STVC 10

Chapter 10

“Why? You can dance with Father.”

“I’m going to dance with my sister!”

“What? You mean dance with a girl?”

“Yes. Do you have a problem with that? Even if you do, I’m not listening.”

Ariel grabbed my right hand and pulled, but Erial didn’t seem willing to back down either, growling as he held my left wrist.

“Who dances with a girl?”

“I do. Me! There’s nothing illegal about it, so stop worrying and let go of my hand, okay?”

“No! I don’t mind if you dance with your sister, but I asked first. You let go of my hand!”

Was that a spark I felt, or just my imagination?

While the twins were in this tug-of-war, the ballroom stirred.

At the center was the Crown Prince.

‘So, the Crown Prince has chosen a partner.’

Who could it be?

Curiosity stirred within me. In the side story, the ballroom scene didn’t even take up a full page.

‘The Crown Prince’s looks get more than a page, but our Riel falling for him doesn’t even get a page? That’s unfair.’

Annoyed by the author’s favoritism, I glared at the Crown Prince dancing in the center.

“Do you want to dance with the Crown Prince?”

The Duke, who hadn’t even looked at the bickering twins, asked me in a low, calm voice.

Did he mistake my glare full of anger for a look of admiration?

I absolutely didn’t want to be involved with the Crown Prince, so I shook my head vigorously.

“No.”

“Then who do you want to dance with?”

At his question, the twins stopped fighting and looked at me.

Why did their gaze feel even sharper than when the Crown Prince had entered the hall?

I hesitated, unsure how to answer.

‘Let’s play it safe.’

“The Duke!”

I smiled.

Seventeen years of practice perfecting the harmless-looking smile! I had spent years making sure my expression looked friendly and non-threatening.

The twins were displeased but couldn’t argue, and the Duke, though expressionless, looked somewhat satisfied.

‘Of course. When choosing, pick the one with the most power.’

Perfect timing: the Crown Prince’s first dance ended, and several nobles came to the center hand in hand.

I also stepped into the center, escorted by the Duke. Finally, time to show off all the hard work I had put in at the Duke’s estate!

How many times had Ariel and I been scolded during lessons?

‘Ariel and Erial are excellent, I’m just average.’

I was average! Mediocre at everything! Life could be fine as long as I was average. Still, it was the first dance, and given my partner, I was a little nervous.

I took a deep, steadying breath.

“It’s fine. Just look at me.”

‘That makes me even more nervous!’

Honestly, the Crown Prince was handsome—the male lead and author’s pick—but did he match my taste? Not at all. My type was the languid, decadent bad boy.

So keeping my eyes on the Duke, who fit my type perfectly, was even more taxing on my heart.

The music started—a simple waltz. I counted the beats in my head, careful not to step on the Duke’s feet.

“Cernia.”

“Yes?”

Why call my name so languidly? It makes one’s heart flutter.

I looked up from his feet and met his vibrant emerald eyes.

“How long are you going to keep calling me Duke?”

“Pardon?”

I was thrown off by the sudden topic and tried to think carefully. Even after thinking, I had no idea—if I didn’t call him Duke, what else would I call him?

“I…”

“……”

It was the first time the Duke had shown emotion on his face like this. His green eyes trembled slightly. His lips moved for a long while before he finally spoke.

“Uncle.”

???

My mind froze, like a blue screen crash.

With my brain stopped, my body froze, and I stepped wrong—right on his foot.

“Ah… I-I’m sorry!”

“It’s fine. So, what’s your answer?”

To prove I hadn’t misheard, the Duke pressed me for an answer again.

The word that came out of his mouth was something I had never imagined, not even in a dream.

I panicked, my steps faltering, and I stepped on his foot again! I turned pale, unable to meet his gaze. “Just keep moving!” I thought.

“Uncle! I’m clumsy at dancing… I didn’t mean to step on you, Uncle.”

He probably wanted to hear “Uncle.” I wrapped the start and end with that word.

“Hmm…”

Was his foot hurt? The Duke swallowed his voice. As he remained silent, I grew restless, watching him. I regretted not just dancing with Erial—five minutes ago, I cursed my past self, but the past couldn’t be changed.

“Alright. Uncle it is.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes.”

Was he savoring the word “uncle”? From what I could tell, he didn’t seem displeased. Rather, he seemed pleased, the faint upward curve of his lips unlike a mischievous smile.

‘So that’s what he meant before the Emperor entered.’

