TEDOR 14

Chapter 14

Callas Teraden was a young, handsome emperor. He did have a daughter, but since he was the emperor, the fact that he already had a child was no flaw at all. And if someone were to marry him and bear a son—

That son would certainly become the next emperor!

For this reason, Teraden’s high society was teeming with noblewomen who sought to tempt the widowed emperor, whose wife had died tragically. Like the young lady of House Sandviken, many women attended balls with the clear intent to capture his attention through their out dance performances.
But none of them were as beautiful as the late Empress Amelia.
None could ever perform an out dance as splendidly as she had.

Yet now—here, before their eyes—the princess Adeline’s dance was just as brilliant as the late Empress Amelia Bergen’s.
No—perhaps even more so.
Her hands stretched with confidence, her expression was perfectly natural, not a hint of tension.
Every step she took was graceful and sure.

The nobles attending the emperor’s birthday banquet could all see it clearly—
the young lion had finally opened her eyes.

Even the Viscountess Illisy, who had opposed Adeline performing the out dance, couldn’t help but admire her.

“Good heavens. She’s improved even more.”

Indeed, Adeline’s skill now was far beyond what she had shown before the Countess of Tamera.
If that earlier performance had been near perfect, then this one was perfection itself.
No criticism could be made—no amount of praise would do it justice.

The forgotten name of the former empress, Amelia Bergen, rose in everyone’s mind.
Viscountess Illisy vividly remembered the days when Amelia was still the young lady of House Bergen. She had once danced this very out dance just like that.
And now, her daughter was recreating it before their eyes.

She was not the only one reminded of the empress.
Every noble watching the princess dance thought of Amelia Bergen.
Count Tamera himself murmured in awe before he realized—

“Remarkable. Even Melanie, the princess’s dance tutor, couldn’t perform such an out dance.”

The noble ladies around him pricked up their ears at that. One fanned herself lightly and whispered behind the fan:

“Did you hear that? Even the Countess Tamera herself can’t dance as well as Her Highness.”

“Of course we’ve heard. We all know her style well. Lady Melanie Tamera is famous for her technical precision, but her dances lack liveliness and expression. But the princess—Her Highness’s out dance—it’s breathtaking. Like watching the late empress herself.”

“Oh my! You thought so too? I also felt as though I were seeing the young lady of Bergen again. Isn’t it incredible? A daughter surpassing her mother. If I recall correctly, the late empress became the flower of society at seventeen—but Princess Adeline, at only twelve, already dances so magnificently!”

“A reason to celebrate indeed. Look—His Majesty seems pleased as well.”

“He has every right to be. To have a daughter who shines brighter than anyone, even at such a young age—it’s no wonder His Majesty is proud. And yet… poor Lady Camilla of Sandviken.”

At that, the ladies fell silent.
It was true—there was no comparison between Lady Camilla’s dance and Princess Adeline’s. Somehow, Adeline’s out dance was far more elegant and commanding.

How could such an immense presence radiate from such a small frame?
One of the noble ladies spoke, amused:

“Now that you mention it, the comparison is clear. Lady Camilla’s dance was lovely, but next to Her Highness—she can’t compare. I imagine that must wound her pride. Knowing her temperament, she won’t take this quietly.”

“She brought this on herself. Forcing the birthday girl—the princess—to perform an out dance? What a blunder. If one of her followers misspoke, Lady Camilla should have stepped in to smooth things over, not make it worse.”

“I agree. I saw those young ladies quarreling over the princess earlier. For Lady Camilla to meddle in such childish squabbles—how unbecoming. Even as a duke’s daughter, her arrogance goes too far.”

“You thought the same? Truly. And if I may be honest, the princess ought to choose her friends more carefully. Those girls don’t seem to follow her out of admiration, but to put her in difficult situations.”

“Children’s jealousy, nothing more.”

The noblewomen’s remarks made Camilla’s face burn with shame.
She had only meant to tease the princess a little for rejecting Teros’s dance invitation—but somehow, everything had gone wrong.
Why? How had it turned into this?

Forcing down her turmoil, Camilla stared at the princess standing in the center of the ballroom.
How could a mere twelve-year-old dance like that?
She had practiced until her toes bled to become the darling of high society—and yet all that effort was wasted!

The admiration and attention she’d worked so hard for were now Adeline’s.
People were even comparing them—and not in her favor.
At this rate, she might lose her chance to become the flower of the season.

While Camilla fretted, Adeline continued her dance, embodying every aspect of the out dance perfectly.
If Camilla’s dance was alluring and feminine, Adeline’s was wistful and ethereal—like that of a young fairy.
Every movement radiated elegance, leaving no room for comparison.

Normally, the out dance, with its brisk steps, should feel light and lively.
But Adeline’s dance carried a tone of longing and solemnity—a level of artistry far beyond her years.
Her skill clearly mirrored that of the late Empress Amelia.

The nobles could do nothing but stare, spellbound, as though under a spell.
Their hearts fluttered with every motion.

