Who could possibly refuse this man’s proposal? She could bet her entire fortune that even men couldn’t refuse. His appearance was a disaster. A disaster that could ruin everything about her.

Even now, the hot lips touching the back of her hand seemed to set her entire body ablaze. Sharp eyes and a high nose bridge. A masculine frame and a dangerous, provocative atmosphere. He was terribly handsome. Too stimulating for the body, they say, and Raphael was exactly that.

“Now…….”

She wished he would lift his lips from the back of her hand……. Amelia didn’t know what to do with his lips still lingering on the back of her hand. Even though she was clearly wearing gloves, the touch felt so vivid that she panicked. It felt like it wouldn’t stop and would gradually move up. She turned her head away from the lips pressing down on her like a seal.

“Please hurry…….”

“I don’t like this.”

Amelia thought she might faint from his lips gently biting her glove. Does this man not know his own impact? That’s why he could act so nonchalantly. It was fortunate that she had some immunity to Raphael. It wouldn’t have been strange if someone else had lost their consciousness.

She had danced with him several times before, but it was still hard to get used to. She could only sober up when he looked at her. Every time he acted this way, Amelia crumbled instantly. Like a sandcastle destroyed by the waves, she couldn’t resist at all.

“People are…… looking…….”

But this wasn’t just her own issue. Everyone would react the same in front of Raphael.

I wish we could just dance if he asked to dance. He always satisfied his own desires under the guise of dancing.

“……Raphael.”

“I’ve been waiting.”

Finally unable to endure, Amelia whispered his name, and the lips pressing down on her hand twisted into a smile. A sharp smile like that of a wicked villain. He had no intention of letting go until he heard what he wanted from the beginning.

“Ah……!”

Amelia panicked at his arm suddenly wrapping around her waist. Her face flushed against his flawless fit.

“We haven’t even greeted each other…….”

“Ah. Should we have greeted?”

Before dancing, they should have greeted each other, but Raphael skipped all that and pulled her in. His scent made her head dizzy. The cool fragrance tickling her nose was intoxicating.

“Haah…….”

As he released her to greet her, Amelia quickly breathed out. In front of her, Raphael bowed gracefully without any superfluous movements. He was infuriatingly perfect. Compared to him, she could only barely bow her head while gripping her skirt with trembling hands.

“Please stay a bit closer.”

“I’m trying.”

As soon as the greeting ended and he grabbed her waist again, she had no choice but to give up. Based on her experience, it was better not to mess with Raphael when he had that look in his eyes.

“You’re finally looking.”

Placing her hand on his shoulder and holding his hand with the other, she stiffly lifted her head as much as possible without looking down. Even if one couldn’t dance, looking at the floor was forbidden. Thanks to that, her gaze kept meeting Raphael’s solid chest.

“What?”

“You were busy looking at other people.”

Before she could ask what he meant, she was turned around and trapped in his embrace again. She wished he would consider her skill level and proceed slowly.

“Don’t tell me…… you’re upset because I wasn’t looking at Your Grace…….”

She wanted to say it sounded like he was being petty, but she held back. If she said that, there was no telling what the subtly narrow-minded Raphael might do to her. It was unfair that the world didn’t know how childish the most arrogant and graceful man could be.

“That can’t be.”

“…….”

A lie. Even now, she could feel his arm tightening around her, so close that she could sense every movement of his muscles. Despite doing nothing more than dancing like others, it felt too provocative. It was all because of his overly sturdy body. With every breath, the refreshing scent of the ocean pressing into her lungs made it hard to stay focused.

“Amelia, everyone is looking at us.”

“Uh, don’t say things like that.”

Just dancing with him was stimulating enough to feel like dying, but knowing that people were also watching them made her body malfunction. She worried if her already squeaky skills would be noticeable. She had forgotten that anyone who partnered with Raphael would attract attention.

What if I step on his foot? What if I trip over it and fall? Suddenly overwhelmed by tension, her body stiffened.

I feel like throwing up.

“Amelia.”

“…….”

“Don’t worry.”

Noticing her nervousness, he whispered softly in her ear. To others, it looked like a natural movement while dancing.

“Who do you think the man in front of you is?”

Raphael Lloyd Siegfried. A terribly arrogant and rude man. Yet strangely, it made her feel more at ease.

“It’s all right when you’re with me.”

***

With an inexplicable sense of relief, Amelia completely entrusted herself to him. After all, the more she tried to exert strength or move her limbs, the worse it got. It was better to just follow Raphael’s lead. After a while, her trembling body began to stabilize. As people around them also started dancing, the attention focused on them dissipated quite a bit.

“…….”

“You don’t have to focus so much.”

Still, she couldn’t completely let go of her tension. She didn’t know what might happen if she relaxed too much. Even she thought her limbs were pretty useless.

“Do you want me to step on your foot?”

“If it’s my wife stepping on me, I’d like it.”

Has this man gone mad? Amelia looked around worriedly in case anyone heard. Though he’d dislike it if she really stepped on him. With his brilliant dance skills, he skillfully avoided being stepped on by her feet.

Perhaps that was fortunate, since people were still waiting for her to make a mistake. As the dance prolonged, Amelia looked around. Those who had finished dancing were already switching partners and dancing again.

“But…… isn’t this too close?”

Looking around, there were no other couples dancing as closely attached as they were. They seemed odd for being excessively close, even for a married couple.

“We’re not completely attached, are we?”

“…….”

His words were true. Amelia knew that Raphael could press his body closer here. But if she could just endure it until today, it would be over. Despite them dancing together, all the women around were only looking at Raphael. Even those dancing with other men kept sneaking glances, which was subtly annoying.

“It seems the smell is gone now.”

“What do you mean?”

Being this close, it was impossible not to smell each other. Even now, she was dizzy with Raphael’s body scent. If she had smelled as bad as before, they couldn’t have been this close.

“You said I smelled.”

She had been so stressed about that for a while. The song was almost ending.

“It’s still there.”

“What are you……!”

“And it’s very strong.”

Amelia was shocked by his statement that the smell was still very strong. His face approached her neck as if he was going to bite her, unrecognizable.

“It might never disappear.”

Even his provocative attitude was unbearable. So, had she been accommodating him all this time?

“Please let me go now. The song has ended.”

“…….”

“Surely Grand Duke Siegfried isn’t clinging.”

Everyone was looking forward to changing partners now. If she were to separate from Raphael, the women around them were ready to rush in at any moment.

“What if?”

A strange energy flowed down her spine at the sharp teeth that seemed to bite her neck. She almost fell for his seductive voice, but Amelia managed to regain her senses.

“I should change partners now. I’m going to dance with another man.”

The moment she said that, Raphael’s face twisted like a demon.