Chapter – 48
“Sure. I’ll keep that in mind.”
I replied halfheartedly while feeling the eyes of everyone around us.
The first dance carried special significance.
Since an article about us had already appeared in Lorelei, everyone was undoubtedly gossiping about my relationship with Cesare right now.
That was exactly my goal.
If the rumors spread widely enough, Hiten wouldn’t even be able to bring up the subject of a political marriage.
Even a prince couldn’t interfere with the love life of a young noblewoman when her own family wasn’t interfering. All I could really expect from Cesare was that much.
Feeling deeply disappointed, I abandoned my plan of “somehow ending up dating and marrying Cesare.”
I couldn’t marry a beautiful piece of trash.
At that moment, Cesare suddenly asked,
“My lady, may I ask you a question?”
“It’s a bother. If it doesn’t absolutely have to be me, ask someone else.”
“Only you can answer this one.”
My eyes lit up.
“Is it a math or science question? Then go ahead.”
“…No. It’s a question about the human heart.”
My interest instantly vanished.
Worse, it was the subject I was least confident in.
I sighed.
“You’re asking me about that of all things? The area I’m worst at?”
“Just tell me what you think. I don’t really have anyone else to ask.”
That made immediate sense.
“Ah. You have no friends, so you’re asking me instead.”
“…”
“Fine then. We don’t really have much else to talk about anyway.”
After all, chatting while dancing was perfectly normal.
People danced specifically so they could have private conversations.
As Cesare skillfully held my waist, he asked,
“Something unfortunate happened to a boy. A girl who barely knew him became extremely worried about him. Why do you think that is?”
Wow.
That sounded exactly like Melissa.
I answered immediately.
“Hmm. Because she’s an unbelievably kind idiot who can only worry and can’t actually do anything useful?”
Cesare tilted his head.
“That absolutely doesn’t seem right…”
Not right?
Then there wasn’t really a rational explanation.
And if it wasn’t rational, it had to be emotional.
Having completed my logical analysis, I calmly answered,
“Then maybe the girl secretly liked the boy.”
“…I-Is… is that what it means?”
Cesare’s ears turned bright red.
What’s this? Is he talking about himself? Did he leave a crush behind in the Levin territory?
His heart was pounding where our bodies were close together.
Even his usually mechanical dance steps faltered slightly.
Anyone could see he was emotionally shaken.
“Marquis, you seem to really enjoy conversations like this.”
I stared directly at him while maintaining perfect dance steps.
“You seem very interested in women.”
“That is absolutely not the case.”
Then his eyes suddenly gleamed.
“Ah, one moment. Let’s stand a little closer, my lady.”
His body moved nearer.
His firm chest pressed lightly against me.
Wait. This is actually making me flustered.
“Hm?”
“Rodrigo is glaring at us right now.”
“Oh, great. Then let’s get even closer.”
If Rodrigo got angry, that only made things better.
There was no way Rodrigo genuinely liked me.
Still, the fact that I was dating Cesare was humiliating for him.
After all, he had even sent me a marriage proposal, only to lose to a common-born marquis from the frontier.
I disliked Judith.
I disliked the Duke and Duchess of Purves.
But the most irritating person was Rodrigo himself.
He must feel pretty empty after losing both Melissa and me—the two Frelai girls he’d had his eye on since childhood.
The thought made me cling to Cesare even more intimately.
Like a lover completely smitten.
And yet…
Was this dance always this suggestive?
Every time our legs brushed or our arms touched, a subtle heat spread through me.
When I happened to meet Cesare’s eyes, they curved into a dangerously seductive expression.
Why are we so close? Ah, right. Because we’re dancing.
He looked down at me with warm, heated eyes.
The sight of his lowered lashes made my heart suddenly drop.
I hurriedly tried to regain my composure when he whispered playfully,
“…At this point, doesn’t it seem like you never liked Rodrigo to begin with?”
His breath brushed against me.
The tiny hairs on my skin stood up.
When his lips lightly grazed near my ear, I involuntarily flinched.
I’d never felt anything like this before.
Even when I used to chase after Rodrigo, I never felt like I was losing my senses.
Barely holding onto my drifting thoughts, I quickly replied,
“Hmm. But it’s true that I used to run around saying I liked him. Back then, I genuinely wanted to marry Rodrigo.”
Mostly because I absolutely couldn’t let Melissa have him.
After I answered, Cesare casually asked,
“Really?”
His voice sounded relaxed, yet strangely hopeful.
“You weren’t actually interested in someone else?”
“Someone else who?”
“Ahem. Well… perhaps His Highness the Crown Prince, whom everyone praised for his wonderful character…”
What?
Why was the Crown Prince suddenly part of this conversation?
The strange floating feeling vanished instantly.
The warmth Cesare had stirred in me disappeared just as quickly.
“Not at all. The Crown Prince? What are you talking about?”
“Perhaps you’re confusing your feelings?”
I answered firmly.
“Confusing them? I definitely liked Rodrigo when I was younger. I wasn’t interested in the Crown Prince at all.”
“Could it be because His Highness was rather chubby? He could always lose weight…”
“No. I told you, I simply wasn’t interested in him.”
I frowned.
“I dislike Rodrigo too now, but that doesn’t mean you can just pair me with some random person.”
“R-Random person…”
Cesare looked slightly shocked.
“Anyway, enough about the past.”
I spoke primly.
“Isn’t the present more important?”
Cesare smiled slowly.
Then he nodded with a charming gaze.
“You’re right, my lady.”
The hand around my waist moved gently with the dance.
“Very true.”
Our eyes met again, and my breath caught.
Golden eyes filled entirely with my reflection.
So Cesare wanted to change the color of those eyes. Even before my regression, he kept requesting it from the Academy.
But they were far too captivating to change.
The color suited his image perfectly—like a languid predator.
“But…”
Cesare whispered quietly.
“At least in this moment, while dancing with you in this ballroom, I wish I could live in the past.”
“Huh? What does that mean?”
“It means that, for a brief moment in front of you, I wish I could become that boy again.”
His smile softened.
“As though I were dreaming.”
The comment sounded so vague that I merely shrugged.
Then our eyes met again.
“…”
A strange feeling washed over me.
His gaze was far too distant.
It wasn’t the look someone gave a woman he had only met four times.
It was the look someone reserved for a person they truly treasured.
My heart tightened instantly.
What the heck? Is he actually a professional flirt?
No.
With a face like that, looking at someone like that was completely unfair.
My whole body felt restless.
Just then, the music began approaching its finale.
I quickly regained my composure.
Being momentarily flustered was one thing.
There was still work to do.
“Well then.”
After giving Cesare a bright smile, I immediately said,
“Since we’ve finished the first dance, should we split up as planned?”
We had already discussed the schedule while riding to the banquet.
“Marquis, I have a favor to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“People will be watching, so let’s only dance the first dance together and then go our separate ways. I have something I need to handle alone.”
“If it’s something you need to handle…”
“It’s one of those friendship matters.”
“You don’t have any friends.”
“Exactly. That’s why I need to deal with it.”
“…Well, all right.”
At the time, Cesare hadn’t asked any further questions.
And honestly, staying glued to me throughout the banquet wouldn’t benefit him either.
He had no established position in the capital yet.
This was the perfect opportunity for him to build connections among the nobility.
Besides, this wasn’t just any event.
It was Hiten’s birthday banquet.
As the only serious candidate for the future throne, his celebration drew an enormous crowd.
The imperial ballroom overflowed with guests.
Every noble in the capital seemed to be present, along with countless provincial nobles I’d never even seen before.
The crowds extended beyond the gardens.
And with that, the first piece of music finally came to an end.
