Chapter 4 – Seize (Part 5)

From the moment they stepped out of the carriage to the moment they entered the banquet hall, eyes followed her and Robin. Among them were people who shamelessly followed behind the two.

“With Lord Tanner right now.”

“Miss Elphano.”

“That Miss Elphano?”

“Exactly.”

“Oh my goodness. My eyes aren’t deceiving me, are they?”

“Unbelievable.”

As they moved further into the banquet hall, the murmurs grew a little louder. However, perhaps due to Robin’s cold and aloof demeanor, they couldn’t get any closer than a certain distance.

Thanks to this, she felt even more like a monkey in a zoo.

Olivie let out a short sigh.

Honestly, she thought that entering the banquet hall with Robin would make her feel proud just by being with him.

After all, wasn’t he Robin Tanner?

He was someone who wouldn’t come to the banquet hall with anyone other than Emily, so she thought she could quickly raise her value by using him. He was a person admired by everyone, and just being with him would make people see her differently.

But when the gazes of the people in the banquet hall gathered on her, instead of feeling proud, she felt uncomfortable being watched for her every move.

Whether those gazes were friendly or hostile.

‘Their gazes aren’t particularly favorable.’

She felt she understood a little why Robin didn’t enjoy banquets.

Even though Olivie had come today intending to play the role of a monkey in the zoo, it was still like this.

‘Robin must have experienced this every time.’

Imagining those uncomfortable gazes that he must have faced since he was very young, Olivie felt somewhat sorry for him and glanced up at him.

Unlike in the carriage, his expressionless face had returned to normal, and Olivie bit her lip.

‘Let’s just make an appearance and leave as soon as possible.’

Having come this far, she thought that was the best course of action.

What she had said in the carriage to avoid the situation now seemed like a good idea: to dance one song and then leave the banquet hall, Olivie turned her head.

“Lord.”

“Miss Elphano.”

The gazes of the two people who simultaneously looked at each other collided in the air.

Thump.

At the moment she met his blue eyes, her heart throbbed loudly, and she licked her dry lips with the tip of her tongue, raising her head.

“You go first.”

Her heart was pounding so hard that she felt her voice might crack, so she handed the turn to him, trying to catch her breath. Robin leaned his upper body toward her. As his face came close, as if to kiss her, not only she but the surrounding air seemed to freeze. He slightly tilted his head, brushing her cheek, and whispered softly in her ear.

“The excitement from the carriage still hasn’t settled down.”

“……!”

As he whispered softly, his gaze flicked downward briefly before returning.

The blatant words that came from Robin’s mouth were so unexpected that Olivie’s face froze with a smile, and sweat trickled down her back.

To speak such indecent words in a voice as sweet as if whispering love! 

Afraid of who might hear, Olivie widened her eyes at his words.

‘This lecher!’

His words made Olivie erase any concern she had about him feeling uncomfortable.

But as mentioned before, wasn’t everyone watching them? Olivie, who couldn’t openly bring up the incident in the carriage that he had mentioned, glanced around awkwardly and laughed.

“You said you were bitten by a bug in the carriage, it seems that bug was quite venomous.”

Trying to act as if it was nothing in front of people, Olivie laughed superficially and sneaked a glare at Robin.

“Stop saying nonsense. Seriously.”

Even speaking through clenched teeth wasn’t enough, so she cursed him with her eyes as well.

But despite that look, he merely shrugged lightly as if wondering what he had done wrong.

The carefree face that flashed through her mind was the root cause of all this trouble.

‘Louis, that bastard.’

Muttering curses towards her former fiancé once again, Olivie forced a smile.

“Don’t say things that could be misunderstood.”

That applied not only to the people gathered here but also to Olivie herself.

Everything he was doing now was causing unnecessary misunderstandings. His gentle tone and actions, and even those lustful glances.

But

“If I speak without causing misunderstandings, it would be more troublesome.”

Whether he didn’t understand her words or pretended not to, he brought his lips close to her ear—so close that his breath could be felt—and whispered softly. The ticklish tone made Olivie turn her head sharply.

“Seriously!”

“Hurry up.”

