Elisa also likewise stood harmoniously in front of the banquet hall with her partner, Young Lord Timar.

“By the way, I’m worried about Lady Arthe. Surely saying she got a partner wasn’t a lie, was it?”

“With such an easily discovered lie, surely not!”

“No matter how difficult the situation, surely she didn’t recruit someone of low class as a partner?”

Taking advantage of Arthe’s absence, the ladies carefully whispered about Arthe while reading the mood.

Conversations that were unclear whether they were worrying or excited went back and forth among the ladies in low voices.

“The door will open shortly when the banquet’s start is announced. Then you can enter following Lady Frey.”

At the imperial head maid’s guidance, the ladies became quiet again and exchanged glances.

“Surely she didn’t run away?”

“Oh my, surely not.”

“When exactly is she coming……”

It was while the ladies were having disorganized conversations.

Elisa, who had been looking around and nervously staring at the door, opened her mouth wide.

Lady Frey, who she thought had run away, was certainly entering through the door. And beside her……

“Good heavens!”

Swaying black hair, blazing red eyes.

“Y-Your Highness, Prince Cardi?”

Cardi, with his eyes gently lowered, was escorting Arthe.

His arm supported Arthe’s without being burdensome, and the other wrapped around her waist protectively. Moreover, the uniform made of black velvet as if matched with Arthe was incomparably splendid.

Arthe in silver hair and a silver dress, and Cardi in black hair and a black uniform matched like a harmony of black and white.

Moreover, unlike his usual disheveled look, his black hair nicely swept back revealed his cool forehead, making Cardi’s beauty shine even more.

Looking at the shocked faces of the ladies, Arthe turned around. Cardi faced the turning Arthe and smiled.

“Now then, we finally present this year’s ladies who will illuminate the Sable Empire!”

***

Four days ago.

“Cardi already forgot the name. Tell me again.”

At that moment, Arthe seriously looked at Cardi and pondered.

‘Should I give up?’

But she couldn’t give up over just this much.

Arthe persistently and clearly repeated her name three times in a row until Cardi memorized her name.

Finally Cardi nodded with a bright smile.

“But why did Arthe come down here?”

Cardi asked, tilting his head.

Arthe’s figure reflected in his blinking red eyes.

Though they were clearly the same red eyes as Empress Mariposa’s, they lacked the sharp coldness that made people feel chilled. Warm red eyes. Moreover……

‘Certainly…… his face is guilty.’

Dangerously pretty. Arthe coughed unnecessarily and lowered her head.

“Well…… the banquet is a bit difficult. It’s hard to adapt too……”

“I don’t really like banquets either. Everyone laughs when they see me. Why do they laugh? Do I look funny?”

Cardi nodded and empathized with Arthe’s feelings with a serious face.

‘Don’t tell me he doesn’t know the reason.’

Arthe also nodded with a face that showed she was trying to empathize. Then Cardi’s eyes sparkled.

“Arthe is the first person to understand these feelings! When I say things like this, everyone shakes their heads.”

“What? That can’t be.”

“Well, that’s what happens.”

In fact, Arthe, who had been shaking her head back and forth hundreds and thousands of times in her heart, answered Cardi’s words pretending to be surprised.

“Then did Arthe also run away like me?”

“Mm. Actually…… today I was greatly mocked.”

“Huh? Mocked?”

Cardi, who answered in surprise, soon furrowed his handsome eyebrows as if angry.

“Who mocked you? Cardi will scold them!”

“Well…… actually……”

Arthe paused for a moment and drew out her words.

“A partner……”

“Yeah?”

“I’m having a debutante ball but I don’t have a partner.”

Saying those words, Arthe desperately kept her eyes wide open without closing them.

Before long, tears gradually filled Arthe’s eyes. Cardi looked at Arthe with a surprised face.

“Are you crying?”

“I don’t have a partner…… I’ll surely be humiliated.”

Arthe pretended to cry and covered her face with her palms.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime debutante ball but I don’t even have a partner…… Arthe is ruined!”

Arthe sneakily looked up at Cardi through her fingers.

At the sudden tears, the prince seemed flustered and stood there stupidly, unable to soothe or comfort her.

Arthe, who had pretended to cry for a long time and gathered tears, carefully raised her head.

And looked up at Cardi pitifully.

“Your Highness……”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Won’t you please become my partner?”

At the same time as those words, chicken-dropping-like tears rolled down from Arthe’s eyes.

Looking at Cardi’s round red eyes, Arthe spoke earnestly once more.

“Please become my partner, Your Highness.”

Cardi was silent for a moment. In the silence, Arthe continued to read the mood.

‘Should I act more pitiful? What should I do?’

It was just the moment when Arthe was about to squeeze out tears to burst into even louder crying.

Prince Cardi, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly pulled Arthe into an embrace.

At the soap scent that suddenly wafted over, Arthe opened her eyes wide.

“Sorry, Arthe.”

Cardi buried his face in Arthe’s shoulder.

Flustered by the sudden embrace, Arthe stood not knowing what to do, unable to either embrace Cardi back or push him away.

“Really sorry.”

“Your Highness……?”

“Arthe.”

