EVHE 38

Chapter 38

Dancing in a place like this was something I had never imagined. And to think my partner was Lake, of all people!

There was no music flowing from instruments like at a ballroom, no spacious floor free of obstacles to move on. There were no beautiful dresses or sparkling jewels either.

But under the sky that shone brighter than a crystal chandelier, flower petals scattered with every step we took.

The warmth transmitted through our joined hands, the gaze focused solely on me—there was no one watching us, yet I felt my ears burning from the heat.

…Of course, I only had the luxury to savor that feeling in the beginning. By the second half, I was stepping on his feet and messing up the choreography—it was a mess.

Even so, Lake’s lead was perfect and skillful. The fact that he was able to complete a full dance with someone as hopeless as me said it all.

“You’ll need more practice.”

“Ahaha…”

I let out an awkward laugh at his dead-on remark.

“But I think there’ll be no problem on the day of the ball.”

“I hope so…”

I wanted to crawl into a hole from embarrassment.

If I had known this would happen, I should’ve practiced alone after our lessons. It would’ve turned out much better than this.

“Or, if you prefer, I could pretend not to notice any mistakes—what do you say to dancing only with me at the ball?”

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly burden you like that…”

I was replying naturally but suddenly trailed off. My face went blank as I stared at him, and he tilted his head.

“You’re attending the ball?”

I blinked rapidly, not quite believing the question I just asked.

“That’s how it turned out.”

I quickly shut my gaping mouth and swallowed my surprise.

Lake, who didn’t appear in the original story, would be attending the grand event known as the imperial ball. Bit by bit, things had been diverging from the original plot.

‘Does that mean there’s a chance the ball might go smoothly?’

Just like how the Norton Bridge incident ended as a minor collapse instead of a catastrophe.

But in the end, the bridge still collapsed, just as it did in the original. The details may vary, but the main storyline continued to follow the original.

‘This is exactly why I didn’t want to go.’

If the original plot involved the ball being ruined, then no matter how quiet I stayed, I wouldn’t be able to avoid it.

“I… I think I’ll attend because my father asked me to accompany him.”

Even as I said that, I internally cursed the Duke hundreds of times.

Lake merely looked down at my half-tearful expression in silence.

“You don’t have a partner yet?”

“Not yet.”

I sighed after answering.

If I were attending the imperial ball, my partner would almost certainly be Rchel. After all, in public, I was still seen as being on his side.

“Then how about with me—”

“I think I’ll have one soon.”

Our voices overlapped—he must’ve thought I had finished speaking and was about to say something.

As a result, I ended up cutting him off.

“What were you going to say?”

“It’s nothing.”

He gave me a gentle smile again.

“I suppose we won’t see each other until the ball.”

There was much to prepare before the ball. Until then, continuing volunteer work at the temple would be too much.

“It’s unfortunate I won’t see you for two weeks, My Lady.”

“Oh come on, two weeks will pass in no time.”

I laughed off his polite exaggeration with a lighthearted smile.

“I think it’s time to head back.”

“Yes.”

Before I realized it, the sunset had painted the horizon in red.

Though I desperately wanted to spend the night at the temple, it was time to return home.

✦✦✦

The setting sun was so romantic it felt like a shame to let it go. I had seen it more than once, yet today, it was unbearably beautiful.

My tired body and the noise around me faded into the background, buried beneath the awe inspired by nature.

And yet, getting lost in thought while watching the departing carriage was not the wisest thing to do.

“Hey, Lake.”

A man with hair as red as the sky called out to Lake as he approached. His name was Edwin, Lake’s fellow recruit.

Edwin had grown curious when Lake didn’t return, even after his duties were done.

Lake was always busy, even using his breaks to keep working, so this was a rare sight indeed.

“How’s handling the noble lady?”

He said it casually, then scratched the back of his head, realizing his mistake.

“Oh right, you’re a noble too.”

Since the Holy Knight Order accepted people regardless of class, Edwin often forgot that detail.

Of course, it shouldn’t be hard for a count’s son to deal with noblewomen.

“She is kind and gracious.”

Lake’s gaze remained fixed on the sunset.

“Perhaps… more than I can even imagine.”

Edwin always thought of Lake as a serious person. But right now, he was more intense than usual.

At this point, Edwin felt like he was intruding.

“I see.”

That was the best response he could give.

And so, Edwin left only with the reminder to return before evening prayer and disappeared back into the temple.

The day was growing darker. The night sky swallowing the golden sunset made him feel bitter.

The gold where the sunset met the sky reminded him of her golden hair, and the point where it touched the horizon brought to mind her crimson eyes.

Perhaps that’s why he felt even more regretful.

He had been quite surprised when he learned that Edelin was the Lady Crescent.

She had been infamous for casting off imperial people as she pleased, going through a dozen attendants a week, and leaving no place unscathed.

He had never seen her in person before, but he remembered the chaos she caused when she came to the temple once.

She had taken a trainee knight without permission, earning the resentment of the temple knights.

But the woman he had seen since then was the complete opposite.

She sincerely sympathized with others’ pain and had genuine compassion.

She didn’t hurt others, didn’t insult them. It was as if all those rumors had been complete fabrications.

Of course, there are people who can hide their true nature. She could be one of them.

‘But the way she acts doesn’t feel like a lie.’

He had always loved goodness and been drawn to it. From childhood, he had admired that kind of virtue and believed he always would.

So it couldn’t be a false illusion that he was drawn to her.

‘Or maybe… I just don’t want to doubt her.’

But now, the truth didn’t matter anymore.

Lily Crescent—just watching her was enough to take his breath away with her beauty.

He admired those who were brave despite their size, those who lived righteously.

That’s why he made excuses to indulge his own desires and dared to long for someone far out of reach.

Lake knew this wasn’t like him at all. And yet, he could no longer turn back.

“…A heart once swayed cannot be undone.”

It was the first time he ever felt ashamed of himself.

✦✦✦

After my dance lesson, I sat at my desk, staring blankly downward. At the end of my gaze were two boxes that were clearly expensive.

The moment I returned home, I was greeted by two massive gift boxes. Inside were different dresses and matching accessories.

“These damn brothers are driving me insane!”

One was from Rchel. The other, from Calix.

I could wear either one—but the real question was: Which do I wear on the first day? The first appearance was always the most important.

“If I wear Rchel’s, Calix will cause trouble. If I wear Calix’s, Rchel will.”

To avoid unnecessary conflict, the best option was to choose neither.

So I tried appealing to the Duke with a sweet “I prefer the dress you chose, Father~”… but he just dismissed me, citing a divine prophecy.

Where had the doting father I saw in the original gone?

“There’s no way I can handle both of their personalities.”

Wearing only one of their gifts would definitely spark a reaction.

“I’ll wear the dress Rchel gave me—it’s more eye-catching. And I’ll use Calix’s accessories—they’re a bit more subtle.”

That was the result of two solid hours of agonizing. There didn’t seem to be a better solution.

Thankfully, the color combinations of their gifts didn’t clash too much.

“Wait, am I seriously grateful for that?”

I didn’t even ask for any of this! I cursed both of them under my breath.

“Will this really be okay?”

My worries weren’t limited to just the prince brothers. I was anxious about the entire ball.

“Even if it feels too late now…”

I laid down on the bed, then suddenly sat up with a thought.

“I can’t skip another week of classes.”

They say consistent practice is the fastest way to improve in magic.

And after missing two weeks, I’d definitely lose my rhythm.

“Why do I have so much to do?!”

But since I brought all this on myself, there was no one else to blame.

Honestly, I just wanted to pass out now and wake up after the ball was over.