Selina couldn’t refuse his invitation to dance. Even if she hadn’t been feeling well, she knew—as the Marchioness had so often reminded her—that declining the very first dance at a ball was considered a grave rudeness. No matter how jumbled the steps felt in her mind, she had no choice but to take Waldemar’s hand and let him lead her out to the center of the ballroom.

‘What do I do? Can I make it through without making a mistake?’

Her mouth went dry with nerves. At least, by some stroke of luck, the music shifted from a bright, lively waltz to a slower, more graceful melody as the pair took their places.

‘If the tempo is calm, it’ll be harder to trip over my feet. As long as I stay focused, I can get through this.’

Standing face-to-face with Waldemar, Selina let herself be gently guided into the first steps as the music began. She couldn’t help but wonder: how had she ended up dancing with a stranger—a man she had just met?

The fact that he was a commander, a man of high rank and reputation, made her all the more curious about his reasons for seeking her out.

‘A commander… That means he’s a general, right? Someone who leads on the battlefield…’

It made sense. After all, her own husband, Calix, was also a man of the sword—an experienced leader who had spent much of his life at war. Even though they’d once stood on opposite sides, the war was over now. Peace—and new alliances—were being forged.

‘He must simply want to get closer, now that I’m the Grand Duke’s wife. That must be all it is.’

That thought did little to settle her nerves. If Waldemar asked her to arrange a meeting with Calix, or tried to draw her into political conversation—what would she do?

The truth was, she and Calix had barely spoken, much less acted like a true couple. They’d only just decided to try and be good spouses to one another, but even that felt uncertain and undefined.

‘If he asks me for help in meeting Calix, I’ll have to refuse. Not directly, of course. I’ll have to find a gentle way to deflect. Maybe I’ll say that I’m still learning about Thalia and that it’s all a bit overwhelming, and suggest that we talk again another time.’

While Selina ran through possible questions and her ideal answers in her mind, Waldemar smoothly led her through the first turns of the dance.

“Madam.”

Waldemar spoke, breaking his silence for the first time since the dance began.

“Y-Yes?”

‘Here it comes…’

Selina braced herself, ready to give one of the polite, well-rehearsed answers she’d prepared for whatever question was coming. But the question that emerged was entirely unexpected.

“We met once before, in the Marquis’s garden. Do you remember me?”

“The… garden?”

“Yes. It was about a month ago.”

Selina searched her memory anxiously. She couldn’t recall ever meeting this man among her father’s guests. She shook her head, still unable to place him.

Waldemar smiled faintly, as if he’d anticipated her response.

“Of course, you wouldn’t remember. I was the only one who saw you.”

“Oh…”

‘One month ago? When was that…’

Had he perhaps witnessed her being scolded by the Marchioness? Selina felt a stab of worry, but Waldemar soon clarified the moment he referred to.

“The Marquis seemed to dote on his daughter quite a lot that day.”

Selina managed an awkward, embarrassed smile.

“Yes, Father… he does have a habit of that.”

‘Though how anyone could mistake his possessiveness for affection was beyond her.’

After reminiscing about that first, unnoticed encounter, Waldemar’s expression turned grave. His voice softened, but carried a weight of sincerity as he cautioned her,

“Your days in Thalia will be nothing like what you’ve known here.”

“I… I’m prepared for that.”

Selina’s voice was quiet yet certain. She remembered all too well what she had faced the previous night at the Thalian camp, when nobody welcomed her and she became the target of mockery. She had no illusions that being recognised as the Grand Duchess would suddenly make her life better.

“So please, remember this one thing.”

With a wry smile, Waldemar leaned in and whispered softly into Selina’s ear.

“You remind me of a little rabbit, Madam.”

“…Pardon?”

Given his serious expression, she had expected important or serious advice. However, the words that came out were so outlandish that she wondered if she had misheard.

“Rabbits are cute, yes. But they are also incredibly resilient. No matter where they end up, they survive—often far longer than anyone expects.”

Selina, who’d only ever seen rabbits in storybooks, found this description entirely new.

“But that’s why I believe you’ll be just fine, Madam.”

