Merrien, who had tightly shut her eyes at the screams around her, quietly moved Ariel’s hand away as she heard their voices.

The situation had already concluded, and Forcite and Charlotte were standing close enough for their shoulders to nearly touch.

Merrien observed their behavior with sidelong glances.

Their natural eye contact and conversation. These weren’t things that could happen without an incredibly close relationship.

‘…Does this mean he has no lingering feelings for me now?’

A slight hint of expectation rose in Merrien’s eyes.

The suddenly fallen chandelier and Count Montina had already been erased from her mind. Perhaps because the Count wasn’t seriously injured.

However, she soon realized her thinking had been too naive.

Forcite, who was heading outside the banquet hall with Saint Charlotte saying he would personally escort Count Montina, suddenly turned his head.

His unwavering eyes fixed on Merrien.

“Ah, Saint Merrien. I have something to discuss with you, so please remain after the banquet ends.”

“…Pardon?”

Suddenly singled out, Merrien foolishly asked back, unable to express anything else.

What are you saying, Your Highness?

……This isn’t fair. Hadn’t we already concluded things properly before?

Though in truth, there was too much that needed to be said.

She could fire off dozens of sentences right now like a machine gun.

Merrien started to open her mouth but felt everyone’s eyes on her and promptly shut it again.

Meanwhile, Forcite, who had created this serious situation, had already leisurely walked out.

“……”

‘What on earth does he want to talk about….’

She wanted to hit her forehead hard and sigh, but she couldn’t even do that.

Even though the view wasn’t particularly wide.

Even as she tried to ignore them and stare straight ahead, she could clearly feel the nobles’ gazes.

And they were not ordinary stares.

The atmosphere turned cold in an instant.

“……Tch.”

Ariel, who had been smiling so much his face might have cramped, erased his expression and didn’t hide his displeasure.

That seemed to be the issue, as another wave of murmuring arose.

‘Ah, yes. Gossip all you want!’

I don’t care anymore!

When things have gotten to this point, it’s understandable.

‘When will I get close to Charlotte at this rate?’

Merrien naturally spoke the name of the original female protagonist as if they were already friends.

Now that she had given up on everything, all she could do was stare endlessly at the firmly closed banquet hall doors.

There were others who found this situation painful.

The banquet’s orchestra had only played briefly when the Emperor entered, and since then had only let out sighs like “ha” and “sss” while reading the room.

The conductor, unable to bear the chilly atmosphere any longer, finally gestured.

“……Oh well!”

The orchestra slowly began to play.

As if they had never shown such sharp glares, everyone now wore artificial smiles.

Though the situation seemed strangely manufactured, the atmosphere was gradually loosening up.

Perhaps that was fortunate. Just as Merrien caught her breath, a long, white, all too familiar, and beautiful hand extended before her.

“……?”

While she just stared at the suddenly offered hand, Ariel whispered in her ear.

“We should dance.”

“Huh?”

The ticklish breath made her ear hair stand on end, and she felt it vividly.

In her dazed state, Merrien could hardly hear his words properly.

“We agreed to dance, didn’t we?”

“…Now?”

‘Wait. In this situation?’

Finally coming to her senses, Merrien hurriedly looked around.

Though everyone pretended to be doing their own thing, she could tell they were stealing glances while hiding behind their fans.

But there wasn’t a trace of mischief on Ariel’s face.

“Now that the prince has left, I’m the highest-ranking person here. They won’t dance until I do.”

It seems he’s decided to just use informal terms now.

“We practiced so much, Merri.”

“…True.”

Yes, how much blood and sweat had gone into preparing for today.

She had practiced through sleepless nights to move gracefully, becoming Ariel’s object of teasing.

Strange rumors were already circulating anyway, and Merrien had come here to face them head-on.

After matching clothes to ‘pretend to be dating,’ neither advancing nor retreating would help anything. She had to step forward boldly.

“Yes, let’s dance.”

Having made her firm decision, Merrien placed her hand on Ariel’s.

As if everyone had indeed been watching, someone somewhere let out a gasping “huk.”

Merrien decided she would no longer hesitate.

The two stepped proudly into the center of the banquet hall.

“I’m in your care, Ariel.”

“Likewise.”

The two stood facing each other and bowed to one another. Perhaps they smiled more genuinely than ever before.

Though the dance they were about to perform was meant to be shown to others, in truth, they had both desperately wanted this.

Merrien’s dancing wasn’t perfect yet.

But unlike before, she wasn’t desperately trying to follow the steps with her head down.

She could now entrust her body to the dance while gazing at Ariel’s gentle smile.

‘As light as possible. Relax the body.’

She moved while repeatedly reciting in her mind what the dance instructor and Ariel had emphasized.

Nothing else was visible, as if they were the only two in this vast space.

The frills at the hem of her dress fluttered as she moved gracefully.

As the music crescendoed, Ariel grabbed her waist, lifted her, and smiled. Merrien also smiled brightly at his close face.

And when the dance completely ended.

‘……I did it!’

The nobles’ applause gradually reached her muffled ears.

Merrien felt elation.

This overwhelming emotion. It was all thanks to Ariel.

Just as Merrien, with her flushed face, was about to turn her head.

Thud-!

A sound that shouldn’t be heard right beside them rang out.

“……Kyaaak!!!”

Before Merrien could turn her head, the banquet hall turned into chaos, starting with someone’s piercing scream.

‘No way.’

Surely what she’d feared hadn’t happened.

Merrien’s stiffened head slowly turned.

Her ears were muffled.

The screams that suddenly multiplied felt unreal, as if coming from far away.

Beep-. Soon she couldn’t hear anything due to the ringing in her ears.

What came into view was Ariel, collapsed beside her.

Merrien couldn’t comprehend the situation immediately.

She just stared down at Ariel lying motionless on the floor beside her, blinking for several seconds.

“……Ariel!”

Finally realizing he had collapsed, she sat down beside him.

Without hesitation, she placed her hands on his uniform.

‘I, I need to take it off……’

To place her hands directly on his chest and heal him, she needed to undo the buttons and remove his uniform.

But her trembling hands kept missing the buttons.

That’s when Ariel, who she thought had collapsed, suddenly grabbed Merrien’s hand.

“Wh-what?”

“Shh.”

When startled Merrien looked up, she saw Ariel’s eyes open just slightly, enough for only her to see.

“It’s an act.”

“……?”

What……?

His blue eyes, visible through her blurred vision, were extremely calm.

So calm that she wondered if her tear-filled vision was making her see things.

“Just pretend to infuse Holy Power with your hands. Quickly.”

“O-okay.”

She just answered without even asking if he was alright because of his urging.

Even his voice was quite composed, unlike when he was actually in pain.

Perhaps because of that, Merrien just maintained her confused expression while raising her hands in the air and infusing Holy Power.

Her tears had already disappeared.

White light spread from her palms and enveloped Ariel’s body.

And in the secret passage known only to those of royal blood, someone was watching this.

“So it seems he couldn’t overcome even that level of magical item.”

It was Forcite, who had secretly returned to the banquet hall.

He hid himself in the darkness while smiling with satisfaction.