Cardi, who slowly separated the stiffened Arthe, opened his mouth.

Cardi’s expression had hardened stiffly.

Arthe blankly stared at that face which seemed sad in a way.

“Cardi can’t dance.”

‘Should I really give up?’

Arthe once again seriously looked at Cardi and pondered.

Toward Arthe, Cardi began his story with eyes brimming with tears.

The gist of the rambling story that began was that every time he learned to dance, he danced so terribly that no one would teach him to dance.

He stepped on everyone’s feet regardless of who his partner was, so that later even the maids were reluctant to dance with him.

Only after fighting such battles for several months did the emperor’s permission fall that he didn’t need to dance.

‘No…… just how badly did he destroy their feet.’

“Your Highness…… that’s such a sad story.”

“Right?”

Looking at Cardi’s glistening eyes, Arthe sighed inwardly.

Then she grabbed Cardi’s hands and spoke with a voice full of determination. At her sudden action, Cardi opened his eyes wide in surprise.

“Your Highness, please become my partner!”

“Huh? But……”

“Arthe will help you.”

She made eye contact with him. Then Cardi answered with a hesitant face.

“But Arthe’s feet will be destroyed……”

“……”

At the sudden threat to life that fell just from wanting to dance once, Arthe hesitated for a moment then soon opened her mouth firmly.

“No, Your Highness. If we join forces, we can do it.”

“Really?”

“Let’s show them together that we can do it!”

At the hopeful line shouted while clenching both fists, Cardi, whose mood had finally been lifted, also clenched both fists and answered.

“Good! Let’s try it!”

“Let’s try it together!”

“But don’t resent me even if your toes break!”

“What? Ah.”

That’s how it happened.

Finally Arthe grasped Cardi’s hand and stepped forward under the brilliant lighting. The nobles’ admiration and exclamations poured entirely upon them.

“Lady Arthe von Frey and His Highness Prince Cardi!”

Arthe, who stood in the center of the stage, held her dress with both hands and curtsied.

Prince Cardi looked at Arthe with an affectionate face then slowly bent his waist and bowed.

That appearance was perfect without a single flaw, so Arthe looked at Cardi with slightly surprised eyes.

“Well then, shall we go?”

Cardi extended his hand.

Cardi, with his fine black hair neatly combed back, boasted dazzlingly enchanting beauty.

Arthe felt her heart trembling anew and grasped Cardi’s hand.

A little later, the performance began. The banquet’s first song was an atmospheric and slow piece.

‘You know? One, two, three, one, two, three.’

‘Yeah yeah, one, two, three.’

The two people began dancing the waltz with determined faces.

Arthe concentrated on her foot steps and spun around once.

At the steps that matched too perfectly for having only briefly practiced just before the ball, Arthe looked at Cardi with a surprised face.

Contrary to her worries, Cardi was executing the dance too perfectly.

“Uh…… Your Highness. You’re so skilled?”

Then Cardi, who had been looking down, looked straight into Arthe’s eyes and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

At the unexpected smile, Arthe’s face slightly reddened.

“Thank you.”

Cardi, who embraced Arthe’s waist a bit more, smiled again by pulling up the corners of his mouth.

Unlike the two people who were extremely tense, the gazes of the nobles watching them were nothing short of shocking.

“Goodness, who would have thought the two of them would suit each other so well!”

“Was Prince Cardi this handsome?”

“And what about Lady Arthe! They’re a perfect couple.”

Soon, as a lively dance tune began, other ladies and their partners entered the stage.

They began dancing in a circle centered around Arthe and Cardi.

Arthe, whose tension had somewhat eased, began to gradually enjoy the dance. It was when she had been dancing with relief for a while.

“By the way, Arthe.”

Cardi, who slightly lowered his head, whispered quietly in Arthe’s ear. Arthe looked at Cardi with a smile.

“Yes?”

“Is your ankle okay?”

“Ah.”

「Arthe thinks her ankle is completely broken……」

Cardi was still wearing an affectionate smile.

Only then realizing her mistake, Arthe blankly stared at Cardi’s smile.

And at the moment when the music reached its climax and the rhythm slightly changed.

“Ah!”

The steps that had been going well became tangled.

Cardi, who caught the staggering Arthe by embracing her waist, scratched his head and said loudly.

“Oh dear, I made a mistake again. Are you okay, Arthe?”

“……”

Before Arthe could even answer, the song ended and applause burst out from here and there.

The ladies with flushed faces also began greeting their partners as the song ended.

“Ah, right! I need to eat strawberry tarts now! It was fun. Lady Frey.”

Cardi, who smiled brightly, also bowed to the stiffened Arthe and leisurely exited the stage.

The arms and legs extended for greeting were opposite to etiquette.

It was a ridiculous posture, unbelievable for someone who had just perfectly executed the dance moments before.

“Lady Arthe, are you alright?”

“By the way, it was such a wonderful dance. Though Prince Cardi made a mistake at the end……”

“My lady, are your feet safe?”

People who had flocked over began talking to Arthe.

However, Arthe was looking at Cardi’s retreating figure with a flustered face, staring blankly for a while.

The one who had made the mistake was Arthe.