“Eve said she’s going to another banquet tomorrow?”

“It’s unusual for her to attend more than the first day.”

Regaining his composure, Penchev stood up, reverting to his proper butler demeanor. He meticulously covered Lysith with a blanket before leaving the room, taking one last look at the interior before closing the door.

* * *

“Ugh…”

Just like last time, she was scrubbed and dressed up meticulously and only managed to attend the banquet late in the afternoon. The thought of having to keep doing this was unbearable. The young ladies in this romance fantasy world were clearly out of their minds.

This time, the servant at the door unfortunately announced her name, causing stares that pricked her skin.

Suppressing the urge to run to a corner, she scanned the room for the Master of the Magic Tower, who had told her to attend.

Just as she thought he might not have arrived yet, she heard a voice calling her.

“Ah, you’re here.”

“You came early.”

“I didn’t know when you’d arrive, so I decided to come a bit early.”

The owner of the voice was, of course, Ashites.

In fact, there were hardly any others who would easily approach her.

[Passive: The Melancholy Of A Divorced Woman (ON)]

A quick glance at the system window showed that the passive skill she had activated upon entering was still on.

Although his seemingly kinder demeanor felt strange, Lysith decided not to make a fuss. It was likely due to the passive skill, and if he treated her kindly, it would be beneficial for her in many ways.

“Look over there.”

“Oh my…”

“The Lady and the Master of the Magic Tower…”

The curious whispers and glances questioned their relationship. The attention was similar to when she first entered, but the content was entirely different.

It made sense; the Master of the Magic Tower usually made a brief appearance on the first day of banquets and then disappeared like the wind.

But this time, not only did he attend the third day, but he also approached the former Grand Duchess and spoke to her quite courteously. It was enough to spark curiosity among the socialites.

“What could it be? Could the Master of the Magic Tower be her partner for remarriage?”

“It seems possible, gasp!”

“Gasp…”

The excited nobles quickly fell silent and glanced around nervously. Lysith, noticing the shift in attention, turned her head and saw a pair of ice-cold eyes staring at her from a distance.

“……”

“……”

Their eye contact lasted only a moment. Lysith quickly looked away and continued her conversation.

“You said you’d give me the necklace.”

“Is it precious to you?”

“Didn’t you bring it?”

“Who knows.”

“It’s not that precious.”

Ashites scrutinized her face before extending his hand.

“Dance.”

“Dance?”

“If you dance with me, I’ll return it.”

Lysith had nothing to lose. Dancing with the Master of the Magic Tower, whom even the Emperor couldn’t easily command, was beneficial.

She looked at his outstretched white hand and then met his differently colored eyes. One black, the other gold, matching his hair. Strangely, unlike two days ago, his gaze seemed to carry a faint warmth. She placed her hand on his.

Immediately, he gripped her hand firmly, smiling as he escorted her with uncharacteristic politeness.

The spectators, who were more familiar with his usual demeanor, were more surprised than Lysith. Among the murmuring crowd, a man dressed in all black stood out, maintaining his silence.

Despite being so conspicuous, Lysith didn’t feel like looking at him, and Ashites acted as if the man didn’t exist.

In this world of magic, a recording device played a graceful melody instead of a live band. As soon as they assumed the basic dance position, a slow polka ended, and a waltz began.

All Lysith had was a bit of memory and instinctive movements. She thought she might dance better than him, but surprisingly, his dancing skills were excellent.

His steps and timing perfectly matched the flowing music.

“You dance well.”

“You didn’t think I could?”

“Honestly, no. You don’t attend often.”

“Even so, I should be able to do this much.”

He was exceptionally good, but Lysith kept her mouth shut. As the song progressed, she felt they were getting closer, though it might have been her imagination.

She tried to scatter her gaze while moving her feet, but Ashites suddenly leaned in close.

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“You should look at your dance partner, not elsewhere.”

As he spoke, Ashites subtly shifted to block something black from her view. But Lysith hadn’t been looking at that man in the first place, so she didn’t notice.

