Chapter 44

Watching Bihor’s retreating back, Sophia continued.

“It’s hard to tell just by appearances, but no matter how I look at it, there are definitely some dirty corners to him. He’s not a good person. He’s the kind who gets carried away by flattery and empty dreams, surrounded by sycophants and show-offs. Maybe only those who’ve received flattery themselves know how to give it—he’s quick-witted when it comes to sucking up.”

“…….”

“He saw the Grand Duke fall apart and came right over to us. After all, we’re the ones closest to the Emperor.”

It was rumored, but Sophia was the Emperor’s prospective fiancée, and Diana was his closest aide. Among the nobles who had anticipated a confrontation between Kahil and Irene, and Evan and Sophia, Bihor had acted the fastest.

“Anyway, I don’t like it. The way he s*cks up so obviously, and all that talk about the future Empress and children who look just like us—none of it.”

“I spoke with him for the first time today, but I agree, he didn’t leave a good impression.”

Diana agreed with Sophia. Still, she tilted her head. Baron Gam’s family… The name seemed familiar, as if she’d seen it somewhere before.

She was sure she’d seen it in some document. Not in the office, though. So then…

“Diana! Sophia!”

“……!”

Startled by the voice from behind, Diana turned around. Kahil was standing there, smiling.

“What are you two doing? I want to join the conversation too.”

“Ah, um… Where did everyone else go?”

Just moments ago, nobles had crowded around Kahil, but now he was left alone.

“Yeah, everyone said they weren’t feeling well and left. Why are the capital nobles so fragile?”

“…….”

“I wanted to see how many fans I have, but everyone’s sick. Boring. So play with me, Diana.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m working right now. Maybe you could talk to some other nobles?”

“No. I don’t know any of their names or faces here. So come play with me, Diana. Or I’ll just play with my sword?”

“No, no. The sword is absolutely not allowed, Your Highness.”

Diana couldn’t let Kahil start swinging a sword in the middle of the ballroom again. While she tried to stop him, the music changed. It was the signal for another dance.

“Oh! Looks like it’s time for another dance! Great, let’s dance together, Diana.”

“What? But I’m not even wearing a dress…”

“So what? Just dance. Come on, let’s go.”

With Kahil being so pushy, Sophia joined in.

“I don’t think you can avoid this. Go on.”

“But…”

“Like His Highness said, so what? There’s no rule that says you must wear a dress to dance. Besides, this is part of your job, too.”

To keep the ballroom from descending into chaos, it seemed Diana had to dance. Sophia smiled and gave Diana a gentle push.

“Take this chance to enjoy the banquet for once. Go dance instead of me.”

“What about you? Not coming?”

“I’ve had enough with the first dance. Your Highness, please take good care of Diana.”

“No problem! Let’s go! Diana!”

Excited, Kahil led Diana to the center of the ballroom. As they entered to dance, all the nobles’ eyes were on them. Diana, trying to ignore the stares, awkwardly took her position.

“It’s been a while since I danced, so I might be clumsy.”

“That’s fine. I’ll lead!”

“…That’s so reassuring.”

Of course, Diana wasn’t reassured at all. Predictably, when the music began in earnest, the ones fumbling most were Diana and Kahil. Diana hadn’t danced in a long time, and Kahil’s skills were no better.

“Was I supposed to turn like this next? Like this?”

“You’re turning exactly the wrong way, Your Highness!”

The problem was Kahil moved confidently despite not knowing how to dance, and Diana struggled to keep up. And he was so strong—Diana spun round and round in his hands.

After several spins, Diana couldn’t tell if she was spinning or if the ballroom was spinning. When her mind finally cleared, she came to a sudden stop.

Huh?

Diana opened her eyes. Standing before her was not Kahil, but another man. The first thing she noticed was the man’s blue eyes beneath his silvery-white hair.

While Diana had been dancing with Kahil, the music had changed, and so had her partner. She immediately recognized the man before her.

The Daian Dukedom’s young master. Aaron.

His face resembled Arthur’s so much they could be mistaken for each other. Aaron’s cool eyes locked onto Diana.

“Th-thank you.”

“…….”

Diana greeted him, but Aaron said nothing, moving in step with the music. Diana followed his lead. Unlike with Kahil, Aaron’s movements were precise and elegant.

Are the others gone, leaving only the representatives?

Arthur and Irene had already left the ballroom. Now, the only person from the Dukedom left was Aaron. He, too, danced with an expression that showed he wasn’t enjoying the event. The chilly atmosphere made Diana unable to say anything, so she focused on the dance.

Well, if he’s from the Daian Dukedom, he probably doesn’t think much of me either.

Just as the Daian Dukedom’s people were uncomfortable with Evan, Diana knew they’d look unfavorably on someone who worked at his side. Silence wrapped around them as they danced.

“……!”

Suddenly, Diana missed a step and stumbled. Aaron frowned.

“Are you not focusing on the dance?”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

It had been a long time since Diana danced, so she made mistakes. She refocused and kept dancing. The atmosphere was the complete opposite of what it had been with Kahil—heavy silence lingered. Time passed without her noticing.

Finally, the music ended. The two bowed slightly to each other, and that was it. Aaron didn’t even glance at Diana as he turned away.

Finally, it’s over.

Diana, who had also been waiting for the dance to end, sighed in relief. Both Kahil and Aaron were exhausting partners in different ways.

So, my last partner is…

The music for the final dance began. Diana turned to find her last partner. At the same time, she saw Evan approaching, and her eyes narrowed.

“…Your Majesty, are you my last dance partner?”

“Yes.”

Unlike the puzzled Diana, Evan calmly held out his hand. Diana, though baffled, took his hand.

“I thought I wasn’t supposed to be in a spot where I’d meet you, Your Majesty.”

“Yeah. So I changed it.”

“You really shouldn’t *buse your power like this, Your Majesty.”

After Kahil and Aaron, Evan was the last. Diana couldn’t relax for a moment, but at least she was used to dancing with Evan.

“It’s been a while since we danced. I think this is the first time since your coming-of-age ceremony.”

Diana had often danced with Evan since childhood, mostly as his practice partner.

“You used to ask me to practice because you weren’t confident in your dancing. Looks like it paid off—you’re good now.”

“I still can’t dance.”

“No, you’re great. When you danced with Sophia, you were practically flying.”

Evan was silent for a moment, unable to deny it, then spoke again.

“So why did you dance with the Grand Duke?”

“I had no choice. If I didn’t, he’d probably start swinging his sword in the ballroom again. I honestly didn’t plan to dance at all… But here we are.”

Diana hadn’t intended to attend the banquet as a guest, just to work as an aide. But she regretted mentioning the sword dance, knowing how much Evan disliked Kahil.

“Ah, but His Highness seemed to enjoy the banquet. I exaggerated about the sword dance, it was just a joke…”

“It’s fine. For today, the Grand Duke’s behavior wasn’t so bad.”

“Pardon?”

“He let me dance with my aide, after all.”