Episode 7 â The Dance Invitation
Azrael couldnât help but smile. She was finally face-to-face with the man she hoped would become her ally.
Azrael (brightly):
âYour Highness!â
Prince Leonard was just about to leave the ballroom when he heard her voice and slowly turned around. He saw Azrael walking toward him gracefully, yet quick.
The diamonds on her dress sparkled under the chandelier, but Leonard noticed something even more dazzling her beauty. Still, his expression wasnât impressive. It was curious.
Azrael reached him and smiled sweetly.
Azrael (smiling):
âYour Highness, would you dance with me?â
Her smile was enchanting. Her purple eyes sparkled, and her silvery hair gave her a mysterious charm. Most men would be speechless by now.
But Leonard remained expressionless.
Leonard (calmly):
âI donât like dancing.â
His voice was low, cool, and emotionless. It was a clear rejection but Azrael didnât step back. Instead, she held out her hand confidently.
Azrael (gently):
âJust one dance, to celebrate my debut tonight?â
She smiled again, proud and graceful like a true noble lady.
Leonard noticed her tall figure, elegant curves, and perfect posture. She was beautiful but he had seen many beautiful women before. That alone didnât interest him.
What caught his attention was her confidence. Unlike other ladies who blushed and couldnât meet his gaze, Azrael looked him straight in the eyes. That was rare.
He had seen her once before, briefly, and that memory added to his curiosity. Still, being curious didnât mean he had to dance.
Leonard (raising an eyebrow):
âThere seem to be many young men who want to dance with you tonight. Why ask me specifically?â
He found it odd. Azrael had been dancing all night with popular noblemen. Why suddenly chase after a man who was heading for the exit? It made him suspicious.
He didnât sense flirtation in her eyes, but that didnât mean she didnât have a reason.
Before she could answer, someone interrupted them.
Patrick (calling out):
âLady Azrael!â
Azrael winced slightly at the sound of his voice but quickly turned to him with a polite smile.
Azrael (softly):
âYour Highness.â
Patrick (smiling confidently):
âIâve been waiting for you. Shall we have a drink? Or perhaps rest on the balcony and talk for a while?â
Patrick didnât even glance at Leonard. His full attention was on Azrael.
Leonard noticed something that Patrick didnât: Azraelâs smile didnât reach her eyes. She didnât want to see Patrick. And she had a reason for approaching Leonard instead.
Leonard smirked. If it had been anyone else, he mightâve walked away but since Patrick was involved, his interest grew.
Leonard (cutting in):
âLady Azrael just asked me to dance.â
Patrick let out a short, annoyed laugh. He stepped forward confidently and held out his hand to Azrael, assuming she would naturally choose him.
Patrick (firmly):
âI need to speak with Lady Azrael. So Iâm afraid you wonât be dancing with her.â
The two men stared each other down, tension rising between them. Azrael noticed other guests were beginning to watch. She sighed silently.
She didnât want to make a scene and ruin her debut night. And Leonard had just been appointed Captain of the Imperial Knights it wouldnât be wise to start trouble here.
So, reluctantly, she took Patrickâs hand.
She gave Leonard a small bow and walked away with Patrick, trying to hide her disappointment.
Leonard watched them walk off, chuckled to himself, and turned away. He had felt a flicker of interest, but it was just a moment. He had more important things to focus on.
As Patrick led her out to the balcony, Azrael glanced back and saw Leonard leaving the hall. Her eyes filled with regret.
Later That Night
The ball was over. Back at the mansion, Azrael changed into her nightgown after a quick wash.
She was exhausted. Patrick had hovered around her all evening, constantly throwing flirtatious glances and clinging to her at every opportunity. Once, she mightâve been thrilled by that.
But now? She hated every second.
He was no longer the man she loved he was the man who betrayed her and destroyed her family.
She pulled out a letter from her bedside drawer. It came from the intelligence guild. It detailed Angelaâs secret meetings with Patrick when they met, how they met, everything.
Azrael (coldly):
âI need to speak with Prince Leonard soon⌠but I wonât sit by while Angela keeps seeing Patrick.â
She thought of the day they mocked her at the execution ground and her lips twisted in bitter anger.
She put the letter away, turned off the lamp, and lay in bed. Then, eyes closed, she started thinking about her past life.
Patrick didnât marry her for love. That much was clear.
He needed her familyâs power. The Nocturne family, the Empireâs greatest knight lineage, was so valuable even the Emperor couldnât touch them easily. Marrying Azrael was like gaining a golden shield.
This time, she wouldnât let him use her again. Instead, she would help Leonard rise to power.
But she had no desire to marry. After being betrayed once, she couldnât trust love again. Flirting was fine, but marriage? Never again.
Thankfully, her family wouldnât force her. The Nocturnes had always followed one rule passed down from their ancestors:
âLive happily with your true love.â
It was carved into the frame hanging in their family hall, a story passed down from a Duke who nearly lost his true love to politics, but reclaimed it in the end.
Azrael (thinking):
âBut I never met my true love. Patrickâs love was all fake.â
Moonlight from the crescent moon dimly lit her bedroom. It looked lonely tonight just like her heart.
She took a deep breath, thinking of what to do next.
Azrael (determined):
âFirst, Iâll stop Patrick from meeting Angela. Let her stew in jealousy. Then Iâll find a way to meet Prince Leonard again.â
Now that the debut ball was over, she knew invitations to tea parties and banquets from other noble families would start arriving.
She tried to remember when she had first met Leonard in her past life but she couldnât recall it. She had been too obsessed with Patrick back then to notice anyone else.
She only remembered seeing Leonard at a banquet not long after her debut but with so many events, it was hard to remember exactly when.
