A silence settled over the ballroom as if someone had doused it with cold water.
The Crown Prince and the other two men wore vicious scowls, while the nobles gaped in shock.
But Lucia could see only one person.
Leaving hundreds of piercing stares behind her, she walked forward without hesitation.
Following my heart. Walking toward the answer I want.
It was a thrilling sense of liberation, one she'd never felt before.
The rustle of her dress. The click of her heels. The pounding of her heart all came sharply to her senses.
Lucia wanted to hold on to this excitement she'd never felt before.
She felt the same way even when she reached Astin.
"......."
Astin furrowed his brow as if he couldn't understand what was happening.
Grrrr—
Piercing stares converged on them from every direction.
The three men's gazes in particular seemed ready to pierce his skin.
His discomfort was plain to see, and Lucia's swelling emotions scattered into a fresh, youthful giggle.
He was such an honest, adorable man.
"Don't look so glum. Don't you want to dance with me?"
"I don't mind, but why did you choose me?"
“Wouldn't mind? I'd like to dance with you. That's why I chose you, Young Master.”
Even after she explained, Astin still looked oddly indifferent.
Rather than hurting her, his expression felt refreshing.
Had she ever seen a man make that face before?
Just then, the classical music that had gently filled the ballroom shifted into a graceful melody.
Taking that as her cue, Lucia gathered her skirt and lightly bent her knees.
Astin hesitated, then stiffly bowed.
Swish—
Lucia extended her fingertips into the air and waited.
It was the moment for the gentleman to take the lady's hand and lead.
***
But Astin's fingertips only fumbled through the air, hesitating as if he might take her hand.
He really was a man who couldn't hide what he was thinking.
"Oh, give me your hand."
At last, Lucia reached out first. Their fingertips lightly met in the air.
Only a few of their fingers touched. Even that small contact sent a strange warmth rising between them.
Tap—tap—
Graceful steps began across the marble floor. They traced circles, maintaining a steady distance.
As their view slowly turned, Astin spoke in a low voice.
"Why didn't you choose His Highness Zenon?"
Lucia tilted her head even as she moved her feet.
"Why would I choose His Highness the Crown Prince?"
"......."
Astin fell silent, like a man with his mouth full of honey.
She couldn't exactly say, 'Because that's what happened in the novel.'
"You remember what I said on the terrace, right? That I'd be honest about my feelings. That's why I chose you."
"Have you fallen for me in the meantime?"
He'd gone straight for it.
A faint smile appeared on Lucia's lips.
"Who knows? Somewhere between curiosity and affection, I suppose. One thing's for sure: I want to know more about you."
"...Isn't that the same thing?"
Clear laughter slipped between Lucia's red lips.
Instead of answering, she gently tightened her fingers around his.
Using their joined fingertips as a pivot, they moved closer, then farther apart.
Unlike hers, Astin's steps were clumsy and stiff.
His rigid movements reminded her of soldiers drilling in formation.
"You could write a marching song with steps like those."
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. It's nothing."
Astin kept his gaze lowered the entire time.
He seemed worried that his shoes might step on her dress, or that his clumsy steps might throw off her stride.
She could see him focusing all his attention on making sure his partner wasn't hurt.
"You seem... like you're pretending to be indifferent, Young Master."
"I do?"
"Look. Even the pitch of your voice is different. You don't talk like that to anyone else, just me. Could it be you're hiding your feelings for me...?"
Astin's facial muscles twitched slightly. Then his expression went blank.
"I'm not bluffing. I can trip you and throw you to the floor."
"......Pardon? What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I can trip you and make you fall."
Lucia froze at his unexpected answer.
Only for a moment. Then the corners of her eyes curved like crescent moons.
"And what would you do after knocking me down?"
"......."
Before she knew it, Lucia had taken control of the conversation.
She'd taken the lead in their dance, too.
Lucia's steps turned lightly.
Her playful voice drifted over the swishing hem of her dress.
"Is this your first time dancing at a ball?"
".....Yes."
It was strangely charming that a man infamous for being a troublemaker could get so nervous over a single dance.
The Astin she'd seen on the terrace had that same strange contrast.
"Don't be so stiff. I think social dancing is more beautiful when you're a little clumsy."
"Don't say things you don't mean."
"I mean it. If every movement is precise and perfect, there's no room for emotion. At that point, you might as well bring in a dancing machine instead of a partner."
Dancing was an art of connecting with someone by filling in each other's gaps.
That's what Lucia had always believed.
"You look into your partner's eyes and read their movements. You might limit contact so you don't make them uncomfortable, or stumble because you're trying to match their stride. Dancing is about filling in each other's gaps and connecting."
Even in his stiff, drill-like steps, she could see how considerate he was being.
That was why she liked it. His steps were clumsy, but his feelings were clear.
