Chapter 1 – Pressure (Part 4)

“The Duke is as handsome as ever… He looks so expressionless. It would be nice if he smiled a little.”

Elysia’s mother remarked.

“Being entrusted with such heavy responsibilities at a young age must be burdensome. Besides, it’s been less than a year since the previous Duke passed away…”

“I heard he usually doesn’t attend such balls. Could it be the King’s consideration this time?”

Elysia held back from asking if that looked like the face of someone receiving consideration.

At that moment, someone approached and greeted them.

“Ah, the Serenze quasi-Baron couple. Is this lovely lady your daughter?”

Lillian immediately switched to her business smile and returned the greeting to the young man before her. He was a handsome man with blondish-brown hair and green eyes, giving off a gentle impression.

While he exchanged brief words with her father, Lillian quickly whispered in Elysia’s ear, who had no information about the attendees.

“Marquis family, 28 years old, unmarried, a gentleman who likes dogs.”

Elysia thought if she had known this would happen, she would have confiscated and burned the ‘Ladies’ Newsletter’ her mother enjoyed reading.

Or she should have gotten rid of the special supplement of the Ladies’ Newsletter that Marion brought to her room to read.

[Complete Conquest of the Spring Ball! Uncovering Everything About the Unmarried Men and Women Attending!]

Recalling the title of the special supplement Marion giggled over still made her sigh.

“Sir Serenze, may I have the honor of dancing with your daughter?”

“Haha, there’s no need to ask that. Young people should figure it out themselves. As long as my daughter is okay with it, by all means.”

“I’m not okay…”

Before she could finish saying she wasn’t okay, Elysia was suddenly pushed forward and found herself in the arms of the prospective Marquis.

“Haha, the young lady is quite enthusiastic.”

As she was led away by the prospective Marquis, Elysia looked back at her mother in disbelief.

‘Mother, did you really push me??’

Elysia wanted to ruin the dance, but the education she received as a child, the ingrained habits, and her fear of her mother’s watchful eyes made her dance skillfully.

“You dance so gracefully, like a swan gliding on water.”

“Every noble lady is expected to have such skills. Your compliment is too generous.”

Elysia replied coldly, her expression unchanged.

‘He’s subtly cheesy.’

As she danced with the flow near the window, she saw the Duke standing there. It was as if a barrier surrounded him, keeping everyone else at bay. The Duke seemed completely indifferent to it, while the King and Queen beside him appeared somewhat awkward.

‘Hasn’t he danced with anyone yet? That’s impressive in its own way.’

At that moment, the prospective Marquis noticed where Elysia was looking and spoke.

“Are you interested in Duke Grendel?”

“Not particularly. My gaze just happened to wander there.”

“Well, daughters of noble families… or even young ladies from wealthy families, see the Duke as the ultimate groom. But I find his demeanor quite arrogant. Instead of looking at a tree you can’t climb, why not spend an enjoyable evening with me?”

“Thank you for the advice that will be vital to my life.”

‘Ridiculous. I’d rather have the consistent Duke than someone like you who gossips about others in front of a woman you’ve just met.’

As soon as the seemingly endless dance with the prospective Marquis ended and Elysia returned to her place, Lillian asked her.

“What do you think, do you like him?”

Elysia, already exhausted from the dance, panted as she spoke.

“He’s a blabbermouth.”

Her mother seemed displeased with Elysia’s response, but upon seeing the prospective Marquis immediately approach another woman with the same cheesy lines, she remarked,

“He seems like someone who would be light on his feet too. He won’t do.”

Elysia picked up a glass of champagne from the passing servants and caught her breath. Meanwhile, she noticed that the Duke was still not dancing with anyone.

Many noble families’ parents and daughters were hovering around the Duke, glancing at him. Some even bravely attempted to speak to him, but a single cold glance or word from the Duke quickly discouraged them.

This cycle of people circling around, gathering courage, attempting, and then withdrawing continued for a while.

‘It’s like those bug zappers I saw in my past life at barbecue places. The bugs fly towards the blue light only to get zapped one by one.’

