Under everyone’s watchful eyes, they shared the first dance.

Holding the man’s hand, Hyacinth stepped lightly. Her partner, who naturally had good motor skills, exhibited perfect dance moves despite confessing he had rarely danced.

The moment was perfect.

It was so flawless that she wondered if a more perfect moment without a single speck or flaw could exist. Explicit admiration and faintly jealous gazes poured in.

She was the flower of Tyche, and the well-dressed Duke was undoubtedly a beautiful butterfly.

Under the chandelier’s light, they spun around holding hands. Half-embraced in the man’s arms, Hyacinth initially glanced around.

Her uncle and aunt looked pleased. Her cousins watched with complex expressions. Diane smiled brightly, and…

The dowager duchess of Trisel had a somber face.

Quickly averting her gaze to avoid grimacing, Hyacinth now looked up at the man holding her waist.

While she had been looking elsewhere, Ethan Erentis seemed to have been watching only her. The moment she met his gaze, it was clear.

His ash-gray eyes up close.

As always, it was the melancholy of winter. Thus, he seemed sorrowful.

What story does tonight’s most splendid protagonist have to look so forlorn? Hyacinth stared for a long time, and Ethan Erentis did not avoid her gaze.

It felt like a story was being conveyed beyond their clasped hands.

The man’s heartbeat was loud. It was distinctly louder than hers. The grown man’s pronounced Adam’s apple kept moving up and down.

One turn, two turns…

As the dance continued, they didn’t take their eyes off each other. Though she couldn’t read anything substantial from those ash-gray eyes, Hyacinth kept looking. Perhaps because of that, the man who had been exploring her green eyes eventually looked away as if surrendering. He bit his lip while looking at the floor, not at others.

A gesture of despair.

Maybe because of their similar color, it reminded her of a dying swan. But unlike the bird, desperately fighting off imminent death, the Duke looked like he would willingly die.

Having lived a rather arduous life, it was understandable. Hyacinth quietly contemplated the time the man had lived through. Although it might seem like a glamorous life on the surface, he certainly knew the feeling of being humiliated by others.

Pitiful.

Hyacinth quickly swallowed the word.

When the dance was about to end, the man’s arm around her waist seemed to tighten slightly. The same was true of their clasped hands.

But Ethan Erentis, instead of stubbornly refusing to let her go, released her more easily than expected. It was so brief that it made Hyacinth wonder if the desperation she felt was false.

“…Thank you.”

Among the thunderous applause, the man whispered very softly. It was so earnest that it was hard to believe it was just a thank you for a dance.

* * *

After the dance, when she returned to the main table to satisfy her hunger, Caleb was grinning annoyingly. Even the usually serious Benjamin nodded with a strange expression.

“Why are you nodding?”

“Why do you think?”

“Why are you nodding, brother!”

“Hmm.”

Benjamin sighed the way he did when he finally collected old books. Caleb kept smirking, so Hyacinth stomped on his foot.

“The Duke was dressed well, wasn’t he?”

Suddenly, Arthur, who had approached right next to her, offered a grape while putting an arm around her shoulder.

“So, my sister. That was my gift to you.”

“Huh?”

“Your partner can’t look shabby, can he? So this cousin of yours made a big decision and kidnapped the Duke to spruce him up.”

So you were the culprit.

Come to think of it, there was no way the dowager duchess would have dressed the Duke so well. And Ethan Erentis would never have dressed up on his own.

“But he was surprisingly willing to be kidnapped?”

“…”

“Why do you think he allowed himself to be kidnapped?”

Arthur joined Caleb in mocking her. Hyacinth let out a deep sigh and committed the audacious act of stepping on the crown prince’s foot.

Normally, she would show some respect to Crown Prince Arthur, but not now. The Crown Prince was just too annoying.

After a satisfying revenge, she glanced around the banquet hall and saw that the Duke of Trisel was still watching her.

They had danced the first dance.

There was no reason to continue dancing with him.

After a brief contemplation, Hyacinth decided she should silence the gossips. As she rose from her seat and walked towards the floor, a few perceptive young lords quickly asked her for a dance.

Hyacinth gladly accepted.

* * *

A lady bravely asked the Duke for a dance, but he firmly refused. His response was so swift that it seemed almost indifferent.

“The Duke of Trisel keeps looking at you.”

“Huh?”

“He keeps looking at you, whether you notice it or not.”

Diane whispered in Hyacinth’s ear.

Despite his persistence, Ethan Erentis did not ask her for another dance.

Even until the banquet finally came to an end.

* * *

A rumor can ignite with just one person’s feelings. Tyche was ablaze with excitement, thanks to the unwavering gaze the Duke showed at the banquet.

They were a perfectly matched pair, so much so that it was a pity the lady’s reaction was indifferent.

