Chapter 46

As Galibas lowered his mood, he looked around, searching for Elina.

"Why isn't she here even though she agreed to dance? Really, what a hassle..."

Muttering under his breath, he finally spotted Elina. His lips involuntarily curved into a smile, but when he noticed the person standing next to her, his eyes widened.

"Muglia... Why is he here..."

Galibas almost stopped in his tracks, but if he didn't go, he wouldn't be able to dance with Elina.

"Hmph, he's just Alvis's brother now. I am the crown prince. I'm not talking to Muglia just to invite Elina."

Galibas, who held a higher position, reminded himself that he shouldn't be intimidated. He had never been on equal footing with Muglia, especially not since childhood. With that thought, Galibas continued forward.

Unfortunately, Muglia noticed Galibas first.

"Is that not Lord Galibas?"

"Y-Yes, it's been a while, Lord Muglia."

As Muglia stepped forward with a gentlemanly smile, Galibas's face contorted as he responded. Muglia's presence obscured Elina from view. Suppressing the urge to scowl, Galibas shifted his body to bring Elina back into his line of sight.

"Elina."

"…As I mentioned earlier, Your Highness, the Crown Prince of Marana."

"Can't you call me Galibas?"

"I'm sorry, but I only address family members and Lord Alvis by their names. Please understand."

"…I see."

When Elina, who had been bowing, raised her head, Galibas sensed a hint of rejection. However, Galibas had a purpose. He couldn't back down now.

"I came to invite you to dance, as we agreed earlier… Can I ask you to dance?"

"Did you make such a promise, Miss Elina?"

Muglia interjected, quickly positioning himself next to Elina and addressing her, not Galibas. Swallowing his urge to tell Muglia to stay out of it, Galibas forced a smile.

"We made the promise during our greeting, Lord Muglia. Could you please step aside?"

"Only if my brother asked, but not you. And I'm asking Elina, not you."

Despite the pressure in Muglia's seemingly polite smile, Galibas struggled to keep his own smile from faltering. He suppressed the trembling at the corners of his mouth and watched Muglia and Elina.

"Lord Alvis is dancing with the Princess of Marana, and he asked if the Princess could dance with the Crown Prince."

"Did Alvis give his permission?"

"Yes, he asked me to."

"I see… In that case, you can't refuse. Although it's unfortunate, interacting with guests from other countries is also a duty. So, Lord Galibas—"

"…What is it?"

Muglia, facing forward, maintained his position, shielding Elina. While Galibas found the situation unpleasant, he recognized that the conversation was moving in the direction he wanted. He thought it unnecessary for Elina to mention that she was asked, as others were also listening.

Glancing sideways, Galibas noticed that other guests were watching the situation, which he found equally unpleasant. At this moment, Galibas didn't realize that the exchange between Muglia and Elina was a form of performance. Those watching understood that Elina was only dancing with Galibas because Lord Alvis had asked her to, and that she had no ulterior motives towards Galibas.

Narrowing his eyes, Muglia moved behind Elina and bowed slightly to Galibas.

"In that case, can you please dance with my step-sister? Of course, please return her when she's tired."

"…Why do I have to be told this by you…"

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

"…Hmph, I'm just impressed by how overprotective you are. They're not even married yet. She's not your sister yet, and you're being too attentive to a mere duke's daughter."

Though he claimed to be impressed, Galibas was not. Alvis and Elina were still just engaged, not married. Therefore, Muglia had no familial obligation to her. He was just an outsider. An outsider who should not be overstepping. This was Galibas's true feeling, which he couldn't fully hide.

"Miss Elina will become my sister. I can say that with certainty."

"What?"

"…My brother may not be aware of it yet, but he won't be able to let Miss Elina go."

"Lord Muglia?"

Muglia's words left Galibas and Elina equally confused. Whether he noticed or not, Muglia continued.

"So, it's futile. But if you still want to, it might be a good opportunity."

"What are you talking about—"

"Well, Miss Elina, please finish quickly. Otherwise, my brother will scold me."

"Um… Yes, I understand."

Despite her confusion, Elina stood in front of Galibas. According to dance etiquette, the man should extend his hand first. However, Galibas, still in a state of confusion, was staring at Muglia instead of Elina.

"Come on, you should know the etiquette. Don't embarrass our country's lady."

"…I know."

Clearing his throat, Galibas extended his hand to Elina with his usual princely smile. When their hands touched, Elina tried to pull away for a moment, but Galibas, ignoring this, led her away.

Watching them go, Muglia sighed heavily. All that was left was to ensure Elina returned safely.

"As always, he's easy to handle. But his treatment of women is the worst, even among nobles. Still, that level of initiative… Alvis should learn from him a bit."

Muglia's gaze then turned to Alvis, who was dancing with Karianne. Alvis's performance was flawless, but the natural expression he showed when dancing with Elina was absent. Dancing with Karianne didn't seem to bring Alvis any joy.

On the other hand, this indicated that Alvis was growing closer to Elina, which was a positive change. However, Alvis himself didn't seem to realize it. This was partly due to Alvis's personality, or rather, his way of thinking.

Seeing his brother's state, Muglia's shoulders slumped.

"Self-sacrifice can sometimes make people unhappy. It's also important to value the individual… Alvis. Please—"

His final, prayer-like whisper was lost in the surrounding noise.