The days quickly passed and the Black Night arrived.

The day was gloomy from morning. Strangely, the last day of the year was always this dark, as if the sun had put on a veil.

Looking up at the sky while boarding the carriage heading to the imperial palace didn’t make any missing light appear. Even the moonlight seemed somehow faded, just as it had been dark during the day.

‘But to call it the Moonlight Ball…’

Whoever named it, it’s ironic itself.

Saena’s carriage arrived at the imperial palace rather late.

No, actually quite late.

Though she was very interested in the treasure hunt, she didn’t want to spend two whole days stuck at the Moonlight Ball, so she deliberately came late.

‘But maybe too late?’

Saena surveyed her surroundings before entering the banquet hall. It seemed better to quietly enter through the back door rather than the main entrance. She didn’t like how the herald would loudly announce participants’ entrances at the main entrance.

To quietly slip in through the back route that connected to places like the rest area instead of the main entrance, Saena quietly moved along the building’s exterior. The sound of grass crunching under her shoes echoed softly.

Though the garden would fill up with people sneaking out to do other things (?) when the party got more lively and the night deepened, there should hardly be anyone yet, so she walked without being too careful.

“Heh.”

That’s when she heard a strange sound.

Startled, Saena’s body suddenly stopped.

It seems her assumption was wrong. To think someone was already doing other things.

“Someone might come.”

“No, do more. Hmm?”

Did she take a wrong turn? Why were these voices of intimate exchanges so close?

Though it was clearly a whispered conversation, Saena heard it very clearly, as if the wind deliberately carried the sound in her direction.

“Mmm, yes… good…”

The sound of their breaths mingling wetly grew increasingly intense.

Ah, geez. Why do I keep witnessing these things?

Saena sighed and looked for a way back.

“W-wait a moment. There…”

“Am I the only one feeling good? That’s not right, is it?”

Saena flinched.

‘That voice… sounds familiar…’

The woman’s voice was particularly familiar. She had heard it recently. A woman with a low tone… and that unique way of speaking…

“Hah, prepare yourself, Your Highness.”

“Prepare myself, right. Where… Ah, mmph!”

Yes, from just recently…!

Saena momentarily forgot to breathe.

‘N-no way!’

Her body, which had been about to turn back, creaked as it moved toward the source of the sound.

While her mind told her to pretend she hadn’t heard or seen anything and retreat, her body moved on its own. Her cautiously extended head tilted toward the corner.

A couple was sharing an intense kiss between a large ornamental tree and the building’s outer wall. The gap was so cleverly positioned that someone unfamiliar with the layout wouldn’t easily notice it.

‘How did I end up here…’

In her past life, Saena had developed quite a skill for moving inconspicuously by constantly hiding in corners to avoid people at social events she was forced to attend.

But she hadn’t wanted to discover something like this…!

‘Princess…’

Though she hoped otherwise, it was indeed the Princess.

Feeling anxious that if she were caught knowing about this secret rendezvous it might cause an uproar, she quickly collected herself. Shouldn’t she retreat before they notice?

The broad back, large build, tall height, the sword at his waist and his uniform.

Even from behind, the man clearly appeared to be a well-trained knight…

‘Wait… knight? Knight?’

…Sir Heviathan?

‘Oh my.’

That hair color! That build! That uniform!

It must be him. It was undoubtedly Sir Shapiro Heviathan, the Princess’s guard knight.

Saena opened her eyes wide and covered her mouth. She worried an exclamation might escape from surprise.

“Ah, mmm…”

“Your Highness, hah…”

When she was introduced to him before, he seemed so taciturn she doubted he’d speak more than a word all day, but seeing him like this, he was incredibly passionate.

No matter how she looked at it, this didn’t seem like merely a physical relationship. The intense yet intimate atmosphere flowing between them was unusual.

‘I absolutely must not be discovered…’

Saena moved back while suppressing her presence to avoid disturbing them. Moving slowly while extremely tense made her legs feel cramped, but she finally managed it.

“Phew.”

Saena quietly took a different route and successfully entered the banquet hall.

“Oh my, Saya?”

“You’re late?”

“Welcome.”

Though she entered the banquet hall quietly without the herald’s announcement, Saena’s friends quickly noticed her presence and came to greet her.