Somehow, knowing his words came from genuine concern for her well-being filled her with a strange sense of comfort.

As the music ended, Waldemar lifted her hand and pressed a polite kiss to her gloved knuckles.

“No matter how intimidating Thalia may seem, endure it. Until you can return home.”

His words sounded almost like a plea, though he spoke so quietly she barely caught them.

“Thank you, Commander.”

Selina replied, offering him a warm, genuine smile. In truth, she was too overwhelmed by her relief at having made it through the dance without making a single mistake to pay much attention to anything else. She didn’t notice that countless pairs of eyes in the ballroom had been watching her and Waldemar intently throughout their dance.

Nor did she realise that Calix Silas was boring holes in her with his gaze amid those stares, reading every flicker of emotion on her face.

‘What on earth is going on…?’

After finishing her dance with Waldemar, Selina quietly returned to where she’d been standing, expecting she’d finally be able to spend the rest of the night in peace.

But things didn’t go as she expected.

“Greetings to the new Grand Duchess. I’m the Countess of Austin.”

“And I am the wife of General Jenner. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

For the first time in her life, Selina found herself swarmed by people she’d never met—each one eager to introduce themselves to Thalia’s new duchess.

She let out an anxious sigh as she looked at the mountain of invitations stacked before her.

[If you have time before you leave for Thalia, you must visit with His Grace the Grand Duke!]

There were so many invitations that it was almost overwhelming. She couldn’t bring herself to turn any down, so she accepted them all, even though she knew there was no way Calix would ever attend such events with her.

“…I should probably just send polite refusals, shouldn’t I?”

“It seems I’ve left you alone for far too long.”

A low voice sounded behind her, followed by the familiar weight of an arm settling around her shoulders.

Startled, Selina stiffened, even though she knew exactly who it was.

“Were you terribly lonely while I was away?”

Calix slid into the seat beside her and met her gaze.

Now, when he pretended to worry about her, it was hard to believe he truly meant it.

“I was fine.”

“Good. It seems you’ve had plenty of company, anyway.”

Was he watching her while she mingled with others? A hopeful thought flickered in Selina’s chest as she glanced up at him. But Calix’s gaze was fixed on the pile of invitations, not on her.

Most likely, he’d only noticed after seeing the mountain of cards.

“We’ll be leaving for Thalia tomorrow. If you’ve received all these invitations, it might be good to accept at least a few before we go.”

He idly picked up one of the envelopes and continued.

“It also looked like you rather enjoyed dancing.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. You looked happy out there.”

He must have seen her dance with Waldemar.

‘Then he must have also noticed how awkward and unpracticed I was…’

Although she hadn’t made any major errors, she certainly moved as though she were dancing for the first time. The thought of Calix seeing her clumsy moves made her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

“There’s still some time left before the ball ends.”

Calix glanced toward the couples dancing in the center of the ballroom before turning to her.

“Would it be all right if I asked you for a dance as well?”

He extended his hand to Selina, his gesture graceful and inviting—as if all she needed to do was take it.

But looking down at his elegantly outstretched hand, Selina’s heart filled with dismay.

‘I’m not a good dancer…’

And besides, the song currently playing was the very one she had always fumbled through during her dance lessons—the one that had earned her the harshest scolding.

Staring at his offered hand, Selina hesitated and shook her head.

“I-it’s all right. I’m a bit tired tonight.”

“…Is that so?”

A single brow arched as Calix processed her gentle refusal. But Selina, more concerned with saving herself from further embarrassment in front of so many people, failed to notice the hint of disappointment in his gaze.

“I should probably be going soon anyway. And…”

She lifted her violet eyes and met his gaze, her voice soft but resolute.

“I… I already danced the first song.”

“Ah.”

She meant that she had already danced the opening waltz, and declining to dance the next one was not intended as an insult to him. However, Calix interpreted her words differently.

‘So, you shared your first dance with another man and now you’re too tired to dance with me?’

Ultimately, his decision was made for reasons that even he could not quite explain.

“In that case, we won’t bother with any more social gatherings. We’ll leave for Thalia straight away. You look exhausted.”

With that, Calix quietly changed his mind about the parties he’d originally planned to attend.