Silver and red. Summer and winter. Light and darkness. Color and monochrome.

When a noble lady exclaimed how well they complemented each other because of their contrasts, everyone around agreed.

However, despite the rumors surrounding them, the Duke of Trisel took no action. Even though the rumors could easily lead to marriage if used wisely.

Likewise, the Lady of Laurel showed no particular reaction.

It was as if there was no difference between the suitors who had approached her before and the Duke of Trisel now.

No matter how young, handsome, and skilled the Duke was, or how perfect his lineage was, it seemed he was not enough to captivate the flower of Tyche.

Some criticized Lady Laurel for being too arrogant,

while others defended her, saying she had every right to be.

But what can one do about feelings of attraction or lack thereof? Duke Trisel was drawn to Lady Laurel, but she was not drawn to him.

In truth, Tyche didn’t mind this outcome.

The tender unrequited love of a young man. Even if it didn’t come to fruition—perhaps because it didn’t—it was dramatic enough. It was a highly satisfying subject to watch from the sidelines.

However, the gossips did not foresee that the rumor, which remained as a ‘smoldering ember,’ would flare up dramatically.

Neither Hyacinth Hener, the main protagonist,

nor Ethan Erentis, the other main protagonist, expected it.

The one who poured strong fuel on the rumor was Duchess Bridget Erentis.

One afternoon, a week after the jousting tournament,

Duchess Bridget Erentis suddenly visited the Lady of Laurel, Hyacinth Hener, and invited her to the North, to Bremlin.

And Lady Laurel accepted.

Despite always being indifferent to the Duke’s one-sided affection, it was a rather shocking move.

Ethan Erentis was as overwhelmed by this unexpected development as Tyche, who were shocked beyond belief. As soon as he heard the hint from the Crown Prince, he forgot even to express his gratitude and ran out of the training ground.

He rushed straight into Bridget Erentis’s room, where he found the red-haired woman sitting upright, sipping tea. The instigator of this chaos was alone and at peace.

“What is this about?”

“Why, when my stepson has found a woman he desires, isn’t it the mother’s duty to do her best to bring them together?”

“Are you finally losing your mind? I said I didn’t want this.”

“You’re making it too obvious, Ethan Erentis.”

Bridget Erentis replied in a sing-song voice.

It must have been so obvious for rumors to spread all over Tyche.

Even the stray cat that recently entered Hyacinth Hener’s bedroom would know about the Duke’s unrequited love.

“This is a purely innocent invitation, Ethan.”

“Do you take me for a fool?”

“If she means nothing to you, then it’s none of your business. I, as the mistress of Bremlin, am inviting an acquaintance. The right to invite doesn’t belong to you alone, my dear son.”

For a moment, a murderous look flashed in his gray eyes.

Bridget barely had time to sneer before Ethan, who had suddenly closed the distance, reached out his hand.

“Ugh…!”

Bridget, grabbed by the collar, let out a mocking laugh. She couldn’t help but sneer; it was truly laughable!

Ethan Erentis’s desperate threat.

His clumsy reaction was so ridiculous. How dare he claim he didn’t like her?

The more she thought about it, the more twisted she felt inside. It was irritating. Whether it was the young man openly fretting in front of her or the haughty girl who was indifferent, she didn’t know.

It was truly amusing.

Despite having the same red hair and similar build, Ethan Erentis fell for that childish girl.

Was it such a great emotion that it could overcome years of hatred?

“Cancel the invitation.”

“But the lady has already accepted. It would be rude to cancel now.”

“The summer in the North is particularly cold this year.”

He spat out his words through gritted teeth.

“It’s a cold that the lady of summer cannot endure.”

“Summer’s cold is still just summer’s cold. No matter how cold Bremlin is, its summer can’t be colder than Tyche’s winter.”

“So you won’t cancel?”

The murderous look in his eyes grew even stronger.

Anyone else would have flinched, but Bridget was used to it. He would just glare and do nothing as usual. Ethan Erentis, who always looked like he wanted to kill her, never actually did anything.

Whether it was concern for his reputation or a reluctance to commit the crime of killing a family member, she didn’t know. But Bridget made good use of it.

“I can’t. I have to protect my pride too, don’t I?”

She was smiling, daring him to try.

“Kuh!”

Her airway constricted sharply, causing intense pain. As the terror of suffocation approached, Bridget glared at the young man as if she would tear him apart. A vivid curse was about to burst out.

How laughable! That damn silver hair! Damn Trisel!

I taught you so that you would never understand anything.

Love, that damn trash, happiness, that fleeting emotion. I taught you to never feel those pretty but rotting candies.

That’s why I hate you all. I hate you so much it makes me tremble. You never understand me. And then you always choose another woman!

…Suddenly, the grip weakened.

* * *