Robin, smiling at Olivie, who was frowning deeply, raised his index finger.

“Just one dance.”

And at that smile, Olivie’s heart ached for a moment, and she turned away. Even in this situation, she felt like she might lose herself to his smile.

‘You’re crazy, Olivie!’

But like a dam with a crack, the emotions that had started to pour out were seeping through the gaps. If left unchecked, it was only a matter of time before the dam would break.

‘No.’

Not Robin Tanner, of all people.

Liking this man, who was currently the center of attention for all the women, was akin to stepping on the threshold of hell.

‘That’s ridiculous.’

This was all because he was too diligently fulfilling his promise to her.

No, it was unlikely, but even if he did come to genuinely like her, that feeling wouldn’t last long.

For now, he was merely acting as if Olivie were his lover, intoxicated by that one night.

Aren’t all men like that?

‘They’re all the same.’

It was nothing more than a fleeting emotion.

True love was a dream-like story that only existed in fairy tales.

Louis Caylen was the proof of that.

The one who used to declare that his love was real in front of her, how has he changed now?

‘I never believed in that feeling in the first place.’

And…

‘I’m sorry.’

As if to scatter the past memories that were slowly encroaching on her mind like fog, Olivie shook her head.

‘Let’s not think about it.’

It’s all in the past.

She didn’t want to think about it.

That day had been a wound for her too.

So she shouldn’t go any further with him.

‘Once the deal is over, it’s goodbye.’

She decided she must quickly conclude today’s transaction, and with a resolved heart, she took a short breath and looked at him. Just then, the music turned into her favorite waltz.

“Just one dance.”

At Olivie’s words, he chuckled and extended his hand to her.

“Alright, one dance.”

* * *

Watching the two walk onto the floor from behind, Madame Yuhel, Erica, gripped her fan as if she would break it.

She had dressed up splendidly to attend, having heard the rumor that this was the first ball Olivie would attend since breaking off the engagement with Louis. Of course, she hadn’t planned to openly provoke her, but she wanted to remind Olivie of her place at least once. To subtly let her know, ‘You are no match for me now,’ especially since even Louis had abandoned her.

Perhaps she thought Olivie would never surpass her.

But.

‘Robin Tanner?’

Erica twisted the fan in her hands as if wringing it.

Robin Tanner was the one who always said there was no reason or business to attend a ball unless it was with Emily. He had refused every time she, disregarding her own dignity, had asked him dozens of times to be her partner.

Yet, with Olivie!

What was I lacking compared to Olivie?

Even now, isn’t Olivie practically a discarded object!

‘Having been rejected and now receiving a proposal from someone like Edward, how dare she.’

Erica ground her teeth at the sight of the two from behind.

Of course, Olivie must have clung to Sir Tanner’s coattails, claiming she had no one else to come with. One could understand how awkward it must have been for him. It wasn’t incomprehensible.

Since Olivie was Emily’s best friend, it was obvious how much fuss she must have made in front of him, even without seeing it.

‘Shameless.’

Erica gritted her teeth as she glared at Olivie. The more she convinced herself that he had come against his will, the more detestable Olivie became to her.

As irritation rose within her and she bit her lips, a lady next to her leaned slightly towards Erica.

“It seems like it’s the Duchess’s request, doesn’t it?”

At the words spoken with her mouth slightly covered by her fan, Erica nodded.

“Probably. Emily is kind. She couldn’t just stand by and watch Miss Elphano’s situation.”

“But they seem a bit too close for it to be just a request, don’t they?”

“Do they? I don’t really think.”

“Look over there, the hand on her waist.”

The lady pointed at the two with the end of her fan and leaned a bit more towards Erica.

“Think about it. When has Lord Tanner ever placed his hand so close to someone’s bottom? Even when he rarely danced with other ladies, he usually just placed his hand on their waist formally.”

“……I don’t really see.”

“Look over there!”

At the lady’s excited voice pointing at Olivie’s waist, Erica forced a smile. However, the lady, oblivious, continued to chatter beside her, and as her fussing continued, Erica’s hatred towards Olivie, already filling her heart, grew even stronger.

‘Robin with someone like Olivie.’

Erica bit her lips.