During a twirl, Ashites pulled her closer by the waist, continuing to dance closely afterward. Unable to hold back, Lysith was about to speak, but Ashites beat her to it.

“I’m gauging something, so stay still.”

“Gau…”

She swallowed the words, ‘Gauging what?’

It was because she felt something… touching her through the thin dress she wore due to the warm weather.

“C-Crazy, you’re crazy…”

Realizing what it was, her face turned red. Ashites leaned down and whispered in her ear.

“So, you need to cooperate.”

“How can you…”

“You’re wondering how it’s possible in this situation…”

Their intimate, high-stakes conversation made them appear like lovers exchanging sweet nothings to the onlookers. Anyone could see they were a couple!

What’s even more shocking was, the lady who seemed devoted to the Grand Duke was now in the arms of another man, blushing and whispering.

Despite their excitement, the onlookers couldn’t ignore the Grand Duke’s reaction.

He usually only attended the first day, so why was he here today? More surprisingly, the man who had neglected his wife was now staring intently at her as she danced beautifully.

His blatant gaze was shocking, but the lady seemed completely uninterested in her ex-husband.

Witnessing this, everyone swallowed dryly. It seemed they found something entertaining.

They thought realizing one’s feelings after a divorce only happened in cheap novels, but it seemed possible in reality too.

“……”

Dietrich forgot to blink, staring at the fluttering pale pink dress. And the woman wearing it.

Lysith Clonair… that was her name.

Her face, blushing while whispering to another man, was familiar. It was the face she often showed when she was with him.

Her affectionate gaze and flushed cheeks had originally been directed at him, not this man.

Whether she knew it or not, she didn’t spare him a single glance, even though he had been watching her all along.

So, was it true…

Was it true that she no longer loved him, as she had said?

If it were true, he should feel relieved, but he didn’t. Instead, he felt a strange sense of suffocation.

Lost in thought, he saw the waltz end, and the two, who had separated for the final bow, quickly rejoined. Initially, they seemed to embrace, then moved toward the terrace with him holding her from behind.

Ashites, known for his stoic demeanor, was smiling broadly, which was annoying.

As they headed to the terrace, Ashites met his gaze, seemingly taunting him.

Following them quietly, Dietrich reached for the door. Entering a curtained terrace was extremely rude, but he didn’t care.

He wanted to ask them directly if what they were saying was true.

If it was false, he would rescue his ex-wife from an unpleasant situation, as any gentleman should.

As he placed his hand on the doorknob, the sounds from the terrace reached his ears.

“Why are you doing this…!”

“Who’s… responsible…”

“What… uh…”

“……”

“Uh…”

There were no more words.

Only the clear sounds of a man and woman sharing breaths could be heard.

Feeling as if someone had hit him on the back of the head, he lowered his hand, and the sounds stopped as if it were a lie.

Even though there was nothing more to hear, he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

* * *

What Dietrich saw was slightly exaggerated.

“Are you really in your right mind?”

“I am in my right mind.”

“No, no. So what are you going to do?”

“Let’s go to the terrace after the dance.”

He’s really not in his right mind… Even though he said he was, Lysith shook her head in denial. Ashites whispered in her ear again.

“Being close to you reminded me of two days ago. I couldn’t help it.”

“Two days ago, ha…”

“Wow, the lady sighed, so now…”

“Please be quiet.”

The waltz, which she wished would never end, finally concluded. Half out of her mind, she exchanged greetings and then clung to Ashites as they moved to the terrace, trying to make it look as natural as possible.

Even though their distance was close enough to be mistaken for lovers, it was better than letting everyone see the bulge in his important area from dancing. She could have ignored it, but she had a sense of empathy and, most importantly, if others saw what happened while dancing with her…

‘How horrifying…!’

Meanwhile, Ashites, who was moving with her to the terrace, seemed relaxed despite his excitement.

He had reason to be; he was wearing a white robe again today.

In her narrow focus on handling the situation, Lysith didn’t realize that there was no need to go this far.