IAYA 52

chapter 52

At my first royal party, I couldn’t help but be wide-eyed in amazement.

From the moment I got out of the carriage, a red carpet stretched before me, softly lit with gentle lights that made it feel as if I were walking under the night sky.

When we arrived at the entrance of the ballroom, the doorman stepped forward, checked Zher’s identity, and announced loudly,

“Marquis Fredov and the lady!”

The ballroom beyond the door was truly another world.

Many guests mingled, laughing and drinking wine, but for a moment, I felt all eyes on us.

Some seemed to recognize Zher’s face and started approaching, only to pause as if reconsidering for some reason.

As we entered the ballroom, I was captivated, taking in the surroundings.

The enormous chandeliers, the priceless decorations unlike anything I’d seen before, and the subtle fragrance in the air couldn’t simply be described as luxurious—it was beyond words.

I was trying hard not to gasp in amazement when Zher glanced at me and murmured in a low voice,

“Do you have to act so rustic?”

“Ah!”

Only then did I realize I had been turning my head all around, staring at everything.

I quickly fixed my gaze forward and replied quietly,

“…Sorry.”

Zher stared at me with an expression as if he had much to say, then in an even quieter tone added,

“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look at all, though.”

I couldn’t help but look up at him in confusion. What exactly was he expecting me to do?

At that moment, I noticed Zher’s cravat was slightly askew. It was subtle enough that one might not notice unless paying close attention, but if I didn’t tell him, he probably wouldn’t realize it until the end of the party.

I worried he might scold me for pointing it out, but pretending not to notice went against my nature.

“Um, Professor…”

“Yes?”

“Your cravat is crooked.”

“Oh, it’s fine.”

Zher glanced at his cravat, then turned away as if it were nothing.

I was shocked by his careless attitude. This wasn’t just any party—it was a royal event attended by His Majesty the Emperor.

“Who just leaves it like that?”

“It’s bothersome to call a maid to fix it.”

I had known Zher was generally indifferent outside of experiments, but this was far worse than I expected.

Resigned, I lightly tugged at his sleeve. He looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Let’s go over to that corner. I’ll fix it for you.”

I felt him glance at me, surprised. I had expected him to refuse, but he followed me obediently to the secluded spot I indicated.

It was unusual for him, but correcting his cravat quickly out of sight of others was more important than questioning it.

Once we reached the corner, I carefully untied and re-tied his cravat.

Although I hadn’t done this much before, my long experience managing household affairs made it easy enough.

As I adjusted the cravat, my hands paused.

‘Ink…’

Hidden beneath his tailcoat until now, I noticed a faint stain of ink on the tip of his cravat. For someone of his wealth, he was surprisingly careless. A maid would likely have fixed this, but he probably dismissed them out of annoyance.

Zher looked at me curiously and asked,

“Why?”

The cravat itself was clearly of luxurious, high-quality material. He must have accidentally stained it during an experiment.

I knew pointing it out wouldn’t faze him, but I couldn’t help giving a small scolding.

“Professor, you have so much money, yet where do you spend it?”

“Suddenly, what are you talking about?”

“I just thought maybe you’re too careless about your appearance. You look much more impressive now that you’re dressed like this. You should pay a bit more attention.”

At the same time, I tucked the inked end back under his tailcoat so it wouldn’t be visible.

Zher looked quite dashing in his tailcoat today. I hadn’t had the chance to compliment him, but he looked nothing like the professor in his lab coat I saw every day.

After fixing his cravat, I looked up at him and noticed his eyes slightly shaken, staring at me.

“Are you… saying I look handsome?”

It seemed strange that he would ask that, but I nodded without hesitation.

“Of course. You look distinguished dressed like this.”

Zher only moved his lips slightly, closing them again, as if unsure what to say. It was odd behavior.

At that moment, I noticed Reijeni behind Zher, whispering to a servant alone. Normally, she would be surrounded by other ladies, which was uncharacteristic.

Then the doorman shouted loudly,

“Duke Akruse!”

The murmurs of those nearby grew louder. I even overheard some noblewomen talking.

“Duke Akruse? He rarely attends parties like this.”

“I wonder what brought him here today.”

“Whatever the reason, it’s enough just to see his face.”

“Hehe.”

I felt the same way.

Just hearing Teansis’ name made my entire body tense, and all my attention went to him.

Soon, Teansis appeared at the entrance. Walking into the ballroom, he seemed to shine distinctly among the crowd, as if magically illuminated.

It didn’t seem to be just my perception; many ladies and noblewomen were watching him, seemingly mesmerized.

Teansis looked around as if searching for someone, and then his gaze met mine.

I instinctively held my breath. These days, every encounter with Teansis made me feel like a prey animal caught by a hunter.

Seeing me, Teansis’ eyes showed slight surprise, then he walked straight toward me.

Thump, thump.

As his steps grew closer, my heartbeat quickened.

When he reached directly in front of me, his husky voice spoke,

“Are you not a bit too beautiful today?”

Although the words weren’t specifically directed, it was clear he meant me.