Just as Elysia finally caught her breath, Lillian informed her that her next dance partner was a Baron with no wealth. When Elysia questioned the need to dance with someone without money, Lillian replied,

“If you just stand around, you won’t look appealing. You need to be out on the floor to get noticed. You don’t have to get close to him, just dance!”

Reluctantly, Elysia took the Baron’s hand. From the moment he approached her, he had a look that screamed ‘ambition,’ and throughout the dance, he incessantly talked about how both families could benefit from their union.

“Have you read about me? According to the Ladies’ Newsletter, I’m ranked within the top 200 most promising young men among the lower nobility. If you, from the Serenze family, ranked within the top 150 women, join forces with me, both our families could jump to the top 70 instantly.”

‘Using a magazine ranking for sales pitches, how tacky…’

“That’s quite an impressive social climb.”

“Exactly! If I inherit and start expanding the Serenze family business…”

‘Dream big, and who said you’d inherit it?’

“You have great ambitions.”

Elysia responded half-heartedly while dancing, admiring the Duke who continued to turn away everyone who approached him.

Even after the long time with the amateur salesman Baron ended, Elysia continued to dance with whoever Lillian pushed her toward, losing count of how many dances she had. This time, her partner was so shy he barely spoke, allowing Elysia to wander her gaze around the ballroom instead of focusing on the man whose name and family she couldn’t remember.

But as her feet began to hurt and her back ached, she longed more and more for her comfortable bed at home.

‘Once this dance ends, once this dance ends…! How did my life end up like this? Being born into such a family means nothing at this point!!’

Elysia bit her lip, thinking that if her parents hadn’t come along, refusing dances would have been easy.

While the Duke, being the top choice for a husband with his status, continued to attract new people despite constant rejections, Elysia knew that if she showed disinterest once or twice, no one would approach her.

Elysia envied the Duke, who wasn’t dancing with anyone, recalling the first time she saw Cassius, the current Duke, at a royal ball four years ago after her coming-of-age ceremony.

Back then, Cassius stood beside the late Duke Grendel, expressionless like a statue, much like now.

‘His expression hasn’t changed since then, but now he seems to be exuding a hostile aura as if he doesn’t want to be here. Is that progress or regression?’

Elysia wondered pointlessly and, feeling a cramp in her leg, frowned and sought Lillian’s permission with her eyes to take a break. Lillian shook her head with a firm expression and gestured with her fingers, commanding with a smile,

‘Smile, Elysia. Smile.’

At her mother’s warning, Elysia’s face momentarily twisted into a strange expression, neither a smile nor a frown. Luckily, she believed no one saw her odd face since it was so brief. As she scanned her surroundings, Elysia’s eyes met those of Duke Cassius de Grendel, watching her from afar.

***

Duke Cassius de Grendel was both King Clois’s study companion and unofficial bodyguard. Although Cassius was a few years younger, his status as the heir to Duke Grendeldom and his precocious nature allowed him to spend much time at the palace from a young age. Thus, Cassius had a habit of scanning his surroundings for danger when with the royal family.

Though he had little choice but to attend the Spring Ball at King Clois’s strong suggestion, Cassius had no intention of dancing. Instead, he remained vigilant.

While surveying the ballroom for suspicious activity, Cassius noticed a woman dancing with an unusual expression, unlike the others.

“Elysia, I told you to smile!”

“Mother, I’m doing my best to smile.”

As soon as the dance ended, Elysia pulled a face, prompting Lillian to swiftly smack her back out of sight of others. Cassius, who had been watching Elysia to see if she was suspicious, decided there was no danger and looked away indifferently.

Elysia glanced at the distant Duke’s reaction.

‘He couldn’t have seen my weird expression, could he?’

She wasn’t afraid of his judgment since they were strangers, but even though Elysia didn’t care much about her reputation or dignity, she wasn’t shameless enough to be unfazed by someone seeing her make a silly face. She didn’t aspire to a great reputation, but she didn’t want to be a clown either.

‘Has the Duke ever made a funny face in his life? He looks like someone whose expression was set in stone at birth.’

Elysia recalled the event four years ago while observing the Duke, whose expression hadn’t changed throughout the ball.