The waltz ended. I had stepped on his foot twice, but no one reprimanded me. Fortunately, it passed safely. I returned to the twins, still escorted by the Duke.

For a moment, I caught the Crown Prince’s eye. When I thought he saw me, he looked away, but the impact of that gaze lingered.

‘Could it be because I wasn’t dancing with Ariel?’

Being the only Duke family in the Empire, with no Duchess and not my daughter, my appearance was bound to become the talk of the social scene.

“Sis! Next is us! I won Rock-Paper-Scissors!”

“Sister, I lost this time, but I’ll win next! But Ariel, next you must dance with me! I won’t give you to anyone else!”

I didn’t have time to think about the Crown Prince.

The twins immediately voiced what they had held back, and they resolved it with Rock-Paper-Scissors.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Compared to Ariel and Erial, I thought I had danced poorly, but after dancing with the Duke, I realized it was just me being bad.

To accommodate me, the skilled Ariel took the male part.

‘Future darling of the social scene!’

When she stepped into the center, all eyes were on her. Even when I danced with the Duke, I was too nervous—and focused on him—to notice the crowd.

Ariel’s expression was bright the whole time. Her smooth, natural lead lifted my mood as well.

“Now, sister, you’ve relaxed, right?”

“You stepped on the Duke’s foot earlier, didn’t you?”

“You always step on feet when you’re nervous. I actually expected it.”

“What? Then why didn’t you stop me?”

“Hmph. I definitely tried. I suggested we dance first, and it was your choice.”

Ariel puffed her cheeks, pretending to sulk. She was so cute I couldn’t help laughing. Seeing me laugh, she deflated her cheeks and giggled softly.

“Thank goodness.”

“For what?”

“For coming with me. Otherwise, I would have been bored to death.”

Ariel and Erial didn’t have childhood friends. Their family interactions had ceased under the current Duke, and without a Duchess at the Duke’s estate, they rarely attended social gatherings.

If I had hidden away voluntarily, it was for the story’s sake; the twins had been confined passively.

“Let’s make more friends this time.”

“I’m fine with just you.”

“No. I want you both to see more of the world and meet more people.”

I spoke firmly, contrary to my usual habit of respecting the twins’ wishes. Ariel looked surprised.

Hesitating, she whispered while looking away,

“I still want to be with you for now.”

Her voice had softened. What to do with this spoiled little one?

The girl who looked sharp with her upturned eyes and pressed lips was actually so fragile. I swallowed and held her waist firmly.

“Yes. This is your home to return to. I’ll always be here.”

“Yes. It’s a promise.”

Having volunteered as their caretaker, it was only natural I keep this promise.

A place for the adventurers to return to. A sanctuary for the heart.

The second song ended. I grabbed Erial’s sleeve as he tried to pull me away, silently pleading for mercy.

“Three dances in a row is too much.”

“Okay. You rest a bit. I’ll bring some drinks.”

Erial went to fetch drinks, while Ariel gently wiped the sweat from my forehead with a handkerchief.

“You’re the hidden treasure of the Duke’s estate.”

A smooth voice approached—it was the Crown Prince. Ariel stiffened, and I bowed politely.

“Greetings, Your Highness Helios, the Crown Prince, Sun’s Descendant of the Empire.”

“No need for formalities.”

Helios Aslande.

The male lead of Shiny New God, and Crown Prince of the Aslande Empire. He was a man like the sun—rational, perfect, radiant by mere presence, the embodiment of an emperor. Of course, perfection alone is boring.

Infatuated with the heroine, Helios let his rationality slip, obsessing over her, showing his charm.

‘I was Grendwinfa, but…’

Even reading romance novels, I always liked the secondary male lead. My taste didn’t change across genres. I liked quiet men who silently confessed and were gently rejected.

‘Erial was the perfect villain, so I never liked him.’

Of course, I meant in the novel! Not my younger brother, Erial, running up with drinks.

“Greetings, Your Highness Helios, Crown Prince, Sun’s Descendant of the Empire.”

“Are you Erial, heir of the Ardentain family? Nice to meet you.”

“Yes.”

Erial blocked the Crown Prince by holding out his hand, and Ariel grabbed mine to hide me behind her. At first, I was confused, but soon I understood their intentions.

‘Are they still worrying that the Crown Prince might fall for me? Totally unnecessary.’

Watching my overprotective twins, I couldn’t help but smile amid the tension.

Heroines usually don’t realize their own beauty. Stories are always told from their perspective, so they rarely describe their own appearance.