Chapter 6: ABORF

At last, the banquet had begun.

On the long-awaited first day, a grand ball was held in the Ivory Palace Hall, the largest and most magnificent hall in Singcaster.

Yet even after entering the ballroom, Leonard had no intention of dancing.

In his homeland, Blake—a nation ruled by the law of the strong devouring the weak—people had neither the emotional nor material luxury to enjoy dances, and Leonard himself had never taken pleasure in such things either.

To be honest, another reason was that he was not very good at dancing Singcaster’s waltzes.

Besides, he assumed the women would dislike him anyway because of his “sinister eyes” and the infamy of “Blake.” So the moment he entered the hall, he stationed himself firmly against the wall.

Just then, William approached him and spoke quietly.

“Your Highness, Singcaster’s owls have apparently investigated the route we took to get here.”

“You mean they found out we crossed the Resher Desert?”

William silently nodded, and Leonard’s eyes turned cold.

Raising his head, he looked toward King Erdan seated upon the platform.

Even while speaking with the Saintess beside him, the king’s gaze toward Leonard was as sharp as a spear.

Pretending not to notice that piercing stare, Leonard accepted the champagne William handed him and brought it to his lips.

“Did they also discover that we found it and are keeping it in our possession?”

“It seems they don’t know that much. However… it appears they’ve realized our purpose here is not merely to attend the banquet.”

“……”

Leonard tilted the champagne glass to take a sip.

“Your Highness, you should propose to the princess today.”

“Cough!”

At William’s words, Leonard nearly spat out his drink.

The young noblewomen who had been secretly glancing at him because they liked his dangerous-looking eyes stared at him in surprise.

Leonard gave them an awkward smile before growling at William.

“Have you lost your mind?”

“But if Your Highness courts Princess Charlotte, several problems will solve themselves.”

William calmly continued.

“Damian has already sent a proposal, has he not? Shouldn’t we counterattack and even the score?”

“……”

“And instead of using teleportation, we can claim you crossed the Resher Desert to display your masculinity to the princess. There are many fools among men who would do such a thing.”

“You want me to become one of those fools?”

“If you wish to avoid suspicion.”

Leonard laughed again.

Because of his hawk-like eyes, even his laughter carried a chilling edge, but William knew it was not a negative reaction.

“And if you frequently meet under the pretext of courtship, you may even share tea together. Perhaps you could uncover clues about the holy relic. Your Highness does at least have a decent face.”

“At least my face?”

Leonard smirked as he set down the champagne glass on the table.

“Still, no thanks. What if the princess actually accepts? A proposal is not something to make on impulse.”

If the princess has any sense, she’d never marry Your Highness anyway…

William muttered under his breath, but fortunately his ill-tempered superior did not seem to hear him.

After clearing his throat a couple of times, William pulled out a neatly wrapped box he had prepared in advance and held it out.

“In that case, at least speak with her. I heard the princess cannot use holy power. This should make a gift she’d appreciate.”

The curtain rose on the first ball of the birthday celebration.

Erdan usually escorted me at banquets, but this time he could not.

With distinguished guests from foreign nations in attendance, Erdan had to remain seated at the place of honor and display the dignity befitting the continent’s one and only Pope.

Thus, the man escorting me today was the kingdom’s sole duke, my brother’s right-hand man, and the commander of the Holy Knights—Cedric Myers.

When I left the princess palace and descended into the garden, I saw Cedric waiting for me.

As expected of the male lead whom the author had painstakingly described, he was dazzlingly handsome.

His neatly combed-back hair resembled the pitch-black night sky, and his blue eyes, clear as glass marbles, were sharp yet strangely calm.

His tidy forehead, straight nose, and refined jawline gave him the impression of both a benevolent clergyman and an unbending man of principle.

The image was completed perfectly by his white uniform buttoned all the way to the neck, his silver cloak, golden command staff, and sword.

“My greetings to the Princess.”

