‘It’s not like that, so please just take him!’

However, Ines, blinded by jealousy, couldn’t understand my desperate plea. She started stomping towards me, fuming. I quickly nodded to the Empress and grabbed Iscallion’s arm, pulling him along.

Honestly, with all eyes in the ballroom fixed on us, I just wanted to get away from the Crown Prince as quickly as possible.

“Shall we enjoy the party as Her Majesty suggested, Leon?”

Leon obediently followed my lead.

“Whew.”

After finally finding an empty balcony, I could barely catch my breath. While I didn’t want to stay in the ballroom for long, it wouldn’t be polite to leave too soon, so we couldn’t leave right away.

“The Crown Prince is a man without principles. He’s already flirting with another woman just after breaking off the engagement with you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at Iscallion’s words. It wasn’t a matter of principles; his heart had never been with me in the first place.

“Want some?”

Iscallion handed me a glass of wine, which he had somehow acquired. He had one in his hand as well. As a proper lady, I couldn’t tolerate such a sight.

“Sure.”

I quickly snatched both wine glasses from him.

“What? What about mine?”

“You can’t have any. If you want to drink with your big sister, you’ll have to grow up a bit more.”

Before he could respond, I downed both glasses. Even though the wine was weak, it still hit me hard.

“Ugh, I’m dizzy.”

“That’s what you get for being greedy.”

As the party officially started, the sound of music and laughter filled the air. I sat on the balcony railing, absentmindedly watching the people dance. Seeing them dance and drink without a care made me envious. It was hard to believe that just a few months ago, I was like them.

‘What am I doing?’

Suddenly, Iscallion extended his hand.

“Let’s dance, sister.”

“Do you even know how to dance?”

“You can teach me. I’ll learn earnestly.”

“Hmm…”

My hesitation was brief. I quickly took Iscallion’s hand and stood up. The slight buzz from the wine gave me the courage.

I led him to a corner of the ballroom again. If we made mistakes, we’d stand out more in the middle of the dance floor.

“Don’t worry about making mistakes. Just take it slow.”

Iscallion awkwardly followed my lead, placing his hand on my waist. I was just as awkward. Except for my father, I had never danced with anyone other than Pinion. It was a tear-jerkingly pure love story.

I glanced at Pinion. He was engrossed in conversation with other women, paying no attention to me.

‘I’d appreciate it if he kept ignoring me.’

Despite being basic steps, Iscallion quickly picked up the dance. He seemed to have a natural talent for physical activities.

I started to feel good. The pleasant buzz from the wine and the joy of dancing for the first time in a while lifted my spirits. At some point, I forgot about my surroundings and danced with Iscallion until I was exhausted.

“You’re better than I expected.”

“Dancing with you is fun, Lou. I feel like I could dance all night.”

“That’s good. There are plenty of ladies here dying to dance with you.”

Realistic ladies who realized they had no chance with the Crown Prince were now eyeing Iscallion. But he showed little interest in them.

“I don’t want to dance with anyone else. Can’t I just dance with you?”

I hesitated. We had already stayed longer than planned, and my feet were starting to hurt. But it was hard to refuse the eager proposal of a boy who looked like a large puppy.

“Then let’s dance one more song… What’s wrong?”

Iscallion suddenly narrowed his eyes, looking behind me. I turned to follow his gaze.

“Won’t you dance with me, Lou?”

Pinion was looking down at me.

***

“You’re drinking a lot of wine today, Your Highness.”

Ines cautiously started a conversation. She had been trying to keep the conversation going with meaningless questions for a while now.

‘Annoying.’

He never had to deal with such things when Lou was around. She handled all the clingy women, taking all the ridicule and criticism herself. She was a very convenient fiancée.

‘Convenient…’

Pinion smiled bitterly.

“Are you in a good mood?”

Misinterpreting his smile, Ines gathered her courage and moved a bit closer. Pinion skillfully hid his annoyance.

“I’m just thirsty.”

“A little intoxication can be pleasant, but too much can be harmful.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He answered perfunctorily as he refilled his glass with wine. His mind was still on Lou.

He remembered the past. Whenever he drank too much, Lou would take all his drinks and drink them herself. The problem was that she wasn’t a good drinker.

Pinion hated seeing Lou wander around the ballroom with a flushed face. She laughed a lot when she was drunk, and seeing other men glance at her ruined his mood.

He wondered what she was doing behind the curtains of the balcony. His curiosity didn’t last long.

Lou emerged from the balcony with her partner. Her face was flushed, indicating she had been drinking. Sure enough, she kept laughing brightly, a sight he hadn’t seen in a while.

Pinion’s gaze shifted to the man dancing with her. Ines murmured beside him.

“It seems the Dronay family has been working hard since the broken engagement. How did they find such a person? Though he can’t compare to Your Highness.”

Pinion narrowed his eyes, observing Leon. With his towering height and precise movements, it was clear that Leon was experienced in handling weapons.

Pinion didn’t like Leon from the moment he saw him. He was rude, ignorant, and something about him felt off. He had a rough, violent aura that Lou, who had never properly handled a dagger, couldn’t detect. Leon’s innocent facade couldn’t fool Pinion’s sharp instincts.

What bothered him the most was Leon’s attractive appearance. His unrefined demeanor and youthful face only added to his charm.

‘How long has Lou known this guy?’

Even after their forced breakup, Pinion remained confident. He believed there was no better man around Lou than himself. Gined Roengreen was a bit annoying, but he was tied to the temple.

He was sure Lou would never forget him. But now, she was boldly smiling at another man. Pinion didn’t even realize he had emptied his glass again.

He was dying to know what kind of relationship they had.

‘Is this what it means to not want to have her but not want anyone else to have her either?’

But did he really not want Lou? He wasn’t sure. Despite the annoyance, he had always believed she would be his wife. He had been quite faithful to her. In ten years, he had never been close to another woman, partly because of Lou’s jealousy but also because he didn’t need anyone else.

— Do you really mean that, Pin?

Suddenly, he remembered that day. Just as he knew Lou well, she knew him well too. She provoked him easily. Hearing the childhood nickname that even his mother no longer used made him almost lose his mind. He was surprised by the intensity of his own emotions.

That day, he was both elated and devastated.

After shaking him with just a few words, Lou was now smiling at another man. But what shocked him more was how much he was affected by her actions.

“Love.”

“Yes?”

“Is love really that important? Such a childish emotion?”

“As long as Your Highness stays by my side, I don’t care.”

Ines answered resolutely.

“I won’t act foolishly like Lady Dronay. I’ll be satisfied just being Your Highness’s wife.”

Ines was indeed smarter than Lou. She quickly gave the answer Pinion wanted to hear. But even at that moment, his eyes were fixed on Lou.

‘Just because of that…’

Lou had rejected a future with him. His chest felt heavy, as if it was weighed down by a stone.

Pinion put down his glass. Ines looked up at him with hopeful eyes, waiting for him to ask her to dance. But she wasn’t in his thoughts at all. His vision was blurry, perhaps because of the wine. Only Lou’s smiling face was clear.

He impulsively put down his glass and took a step forward.