Chapter 10

Roman and Prillance each held one hand together with the other’s. He placed his other hand on Prillance’s waist while Prillance placed her other hand on his shoulder. Then the orchestra began to play. The two danced to the melody.

“You’ve been quite interesting lately.”

“Hmm, that’s good to hear.”

Looking at Prillance wearing a courteous smile, Roman tried to recall what she was like before. But it wasn’t easy.

He was never interested in her previously so he couldn’t really remember anything. It was just another reminder that she was not the same person she is now.

“Today you look quite beautiful.”

Even as a form of courtesy, Roman had never once told Prillance she was beautiful. To be exact, she had never looked beautiful in his eyes. Whenever he saw her, she was always wearing garish jewelry. He rather thought it was more burdensome than beautiful.

But today, no, recently, it no longer felt that way.

“The Duke also looks quite handsome.”

There was no gleam in her eyes that complimented him. They used to glisten whenever she looked at him. But those eyes that suddenly disappeared one day somehow surfaced whenever she was facing Ver. Along with the bashfulness that didn’t exist whenever she faced Roman.

“Do you still have someone attached to watch me?” (Prillance)

“Did you not know? I thought you knew already.”

“Are you still in doubt? If so, why are you letting me know of these facts? Is it a warning?”

“You already know. What type of person I am.”

Prillance looked at him with an impassive smile. Nevertheless, Roman’s smirk remained. He was warning her with his eyes. The gaze reminded her of the first time she met him. At that moment, Prillance’s body stiffened and she lost her balance.

“Be careful.”

Roman tried to catch Prillance, but she unconsciously refused his gesture. She rejected his arms. She was also very surprised by her actions.

Her arm that refused his actions became sore. It wasn’t physical, but more of a psychological pain that she felt.

“We should stop here. Your body doesn’t seem to be well.”

As Roman was about to move away, Prillance held his hand again.

“The song is not over yet.”

She stated, holding his hand urgently. She couldn’t let him go just like this. She had a reason to keep dancing with him. Though there was a slight tremor in her hand, her eyes were firm.

After seeing Prillance like that, he was able to reposition himself. He could still feel the slight tremors in her hands. As he looked down, he saw that her eyelashes were also trembling slightly. It was the same face he saw during the ball.

Roman led Prillance during the rest of the dance until the end. When it ended, a small sigh of relief came from her.

“I think there’s a reason why you are trying to keep me here.”

Roman drew closer to Prillance, who was a slight distance away.

“Should we dance to one more song?”

Suddenly, Prillance’s surprised eyes met him.

‘Where…did I make a mistake?’

Prillance’s eyes shook. She tried to recall her previous actions. She only said that the song wasn’t over yet.

Was there a problem with the conversation? Or was it not natural enough? Roman smiled once more as countless thoughts fleeted through her mind.

It was a dangerous smile.

Her body instinctively flinched. She stepped back. But he took another step forward.

Looking up at his eyes, Prillance looked like a frightened little animal. Roman reached out to touch her hair. Her body, which had improved a little, trembled weakly again.

“Where is my partner?”

It wasn’t difficult to guess. He didn’t notice anything when Prillance first asked him for a dance. However, it was strange that she still wanted to dance with him even while her hands were shaking in fear.

Now that he thought of it, it was strange that his partner, Cecia, disappeared at the moment she appeared and invited him to dance.

Roman touched the tips of Prillance’s hair. How many of his partners have disappeared without a word so far? He recalled the reason for their disappearances. They were either injured or severely burned.

He couldn’t find Cecia anywhere. He didn’t want to see Prillance pretending to be a frightened little animal.

“If something happens to my partner, you will have to prepare yourself.”

Thinking the same thing would have happened to Cecia, Roman became angry. He was too careless. He didn’t think Prillance would mess with Cecia. To think he actually thought Prillance had changed.

Even now he was looking at her with glaring eyes. Just when the anger was about to be released toward her –

And just as Prillance closed her eyes, expecting the frightening energy of his anger to hit –

“Excuse me.”

It was a pleasant, familiar voice, but it was a voice that wasn’t supposed to be here. Before the questions in her head were answered, Prillance’s body was pushed back slightly.

And she saw a broad back in front of her. It was a warm, familiar back. Even just by looking at it, she felt warmth. She felt swept away by her emotions.

“Viscount Grant.”

Standing between Roman and Prillance, Ver placed her behind him. He calmly looked at Roman.

Ver’s hand stretched back slightly, like a knight protecting a damsel. Giving all his attention toward them, Roman’s eyes fleeted back and forth between the both of them.

‘It doesn’t seem like an unrequited love.’

Those were his thoughts while looking at Ver’s eyes. His eyes, facing Roman, were calm. But in those eyes, Roman saw a man who was determined to protect what was his.

“My partner was not feeling well, so I had to come forward.”

Ver spoke first as he faced Roman.

“Your partner today is Lady Weiand?”

“Yes.”

He admitted without hesitation. The two’s eyes seemed to be clashing. Ver was once again considerate toward her and even told Roman she was his partner. Prillance grasped her hem slightly. She felt that if she didn’t hold on to something, her tears might spill.

“If you are done dancing, I will take the Lady with me.”

Ver, who felt Prillance’s movement, told Roman. He also wanted to get Prillance quickly out of here.

“I still need to hear Lady Weiand’s answer to my question.”

Roman was also unhappy with the situation as they were at the center of everyone’s attention. But his partner’s safety came first.

With Prillance’s temper, he didn’t know where Cecia would be at the moment or what could have happened to her.

At Roman’s words, Prillance suddenly remembered Cecia. And the fact that the person who she was trying to set Cecia up with was right in front of her eyes.

‘Where did Cecia go?’

When the party began, Prillance asked a servant to deliver a note to Duke Tonz’ partner. And when she saw that Cecia wasn’t next to Roman, she had thought the note had been delivered properly.

However, Ver was somehow here.

“Later…”

“Duke.”

It was a thin but captivating voice. Standing there was Cecia. Cecia walked toward Roman cautiously. However, her eyes were on Ver. It was the same with Ver.

“Ce…”

Ver couldn’t finish calling her name. Roman pulled Cecia toward him, as if to claim ownership.

“I was looking for you.”

Roman carefully examined Cecia, who became flustered at his sudden actions but couldn’t push out of his arms. Although her slightly red eyes indicated she might have cried, overall, she seemed fine.

‘Has nothing happened?’

Prillance was the reason his partners disappeared. And none of them ever returned in good shape.

But today his partner came back unscathed. Was it not Prillance? Then why did she react that way?

Roman’s mysterious gaze turned to Prillance.

“……!”

Prillance, who saw the three facing each other, looked as if she was about to cry. It was the face of someone trying to hold back terrible pain.

What was so heartbreaking, all of a sudden? Was it because of his partner, or because of the appearance of these pair of pitiful lovers?

While thinking so, Roman’s hand holding Cecia slowly loosened. Prillance was wearing an expression he had never once seen on her, but it seemed Prillance herself was unaware of it.