She wondered why everyone was gathered, but it seemed they were having another confrontation with Lady Harper’s faction. Elaine Barnes wasn’t present.

Sometimes it seemed like Kirsten and Evian really enjoyed having showdowns with Lady Harper. At times, these disputes almost seemed like a hobby, as if they had deliberately formed opposing factions just to fight.

While watching them, who were probably bickering over something trivial again, she felt a gaze fix on her from another direction. When she unconsciously turned toward it, it was Elizabeth. She was watching Saena with a strangely subdued expression from the edge of Lady Harper’s faction.

‘……?’

Though she didn’t understand why she was being watched like that, there was probably no need to worry about it.

Saena briefly looked at her before turning away.

“Saena.”

“Yes?”

Meanwhile, Floria slipped close and called her name softly. She spoke in a whispered voice as if she was sharing a secret.

“My brother is in the imperial capital now.”

Hm? Floria’s brother? Duke Aberdeen?

“…I… see?”

Unable to understand why she suddenly mentioned this, her response came out as a question.

“We can meet him soon after the meeting ends.”

“Hmm… Ah!”

Saena smiled brightly and said to Floria.

“……”

“You must have missed your brother a lot?”

She wondered why she suddenly mentioned her brother, but it seems she had been missing her family. How cute. But Floria puffed up her cheeks greatly and turned away abruptly.

“……?”

That was clearly not a positive reaction.

‘Did I do something wrong again…’

Floria occasionally acted in incomprehensible ways like this, and Saena found it difficult to figure out why.

She could only feel gloomy, thinking she was hopeless at social interactions.

“Lady Saena.”

Someone else called her name. Saena turned her head and froze.

“M-may the great protection follow the noble bloodline eternally.”

It was the Princess. Her body broke out in cold sweat, guilty from seeing what she shouldn’t have seen moments ago. Saena barely managed to complete her greeting.

“May the blessings of the Covenant be with you.”

The Princess didn’t seem to notice Saena’s stammering and just appeared pleased to see her. Saena’s eyes naturally scanned the surroundings, but Sir Heviathan was nowhere to be seen.

“Did you come alone, Your Highness?”

“Right. Isn’t the Moonlight Ball more fun without a partner?”

“I’ve… heard that as well.”

“Are you alone too?”

“Yes.”

“Well, your potential partner is tied up in meetings right now.”

“…Pardon?”

The Princess smiled with a mischievous expression, as if she knew everything.

Feeling somehow embarrassed, Saena rolled her eyes.

“Come here. Since you’re here, you must dance.”

“No, I’m fine really…”

“Come now, one must enjoy things while they can.”

The Princess was insistent. She was forceful, as if her goal was to dance the moon-greeting dance.

‘Won’t Sir Heviathan hate this?!’

Though she silently cried out, Sir Heviathan didn’t magically appear to stop the Princess.

The Moonlight Ball featured many group dances.

The moon-greeting dance, performed together in the large hall, was a fast-tempo dance where dozens of people formed moon-like circles and spun around.

The circle had two layers, and following the music, they would spin together, spin in opposite directions, and people from the inner and outer circles would hold hands and twirl together.

The inner and outer circles had different genders, and as they spun, partners kept changing, which was why the Moonlight Ball uniquely didn’t require specific partners.

The Princess grabbed Saena’s hand and slipped in when the circle widened and gaps formed with the tempo. Since people were constantly entering and leaving the dance, it didn’t matter much.

The lively music continued endlessly, and the two circles of the moon-greeting dance kept going.

Tap tap. Click, click-click.

Dozens of people moved together as identical shoe sounds echoed across the floor in time with the music. The expressions of people with bright smiles seemed genuinely joyful.

‘It’s so fast!’

Though she had learned this dance as expected of nobles, this was her first time actually dancing it. For the first few turns, she just hurriedly followed along, trying to match her body’s speed to the tempo. But once her body got used to it, rhythm filled her steps.

Click. Click. Click-click-click, tap tap!

Before she knew it, Kirsten, Evian, and Floria had also slipped in nearby to dance together. As she spun around matching the shoe sounds, Saena grew increasingly excited. A bright smile bloomed on her face.

Usually, dancing face-to-face with unfamiliar men was torturous, but this dance was fine. Even though the men in front kept changing as the circles spun in opposite directions, she could dance without much hesitation.