However, he was like a robot.

People say even the most handsome man becomes unappealing if his personality is icy, and anyone who met Cedric would understand exactly what that meant.

Looking at his handsome face—which no longer triggered my incurable illness—I clicked my tongue inwardly.

“Yes, good morning.”

“Then let us go.”

Cedric extended his hand to me, and I placed mine atop his as we walked toward the carriage.

After nine years, I had grown accustomed to his escort. Eating together, drinking tea together, even dancing together at balls.

However, there was one thing I could never grow used to: being alone with him in an enclosed space.

So today as well, the moment I entered the carriage, I fixed my gaze outside the window and blanked out.

Then—

“Princess.”

Cedric’s voice cut through the silence.

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

Startled and unable to hide my confusion, I tore my gaze away from the window and looked at him.

At some point, he had set down the weekly newspaper he had been reading and was now watching me.

“I heard you have many suitors. Have you made your decision?”

It was difficult to discern the emotion hidden in his low voice.

“No, not yet.”

“……There is not a single man among them who suits you.”

“I think so too.”

At my refreshingly blunt answer, Cedric’s eyes widened briefly before he rubbed at the corner of his mouth.

“That is a very Princess-like response.”

“But it’s true. I think I’m too good for every single one of them.”

“Then who do you believe is the most suitable person for you in this kingdom?”

“Is that important to you, Duke?”

As I abruptly questioned him back at his increasingly probing inquiries, Cedric’s mouth shut tightly.

Silence followed, and I frowned slightly.

We had never spoken this much inside a carriage before, which made the situation feel incredibly unfamiliar.

“Duke?”

At that moment, the carriage slowly began to decelerate, and the sound of trumpets echoed outside. Footsteps approached the carriage.

“His Grace Duke Myers, and the great Princess of Singcaster. Many guests await you in the ballroom.”

“Duke, we’ve arrived.”

What exactly had he been trying to say?

I stared quietly at Cedric. He hesitated briefly before opening the door and extending his hand toward me.

“Princess, please step out first.”

“Ah… right.”

Together, we slowly made our way toward the ballroom. By the time we passed the entrance and walked down the red carpet to the center of the hall, Cedric spoke softly.

“Before today ends, would you meet with me again? I wish to tell you what I could not finish saying earlier.”

“Very well.”

“Thank you.”

Before parting, he pressed his lips against the back of my hand.

I could hear gasps from the onlookers around us, but inwardly I smiled faintly.

He truly has no feelings for me. This is merely etiquette.

Soon, loud applause rang throughout the hall.

The moment Erdan and Aurora spotted Cedric and me, they descended from the seats of honor hand in hand.

“Now then, today’s stars have arrived. Shall we enjoy the ball?”

The instant he finished speaking, Erdan politely invited Aurora to the first dance. It was the signal announcing the start of the festivities.

Immediately, gentlemen rushed to escort their partners onto the dance floor, while those who had arrived alone swarmed toward me.

“Princess, would you grant me the honor of a dance—”

“You are aware that I was the very first to arrive in this kingdom, are you not?”

“Princess, our nations are allied through a mutual defense treaty.”

See? I told you it wouldn’t matter even if I wore a trash bag.

Though my mind was spinning, I forced a smile.

“It would be my pleasure. But could you please form a line first? I need to write your names on my dance card…”

As though my words were a royal command, the gentlemen immediately lined up in perfect order.

I glanced toward Cedric in the distance.

True to his reputation as the “most eligible bachelor in high society,” Duke Myers was surrounded by noblewomen with marriageable daughters.

Why did he ask me those questions earlier? He doesn’t seem like the type to care about my suitors at all.

But my thoughts about Cedric were interrupted when Prince Louis extended his hand toward me.

“Princess Charlotte Singcaster, may I have this dance?”

“With pleasure.”

Wearing my practiced social smile, I placed my hand in the prince’s and stepped out onto the ballroom floor.