The unreleased white magic couldn’t be felt, but from the magic stone into which she had just infused power, uncontained energy wafted out.

‘They can’t miss me now, right?’

Just as Adelia thought, the Emperor and the Crown Prince turned their gazes to one spot with slightly furrowed brows.

With the ballroom being vast and crowded, it was unclear to others whom they were looking at.

But Adelia, receiving their gaze, knew it was directed at her.

A chill that penetrated her body was proof of this.

Two pairs of red eyes persistently tracked her. Their gaze was as intense as if she were fully exposed to their thoughts.

Adelia fully accepted their gaze.

“Tsk. What a headache.”

The Emperor pressed his temples with his fingers in annoyance.

The appearance of a white mage and a merchant leader. An approach that was not secretive. There was much to consider about how to interpret this situation.

Lucian felt the same. To see the people facing him boldly and with an air of ease despite receiving his gaze was extremely irritating to him.

Soon, the sound of a trumpet signaled the start of the first dance of the ball.

Beneath silver hair, her blue eyes are beautifully curved.

A slender and pale hand rose to her face, touching her red lips.

“Is that so…”

It was an overt request.

He slightly bowed to the Emperor and then descended to the ballroom.

The steps he took, walking with determination, attracted everyone’s attention.

Without hesitation, his steps halted in front of Adelia.

“May I have the honor of your first dance?”

With grace, Lucian kissed the back of Adelia’s hand as he spoke.

“It would be my honor, Your Highness.”

Adelia shyly gave a positive response, her round eyes beautifully curving into crescents.

The sparkling depths within those crescents hid behind a lovely smile, like cherry blossoms fluttering in the breeze.

As Adelia took Lucian’s hand and walked forward, numerous gazes followed them.

Curiosity, jealousy, envy, doubt. All kinds of eyes were filled with base emotions.

Who is this lady that the Crown Prince has asked for the first dance? Which family does she belong to? Could she possibly become the Crown Princess?

Adelia faced those gazes head-on.

Walking confidently through the splendid ballroom, she appeared so noble that no slander or scorn could touch her.

When they reached the center of the ballroom, they stopped.

Lucian took Adelia’s hand and placed his other hand on her waist. She also took his hand and placed her other hand on his shoulder.

Before the music started, Adelia looked up at him in front of her.

‘He’s tall…’

Lucian was noticeably tall, even in a crowded ballroom.

Even though Adelia was wearing high heels, she was still a good palm’s length shorter than him.

Because of this, she had to raise her hand higher and lift her head quite a bit to look at his face.

‘Really handsome.’

His hair was as dark as the night sky and his thick eyebrows resembled his sharp eyes and the red pupils within them, making her wonder if a god had crafted him to show the epitome of a chaste beauty.

At the Emperor’s signal, the orchestra began to play.

The two lightly stepped in time with each other’s movements.

Adelia moved her body in sync with his lead, a faint smile on her lips.

“It would be my honor, Your Highness.”

“……”

“I’ve been looking forward to today… My heart is pounding.”

Her words were not false. She had indeed been waiting for today, and her heart was indeed racing.

Perhaps sensing the sincerity in her words and actions, Lucian’s face softened into a lovely frown.

“Smile, Your Highness. People might misunderstand if they see you.”

Adelia lightly tapped his shoulder with the hand she had placed there.

Lucian flinched at that brief contact.

“Ha… What are you trying to do?”

He looked at her hand with a sour expression.

The moment she tapped his shoulder, the stiffness he got from training instantly eased, and the fatigue that accumulated because of the state affairs vanished cleanly. It was a strange feeling, similar yet distinctly different from divine power.

“It’s a deal then. I’ve dressed up beautifully for today. Especially my hair, how do you like it?”

Adelia tilted her head to one side and shook her hair ornament.

The gold magic stones nestled among her silver hair shone brilliantly.

Lucian was captivated by the sight, pretending to stroke her hair with one hand while touching the magic stone.

“It’s similar to what I saw a few days ago.”

“It’s the same one. I made both this and that.”

Her answer brought certainty to his question.

‘This woman is the guild master.’

Lucian narrowed his eyes and glanced at the hand holding Adelia’s waist.

The waist caught in his large hand seemed too slender to contain all her organs – it was that thin.

The arm she had placed on his shoulder also seemed fragile enough to break with a mere touch.

‘Is she really that guild master? She seems like she could be subdued at any moment.’

It felt like he could crush her with just a bit of force in his grip.

He slightly tightened his grip on her hand.

Then he felt a hard sensation as if he was holding a rock.

“I won’t break. Did I pass your test?”

Adelia smirked, almost mocking him. It was the moment her innocent smile disappeared.

Lucian involuntarily took a breath in. For some reason, he felt nauseous and tangled up inside.

‘Discomfort…?’

It was somewhat different than that.

Lucian wrinkled his nose and pulled Adelia closer to him, his hand firmly wrapped around her waist, bringing their bodies together.

He whispered softly in her ear, tilting his head slightly.

“What do you want?”

“Shall I be direct? Let’s get married for just 2 years. The trade rights for white magic stones should be enough, right?”

Assuming no one else could hear, Adelia blatantly revealed her intention.

She did not forget to wink mischievously while smiling slyly with one eye closed.

Lucian frowned incredulously as he stared down at her.

“How really… bold of you. Are you daring to ask for the position of Crown Princess?”

“I’m not asking, I’m trading. It’s not a request but a fair trade, so there’s no reason not to be bold.”

Adelia naturally stepped in time with the music as she looked directly into Lucian’s eyes, gazing down at her.

The black panther in his red eyes seemed ready to devour her, while her blue eyes held an expansive ocean in response.

“How interesting.”

The Emperor muttered to himself as he watched everything from his high seat.

He tilted his wine glass, reading their lips.

“My son is still lacking… and that lady is thorough.”

While Lucian’s lip movements were all readable, Adelia’s were difficult to decipher.

Especially when speaking certain words, it seemed as though she was keeping her mouth shut.

His eyebrows raised in intrigue.

“That level…”

Desirable.

The Emperor swallowed his last word and took a sip of wine.

He smiled leisurely, sending an interested glance their way.

“Wow… my heart.”

Adelia smiled slightly, half-closing her eyes to ignore the thumping of her heart.

She even worried if her skin was visibly pulsating due to the throbbing pulse on her neck.

In front of her stood the Crown Prince, and from afar, the Emperor. One side was emitting a killing intent, while the other was sending persistent glances. It wasn’t due to nervousness but an instinctual signal. A signal of danger.

“What are you trying to do with such antics?”

“Should you say that here? There are too many eyes. You should be more careful.”

The more her heart throbbed, the more confidently and leisurely she acted.

What she had to do was not a request or a favor, but a trade. A fair trade starts from an equal relationship. The moment you seem easy, you’ve signed a ticket for an unfair trade.

‘I won’t die. They can’t kill me. If anything happens, I’ll just run away. I have enough money to go across the sea.’

Adelia repeated these words like a mantra to herself countless times.

Even if the Crown Prince were to draw his sword from his waist, there would be no death. That was why Adelia could be confident.

As long as she didn’t die, she could always run away somehow.

“Even if we talk this closely, if someone reads our lips, it’s over.”

The distance between them, whispering secret words, was closer than the span of a hand.

Leaning in by mistake would mean their lips touching, which wasn’t a big deal at all.

Whether Adelia’s words hit Lucian’s sore spot or not, he silently moved his lips.

‘The song is slowly ending… It’s time to wrap things up.’

The dance music being played was short and intense. Dancing close together made it easy to talk secretly, but they couldn’t exchange many words.