When the dance finally ended, thunderous applause erupted—far greater than before.
The very outcome Camilla had dreaded had come to pass.
Her ambition to captivate the emperor and become the new flower of society was crushed in an instant.

Camilla clenched her teeth so hard her jaw ached.
She had even chosen a purple satin gown—just like the ones the empress had favored—hoping to emulate her.
And yet… this was the result.

Her hands trembled as she crumpled the fabric of her skirt.
Then, a hand rested on her shoulder—the Duke of Sandviken.

“Don’t show your anger. Compose yourself, Camilla.”

She forced a smile. Her father was right—if she showed jealousy, her reputation would be ruined.

“Thank you for the advice, Father.”

Seeing his daughter’s calm face, the duke relaxed and quickly stepped away, trusting her to handle herself.

Across the room, standing beside Olivia, Lady Isana was frozen with an ugly expression.
Even as the cheers faded and Adeline approached, Isana’s face remained twisted with resentment.

Perhaps because everyone around was showering Adeline with praise, her emotions were all too visible.

Adeline looked at her and spoke with a cold, ironic smile:

“Thanks to your faith in me, I managed to finish my out dance without a single mistake. I appreciate it, Isana.”

Her voice was like ice. Isana finally came to her senses—only to realize everyone was watching her with reproachful eyes.
There wasn’t a single person who hadn’t understood the mockery in Adeline’s words.

Even Olivia muttered, half-smirking:

“Serves you right. Why would you pull such a transparent stunt? Idiot.”

At Olivia’s sharp words, Isana’s eyes filled with tears.
Had she been a little wiser, she might have boldly insisted it was all a misunderstanding—but she was too young for that.

It was Lady Camilla who stepped in to rescue her.

“Now, now, don’t cry. You didn’t mean to make Her Highness uncomfortable, did you? If there was a misunderstanding, say so, Lady Conin.”

“Y-yes! It’s a misunderstanding. I truly believed Adeline would show us a wonderful out dance! Her first dance was so beautiful, so I just… I just…”

Isana trailed off, sobbing openly now. She was cunning for her age, but still only twelve—too young to withstand public scorn.

Unable to stay silent, the Marchioness of Conin rushed forward to defend her daughter.

“Lady Camilla is right. There seems to have been some misunderstanding. It’s true Isana was envious of Her Highness’s talent, but she’s only twelve! What could a child know? She merely believed Her Highness would perform wonderfully—that’s all.”

Adeline’s lips curved into a frosty smile.
The surrounding noblewomen didn’t look kindly on the Marchioness’s excuses either.
Flustered but unable to retreat, the Marchioness pressed on—

—and again, Lady Camilla came to her aid.

“As you’ve heard, Your Highness. Even if the young lady made a mistake, I hope you’ll be generous enough to overlook it. Today is, after all, Your Highness’s birthday. If the gracious princess of Teraden were to make an issue of such a trivial matter… it might not look good before the foreign envoys.”

“That’s right. Lady Camilla speaks wisely. Today is a day of celebration. If we let a small misunderstanding cause trouble, it could tarnish Teraden’s dignity.”

At that, Adeline’s eyes turned glacial.

“So, you both assume I would stir up trouble over a misunderstanding? How certain you sound—it leaves me quite speechless. Have I threatened Lady Isana in any way? I merely thanked her for believing in me.
And you dare speak of the empire’s dignity? Tell me—does the dignity of Teraden truly waver over something so trivial? I was unaware it was so fragile.”

Her sharp words left both the Marchioness and Lady Camilla speechless.
Even the onlookers held their breath, astonished by the princess’s poise and logic.
How could one so young speak with such precision?

And then, Adeline delivered the final blow:

“I advise you both to mind your words carefully. Lest you follow the same path as Lady Charlotte Tamera.”

Everyone knew what that meant—do you wish to be thrown out of the ballroom like Charlotte?
The humiliation was inevitable now.

The Marchioness’s face went pale, while quiet laughter rippled through the crowd.
Olivia covered her mouth with both hands, shoulders shaking with suppressed giggles.

As Adeline turned to leave, Camilla called out smoothly—

“Please, wait, Your Highness.”

“Do you have something more to say, Lady Camilla?”

“Only this—it was a magnificent out dance. I realized I hadn’t yet said so. And… I fear I may have been quite rude earlier. I only meant to clear up a misunderstanding for poor Lady Isana, but it seems I judged poorly. I’m embarrassed by my mistake. I hope Your Highness won’t think ill of me.”

Her tone was bright, not a trace of hostility in sight.
Her face even showed a hint of regret at not being closer with the princess.
But Adeline saw through it all—Camilla’s gentle apology deftly shifted all blame onto Isana and her mother.

Camilla Sandviken was the kind of person who could kill with a smile.

She revealed no malice, yet Adeline knew perfectly well—
the young lady had just begun to bear a grudge.

She was that kind of woman.