Chapter 30

It was the look she had mulled over again and again, maybe even to this very moment.

Once more, curiosity stirred within her.

‘Why does he keep looking at me like that…?’

She pressed her lips together, lost in thought.

‘…And why, whenever he does, does something inside me ache just a little?’

She couldn’t understand what it was she was missing, why his eyes lingered in her mind this way. There were too many things she didn’t know, her thoughts turning pale and indistinct.

Wandering lost in this confusion, Anais clung to one certainty.

‘If I could just make sense of all this, maybe I could move a little further away from death.’

Yes, everything was connected to her death. She tried hard not to forget that.

By now, the sadness had vanished from the Grand Duke’s face. When no answer to his invitation came, he only offered a sheepish smile. His crimson eyes turned away, as if to avoid her gaze.

Not wanting to let that moment slip away, Anais opened her mouth to speak.

“What is it that makes you so sad?”

The returned crimson eyes regarded her steadily.

She held her breath, waiting for his answer. However, the Grand Duke remained silent for a moment, and then his expression softened with a gentle smile as he replied.

“Because I don’t know when I’ll have another chance to dance with you, Anais.”

“….”

“As you know, there are very few occasions where I can attend banquets as Grand Duke, that’s why I couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful.”

He let out a light, self-deprecating laugh as if to say she shouldn’t mind. Whatever emotion had threatened to spill over a moment ago vanished in an instant. Watching him, Anais sensed that there was something he was desperately trying to hide. She thought she’d have to look into it a bit further.

As soon as she made up her mind, her hand moved before she could stop herself. She grasped the sleeve of his coat just as he was about to withdraw it.

“….!”

In that instant, his arm froze, as if in disbelief. Seeing this, Anais met his eyes and asked without a trace of hesitation.

“If you really feel that way, shall we have just one dance?”

His expression, his bearing, even the look in his eyes—Anais searched each one for whatever it was that might be the cause of her death. But soon enough, her mind simply went blank.

The Grand Duke’s gaze, which had been frozen in surprise, slowly softened, his eyes curving into a radiant smile.

“…It’s an honor.”

Watching him respond with such joy, she blinked slowly.

‘…It’s just a single dance. What could make him smile so radiantly at that?’

He looked as if he was genuinely happy. Anais, almost without realizing it, felt herself relax and let out a faint, awkward laugh. She couldn’t tell whether she should be happy or troubled by having found nothing at all. An uncertain, ambiguous smile played at the corners of her lips.

In contrast, the Grand Duke was smiling brightly and unmistakably. He extended his hand and spoke.

“Shall we?”

Their hands joined, and the two moved naturally onto the dance floor. Just then, he leaned unexpectedly close to her. His low whisper followed almost immediately.

“There is one thing I forgot to mention.”

“What is it?”

She looked up at him in confusion. He was now closer than a hand’s breadth away. More and more eyes began to turn their way, watching the pair. But for the pair, the world had narrowed to just the two of them.

At that moment, a new piece began to play and the dance started. After quickly glancing around, the Grand Duke murmured softly in Anais’s ear.

“To tell the truth, I’m not much of a dancer. I’ve never really tried, nor have I ever learned properly.”

“….!”

True to his word, he glanced at the couples around them and did his best to imitate their dance steps.

“I’ll do my best—ugh, forgive me.”

No sooner had they started than he nearly stepped on her foot, clear embarrassment written all over his face.

Here stood a man of towering height and jet-black hair, with features so cold and distant that few dared approach, and crimson eyes so dangerously sharp they seemed almost forbidding. The Grand Duke, who had always appeared the most dignified and imposing of all, now glanced at Anais with a look of concern, clearly embarrassed by his misstep.

It was a mistake from someone she would have thought to be flawless. She looked at him with a hint of wonder.

“I won’t make the same mistake again.”

As he whispered, he watched the other dancers intently, doing his best to follow their movements. Then, as if seeking reassurance, he glanced at Anais, carefully watching her reaction. It was entirely unexpected. Somehow, the Grand Duke seemed genuinely nervous.

Watching him, Anais spoke calmly.

“Don’t worry, just leave it to me. I’m quite good at dancing.”