"They say you can read someone's feelings by looking into their eyes. But sometimes, looking away can reveal those feelings even more clearly. Like you are now, Young Master."
Astin was trying his best to avoid Lucia's gaze, unaware that his reddened ears were giving his feelings away.
As soon as he heard that, Astin quickly raised his eyes. He really was an honest man.
Tap—tap.
As Astin followed Lucia's lead, his steps gradually found the rhythm.
Just as the mood began to soften, Astin glanced beyond the ballroom.
The three men Lucia hadn't chosen were there. They glared at Astin with bloodshot eyes, as if they wanted to kill him.
'How am I supposed to dance with them staring like that?'
Astin's sidelong gaze remained fixed on them. Distracted, he lost his rhythm.
Suddenly, a soft touch brushed his chin.
Lucia had clasped his chin firmly in both hands.
"Don't look anywhere else."
Lucia forcibly turned his head, fixing his gaze on her so their faces were turned toward each other.
"Focus on me for now."
"......"
Astin didn't turn his head again for the rest of the dance.
He focused solely on Lucia and let her guide him by the hand.
An unforgettable night at the Imperial Palace was drawing to a close.
***
The Founding Day Festival came to an end with the debutante ball.
We spent a fairly long night together after that, too.
It had only been a day, but I'd seen for myself just how luxurious the Imperial Palace was.
And the next day.
A carriage leaving Etherna's Imperial Palace glided along the main road.
"I enjoyed the show yesterday, Young Master. You were the star of the ball, weren't you?"
"Shut it, shut it."
Across from me, Julian needled me with an obnoxious grin.
Lucia had publicly chosen me at the debutante ball, and I'd ended up dancing with her before I knew what was happening.
It had become the talk of everyone, not just Julian.
Even so, the memory still lingered a little.
Lucia's scent, still detectable beneath the overwhelming perfume. The feel of her skin lingering on my fingertips.
Scenes from our dance replayed in my mind like a panorama.
"It's quite curious. Why on earth would Lady Lucia choose you over all the other young ladies?"
"I still can't believe it myself."
Looking back on it, I felt like Lucia had seduced me.
Maybe she'd started liking me because of what I said on the terrace....
Lucia's voice echoed in my ears like a hallucination.
That last line, asking me to seduce her.
"I think you've got it backward."
"Huh? Were you planning to seduce her first, Young Master?"
"I was planning to kick you out of the carriage."
Meanwhile, Celine sat beside me, rubbing her chin as she thought.
She pondered for a while, then suddenly raised her head as if she'd made up her mind.
"I should ask Sister Lucia to teach me how to dance, too."
"Why all of a sudden?"
"Yes! Dancing at a ball is a basic skill for a young lady. Sister Lucia looked so graceful and beautiful yesterday. I want to be like that, too."
"Well, she was good."
"She must be the star of high society for a reason."
Her dancing skills weren't the only reason she was called the star of high society.
The cosmetics, shoes, and dresses Lucia used—she was a trendsetter who led the fashions of the Imperial Capital in every field.
Most of all, the Empire's most prominent figures actively courted her.
At this rate, I'd only get teased if I kept talking about Lucia, so I smoothly changed the subject.
"What about you, Julian? Did you enjoy the Founding Day Festival? You didn't try to seduce another woman, did you?"
"With this face?"
"Oh. Sorry."
A snort of laughter slipped between Julian's lips. He looked much more at ease.
"As promised, I'm going with you to Kardenos, but what am I supposed to do when we get there?"
He was the one who'd closed Luna's Mana Circuit and steeled his resolve. He'd also taken on the weight of responsibility.
More importantly, he was the male lead of a Romance Fantasy novel.
"You'll work yourself to death until you're on the verge of dying. You're tough, after all."
"That's awfully simple."
"There's no shortcut to training. For the record, I'm not the one teaching you. Someone else will."
Julian furrowed his brow in confusion.
"If not you, Young Master, then who's going to teach me?"
"Hendrickson. Sir Hendrickson, our Military Advisor, will put you through your paces."
"What!?"
Julian's eyes went wide as saucers.
"S-Sir Hendrickson?! The former Imperial Knight Commander? The Swordmaster I know of?"
"That's right. He's the Military Advisor of Kardenos now."
"But I heard he'd gone into seclusion. Why is he there...?"
Julian's shocked face gleamed with anticipation. Even his tightly clenched fists trembled.
His excitement and fighting spirit were plain to see.
Hendrickson's reputation spoke for itself.
Every knight would go wild at the thought of such a renowned figure teaching them Swordsmanship in person.
"If you stick with that crazy old man, you'll be able to form a Ring, too."
"Crazy old man? How dare you insult a Swordmaster!"
"Look at this punk. I'm your superior, you idiot. Use your manners unless you want your face wrecked again."
