HTRE 06

Chapter 6

Eroika looked down at Ethan’s hand, which she had already held several times. There was no reason to refuse the hand he offered. They held hands and soon moved to the center of the ballroom.

Just then, the musicians were playing a waltz.

The silver dress that matched Eroika’s hair reflected the chandelier lights and was dazzling. The people began to focus on her movements as if they were enchanted.

“Goodness, Eroika. All the men are looking only at you.”

Ethan whispered to her as she moved lightly in his arms.

But Eroika’s expression did not change at all. Her two tightly closed lips only stimulated their imagination even more.

The men were looking only at her as if they were captivated. Before long, Kailev’s gaze was among them as well.

“The prince has started looking at you too.”

Only then did Eroika show a small smile at the corner of her lips.

If she was going to attract attention anyway, it would be better to make sure everyone noticed her.

Eroika pressed her body against Ethan. The one who became flustered by her sudden closeness was actually Ethan.

Eroika’s plan to look like the most alluring woman in the Empire was successful. Everyone present today would never forget the illusion she had created.

“Is the prince still looking this way?”

Eroika whispered in a voice that was so sweet it was almost bitter. She could not see the prince’s seat.

“No. He is coming this way.”

Ethan answered as he watched Kailev’s sharp face approaching them.

It was unusual for the Fourteenth Prince to stand from his seat and move toward the center of the ballroom. The noble appearance he gave off caused many women to sigh in admiration.

As Kailev stepped toward the center of the ballroom, Brigitte blocked his path.

“Your Highness. I’m glad you came wearing the gift I gave you.”

They had not noticed it from a distance, but they were wearing the same pattern. In the eyes of others, the two looked exactly like lovers.

That was exactly what Brigitte had intended.

Although she had been nervous until a moment ago, she was pleased that things seemed to be going more smoothly than she had expected.

Eroika and Ethan also stopped dancing and turned their heads in the direction of everyone’s gaze. They saw the prince talking with a woman.

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

Ethan said this while watching Eroika’s expression.

There was no sign of tension on her face, even though she was facing the person who held her life in his hands. She simply looked in the same direction as everyone else.

The people waited for the prince to ask Brigitte to dance.

Brigitte was not a naturally beautiful woman, but her cute appearance stood out. Her round, clear eyes gave her a cheerful look, and her small upturned nose made her look lively and pretty.

Kailev’s relatively striking appearance made her small figure stand out even more.

That place beside him should have been mine.

Several young noblewomen trembled with disappointment, but could only blame themselves for not being as brave as that small woman.

It was then that Kailev’s stopped footsteps began moving again. Brigitte swallowed nervously and prepared to extend her hand.

When she saw Kailev’s face approaching her, she felt as if all the pain of the past was finally being rewarded.

She was about to clear her throat and answer the prince who was going to ask her to dance.

But Kailev passed right by the woman standing in front of him and headed toward the woman known as the daughter of the Claudius family.

Everyone watching this scene held their breath. His sudden action was completely unexpected.

There was not even a trace of distraction in the prince’s calm expression. Eroika’s expression as she watched him approach was just as calm.

“May I take her?”

He asked the Crown Prince of Palestian, who was holding Eroika’s hand.

The people were greatly shocked inside, but none of them dared to show it. It was already surprising that the prince, who rarely attended banquets, had appeared. It was even more surprising that he was asking a woman to dance.

And that woman was wearing the same pattern as the young lady of the count’s family.

Ethan tightened his grip on Eroika’s hand. He could feel that her face had become slightly pale.

The prince was approaching like a hyena that had returned and would not let its prey escape. Ethan did not want to give her up at all. Just as he was about to refuse—

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

Eroika spoke first with a face that had quickly become calm again. She gave Ethan a smile that meant she was fine and waited for his answer.

What else could he do when she was asking him like this?

“I humbly ask you to take good care of her.”

With a bitter smile, Ethan handed over the hand he did not want to let go of.

Surely he won’t hurt her while so many people are watching. He can’t be that crazy.

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

Perhaps it was anxiety.

Whatever the Crown Prince of Palestian was thinking, Kailev did not care. He lightly took the hand that had been handed to him and led Eroika to the very center of the ballroom.

News that the prince was going to dance drew a crowd. Before long, everyone had made way, leaving only Kailev and Eroika on the dance floor.

The musicians, who had stopped playing for a moment, began a new piece. Eroika started moving her feet, following his movements.

Kailev’s dance was elegant, with his tall and sturdy body moving gracefully. Born with imperial blood in his veins, he was nobility itself.

Following Kailev’s movements, the graceful curves created by Eroika’s body were also extremely alluring.

Their dance, like a pair of paintings, felt like a dream to everyone.

He enclosed Eroika within his large body and treated her very gently. He was like a child carefully holding a glass cup, afraid that it might break if he made even one mistake.

“Won’t your partner be upset?”

At a distance where she could feel his breath, the prince was surprisingly quiet.

Approaching Eroika while she was dancing with Ethan had been an impulsive act. In the silence where he did not know what conversation to begin, Eroika was the first to break the quiet.

“Who are you talking about?”

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

Only then did Kailev belatedly remember Brigitte.

When he saw Brigitte’s gift, he had roughly guessed its purpose. Even so, he had not rejected her sincerity because he knew, to some extent, how pitiful her feelings were.

Of course, the moment he saw Eroika, the feelings of the poor count’s daughter had completely left his mind.

“Ah, this is nothing. She is not my partner.”

Kailev looked at the piece of cloth around his neck with annoyance, as if he had forgotten about it.

“That lady does not seem to think so. She must be hurt.”

“I’m telling you that you don’t need to care about her.”

Even though he was clearly saying that the woman was not his fiancée and therefore Eroika had no reason to care, she kept talking about something else. He also did not like the way her eyes continued to avoid all the gazes following her.

“I feel sorry for her, but I was not concerned about her. I was just curious.”

“What are you curious about?”

Kailev’s eyes grew cold.

There was no way she had not known that he would approach her. From the beginning, he could not understand why she treated him as if he were an uncomfortable person.

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

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

Eroika trailed off, and something about her seemed strange. Since earlier, her eyes had kept looking toward completely unrelated places, as if she were looking for something else.

“Stop playing around, Eroika. There was no way I would stay still after seeing you.”

Eroika tilted her head, as if she did not understand what he was saying.

Her clear eyes confused Kailev, but he could not press her any further. There were too many people watching, and if he raised his voice any more, the contents of their conversation would leak out.

The music was nearing its end, announcing that the dance was coming to a close.

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

Ethan, who had been watching them from the right moment, approached.

“I heard the fireworks are about to begin.”

Ethan smiled brightly and pointed outside the window. At the same time, he took Eroika’s still-held hand back.

He knew he had approached her too quickly. But he had no intention of discussing many things here. He could ask her about what he was curious about later, one by one.

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

Kailev willingly handed her hand back, leaving the short time behind. There was no lingering regret in his back as he returned to his seat.

The women lamented as Kailev moved away after finishing a dance that looked like a work of art.

Already, Eroika was beginning to establish herself as the prince’s new woman, against her own wishes.