Chapter 16

By chance, their gazes met, and Euphrasia was seized by an inexplicable feeling.  

At that moment, a warm breeze blew from somewhere, gently tickling the nape of her neck.  

“It does seem similar, truly. Perhaps it’s a rather common color.”  

Euphrasia rubbed the back of her neck with a bewildered expression.  

Strangely, her wariness toward the stranger had significantly diminished.  

It was a sudden shift in her emotions, so abrupt that she even felt a mysterious sense of familiarity.  

‘Did we really meet somewhere before?’  

Noticing the subtle softening of Euphrasia’s demeanor, a faint smile played on the man’s lips.  

“At least in our kingdom, it’s not a color you’d easily find. Are violet eyes more common in the Empire, by any chance?”  

“Hmm, I’m not sure. To be honest, I haven’t been very active in social circles.”  

Among the few people around her, there didn’t seem to be anyone with eye colors similar to hers.  

It was also true that she had never paid much attention to trivial details like the eye colors of others.  

The man, standing about a hand’s breadth away from her, belatedly adopted a courteous posture and bowed his head.  

“Come to think of it, I haven’t even introduced myself. Please forgive my many discourtesies. My name is Leopold. Leopold Bright. May I have the honor of asking for the your name?”  

“Euphrasia…”  

As she naturally began to reveal her name, Euphrasia hesitated and pressed her lips together, trailing off.  

‘Can I even use the name Olden?’  

She was still in a state of confusion.  

The bombshell that Devonie had dropped weighed heavily on her chest.  

After a brief deliberation, she realized it wasn’t a problem that could be resolved immediately.  

Sensing Euphrasia’s hesitation, Leopold smoothly shifted the atmosphere.  

“What a beautiful name. Euphrasia. That will suffice. Truly, surnames aren’t all that important.”  

She assumed his words were either nonsense or a polite attempt to gauge her mood, perhaps recalling the argument she had earlier at the banquet with Devonie.  

“Sometimes, it’s not a bad choice to let go of something as trivial as a surname, especially if it only serves to impose responsibilities and duties on you for the sake of your family.”  

Leopold’s words didn’t stop there.  

Surprisingly, in that moment, the heavy weight pressing down on Euphrasia’s chest seemed to lighten.  

She found herself comforted, even agreeing with his seemingly nonsensical remarks.  

“Thank you. That was comforting.”  

“It wasn’t my intention to comfort you, but I’m glad it helped.”  

Leopold added humorously, and Euphrasia smiled, her heart feeling noticeably lighter.  

“There was only one reason I placed you in the Count Olden family. It was to use you as a pawn to secure Isaac’s position by marrying you into a powerful family.”  

Devonie’s venomous words lingered in her mind.  

The shock of seeing the relationship she had built with the Count of Olden crumble in an instant was still fresh.  

However, if living as a tool solely for the family’s benefit meant being granted the surname Olden, then…  

She would rather refuse it. She could discard something like that without hesitation.  

Her softening wariness melted away entirely in an instant.  

In the warm atmosphere, Leopold’s gaze shifted to a shadow in the darkness not far behind Euphrasia.  

A figure had silently approached through the dimly lit garden and was observing them.  

As Euphrasia smiled faintly, the leaves in the darkness where the shadow stood trembled slightly.  

‘An uninvited guest?’  

Leopold turned his head and composed his expression as if he had seen nothing.  

Then, he naturally made a suggestion to Euphrasia.  

“Have you had enough fresh air? Allow me to escort you back.”  

The moment he extended his hand, the trembling of the leaves in the darkness grew more intense.  

Eric, who had been leaning against a large tree and overhearing their conversation, finally snapped the branch he was holding.  

A few trembling leaves scattered to the ground.  

It was purely by chance that he had discovered Euphrasia conversing with a strange man in the garden.  

Judging by the unique attire of the Kingdom of Kettlin, the man was undoubtedly one of their envoys.  

From his outfit to his expression, behavior, voice, and appearance—there was nothing about him that didn’t irritate Eric.  

‘Was this why I felt so uneasy?’  

How long had I been away?  

And yet, in that short time, she had left the banquet hall and was doing… what exactly?  

Eric had initially planned to take her away immediately, but that changed the moment he saw her smiling at the stranger.  

It was a smile she had never shown him before, and it felt unfamiliar.  

‘So, she can smile like that.’  

Bitterly, he thought her radiant smile was beautiful.  

If only that smile had been directed at me…  

Startled by the natural continuation of his thoughts, Eric’s eyes widened.  

Suddenly, an unfamiliar anger surged within him, directed at the man standing before Euphrasia.  