My face blushed hotly. Every time he said something like this, I felt both embarrassed and exhilarated.

Other guests’ attention also focused on me in that secluded corner. From the moment Teansis approached, there was no hiding from their gaze.

“D-Duke…”

While I stammered, Zher stepped forward, creating a dark shadow between us.

“What business do you have with my niece?”

For a moment, Teansis’ soft gaze toward me vanished, replaced by a cold glare at Zher.

“Do you normally call your niece ‘my niece’?”

“The title is none of Duke Akruse’s concern.”

Teansis frowned slightly, seemingly displeased, but did not press the issue once he remembered I was Zher’s niece.

“The reason you came all this way…”

After a brief pause, Teansis extended his gloved hand toward me, likely due to the crowd.

“I would like to request a dance with Lady Fredov. Will you accept?”

I stared at him in shock. This was my first appearance as Lady Fredov at a royal party—and my first dance request was from Teansis.

Whispers grew louder around us.

“Isn’t it rumored that Lady Fredov has a crush on Duke Akruse?”

“Really, really!”

“Has the Duke ever asked anyone to dance at a party before?”

“Now that you mention it, even when the princess requested a dance, he refused… Could they be involved?”

Speculation spread quickly.

Yet, I was already overwhelmed just by looking at Teansis.

He knew I was avoiding him, and thus knew I could refuse him now. Yet, he remained unhesitant.

His decadent purple eyes were solely focused on me, revealing his feelings.

─I love you, Lady.

His confession echoed in my ears once more.

Trembling, I took his hand. No matter how much I tried to distance myself, I could not refuse him in front of so many people.

I would not allow even one person to gossip that Teansis had been rejected. I would never tarnish his reputation.

Zher watched me with an unreadable expression but said nothing further.

Teansis led me to the center of the ballroom, where musicians were playing, and nobles danced gracefully.

He greeted me with restrained elegance, a proper courtesy before beginning a dance. I lifted the hem of my dress and returned the greeting, taking his hand.

It felt like a dream. Dancing with Teansis at a royal party was something I had never imagined.

As we began to dance, I whispered softly,

“What would you have done if I had refused?”

Teansis glanced at me and smiled faintly.

“I knew you wouldn’t refuse. You like me, Lady.”

His unexpected confidence flustered me.

“B-But if I did refuse, people might start gossiping.”

“I don’t care what they say. Even if you refuse, it doesn’t matter—I would keep asking until you agreed.”

Teansis’ approach was overwhelmingly direct. His bold affection made my entire body feel as if it were melting.

I couldn’t tell whether I was fortunate to receive such love or foolish for trying to resist it.

“I said I’d follow you and tell you a thousand times.”

Leaning close, he whispered softly,

“I love you.”

My heart seemed to drop. Even though I’d heard it before, every time it struck me anew.

As I looked up at him with trembling eyes, I misstepped in the dance, stepping on his foot with my high heel.

I gasped and looked at him in shock.

He flinched slightly but didn’t make a sound. If he had reacted, I would have been embarrassed in front of everyone.

Dancing was a skill learned from childhood among nobles, and stepping on a partner’s foot was humiliating.

My face burned red with embarrassment and guilt.

“Are you okay?”

I hadn’t danced much while caring for my mother and was afraid of mistakes if I relaxed even slightly.

“I’m… not okay.”

“Oh, what should we do?”

I stared at him anxiously. His smile deepened.

“I might not be able to walk properly like this.”

“Eh?”

I thought it wasn’t that bad.

He smiled lowly and whispered,

“So you have to take responsibility.”

Thump, thump. My heart raced uncontrollably. Distracted, I misstepped again.

This time, Teansis avoided my foot smoothly, laughing slightly, just enough for me to hear.

“Are you doing that on purpose?”

“N-No way.”

“Should I teach you?”

“Teach me what?”

“The dance.”

As he moved closer, he whispered,

“Want to try placing your foot on mine?”

It was a technique used for teaching children. I shook my head, cheeks burning.

“No, it’s fine. It’s not necessary.”

“If we continue like this, my feet might be bruised by the end of the dance.”

Teansis teased me, making my face even hotter.

I looked up at him, flushed, and he laughed, unable to contain himself. His bright smile made my heart melt.

I was happy. This dreamlike moment.

Medina, attending the royal party, watched Belia dancing with Teansis, a confused expression on her face.

‘That’s definitely Belia…’

But it made no sense. The woman before her couldn’t be Belia. Medina’s sister wasn’t that young or beautiful, nor wealthy enough to wear such an expensive dress.

And dancing with Teansis?

Impossible.

Medina stared in disbelief, then cautiously asked a noblewoman nearby,

“Who is the woman dancing with Duke Akruse?”

“Oh, that’s Lady Fredov. She’s the niece the Marquis Fredov recently brought. The social circles are in an uproar because of her.”

“Lady Fredov…?”

Medina couldn’t take her eyes off Belia.

Her missing sister, suddenly appearing as Lady Fredov—it all seemed suspicious.