Julian quickly shut his mouth.
There's nothing easier than handling a knight. Just let them feel the difference in strength, and that's the end of it.
"I want to form a Ring, too!"
Caught up in the mood, Celine raised her hand and cut in.
I turned her down without a second's hesitation.
"No."
"What? Why?"
"Forming a Ring takes more than just determination. You could end up burning to death."
"...I could die?"
"It could happen. I don't care if Julian dies or not, but I won't let you risk your life."
Celine's rabbit-like eyes widened. A bashful smile spread across her lips.
She suddenly pulled my arm close and linked hers through it.
I realized just how close we'd gotten. Celine was reaching out to me first now.
I gently stroked her little head.
With Celine's potential, she could form a Ring easily.
But there was still danger, and she had a better Path in Magic.
Honestly, she could do anything she wanted as long as that damned Luna wasn't involved.
"You don't care if I die or not?"
Julian asked, looking shocked.
I shrugged.
"I can't lie. That's just how I am."
"......."
"Don't take it too hard. I don't care about my own life, either."
"You should care! Your life is the most precious thing to me, big brother!"
"You're the only one who cares about your big brother. Come here!"
Her cheeks puffed up like sticky rice cakes in no time. They seemed to get more addictive the more I touched them.
"Mmmph—you're so impohtant too...."
"Those are precious cheeks, so only I get to touch them. If Julian touches them, I'll break his wrist."
"Why do you keep dragging me into this?"
***
After the Founding Day Festival's glittering night had passed, the sunset stretched across the window.
Inside the carriage on the way home.
Lucia rested her chin on the rattling window frame and gazed outside.
Her mind was busy replaying the memories of last night.
Clumsy, stiff steps. Hands that fumbled as they tried to keep up.
The golden eyes that had focused solely on her kept appearing before her.
"He's such a strange man."
The eldest son of a Grand Duke's family was that bad at social dancing.
Lucia's lips curved into a small smile. She toyed with the letter between her fingertips.
It was an old custom for a man and woman who danced together at a ball to exchange letters before parting.
Lucia held the letter Astin had given her.
"He even knows how to write letters. He's more delicate than he looks."
Lucia reconsidered for a moment.
Hadn't he said he'd often written letters to Azelin, too?
Thinking of her friend made her heart ache, but she quickly brushed the feeling aside.
For now, she wanted to focus on this one letter.
Lucia had received letters from many men.
They all had one thing in common: lavish gold-leaf decorations and so much perfume that the scent filled the air.
Astin's stationery was different.
Plain stationery, with nothing special about it. A wax seal was all. No perfume scent—just his faint, lingering scent.
Its simplicity made it all the more affecting. Or maybe she'd just fallen under his spell.
Lucia, her expectations soaring, carefully peeled off the wax seal. She took out the small letter inside.
What embarrassing words had that man written?
Had he written at length about a confession he couldn't bring himself to say aloud?
The moment she unfolded the neatly folded letter, Lucia's eyes widened.
"—Pfft."
A laugh slipped out before she could stop it.
He hadn't drawn it out or covered it in flowery language.
"How coldhearted of you."
Despite her words, a soft smile spread across Lucia's lips.
The letter was only a single line. The handwriting was crooked and terrible. There wasn't a hint of effort in the words.
—When you accidentally stepped on my foot, I had a hard time holding back a scream.
That was really all there was.
At first glance, it looked careless, but a letter was about more than its contents.
The edges were faintly smudged from handling, and countless fingerprints marked the paper.
Anyone else might have missed it, but Lucia could see.
Marks like these only appeared after someone had held on to the letter for hours.
Astin probably tried to pass it off as a careless scribble....
His feelings showed so clearly that she let out a faint laugh.
"Unbelievable."
Strictly speaking, it had been Astin's fault that she'd stepped on his foot.
He'd been rushing to match her movements and hadn't managed to move his foot in time. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
And yet, it was just like Astin.
Even though she'd only just met him, she felt certain Astin had to be this way.
Lucia placed a hand over her chest. A soft, fluttering feeling bloomed in one corner of her heart.
"......."
She absently touched the corner of her left eye. With her other hand, she gently traced the crooked handwriting.
After a long while, Lucia carefully put the letter away again.
Fwoosh—
She melted the back of the wax with a tiny flame that bloomed at her fingertips. Then she pressed the softened wax against the paper.
From the outside, it looked like the letter hadn't been opened yet.
If only she could turn back the excitement, too, but that was asking too much.
His faint scent seemed to linger, tickling her nose.
Too embarrassed to bring it to her nose and breathe in his scent, she settled for gently pressing it to her lips.
Lucia drew a careful breath. Only her quiet breathing settled into the silence.
Inside the rattling carriage.
Lucia lingered for a long time in the tender afterglow.
