Chapter 24

“How can this be!”

Ben yelled in a livid tone. In his quaking hands was a letter.

Both Duke Tonz and Viscount Royne had been planning to announce the engagement at the imperial ball. In preparation, in order to wear a much gorgeous dress and jewelry than anyone else, he had to get them transported this early. However, for some time Duke Tonz had held a leisurely stance, and now, a letter even came to delay the announcement of the engagement.

“I’ve heard Lady Weiand has been going in and out of Duke Tonz’s residence lately……”

At the words of their butler, Reese, Ben clenched the piece of paper before crumpling it. It was the daughter of Marquis Weiand, famous for her ardent love for Duke Tonz. From Ben’s point of view, other than her high rank, she was no better than Cecia.

“You can’t be like that. For now, I will prepare lavishly.”

Ben thought as he banged the table with his fists.

“What is the progress on the packages?”

“They expressed that it is going smoothly. They also relayed that most of the packages have been transported.”

“What about Ralph?”

“He is still working. He will be meeting you on the day of the imperial ball.”

Ben’s hand, which had been knocking on the table, soon stopped. Then, he hurriedly wrote two letters.

“One to the person remaining here in the empire. The other to Ralph.”

The world had always changed rapidly. And Ben was thoroughly prepared for whichever direction it may go.

“Keep reporting the progress for the situation to me afterward. Cecia’s preparation for the imperial ball must be left to the most expensive jeweler and the most prominent dress designer. They have to be the best. The cost does not matter.”

“I understand.”

Ben’s motto was to make something happen even if one way doesn’t work.

“That’s right. I will make it happen no matter what.”

With his fingers crossed, he wore a satisfied smile.

“Since your father is busy, it would be better to return at a later time.”

Cecia, who brought tea to give to Ben himself, eventually failed to knock on the door and handed it back to the maid. She knew her father was nervous. So she couldn’t interrupt their conversation. Moreover, based on her father’s reactions, things did not seem to be going very well.

“I’ve heard Lady Weiand has been going in and out of Duke Tonz’s residence lately……”

She recalled what she had heard outside the door. The reason was Prillance Weiand. A woman with a reputation for fervently pining after Duke Tonz. And a woman who had played with both Ver and her own heart.

Cecia grasped the hem of her dress.

***

Roman’s hand reached Prillance. Prillance’s body flinched.

“You are already this unnerved after just one touch; do you really think practicing with another man will help make it better?”

Facing each other, the two raised their hands and started to form circles with those hands. With a playful smile, Roman was watching Prillance.

“My body just moved on its own.”

As his face was at a fairly close distance, Prillance looked down.

Roman nodded, thinking of the time when he vented his anger on Prillance. It was his fault. From the day she received his anger, he remembered that she would instinctively step back whenever they stood facing each other.

At the time, it was amusing to see her be afraid of him, but now he didn’t feel that way. On the contrary, he was a little dissatisfied with Prillance, who danced with him but did not even meet his eye.

“Ah.”

When Roman, who was quietly dancing, suddenly stopped, Prillance naturally halted and stared at him.

“There is a more effective way.”

With a mischievous smile on his face, Roman approached Prillance. As they naturally stood facing each other, Roman drew her hand closer. He saw her eyes widen.

“Wouldn’t you get used to it sooner if we danced more closely?”

When Prillance naturally took a step back, Roman encircled her waist and drew it back to its original position.

No, rather, it got much closer. Both his gaze and body were too close for comfort.

“When you dance, it is proper manners to look at your partner.”

Roman grasped Prillance’s chin.

“Similar to now.”

When Prillance met his eyes, Roman smiled. The smile was gentle and held no malice. As it was the first time she saw such a smile from him, Prillance could not help but stare blankly at his face.

Until now, he was someone who smiled only when Prillance was frightened or intimidated. It was the first time Roman had smiled at herself this way.

‘Ah, you were such a handsome man after all.’

She suddenly thought. For Prillance, she had never thought of Roman as anything other than someone to be wary of, someone to be feared, or someone to argue with.

Prillance recognized that he was handsome by virtue of being the main character in the novel, but even then, it never really appealed to her.

“How sad would it be if my partner doesn’t even look at me.”

Afterward, she felt sorry. That was why Prillance lowered her head and did not see through to the end of Roman’s smile. Just when Roman was about to ask about the thoughtful frown she held-

“Have you notified Lady Royne about who your partner will be?”

Roman sensed that Prillance was asking very carefully. He was going to probe her on why she had asked such a question, but he ended up not asking. Instead, he just confirmed.

“Then……do you perhaps know who Lady Royne’s partner is?”

She surmised it would be Ver, but she still wanted to check. Prillance’s question remained unanswered for a long moment. The longer the silence, the more uncomfortable she grew.

“Do you want it to be Viscount Grant?”

After beats of silence, Roman finally pressed. He read her answer as Prillance looked at him in astonishment. At that moment, a strange idea struck him.

“You must have been close to Viscount Grant. Is that why you want it to work out?”

“……That’s right.”

Prillance frankly admitted after Roman deliberately gave her a hand-wringing question. She didn’t know that her answer only made his assumptions clearer.

Even as Roman considered it further, the Prillance he knew shouldn’t have been this way. Normally, the way she showed affection wasn’t like this.

Then, a thought crossed his mind.

‘That’s absurd.’

Denying that little possibility, Roman became surprised at how he himself put effort to reject the idea.

“I think we should end our practice here.”

Roman became a little disconcerted at the realization that he might have wanted something other than business with ‘that Prillance’. Hence, he excused himself first, leaving Prillance in the hall. Prillance felt sorry that Roman was yet to organize his feelings about Cecia.

The main character in this novel was Roman. It was Prillance who was interfering with his life, which would have originally been tied to Cecia. However, this was all she could do to make Ver happy. So, as Roman said, it was only right that she does her best to be his partner.

Nevertheless, she found that she thought of this too lightly.

How she was taking away his fated woman from him.