My gaze naturally fell upon the man standing at the top of the staircase at the far end of the hall, exchanging greetings with several guests.

Arsen Valcar was dressed in black-and-gold formal attire and had an imposing physique. He moved with perfect poise; not a single movement was out of place. He turned with effortless elegance.

His hair was blacker than black, as though it had swallowed the light, and his long, piercing eyes were cold beneath his brow. His straight, flawless nose and firmly set lips were neither thin nor full. His jawline was resolute rather than sharp, and the line extending from his neck to his shoulders was perfectly defined.

Instead of overwhelming him, his elaborate formal attire accentuated his air of restraint.

Standing there, he exuded an overwhelming presence that seemed to consume the surrounding atmosphere. Even the sight of him holding a wineglass was so perfect that he resembled the subject of a meticulously composed portrait. Looking at him explained why Judith had clung to him so desperately.

Arsen, engrossed in conversation, turned his head. Despite the considerable distance between us, his gaze immediately found mine, as though he had known precisely where I was all along.

Suppressing the urge to look away, I toyed with the glass in my hand. Everyone was watching, and it would not do to appear to be avoiding my own fiancé.

After finishing his conversation with his neighbor, Arsen descended the stairs and approached me. The guests parted to either side, clearing a path for him.

When he finally stopped in front of me, he spoke.

“I have kept you waiting.”

His voice was deep and resonant, crisp and clear, without the slightest hint of roughness. Perhaps traces of Judith’s emotions still lingered within me, because these unremarkable words affected me far more than they should have.

I put down my glass and forced a smile.

“Not at all. I only just arrived myself.”

Arsen’s gaze slowly moved from my hair to my face and then below my neck. Although he was examining every detail of my appearance, his gaze was so dispassionate that I did not find it unpleasant.

I straightened my posture. Judith would have been overjoyed to receive Arsen’s attention, but I found it nothing more than a burden.

“You look exceptionally beautiful tonight.”

Arsen said it as casually as though he were commenting on the weather. Thanks to his indifferent tone, I managed to answer calmly despite my nervousness.

“Thank you.”

Arsen picked up the glass I had abandoned after taking a sip and leisurely drank from it.

“Are you feeling all right?”

His lips touched the very spot where mine had left their mark.

‘Why did he do that?’

I was momentarily flustered, but quickly concealed my expression and asked,

“My health…?”

“You look rather pale.”

Arsen slowly swirled the glass in his hand.

‘What is this? Was he always considerate enough to say such things?’

I instinctively bit the inside of my lip. I was so bewildered that all my practice at concealing my emotions seemed to have been for nothing.

‘It must be because everyone is watching. No matter what, this is our first official appearance together.’

I barely managed to respond at the appropriate moment.

“I suppose I am a little nervous.”

“It is only natural to be nervous.”

Arsen’s gaze deepened as he studied me. I had expected him to coldly draw a line between us, but he did not.

‘Why does this feel so unsettling?’

A sense of unease washed over me. Arsen was subtly different from the man I knew.

“I should go and greet the other guests.”

Still confused, I offered the words as an excuse and turned away. The probing gaze directed at me made me uncomfortable.

“Judith.”

His low, subdued voice stopped me. I turned naturally, my body responding as though I had been called by that name for years. It left me with an uncanny feeling. Was this an instinct engraved into the body itself?

Still holding the glass, Arsen said,

“You would be better off remaining by my side tonight.”

What on earth was wrong with him? Why was he behaving differently from how he did in the original novel?

I studied his unreadable face quietly. I tried to convince myself that he just needed his fiancée there as a show of status, but something continued to bother me.

“Should I not greet the guests after all? Otherwise, people might start spreading unnecessary rumors.”

I looked towards the group of noblewomen gathered together. Because of her mother’s strict upbringing, Judith in the original novel had found it difficult to interact with noblewomen. The idea of approaching them first had been unthinkable, and even when they acknowledged her and came over, she would become so tense that she could barely speak, which often caused misunderstandings.

“There is no need to rush. They will come and greet you first.”

Arsen spoke as though there was no reason for me to worry. He wasn’t wrong. However, knowing the original story, I was concerned about how my behavior tonight might be perceived and discussed in the future.

For now, I was held in high regard because I was making my debut as the fiancée of one of the most powerful men in the Empire. But it was clear that circumstances would change over time. Even if I protected my reputation by using my knowledge of the original novel, ending the engagement would inevitably embroil me in scandal.

Therefore, I needed to ensure that people formed a favorable impression of me from the outset. Only then would I have any hope of living peacefully once the engagement was over.

“You wish to greet them.”

Arsen set down his glass and spoke as though he had seen straight through me. Once again, I was struck by an intense sense of incongruity. Arsen had never been someone who paid such close attention to Judith’s feelings.

‘Was it because the original story had only just begun? Or was I somehow remembering it incorrectly?’

Growing anxious, I took a fresh glass from an attendant passing by with a tray of drinks. I thought the alcohol might help calm my heart, which had begun racing from anxiety and tension.

“Then let us greet them together.”

Arsen naturally extended his arm. I stared at the firm arm before me with some reluctance.

‘I did not mean that I wanted us to greet them together.’

I suppressed a sigh and placed my hand on his arm. I could clearly feel its firmness and warmth through the fabric, which made my mouth go dry for no apparent reason.

He began to lead me through the hall. The guests bowed one after another, greeting us with far more blatant curiosity than before.

Their gazes varied. Some held envy and admiration, while others brimmed with resentment and jealousy.

Arsen dealt with each guest effortlessly. I forced a smile that ached my jaw, doing my best to remember everyone I greeted. Until the day our engagement ended, I had to be the kind of fiancée who would never disgrace him, no matter where I went.

As we made our way through the crowd, I caught Arsen’s eye several times. Whenever someone addressed him, he responded only with what was necessary; his words were impeccably measured. Even when he smiled, he merely curved his lips for a moment, showing no unnecessary emotion.

But he treated me differently. Whenever the crowd pushed me back and I faltered, he supported me with his strong arm. Although no one else would have noticed, I could not mistake his consideration.

‘This is driving me insane.’

Whenever I noticed how different Arsen was, I felt increasingly anxious and overwhelmed.

Perhaps my nerves had become oversensitive. The mixture of perfumes and body odors wafting from the crowd made my throat constrict. The music and overlapping voices blended into a cacophony that made my temples throb.

Pretending nothing was wrong, I lowered my gaze to the glass in my hand. Judith seemed to have little tolerance for alcohol.

‘What should I do?’

I bit the inside of my lip hard. My vision had not blurred, but the guests’ faces seemed to drift closer and then recede. The corset constricting my body felt far more suffocating than before.

“Judith?”

I flinched sharply at Arsen’s voice. His dark-green eyes were fixed on me.

“Are you all right?”

“……”

I tried to answer, but my lips refused to move. The insides of my cheeks burned, and the strength began draining from my body, starting at my toes.

“……I am fine……”

My belated reply emerged in a faint tremble. He smoothly took the glass from my hand.

“You should rest for a while.”

“No, I am fine.”

“Are you truly all right? At this rate, I believe everyone will soon realize that you are not.”

Arsen’s words left me lightheaded. As my surroundings began to sway slowly, I tightened my grip on his firm arm.

“Then… shall we rest for a moment?”

If I stubbornly endured and made a mistake in front of everyone, it would only create a greater problem.

“Let us.”

Arsen changed direction. I assumed we were heading toward the terrace, but we were not. Lowering my voice so no one else would overhear, I asked,

“Where are we going?”