He didn’t realize that the clumsy emotion rising within him was jealousy.  

“Euph…”  

Unable to suppress his growing impatience, Eric was about to call her name when the man from the Kingdom of Kettlin extended his hand toward her.  

The word “escort” was clearly visible on his lips as they moved.  

The atmosphere between the two was undeniably pleasant.  

Would she remember what I had said to her before we departed, just before stepping into the carriage?  

Or, more importantly, would she honor my request not to interact with other men?  

‘Of course not.’  

Upon reflection, Eric realized she had never even responded to his suggestion in the first place.  

Coming to terms with the situation, Eric rose from the tree he had been leaning against.  

As the branch moved, a few precariously dangling leaves fell to the ground.  

By now, Eric’s expression had hardened considerably.  

His anger toward the stranger extended its tendrils toward Euphrasia as well.  

“Our first meeting was just like this. Pretending to be innocent while charming the first man you meet at a ball—your skills remain as sharp as ever.”  

His chest felt tight. The cruel words spilled out of his mouth on their own, but instead of relieving him, the suffocating sensation only grew worse.  

In the end, Eric fled the scene as if running away.  

He couldn’t bring himself to admit it, but he lacked the courage to witness her choice.  

‘Has he left?’  

Leopold glanced at the spot where the uninvited guest had been moments ago.  

He remained with his hand extended toward Euphrasia.  

“My Lady?”  

The wait was growing awkwardly long. Leopold raised his tone slightly, urging her gently.  

His voice carried a confidence that the situation was going exactly as he intended.  

“I’m sorry.”  

Her rejection was unexpected.  

“Have I inadvertently made you uncomfortable? I fear there’s been a misunderstanding; this is not an invitation to be my partner for the evening. It’s merely concern for your safety in the dark. I only wish to escort you to the banquet hall…”  

Leopold’s flustered explanation continued, but Euphrasia firmly shook her head.  

“That’s not it.”  

She thought of Eric.  

In many ways, he was undoubtedly a disconcerting presence.  

His unreadable face, his capricious and impulsive personality, and his overbearing attempts to control her.  

But the image of him that came to mind now was not one of the negative impressions she had grown accustomed to.  

“Remember that from now on, you are my partner. I’d prefer it if you avoided physical contact with other men.”  

“This is simply a matter of mutual respect, don’t you think? Of course, I also promise not to even glance at any other woman but you.” 

The voice, grumbling about respect for one’s partner, lingered in her ears.  

“I made a promise to my partner.”  

“A promise?”  

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t an obligation she had to keep. Yet, for some reason, she wanted to honor Eric’s request.  

Leopold furrowed his brow as he looked at her. He couldn’t quite grasp what this “promise” meant.  

However, Euphrasia didn’t offer him an explanation. Instead, she bowed her head gracefully and bid him farewell.  

“I enjoyed our conversation.”  

Leopold couldn’t stop her as she began to walk away.  

Standing frozen in place, he clenched his fist tightly.  

Then, a faint breeze seeped out from between his fingers.  

It was a power granted only to those blessed by the Wind Spirit, Sylph.  

Moreover, the ability to wield the power of spirits itself was proof of his royal lineage from the Kingdom of Kettlin.  

To be more precise, only a select few among Kettlin’s royal family could use the power of spirits, and only they were eligible to ascend the throne.  

‘I can’t be sure yet. Yes, there’s still time.’  

Though he had recklessly crossed into the Empire, he had no clue where to begin his investigation.  

Discovering Euphrasia had been a coincidence.  

Inside the banquet hall, when her stepmother-like figure had blurted out words hinting at “a secret birth,” Leopold had started watching her.  

And the moment he saw her violet eyes, it was as if lightning had struck his mind.  

Having organized his thoughts, Leopold left the scene without hesitation, his gaze complicated.  

***

At the same time.  

Euphrasia let out a sigh of relief as she entered the banquet hall.  

She had been somewhat worried about encountering Devonie again, but fortunately, she was nowhere to be found.  

It seemed she had realized her disgraceful behavior and had chosen to leave.  

The nobles’ insidious curiosity had also largely dissipated. Once the situation had settled, their interest had quickly waned.  

It was now the peak of the ball, the time when partners danced closely together, gliding across the spacious hall.  

‘Where is the Duke? Has he not arrived yet?’  

As the elegant melody of a waltz played, Euphrasia craned her neck, scanning her surroundings.  

Suddenly, her gaze stopped at the center of the hall.  

There, she saw Eric, holding the waist of the most regal-looking lady in the room, leaning in to listen to her whispers.