the soft rhythm of a waltz, and Alessia effortlessly led him to the dance floor. Couples moved gracefully in time with the music.

“Hm? Why’d you show up so late?”

“…Didn’t you just leave early?”

Kaon, bewildered, asked the question again. He had shown up exactly when they’d agreed to. She had no business getting the first word in.

“Lord Leonidas arrived early too, didn’t he? He’s been waiting.”

“That’s just Leo—he’s got a lot to talk about.”

“Anyway.”

Kaon didn’t know what that ‘anyway’ was supposed to mean, but he decided not to press. It was better not to bicker in front of so many eyes. Instead, he changed the subject.

“I thought you wouldn’t wear it.”

“What, this? It’s not bad.”

Alessia replied coolly, as if there had never been any reason not to wear the necklace. She spun away from him briefly before returning to his arms. Kaon noticed then that she was sticking to very basic dance steps. Come to think of it, she’d done the same during their first ball.

Still, it wasn’t something worth criticizing. If she’d never cared enough about dancing to learn more advanced steps, that was perfectly understandable—especially for someone from a house like Ingelos, which had little connection to high society. Even this much was commendable.

Once the piece ended, the pair stepped off the floor and made their way to one of the large pillars on the outskirts of the hall. There, Leonidas was chatting with other nobles. He turned to greet them.

“Announcing the arrival of Count Bastien Dumont and his son, Lord Lloyd Dumont!”

The announcement rang out while things had fallen into a rare moment of quiet.

“Leo.”

“I heard it too.”

Kaon immediately called Leonidas’s attention. His expression had hardened, just slightly. Alessia, sensing the tension, glanced between the two of them.

“Count Dumont is our uncle,” Kaon said grimly.

Count Bastien Dumont was the younger brother of the late Duke of Ferdinand—making him the uncle of both Kaon and Leonidas.

While their father still lived, Count Dumont had visited often, always smiling pleasantly. But after the Duke fell ill and failed to recover, Bastien’s true nature began to reveal itself.

“Oh-ho! Leonidas! Kaon! There you are!”

The Count had been scanning the crowd and finally spotted them. With a big grin, he made his way over.

“It’s been too long, Uncle,” Leonidas greeted.

“Yes, yes! Look at you both—grown so much since I last saw you!”

The Count’s smile was warm, but his eyes gleamed with barely veiled greed.

Kaon clenched his fists at his side. He could tolerate being treated like a child—he was still underage, after all—but Leonidas was a grown adult and the current acting ruler of Ferdinand. Treating her as a mere “niece” was downright insulting.

Worse still, Count Dumont had been one of the chief architects behind the attempt to block Leonidas from inheriting the dukedom. He had rallied support from distant relatives, citing an archaic law requiring a woman’s father or husband to approve her succession to power.

The House of Ferdinand required an equal marriage, and during their father’s lifetime, Leonidas had shown no interest in marrying. As a result, she’d passed the “right age” and now had few suitable suitors. The Count knew all this—and used it to his advantage.

It didn’t end there. Even though Leonidas had proven her knightly skill and potential from a young age, the Count had refused to recognize her worth, going so far as to publicly undermine her.

Their father’s failure to anticipate his brother’s ambition had left them vulnerable. But it was always the deceiver who came prepared—not the one who was deceived.

From the very beginning, Count Dumont had never intended to hand the title over willingly. Probably not since the moment their father had started to fall ill.

“Lloyd, go greet your cousins. You’ll be seeing a lot more of them soon.”

“Leonidas-nuna! Kaon-hyung! It’s been ages!”

“Lloyd’s been terribly disappointed, you know—never once invited to the estate.”

And yet here the Count was, parading his son around, hoping to entangle them in some future scheme. Kaon felt sick.

“My uncle’s schedule has always been very demanding. The thought hadn’t occurred to us,” Leonidas replied with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Ha ha, now, now. You think I’m busy? Surely not more than you, Leonidas. But don’t forget, you can always rely on your dear uncle. It’s such a shame—I feel as though I’ve had no chance to lend my wisdom.”

He had been busy, all right—traveling far and wide, whispering in the ears of every minor noble and branch family he could find, casting doubt on Leonidas’s ability to govern.

When Leonidas indirectly called him out, his lips tightened for a brief moment—but he quickly forced a smile and turned to Alessia, who stood beside Kaon with a bright, polite expression.

“Ah, I nearly forgot myself. Kaon, congratulations on your engagement. Will you introduce me to your lovely fiancée?”

“…Of course. This is Lady Alessia Ingelos, my betrothed.”

Kaon hesitated for a moment but knew he couldn’t refuse. He drew in a quiet breath and made the introduction.

“A pleasure to meet you, Count Dumont. I am Alessia Ingelos, eldest daughter of House Ingelos.”

“Ingelos! I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting many from your family, but I’ve heard plenty. And you live up to every word.”

“And you, Count, certainly bear the mark of Ferdinand’s bloodline.”

“Ha ha! Our dear lady knows how to flatter an old man!”

At the mention of Ferdinand’s blood, the Count burst into hearty laughter. And then—his eyes sharpened. Alessia, it seemed, might be more than just a pretty face. She could be useful.

Damn it.

Kaon felt the curse rise in his throat and forced it back down. He should’ve warned Alessia about his uncle beforehand. He had meant to—on the carriage ride to Velium—but they had ended up arguing, and the moment had slipped past.

Alessia didn’t know the history. To her, the Count was just another noble. She treated him with her usual warmth and courtesy.

But to Kaon, it was unbearable.

He had to find a way to steer the conversation elsewhere—and quickly.

“But really,” Alessia continued with a graceful smile, “anyone need only look to Duke Leonidas and Kaon to see that I spoke in earnest.”

Her words, however, caused the entire group to freeze.